Nick mostly stayed indoors leading up to Friday, comforted by Fin and Tom and his dad. Pretty much everyone dropped by at some point to visit him, apart from Tommy again, who passed on his condolences through their father. And when the funeral came around, Tommy didn’t even make an appearance, yet the rest of Nick’s family did. That really hurt Nick; whether Tommy had been fond of Kerra or not, she at least deserved that respect from him.
Janet Morgan and her husband attended the funeral, and when Janet saw the Evanses treating Nick politely, she smiled to him. With some relief, he thought, Things will go back to normal now. During the service, Kerra’s eldest sister, Rose, sang “My Immortal” by Evanescence, a song and band Kerra had loved. The performance brought everyone to tears.
A lot of the day was awkward. Many people avoided Nick as if he were fragile, but by now he was quite used to people treating him that way. He imagined it was a lot worse for Kerra’s family.
The funeral ended with the cremation, and then the groups went their separate ways.
The Evanses hardly contacted him after that day. The one connection he’d had with them was Kerra, so he doubted he’d see much of them in the future. They’re a big family. I just hope they’ll be okay, that Kerra’s death will bring them closer together …
The following Monday, he returned to work. During the shift, Janet approached and apologised for the way she’d been treating him. ‘It’s fine,’ he tried to tell her, but she continued to say she was sorry. He hadn’t felt that bitter about it when she’d actually been ignoring him, but he experienced some annoyance now, listening to her beg for forgiveness. She could have just defied David Evans and spoken to me, but she made a choice not to. He didn’t point this out to her, but instead put his focus on how glad he was to at least be talking to her again.
He soon fell back into the rhythm of work and life.
The days began to pass. He heard nothing from James or Tamara, and even though he and Juliet had agreed to keep in touch, neither contacted the other.
There were developments in the case of Kerra’s murder, but Nick only understood the gist of the proceedings. He had thought the French authorities would want Jean-Sébastien to face sentence in their country, but everything took place in England. It soon arose that Jean-Sébastien might be unfit to plead, which a psychiatric evaluation later deemed so. Still, the evidence against him was presented and the jury determined him guilty of the acts. After that, the judge made the order for the murderer’s supervision and treatment at a high-security psychiatric hospital, where Jean-Sébastien would remain until seen fit to stand trial.
Hopefully never, was Nick’s regretful but honest wish. He wasn’t sure if the hospital’s treatment would do the murderer any good; even if they managed to get Jean-Sébastien to talk, he would speak of another world and other beings. Not quite ideal for proving his sanity.
A few times when the story was shown in the media, footage of a news interview with Detective Inspector Talwar was aired. Anish Talwar somehow made it sound like he had done all the work in cracking the case. The way he painted it, he had singlehandedly restrained Jean-Sébastien in the council flat when the murderer had resisted. Nick couldn’t imagine the other officers just sitting about, twiddling their thumbs, but oh well. At least Talwar’s career is looking up.
There were a few instances when reporters showed up at Nick’s house, like one had done while Kerra had still been missing, but he simply ignored them until they stopped hounding him altogether. The media had milked enough out of the tragedy.
In the back of his mind, he worried about someone still wanting him dead. Some nights it was hard to sleep, not just because of fear, but because grief occasionally took him, as he had expected it would. A couple of times, he drove up the road to James’s house and considered knocking to see if the half-elf was in, to get an update on everything. But he decided against it.
As more days passed, he had an idea to cheer himself up with a lads’ night in. He invited Fin, Tom, Tommy, Michael, and even Alex Campbell. Tommy didn’t reply to his text, let alone come, but Alex did both. Since that day Nick had punched his old friend, he’d thought a lot about it, deciding his behaviour was out of order, a stupid, delayed reaction to what had happened years ago, triggered by his delicate state. At this little gathering, he apologised, and Alex was pleasant enough to make Nick glad he’d invited him.
