Melissa nursed the tea Rosemary had made her and stared out at the forest, mesmerised by the rhythmic swaying of the branches outside. Upstairs, the faint sound of music trickled out of the attic room, the kids hiding away up there.
Melissa had phoned Bill as soon as she’d seen the brick. She’d thought about calling the police, but those two words had sent a dagger through her heart – DAD KILLER. She shuddered. No, it was bad enough with the police grilling Lewis after the incident with Graham. She didn’t need their suspicions raised by this too. So she deduced it was time to get help. She simply couldn’t deal with this alone any more. She could feel herself losing it, just as she had after Joel died. The brick through the window was the last straw.
Bill arrived twenty minutes later, with Tommy Mileham, who’d brought a board to place over the broken window. Melissa had ushered Bill into the living room and shown him what had been wrapped around the brick. When Bill saw the words scrawled above Lewis’s photo, he hadn’t said a word about it. Instead, he took the poster off and placed it in his pocket.
‘We’ll talk later,’ he’d said to Melissa. ‘Properly.’
She’d agreed, wordlessly. They didn’t even discuss calling the police. Melissa just let Bill and Tommy take over, like her mother had many years ago.
‘You okay, sweetheart?’ Rosemary said now, smiling sympathetically at Melissa as she sat beside her at the kitchen table. They’d agreed to give Patrick some rest from their constant vigils for an hour or two.
‘Yep. Just tired.’
Bill took the seat across from Melissa and took a long slug of his coffee. ‘So,’ he said, placing his cup down, ‘are you going to tell us what’s going on?’
Melissa blinked.
‘We know you’re keeping stuff from us, Melissa,’ Rosemary said. ‘You shouldn’t bottle things up. You did that after Joel died, and look what happened then.’ She leaned forward, placing her hand over Melissa’s. ‘Let us help you this time, for the kids’ sakes.’
They were right. It had gone too far. She took a deep breath. ‘I’ve been keeping quite a few things from you,’ she admitted.
‘Not to worry,’ Bill said. ‘You’re going to tell us now, aren’t you?’
She nodded and, over the next twenty minutes, she told Bill and Rosemary everything. They listened intently and quietly, every now and again exchanging surprised or worried looks. This was their son Melissa was talking about, after all; their beloved grandchildren too.
When Melissa finished, Bill peered up at the ceiling towards the attic room where the children were, as Rosemary chewed at her lip, lost in thought.
‘You’re sure, absolutely sure, they’re not covering for someone?’ Bill asked for the second time.
‘Yes, pretty sure,’ Melissa said with a sigh. ‘Call it mother’s instinct.’
‘I can’t believe the kids would do this to their dad,’ Rosemary said. ‘How awful for that to be the last thing my poor Patrick knew before he collapsed.’
‘There’s nothing else you’re keeping from us, is there, Melissa?’ Bill asked, his brown eyes boring deep into hers. ‘No reason you know of for one of the kids wanting to hurt their dad?’
Melissa shook her head. ‘Nothing. I promise. Other than all those rumours about him cheating.’
Rosemary took in a sharp breath. ‘There are rumours about you cheating too.’
‘Which are false,’ Melissa said.
‘Even if the rumours are true, a child wouldn’t attempt to murder their father over something like that,’ Bill said firmly.
Rosemary looked out towards the swaying trees, tears falling down her cheeks. ‘It must be a mix-up. Misinformation. Lewis would have got himself into a state – you know how he is.’
‘Lewis?’ Melissa asked. ‘How can we be so sure it’s Lewis?’
‘Oh, come on, Melissa,’ Rosemary said gently. ‘We love our grandson with all our hearts. But he has a temper on him. And the police obviously have their suspicions. Other people too, judging by this,’ she said, gesturing towards the crumpled poster Bill had pulled out, the words DAD KILLER scrawled above Lewis’s face.
‘Now, Rosemary, we mustn’t jump to conclusions,’ Bill warned.
‘If I could go back, I’d just tell the police right from the start,’ Melissa admitted.
‘No!’ Bill said. ‘You did absolutely the right thing, not telling the police.’
Rosemary nodded. ‘Yes, I think Bill’s right. Keep it here in Forest Grove. That’s always the best way.’
‘What’s the point of all this anyway?’ Melissa said with a bitter laugh. ‘Patrick will