‘His father is on his way,’ Consuelo said as she led the way across the ward. ‘He didn’t sound happy.’
‘That’s about right,’ Juliet muttered.
Leo had his eyes closed as we approached the bed. His head rested on white pillows, his russet hair fanning around his ears. A bruise bloomed under a dressing on his right cheek. Without his glasses, his face looked thinner, less defined. His hands, the knuckles covered in gauze, lay at his sides. His body was held taut, like stillness would prevent more pain.
His eyes snapped open, the whites made pink by burst blood vessels. He unfolded his glasses and slid them gingerly up his nose. The nurse left and I pulled the curtains shut while Juliet sat in the plastic chair beside the bed.
‘Can you tell us what happened today, Leo?’ I asked, standing at the foot of the bed.
Leo’s gaze darted between us. ‘I can’t tell you much. Those guys jumped me, and then the van hit me when I was trying to get away.’
‘We know you’ve been lying to us, Leo,’ Juliet said, apparently satisfied we’d gotten all the information we needed about the hit and run. ‘We’ve had a look at your laptop. We’ve seen the things you’ve been writing about Melanie. It’s time to tell us the truth.’
I pulled my notepad out of my pocket as Leo’s face crumpled. He tried to wipe away his tears but winced in pain, the movement playing on one of the sore spots on his body.
‘I loved her,’ he said. ‘We met at a concert my school put on. I noticed her in the audience and messed up my solo because I could feel her watching. She found me after Dad finished yelling at me and said I was really good. She asked if I’d mind playing some songs with her so she could practise her singing. I would have done anything to spend time with her.’
Leo spoke differently when his father wasn’t around, more expressive and emotional. If there was a time when he would tell us what happened the night Melanie died, it was now. I wasn’t even mad Juliet had taken the reins without consultation. All I was concerned with were results.
I listened to the ward beyond the closed curtain. No rushing footfalls.
‘We met up once a week, more if we could. I told Dad I was doing an extra orchestra session at school. Mel’s voice was so beautiful. I liked her more and more but nothing was going to happen. She had a boyfriend.’ Leo blinked rapidly. ‘It was a couple of months before she told me what was going on. He hurt her.’
‘We know,’ Juliet said.
‘Right.’ Leo picked at the bandage on his hand. ‘I told her to leave him but she wouldn’t listen. It was getting worse and I hated how it made her feel. She was so sad, cried when we met up. Then one time, I don’t know how, but I was hugging her and we started kissing. It was perfect.’
Their perfect moment.
‘Is that what you meant in one of the poems we found on your laptop?’ I asked.
Leo closed his eyes, pressing his lips together. ‘Yes.’
‘So you loved her.’ Juliet leant closer. ‘But when she begged to meet with you, you left her hanging?’
Tears escaped from under Leo’s discoloured eyelids. He’d have shining black eyes by the end of the day. ‘That’s the biggest mistake of my life.’
Juliet’s eyes narrowed. Something didn’t feel right. I shifted my weight.
‘Leo?’ I said. His eyes fluttered open. ‘What do you think happened that night?’
He bit his split lip, then winced. ‘I don’t know.’
‘Has anyone been acting strangely since Melanie died?’ I asked.
‘Well.’ Leo paused. ‘I don’t think so.’
‘This is important, Leo,’ Juliet jumped in. ‘Have you noticed anything at all?’
Leo’s lower lip trembled. ‘You know Teddy wasn’t around?’
‘When Melanie died?’ I clarified.
‘Yeah. Well, since he got back, him and Karl have been a bit weird. They never got on, but it seemed like Karl was mad about something. I caught them arguing last night. I thought Karl was threatening Teddy, but he’s not normally like that. And then, you know, Karl was gone this morning.’
My stomach turned over.
‘Karl’s gone?’ Juliet asked.
‘Yeah.’ Leo sucked in his lip. ‘Sorry, I assumed Dad would have told you.’
‘He has not,’ I said. ‘Where has Karl gone?’
‘We don’t know. This morning the dogs were making a racket so me and Teddy went to check on them. After we fed them and let them out, we went over to check on Karl. His cottage was unlocked, and all his stuff’s gone. He left a note.’
Juliet stared into the middle distance, no doubt pissed at me. The first case I’d taken the lead on, and I’d fucked it up by being too compassionate. I’d thought Karl was broken like me, but I conveniently forgot that broken people didn’t always mend. Sometimes, they went on breaking and breaking until they broke someone else.
The curtain whipped back. Dunlow held the material tight in his fist, his nostrils flaring. Behind him, Consuelo cringed.
‘I hope you’re here to take my son’s statement about the thug who beat him and pushed him in front of a car,’ Dunlow ground out.
Juliet stood. ‘Thank you, Leo. You’ve been most helpful.’
She walked away from the bed. I took a last look at Leo before I followed. He avoided his father’s gaze, his fingers twisting in his lap. If the bandages on his hands were any indication, it hadn’t been a one-way fight.
I caught up with Juliet halfway across the ward. ‘I’m sorry,’ I said before she could come at me. ‘I totally fucked up.’
‘What are you talking about?’
‘I followed my gut too much. I didn’t want to lean into Karl because of his past.’
‘Chalk it up to experience.’ Juliet pushed through a set of double doors to a wide corridor. ‘Don’t worry about it. All the evidence pointed more squarely towards Leo. This is the first time Karl’s messed up. He nearly had me fooled with his act.’
I poked my tongue into my cheek. I couldn’t shake the feeling that nothing Karl had said had been deliberately misleading. He’d kept Terence’s secret because he’d promised to and withheld his past to protect himself, but he hadn’t outright lied.
I shook myself. That showed how wrong my gut could be. Why would an innocent man run?
‘How fast can you get us to the estate?’ Juliet’s eyes were bright. ‘If we’re quick, we should be able to question Terence without his father interfering as well. I want to know what he has to say about his accomplice absconding.’