Until Ally.

As they cleaned up, Betty told him what had happened.

‘Ally gave the police directions to the caves and they found him almost straightaway,’ she told him. ‘And while I was there, Sergeant Matheson got confirmation of what Ally had told him. It was radioed through from the city. Ally’s right. There are outstanding warrants everywhere.’

‘Why didn’t we know?’

‘No one knew it was him. I knew Jerome Hatfield when he was a child, but I’ve never heard of him since he was fifteen or sixteen. No one knew about the caves either. Apparently even the women didn’t know the caves were there. I’ve never heard of them.’

Betty had been raised here in Tambrine Creek. She knew everything that happened to everyone.

‘Then how did Ally know all this?’

‘Don’t ask me,’ she told him. ‘But we have three kids safe in the kids’ ward. How good is that? Is Margaret still here?’

‘We offered her a hot shower before we put her to bed next to Jody,’ Darcy told her. ‘She stood under the shower like she’d never felt hot water before. When she got out, the nurses said she almost toppled over, and she was asleep as soon as her head hit the pillows. She’s been desperately worried about Jody for so long. Now they’re both dead to the world. Jody’s drip is running well, and her colour’s starting to improve already.’

‘They’re all dreadfully emaciated,’ Betty said seriously. ‘It’s no wonder the chickenpox hit hard.’

‘The rest are at the refuge?’ Darcy asked.

‘Yeah. Ally’s with them now.’

‘Ally…’

‘She helped me assess the kids,’ Betty told him. ‘She’s really good.’

‘I thought the social worker was helping.’

‘Elsa’s fine at what she does,’ Betty said diffidently. ‘But as for helping holding a kid down while I check his temperature…’

‘You had to do that?’

‘Marigold tried to bite me,’ she said ruefully. ‘They’re like wild kittens. But Ally was terrific.’

He looked down at the two children lying in bed like two little angels. Marigold had drifted to sleep, her little body exhausted by infection, but David was watching them with eyes that practically enveloped his face.

Wild kittens? Scared maybe, but not wild.

‘It’s OK,’ Darcy told him, giving him a reassuring smile. ‘You know that, don’t you, mate? Your mother’s being looked after and you’ll see her in the morning.’

David nodded, as if this had already been discussed. ‘Ally said she was going to make Mum have a hot shower and toasted sandwiches. And Ally said that if I came here with Betty, and let you wash me and put me to bed and look after me, then I’d be able to have toasted sandwiches whenever I want. And she said you could get me something called a thick-shake that’s chocolate but you drink it. She said you were a doctor who gave people the best thick-shakes ever.’

How to make a wild kitten compliant? Chocolate thick-shakes. Of course. Why hadn’t he thought of that? ‘Betty, can we get the kid a thick-shake?’ Darcy asked in a voice that was none too steady. ‘And maybe another one in case Marigold wakes up in the night. It seems she’s been promised one, too.’

‘Thick-shakes?’

‘From Beryl’s general store,’ he told her. ‘Tell Beryl to make it just like the one she made for Ally.’

‘OK,’ Betty said, with a curious look at her boss. ‘If you say so.’

‘I didn’t say so,’ he said ruefully. ‘Ally said so.’ He gave David a grin and then turned to the next need. The next medical imperative.

‘I still have house calls to make,’ he told her. Damn, he wanted to go to the refuge, but he had conflicting needs. ‘I can put most of them off but not Mrs Lewis.’

Marilyn Lewis lived alone and he was worried about her. She’d had two minor heart attacks before this. By rights she should have had bypass surgery two years ago but she refused to consider it. Because she was terrified. But heart pain by itself was enough to terrify her. Now he’d promised he’d call. She’d be desperately worried about herself and if he didn’t make it there tonight, maybe she’d even be terrified enough to bring on another attack.

‘Maybe I can get someone to check,’ Betty said doubtfully. ‘But…’

‘I know. With four extra patients we don’t have spare staff. I need to go myself.’

‘But you should check the refuge. Ally said you’d come in and tell the other two mothers how these two are. And the guy with the sore face… Ally told him you’d talk to him about it tonight.’

‘She takes a lot on herself,’ he snapped, and she nodded. Thoughtfully.

‘She does.’ She ventured a wry smile. ‘I guess she had no right getting Jerry arrested like that.’

‘I didn’t mean-’

‘I know you didn’t,’ she said cheerfully. ‘But I guess if we’re pleased she’s done that, then we’d better go along with the rest. There’s no need to rush to the refuge straightaway. She has things under control.’

