Three days had passed since everyone had gathered to welcome Marcy home, but this was the first time Andee and Dan had been able to get together. They were sitting in the small courtyard garden behind Andee and Graeme’s house enjoying a glass of wine, while Graeme fixed a salad and listened to their conversation through the open doors.
“I think she’s convinced herself that she looks worse than she does,” Andee was saying, “the way she kept her head down as if it might upset us to see her . . . It was heartbreaking, and she hardly said a word while we were there.”
Dan said, “Henry tells me he’s visited a couple of times since and she’s said a few words to him.”
“Well, that’s a relief. Claudia assures me that she talks to her and Jasmine too, but nothing like the way she used to.” Andee sighed deeply. “You can imagine how worried Claudia is, but at least Marcy is still seeing the psychologist, so hopefully he’ll help to rebuild her confidence.”
“And,” Graeme said from the doorway, “she’ll start to believe that no one is going to shun her, or think any the less of her for not looking the same as she did before.”
“Hear, hear to that,” Dan responded, raising his glass. After drinking he said, “Henry’s visits, the psychologist, her friends’ support, all excellent therapy, but Andee, you, and I both know that there’s something more we can do.”
Fairly certain she knew where this was going, Andee waited for him to continue, needing to hear it in case she was wrong.
“What I’m going to suggest,” he said, “is pretty unconventional, in fact definitely not out of the playbook, but Marcy is our friend, we want to help her, and as we have certain skills that could be put to good use I feel that not to use them—or at least try to use them—wouldn’t do much for our self-respect.”
Understanding exactly what he was saying, Andee replied, “So, you’re suggesting we start work on a restorative justice program for her and Archie Colbrook?”
He nodded.
“Just a minute,” Graeme interrupted. “You want to get Marcy together with the arsonist? Is that really wise? I’m not sure I can see her going for it.”
“It wouldn’t happen right away,” Dan assured him, “and it won’t happen at all if she doesn’t want it to, but there might come a time when it could prove beneficial. At this stage it will simply be for me to try to make contact with Colbrook to find out if it’s a process he’d be willing to engage with.”
Graeme said, “And if he is, and she isn’t?”
“Then it would be like any other restorative justice case, it wouldn’t go any further. We can’t approach Marcy first because if he doesn’t want to engage it would make matters worse than they already are, and we definitely don’t want that.”
“It could take weeks, months,” Andee explained to Graeme, “to get Colbrook to the point where everyone feels it might be helpful for Marcy to meet him, and by then Marcy could be in quite a different place to the one she’s in now. Are you going to mention it to Claudia?” she asked Dan.
He shook his head. “It’s important to be certain that Colbrook is on our side before we say anything to anyone, even his mother. Have you seen her recently, by the way?”
“Only yesterday. She’s working at the café again, washing up and general chores. She’s so devastated by everything that Fliss is trying to get her GP or social services to help with some kind of support. She’s also letting her stay in a room upstairs because she doesn’t want to go home.”
Shaking his head regretfully at that, Dan said, “So I know where to find her, should I need to. My next step though is to talk to Gould, to get his take on the usefulness of the proposal. If he supports it, I’ll contact Colbrook’s lawyer to try and get access to him. I’m told he’s on remand in Sellybrook, so not much more than an hour by car.”
“And my role will be to support Marcy,” Andee said, “should we ever manage to get them together?”
“Indeed. You’re already doing that as her victim support officer, so it makes sense for you to be her RJ practitioner, assuming we get that far.”
“How are you going to persuade Colbrook that this is good news for him?” Graeme asked, coming outside to top up his wineglass.
“The key,” Andee replied, “is tapping into a person’s natural empathy. The process can’t work without it, and at the moment we have no idea if Archie Colbrook possesses it.”
“I like to think everyone does, to some degree,” Dan declared, “but I’ve been proved wrong in the past. Gould will probably be able to fill me in on what sort of character we’re dealing with in Colbrook’s case.”
“You mean apart from one who sets fire to other people’s property while they’re inside?” Graeme didn’t mince his words.
Unable to argue with that, Dan said, “I don’t think there’s much doubt in anyone’s mind that he was paid to do it, although as far as I’m aware he hasn’t admitted to that.”
“He’ll be afraid to,” Andee put in.
“Indeed, so maybe engaging with him, not as a criminal on remand, or a legal client, but as a human being, we’ll end up with the link to Huxley-Browne we’re looking for. I realize it won’t turn back the clock, or heal Marcy’s injuries, but if she’s able to feel that justice is being done it could go a long way toward helping her to move on.”
“It could also,” Andee added, “satisfy Claudia’s need to make Huxley-Browne pay.” Her eyes moved to Graeme, inviting any further thoughts he might have.
“OK, if you’re giving me a vote,” he said, “I’m in favor of at least talking to the lad to find out if this can go anywhere.”
Turning back to Dan, Andee said, “Would you like me to see Gould with you?”
He shook his head. “Thanks, but I think I can handle him. We’ve just got to hope that he’s willing to start paving the way, because it won’t be possible without him.”