The Things You Didn't See(48)

‘You’ve missed a big twist in Broadchurch, Maya,’ Daniel says, taking your hand and stroking it. ‘All my clients are talking about it. There’s this character, he’s managed to convince everyone that his wife is imagining things when really he . . .’

‘Maybe something else,’ Lauren interrupts in her sing-song voice, heading for the door and raising a wagging finger. ‘Positive and cheerful, that’s the ticket.’

I hear her shoes squeaking along the corridor, then they stop. She’s talking to someone and the sing-song has gone. ‘No, sir,’ I hear her say, ‘I’m sorry but there are already three family members in with Maya . . .’

‘I’ve got to see Hector!’

Ash, demanding to be let in. How dare he come here, now he’s a police suspect? He has no right.

Dad lifts his head, registering. ‘In here, boy!’

Ash doesn’t need any further encouragement, he’s through the doorway in a flash, face red. At first, I think it’s from anger, then I see his puffy eyes and realise he’s been crying. Dad immediately stands to comfort him, his bad right hand finding awkward purchase on Ash’s shoulder. ‘What’s wrong, son?’

Ash mumbles something. The only word I can make out is Mum, and Dad has his arm further around him, saying, ‘Tell me what’s happened. Whatever it is, we can fix it.’

I think I see your eyelid twitch, Mum. I want to tell you it’s okay, but I don’t believe that. Ash shouldn’t be here, he’s dangerous. Why can’t Dad see through the snivelling schoolboy routine?

I don’t know what Daniel makes of this – he looks concerned, but he keeps that detached air he’s so good at. ‘Has something happened, Ash?’

It takes Ash a few swallows and a bit more coaxing before he can speak. He’s in the grip of panic. ‘They’ve arrested Mum. They came to our house, and took her away in a police car.’

Despite my suspicions, I’m stunned. Janet. All those hours and weeks and years she’s spent at the farm with you. Her, arrested?

‘Why would the idiots do that?’ Dad says, his voice rising in anger.

Ash wipes his cheeks with the back of his hand and says quietly, ‘They found her blood on the rifle.’

Dad clears his throat and looks at Daniel, as if he might be able to explain it, but Daniel puts his hands in his pockets and turns to the window. I want him to fix this, I want him to make sense of it, but he remains silent.

‘Shit,’ Dad says.

I can’t believe his reaction – anger pushes all other emotions away. ‘Is that all you can say, Dad? Shit? They think Janet shot Mum!’

Daniel doesn’t turn around. He quietly says, ‘Calm down, Cass, and let me think about what to do. We need to help Janet.’

Dad is reassuring Ash, blind to the possibility that Janet might actually be guilty.

‘That don’t matters, a spot of blood can be explained away, son. Janet cleans our house, she cooks for us, ’course her blood could get on my gun!’

This is such bullshit – she didn’t clean in the gun cupboard! It was kept locked.

‘Or maybe she shot Mum,’ I say, bitterly. Already I’m thinking I was wrong to focus on Ash: Janet is the obvious suspect. Cooking, cleaning, skivvying . . . Who knows what resentment builds up? Two women, living out in the sticks with only each other. And if you sold the farm, Janet would lose her home, her livelihood . . . her life. Who could deny that as a motive for murder? A spontaneous act, then she panicked, ran from the house, called 999.

Daniel tries to pull me to him, a silencing move and nothing about giving me comfort. ‘Shush, love.’

Ash is crying hard now, his hands pressed to his eye sockets. ‘She only ever wanted to help.’ Tears roll down his nose.

No, I won’t be silenced. I turn to my father and my lover, desperate for one of them to listen to sense. ‘Janet and Ash are the only ones with a motive. If Mum dies, the farm won’t be sold, they keep their cottage and Ash takes over!’

I see the full force of Dad’s rage in his grey eyes, he steps towards me and in that moment I know that he wants to hit me, that the only thing stopping him is Daniel’s presence. In that splintered second the door opens, shocking us all, and Holly stands in the doorway in her green uniform, her face registering the violent atmosphere in the room. She looks from me to Dad.

‘Hector, what’s wrong? What’s happening?’

I’m euphorically happy to see her, close to hysterical with relief.

‘Janet’s been arrested, Holly. The police have finally woken up to the fact that this isn’t attempted suicide. Don’t you see, I was right!’

‘You bitch!’ Dad’s anger makes me flinch, and Daniel moves a protecting arm around my shoulder, and Holly moves between us, alert to the possibilities of violence.

Nurse Lauren marches in. ‘What is all this shouting? Please, if you want to talk like this, go outside! It’s not fair on Maya.’

I can’t stop now, even if it’s disturbing you. I turn to Daniel, pleading. ‘You can see, Dan, can’t you? The police wouldn’t have arrested Janet without evidence.’

‘You’re crazy.’ Dad jabs a finger at me and Daniel holds me tighter. ‘If your mother can hear you, God help her!’