Bad Seed (DI Kate Fletcher Book 3) by Heleyne Hammersley

Author:Heleyne Hammersley [Hammersley, Heleyne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-06-03T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 20

Sunday lunch had always been Dan’s favourite time of the week when he’d been growing up. His mum had always started early, preparing the veg and putting the meat in the oven soon after breakfast. Lamb was his favourite but he didn’t mind if it was chicken or beef because the ‘trimmings’ were always the same – crispy roast potatoes, mash, mushy peas, carrots and Yorkshire puddings. It was the Yorkshires that he’d looked forward to the most. Two with his meal and another one smothered in raspberry jam for afters. Since he’d been an adult he’d had Sunday lunch at pubs and restaurants but it was never the same. The Yorkshires were always too crispy and he’d never been offered raspberry jam.

He knocked on the door despite being told countless times not to bother; it just didn’t feel right walking in now that he didn’t live here anymore. It was the first time in over two months that he’d been back to his parents’ house. He’d used the pressures of work as an excuse but, the truth was that he’d been unsettled by the return of his ‘real’ mum and he didn’t want to contaminate his parents’ home with her poison until he’d managed to get it in perspective. He’d wanted to postpone the visit again but he was running out of excuses.

He hadn’t seen Suzanne for a few days and he was starting to feel a bit better now he’d spoken to Kate. The nights were difficult though. The Buckley/Welsh case and the nagging doubts about his biological father’s identity kept leading him back to the bottle and he was aware that his parents would probably be able to see and smell the evidence.

‘Dan!’ His mum threw open the door and pulled him into a hug. Not an easy task for her as she was only five feet two and he towered over her. She held him tight then pushed him out to arm’s length so that she could get a better look at him.

‘You’re looking skinny. I bet you’re not eating properly.’ She scowled up at him, her deep brown eyes shrewdly assessing his face. ‘Working too hard, knowing you. You look tired and I bet you were out drinking last night.’

Dan smiled down at her, feeling the warmth of her welcome seep into his muscles. As soon as he’d pulled his car onto the drive he’d started to relax and the hug had finished the job. No need to tell her that he was indeed drinking last night – but on his own and quite heavily.

Anybody who met his parents would have been able to see that Dan had been adopted. Maggie, his mother, was tiny and round. Her dark hair had faded to a distinguished grey as she’d aged and her battle with her weight was long since lost. His father, Joe, was also small but, where Maggie had padding, Joe had points and angles. His fair hair had receded to the point of

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