Now, today, nearly a month since the police had located Kerra’s body and arrested Jean-Sébastien, Nick sat at his kitchen table with a mug of hot chocolate warm in his hands. It was the 3rd of June, meaning the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee was two days away, and that a couple weeks later would be Litha, the summer solstice. Amiton would lose its current decorations, all the bunting and the royal colours everywhere, and celebrate the power of the sun—with loads of flowers and fruits and candles and colours and garlands, and a whole lot more of the Green Man.
Before summer solstice, though, would be Tom’s and Tommy’s nineteenth birthday. Considering Tommy’s attitude, Nick was growing apprehensive about it. The twins ordinarily threw a joint party, so how were they going to celebrate this year?
Nick had explained to Tom the real reasons Tommy was annoyed, but all Tom said back was, ‘Well, I feel like it’s Tommy’s problem if he doesn’t trust you, Nick. I understand him being annoyed that I told you about my sexuality first, but I’ve recently started to wonder, is it my fault that I felt I couldn’t tell him about it, but that I could tell you? I’m not sure … And I don’t feel I should apologise to him for all of this imagined deceit either. Maybe I need more time; I still feel annoyed about it all.’
Of course, this had made Nick feel guilty, but he wasn’t sure how to avoid the lies without telling his brothers absolutely everything—which he knew James would disapprove of.
Today, he shrugged to himself, sighed, and decided to worry about their birthday when it drew nearer.
He started thinking about the last time he had woken from one of the blood nightmares, the night he’d gone to the kitchen to have a hot chocolate and gather his mind.
Back then, he’d been optimistic for the future, glad to know the truth about his mother’s past, and happy to finally have a stable job and relationship. But before that, he had searched for some kind of purpose. The sudden emergence of his ability had somewhat satisfied that yearning, but then he had shied away from it to have the normal lifestyle most people seemed to be living.
But do I want that? Did I mistake a full-time job and a steady relationship for meaning? He thought about the blood nightmares, how they had been a warning that he might have understood with better control of his power. He remembered Sara and Seline, the way they had looked at him as if he were important. Then he mulled over the fact that there was an entire world he knew barely anything about, a world he was connected to, maybe a lot more deeply than he had first suspected …
After taking a sip of his sweet, hot drink, a little smile came to his mouth. He felt that old craving for meaning again, only now it was stronger than ever before.
With a buzz that startled him, Juliet’s name flashed on the screen of his mobile. He answered.
‘Nicolas?’
‘Yeah?’
‘Tamara rang me last night; James wants to speak to us both.’
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
‘HAVE YOU SEEN this sad, sad news, sweetheart?’ Lillian asked her granddaughter, pointing to the television screen in front of her hospital bed. ‘The young woman who was abducted a couple of weeks ago, her body was found in Etherby … They think a madman might have killed her.’
They would be right, thought Juliet, except they have the wrong madman. ‘I saw the reports yesterday, Gran. I feel sorry for her family.’ That was true, and the only thing that comforted her was knowing Kerra had moved on.
‘So,’ said Lillian, bringing her attention away from the screen, ‘are they coming, then?’
Juliet took a breath. ‘Mum and Dad will be here soon.’
‘Juliet,’ Lillian said seriously, ‘I will speak with my daughter, like I have promised you, and I will be as civil as I can. You need to understand, though, that it might not go as well as you hope.’
‘I can’t accept that. It’s not as if I expect you two to suddenly get along, but quite simply, I won’t let you remain hostile with each other.’ She slowly crossed her arms, bunching up her shoulders a little. ‘I don’t like treating people like this; it’s your decision who you want to get along with. But I’m the one in the middle of it all. What am I supposed to do when you’re well enough to come home, but my parents want to visit again?’
Lillian compressed her lips in thought, then answered in time. ‘Let’s just see how it goes.’
She’s as stubborn as me, I’m as stubborn as Mum, and Mum’s as stubborn as her. ‘I’ll go wait for them out there.’ Juliet nodded to one side. ‘I need to talk to Mum myself when they both get here, and then I’ll send her to you afterwards.’ That way, she might get a chance to talk to her father in private, without her mother’s domineering presence keeping him in check.
