The Legacy: Trouble Comes Disguised As Family (Unspoken Book 2) by T. Belshaw (the best books to read .txt) 📗

Any time between ten and twelve. If you can’t physically get there yourself, we’ll send a car for you.’

He jumped down from the ambulance, stuck his head around the side of the vehicle and whistled. A few seconds later, Tracey climbed in, followed closely by a paramedic who closed the back doors and banged twice on the side of the van. A few seconds later, Jess watched the row of parked police cars fade into the distance as the ambulance drove steadily away from the scene of the horror.

At the hospital, Jess’s ankle was examined by a young, tired-looking doctor, who diagnosed ligament damage and booked her in for an X-ray. After queuing for an hour to get the procedure done, her ankle was bandaged, then she was given a pain killer and left to wait in a corridor for the doctor to give her the nod to go home. Tracey brought her coffee and chatted to her about her parents as she took notes. After a further twenty minutes and after listening to Jess’s continuous nagging, asking her to check on the condition of her mother, she finally relented and walked over to a separate area of the A&E department where Nicola was being cared for in a single room. She returned ten minutes later with a smile on her face.

‘She’s going to be fine, Jess. They’ll move her onto a ward later tonight.’

‘Can I see her, please? I just want to see her.’

‘She’s been sedated, Jess, so there would be little point. Wait until she’s been cleaned up a bit. You really don’t want to see her as she is.’

‘I do… Only for a minute, please?’

Tracey shook her head. ‘I’m sorry, Jessica. It’s not possible. We need to question her before she’s allowed any visitors.’ She patted Jess’s hand. ‘I’m sure you’ll be able to see her tomorrow… the day after for sure. I know it’s difficult for you, but honestly, don’t worry, she’ll make a full recovery.’

‘Jessica Griffiths?’

Jess’s head snapped up as her name was called out, hoping that the authorities had changed their minds and they were going to allow her to see her mother after all, but it was just the young doctor, giving her permission to go home.

‘Shall I organise a taxi?’ Tracey asked.

Jess shook her head. ‘No, it’s all right, my friend will pick me up.’

Jess pulled her phone from her pocket and tapped Sam’s name on her contact list. She arrived ten minutes later and walked worriedly alongside, as Jess, now equipped with an underarm crutch, hopped her way down the corridor to the A&E entrance.

Chapter 44

The next morning, after phoning the hospital and receiving a positive update on her mother, Jess drove with Sam to the police station where she gave a formal statement, detailing everything she knew about the events leading up to her father’s death. After signing the statement, she was told that she would be allowed to visit her mother on the following day.

‘We’ll be talking to her this afternoon,’ the officer told her. ‘When she’s released from hospital, hopefully in a day or so, we’ll take a formal statement, here at the station.’

‘Will you…  is she… are you going to charge her with an offence? She was only defending herself,’ Jess asked.

‘The Crown Prosecution Service will make that decision after we present them with all the evidence,’ the officer replied. ‘We’re still waiting for the Post Mortem report. We should have the forensic report in the next few days.’

‘You mean she could be facing a murder charge? That’s insane. She was defending herself.’

The officer looked sympathetic.

‘I can’t promise anything, Jessica. It’s unlikely that she would be charged with murder, given the circumstances, but, when you look at it, the only person who really knows what happened, is your mother.’

‘It was self-defence,’ said Jess, firmly. ‘You don’t need forensic evidence to see that.’

The detective held up her hands.

‘We’ll just have to wait and see what comes out this week.’ She leaned across the table towards her. ‘Look, Jessica. Don’t worry about it yet. I know that’s easier said than done, but just hang in there. Until we speak to your mum, we won’t be able to make any sort of decision.’

The officer leaned back in her chair. ‘Does she have a solicitor? We can arrange one for her if not?’

‘Will the solicitor have to be present when she’s questioned?’

‘Not this afternoon. She’ll be seeing our Domestic Abuse Support Officer, but when we question her formally, she will need one.’

‘I’ll organise that,’ said Jess, ‘I know… I’ll find someone.’

The detective scooped up the papers from the desk and tapped them into a pile. Then she stood up and opened the door of the interview room. As Jess limped out on her crutch, Sam waved to her from a bench near the entrance.

‘Are we going to the hospital?’ she asked.

‘No. They won’t let me see her until tomorrow. They want to question her first.’

‘Bugger.’ She held the door open to allow Jess to hop out, then, after getting her settled in the car, she drove her home.

‘Are you sure you don’t want me to stay, Jess. You shouldn’t really be alone after what’s happened.’

‘I’ll be fine, Sam. I really do need to spend a bit of time on my own to process all this.’

‘I’m not so sure. I honestly think you need a shoulder.’

‘I’ll call you if I do, Sam.’ She gave her best friend a hug. ‘Promise.’

‘I’ll come back in the morning; I’ll give you a lift to the hospital.’

‘What about work?’

Sam shrugged. ‘Let me worry about that.’

‘That’s kind of you, thanks, Sam.’

She started to get up from the sofa, but Sam pushed her back down. ‘I’ll see myself out, love. You just rest up.’

When Sam had gone, Jess went through to the kitchen and made coffee, then sitting at Alice’s old table, she sighed, then put her head in her hands.

‘How has it come to this, Nana?’ she whispered.

Sliding Alice’s old notebook towards her, she ran