He nodded.
‘I’m glad it’s you. If anyone is coming to take me in, it should be you. It’s over. I’m over. Nothing stays a secret forever.’
He kneeled down on the stone beside her, rain slipping down his face.
As she gasped for breath, she closed her eyes and sobbed into the night. ‘Can I just have a minute with my mum before you arrest me, please? I’ll make it easy, I promise. I did it, I confess.’
He leaned in and embraced her. Everything she’d been holding back came out. If this was to be her final moment as a free woman, this was how she wanted to spend it. Telling Hannah would be worse. Their relationship had improved a little but it always was a little rocky.
‘I’m not taking you anywhere, Gina. I know you don’t want to be with me. I know the circumstances are wrong but when I look at you, I see someone who’s suffered. I will always be your friend and I know what that bastard did to you. You think when we were making love I didn’t see the scars on your body? I will not hold this information against you or use it against you in any way. I never heard that call. I love you – I can’t help that, but I’m also wise and old enough to get over myself. Look at us.’
She sobbed and laughed into his chest, large globules of rain soaking them as they clung onto each other for warmth. Gina had no friends, in fact she had no one, except Chris Briggs, the DCI whom she’d slept with a few times. She’d had temporary friends but they all moved on when she refused to confide in any of them. Ever the listener but never the talker. ‘Let me take you home before we freeze to death. We can get your car in the morning. You’re in no fit state to drive.’
For once she wasn’t going to argue. ‘Goodnight, Mum. I love you.’ She placed the carnation back on the gravestone and stumbled as Briggs helped her up. He gently kissed her on the head and led her back to the car.
‘Can we have some cocoa too?’ She smiled through the tears as she linked her arm in his and they shivered all the way back to the car.
Epilogue
Gina made the call and nervously waited for an answer.
‘Nanna.’
‘Hello, chicken. Can I speak to Mummy?’
She listened as the dog barked and Gracie ran through the house calling for her mother.
She had thought about everything over the past couple of weeks. Chris had kept her secret like he’d promised and they’d even been spending some time together as friends. She shivered as she thought about how he was now compromised. They were both deep in the pits. That hadn’t been her intention but sometimes life has a way of offering alternative endings but all endings are temporary, until the next one. What the future held, she couldn’t predict. Keeping her secret had been the hardest thing ever and now there were two of them to shoulder the burden.
She thought of Mary and her family. The press hadn’t stopped hounding them since and it would be a long time before they did. The story of the abuse was starting to hit the national papers. As promised, Briggs had given Lyndsey first dibs on the story. Gina only hoped she’d be promoted and move out of the area.
Stephanie and Susan had confirmed their stories at the station. She knew their friendship would be instrumental in helping them to heal. Clare was still in Susan’s bad books and she’d moved out into her own apartment, funded by Mary. After discovering that Clare had been passing information on Susan’s every move to Ronald Halshaw, it would be a long time before Susan could forgive or trust her again. Investigations had been satisfied that Clare knew nothing about Ronald’s intentions, he’d manipulated her just like he had done back then with Susan, Dale and Stephanie.
Mary however had been supportive, offering love and understanding to both of her daughters. Each one of them had lost so much. Gina smiled, she had hope that the family would find a way of coming together.
‘Mum. You okay? I read about the case in the papers.’
‘I’m fine, Hannah. I just wondered if I could pop over to see you and Gracie. I’ll book a bed and breakfast just down the road from you. I know you’re busy—’
‘Shut up! Gracie wants to see you and you don’t need a B&B. We have a spare bed, I’ll make it up. When do you want to come?’
She took a deep breath, surprised by how welcoming Hannah sounded. ‘Now.’
A silence formed between mother and daughter. She’d pushed it. Hannah was horrified and thinking up excuses to put her off.
‘Gracie… Nanny’s coming to stay.’ The little girl screamed with joy as she hurried to the phone.
‘Yayyyy.’ The dog began to bark and Gracie continued to scream.
‘Looks like you have to come now. Don’t you dare let us down. Don’t let Gracie down.’
If anything came up, the station would be on their own, just for a day at least.
‘I’m going to bring something, something we can share.’
‘Okay. What’s that?’
She smiled. ‘I’ll tell you when I get there. See you soon.’
