Page 64 of The Absence of You
“But the police didn’t believe her. They opened an investigation and a couple of days later, Joseph was charged. The detective said they had evidence that Roger had threatened to cut Joseph out of his will if he didn’t end his relationship with Rosie. Said Roger had disclosed to colleagues that him and Joseph had rowed frequently over it. During the court case, the prosecution said the bruises and ripped dress could be explained by Joe and Rosie having rough sex. They said it was more likely Roger had arrived at the house after Joseph, found them in his study and a row had started, during which Joe attacked his father. They accused Rosie and Joseph of making up the assault story, so it’d look like self-defence.”
“But you believed them? Joseph and Rosie?” I ask her.
“Yes. I believed them. Roger had… certain tastes.” My jaw slackens in disbelief.
“What are you saying Dee? You knew he was a predator?!” But she shakes her head furiously.
“No. No. Absolutely not. But I’d seen the way he looked at younger women. Not children. But women who were too young for him.” She takes a large gulp of her brandy. “I’d never seen him act on it. I’d never seen him do anything inappropriate, and it was difficult to accept, but I saw the bruises on Rosie’s arms and the way Joseph acted. I have no doubt they were telling the truth. A mother knows their child. Joseph had never shown any signs of violence before. Ever. He wouldn’t have cared if Roger cut him from his will. Money was never important to him. The prosecution’s presentation of my son just wasn’t a true reflection.”
“Why didn’t they take it into account at the trial? Manslaughter would have been a more appropriate charge surely?”
“The police just refused to listen, and the prosecution had statements from a few of Roger’s colleagues attesting to his good character. And plenty of the staff at Heathley Academy knew how Roger felt about Rosie and Joe getting serious so young. There was no evidence of any prior physical or sexual assaults on Rosie. And the bruises from the night of the party came down to Rosie and Joe’s word against Roger’s. Roger had been a very well-respected member of the community. Joe’s lawyer advised him to plead guilty for a lesser sentence. You couldn’t dispute the facts. He beat his father to death with his bare hands. He was found covered in his blood. He admitted it when he was arrested. Roger was well liked. He was a governor at the academy, he had friends in high places. The judge at the trial was a friend of his, and in the end, he sentenced Joseph to the longest sentence they could give him. He’s been denied parole every single time he’s applied.”
“Rosie said it wasn’t the first time Roger had assaulted her. Did she say why she didn’t come forward earlier?” I immediately wish I could take back the question. Of course, it would have been hard for her to come forward. She must have been petrified of the man. But Dee doesn’t take offence at my question, and her hand tightens on her glass.
“Roger was in charge of the academy scholarship programme. He would contact orphanages and local comprehensive schools. Handpicking children for the programme at Heathley Academy. He was the one who got Rosie into the school. He could take that opportunity away just as quickly as he’d offered it to her. He had these children’s futures in the palm of his hand. I believe now that she wasn’t the first. Not by a long shot. Rosie was unsurprisingly too scared to tell Joe. To tell anyone.” I feel sick to my stomach at the thought of this pervert praying on vulnerable young women. “The day of the party, Roger was meant to be at a golf event, and he wasn’t due back until later that evening. I had no idea he was in the house. Neither did Rosie, or I’m sure she wouldn’t have offered to come round early. When Joe had come home from the village, he’d gone to hide the gift he’d collected in the study and discovered Roger holding Rosie down. Joe saw red, and the rest is history.” A thought suddenly occurs to me.
“Where does Dahlia fit into all of this? Was Rosie already pregnant with her?”
“After the trial, Rosie and I found solace in each other’s company. I didn’t want her to be alone in the academy dormitory, and I suppose she didn’t like the thought of me rattling around in this big old house, so she started spending time here. She’d spend hours in Joe’s room. She’d wear his jumpers, read his books, lie on his bed. Objectively, I knew she needed to distance herself from Joseph. She was eighteen, and he was serving a life sentence after all. But selfishly I didn’t want to be alone in the house, so I indulged it. We became friends, of sorts. She said she’d wait for Joseph as long as it would take. Back then, I think we both believed he would eventually have his name cleared.
“One day, I heard her in his bathroom. She was throwing up. After a couple of weeks, she agreed to do a pregnancy test. It was positive. When she broke down in tears, at first I assumed it was because of Joe being in prison and the idea of being a single mother, but I reassured her I would be there to support her. It soon became clear she was keeping something from me. Eventually, she told me she wasn’t sure if the baby was Joseph’s. She said she and Joe had always been careful.” Fuck. Realisation dawns. Is she saying Dahlia is Roger’s?
“Roger is Dahlia’s dad?” Dee’s eyes shoot up to meet mine, but she doesn’t confirm or deny my suspicion, so I press on. “You got a DNA test?”
“No, we didn’t do a test.” I don’t understand. Why didn’t they find out for sure? If they confirmed Dahlia was Roger’s child, it would have backed up their story.
“Why not? It might have helped Joseph’s appeal. It might have got him out of jail.”
“Even if Dahlia is Roger’s biological child, it wouldn’t prove anything. It would still have come down to whether the courts believed Rosie. Rosie and Joseph want to believe Dahlia to be the result of their love. We all do. A DNA test could change that.”
“So what? Living in ignorance is better? Keeping all this from Dahlia is better?”
“Would you rather be the child of a murderer or a rapist?” She throws her arms up. “There is no happy ending to this story, Grayson.”
She’s not fucking wrong. This is all sorts of fucked up. I’m about to pour us both another drink when I hear the front door slam. “Shit!” I jump up and snatch my car keys off the table.
Chapter Fifty
GRAYSON
“Grayson, stop, you’ve been drinking!!” I don’t give a shit. I need to go after her. Fuck knows how much of our conversation Dahlia heard. She shouldn’t be alone. My car is blocking Dee’s in on the driveway so at least Dahlia won’t be able to get far. But when I yank open the front door I’m met with the sight of Callie’s car spinning out of the drive, dust flying behind it. I’m in my car within seconds and put my foot down, chasing after them as Dee frantically gestures from her doorway for me to stop, but I don’t look back. I need to go after my girl. My girl. And then I need to tell her she’s my girl. Once and for all. She needs me to lay it bare. Full disclosure. I can’t be another person in her life that doesn’t tell her the truth.
A few minutes pass and I lose sight of them. Where would they go? Think. Think. Callie’s house maybe? I haven’t been there before, but Asher pointed it out to me once when we were going to his house. I head straight there and pull up outside the closed gates. I open my window and press the buzzer.
“Hello. Can I help you?” A heavily accented male voice asks.
“Callie. Is she here?” I’m aware I’m being a rude shit, but I have bigger things to worry about.
“Name please?”
“Grayson Banks,” I snap out, my frustration increasing.
“One moment please.” I strum my fingers on the wheel, the strong alcohol in my system starting to make my vision blur a little. I should not behind the wheel of a fucking car right now. Finally the intercom crackles again.
“Mr. Banks, Miss Messina is not here.”
Where the fuck are they? I jab at my car console, dialling Dahlia on my hands free. It goes straight to voicemail. I hang up and try Callie and the same thing happens. I dial Asher. He picks up after the second ring. Music is blasting in the background.