‘Alright, sweetheart.’
Out in the hallway, she waited and took in her surroundings. Because her gran’s recovery was taking longer than it should have, making Lillian feel awful for using the general hospital’s resources, Juliet had her transferred to this private healthcare centre, Brynne Hospital, where she’d been put on a hip replacement recovery program and was now staying in the rehabilitation unit. The colours were a lot warmer here than the icy blues and whites of the previous ward.
It was two days ago when Nicolas had dropped Juliet home, after their trip to Kern Islet. The first thing Juliet had done was head straight out to visit her gran. Afterwards, she had nipped to a home store to buy the materials needed to fix the hole Austin had left in her wall. She patched it over that night, but needed to wait for the compound to dry before sanding it down and painting, which she did the next day.
‘Hello, sweetie!’ Evelyn Maystone turned a corner suddenly, her voice startling Juliet back to the present moment. Behind her, Adam followed. Juliet had spoken with her mother briefly on the phone earlier, updating her on Lillian’s transfer, and confirming that she still planned to visit.
Evelyn started to ramble. ‘I am sooo glad you had your grandmother transferred here. I could not bear to visit that grimy general hospital. I’m surprised you both came out of there alive!’ She tittered in her false manner, then quickly added, ‘Oh, sweetie, I didn’t get a chance to tell you before, when we visited The Haaayven, because … well, you know … But anyway, I swear you have become more gorgeous than you already were.’
Juliet knew exactly what her mother was doing. I see where I get it from … ‘Mum, you can’t avoid this. You’ve agreed to tell me everything, and then you’re going to speak with Gran.’
Mrs Maystone came to a halt, her taut smile failing. ‘Yes, Juliet, I know why I’m here.’ Evelyn may have been visiting the only private hospital on the island, an expensive place for healthcare, but even so, her outfit was ostentatious for the occasion. Adam Maystone was also dressed so fancily that Juliet was sure her mother had picked his clothing.
Juliet led her parents to a lounge area in an alcove of the wide hallway. She sat down on a sofa and gestured for her parents to do the same. Her mother remained standing, but her father plonked himself down across from her, which earned him a sour look from his wife. Not wanting to cause a scene over something so small, Juliet let her mother’s behaviour slide. She carefully laid out everything as she knew it, stating her knowledge about the surrogate, clarifying what lies she’d been told and when, and so on. Finally, she said to her mother, ‘So do I know everything now?’
‘Yes, sweetie, you do.’
Juliet sank back into the sofa, releasing tension along with a breath. ‘You should go speak with Gran, then.’ She felt a little strange talking to her mother this way, practically giving orders, but she reckoned she deserved some leeway. She quickly filled her parents in on Lillian’s condition, revealing that before the transfer, the doctor had confirmed the spread of Lillian’s cancer. She also mentioned Lillian’s premature decision to refuse treatment, and at that, Evelyn’s eyes shifted.
For a moment, Evelyn stayed quiet. She held her head high, the way she always did, but began to chew her bottom lip. And whether she realised it or not, she was rubbing the back of one hand with the fingers of the other.
‘Gran’s through there,’ Juliet urged, pointing. She sensed her mother’s vulnerability, but got the impression that if she tried to reassure her, her mother would be too proud to accept the gesture. All she could think to say was, ‘She knows you’re coming.’
Evelyn seemed to bristle. ‘I should hope so,’ she said haughtily, though it lacked her usual commitment. She puffed up her chest. ‘You two just wait right here, then. I’ll be back shortly.’ She flicked her head in the intended direction and clicked away.
Juliet peered at Adam and saw a small, contrite smile on her father’s face. His coloured hair was neatly combed, and his orangey-brown tan blended with the surrounding warm colours in a way that made him look silly. ‘Come sit with me,’ he said, and tapped the sofa cushion.
Seeing his guilt caused a sad spark in Juliet’s chest. She got up and joined him, resting her head on his shoulder and wrapping her arms around one of his. She still wasn’t okay with her parents or her gran. Even with everything out in the open now, she couldn’t understand why they told such selfish lies.
