BooksBarbecue
Back One Year Later
Chapters (49)
  1. PROLOGUE
  2. PART I
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. PART II
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. PART III
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. PART IV
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. EPILOGUEAMY
  48. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  49. BOOK CLUB QUESTIONS

I burst out of his office, dragging lungfuls of chilled air. I stand in the corridor and look through the window of the ward at my sister, lying motionless in the bed, her head bound in bandages.

My mobile rings and I fumble to answer it, in case it’s Amy.

‘Mr Flowers?’

It’s a man, with a cultured English accent.

‘Yes?’

‘I’m calling from The Castle. I’m one of the consultants – Simon Golding – and I picked up your message this morning. Is this a convenient time to talk?’

I can’t think fast enough. There’s probably some rule about not using your mobile in a hospital unless it’s an emergency, and now is hardly the time to discuss my father’s next appointment at the Memory Clinic. Golding takes my silence for assent.

‘You phoned regarding your father, Professor David Flowers.’

‘That’s right,’ I say. ‘But—’

‘The receptionist is not here, so I thought I’d call straight away, save you worrying over the weekend.’

‘Worrying?’

‘Yes. I’m afraid you have the wrong number. Your father has not been to visit the Memory Clinic at The Castle. Perhaps it was another facility near Bristol? There’s a BUPA hospital in Henleaze – the Spire?’

‘Are you sure? It was about a year ago. He has a note of it in his diary.’

‘Well, you’re right, he did visit The Castle,’ Simon Golding says.

‘Oh. Then…’ I’m confused. I glance back at Bethany, but my sister is still unconscious.

‘His appointment was not at the Memory Clinic. He had, let me see—’ I can hear the click of keys as he types – ‘yes, there we go, a routine medical examination, and he was pronounced in the best of health for a man of his age. However, if you are concerned about his mental health or his memory in any way, then I’d be happy to book an appointment for him. Or you could call back on Monday to arrange a follow-up medical.’

‘I see. What date was the medical?’

‘Our records show it was the twenty-eighth of August, just over a year ago.’

‘Mr Golding, can I call you back?’

‘Certainly. You have our number. We’ll be happy to hear from you or your father.’

‘Thanks.’

I hang up and look back through the window at Bee. The one person who can explain why my father had a medical and not a mental-health check, and then lied about it, is unconscious in a foreign hospital and may die, because someone hit her on the head with a rock.

32

NICK