‘It’s always the quiet ones, though, isn’t it?’
‘That’s why they’re quiet. If they talk a lot, they end up spilling their secrets.’
‘Poor Katrina.’
‘Have you met her before?’
‘Yes, a couple of times. She’s a bit loud, but she’s lovely.’
‘I remember when they got married,’ Matilda said. She sat back in her seat and was visibly relaxing now. Her shoulders were no longer hunched up beneath her ears with angst and worry. ‘He was so nervous, more than usual for a bloke about to get married. He worried he wouldn’t be a good husband, a good father, that he’d somehow ruin the happiness Katrina represented.’
‘It sounds like he knew what lay ahead in his future.’
‘He didn’t have a very good childhood. His parents split when he was about four and the custody battle went on for years. His parents despised each other. He told me that he always said he wouldn’t get married but when he met Katrina, he knew she was special. He just hoped he wouldn’t turn into his father and ruin everything.’
‘And that’s exactly what he’s done.’
‘Maybe.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘I think I can keep this out of the newspapers and allow Aaron to deal with this privately.’
‘How?’
‘Well, Danny Hanson wants an exclusive. He doesn’t care what the story is as long as he gets a massive front-page lead which will look good on his CV.’
‘Yes. So what?’
‘I just have to give him another exclusive.’
‘You don’t have one.’
‘I do.’
‘Really?’
Matilda took a breath. ‘Carl Meagan.’
‘What?’
‘I could give Danny Hanson the exclusive on Carl Meagan being found in France.’
‘But you don’t know he really is Carl Meagan yet, do you? Have you had the DNA results back?’
Matilda looked away. ‘Not yet.’ LIAR!
Chapter 43
Ellen stood in the doorway to Riley’s bedroom and watched as Jodie went about changing his nappy. She handled him with confidence as if she had done this a thousand times before, which she probably had. All the while she was changing him, cleaning him up and dressing him, she engaged him in conversation. He couldn’t join in, but Jodie’s voice was different with Riley. It was light, soft, with a hint of happiness and jollity, as if all was right with the world.
‘You’re getting to be a big boy, Riley,’ she said as she grunted under the strain of lifting him down from the changing mat. She placed him, carefully, in his bean bag. ‘Look at these big solid legs.’ She held his feet and wiggled his legs which made him giggle. ‘You’re like a little rugby player, aren’t you? Riley the scrum half.’
She turned around and saw Ellen watching. It made her jump.
‘Sorry, I didn’t see you there. Did you want anything?’
‘No. I came to see how you are, but you seem to be doing ok.’
Jodie sat cross-legged on the floor beside Riley. She handed him his favourite penguin toy. ‘It’s strange but coming in here and being with Riley, it’s like the rest of the world doesn’t exist. Inside this room, it’s all about Riley, his needs and there’s no responsibility, no stress. We can sit here for hours blowing bubbles, playing with his toys, or watching the lights fade into different colours, and nothing else matters. I could honestly close that door and never leave this room again.’
Ellen frowned. The weight upon Jodie’s shoulders was too great for a fourteen-year-old to contend with. She shouldn’t be talking about getting away from the world. She should be out there living in it, exploring it, meeting boys, buying make-up, and trying a cheeky cigarette or an illicit sip of vodka.
‘I was thinking about doing a shepherd’s pie for tea,’ Ellen said to fill the silence. ‘Your mum hasn’t eaten much today; she could do with something substantial. What do you think?’
‘That would be nice. Will you grate some cheese on top of the mash? Dad likes it like that.’
‘Of course,’ Ellen smiled. ‘Do you know what time your dad will be home?’
‘I’ve no idea,’ she shrugged. ‘He’s missed a lot of work lately, so he’ll be wanting to put in some overtime to make up.’
‘Ok. Well, I’ll set a plate aside for him.’
***
The house was silent.
The shepherd’s pie was in the oven and Ellen was washing the dirty dishes. Linda had promised to come downstairs once it was ready. She had taken to her bed after her meagre lunch. She didn’t go to sleep, but the sounds of her crying and vomiting could be heard from upstairs.
Ellen should have gone home more than an hour ago, but she wanted to make sure the family had a decent meal. Linda wasn’t in a position to look after her two remaining children at the moment and Craig had insisted on returning to work. Somebody needed to maintain a degree or normality for Jodie and Riley, and that role fell to Ellen.
‘Riley’s nodded off,’ Jodie said as she entered the kitchen. ‘I think I’ve tired him out. We might get a few hours of peace.’ She spoke like a parent who had put their baby down for a nap. It was strange for Ellen to hear such words coming out of a teenager’s mouth. ‘Is there anything I can do?’
‘You could set the table if you like. It’s almost ready.’
‘It smells lovely.’
‘Thank you.’
Jodie went about setting the table for four people. Ellen didn’t know if this was through habit of setting a place for Keeley or if she was being thoughtful by including Ellen.
‘When will we be able to have the funeral?’ Jodie asked out of nowhere.
‘Well, the coroner has opened the inquest and adjourned it while we continue our investigation. Once he’s satisfied as to the cause of death, he’ll release Keeley and you can arrange things then.’
‘Will that be a long way off?’
‘I don’t know how long these things take, I’m sorry. It all depends on how the investigation goes and if the coroner is satisfied.’
‘I saw a coffin online. It’s pink and you can have things put on the side. I thought it would be nice to have pictures of Disney princesses and castles. Keeley would have loved that.’
‘I’m sure she would.’ Ellen pulled out a chair at the table and sat down. She beckoned Jodie to do the same. ‘Jodie, you can’t take on all the responsibility for yourself, you know. You’re still only a child. You’ll need to go back to school soon or you’ll fall behind in your studies. Your mum is here to take care of Riley and it’s the role of your parents to organise Keeley’s funeral.’
‘Mum can’t cope,’ Jodie eventually said, wiping away a tear before it had a chance to form. ‘You’ve seen how she is. She’s sick. I don’t have a choice.’
‘Yes, you do. None of this is your responsibility.’
‘I don’t mind, though. I like looking after Dad and Riley.’
‘But who looks after you?’
‘I can look after myself.’