Poisoned Ground: A Hakim and Arnold Mystery (Hakim & Arnold Mystery 3) Read Online Free PDF Page A

to go to university in just over a year and I would like to get some work experience now so that I can look for a job when she goes.’
    Amina narrowed her eyes and Mumtaz wondered whether the girl had recognized her. Or her family name. But then Huq was common.
    ‘Cool. With volunteering, doing something that you like is very important,’ Amina said. ‘But if you want to get back in the workplace then it has to be in line with your skill-set to some extent, too.’ She looked at Mumtaz’s application on her computer screen. ‘You can drive?’
    ‘Yes. I have my own car.’
    ‘That’s always good. But I don’t suppose you want to drive for a living, do you?’
    ‘I don’t really know. I’m just looking at options.’
    ‘Sure.’ She looked back at the screen. ‘I guess ideally you’d like to use your degree?’
    ‘Well, yes, I would actually. That would be ideal, but—’
    ‘Psychology, isn’t it?’
    ‘Yes.’
    ‘Cool.’
    It was difficult trying to be casual when all Mumtaz wanted to do was get inside Ilford Hospital and find out what was going on. But Lee had been adamant about patience. He’d said, ‘Look, all these volunteering types know each other. Come over too eager about mental health at the volunteer centre and they’ll tell the hospital you’re some sort of nutter. Believe me, they exist.’
    ‘Ever thought about bereavement counselling?’ Amina asked. ‘I’m thinking psychology, yeah. The organization I’m looking at will train you.’
    ‘Mmm.’
    Amina looked up. ‘Not you?’
    ‘Yes, but …’ Mumtaz shook her head. ‘A bit close to home.’
    ‘Oh, your husband …’
    ‘Yes.’
    ‘Right.’ She looked back at her screen and clicked her mouse a few times. ‘You know there is a car service attached to Newham General if you do want to drive …’
    Mumtaz leant forward. ‘Which is?’
    ‘It’s for elderly or disabled people who find public transport difficult. You take them backwards and forwards to their outpatients appointments and they pay your petrol costs. It’s driving, but you do get to meet people.’
    ‘Mmm.’ She didn’t want to say ‘no’, but it wasn’t close enough to the advocacy programme. She said, ‘The trouble is, to be honest, that I do have to drive my daughter about quite a lot.’
    ‘So you don’t want to do more of that than you have to? Cool.’ Amina looked back at her screen again.
    To her credit, Amina tried just about every type of volunteering remotely related to mental health before she got to advocacy. To
her
credit, Mumtaz didn’t jump for joy when she did finally get there.
    ‘So, mental health advocacy at Ilford Mental Health Unit. Used to be called Ilford Hospital Psychiatric Unit?’ Amina said. ‘That’s representing patients, speaking on behalf of them to medical and administrative staff.’
    ‘In what way?’ Mumtaz asked.
    Amina looked back at her screen. ‘Like, when they have a complaint about something,’ she said. ‘Often they don’t feel confident enough to speak up for themselves. So they have an advocate. But anyway this project, Ilford Advocacy, train.’ She looked up, expectantly.
    ‘Mmm.’
    ‘I mean, I know it’s like
real
mental health, which is why I leftit till last,’ Amina said. ‘It’s cool if you say, like, no, because it’s not the best environment. I mean, like, it’s a unit now and not an actual hospital but it’s still …’
    ‘Mmm.’ Mumtaz played at considering her options and then she said, ‘Yet if I don’t like it I don’t have to …?’
    ‘Oh, you can leave any time you like,’ Amina said. ‘Volunteering is so up to you.’
    With difficulty Mumtaz left it for a moment and then said, ‘OK, I’ll try the advocacy.’
    Amina smiled. ‘Cool!’
    *
    Doing the advocacy surgeries on the regular wards was bad enough, but on the forensic unit it could be pointless. If something had kicked off in the last twenty-four hours, or if one of the patients had tried to kill