by Linda Coles
“Can I come in, please?”
She pulled the door open wider, though she did not speak. Did she blame him for her husband’s arrest? Probably. Without being asked to, he made his way to the lounge and she followed in behind.
When they were both in the room, he said, “I have some news for you. Perhaps we should sit down?” He followed her lead, sitting only when she had. They were in opposite chairs, a low coffee table between them. She still hadn’t said anything. She kept her head lowered, looking at the swirly pattern of the carpet.
“Mrs Meadows,” he began. “I said I have some news, though it doesn’t concern your husband’s case directly.” Still nothing. “It concerns your daughter, not Leanne, but her twin, the baby you lost many years ago.”
Penny finally looked at Jack properly.
“What’s that got to do with any of this? And how did you know she was Leanne’s twin? I never told you.”
“No, you didn’t. And I realize how sensitive this is, but during an investigation into another, seemingly unrelated crime, it came to light that Leanne’s twin is actually still alive. She never died, Mrs Meadows. She’s still with us.”
The silence seemed to go on forever, and then a half-strangled sound erupted from her mouth. Her hand flew to cover it as she wailed. Jack leaned forward to place his hand on her arm in comfort, and she let him keep it there until she’d calmed a little. Tears continued to roll freely down her cheeks. This wasn’t what Jack had imagined. Denial maybe, before it had sunk in, but not this. Penny Meadows was acting as if she’d known the child hadn’t died at all. But how could that be?
“But you buried her,” said another voice behind Jack. It was Leanne; her mother’s distress had brought her into the room.
“I never believed them, never. I told them they’d made a mistake, that my baby had been mixed up somewhere. A mother knows . . . a mother knows when a child isn’t hers. The baby they gave me, the dead one – I never believed it was mine. I never believed them, never…” Penny trailed off. Leanne went to her mother, wrapping her arms around her shoulders awkwardly as she sobbed gently.
“You say she’s alive, Detective? How did you find her?”
Oh lord. Here I go …
“Charlotte, as you christened her, is now called Chloe, and was adopted by a couple in Manchester. For reasons I can’t go in to right now, she found herself pregnant and frightened and decided to leave home before her child was born. She came to London.” He paused to give them both a little time to digest what he’d said so far. “She had a baby girl and left it on the doorstep of a church, where a stranger found her, and she was taken to hospital. You may have seen something in the paper. It was just before Christmas, so the hospital named her Mary.”
“I remember that,” said Leanne. “So my sister is alive and well, and I have a niece?”
“Yes, your sister is safe and well,” said Jack.
Penny Meadows wiped her eyes and tried to smile. “I can’t believe it. I can’t. Even though I knew she wasn’t dead, I still can’t actually believe she is alive. It’s a miracle! When can we meet her, Detective?”
“There’s a little more to it, I’m afraid.”
“Oh?”
Jack turned to Leanne as he spoke. “Baby Mary is not your niece, Leanne. She’s your half-sister.”
There was a long silence.
“I don’t understand,” said Penny Meadows at last. “How can that be? You’re saying …Oh god, no! You said Manchester … Oh god, oh no!”
“Mum, what is it? What aren’t you telling me?” Leanne looked at Jack for an explanation. He was going to have to tell her after all.
“The girl your father was seeing in Manchester was your sister Chloe. Mary is his child.”
Leanne burst into tears now, and she and her mother cradled each other, sobbing. Jack quietly excused himself and went to the kitchen to give them some privacy. He made a pot of tea, found cups and took it all back to the lounge on a tray. They looked up at him, red-eyed, as he stepped into the room.
“I’ve made you some tea. It might help.” It sounded lame, but he hoped they appreciated his trying. He put the tray on the table in front of them, and Leanne set to pouring and handed a cup to her mother.
“When can we meet her – Chloe?” she asked.
“Soon I hope. Soon.”
Chapter Seventy-Eight
Chloe stared at the note Jack had written.
“Do you think my caution has been revoked?” she asked Billy, suddenly afraid. What was his news?
“He’d have asked you to the station, not for lunch, silly,” he joked, trying to keep things light, but wondering himself. “I don’t think they can revoke it anyway,” he added. But she looked troubled. “You think it’s something else, like your little one?”
