Two open graves.
Side by side.
Resting together. Forever.
Melanie’s fingers were enclosed in Vince’s hand. Her eyes hadn’t left Susie’s grave since the priest made his final blessing but she’d neither spoken nor wept. She wore the ridiculous frilled black dress Carla had bought which she’d told him in secret wasn’t very comfortable. Liz had been close by during the ceremony and he’d felt her hand on his arm a few times.
Close to one hundred people were here and as they began to break up into smaller groups to quietly talk, Melanie released his hand and ran to Carla. He almost stopped her, but this wasn’t the place or time to make a stand of some sort.
For a few minutes he spoke to the priest and to David’s mother, a frail woman who barely understood why she was there and was accompanied by a carer. She was wheeled away, and he didn’t know what to do with himself. There were people he’d not seen in years who were here for Susie, not him. He’d burned a whole city of bridges before retiring.
The sun was out. The storm long gone. Not a cloud in the sky.
A clear path to heaven, my little one.
‘Saddest of days, mate.’ Terry appeared from nowhere and shook his hand. ‘If there’s anything I can do. You know I’m only a call away.’
‘You know what I need.’
Terry grimaced and nodded. ‘Liz is investigating. We can talk about it another day.’
Vince grunted. Terry was right. Not here.
Liz came across from where she’d been talking to a group of cops. ‘Melanie is so brave.’
‘Yeah. We’re going home now. Let her rest.’
Liz leaned close and whispered. ‘Are you going to be able to extricate her? Carla doesn’t look ready to hand her back.’
There was no chance Carla had heard Liz from the distance, but she swung around to glare. Black smudging around her eyes gave her a slightly sinister look.
‘Need help?’ Liz hadn’t taken her eyes off Carla, who pursed her lips at the scrutiny.
‘You can remind me what happened back then. Between you and Carla.’
‘Happy to. Give me a call.’
He would.
‘You didn’t need to be here. Either of you. But thank you.’
‘We did,’ Terry said with a half-smile. ‘You’re family.’
It wasn’t true. Terry and Liz said all the right things and meant well but his time as part of the force was long gone. But he nodded and went to get Mel.
Carla squatted and hugged Melanie, whispering in her ear. Bradley stood nearby with a blank look on his face. Probably realising it was his problems with David which killed Susie.
Vince knew it in his bones.
‘Melanie? How about we get you home?’
The little girl peeked at him.
‘Carla. It’s time.’
A tear dripped down Carla’s face at his quiet words and she lifted her chin a fraction and if anything, tightened the arm around Melanie.
Bradley stepped in, picking up Melanie and giving her a hug. ‘Auntie Carla and I love you lots, poppet. Okay?’ He passed Melanie to Vince, and she transferred her arms to his neck.
‘You be a good girl, and we’ll see you very soon.’ Carla’s voice broke at the end and Bradley led her away.
There was no reason to remain here. The priest was gone. Most of the mourners had left or were leaving.
This was it.
His daughter was now a memory.
‘I need Mummy and Daddy.’
The shaft of pain stabbing through his heart was too much to bear. They’d lost everything. Tears filled his eyes as he forced out the words. ‘Me too, Melly. Me too.’
She buried her head against his neck and wept until her body shook with the strength of her grief and he held her close and slowly walked away from the graves.