Close to Home (A DI Mitchell Yorkshire Crime Thriller Book 4) by Oliver Davies

Author:Oliver Davies [Davies, Oliver]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-02-15T22:00:00+00:00

Twelve

I was into my third coffee by the time Maddie’s family finally emerged. Stephen and I stood up sharply, and Maddie’s parents looked at us blankly. Both had red, swollen eyes and they were leaning against each other like they couldn’t manage to stand alone. I looked between them and feared the worst as I looked at their faces.

I couldn’t seem to find the right words so, to my relief, Stephen stepped in.

“Mr and Ms Packham,” he said gently, “we wanted to come to offer our support to you both and Maddie. As a father myself, I’m so sorry you’re going through this.”

Ms Packham, Annabel, swallowed and gave a little nod. “Thank you,” she said thickly. “Maddie…” she trailed off, looking down at the floor. Her partner gently squeezed her arm in support and took up where she’d left off.

“Maddie is stable again,” he said. The huge relief I felt almost made me miss it when he added, “She had a bad seizure. The odds aren’t looking good.” He clenched his jaw.

“I’m so sorry,” was all I could manage. They silently moved away, moving with small, shaken steps.

I sat back down in the chair, my legs feeling weak, and set my coffee cup down on the floor so that I could press my hands to my face. The chair beside me creaked as Stephen joined me, putting a hand on my back.

“There’s still hope,” he said carefully, not sounding all that certain of it himself.

I was looking blankly down the corridor after the Packhams as they drifted slowly away and didn’t reply. My gaze went unfocused as I thought about the worst-case scenario, of Maddie’s young life being cut short so awfully, before I saw something down the corridor that made me tense.

Stephen glanced at me as I straightened up, frowning down the hallway. “What is it?” he asked.

“I’m not sure,” I muttered. “Stay here, okay?”

I didn’t wait for his reply before hurrying off. I wasn’t certain that I wasn’t goddamn hallucinating, but I couldn’t leave without making sure.

As I rounded the corner, my eyes widened to see a figure walking quickly away. I hadn’t imagined it at all.

“Ms Davies!” I called as I sped up, wincing as my shins twinged. “Isabel!”

I saw her shoulders stiffen, and she finally turned around. She was dressed in an umber-coloured business dress, and there were dark smudges under her eyes, making her look wearier than last I’d seen her.

“What do you want?” She looked me up and down coldly. Her voice was hard, but her hand was shaking, where she was clutching her handbag to her shoulder.

“I- It’s a surprise to see you here,” I said.

“Yes, well,” she said, avoiding my gaze, “it’s not a crime, is it? Why are you following me?”

I was briefly stunned by that. “I was still hoping we could talk to you. This case-”

She glowered at me, her face so tight with tension that it drew her lips back almost into a snarl. “And I said ‘no’,” she snapped.

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