“I can’t think of anything else, and if it is, I’m really in trouble. I abandoned her, remember?” The strain in her voice was obvious, and again Billy tried to convince her.
“As I said, I’d say that kind of conversation would be at the station, so no, he’s not going to arrest you for abandonment.” He put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her in close. They were sat on their makeshift bed in the garage, figuring they’d hang out there until it was time to leave for Roy’s Café. Through the grimy window, they could see that a pale-yellow sun had risen in the sky, though it hadn’t the strength to warm the place at ten in the morning. But at least it was showing itself, that was the main thing; everything felt better when the sun made an appearance.
“Look, I wouldn’t worry. And you’re assuming the news is about you. It could be about me. Or neither of us, for that matter.”
Glancing up at him, she said, “I like you, Billy Peters. You’re so reasonable. And sensible. And nice.”
“You make me sound like a boring old fart, Chloe Mathews,” he said, bending slightly to plant a kiss on her forehead. “Anyway, stop over-thinking it and look forward to a steaming hot meal with a knife and fork. I fancy pie and mash for lunch. What about you?”
“Same.”
Jack was emotionally exhausted, and it was only lunchtime.
And there was more to wade through. Between Eddie and forensics, the list that had been found in the young woman’s stomach had finally been completed. Dave Meadows was on that list – another nail in his coffin, and more strength for the CPS to agree on charges. Not that they needed any more; the guy was almost buried in crap, it was so far up his neck.
He’d been at Roy’s for a few minutes, taking pleasure in a quiet cuppa while mulling over how to proceed. In reality, he knew precious little about Chloe and Billy, and had no idea whether he should even be discussing what he was about to discuss with Billy present, but his gut told him it was the right thing to do. So he’d picked a table in the furthest corner of the café and made camp. He’d also made a call to social services for an update on Mary and was told she was safe with her foster mum and was making good progress. Jack remembered the pink rabbit and smiled. He hoped it was still with her; it was his only way of reaching out to the child.
Maybe he and Janine should apply for adoption again …
The sound of the door opening interrupted his thoughts, and he looked up to see Billy and Chloe walking towards his table, both looking like they were about to be yelled at. He stood and smiled, hoping to reassure them.
Roy hesitantly made his way over.
“Can I get you all a hot drink before your lunch?” he asked. His apron showing signs of baked beans from earlier in the day.
“Tea, please, Roy,” Jack said, and the others followed suit. When he was safely out of earshot, Jack said, “Don’t be looking so worried. Nobody is in trouble. Okay?”
Two nods.
“But I’m guessing you’re wondering why I asked you for lunch, so let me tell you. But first, let me also tell you this is rather sensitive, and it concerns you, Chloe.” Billy and Chloe exchanged a glance. “Chloe, am I able to talk in front of Billy here?”
&n
bsp; “Yes. He’s my friend. What’s going on? You’re scaring me.”
Roy delivered three mugs of tea and retreated back to the kitchen. Nobody touched their tea.
“Chloe,” Jack began, “let me tell you again that you are not in any trouble. Let me also tell you I know you recently gave birth, and that, for your own reasons, you took the little one to the church.”
Chloe’s face remained neutral.
She must have known it would catch up with her sooner or later, Jack thought sadly.
He carried on. “As you may know from the papers, Chloe, your little baby is safe and well. The hospital named her Mary, as it was Christmas, but it doesn’t end there.”
Chloe lifted her eyes, which were brimming with tears, and Jack felt pained at telling her the next part. “You see, through another case I’ve been working on, we had cause to do some DNA matching, particularly a new way of doing it, called familial DNA. Now, I won’t bore you with the details, but it means we look for the extended family of the person in question.”
He waited for them both to catch up. Finally, he got a faint nod from Billy to go on.
“So it means we now know who baby Mary’s father is, and we can prosecute him for what has happened to you.”
The tears spilled down Chloe’s cheeks now, and Billy reached for a napkin from the nearby dispenser.
“Will I have to see him?” Chloe asked, struggling to keep her voice steady.