‘Why did you both lie to me?’ she asked softly. From where she was, she could see her mother and gran, but could not hear them. They appeared to be conversing, reluctantly.
‘Your mother told you Lillian had died without discussing it with me.’ Adam Maystone had a gentle voice, pleasantly soporific. ‘This was after the big argument you know about. Your mother had already given Lillian the boot, but she had agreed with me that we would find a way to tell you the truth, together.’
‘Which you never did.’
‘One of the things about your mother is, sometimes she’ll get an idea in her head, she’ll concoct a plan without telling anyone, and then before you know it, she springs it upon you.’
Juliet wondered if she was missing something. ‘Okay … but that doesn’t make it right.’ With a bit more thought, she realised how she had done the same thing, surreptitiously texting Tamara on the day she and Nicolas went to Eleanor Lodge Park. I kept that plan to myself because Nicolas wouldn’t have understood. If we had done it his way, we’d probably be dead.
‘Have you ever seen your mother cry?’ Adam surprised his daughter with the digression.
‘I don’t think so.’
‘Well, I have,’ he said simply, and it seemed somehow profound. ‘Your mother is a beautiful and complicated woman. Nobody knows her like I do. We have argued before, especially the first few years of being together, and when I tell you your mother can hold a grudge, I really mean it.’ He laughed gently. ‘But then the more I got to know her, the less we fought. I know what it looks like to others, that I’m just a pushover … but I’m not. I made my own decision many years ago that I would always stand by my wife. Not because she always makes the right choices, but because I know what’s in her heart.’
Juliet was so conflicted. She used to look up to her mother, a strong woman who didn’t need anybody else, and in some ways she still wanted to admire her … but now there was bitterness and confusion and the sting of treachery. Or was she judging too harshly? Was she failing to see this apparent good side to her mother?
‘Did you not argue when Mum told me the lie?’
‘Yes. More fiercely than ever. Your mother ignored me for an entire month afterwards, but you wouldn’t have realised that at the time. Whenever your mother used to fall out with me, she would ignore me in private, but in front of anybody else she would act as if we couldn’t be happier with each other.’ He chuckled, making Juliet’s head bounce on his shoulder. ‘Got to kee
p up appearances …’
Maybe Mum regrets the lie, Juliet considered, realising her mother would be too proud to apologise after so many years. I’ve made rash decisions in tense moments, without discussing my thoughts or intentions with anyone else …
Adam went on. ‘You know we’ve been staying at the Herlit these past couple of weeks? We’ve barely actually left the hotel. Your mother kept saying she wanted to make use of the facilities, and she did, but she repeatedly checked her mobile throughout each day. She wouldn’t admit it, but she thought you’d give in. We hardly unpacked our suitcases, to tell you the truth, because she was so sure you’d call or text and invite us to stay at yours.’
After a small huff, Juliet tried to imagine her mother religiously checking her phone, day after day. ‘I didn’t plan on contacting either of you. I only did because of Gran’s health.’
‘I know.’ Adam chuckled some more. ‘I’ve never seen you speak to your mother the way you did during that argument at yours.’
‘Were you angry at me?’
‘No …’
‘But?’
‘But I think you judged the situation too hastily. As you’ve found out for yourself, Lillian is not perfect. I don’t particularly have anything against her, but whether your gran will admit it or not, she’s not so different from your mother. She raised her daughter to be a proud woman, and I’d say that pride is the reason your mother never accepted Lillian as a substitute for the father she lost … or for her biological mother, who she never had the chance to meet.’
Juliet felt close to tears for a reason she couldn’t identify. When she was quiet for a while, her father sighed, then said reflectively, ‘Grief can be as malignant as cancer, recurring after years of absence. Don’t ever tell your mother I shared this with you, but she still cries many nights over the loss of her father, a lot more often than I think she should, and you know he died before you were born …’
Juliet mulled that over.
A Body Displaced (Lansin Island 2) Page 36