ponce,’ her childhood friend Ryan had said as he and Melissa watched the new family arrive.
For Ryan, Patrick was the embodiment of everything that was wrong about the new ‘eco-village’ that had been built on the doorstep of the forest they called home. When the letter had arrived informing their parents of the new building works due to take place, the two fourteen-year-old friends had hatched plans to make life difficult for the new residents, even sneaking into the building site at night and smashing new windows in glee.
But as Melissa sat watching Patrick and his sister, Libby, that day, dressed all smart for their great-aunt’s funeral, all that resentment had been replaced by pure fascination. These kids weren’t like her and Ryan, all grubby-faced and skinny and filled to the brim with sadness and anger. They were rosy-cheeked with health and happiness, smart and smiling. As she’d thought that, Patrick had looked up and spotted the two feral kids staring at him from the trees. He’d raised his hand in greeting and Melissa had gone to raise hers in response. But then Ryan had grabbed her arm and pulled her away.
There was a sound from nearby. Melissa looked up to see Daphne standing at the door to the room, a coffee and a muffin in her hand. She was staring at Patrick in shock, her green eyes brimming with tears. She’d changed out of her gym clothes and was wearing a beautiful cerise silk vest over patterned harem trousers.
‘I couldn’t just sit at home,’ she said. ‘I kept thinking about you all alone here.’ She walked over to Melissa, giving her a quick hug, her musky perfume wafting over her. ‘I know you probably can’t eat,’ she said as she handed Melissa the coffee and the muffin, ‘but I couldn’t come empty-handed.’
‘Thanks, you’re an angel.’ Melissa took a sip of the coffee, pleased to have an alternative to the weak coffee she’d been getting from the machine downstairs.
Daphne squeezed Melissa’s shoulder then walked around to the chair on the other side of Patrick’s bed, sitting down with a sad sigh. Under the light above, Melissa could see Daphne’s attractive face was drawn and pale.
‘Any idea who did this to him?’ Daphne asked.
Melissa shook her head.
‘Ryan couldn’t believe it when I told him.’
Melissa wondered what her old friend would be making of it all. Ryan had never shaken off his disregard for Patrick. They were civil with each other; they had to be with Melissa and Daphne, his ex, getting on so well, and then when Lewis and his daughter with Daphne, Maddy, started dating. But that was it: no hint of any kind of bromance brewing there. Still, Ryan wouldn’t wish this on Patrick.
‘How are the kids?’ Daphne asked.
‘Shocked.’ Melissa thought of them back at home. She was itching to get back now and shake the truth out of them. They knew something, something more than they were letting on!
Daphne’s eyes strayed to the dressing around Patrick’s head. ‘Unbelievable, something like this happening in Forest Grove. I rip the piss out of it but it’s the safest place I know.’
‘I know, I can’t wrap my head around it either.’ Melissa’s voice caught in her throat.
‘Oh, hon,’ Daphne said, leaning over Patrick to take Melissa’s hand. ‘I’m so sorry you’re going through this.’
Melissa felt tears flood her eyes. She pressed her fists into them, desperate not to cry, on the off-chance Patrick could hear her. But she couldn’t help it; the sobs began to roll out.
Daphne jumped up and walked around the bed to her, pulling her into a hug. ‘Let it all out. Don’t worry about my expensive top either.’
Daphne really was such a good friend. Melissa still remembered the first time she had met her, while walking in the woods with Patrick on a freezing-cold day over fifteen years ago. Melissa had just discovered she was pregnant with the twins and was still trying to figure out how the hell she’d cope caring for newborn twins and Joel too.
Melissa had spotted her old friend Ryan first. She hadn’t seen him much since moving away from the forest with her mother all those years ago, only occasionally during walks in the woods or around town as he attended to people’s trees. When she did see him, he was always alone . . . bar his dog, of course. But this time, a glamorous-looking redhead accompanied him, draped in a beautiful sapphire dress. It was so strange to see them