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Back The Cottage Save as PDF
Chapters (82)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. ONE
  4. TWO
  5. THREE
  6. FOUR
  7. FIVE
  8. SIX
  9. SEVEN
  10. EIGHT
  11. NINE
  12. TEN
  13. ELEVEN
  14. TWELVE
  15. THIRTEEN
  16. FOURTEEN
  17. FIFTEEN
  18. SIXTEEN
  19. SEVENTEEN
  20. EIGHTEEN
  21. NINETEEN
  22. TWENTY
  23. TWENTY-ONE
  24. TWENTY-TWO
  25. TWENTY-THREE
  26. TWENTY-FOUR
  27. TWENTY-FIVE
  28. TWENTY-SIX
  29. TWENTY-SEVEN
  30. TWENTY-EIGHT
  31. TWENTY-NINE
  32. THIRTY
  33. THIRTY-ONE
  34. THIRTY-TWO
  35. THIRTY-THREE
  36. THIRTY-FOUR
  37. THIRTY-FIVE
  38. THIRTY-SIX
  39. THIRTY-SEVEN
  40. THIRTY-EIGHT
  41. THIRTY-NINE
  42. FORTY
  43. FORTY-ONE
  44. FORTY-TWO
  45. FORTY-THREE
  46. FORTY-FOUR
  47. FORTY-FIVE
  48. FORTY-SIX
  49. FORTY-SEVEN
  50. FORTY-EIGHT
  51. FORTY-NINE
  52. FIFTY
  53. FIFTY-ONE
  54. FIFTY-TWO
  55. FIFTY-THREE
  56. FIFTY-FOUR
  57. FIFTY-FIVE
  58. FIFTY-SIX
  59. FIFTY-SEVEN
  60. FIFTY-EIGHT
  61. FIFTY-NINE
  62. SIXTY
  63. SIXTY-ONE
  64. SIXTY-TWO
  65. SIXTY-THREE
  66. SIXTY-FOUR
  67. SIXTY-FIVE
  68. SIXTY-SIX
  69. SIXTY-SEVEN
  70. SIXTY-EIGHT
  71. SIXTY-NINE
  72. SEVENTY
  73. SEVENTY-ONE
  74. SEVENTY-TWO
  75. SEVENTY-THREE
  76. SEVENTY-FOUR
  77. Suggested topics for reading-group discussion
  78. Keep Reading …
  79. Lisa Stone also writes under the name of Cathy Glass.Don’t miss her latest book …
  80. About the Author
  81. Books by Lisa Stone
  82. About the Publisher

‘She was cremated instead of being kept in the mortuary,’ Chelsea said. ‘They’re going to hold an inquiry. Grant found us a lawyer on a no-win, no-fee basis so we’re suing them for compensation. Grant wants the midwife sacked too, but I liked Anne, and anyone can make a mistake.’

‘You’re too bloody soft!’ Grant shouted in the background.

‘Your midwife was called Anne?’ Emma asked. ‘What was her surname?’

‘Long. Anne Long. She was lovely. Really kind and caring. She just made a mistake. I don’t want her to lose her job.’

‘Well, I do!’ Grant shouted. ‘Anyway, what’s that got to do with whoever you’re talking to?’

Ian motioned to Emma to wind up the call.

‘I am so sorry for your loss,’ Emma said again. ‘Thank you for your time. I hope you get what you want.’ Saying goodbye, she ended the call, then turned to Ian. ‘Show me that spreadsheet again.’

‘What is it?’ he asked, holding the laptop between them. The Second Generation spreadsheet was still open on the screen.

Emma was quiet as she looked again at the entries. ‘You see those letters – A.L. –beside some of the names?’ she said. ‘They could be the initials of Anne Long. They’re beside our names and Chelsea and Grant’s and some others. About thirty of them. Could it be that Moller is making a note of the midwife some of us used?’

‘Why would he do that?’ Ian asked. ‘And the others don’t have any initials at all. If you’re right, shouldn’t they have the initials of their midwives too? A.L. could stand for any number of things. I assumed it was a medical abbreviation to do with infertility. What made you think of Anne Long?’

‘When she updated my antenatal notes she always signed them A.L . It just struck me. I’m probably wrong.’

‘There is a way we could find out,’ Ian said. ‘By phoning some of the others who have the same initials beside their names and asking them if their midwife was Anne Long. But before we do that, I think we should check the names on the spreadsheet with the patient folders. If the “Second Generation” are the grandchildren of Moller’s patients there should be a folder for their parents. We know our parents are there, and I’m sure I’ve seen one for the Ryans.’

‘Yes,’ Emma said. ‘But before we do that you should have something to eat first. You must be starving.’

‘I am,’ Ian admitted. ‘And exhausted. It’s been a very long day.’

FORTY-EIGHT