The Unkindness of Ravens

 Hannah wheeled Mr Clancey out through the double doors of the hospital into the gardens.  The sun was shining, and the day was particularly warm.  Hannah took a deep breath in savouring the beautiful morning.  She had a feeling today would be a good one.

‘Thank God for fresh air.’ Clancey said, lighting a cigarette.  ‘I don’t know how much longer I can stand it in there with all those sick people.’

‘You’re sick too, Mr Clancey.’  Hannah replied.

‘No, dammit, I just broke my damn leg.  Plus, I don’t spend all day coughing and puking.  When can I get out of here anyway?’

‘When the doctor says you’re fit enough.’  Hannah put the brakes on the wheelchair and sat on the bench next to her patient.  Despite the warm weather the gardens were mostly empty.  Patients were either inside being sick or around the front of the building in the smoking area.  The gardens only tended to get busy during visiting times.  But Clancey had insisted she brought him out into the garden this morning.

‘Pah, doctors!  What do they know?’ Clancey grunted.

‘I’m sure Dr Jones knows what is best for you.  How did you do it anyway?’

‘Fell out of a tree, didn’t I.’  Clancey looked annoyed.

‘Rescuing a lost kitten, I suppose.’  Hannah grinned.

‘Ha! No. I was, umm, on a job.  Had to leave somewhere pretty sharpish and chose the tree route out the window.  Only the branch was weak.  Snapped under my weight.’

James Clancey took a long drag on his cigarette and blew smoke across Hannah’s face.  She winced.  He loved it when they did that.  It gave him a feeling of power and control.  This one was someone he’d love to control.  Her short auburn hair and elfin features gave her an alluring look, he could see himself with this one.

‘If you’re going to make me breathe that, the least you could do is let me have one.  We aren’t allowed to smoke on duty but if I’m with a patient, what can I do?’ Hannah smiled at him and winked.

Clancey offered her the packet, and she slid out a cigarette and lit it.  She looked at him as she sucked in the smoke.  Short black hair, and a hooked nose gave him almost bird like features.

She pointed at his plaster cast, ‘You should probably find yourself a better job.  Looks like your current one is a bit hazardous.’

‘It’s the risk you take for the thrill you get.’  He grinned.  ‘The rewards are good.’

‘Wait, you’re not that bloke, are you?  I saw it on social media.  The Blackbird or something.  A cat burglar stealing expensive stuff from rich people.’  Hannah said.

‘Ah, you mean the Raven.  Well now, I couldn’t possibly say, could I?’  He smiled conspiratorially.

Hannah’s eyes widened, she looked suitably impressed.  Clancey looked around the garden to check they were alone.  He beckoned her to come closer.  As she leaned in, he pulled a piece of tape off the end of his cast revealing a hole he had dug into the plaster.  Inside was a small velvet bag.  He pulled it free and showed her the contents.  The light hit the little stones and sent an array of colours across her face.  Nineteen neatly cut diamonds nestled in the little bag, sparkling and glowing.  Hannah’s eyes widened even more.

‘Wow, those look gorgeous.  I’ve never seen a real diamond.  Are they expensive?’  she asked.

‘Those are particularly fine ones,’ he said, ‘total value is about a million.’

‘A MILLION!’ she exclaimed.  As she said that, she heard footsteps coming up the path towards them.  She quickly dropped her cigarette and squashed it with her foot.  A nurse came along the path and looked at them both quizzically.

‘Should you be out here, Nurse?’  She said. 

‘Sorry, Mr Clancey here insisted on getting outside.  I thought the garden would be a nice place to bring him. Away from the rest of the patients.’  Hannah smiled and winked at the new nurse.

‘Of course, good thinking.’  Mr Clancey’s reputation went before him.  The nurse carried on her way across the garden and back into the building.

‘That was a little too close.  But it was thrilling, wasn’t it?  The thought of being caught.’   Clancey slipped the little bag back into its hiding place.  ‘Play your cards right and you could share in the proceeds once I sell these little beauties.’ 

‘Really?  You’d share them with me?  Why?’  Hannah smiled coyly.  She crossed her legs allowing her short uniform to slide up her leg a little further revealing stocking tops.  Clancey’s eyes bulged, he looked her in the eye and winked.

‘Oh Mr Clancey,’ she said, ‘I don’t know what kind of girl you think I am.’  She giggled at him and saw how his face flushed.  Looking around the garden again Hannah saw they were alone once more, she stood up, leaned over to him, and whispered in his ear.

‘You’re no more the Raven than I am a nurse, Clancey.’  She said as she plunged a hypodermic into his neck.  A look of shock and horror froze on Clanceys face as his life ebbed away.  Hannah looked around again to make sure she hadn’t been seen then she reached down to his leg and retrieved the diamonds.  She straightened up, unzipped the nurse’s outfit she had picked up in a fancy-dress shop, revealing a little black mini dress underneath.  Pulling off her wig she shook out her long black hair and kicked off the sensible nurses’ shoes.  She strode towards the car park and as she passed a rubbish bin, she stuffed the remains of Nurse Hannah into it.  Then Ami Dubois, aka The Raven, slid behind the wheel of her Audi TT and swept out of the car park smiling.  As if anyone would believe a little weasel like James Clancey could be the Raven.  She glanced down at the little bag of diamonds on the passenger seat and her heart skipped a beat.  The easiest million she had made in a long time.