‘How can she possibly have things under control?’ he demanded, suddenly so exasperated he couldn’t believe it. ‘We don’t even know who Ally Westruther is.’

‘She’s Dr Westruther’s grandkid. Of course we know who she is.’

‘She says she’s a Dr Westruther herself.’

‘Well, you know, I wouldn’t be the least surprised if she turned out to be just that,’ Betty said thoughtfully. ‘She handled the kids like a professional.’

‘Yeah, a professional masseuse.’

‘Get off your high horse,’ she advised him kindly. ‘She’s doing a fine job, whatever her qualifications. You just do what you have to do, and trust that Ally will have things under control. She’s quite a lady.’

‘Yeah. Right.’

He did go and see Marilyn Lewis. With Betty’s assurance that things at the refuge were under control, he adjusted his priorities, but there was still Marilyn. Damn the woman, why wouldn’t she agree to a bypass? Her neighbour had rung Darcy earlier to say she was looking distressed. Darcy had rung her and offered to send the ambulance, but Marilyn had refused.

‘There’s no way I’m going to hospital. It’s just a little chest pain and I’m used to chest pain. There’s always chest pain.’

‘Janet says you’re sweating.’

‘It’s warm.’

‘Marilyn…’

‘I’m fine,’ she’d told him. ‘If you’d care to drop in after work and have a cup of tea, you’d be very welcome, but there’s no need to fuss.’

There was a need for fuss. If Jody’s need up on the ridge hadn’t been even more urgent, he would have seen her hours ago.

She’d have to go to hospital, he thought grimly, and spent his time on the road trying to figure out how to persuade her.

There was no persuasion necessary. When Marilyn finally admitted him into the house he discovered that she’d spent her waiting time packing her suitcase.

‘I thought you’d never get here,’ she told him. She was little and fussy and prim, dressed in a bright pink dressing-gown and pale blue slippers, and her Marilyn Monroe hairstyle looked just a little ridiculous on someone well into her sixties. ‘I could have died,’ she said in some indignation.

He eyed her with caution. ‘Are you thinking of dying?’

‘I have really bad chest pains.’

‘Can I listen to your heart?’

‘When you get me to hospital.’

He thought about that and decided it was worth pushing for the next level. ‘Can I send you straight to Melbourne for a bypass?’

‘Of course not,’ she said in some indignation. ‘Don’t be foolish. But tell me all the news. You’ve had such an exciting afternoon. It’s all over town. I knew there was something wrong with those people. I knew it. And now I hear you have those three little kiddies in hospital and one of their mothers, too. And one of the men has such a wound on his face. He’ll be in there soon, too, I expect.’

The suitcase was thus explained, and Darcy had to fight to stop himself from breaking into a chuckle. Marilyn might be terrified of medical intervention, but her priority was to be where the action was. Her previous visits to hospital had been boring affairs when there’d been no interesting fellow patients. But now…if she was admitted she’d be in the middle of news.

Still, there was no doubting that she was frightened about her chest pain, Darcy thought, watching her wince a little as she talked. He stopped her from heaving the suitcase off her bed, and made her sit while he listened to her chest and took her blood pressure. It was erratic enough for him to think maybe the excitement of the afternoon had been a blessing. She needed to be admitted, and if that was what it took…

‘OK. A couple of days’ bed rest while we get the angina under control will suit you fine,’ he told her. ‘Dr Harper will be here on Thursday and I’ll get him to see you.’ Ross Harper was a visiting cardiologist and he’d treated Marilyn before.

‘That will be very nice, dear,’ Marilyn said serenely. ‘And do you know what else I want to do while I’m in your hospital?’

‘What?’

‘I want to have a nice little massage. I’ve heard our Ally is wonderful. Do you think she’d do hospital visits?’

He practically choked. Massage visits…

‘I can’t see why she wouldn’t,’ Marilyn added, serenely confident that her plan would go ahead. ‘Can you?’

‘Um…’ Think of a reason, he told himself desperately. ‘I haven’t had her professional qualifications checked.’

‘Do you think she’s a liar?’ Marilyn sounded shocked, and he had to bite his tongue.

‘No,’ he said shortly as he helped her into his car. ‘I don’t.’ There was silence for a bit as he drove but he was sure Marilyn had been a glorious gossip all her life. Maybe…

‘Do you know someone called Gareth Hatfield?’ he asked her.

‘Oh, no, dear.’ Marilyn nestled back on the sumptuous leather and sighed with pleasure. One of the reasons he’d bought this car had been that his patients loved it. Sure, there was an ambulance for transporting patients but it was an ancient battered truck. If possible, most of his patients elected to use Darcy’s free Mercedes service.