and Shoreditch, the borough had none of the latter’s fashionable edginess. There was high unemployment, poverty and way too much crime.
It was no place, Maddie thought, to be bringing up a child. What chance did any kid stand in a place like this? But she was stuck here and so was he. Although she longed to be on the move – she had inherited her mother’s itchy feet – it would be unfair and probably damaging to take him away from his beloved grandparents.
That final image of Greta invaded her mind again. The past, it seemed, was intent on haunting her today. Her thoughts slipped back to the time, six years ago, when they were all trying to come to terms with the double murder. At first, everyone had rallied round to take care of Zac. How much of it had he understood? Two years old and deprived of both his mother and his father. It was cruel and tragic. But it was Bo’s parents, Winston and Alisha, who had stepped up to the mark and taken him to live with them on a permanent basis. No one had argued about it. There had been no rows, no custody battles, no tug of war over the orphaned toddler.
‘It’s for the best,’ her mother had said. ‘He knows them better than anyone else. It’ll be less of an ordeal for him.’
But Maddie had observed the relief in her eyes. Kim Layne was off the hook and she was glad of it. And, if she was being completely honest, Maddie had welcomed the decision too. To acknowledge this made her feel guilty, although she had barely known Zac back then. Since he’d been born, she had only seen him half-a-dozen times.
Winston’s heart attack had come out of the blue, two months later. By then Kim Layne had decamped to Portugal and had no intention of coming back. Maddie had returned to work, a job on a London dig. She had only intended to stay on in Kellston until the dig had finished, but events had overtaken her.
At twenty-three, with her career just beginning, the last thing she had wanted or needed was the responsibility of a child, but she hadn’t had a choice. Alisha couldn’t cope with Zac and a sick husband. She’d needed help and there was only one person who could provide it. Maddie had taken temporary leave, but it had soon become apparent that she wouldn’t be going back to her old job in a hurry. Even as Winston was on the road to recovery, it was obvious that taking care of Zac full-time would be too much for the Vales.
Maddie came to Violet Road and turned right, walking along the row of small terraced houses. She could vividly recall those early days, the panic and fear that rose up in her throat every time she looked at her nephew. She was terrified of doing things wrong, of being inadequate, of not being able to cope. The burden had felt like a great dark crow pecking away at her confidence. And, although it pained her to admit it, she had felt a simmering resentment too. It was as if the rug had been pulled from under her feet, with all her hopes and dreams tumbling into oblivion.
She wondered how she had managed to get through it. She had not realised then that all Zac really needed was love and care and stability. Now she couldn’t imagine her life without him. Her maternal instinct might have been slow to kick in, but she’d got there in the end. He was the most important, the most precious person in her life and she couldn’t envisage a time when that would ever change.
Until Greta’s death, Maddie had barely known the Vales. She hadn’t taken much of an interest in them. They were just the parents of her sister’s boyfriend, a boyfriend who was big trouble. If she thought about them at all, it was only to wonder why they hadn’t done a better job in managing to teach him right from wrong. Her attitude had changed a lot since then.
She was thinking about this as she walked straight past number 12 and had to turn round and retrace her steps. She strolled up the front path with its terracotta pots of pink and white geraniums, pressed the bell and
It was no place, Maddie thought, to be bringing up a child. What chance did any kid stand in a place like this? But she was stuck here and so was he. Although she longed to be on the move – she had inherited her mother’s itchy feet – it would be unfair and probably damaging to take him away from his beloved grandparents.
That final image of Greta invaded her mind again. The past, it seemed, was intent on haunting her today. Her thoughts slipped back to the time, six years ago, when they were all trying to come to terms with the double murder. At first, everyone had rallied round to take care of Zac. How much of it had he understood? Two years old and deprived of both his mother and his father. It was cruel and tragic. But it was Bo’s parents, Winston and Alisha, who had stepped up to the mark and taken him to live with them on a permanent basis. No one had argued about it. There had been no rows, no custody battles, no tug of war over the orphaned toddler.
‘It’s for the best,’ her mother had said. ‘He knows them better than anyone else. It’ll be less of an ordeal for him.’
But Maddie had observed the relief in her eyes. Kim Layne was off the hook and she was glad of it. And, if she was being completely honest, Maddie had welcomed the decision too. To acknowledge this made her feel guilty, although she had barely known Zac back then. Since he’d been born, she had only seen him half-a-dozen times.
Winston’s heart attack had come out of the blue, two months later. By then Kim Layne had decamped to Portugal and had no intention of coming back. Maddie had returned to work, a job on a London dig. She had only intended to stay on in Kellston until the dig had finished, but events had overtaken her.
At twenty-three, with her career just beginning, the last thing she had wanted or needed was the responsibility of a child, but she hadn’t had a choice. Alisha couldn’t cope with Zac and a sick husband. She’d needed help and there was only one person who could provide it. Maddie had taken temporary leave, but it had soon become apparent that she wouldn’t be going back to her old job in a hurry. Even as Winston was on the road to recovery, it was obvious that taking care of Zac full-time would be too much for the Vales.
Maddie came to Violet Road and turned right, walking along the row of small terraced houses. She could vividly recall those early days, the panic and fear that rose up in her throat every time she looked at her nephew. She was terrified of doing things wrong, of being inadequate, of not being able to cope. The burden had felt like a great dark crow pecking away at her confidence. And, although it pained her to admit it, she had felt a simmering resentment too. It was as if the rug had been pulled from under her feet, with all her hopes and dreams tumbling into oblivion.
She wondered how she had managed to get through it. She had not realised then that all Zac really needed was love and care and stability. Now she couldn’t imagine her life without him. Her maternal instinct might have been slow to kick in, but she’d got there in the end. He was the most important, the most precious person in her life and she couldn’t envisage a time when that would ever change.
Until Greta’s death, Maddie had barely known the Vales. She hadn’t taken much of an interest in them. They were just the parents of her sister’s boyfriend, a boyfriend who was big trouble. If she thought about them at all, it was only to wonder why they hadn’t done a better job in managing to teach him right from wrong. Her attitude had changed a lot since then.
She was thinking about this as she walked straight past number 12 and had to turn round and retrace her steps. She strolled up the front path with its terracotta pots of pink and white geraniums, pressed the bell and
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