Patrick coughed slightly, dark eyelashes beginning to flicker open.
Melissa held her breath, tears squeezing out between her eyes. Then Patrick’s eyes suddenly fluttered open, out of focus, long eyelashes batting against each other. Melissa let out a sob. It felt like she hadn’t seen those deep brown eyes for so long.
‘Patrick, darling, it’s Mum!’ Rosemary said.
‘I’m here too, son,’ Bill added, voice choked.
Melissa found she couldn’t say anything. Bill gave her a look. ‘Me too,’ she croaked.
Patrick let out an anguished moan, trying to grab at his feeding tube. The nurse gently restrained him.
‘You have a head injury, but it will all be fine,’ the doctor said, checking Patrick’s eyes with a small flashlight and nodding, seemingly satisfied with what she saw. ‘These tubes have been helping you eat and drink, Patrick,’ she explained. ‘The nurse will remove them now.’
‘Is he okay?’ Rosemary asked.
‘He’s fine, just adjusting,’ the doctor said as the nurse began to remove the tubes, Patrick’s eyes flitting about in confusion from one face to the next, finally settling on Detective Powell at the end of the bed. Then he pressed his cheek into the pillow, moaning. It took a while for him to properly come around, Melissa and his parents doing as the doctor said: watching silently, giving Patrick’s hand reassuring squeezes every now and again. After an hour or so, the fog in his mind seemed to clear a little when he turned to Melissa and said, ‘Twins?’ in barely a whisper.
She stared at him, opening her mouth and closing it, so many words wanting to spill out.
‘They’re fine,’ Bill said. ‘Grace is too.’
‘How are you feeling, Patrick?’ the doctor asked.
Patrick gestured to his throat. ‘Sore,’ he said in a hoarse whisper.
The doctor nodded. ‘Yes, that’s to be expected.’
He tried to sit up but fell back against his pillow, exhausted.
‘You’ll be very weak,’ the doctor explained. ‘But we’ll get you up and walking soon enough, you’ll see.’
‘When?’ Patrick croaked.
‘Being asleep for so long takes its toll on the human body,’ the doctor explained. ‘Muscles waste, ligaments tear.’
Patrick turned to his father. ‘Election?’ he asked.
Bill and Rosemary laughed. ‘I think our son is going to be okay,’ Rosemary said, eyes filling with happy tears.
‘He’s running to be our local councillor,’ Bill explained to the doctor, a hint of pride in his voice. ‘Don’t worry, son,’ he said to Patrick. ‘I’ll chat to your colleagues. Let’s make sure your name is still on that ballot paper!’
Melissa looked at him in surprise. ‘It’s too soon.’
Patrick tried to grab at her arm. ‘Do want.’
Melissa frowned.
‘That’s my boy!’ Bill said, laughing. ‘Never stops, this one,’ he said to the doctor.
Patrick winced and looked down at his side, towards his stab wound. Rosemary and Melissa exchanged a look.
‘Look,’ he croaked. ‘Want to look.’
Rosemary frowned. ‘You don’t need to look, Patrick.’
‘Want to,’ Patrick replied stubbornly.
The nurse gently lifted the sheet to show his bandaged side. ‘It’s healing well,’ she said.
Patrick’s jaw clenched and he shook his head, eyes filled with sadness.
The detective placed her hands on the rails on the bed and leaned towards him. ‘I’m Detective Powell, Patrick. I’ve been working on your case. Do you remember who did this to you?’
Patrick turned to Melissa, his dark eyes on hers. The detective followed his gaze, frowning.
‘Patrick, you were attacked,’ the detective said bluntly. ‘Someone did this to you. We’d all like to know who that is.’
‘Okay, that’s enough,’ Bill said. ‘I think—’
‘Grace,’ Patrick gasped. He turned away from Melissa, looking the detective in the eyes. ‘It was Grace.’
Chapter Forty-Four
Saturday 27th April, 2019
10 a.m.
Melissa looked at Patrick in shock, but Bill and Rosemary didn’t seem surprised.
‘Our little Grace?’ Melissa asked Patrick, unable to wrap her head around it.
