A Room Full of Bones: A Ruth Galloway Investigation

university lecturer whose colleague died in her house after a drug-fuelled orgy? What if he dies and she never sees him again? What if Cathbad and Nelson both die and Kate is left without a father figure of any kind, apart from Flint and the postman?
    But she can’t just sit around and do nothing. She may have refused to help Nelson but she can’t stand in the way of Cathbad’s efforts, however lunatic they may be. Is it because, over the years, she has absorbed enough of Cathbad’s mumbo-jumbo to think that it’s possible for there actually to be a dream world where souls wander between life and death? She hears Erik’s voice.
One step the wrong way and you’re dead, straight to hell. Keep on the path and it’ll lead you to heaven
.
    ‘Ruth! You look like you’re in another world.’
    It’s Shona, glowing and beautiful in a purple smock over white jeans. Her hair, almost orange in the afternoon sunlight, clashes brilliantly with the Imperial purple. She looks like a stained-glass window come to life.
    ‘I just came in to get some books for Phil. He’s still suffering with this flu, poor darling.’
    So that was why Phil didn’t come charging in earlier. Still struck down with terminal man flu.
    ‘Are you OK, Ruth? You look awfully pale.’
    Perhaps because Shona looks so vibrant and full of life while she feels so low, Ruth has a sudden desire to tell Shona everything.
    ‘It’s Nelson …’ she begins.
    She tells Shona about Nelson’s illness and Michelle’s visit. When she gets to the part about seeing Nelson, Shona says, as Ruth knew she would.
    ‘But why would Michelle want you to go to see Nelson?’
    Ruth says nothing. She knows Shona will work it out sooner or later.
    ‘Ruth! Nelson’s not …?’
    Ruth nods.
    ‘Bloody hell.’ Shona sits down heavily on Ruth’s visitor’s chair.
    ‘Nelson’s Kate’s father?’
    ‘Yes.’
    ‘And his wife knows?’
    ‘She found out at the christening.’
    ‘How?’
    Funny, Ruth has never asked this question. ‘I don’t know.’
    ‘God, Ruth,’ Shona is staring at her now, half-resentfully, half almost admiringly. ‘Nelson. I’d never have guessed. I thought you didn’t like him much.’
    ‘He has his moments,’ says Ruth drily.
    ‘Did you have an affair with him?’
    ‘It was just one night,’ says Ruth. ‘That’s all it takes.’
    ‘One night? Jesus, Ruth, why didn’t you tell me?’
    ‘I didn’t want to tell anyone.’
    ‘Does Cathbad know?’
    ‘I think he suspects.’
    ‘What about Phil?’
    ‘Please don’t tell Phil!’
    It comes out almost as a scream. Ruth realises that she is very near tears.
    ‘All right,’ says Shona soothingly. ‘I won’t tell Phil. So now Nelson’s wife wants you to visit him. Bloody hell, that’s big of her.’
    Ruth lowers her eyes. ‘I know.’
    ‘She must really love him.’
    ‘She does.’
    Shona looks at her curiously. ‘Why did you say no?’
    ‘It’s Kate,’ says Ruth. ‘I’m scared of her getting sick.’
    ‘But she wasn’t asking you to take Kate, was she? Babies aren’t allowed in hospitals. I know that because Phil’s boys won’t be allowed in to see me when I have the baby. It’s a bit harsh, I think.’
    ‘I know but I might carry some germs back to her, infect her. No one knows what’s wrong with Nelson.’
    Ruth looks almost timidly at her friend. She half wants Shona to tell her that she’s doing the right thing. Ruth has slept with another woman’s husband and is now refusing to move a muscle to save that man’s life but she’s still doing the right thing. The other half of her wants Shona to say that she’s being ridiculous and to order her a minicab to the hospital.
    But Shona is still looking at her as if she has never seen her before.
    ‘Michelle must really love him,’ she says again.
    Judy is sitting at Nelson’s desk. Dead man’s shoes, she thinks morbidly. But Nelson’s still alive and where there’s life there’s hope and all those other irritating, but nonethe less oddly reassuring, clichés. It’s darkest before dawn. Where did she hear that one recently? Got to get worse before it gets better, she tells herself savagely, looking at the transcript of her interview with Randolph Smith. Does she really think that there’s anything suspicious about Danforth Smith’s death? She has requested a copy of the death certificate. Cause of death: I Myocardial infarction II diabetes mellitus. Seems straightforward enough, heart attack