Ronnie had laid on a full breakfast, the kind that filled the whole café with the smell of bacon and fried bread. It was meant to soften the mood, to make things feel normal for a few minutes, but it didn’t last. The phone rang while he was buttering toast. It was the hospital.
Carl Webster had been admitted. Debbie was on the other end, her voice tight. “How could you? Carl is in hospital.
And I’m assuming you put him in there. ”
Ronnie set the phone down slowly. “He deserved it. You know what he’s like.
”
“To me? How could you do it to me? ” She was crying. “Not my son.
”
“He’s never acted like your son. Not once. ”
“I’m only human, Debbie. I can only be pushed so far.
” He wanted her to understand. He was trying to protect her, to protect them both. “And for that, I’m sorry. But I’m not going to apologize for him.
Not now. Not ever. ”
The line went quiet. She hung up.
At the hospital, the waiting room was cold and bright. Ronnie sat with his hands flat on his knees, waiting for the police, waiting for the fallout. The nurse told him to take a seat, that a doctor would come when they were available. But it wasn’t the doctor who came first.
It was Ollie. “What exactly did you do to him? ” Ollie’s voice was low, simmering. “How bad is it?
”
“I hit him. I didn’t think he’d end up here. He’s probably milking it. ”
“How could you do this?
To me? ”
“He’s no innocent party. Think of everything he’s done. ”
“I don’t know, Ronnie.
But not beat my son up. ”
The words hung between them. Ronnie wanted to say that Carl had been goading him for weeks, that it was a trap and he’d walked right into it. But he couldn’t make it land.
Not with the way Ollie was looking at him. Back at the family home, the tension hadn’t faded. Ben was trying to keep things together, but Ollie was pacing, restless and angry. “What’s that all about?
” Ollie had seen him on the phone earlier. “Nothing. ”
“Don’t lie to me. ”
“Ollie, I’ve got enough going on without people discussing things behind my back, son.
”
“Now you want to control everything. After someone came into our life and did that to Will, now you want to call the shots. ”
“Are you saying that was my fault? ”
“It was your job to protect him.
”
“Yeah, it is. And I failed him. Does that make you feel better? ”
“You missed the signs.
And all you know. ”
“Let’s just forget about it then, yeah? It’s not like the police are going to do anything. Or you, by the look of it.
”
Ben stepped between them. “I think you both need to calm down. ”
Ollie shook his head. “Maybe we should have just stayed with her.
Will would have certainly been a lot safer. ”
He left before either of them could answer. Meanwhile, down at the café, Dee was on the phone, full of brightness. She had just charmed her way into a fifty percent discount on an advert in the Gazette.
A bumper edition for the centenary of Salford. She thought it was just the thing to breathe life back into the business. Georgie wasn’t sure. “I’m not sure, love.
”
“Come on. You’ve got to rebuild. You’ve got to put your best foot forward and all that. ”
Georgie smiled, but her mind was elsewhere.
“I just can’t stop thinking about Theo. Being out there like nothing’s even happened. ”
Dee put the phone down and took her hand. “Well, he can’t hurt Todd anymore.
We’re going to see to that, right? ”
But Georgie wasn’t so certain. Peter was upstairs with his wedding vows spread across the desk. He’d been staring at the paper for an hour.
Mel came in and found him lost in it, his pen uncapped and untouched. “Are they that bad they’ve reduced you to tears? ” she asked. “No, they’re great.
Proper lovely. You just caught me off guard. I thought you’d go with something funny, not smushy. ”
She grinned.
“I thought you’d start with ‘Call a coroner. You have the right to remain silent. ‘”
“Great idea. Why didn’t I think of that?
”
“No, don’t change it. They’re perfect. ”
“Did you finish yours? ”
“Yeah.
Took me a few weeks, but I think I’m finally there. ”
“Good to get them done, isn’t it? ”
“Yeah. ” She squeezed his arm.
“Right, I’m going to take Freddy for a walk so Carla can fill you in on the hen do. ”
“I thought I was coming to yours. ”
“My darling girl, how could I possibly enjoy the stripper if you’re there? ”
“That mental image will cost me at least an hour in therapy.