Patrick nodded, tears brimming in his eyes.
Melissa shook her head and put her hand to her chest, feeling the erratic patter of her heart.
Not Grace, surely not Grace.
‘Just to be clear, Patrick,’ Detective Powell said, ‘you’re saying your daughter, Grace Byatt, stabbed you?’
‘Yes,’ Patrick said firmly.
‘Could he be confused?’ Melissa asked the doctor.
The doctor sighed. ‘Well, there can be an element of confusion after waking . . .’
‘He seems pretty sure,’ Rosemary said.
Patrick pointed to his stab wound. ‘Yes, Grace did this.’
Melissa started sobbing. How could it be her darling Grace?
‘What happened?’ Melissa asked him. ‘Why would she do that, Patrick? You know Grace, you know she isn’t capable of doing something like that. What did you say to her? What did you do?’
The words came out in a rush, and Patrick winced, shaking his head.
‘Melissa!’ Rosemary said, putting her arm around her son’s shoulders and shooting her daughter-in-law a hard look. ‘Calm down, for God’s sake.’
Detective Powell stepped towards Patrick. ‘Patrick, if I can—’
Patrick started spluttering, clutching at his throat. ‘Hurts,’ he said.
‘Okay, you have your name,’ the doctor said to the detective as she gestured to the nurse for some water. ‘Time for us to do our work.’
‘But we need to know why,’ Melissa said.
‘That’s enough, Melissa!’ Bill shouted.
‘Maybe you should leave for a few moments,’ Rosemary suggested, arm still protectively around her son. ‘Just to calm down. It’s a lot for you to take in. Detective Powell, you can accompany Melissa out, can’t you?’
Detective Powell shoved her notepad in her pocket and curtly nodded. ‘You’ll let me know if he says anything else?’
‘Yes,’ the doctor replied.
Melissa let Detective Powell lead her away, thoughts running through her mind. She’d go home, get the kids, escape somewhere, just the four of them. She couldn’t let her little Grace go through the system for this, wouldn’t. Patrick must have done something to provoke her, something awful.
She twisted around as she left the room, looking at Patrick over her shoulder. He wouldn’t meet her eye. Instead, he stared up at his parents and Melissa felt like she was in a bubble rolling down the hill, out of control and outside it all.
The door closed on them and the detective led Melissa to a quiet family room. Melissa sat down, her head in her hands, as the detective stared out of the window.
‘Something must have gone horribly wrong for Grace to do that,’ Melissa said. ‘I know she seems different from other kids, but she’s a good kid. Something must have gone really badly wrong.’
‘Well, we’ll find out soon,’ the detective said.
Melissa let out a sob. How could it have got to this, her younger daughter stabbing her own father? She thought of the watch Rosemary had found in Grace’s rucksack, Grace’s fascination with blood splatter and dead animals.
On the surface, yes, it did all seem odd. But Melissa knew her girl.
Or at least she thought she did, anyway.
Detective Crawford appeared at the door then, out of breath. ‘So?’ he asked his colleague.
‘Patrick’s awake. He said it’s Grace,’ Detective Powell said.
‘Interesting,’ he said, not looking overly surprised. He turned to Melissa. ‘We’ll need to question Grace as soon as possible. The twins too, at some point. Probably best it’s all done at the station.’
Melissa’s stomach dropped. ‘The statio
n? But she’s just a child!’
‘We’ve had a lot younger do a lot worse,’ Detective Powell stated.
‘Grace isn’t like those kinds of kids,’ Melissa said firmly.
The detective raised an eyebrow.
‘There will be a representative from the Youth Offending Team as an appropriate adult,’ Detective Crawford said.
‘A representative?’ Melissa said. ‘But surely I should be there when she’s questioned?’
The detective shook his head. ‘No. You’re too close to the case. I’d recommend getting your daughter a solicitor too.’
‘Solicitor? My God, this is madness,’ Melissa said, her voice catching. ‘She’s just a child!’
‘A child who has been accused by her father of serious assault,’ Detective Powell said.
Detective Crawford sighed. ‘Look, I know this seems harsh, but this is just the way it’s done. I promise you we will make it as easy and as gentle as we can for your daughter. You can come with me to get her. You can even tell her yourself what’s going to happen, if you want.’
