Late the following morning, while Tim was being discharged into Nicole’s care, Harry was fighting to take the twins home with him.
‘They have to be with people they feel safe with.’ He was in a room the size of a shoebox trying to keep his temper with the woman from social services, a skinny twenty-something with a steely disposition. ‘I don’t want them to be placed with strangers while their father’s being hunted. Not after what they’ve been through. It would be unforgiveable.’
Clara Mackey drew herself tall as the volume of Harry’s voice rose. ‘I’m afraid it will be a court who will appoint a guardian of its own choosing. If there are no close family members, then they’ll look at grandparents and then cascade down aunts and uncles–’
‘There are no aunts or uncles,’ snapped Harry. He wasn’t going to mention that the twins’ grandparents had just been murdered.
‘We have to make sure that’s the case. Besides, there might be a cousin who–’
‘While you’re studying the family tree,’ he said acidly, ‘what happens to the twins? They get shuffled off to a foster parent they don’t know? They’re already deeply traumatised, it’s our job to do what’s best for them. Which is to place them with people they already know. Paton and Mia know my house, they know Jessie and trust my boys and, crucially, we all understand how the twins have been raised.’
‘It’s not my decision to make.’ Clara Mackey’s tone was stiff.
‘Ring the decision maker.’ Harry thrust his phone out to her. ‘Do it now.’
‘I really think–’ She paused when the door opened and Nicole stepped inside.
Nicole’s expression stiffened as she looked between them. ‘Whatever’s going on?’
Harry quickly explained, finalising things by saying for what felt like the thousandth time: ‘Until Doug’s found and can tell us what he wants done, the twins should be with us. Me or you, but not with strangers.’
‘It shouldn’t be a problem.’ Nicole turned her charm onto Clara Mackey. ‘We’re Paton and Mia’s guardians.’
‘We are?’ Harry was floored.
‘When Catherine heard the potential pitfalls of not making a will, how the twins could end up with the wrong people if she hadn’t designated guardianship, she did it immediately.’
‘Good on her.’ Harry’s voice was faint.
‘I did tell you, darling.’ Nicole smiled sweetly at Harry before turning the smile onto the social services representative. ‘I will go home and get a copy of the will and bring it back, and then we can move things forward.’
Which sounded simple, but it was, apparently, still going to take another twenty-four hours to get the will verified, and for social services to cross various t’s and dot some i’s as well as make sure that the twins were happy with the decision. Once she’d seen the will, however, Clara Mackey agreed Harry could take the twins home with him until everything was confirmed.
Harry just about collapsed in relief.
In the corridor, he asked Nicole the question with raised eyebrows.
‘It was after their christening when Catherine decided.’
Harry vaguely remembered something but not exactly what.
‘Doug kept avoiding the subject of wills so she went ahead and did one for herself. I don’t know if Doug knew she’d done it. It’s so rare both parents die together, but she wanted it covered. Just in case.’ She considered him briefly. ‘I’m so glad you’re taking them home. I would, but–’
‘I have lots more room.’ He smiled. ‘And a garden. And a shed.’
She gave him a rueful smile back. ‘Let’s share, like we do with the boys, until we know what Doug wants. But in the meantime, let’s say you’re their prime carer.’
Which suited Harry just fine, and come the end of the day, Paton and Mia were being hustled into the back of a taxi while Clara Mackey became a decoy for the media, who had finally sniffed out what had happened and were camped in the hospital’s reception.
The twins were subdued and seemed smaller, diminished, and didn’t say anything during the journey. Mia was sucking her thumb, a sure sign of distress. Harry didn’t go for any false bonhomie. First thing that morning he’d taken on the job of telling them of their mother’s death, keeping it simple and sticking to the facts.
He said they’d all fallen asleep when a fire broke out. Luckily, he’d saved them but not their mum. Their father was fine, Harry added, saying he was sorry he didn’t know where he was.
They seemed to accept what he said and he thanked God they were with him so as soon as they felt stronger, they could start asking questions. Not that he was going to tell them that their father had wanted to murder them. That would come later.
When the twins climbed out of the car and looked around, their expressions were stunned, as though they’d never been there before.
Then the front door opened and Jessie stepped outside. She was bent over and clicking her fingers.
The next second a small bundle of black and white scampered out, tail bolt upright, ears cocked.
‘Daisy!’ squealed Paton.
The twins exploded into a run, skidding to kneel so the puppy could jump up and lick their faces.
‘Thank you,’ Harry mouthed to Jessie.
She smiled and opened the door wide, and they all went inside.