”
“But I’m only kidding. Seriously though, do you really want to hang out with a load of boring coppers? It’s all shop talk. Go to Carla’s and have fun with your work mates.
”
He nodded, but after she left, the paper in front of him still didn’t have a single word written on it. He’d done this before, promised things he hadn’t kept. He didn’t want to get it wrong this time. He didn’t want to disappoint her.
Kevin had come back to the family home, looking for Debbie. He found Ben in the kitchen. “I take it you guys haven’t heard from Debbie. Is she okay?
”
“She’s fuming. Ronnie had an altercation with Carl last night. He ended up in A&E. ”
“You put him in hospital.
”
“No. Well, yeah. Maybe I was rougher than I thought. But he got what he deserved.
I won’t be losing sleep over him. ”
Kevin looked at him hard. “What is it about you blokes that try and sort everything out with your fists? This is exactly what he would have wanted.
Anyone can see he’s been goading you for weeks, Ronnie. You played right into his hands. ”
“I take issue with him now. ”
“I thought you were smarter than this.
What am I supposed to do? Just let him say and do whatever he wants to, no consequences? ”
“Oh, there’ll be consequences. But for you.
If I know anything about Carl, he’s always two steps ahead. We’ll see what price he’ll make you pay. ”
At the hospital, Kyle had come to see Carl. The room was small, the machines beeping softly.
“How are you feeling? ” Kyle asked. “Bruised. Suspected broken rib.
Look, Kyle, save it. I know you’re only here to do his bidding for him. ”
“That’s not why I’m here at all. ”
“Come to play the dutiful mom, have you?
You forgot your grapes. ”
“I did pop your name down as my next of kin. Don’t really trust the others to not switch me off if it came to it. ”
Carl almost smiled.
Then a police officer came in, clipboard in hand. “Mr. Webster, I’m here to ask you a few questions about the assault. ”
Carl glanced at Kyle.
“Great. If you wouldn’t mind giving us a few minutes, please, Mom. ”
After she left, Carl settled back against the pillows. “So, I told them it’s all a bit fuzzy.
Depending on how this chat goes, my memory might come flooding back. ”
“What do you want? ”
Carl began to recap. His recently discovered mother only revealed the truth because she had dementia.
Then she married a man who hated him. And when threats didn’t work, that man attacked him in the street. “You’re blaming him for everything? ” Kyle said.
“Look at all the stuff you’ve done,” Carl countered. “Yet you’re sitting up there on your pedestal. ”
“Yes, I have made mistakes, but I am trying. I’m trying to put things right.
And Ronnie is not to blame in all this. ”
“So you’re picking his side, then? Even though he put me in hospital? ”
Ollie was in the corridor.
Kyle saw him through the glass and stepped out. “Ollie, wait. You need to talk to your father. ”
“No, I really don’t.
”
“Let him explain. ”
“What, he’s got anger issues? I already know that. ”
Ollie was gone before Kyle could say anything else.
Ben caught up with him, but Ollie only said, “I’ll let him cool off, mum. I’ll chat to him later. ”
Back in the kitchen, Kevin was still unsettled. He started pacing, running his hands through his hair.
“Where is Eva? She should be at Megan’s by now. ”
“Why? Why?
”
“Because we need to fix this, one way or another. Eva is right. Megan is the enemy, no one else. And at least she’s doing something.
”
“What do you mean, she’s doing something? ”
But Kevin had already picked up his keys. Eva found the house empty. She stood in the middle of the living room, the quiet pressing in on her.
She hadn’t realized how angry she was until she got there. She’d come to confront Summer, to make her pay for what she’d done to Will. She didn’t know what she was going to do, but she knew she had to try. Ben found her there, standing alone.
“We failed him, Ben. We have failed him. And she just gets away with it? ”
“Eva, nothing we can do is going to make this hurt any less.
And you and Ollie are at each other’s throats. My home feels like a war zone. ”
“Then how do we fix it? That’s what I’m asking you.
