Blood Loss

into the kitchen I’m surprised to see Mum and Grace sitting at the table drinking tea.
‘What happened to you?’ Mum’s expression is full of concern as she sees my face. I’d forgotten about the scratches.
‘Nothing serious,’ I shrug, and walk through to the dining room to examine myself in the huge mirror. My face is smudged with dried blood and streaked with green moss. A long scratch runs from my cheekbone to my jaw. I was lucky the branch missed my eye. My forearms look like I’ve self-harmed.
I return to the kitchen.
‘I’ll make you some tea.’ Grace jumps up and rushes to the kettle. ‘I’m about to start the cleaning. Shall I do your bedroom for you? You look done in.’
I see Mum’s shoulders tense as she contemplates paying someone else to clean her adult daughter’s bedroom. ‘Thanks Grace, I’ll appreciate the tea but I’ll sort out my room.’
‘I messaged Grace and she bought some milk on her way over,’ Mum says. ‘You’d used the last bit and I couldn’t wait for you to finish your ride.’
‘Your mum and I were just talking about your dad,’ Grace says, deflecting Mum from her nagging.
‘Really?’ I’ve learned to avoid the subject with Mum and Lucy because they get upset. I look at Mum to see how she’s coping but she seems fine.
‘Come here, Jenna; let me bathe your face.’ Mum reaches for some cotton wool from the first aid box. ‘It looks sore. Did you fall off Merlin?’
‘No, but only because I’m a good rider. Someone spooked him and he bolted.’
‘Surely not on purpose?’ she asks.
I stay silent, wincing as she opens up the cut again with the wet cotton wool. I can see fresh blood on it. ‘Hang on a minute.’
I move my head aside and go into the utility room and rummage through the jackets that hang in there. The blue one Lucy wears when she walks in the woods is gone. I return to Mum who’s wetting a piece of kitchen roll to clean the streaks of dirt off my face.
‘Just sit down and keep still, Jenna,’ she says.
Should I tell Mum my suspicions? No, I don’t want to alarm her. I’ll deal with this on my own. I sit still as she cleans my face, trying not to flinch from the discomfort, when the back door opens and Lucy appears in the utility room doorway.
‘Hi, love. You’re early. Is Ellis with you?’ Mum asks.
‘I… Erm… I thought I’d give you a hand with dinner.’ Lucy glances at Mum then stares at me, taking in my injuries with curiosity rather than compassion.
Grace passes me a cup of tea then bends down to get cleaning materials from under the sink.
‘What happened?’ Lucy asks me.
‘Ooh, let’s think,’ I say. ‘An accident?’ I emphasise the word accident. ‘Where have you been this afternoon?’
‘I… I…’ Lucy flushes a deep red, which is a dead giveaway in my eyes, then looks wildly from one face to another. ‘I went to meet a friend for coffee.’
‘Which friend?’ I ask.
‘Sally. Why? What’s it to you?’
‘I thought she was in Ibiza with a group of real friends. I’ve seen the pictures on Facebook.’
‘I meant Sophie. Yes, Sophie.’
‘So, you weren’t hiding in the little hut when I rode through the woods. You didn’t spook Merlin with a carrier bag.’ I forget I’d planned to keep my suspicions to myself.
Lucy’s eyes are like full moons. ‘Why the hell would I do that?’
‘Where’s your blue walking jacket, then?’
‘Hanging up, probably. Why? What’s she going on about, Mum?’
Grace has straightened up and is staring at the three of us. She probably hasn’t encountered such family animosity before. From what she’s told me, her life as an only child has been quiet and uneventful.
I look at Mum and watch in horror as her face folds in on itself. Oh, God, she’s going to cry and it’s entirely that bitch Lucy’s fault.
‘Look what you’ve done now!’ I shout at Lucy before I can stop myself.
‘Enough, Jenna,’ Mum says. ‘Why can’t you two be nice to each other? I can’t bear it.’ She rushes from the room, taking all the warmth from it until all that remains is a cold silence.
Grace walks over to us and, unusually for such a mild person, I see that she’s annoyed. ‘You two really need to sort out your differences for your mum’s sake. Jenna, Lucy wouldn’t do anything to hurt you. She loves you, don’t you, Lucy?’ She stares at Lucy who stares back then glances to the doorway Mum just left through.
Lucy swallows then says, ‘Of course I do. I’d never hurt you, Jenna.’
I open my mouth to remind her of the black eye she gave me at the party but Grace puts a warm hand on my arm.
She looks from me to my sister. ‘Your mum was just confiding in me that she’s not well and she’s concerned about it. Haven’t either of you noticed how much weight she’s lost?’
We glance at each other but don’t speak.
‘She didn’t want me to say anything as she didn’t want to worry you, but you need to know and focus on her right now instead of fighting with each other. She thinks it’s serious.’

Chapter 20


The Previous March | DI Paton
The meeting room at the forensic laboratory was bright and airy. The furniture was modern and there appeared to be state-of-the-art equipment everywhere. A sharp contrast to Paton’s dingy and dated offices. He could see where the money was being spent. A screen illuminated one wall, showing the murder scene. He watched Yvonne Reynolds, the crime scene manager, through a glass partition. She was talking on the phone but as soon as she finished the call she was going to explain the blood spatter analysis to him and Metcalfe, the SIO.
Paton felt tense. He’d enjoyed working with Superintendent Metcalfe so far as the man was fair but clear in his expectations, but he wouldn’t be impressed when he heard how Paton had compromised the blood spatter evidence at