“Not necessarily. But it does get a little more complicated from here, and for this part you will need the support of a loved one.” Jack was looking directly at Billy, who instinctively reached out and placed his hand on Chloe’s. He gave it a gentle squeeze.
“Go on,” she said faintly.
“The DNA results led us to a man who had a family of his own. He had twins, in fact. But he and his wife were told that one twin, Charlotte, had died at birth, and so they raised the other twin, Leanne, on her own.”
“Right. I’m not sure where I fit in here.”
“Charlotte never actually died. There was a mix-up at the hospital, and it turns out Charlotte lived. Chloe, Charlotte is you. You have a sister, a twin sister.”
Chloe and Billy sat with open mouths. Finally, Billy spoke.
“Holy hell,” he said, and closed his eyes for a moment.
“So, I have a sister, then. Is that what you’re saying?”
“Yes, you do. But Chloe…” Jack paused and took a deep breath. “Your natural father is also the father of your child,” he said, not wanting it to draw out any further.
Jack and Billy sat silently as Chloe processed what he’d told her. It was a lot to take in. But Chloe was quick on the uptake and decisive in her reasoning.
“It seems both of my fathers have proved to be vile. I think it would be easier if I said I didn’t have one from here on in.”
Jack was astounded at how strong the young woman sat in front of him was being. She’d grasped the news and was already dealing with it.
“But I have a sister. And a natural mother. Do they know about me? And about Mary?”
“Yes, they do.”
“I’d like to meet them both,” she said. “Do you think they’ll let me?”
“I know they will. I’ve only told them a short while ago, so they’re both coming to terms with the news. I can organize it when you’re all ready.”
“Billy, will you come too?”
“Of course I will, Chloe.”
“Charlotte, eh? Pretty name,” she added finally with a weak smile. “What a way to bring the New Year in. I appear to have gained a whole new family.”
Billy leaned in, smiling from ear to ear, and kissed her wet cheek. “You’ll have to decide what we all call you from here on in,” he grinned.
“I’m Chloe. I’ll always be Chloe, and I couldn’t care less about a surname. Both fathers can go to hell. Perhaps I’ll pick a fresh one.”
Jack sat quietly, relieved it was all over. If Leanne and Penny wished to tell her the rest of the greater story, that was their business, but Jack suspected Leanne wouldn’t be keen to relive and share it, not yet anyway. And there was no need. Chloe had some decisions to make, not only for her own life but for that of her child. Baby Mary was safe where she was for the time being, though Jack would inform social services of Chloe’s new situation.
And time was a great healer. He knew that from experience. With a New Year ahead of her and a new family waiting in the wings, the start of the new millennium promised to be a memorable and momentous occasion for Chloe, not to mention a few others.
“Right, you two,” he said, getting to his feet. “I said I was buying you lunch, so choose what you want.” He motioned to Roy, who approached the table, order pad in hand. “I’m going to leave you to it. I’ll be in touch soon.” He passed Roy cash to cover their meal and a bit more, knowing he’d give Billy and Chloe the change.
As Jack left Roy’s Café, he couldn’t help but smile. His step felt lighter than it had done in days. It was a rare pleasure to give victims good news for a change, bittersweet thought it was. He pulled out his phone and called Janine.
“You okay, love?” she asked.
“Couldn’t be better,” he said perkily. “Can I take you out to lunch, Mrs Rutherford?”
Also by Linda Coles
Detective Amanda Lacey Series:
The Controller
Hot To Kill
The Hunted
Dark Service
One Last Hit
A bunch of non-fiction
About the Author
Hi, I’m Linda Coles. Thanks for choosing this book, I really hope you enjoyed it and collect the following ones in the series. Great characters make a great read and I hope I’ve managed to create that for you.
Originally from the UK, I now live and work in beautiful New Zealand along with my hubby, 2 cats and 5 goats. My office sits by the edge of my vegetable garden, my very favourite authors are Harlan Coben and Karin Slaughter and apart from reading and writing, I get to run by the beach for pleasure.
If you find a moment, please do write an honest online review, they really do make such a difference to those choosing what book to buy next.
Enjoy! And tell your friends.
Thanks, Linda