Bill appeared from Patrick’s room then, his phone in his hand.
‘Are you going to talk to Grace?’ he asked the detectives.
They nodded.
‘Can you believe this, Bill?’ Melissa said. ‘Grace, of all people.’
He went to Melissa and embraced her in a hug. She sunk into him.
‘I’ll come with you, okay?’ he insisted.
She looked up at him, wiping her tears away. ‘But Patrick.’
‘He has Rosemary. I’m coming with you, you hear me? You can’t do this alone.’
She nodded, feeling so grateful for his presence, and they followed the detectives outside.
As they were driven back by the detectives to Bill and Rosemary’s, Melissa tried to wrap her head around Grace being the culprit. Truth be told, she’d been last on Melissa’s list. With Lewis’s propensity for violent outbursts, he was the most likely. Maybe Lilly too, considering how she so easily blocked things out, and the possibility she’d sent Caitlin that bouquet.
But not Grace.
They pulled up outside Rosemary and Bill’s house. She looked up at the familiar windows and the forest beyond. All the happy times they’d spent there, and it had come to this – having to go into the house to inform her youngest child she was going to be arrested for her father’s assault. Not to mention the fact she’d be breaking the news to the twins too.
Detective Crawford twisted around in his seat to look at her and Bill. ‘Ready?’
‘Yes, ready,’ Bill said. But Melissa didn’t answer. How could she be ready for something like this?
Melissa got out of the car with Bill and the two detectives. In the distance, a couple walked their dog. They paused, eyebrows arching as they took in the sight of Melissa being escorted out of a police car. Melissa straightened her shoulders and followed Bill down the path, the detectives behind them. Her temples throbbed to the beat of her steps and her fingers trembled as she opened the front door.
As they entered, Jackie was crossing the hall, a tea towel in her hands. She paused, taking in the look on Melissa’s face. ‘Is Patrick okay?’ she asked.
Melissa nodded. ‘He’s awake.’
‘Doing well too, from what we gather,’ Bill said, the relief clear on his face.
‘Thank God,’ Jackie said, putting her hand to her chest in relief.
‘Are the kids in the living room?’ Melissa asked.
‘Grace is in there with Ross. The twins just went upstairs.’
Good, Melissa thought. It would be too much for them to witness this.
Jackie glanced at the detectives. ‘What’s going on?’
Melissa ignored her and walked through to the living room, the detectives and Bill behind her. Grace was in her usual spot at the window seat, reading, Ross nearby. When Melissa walked in, he glanced up, brow creasing when he saw the detectives.
Melissa paused a moment, watching Grace read. She thought their ‘normal’ had been shattered the afternoon Patrick was stabbed. But right now was when it was really going to happen, certainly for Grace anyway. Melissa walked towards Grace, her little Grace, trying to comprehend what she’d done to her father.
Grace darted her head up, paling when she took in the detectives.
Ross stood up. ‘Patrick okay?’ he asked Bill.
Stop asking about Patrick, Melissa wanted to say. My younger daughter’s about to be arrested!
‘He’s fine,’ Bill said.
‘He’s awake,’ Melissa added, watching Grace for a response. But there was no response.
‘Do you want to go and make us a cuppa with Jackie?’ Bill asked Ross, the message clear in his eyes: Leave us all alone.
‘Of course,’ Ross said, placing his newspaper down and walking from the room, gently closing the door behind him.
Bill nodded at Melissa, a silent message that everything would be okay. Melissa went to Grace, crouching down on the floor and taking her hands. She explored her face. She looked so innocent, so young.
‘Dad told us what happened,’ she said, eyes still on Grace. ‘The nice detectives are going to take you to the station and ask you a few questions, darling,’ she said softly. ‘And you must tell the truth, you hear me?’
‘What did Dad say?’ Grace asked.
Detective Crawford stepped forward. ‘He said you stabbed him, Grace.’
‘But I didn’t!’
Melissa frowned. ‘Then what happened, darling?’
Grace looked first at her mother, then her grandfather, then she sank her head. ‘I can’t say.’
