‘It’s not me you need to convince.’ Simon went to the door. ‘I can only say what I’d do.’
‘First thing’s first,’ Ottilie said, shooting Zoe a look of understanding, though whether that would hold remained to be seen. ‘Heath’s injuries…’
‘Yes,’ Simon agreed. ‘I’m sure Lavender can arrange some emergency transport?—’
‘I can do it,’ Ottilie said.
‘What about Anthony?’ Heath mumbled from behind his towel.
Ottilie gave a brief shrug. ‘Sooner or later, I’ll have to do more than one thing at a time, and it will usually involve Anthony. I might as well start now.’
‘Zoe!’ Chantal opened the door with a smile, a fitted vest pulling across her baby bump. ‘You should have said you were coming…Wait, did you text and I didn’t see it?’
‘I’m sorry, but I had to come as soon as I could, so I’ve driven straight from work. Can I come in?’
Chantal’s smile faded into a frown. ‘Of course. We’ve been saying it was time we invited you over…we were going to suggest Sunday lunch or…Is there a problem? You look…stressed.’
Zoe glanced down the hallway behind Chantal. ‘Is your brother here?’ she asked quietly.
‘He’s upstairs, gaming or something. Was it him you wanted?’ she added with a puzzled look.
‘What about Dad?’
‘Gone to pick up some stuff from the DIY store. Victor said we could decorate the bedroom if we liked. Zoe, what’s going on? Aren’t you going to come in?’
Zoe hesitated at the step. If Lennon was home and her dad was not, how would this work? But she had to do something before someone else took the matter out of her hands. ‘Can we talk…?’ She paused, stuck again. How did she do this? ‘I don’t suppose you can spare ten minutes for a walk?’
‘I was going to start cooking…I just turned the oven on, but I suppose I could turn it off.’
‘Could you?’
Chantal’s frown deepened, but she disappeared into the house briefly before coming back to Zoe, who was still waiting on the step.
‘This sounds so serious,’ she said. ‘You’re worrying me.’
‘I’m sorry, I don’t mean to. It’s just…well, it’s awkward. I can’t say it in front of your brother. I would have preferred Dad to be here too, but?—’
‘What can’t you say in front of Lennon?’ Chantal’s expression darkened as she fastened her coat. ‘Oh no…Is it Gunner? What’she done now? We told him to keep his dog away from the sheep, you know, so if it’s?—’
‘It’s not the dog,’ Zoe said, though the dog was hardly helping to endear Chantal’s abrasive brother to anyone. ‘Not this time. It’s…’
Now that she was here, she couldn’t bring herself to mention Lennon’s encounter with Stacey. It didn’t seem like a thing she could discuss with Chantal – no young woman wanted to think of their own brother in that way. She supposed that the incident with Heath was enough to be going on with. It was certainly serious enough to demand action, especially with the threat of police involvement added in.
Zoe took a deep breath and started again. ‘He got into a fight with someone in the village, and now that someone is going to report him to the police.’
‘How can they do that? A fight means they were both involved, so?—’
‘I didn’t word that properly, sorry. What I meant to say is there was an altercation, and then this person went to have a word with your brother about it – and Lennon hit him. So what really happened is he assaulted someone, and they intend to go to the police about it.’
‘Who is it?’
‘I’d rather not say. I mean, I suppose you’ll find out, but I don’t think it’s my place to say. I’m just trying to help you – and Lennon – by telling you that…well, I talked to the person, and I think if we can get Lennon to go home – at least, away from Thimblebury – then that might be enough and they’ll drop the idea of reporting him. Because there would be no need. They’re not after making trouble for you and Dad; they just want Lennon to go.’
Chantal shook her head with such force that Zoe stared at her. ‘No,’ she said. ‘He can’t leave. I’ll talk to him, but he’s not going.’
‘What? Didn’t you hear what I just said?’
‘Yes, and honestly, the police are the least of his worries. I’m sorry he caused trouble, but I’m sure it wasn’t one-sided. The trouble with people is, they judge him as soon as they meet him. Nobody gives him a chance, and because they expect trouble…well, why wouldn’t he defend himself? I know everyone will think it was his fault because they always do, but when people have got it in for him straight off the bat, what else is he meant to do? He can’t help getting into fights because people treat him like he’s going to fight. It’s one of those things…you know, the things that come true because someone says they will.’
