quickly wiped it away as Rosemary watched her. ‘I’m fine, absolutely fine,’ she said. ‘Look, I really need to go. I feel bad I haven’t seen Patrick since yesterday evening.’
Rosemary stood too. ‘I hope you don’t think I’m prying,’ Rosemary said. ‘I just wanted to make sure you’re okay and to let you know that we’re here for you – all of Forest Grove is.’
She walked around the table and pulled Melissa into an awkward hug. Melissa felt she couldn’t breathe as she thought of what Detective Crawford had said the night before.
I doubt anything gets past this lot. I’m starting to think the best assets we have in your husband’s case are the people of Forest Grove.
She pulled away from Rosemary and tried to smile. ‘Thank you. Tell the kids I’ll be back in time for lunch, okay?’
Then she grabbed her bag and walked out.
As Melissa drove down Old Pine Road towards her street, she mulled over what Rosemary had said. Did she know something? Or was she just worried Melissa couldn’t cope?
She wasn’t sure which was worse.
When she arrived at her street, the house coming into view, she took in a deep breath. Less than forty hours ago, she’d been cycling along this very road in the sunshine, looking forward to starting a lovely long weekend with Patrick and the kids. Now, her husband was lying in hospital with a stab wound almost certainly caused by one of their children and she had one hell of a mess to clear up if she wanted the kids safe.
She drove past the house, noticing a police officer sitting outside on a plastic chair. Then she parked down a side street which housed a collection of garages. She turned the ignition off then got out, walking past the garages and into the woods. She knew she couldn’t just walk up to the front door and demand to be allowed in. It was a crime scene and they certainly wouldn’t let her rifle about in the kitchen. Instead, she planned to get in the back way and quickly grab the knife. This all relied on there not being an officer out the back too, nor any within the house. But from a text she’d received from her neighbours, the police presence had been drastically reduced since the evening before, so she was hoping that was still the case now.
She walked around the edge of the forest until she came to her back garden. As she took it in, she felt tears flood her eyes. It looked lonely, no bike or scooter strewn across the lawn, none of Lilly’s suntan bottles or Grace’s books left on the table from an Easter Friday spent in the sun. She checked nobody was at the back door then walked slowly down the length of the garden, relieved to see there seemed to be no sign of movement inside the house. She passed Joel’s tree, gazing at the orb that Lewis and Lilly had bought. Its turquoise green and bright blue swirled as it twisted in a light breeze. She felt tears prick at her eyelashes.
‘Oh, Joel,’ she whispered. ‘What’s happening to our poor family?’
She wished he was here. He’d be over twenty now. Despite his condition, she was pretty sure he’d be a pillar of strength for them right now. When you endure the kind of challenges he had, it surely gave you a strength to deal with adversities like this. He was always so brave when he had to undergo tests and when he watched his younger siblings do all the things he couldn’t. Yes, he had his moments, the occasional epic meltdown. But on the whole, he coped so well, smiling and joking, jovially telling his brother and sister off. She imagined him sitting beside her now in his wheelchair, his dark hair and brown eyes so like his father’s, the freckles smattering his small nose like his mother’s. He was such a beautiful boy, had been from the moment she gave birth to him. She knew Patrick had struggled with her pregnancy, still unsure he even wanted the child and clearly not enjoying the way the growing baby changed the shape of his girlfriend’s, then wife’s, body. But as soon as he held his squirming, beautiful son in his arms, Patrick fell instantly in love. Anyone who came across Joel fell in love with him. It wasn’t just about the way he looked, it was how he dealt with his condition too, with