Don't Breathe by Heleyne Hammersley

Author:Heleyne Hammersley [Hammersley, Heleyne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bloodhound Books - crime, thriller and mystery
Published: 2021-03-09T16:00:00+00:00

Before

Grief was crippling. If anybody had asked Cam beforehand what it would be like to be bereaved, he’d have probably compared it to depression – he hadn’t been prepared for the physicality of loss.

The lack of sleep had only been part of it – it was difficult to function in a state of permanent exhaustion – but, at times, he’d felt Chrissie’s absence in a visceral way that made him double over in pain.

The first year had been the hardest. Every day was a reminder that ‘this time last year’ he and Chrissie had been doing something, however mundane. Birthdays were hard and the first Christmas had been brutal as he’d tried to ease Tom through their muted festivities.

He’d not been prepared to be a single parent. Chrissie had taken care of most of the emotional side of Tom’s life – she’d been his son’s confidante whereas he’d been the authority figure. After Chrissie’s death he found a huge gulf between himself and his son and he had no idea how to bridge it, especially when Tom was lashing out at everybody and everything.

Very slowly, father and son had moulded their relationship into a new shape, something that just about worked but that satisfied neither of them fully. Tom turned out to be a half-decent cook and Cam was more than happy to let him organise meals whenever he had time. Cam had tried to spend less time at work and had found himself delegating some tasks to Penny Bainbridge, despite his slight distrust of the woman. In retrospect he could see that the personal relationship had developed from their professional one and now it was partly based on mutual suspicion.

He’d been surprised when Penny had made the first move and even more surprised by his own response. She’d asked him out for a curry – nothing complicated, nothing heavy with suggestion – and he’d accepted, instantly. Three weeks later and they’d shared a kiss. Then everything had changed between them and now Cam had no idea where the relationship might go, or how to end it. Did he even want to end it? He’d thought Penny might sleep with him after she’d invited him over while the kids were away but things hadn’t got that far – there was too much between them that was left unspoken.

And then Tom had seen his car parked outside Penny’s house and all the work they’d done on their relationship since Chrissie had died counted for nothing.

‘Tom, you’ve got to talk to me some time.’

The silence from his son’s bedroom door said much more than words could have.

‘Come on, Tom. It’s not what you think.’ Cam cringed at the cliché. What was he thinking? ‘Tom. Let’s talk about this. Please.’

Nothing.

Cam considered walking downstairs and leaving his son to come round in his own time but he knew from past experience that this might allow their relationship to fester and then all that would be left were scabs and scars for them to worry at for years.

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