seams and I need to know why.’ She leaned towards Debbie. ‘And I think it has something to do with Joel’s death.’
Debbie looked out into the forest, eyes going glassy. ‘I wondered if this day would come. I think I almost wanted it to.’
Melissa’s heartbeat started racing. ‘What are you trying to say, Debbie?’
Debbie took in a deep breath then stood up, taking the seat next to Melissa and clasping her two hands in between her own. ‘The day Joel died, I received a panicked phone call from Rosemary.’
‘Yes, she called you to come and check on him?’
‘That’s right. When I arrived, Bill and Patrick were locked away in Bill’s study. I could hear Patrick crying and Bill talking to him in a low voice. I knew right away something had gone horribly wrong. The twins – they were three, nearly four at the time?’ Melissa nodded, hands starting to tremble beneath Debbie’s touch. ‘They were sitting in the living room like meek little mice, all big, fearful eyes, and strangely quiet. Rosemary was in a bit of a state. I tried to ask her what was going on, but she wouldn’t tell me, just led me upstairs.’ Debbie closed her eyes as though seeing it happen all over again. ‘Joel was lying in bed,’ she said, eyes still closed, ‘and I knew right away he was gone.’
Melissa let out a sob and Debbie grasped her hands tighter as she looked right into her eyes.
‘Rosemary wanted me to check his pulse, just to be sure,’ Debbie continued. ‘So I did and, my God, he was freezing to the touch, even with a big duvet over him. It wasn’t right.’
Cold, so cold.
‘So . . . he’d been dead a while?’ Melissa asked.
‘No,’ Debbie said, shaking her head. ‘It wasn’t that. It was freezing cold that day, so they had the heating on full blast, all of us did. No, it was like – like he’d been outside for hours.’
Melissa almost stopped breathing. ‘Outside? But I thought Patrick found him in bed like that in the morning? How could he have been outside?’
‘I know, it seemed like a ridiculous notion at the time, so I dismissed it. But deep down, I knew something was off.’
Melissa jumped up and started pacing the room, a million theories running through her mind.
‘What, did you think they were covering something up?’ Melissa asked. ‘Something about Joel’s death?’
Debbie started trembling, tears flooding her eyes. ‘Yes. I should have said something at the time, I’ve lived with the regret ever since. I – I just hoped something would come up in the autopsy report, but they just ruled it was heart failure, which of course it would be if—’
‘If what?’ Melissa asked.
‘If it was hypothermia.’
Melissa froze. ‘But why would Joel have died of hypothermia?’
‘I don’t know, I really don’t know, Melissa! I should have questioned them more at the time.’
She put her hand to her mouth and let out a sob, but Melissa didn’t go to comfort her. Instead, she got up and walked out.
It was time to see Patrick and his parents.
Chapter Fifty-Eight
Friday 3rd May, 2019
1.45 p.m.
Melissa walked down the hospital corridor towards Patrick’s room, her whole body trembling with anger. She could hear laughter, even music. When she got to the small room, it was crowded. Rosemary and Bill were there, Lewis too, sitting on a chair as he looked miserably out into the forest.
‘You’re here!’ Rosemary said, giving Melissa a hug. Melissa stayed stiff in her arms and Rosemary frowned slightly.
‘What’s all this about?’ Melissa asked, looking around her.
‘The votes have been counted, and we’ve just had it confirmed that Patrick has been voted in as Forest Grove’s next parish councillor!’ Bill said, going to hand Melissa a glass of champagne. She shoved it away from him, the drink spilling over Bill’s shirt.
He looked at her in surprise as she walked to Patrick’s bed.
‘Good news, isn’t it?’ Patrick asked her when she got to him, oblivious to how angry she was, his brown eyes alight as he took her hand in his. ‘Finally, something to celebrate.’
Melissa noticed he’d conveniently forgotten he couldn’t speak. It made her even more angry. ‘Celebrate?’ she said in a shaky voice. ‘How can we celebrate when Grace is in that place?’
Patrick’s face darkened as Bill and Rosemary exchanged looks.
‘Seriously,’ Melissa said, looking at the three of them, ‘I can’t be the only one who thinks all this is inappropriate?’
‘Mum’s right,’ Lewis said. ‘It’s wrong. It’s all so fucking wrong!’
‘Lewis .