Chapter 61
Sixty-One
Penn stared down into his uneaten lasagne and took the last sip of his lukewarm coffee.
Lynne was working the late shift, and Jasper was out with friends.
After being stood down by the boss, he hadn’t relished the thought of returning to an empty house and had found himself heading towards Betty’s in Hagley.
The place was still owned by the same family who had opened it in the sixties.
Unlike many establishments, they didn’t follow trends but kept in business by opening late and offering good quality meals.
Except tonight, the home-cooked meal couldn’t make it past the pit in his stomach.
‘Hey, partner,’ he heard as a soft hand squeezed his shoulder.
Lynne kissed him on the cheek before sitting down.
Despite his mood, he couldn’t help the smile that came to his face at her unexpected appearance.
‘What are you doing here? You’re on lates.’
‘I had a feeling my man needed me,’ she said, glancing at his still-full plate. ‘And it looks like I was right. What problem exists that can’t be solved by Betty’s lasagne?’
‘How’d you find me?’ Penn said, avoiding the question.
‘Tracker on your phone.’
‘Really?’
She laughed. ‘I’m not a psycho bunny boiler. I don’t need a tracker to work out where you’ll be when you’ve got something on your mind and an empty house waiting for you. And I always know when there’s something wrong.’
She was right. She did. ‘How?’
‘Well, I don’t want to give away my secrets… but it’s all down to the emojis.’
Already he could feel the weight lifting from his shoulders just from being in her presence.
‘How so?’
‘Oh, Austen, you choose your emojis with the same level of care you choose the bandana that’s gonna match your clothes best. So, when you’re sending me messages about Hollytree without the vomit or eye roll emoji, I know something isn’t right. Come on – out with it.’
Penn sighed and slumped down. ‘Did I ever tell you that I nearly lost Jasper?’
Lynne shook her head.
‘I was fifteen when he was born and seventeen when I realised Mum wouldn’t live forever and that there would come a time that his care would fall to me. I rebelled.’
‘And what did that look like for you?’ Lynne asked with a smile. ‘Not eating all your greens?’
Penn laughed. ‘I left college, broke some windows, drank a lot, tried some drugs and gave my mum as much shit as I could. It went on until one day I came home and Gloria Lincoln was in my lounge. Mum had called her to discuss what would happen to Jasper if she was no longer able to care for him.
‘It hit me like a ton of bricks. Despite my acting up, I loved the kid to death. I knew what made him laugh; I knew what made him cry. I knew what light he needed on at night to be able to sleep. I knew what he liked to eat and what he hated.
‘I listened as Gloria explained that Jasper would be taken into care and a family would be sought to adopt him. I knew immediately that I couldn’t let that happen.
I couldn’t spend my life without him in it.
I said as much, and Gloria smiled at me tolerantly.
She explained that I was in no fit state to be awarded custody of my brother. ’
‘Jeez, Austen, I had no idea.’
‘The very thought of losing him put my head back on straight. He was no longer a burden but a joy that enriched my life, and I knew that I was the best person to take care of him.’
‘This is about Ava, isn’t it?’ she asked gently.
He nodded. He’d told her all about the child the night before.
‘They’re gonna get her, Lynne. That despicable family will get custody, and social services can’t do anything about it.
I played Gloria the recording of them all but admitting they were doing it for the money, but it made no difference.
It’s not even the abuse allegation. It’s that Daniel isn’t related to her.
Their hands are tied, even though he’s the best person to take care of her.
There’s just nothing I can do,’ he said, feeling the weight of that truth on his shoulders.
Lynne reached across and grabbed his hand. ‘Hey, this isn’t all on you. Where is Ava now?’
‘Still with Stacey.’
‘So she’s not gone yet. It ain’t over until it’s over. What about her real dad?’
‘He’s not interested. He doesn’t even know her.’
‘So it would be no skin off his nose to sign over parental rights, if you could find him?’
‘We don’t have the time. We’ve got three murders.’
‘Then make the time, Austen,’ she said, squeezing his hand. ‘You know who should really be taking care of her.’
She was right. He wasn’t totally out of options yet. Maybe, just maybe, they still had a chance.
Lynne beckoned the waiter over. ‘Hey, matey, do you mind just reheating that lasagne? I think he might be up to it now.’
The man lifted the plate and spirited it away as Penn wondered what the hell he had done to deserve this woman in his life.
‘Right, my work here is done,’ she said, standing.
He lifted his face for a kiss as she passed by. ‘I love you.’
‘Back atcha, partner,’ she said before heading for the door.
The waiter returned with his steaming plate of lasagne, and now he felt he could stomach it.
Perhaps they had one last ray of hope.