Amy gave her sister a tight shake of the head. She’d be asking to buy her a lollipop next.
‘I’m fine,’ Rachel said, turning her attention back to Amy. ‘I can fill you in on Matthew’s history as long as this won’t go outside professional circles.’ She was asking Amy if Sally-Ann could be trusted.
‘Of course,’ Amy said. ‘If you follow up with an email later, I’ll add it to the report.’
Satisfied, Rachel continued. ‘Matthew’s home life has been chaotic, with one “dad” after the other. We got involved after his mother’s boyfriend dangled him out of the window of their high-rise flat for making noise.’ A group of children splashed in the water before them, their laughter carrying in the air. It was painfully at odds with the dark scene Rachel was describing.
Sally-Ann paled. ‘That poor boy.’ Amy shot her a glance to keep quiet. She should not be privy to any of this information, much less be commenting on it.
‘He was severely traumatised. But that’s only half the story,’ Rachel said, seemingly over her initial reservations. ‘Matty’s big sister stabbed the boyfriend in the back when he brought Matty inside.’
Amy shook her head. Trauma like that did not go away. No wonder Matty looked so haunted in the picture Molly had captured from FaceTime. ‘What happened to his sister?’
‘She was sent to a young offender’s institute for GBH with intent. Matty’s mum was given a choice: her son or her boyfriend. Do you know what she said?’
Amy swallowed, her throat tight. Sitting here with her niece discussing child abandonment was beginning to feel very wrong.
‘Have him,’ Rachel said, referring to her notes. ‘He’s more trouble than he’s worth.’ She glanced up at Amy, her voice low. ‘That poor kid was taken kicking and screaming as he begged her to let him stay. She’s dead now. Beaten to a pulp in a domestic abuse incident.’
‘Does Matty know?’ Sally-Ann interjected.
‘He knows.’ She glanced at Sally-Ann. ‘It’s why he latched on to your DC, Molly Baxter, so quickly. She looks uncannily like his sister.’
‘At least Matty survived.’ Sally-Ann’s words were faint.
Rachel nodded. ‘He’s better off without them.’
Amy frowned. What a strange thing to say. The point of social care was to support families, not break them apart. Perhaps when his sister served her time, she could take Matty under her wing. But at the moment, the onus was on finding him. She was about to say as much when Sally-Ann took a breath to speak.
‘How did you know? That I work in palliative care, I mean. I’ve only been doing it for six months.’
Rachel’s smile became rigid as the two women exchanged a glance. ‘You work in a hospital, so I presumed . . .’
Oh God, Amy thought, seeing what was coming. ‘Why don’t we change the subject—’
‘You know, don’t you?’ Sally-Ann said, the atmosphere becoming charged.
Amy glared at her sister. Coming here had been a bad idea.
‘I’ve always known,’ Rachel replied, relaxing into the metal bench.
Amy fell into stunned silence. Around them, the children screamed in laughter, but she could not hear any of it. All she could hear was the beating of her own heart. ‘So that’s why . . .’ she began to say to Rachel.
‘Why I took the case? Well, yes, of course,’ Rachel interrupted. ‘As soon as I heard you were coming to Clacton, I got myself assigned to it. I’m freelance. I work through an agency. It wasn’t hard.’
Amy shook her head as she realised she had been played. The supreme forces of fate had not drawn them together after all.
‘When you say you know . . .’ Sally-Ann sounded half-afraid of the answer.
‘My parents told me that I was adopted from an early age, but I had to keep it a secret or I’d be taken away from them. When I was old enough to take the news, they told me exactly who I was.’
‘Why would you be taken away?’ Sally-Ann said, her head tilted to one side.
‘The adoption was illegal. My parents chose me like a puppy in a pet shop, then passed me off as their own.’ Rachel’s voice rose in defiance. ‘But you know what? I’m glad they did. I couldn’t have asked for a better home.’ Her kohl-rimmed eyes darted from Amy to Sally-Ann. ‘I trust you won’t want this going public. Mum and Dad are good people. I don’t want to hurt them.’
‘We won’t breathe a word,’ Amy said. ‘But I wish you’d told me the first time we met.’
‘I needed to suss you out first. I wanted to see if there were any decent people in the Grimes family tree. Seems there are.’ But she was looking at Amy, not Sally-Ann.
‘I have so many questions,’ Sally-Ann said softly.
‘Sorry.’ Leaning over, Rachel picked up her bag and shoved her paperwork inside. ‘But I’m not here to answer them. I’m done.’ She rose from the bench, her words sounding very much like goodbye.
‘But . . .’ Sally-Ann stood. ‘I don’t want anything from you, apart from getting to know you a little better. Please . . . we can take it at your pace.’
Amy rested a hand on her sister’s forearm. She hated to see her beg.
‘I’ve got a mum, and she’s all I’ll ever need. She knows I’m here, but she doesn’t trust you, and I can’t say I blame her.’
Amy watched her sister’s face crumple. ‘Please, hang on a minute . . .’ she said, taking a step forward.
But Rachel’s expression was stony cold. ‘I thought maybe that I’d feel some kind of connection . . . but there’s nothing. I’ve satisfied my curiosity. But that’s as far as it goes. I don’t want anything to do with the Grimes family.’
‘I know how you feel,’ Amy reasoned. ‘Because I felt that way once too. But Sally-Ann is a good soul. Please, give her a chance. Is it too much to ask to have a coffee together every now again?’
‘I’m afraid it is.’ Rachel hoisted the strap of her handbag over her shoulder. ‘I’m sorry if I’ve hurt you, but at least now you can move on with your life.’
