‘I see.’ Joe felt the hairs rise over his skin.
‘She wrapped him in cotton wool,’ Jameson continued, a despairing edge to his voice. ‘Liam couldn’t go anywhere in the end without her shadowing him. It wasn’t healthy. He wasn’t happy.’
‘And the crunch point?’ Joe asked. ‘I’m assuming there was one?’
Jameson tugged in a breath. ‘She took him swimming. Liam couldn’t swim, but she took him anyway. Afterwards, she said she was trying to teach him.’
Joe looked at him, puzzled. ‘Isn’t that a fairly normal activity for a parent to undertake with their child?’
‘In an outdoor pool at midnight?’ Jameson eyed him wearily. ‘We were on holiday. Liam couldn’t swim because he was scared of the water. He gets that from me, I’m aware of that.’ Running a hand over his neck, he looked away. ‘His mother drowned.’ After a second, he locked haunted eyes back on Joe’s. ‘At a Norfolk seaside resort, can you believe?’
‘Jesus.’ Joe was taken completely aback. ‘I’m sorry,’ he said, silently cursing himself for not familiarising himself with the man’s history.
‘Yeah, me too.’ Jameson smiled regretfully. ‘She went in to try to save a boy who was in trouble. She hadn’t realised there were rip tides. I’d taken Liam for ice cream. He was too young to remember it – at least I hope he was – but he saw it all. The thing is, Laura didn’t seem to be aware of what she’d done. As in, completely unaware. She was sleepwalking, I think. She did that, wandering about in the dead of night. I found her outside several times. Anyway, that was the final straw. She refused to get help, and I’d had enough. That’s when I realised just how dangerous she was. I made myself a promise that she would never see him again.’
Forty-Five
Sarah
Sarah double-checked with Becky that she was okay to pick Ollie up from nursery and then drove to the hospice. She wanted to talk to Laura face to face, without Steve around and certainly without Ollie. She had no patience left for half-truths and lies. She wanted the whole truth – and she wanted to look Laura in the eye and know she was telling it.
Parked outside the hospice, she’d almost given up waiting, thinking Laura must have left early and she’d missed her, when she saw her come out. She was chatting to a colleague, so didn’t see her until Sarah had climbed out of her car and was walking towards her. ‘Laura, hi,’ she said. ‘Do you think we could have a quick word?’
There was a flicker of uncertainty in Laura’s eyes, and then she quickly arranged her face into a smile. ‘Sure, no problem,’ she said. ‘See you tomorrow, Marie.’
Giving her friend a wave, she veered off towards Sarah. ‘Do you fancy grabbing a coffee? If we walk up to the main road, there’s a Costa. Or we could go to a pub if you—’
‘No.’ Sarah stopped her. ‘I have to go and pick Ollie up from my friend’s, so I’d prefer to talk in the car, if that’s okay with you.’
‘Fine,’ Laura agreed, her forehead knitting into a frown. ‘Which friend?’ she asked.
None of your bloody business.‘Someone I’ve known since college,’ Sarah provided vaguely, and led the way to her car.
Once in the passenger seat, Laura turned to her. ‘Is everything all right?’ Her worried eyes skittered over Sarah’s face. ‘Ollie’s okay isn’t he?’
‘Yes, considering …’ Sarah said, and left it hanging.
‘Has something happened? You look a bit stressed.’
‘I am. My house was trashed last night,’ she announced, studying the other woman carefully.
Laura’s eyes sprang wide. ‘Oh my God, Sarah. I had no idea. Was anything taken? Is Ollie—’
‘Ollie’s fine,’ Sarah assured her again, growing irritated. Laura’s every other sentence seemed to be about Ollie. ‘There was nothing much taken, apart from the whale toy you gave him. It appears to have been done out of maliciousness, nothing more.’
‘Mr Whale …’ Laura’s gaze grew troubled. ‘But that’s terrible,’ she said, her eyes flickering down. ‘Why would someone do that? I’m so sorry, Sarah. That must have been awful for you. Areyouall right? Does Joe know?’
‘Joe knows,’ Sarah confirmed. She was wondering whether all this was an act, but then, seeing the tears welling in the other woman’s eyes, she thought she would have to be a bloody good actor. ‘He stayed over. Ollie felt more secure with him there.’
Laura nodded. ‘Yes, of course he would,’ she said. ‘If there’s anything I can do to help, anything at all, just let me know. I could have Ollie while you—’
‘No,’ Sarah said, more forcefully than she’d intended. She didn’t want to put her on the defensive before she’d started. ‘I prefer him to be with me,’ she added. ‘Can I ask you something, though?’ she went on before Laura could steer the conversation back to her son yet again.
‘Anything,’ Laura said, her face a mixture of sympathy and innocence. Was she innocent? Guilty of nothing but suffering the legacy of a horrific time in her own life?
‘Have you used Steve’s keys to access my house?’ Sarah said it bluntly.
‘What?’ Laura laughed, her expression now one of astonishment.
