copyright@gerryrose

Trish was confused. Her handbag had disappeared, yet the staff of the hospital she was in, knew her name. She wondered if the Police would have some idea of what had happened to her property. She was in a single room which was a relief as she really would not be able to cope with other patients. She was exhausted and the cast on her right leg felt a little snug. She must have dozed off because the next thing she heard was her name again.
‘Patricia Walsh? Are you awake? We are from the Police and would like to speak to you about your accident.’
Trish opened her eyes and saw two women in uniform, who looked like they had just exchanged their school uniforms for the Police ones.
‘Yes I am awake now.’ She resisted the urge to ask them if their mothers knew they were out.
‘We would like to ask you some questions about your accident. I am PC April Winter and this is my colleague Molly Spring.’
‘Well do you have other colleagues who can cover the remaining seasons and months?’
Trish could see from their reactions that she wasn’t the first person to ask them this.
Molly had her notebook open and was taking notes. April just smiled.
‘What do you remember about your accident?’
‘Absolutely nothing. One minute I was walking out of the hotel with my shopping and the next thing is, I am here and have been told that I was knocked down by a cyclist and I have broken my leg.’
Molly was busy scribbling.
‘I do have a question for you. Do you have my handbag and my shopping?’
‘Your handbag was recovered, but unfortunately your shopping bags have been stolen by the cyclist who seems to have deliberately ridden into you.’
‘Recovered?’
‘Your accident was witnessed by a man who works in the bar of the hotel. He was having a smoke break and saw what happened to you and helped you. He stopped the man stealing your handbag but was unable to stop him taking your shopping.’
‘So where is my handbag?’
‘It is currently being examined because the strap might contain some DNA evidence. However according to the barman the cyclist wore gloves. We haven’t had a chance to view the CCTV evidence which will confirm this.’
‘But I need my phone, purse and house keys. My whole life is on that blooming phone.’
‘Yes we understand but at the moment we need to check the camera evidence before we can release your handbag and its contents.’
‘What a palaver. I will need a crime number for my insurance company.’
‘Of course.’
‘I was shopping for clothes for a holiday that I was going to take over Christmas, well that’s not going to happen now is it.’
‘Unfortunately, there has been a spate of these sort of crimes and the perpetrators are quite ruthless. They usually work in pairs, but it appears your assailant was working alone, otherwise you would most certainly not have seen your handbag and its contents again.’
Trish was desperate for a drink and she didn’t think a cup of tea was going to do the trick. If she had her phone she could have phoned a friend and asked them to bring her something. She wracked her brain for any friends’ numbers that she knew off by heart. Then a thought popped into her head.
‘The man who works in the bar of the hotel, can I have his name as I would like to thank him.’
The Police officers looked at each other, they seemed to be reluctant to give his details.
‘I could ring the hotel and ask for the name of the chap who served us that night.’
They seemed to realise that Trish was someone on a mission.
‘Ok it’s not our usual stance but he was worried about you and asked us to let you know how you were. His name is Marco Ghiselli.’
The women left and Trish rang her call bell. A nurse arrived about 10 minutes later.
‘I need to phone a friend is there something like a pay phone here?’
‘Oh goodness I am new here. To be honest I am happy for you to use my phone it will be easier.’
‘You are an Angel, that would be wonderful. Do you mind if I google the number of the restaurant where my friend works?’
‘No problem let me just fetch my phone.’
The nurse returned and opened her phone and handed it to Trish. Trish checked the number of the hotel and it. It was answered quite quickly.
‘Oh hello is it possible to speak to Marco Ghiselli please.’ She was put through very quickly.
‘Marco speaking how can I help you?’
‘Marco you have helped me already but I have another favour. I am the lady who was knocked down by the cyclist. You came to my assistance.’
‘Ah Patricia, how are you?’
‘Call me Trish please. I am so grateful to you Marco I am at University College Hospital. I am literally desperate for a drink to help me deal with the pain I am in and the trauma of the event. I don’t have access to my phone and my friend Tara who I was with yesterday doesn’t even know I am in hospital. I don’t know her number off by heart. She must have left her number when she booked. Is there any way you can retrieve it from the system and let me have it?’
‘Of course! What sort of drink would you like?’
‘I would kill for a good bottle of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.’
‘Not a cocktail?’
‘I would of course love a cocktail too!’
‘Well today is your lucky day because yesterday wasn’t! I will come over to see you and bring all that you need.’
Trish did wonder why all of a sudden her luck had changed.
‘That would be bloody marvellous Marco.’
‘No problem which ward are you on?’
‘Orthopaedics and my surname is Walsh.’
‘Consider it done I will get you the number of your friend too.’
Trish felt all of a sudden, as though the hand of fate had realised that it had dealt her a rather bad deal and was now out to redeem itself.
About an hour later a very handsome older man arrived at her bedside with a coolbag. Trish looked at Marco and realised that she had never set eyes on him before. She had thought he must have been the mixologist, who suggested the lethal cocktail which probably made her less vigilant and probably led to her accident. However, now this was not the case, it made her even more intrigued as to what fate had planned for her now. She felt an instant attraction to this man who was a sexy silver fox. He proceeded to pour her a cocktail from a bottle which was in the cool bag into a glass. He encouraged her to drink it.
‘Are you not going to join me Marco?’
‘No Trish, not today because I am back on duty tonight. I will definitely join you for a drink another time.’
‘Ok Marco and what do you do at the hotel?’
‘Me? I am the sommelier.’
Trish sipped the cocktail and admired Marco. She felt a sort of frisson between them. Trish enjoyed the cocktail and had a feeling that life was going to get a lot better for her from now on.