Page 7 of Hidden Daughters (Detective Lottie Parker #15)
Chloe Parker returned from the shop with the daily newspaper for her gran. Rose Fitzpatrick insisted on having it; said she liked the feel of the pages between her fingers, even though she had access to the radio and television news.
She laid the paper on the table in front of Rose who scrabbled about for her glasses.
Chloe noticed how her gran had dressed herself.
Yesterday’s clothes, despite her having laid out clean fare on the bedroom chair.
A slobber of marmalade down the front of her blouse, the collar manky.
Dementia was a cruel disease. She felt she was fighting a losing battle, so she switched on the kettle to make a cup of tea.
‘There’s nothing in here about it that I can see.’ Rose rustled the paper loudly. ‘It should be on the front page.’
‘What should?’ Chloe fetched two mugs and took the sugar bowl out of the cupboard.
Almost empty. She mentally added sugar to the growing list of groceries needed.
Her sister, Katie, could go next time. She was bored of having to do everything.
At least her mam would get a little respite this week, being away with Boyd.
‘That woman’s murder,’ Rose said indignantly, as if Chloe should know what she was talking about. ‘I heard it on the midland radio news while you were at the shop.’
‘What woman? When did it happen?’
‘This morning. Someone found a body in the river.’
‘Really? I didn’t hear that.’ Chloe opened the tea-bag box to find only one bag remaining.
It would do for her gran, and she’d have coffee instead.
‘There’s no way it could be in the paper if it only happened this morning.
’ Damn. The coffee was rock hard in the bottom of the jar. Gran must have put a wet spoon into it.
‘And why not?’ Rose’s voice was rising. ‘It’s news, isn’t it?’
‘Yes, but the papers are printed the night before. You know that.’
‘Are they? Oh aye. I forgot.’
Chloe made their drinks – at least they had fresh milk – and brought the mugs to the table.
Rose turned up her nose. ‘A biscuit would be nice.’
With an exasperated sigh, Chloe fetched the almost empty packet of biscuits. Another item for the food list. ‘You can have the last two.’
‘One is fine. Do you want me to get diabetes as well as all my other ailments?’
‘Tell me the story from the radio.’ Chloe knew this was a good way to stimulate her gran’s brain.
After dunking the biscuit into her tea, Rose waited till it was soggy before biting into it. ‘Ah, you can’t beat a ginger nut.’
Chloe sipped her coffee. She didn’t think Rose would remember what she’d heard on the radio. She probably wouldn’t even remember what she’d been saying ten seconds ago. However, her gran continued to surprise her.
‘A lassie out for a jog saw the body caught up in the reeds. Down by the bridge at the end of the link road. Apparently it had been burned and tied up, or something like that. That’s what it said on the radio.’
‘Oh.’ Chloe put down her mug. She wasn’t sure if her gran was recounting what she’d actually heard or something from an old memory. ‘Anything else?’
‘Isn’t that bad enough?’ Rose slurped her tea, and dribbles ran down her chin onto her shirt.
Chloe dampened a cloth and gently wiped her gran’s face. ‘Do you want to do some knitting?’
‘I recall something like this from long ago.’
‘Someone wiping your face?’
‘No, girl, don’t be stupid. I remember Peter telling me about it. Where is he?’
‘Grandad Peter died years and years ago. Now how about that knitting?’
‘It seems an awful way to die.’ Rose stood up so suddenly she tipped over the mug. Chloe watched the milky tea pool on the table before drip-dripping to the floor.
She wished her mam was home because she was losing patience.
She heard a letter drop onto the mat and escaped to get it, hoping against hope that this might be the one she’d been waiting for.