How do we fix this? ”
Ben didn’t have an answer. Kevin caught up with Summer outside the café. She was about to leave, keys in hand, when he called her name.
“You’re not supposed to be here. Get out. ”
“It’s all right. I’ve just come to pick some bits up.
I’m not looking for trouble. Tried to time it so Todd’s away. But I wanted a word with my ex-stepdaughter. Need to set the record straight.
”
Summer laughed. “We have security cameras running. ”
“I know. Good.
”
She let him inside. He didn’t raise his voice. He just stood there in the middle of the room, his hands in his pockets. “You went to prison for me,” he said quietly.
“Or has that slipped your mind? ”
“It’s not even a drop in the ocean to what you owe me. ”
“I get it. I wronged you.
But the only person who’s robbed you of a good life is you. And you’re still doing it. ”
“Right, Kev. We can work this out.
We can fix this. ”
“It’s all too little, too late, Mom. You can’t make me responsible for all the pain you’re feeling. You just can’t.
”
“I thought spending time together would mean something to you. There till the bitter end, you said. Was that one of your many lies and all? ”
Kevin shook his head.
“You are capable of change, you know. But you just don’t want to. ”
Carl was still in his hospital bed when his mother arrived. She stood at the foot of the bed, arms crossed, her chin lifted.
“I think I’ll tell them it was Ronnie,” Carl said. Glenda stared at him for a long moment. “You are capable of change, you know. But you just don’t want to, do you?
”
“One day I might not remember that you’re my son,” Carl said. “But at least I won’t be ashamed of you. ”
“I want half of that hotel written over to me. Not in a will.
Now. ”
Glenda didn’t flinch. “Unless you want to spend what limited time you have left looking at Ronnie behind glass, then you’re going to have to give up the one thing you’ve truly loved. ”
Carl pressed his lips together, but he didn’t argue.
He just looked at her, the fury and helplessness warring behind his eyes. She had never seen him like this before, so cornered. “Say what you need to and then leave,” he said. “I’m not going anywhere.
”
At home, Dee came back from her walk with Freddy. Peter met her at the door, the paper still blank in his hand. “You’ve been staring at that paper for an hour,” she said. “How much detail’s on it?
”
“I don’t know how to find the words, do I? Not good at that. ”
“It’s what gifts are for. You buy a gift, someone feels loved.
It’s easy. ”
“Start with how you buy people’s affection. ”
“I do not. It’s my love language.
”
She sat beside him, her voice soft. “You won’t get it wrong. You won’t disappoint her. You’ve done this before.
”
“Yeah, and I made loads of promises I arguably didn’t keep. ”
“Maybe not that, then. What do writers do when they get writer’s block? ”
“I don’t know.
They drink. ”
“Now you’re talking. ”
He smiled, just a little. “Peter did get some of it right.
It were really good. And I can see why now. ”
“Then use it as a template. A framework.
And add your own detail. ”
He nodded, turning back to the blank page. Summer was at home when someone knocked. She opened the door to find Todd standing on the step.
“You’re not supposed to be here,” she said. “I’ve just come to say that one day you’ll see all this for what it really is. And how good Todd is at manipulating people. ”
“Are you for real?
I’m not the bad guy here. ”
“When you realize that, I just want you to know I forgive you. It’s not your fault you fell for his lies. ”
“You’re sick.
I know my truth. You killed Billy. Killed him, when I had already lost Paul. And now the only person I have left is Todd, who is totally destroyed by what you did to him.
”
“I thought you said Todd was fine without me. ”
“Listen to lies, Summer. Did Daddy Billy not teach you that? ”
“You’re pure evil.
”
“Agree to disagree. ”
Summer stepped forward, her voice dropping to a whisper. “You should have seen Billy’s face when he was pleading for his life. ”
Todd went very still.
“Our Father, who art in heaven,” Summer said. “But that’s it, really. Todd is mine. Don’t make me bury you too.
”
Then she smiled, closed the door, and locked it. Todd stood on the other side, alone in the dark, the echo of her words still hanging in the air.
