‘So Ísafold was caught stealing drugs from elderly people here?’

‘That’s right. She worked here as a cleaner, and to tell the truth, she was well liked. She did her job well, was always cheerful and pleasant company for the residents. Then there were complaints that medicines were disappearing. Painkillers. And that rang a few alarm bells.’

Daníel nodded and smiled encouragingly.

‘You said she was cheerful and pleasant,’ he said. ‘Did she come across as likely to be a drug user? Was she punctual?’

‘Regular as clockwork,’ the woman said. ‘So it took me by surprise. Huge surprise. But when we worked out the amounts of painkillers that had disappeared from the apartments she cleaned, it was much more than could have been for personal use. What she stole in a month would have been enough to kill an elephant. Lots of elephants. Most of the elderly people are prescribed pain-killers, and many of them also take OxyContin or Contalgin as well, to help them cope with any additional pain, from worn-out joints or serious arthritis.’ 112

‘And you’re certain that she was the one who was responsible for these thefts?’

‘No doubt about it. Absolutely none. She was the only member of staff who went into the apartments where the residents were missing drugs, and CCTV picked her up entering apartments she shouldn’t have been cleaning on those days. She did it at lunchtimes, when residents are downstairs in the canteen.’

Daníel stood up and extended a hand in gratitude for the information she had given him.

‘We decided to handle the matter as we would any instance of theft,’ she said. ‘We wanted to avoid it getting out and turning into a media frenzy.’

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