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homes and knows what they need. She steals it from the hospital. By the way, I'm sure the apothecary knew but turned a blind eye. He's a good man, and very fond of her." She smiled slightly. "Very fond indeed. He regards her as something of a saint. I think she is the only person who really impresses Phillips. Fermin Thorpe certainly doesn't." She recalled the scene in the morgue. "He even teased the new young morgue attendant that Thorpe was buying his cadavers for the medical students from resurrectionists! Poor boy was horrified until he realized Phillips was teasing him."

"Resurrectionists?" Monk said slowly.

Chapter Thirteen

"Yes - grave robbers who dig up corpses and sell them to medical establishments for..."

"I know what resurrectionists are," he said quickly, leaning forward, his eyes bright. "Are you sure it was a joke?"

"Well, it's not very funny," she agreed with a frown. "But Phillips is like that - a bit... wry. I like him - actually, I like him very much. He's one of the few people in the hospital I would trust - " Then suddenly she realized what Monk was thinking. "You mean ... Oh, William! You think he really was buying them from resurrectionists? He was the other person Treadwell was blackmailing. But how could Treadwell know that?"

"Not necessarily that he was blackmailing him," he said, grasping her hand in his urgency. "Treadwell was friendly with this undertaker. What could be simpler than to sell a few bodies? That could have been the extra driving he was doing: delivering corpses for Fermin Thorpe - at a very nice profit to himself!"

"Wonderful!" She breathed out with exquisite relief. It was only a chink of light in the darkness, but it was the very first one. "At least it might be enough for Oliver to raise doubt." She smiled with a twist. "And even if he isn't guilty, I wouldn't mind seeing Thorpe thoroughly frightened and embarrassed - I wouldn't mind in the slightest."

"I'm sure you wouldn't," he agreed with a nod. "Although we mustn't leap too quickly..."

"Why not? There's hardly time to waste."

"I know. But Treadwell may not have blackmailed Thorpe. The money may all have come from selling the bodies."

"Then let Thorpe prove it. That should be interesting to watch."

His eyes widened very slightly. "You really do loathe him, don't you?"

"I despise him," she said fiercely. "He puts his own vanity before relieving the pain of those who trust him to help them." She made it almost a challenge, as if Monk had been defending him.

He smiled at her. "I'm not trying to spare him anything, I just want to use it to the best effect. I don't know what that is yet, but we will only get one chance. I want to save my fire for the target that will do the most good for Cleo - or Miriam - not just the one that does the most harm to Thorpe... or the one that gives us the most satisfaction."

"I see." She did. She had been indulging in the luxury of anger and she recognized it. "Yes, of course. Just don't leave it too long."

"I won't," he promised. "Believe me - we will use it"

On Sunday, Monk returned to the undertaker to pursue the details of Treadwell's work for him and to find proof if indeed he had taken bodies to the Hampstead hospital and been handsomely paid for it. If he were to use it, either in court or to pressure Thorpe for any other reason, then he must have evidence that could not be denied or explained away.

Hester continued with her visits to the rest of Cleo's patients, just to conclude the list of medicines. She was uncertainif it would be any use, but she felt compelled to do it, and regardless of anything else, she wanted to go and see John Robb again. It was over a week since she had last been, and she knew he would be almost out of morphine. He was failing, the pain growing worse, and there was little she could do to help him. She had some morphine left, taken with Phillips's connivance, and she had bought a bottle of sherry herself. It was illogical to give it to him rather than anyone else, but logic had no effect on her feelings.

She found him alone, slumped in his chair almost asleep, but he roused himself when he heard her footsteps. He looked paler than she had ever seen him before,