Trust Me - Sheryl Browne Page 0,113

tossing them out of the window. Not a smart move when you live above a tinderbox.’

‘No. Not a nice way to go.’ Jake looked suitably concerned. He’d been hoping that Ben had tossed the cigarette without thinking. Learning that Millie had filled him in on much of what had happened, including that Lewis was his biological father, he couldn’t help feeling that Ben’s justifiable anger might have got the better of him. He and Emily could live with what had happened, just. The psychological impact on Ben, however … He guessed they would have to go slowly and cross one bridge at a time.

‘The worst. He was a nasty piece of work, but even so …’ DS Regan grimaced. Jake assumed she would have seen what was left of Lewis, and sympathised with her. A blackened and burnt-to-the-bone corpse wasn’t a pleasant sight. At least the man had been unconscious. He tried to salve his conscience with that knowledge.

‘I’ve spoken to Zoe,’ Regan confided. ‘Only briefly, as she’s still very weak. She’s told us it was Lewis she was seeing. I had to cut the interview short before we were able to establish whether he was the person who called on her before she fell. We have the eyewitness statement. It’s not one hundred per cent reliable, so we’ll need her to confirm it, but it looks as if Dean Miller might be off the hook.’

‘That’s excellent news.’ Jake felt another surge of relief, though his gut twisted as he thought about the decision Emily had also had to make all those years ago. Had she chosen not to go through with her pregnancy, Ben would never have been part of his life. The boy had been hard work since hitting puberty, but Jake couldn’t imagine an existence without him. He loved him. He was going to have to work hard at convincing him how fiercely, that he would do anything to protect him – even lie for him, which he had, and would keep doing if he had to. In his mind, Ben’s life had been blighted enough, learning about his parentage. The kid was struggling with his conscience; that was obvious. He’d realised, though, that in going to the police, he would be allowing Lewis to achieve what he’d set out to do: destroy their family.

‘And Natasha?’ he asked, wondering if they’d made any progress with their investigations into the hit-and-run. Aware now that Lewis had wanted to destroy his and Emily’s relationship, destroy whatever confidence she’d found by ruining the lives of their patients, the life she’d made for herself, Jake had wondered whether he might have been involved with Natasha too.

‘We’re still working in the dark there,’ Regan admitted, with a disconsolate shrug.

‘Do you have any physical evidence?’ Trying to sound casually interested, Jake dug a little.

‘We have some tyre impressions,’ she offered, and his mind shot immediately to the damage to his car. ‘I’m not sure they’ll be much use, though. They’re not clear enough to identify the manufacturer. There’s no chance of picking out any individual identifying characteristics. I’m thinking we’ll have to wait until we can talk to Natasha herself.’

‘Hopefully that will be soon,’ Jake said. ‘I’ll check how she’s doing and let you have any information I can glean.’

‘Thanks. The consultant thinks she’ll make a good recovery, but he’s not overly forthcoming.’

‘Protective of his patients.’ Jake understood that.

‘Definitely.’ Regan rolled her eyes. ‘I’d better get going. A detective’s work is never done,’ she added. Jake managed a smile. It was obviously her catchphrase. ‘I’ll keep you informed if we do come up with anything regarding the letters.’

‘Cheers.’ He allowed himself to breathe out.

Speaking to one of the nurses, Jake was surprised to learn that his father was here. Checking again on Edward, perhaps. He’d been a couple of times to Jake’s knowledge. Walking towards the side room Natasha was in, he pondered his relationship with Tom. He supposed he should try and make more of an effort to get on with him. It was good of him to look out for Edward, and he’d obviously been trying to cover for him or Ben, thinking they might be dragged into the enquiry. He was Ben and Millie’s grandfather at the end of the day, and a more amicable personal relationship might make for a better working one.

About to go into Natasha’s room, he paused. His father was in there with her. Frowning, Jake watched through the viewing pane in the door. Why would