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Back The Art of Dying Save as PDF
Chapters (90)
  1. PROLOGUE
  2. 1849
  3. ONE
  4. TWO
  5. EDINBURGH
  6. THREE
  7. FOUR
  8. FIVE
  9. SIX
  10. SEVEN
  11. EIGHT
  12. NINE
  13. TEN
  14. ELEVEN
  15. TWELVE
  16. THIRTEEN
  17. FOURTEEN
  18. FIFTEEN
  19. SIXTEEN
  20. SEVENTEEN
  21. EIGHTEEN
  22. NINETEEN
  23. TWENTY
  24. TWENTY-ONE
  25. TWENTY-TWO
  26. TWENTY-THREE
  27. TWENTY-FOUR
  28. TWENTY-FIVE
  29. TWENTY-SIX
  30. TWENTY-SEVEN
  31. TWENTY-EIGHT
  32. TWENTY-NINE
  33. THIRTY
  34. THIRTY-ONE
  35. THIRTY-TWO
  36. THIRTY-THREE
  37. THIRTY-FOUR
  38. THIRTY-FIVE
  39. THIRTY-SIX
  40. THIRTY-SEVEN
  41. THIRTY-EIGHT
  42. THIRTY-NINE
  43. FORTY
  44. FORTY-ONE
  45. FORTY-TWO
  46. FORTY-THREE
  47. FORTY-FOUR
  48. FORTY-FIVE
  49. FORTY-SIX
  50. FORTY-SEVEN
  51. FORTY-EIGHT
  52. FORTY-NINE
  53. FIFTY
  54. FIFTY-ONE
  55. FIFTY-TWO
  56. FIFTY-THREE
  57. FIFTY-FOUR
  58. FIFTY-FIVE
  59. FIFTY-SIX
  60. FIFTY-SEVEN
  61. FIFTY-EIGHT
  62. FIFTY-NINE
  63. SIXTY
  64. SIXTY-ONE
  65. SIXTY-TWO
  66. SIXTY-THREE
  67. SIXTY-FOUR
  68. SIXTY-FIVE
  69. SIXTY-SIX
  70. SIXTY-SEVEN
  71. SIXTY-EIGHT
  72. SIXTY-NINE
  73. SEVENTY
  74. SEVENTY-ONE
  75. SEVENTY-TWO
  76. SEVENTY-THREE
  77. SEVENTY-FOUR
  78. SEVENTY-FIVE
  79. SEVENTY-SIX
  80. SEVENTY-SEVEN
  81. SEVENTY-EIGHT
  82. SEVENTY-NINE
  83. EIGHTY
  84. EIGHTY-ONE
  85. EPILOGUE
  86. HISTORICAL NOTE
  87. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  88. Extract from A Corruption of Blood
  89. 1850
  90. ONE

He smiled at Mr Hardie, hoping to calm him a little. The man seemed to be unduly harassed given that Raven had yet to ask a question.

‘Where is the mattress now? Might we take a look at it?’

‘It’s been sent to Mr Harrower.’

‘Mr Harrower?’ Sarah asked.

‘Yes.’ He looked at them as though it should be obvious what he was talking about. ‘He has charge of an establishment where beds go to be steamed and cleaned after people die. Whatever might be the cause of death,’ he added quickly, seemingly afraid of further incriminating himself.

‘When was this?’ Raven asked.

‘Sometime last week.’

‘So, it is likely to have been cleaned by now?’

‘Oh, it has been. Won’t do to leave these things lying about for any length of time. Mr Harrower said that when he opened it up, little or nothing of it was spoiled, only the surface was stained with a small amount of blood. Just as I said. No clotting or anything like that. Most beds he sees are in a thousand times’ worse state.’

‘Thank you, Mr Hardie,’ Raven said. ‘You’ve been a great help.’

Mr Hardie visibly relaxed at this, loosening his grip on the counter.

‘I sincerely hope that’s the end of the matter,’ he said. ‘I haven’t seen so many doctors since my youngest got run over by a cart and broke his leg. Bit of bone came right out through the skin. Was in the Infirmary for months.’

Raven thought it best not to enquire about the outcome of that but thanked the man again as he and Sarah left the shop. They walked away from the door and then stopped.

‘What now?’ Sarah asked. ‘Obviously that vindicates Dr Simpson, but with the mattress having been cleaned, we have no proof.’

‘I doubt it would make much difference if we had,’ Raven admitted. ‘Matthews Duncan and Professor Miller heard the same from Mr Hardie as we did. So I am now curious as to why two medical men would so misinterpret the upholsterer’s account.’

THIRTY-ONE

logo missingn pursuing his investigation on Dr Simpson’s behalf, Raven stood by the wisdom that – Edinburgh medicine being something of a snake pit – he ought to avoid making new enemies. To that end he reasoned it would be best to continue his enquiries with someone who never thought much of him to begin with.