Кит Мори - Deadly Still

Sister Lamb doused the light and Ralph switched on the ophthalmoscope and leaned close to look through the series of lenses inside the instrument to assess the state of retina in each of Catriona’s eyes.

A few moments later after the lights were switched on again, Ralph told her: ‘We’ll need to take some blood for tests, Catriona. Now, answer me honestly, did you take anything else? Any drugs of any sort? I need to know.’

‘Just the whisky. Jamie brought it. We were … celebrating finishing our exams for the Highers.’

She began to sob and Ralph put a hand on her wrist.

‘OK, Catriona. I’m going to go and talk with the eye specialist and the kidney specialist at Stornoway and once I have I’m going to start treating you. We’re going to do our utmost to help you.’

Catriona sat back in alarm. ‘K-Kidney specialist. There’s nothing wrong with my kidneys is there, Doctor McLelland?’

This time Sister Lamb bent down and put a comforting arm about the youngster’s shoulders. ‘We’re going to look after you, petal. Don’t you worry.’

‘That’s right, Catriona,’ Ralph said. ‘The whisky you had must have been tainted with methanol, that’s —’

‘— methyl alcohol, I know that from chemistry,’ Catriona said. ‘But Jamie said it was good stuff and totally safe.’

‘Aye, well, clearly it wasn’t. I think it must have been illicit whisky. We’ll need to transfer you to Stornoway where they can dialyse you to get the poison out of your system. It can damage your kidneys and we need to make them safe.’

He left her in Sister Lamb’s care while he went to his office to phone the Western Isles Hospital on Stornoway. Before he reached the end of the corridor he picked up Torquil’s call.

‘Ah, Torquil, the very man. I’m waiting for Charlie and Bridget McDonald to show up. I’m going to need their permission to treat Catriona.’

‘That’s partly why I’m ringing. Ewan has just talked to them separately. He said you should know that there is friction between them.’

‘Aye, they are divorced. They’re both patients of mine, so I’m aware that there are — issues.’

‘And I’m afraid I’ll need you up here pronto to certify young Jamie. We’re stymied until you do and the Scene Examiner gets here.’

Ralph was used to pressure. ‘As soon as I can afford to leave my live patient, I’ll be there, Torquil.’

‘So what is your verdict with Catriona?’

‘Well, I’m virtually one hundred per cent sure its methanol poisoning. We’re taking blood for testing, but I can’t wait for the results. I’ll need to treat her as soon as possible before permanent damage sets in. I’m just about to check in with the specialists on Stornoway, but I’m pretty sure I know what I’ll need to do.’

‘Can you get her sight back?’

‘It’ll be touch and go. She’s lost her pupillary reaction and her optic discs inside her eyes are all congested. She has what we call optic neuritis.’

Calum and Cora were just about to get on the scooter to return to the office when Charlie McDonald’s Mercedes careered into the car park. A moment later the local councillor and his ex-wife Bridget McDonald got out and flounced towards the main door.

‘Ah, Charlie, could I have a word?’ Calum ventured.

‘No comment, Calum!’ came the curt reply from the councillor.

‘Come on, Charlie,’ snapped Bridget, giving Calum and Cora a disdainful look as she walked quickly past them. ‘Have you not dithered enough, you bloody idiot.’

Calum was about to follow until Cora put a hand on his arm. ‘I think we ought to wait for Doctor McLelland’s call this time, Calum. It sounds as if things are fraught enough right now.’

Calum tisked and absently reached into his anorak pocket for the bag containing his half-eaten mutton pie. He unwrapped it. ‘You see, the journalist’s life is never easy, Cora. We of the fourth estate are the most misunderstood of all the professions. People consider us pariahs, busybodies, when all we aim to do is keep people up to date and informed. Then when they need us —’ He gave a short laugh and took a munch on his pie.

Cora smiled and linked her arm through his. ‘You’re no pariah, Calum Steele. I think you’re the bee’s knees. Come on, it’s been a long night.’ She covered her mouth and gave an exaggerated yawn and then winked. ‘I could just do with a nap on the office couch while we wait for the news from Ralph.’

Calum beamed and took her hand. ‘It’s back to the office for us then. We must cater to the needs of the Press and of the journalists.’

Ralph had a rather brisk consultation with Charlie McDonald and his ex-wife Bridget. Charlie had gone in on the offensive, backed up immediately by Bridget.

‘What the hell is happening here, Dr McLelland? How come Catriona’s been admitted?’

‘Why did PC McPhee say it was an emergency, Doctor?’ Bridget enquired.

Her ex-husband jabbed the air in front of him. ‘I need answers and I’m warning you, if I’m not satisfied, I’ll be straight on the phone to my solicitor.’

Ralph adroitly deflected their questions and tried to assuage their anxiety as best he could, at the same time leaving them in no doubt that the situation was urgent.

‘Who was she up there with?’ Charlie McDonald asked forcefully.

‘I don’t have the information and I’m not at liberty to say anyway. That is for the police to tell you.’

‘Look here, if my daughter —!’

Bridget McDonald put a restraining hand on her ex-husband’s arm. ‘Charlie, be quiet, can you not understand what Dr McLelland is telling you, you big lummox? He needs to start treatment right away to save her sight.’ Shaking her head in exasperation, she held out her hands for the consent form attached to a clipboard. ‘Let me sign and let’s get on with it.’ As she did so the tears started to trickle down her cheeks. ‘Please, Ralph, do whatever you have to do.’

‘I will. I’ve just spoken to the consultant ophthalmologist and the kidney specialist at Stornoway. As soon as I’ve initiated treatment and I’ll get her over to the Western Isles Hospital for dialysis.’

Charlie McDonald grabbed his arm, tears welling up in his eyes. ‘She’s my wee girl, Ralph. Do what you must.’

After initiating treatment and seeing some improvement in the clinical condition of her eyes, albeit accompanied by progressive deepening of her inebriation, Ralph left Catriona in the capable hands of Lizzie, while he arranged the air ambulance to transfer her to Stornoway, along with her mother.

Then he left in the Kyleshiffin Cottage Hospital ambulance, which was actually a fairly old camper van that been donated by a former laird and adapted at public cost.

He parked below the pillbox and jumped out with his old Gladstone bag swinging from his hand.

‘Thanks for coming, Ralph,’ Torquil called down from above, where he and Morag were waiting. ‘This is a hell of a business and we’ve not enough folk on the ground.’

‘Any news on Vicky Spiers?’ the doctor asked as he ducked under the police tape.

‘The twins are out looking for her, but unfortunately they haven’t found any tracks. Can you come and take a look at Jamie Mackintosh?’

Although it was clear to Ralph that the youngster was dead, he was too professional to skimp on his examination to certify death. By the light of the lantern inside the pillbox he felt the body for pulses, listened with his stethoscope for a heartbeat and breath sounds, but found none.

‘His pupils are fixed and dilated,’ he said over his shoulder to Torquil and Morag. He gently lifted the head and turned it to the right and left. ‘No automatic movement of the eyes, they move in unison with the head, so that is a positive doll’s sign. And there is no blink response if I touch the eyeball, meaning no corneal reflex.’