‘Come on, then,’ Detective Powell said, giving Grace a rare smile. ‘Let’s head down to the station. My daughter will be very jealous you’re getting to see where I work when she hasn’t!’
Melissa looked at the detective in surprise. She’d presumed she didn’t have children.
‘Am I allowed to take my book?’ Grace asked, hugging her battered book close to her chest.
‘Of course,’ the detective replied.
Detective Crawford peered up at the ceiling. ‘We’ll need to question the twins too. Best we chat to Grace first, though.’
‘And me,’ Melissa said. ‘I want to tell the truth.’
‘Melissa,’ Bill said in a low, warning voice.
‘It’s time to tell the truth, Bill. The whole truth.’
Chapter Forty-Five
Forest Grove Facebook Chit Chat Group
Saturday 27th April, 2019
11 a.m.
Andrea Cooper
Just in case people haven’t heard, I have some truly wonderful news: Patrick Byatt is awake and well! Wishing him a speedy recovery!
Charlie Cane
Oh, that is wonderful news . . . I wonder if they’ll put him forward as a candidate now he’s awake? I hope so!
Barbara Bell
Been reluctant to share this but it has to be said: I just saw Melissa and little Grace being led to the police station by the detectives in charge of Patrick’s case. Looked very serious to me . . .
Graham Cane
Well well well.
Rebecca Feine
Why Grace? She’s only little – what could she possibly have to do with it?
Eamon Piper
Melissa hasn’t been by Patrick’s bedside since he woke, according to my sister-in-law, who works at the hospital. Just his parents.
Belinda Bell
That speaks volumes.
Kitty Fletcher
Are you suggesting what I think you’re suggesting?
Belinda Bell
That Melissa has been arrested for her husband’s attack? Yes, that’s precisely what I’m suggesting. These things are always closer to home than you think. What did I say about something not being right about this whole thing?
Pauline Sharpe
Her poor children.
Kitty Fletcher
Yes. People are very good at putting on these personas in
public but, behind closed doors, it’s a different matter. Imagine what those poor kids must have witnessed.
Rebecca Feine
Now come on. We don’t know the whole story.
Belinda Bell
Exactly. We don’t know the whole story. We never have with her. It’ll all come out in the wash, it always does.
Chapter Forty-Six
Saturday 27th April, 2019
11.35 a.m.
‘Must feel a bit like déjà vu?’ Detective Powell asked as she sat across from Melissa in the small interview room, Grace next door with Detective Crawford. Melissa was pleased it was Detective Crawford interviewing Grace. He had kind eyes, not Detective Powell’s hard, relentless, dark ones.
‘Shall we start at the beginning?’ the detective said. ‘So, from the moment you arrived home from work the day Patrick was stabbed.’
Melissa nodded. ‘It’s exactly as I told you in my original statement. I walked in and found Patrick on the floor with what I thought was just a head wound but then turned out to be a stab wound too. The kids told me they’d found their dad like that too. What I didn’t tell you,’ Melissa added with a sigh, ‘is that I saw a knife on the kitchen floor. The knife you discovered was missing from the knife block? When I left the kids alone to let the paramedics in and came back into the kitchen, that knife was gone.’ She looked down at her lap. ‘I knew then something wasn’t right.’
‘But you didn’t tell us?’ Detective Powell said.
‘No. I don’t know why. Looking back, I made a mistake, but you do stupid things to protect your children, don’t you?’ Melissa saw a hint of sympathy in the detective’s eyes. ‘Anyway, I didn’t know how they were involved, but I knew deep down one of them must have hidden the knife. And the reason for that scared me. I guess I felt I needed to find out before you guys got involved. Does that make sense?’
Detective Powell didn’t respond.
‘I tried to get what happened out of the kids ever since it happened,’ Melissa said. ‘I just kept thinking, if I could only get it out of them first, then I could come to you.’
‘What about the knife?’ Detective Powell said. ‘You mentioned the children hid it, but we found it on Ryan Day’s property. We’re currently getting forensics done on it for DNA but it looks very well cleaned so I’m not sure we’ll have much luck.’
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