‘Like, we always got on with her really well. She’s a few years older so sometimes she wouldn’t come out so much. Maybe, not often. But always in the care home she was good. Like, good with the old people. What do you call it? Always has a good word for everyone? The Samaritans? That was Jesus, right? Yeah, a bit like that.’

‘She’s the kind of person who’s like that. She’s always bringing in nice stuff from home, or if someone brings her sweets or chocolates, she shares, or even on her birthday if she gets any, she always shares with the rest of us, even when Mrs O’Toole’s daughters bring the Godivas in at Christmas. Mrs O’Toole can’t eat them because they’re bad for her, so she’s like, “I’m giving these to Ruth, she’s the only one I can trust to teach you guys how to share.” Good job for us girls because we can be piglets, we can.’

⋆

‘Well, listen to me, dear, you have to listen. I’ve lived a whole lifetime before you were even born. And I’ve known girls like Ruth before. She’s the kind of girl I would’ve taken out for a stiff Martini and a serious life chat. One olive, am I right, Constable? That’s perfect, good man. I knew one like her when I lived out in Florida. Her husband died in a boating accident. On his own private yacht, can you believe it? Well, if I’m honest, I didn’t think it the worst way to go. But I’m a romantic. In any case the man was a brute. What did you say you wanted to ask me, Constable?’

‘I have never in my life met such an incompetent nurse. Appalling customer service. And the money I pay them.’

‘Yeah, we knew she’d broken up with her partner. Not straight away, no, she didn’t say. Yes, we are close. But she’s pretty private even when she opens up, if that makes sense. It was hard to figure out what had happened at first, though in hindsight it all makes sense and it feels like any of us could’ve easily guessed it, if only we’d put our minds to it. She didn’t have very many people in her life. There must have been a subtle change in her, but I think she was trying her best to conceal it. She’s good at that – doing stuff without being noticed. Sometimes you forget she’s even there until you notice that most of the work has been done. She works really hard. She’s a good nurse. She can take a lot. But after a while she looked so skinny it was impossible not to see that something was up.’