Jade had been determined to forget all about the Mulwa case, but there was this one loose end hanging – why did Colleen Wright leave Sunnydale Clinic? It was more curiosity than anything else that had Jade phoning the hospital supervisor, Herman Lays.

“Of course I remember Nurse Wright; few would be able to forget her,” Herman Lays said. “I’ve been meaning to phone Cuttleson General. I don’t know how to say this because I have no evidence. It might be just a coincidence, but I suspect incompetence of some sort. But please, it is just a feeling, yet one I can’t shake.”

“You can tell me. I’ll not be calling libel on you.”

“Yes … I, well, Colleen Wright was here for just over a year and during that time, among the other deaths in the hospital, there were seven deaths, all on her shifts, that were unusual. Unusual in the sense that they were patients with a very small likelihood of dying and suddenly they were dead. There were reasons, and the normal investigations were done, but nothing was found. It was so odd too, that in all seven cases, Colleen was very involved with the patients’ families. In one instance, she spent the night at a man’s house, where the wife had died suddenly. He was an elderly man and his son, who arrived that night, was quite upset about it. He thought perhaps Colleen was after the old man’s money. But I don’t think it was that. She’s just very odd.”

“She is very odd indeed.”

“She’s been like that since she was a girl I understand. She grew up in Upington and there was a nurse here who went to school with her. Colleen was about seven when her mother died suddenly, and the nurse claimed she went wrong then. Got put with a great aunt – apparently she had no other relatives. But she went a bit wrong after that.”

That was a surprise. Why had Colleen Wright lied and said her mother was in a care home? Lying when there was absolutely no reason to, was a concerning thing.

“I suppose that could be expected,” Jade said. “Thanks, for the information Mr Lays. It’s been very helpful.”

Debra came in and set bags from the takeaway on the desk. She looked down at the notes Jade had been taking while speaking on the phone. “What’s that all about?”

“I’ve changed my mind. I think there’s something going on at the hospital. We need to investigate Colleen Wright.”

***

Tell us what you think: Why did Colleen tell Jade her mother was alive, but she isn’t?