Anna. He didn’t know what to say to her, what to ask her. This morning, he’d been so certain that he knew
what had happened, but now nothing made any sense. ‘I just want to be on my own for a while.’
Jim stood up and put his hand on Tony’s shoulder. ‘Fair enough, Tony. It’s only been a day since … well, you know. She’ll
still be there in the morning.’ He looked at Wendy. ‘I’ll take you to the hospital to see her, Wendy, and you can let Tony
know if there’s any change.’
‘Of course. I’ll just be a couple of minutes.’ Wendy stood up and walked out of the room.
‘Thanks, Dad.’
Jim nodded. ‘Give me your car keys. I’ll go and get Anna’s bag and put it in my car.’
Ursula began clearing up the glasses and bottles. He held out the keys for his dad and whispered, to no one in particular,
‘I’m sorry.’
* * *
When Jim and Wendy had left for the hospital, and Tony had gone home, Ursula made herself a piece of warm, buttery toast.
She wiped crumbs from her lips as she leaned on the kitchen bench. Her back ached, and her jaw felt stiff and frozen as she
chewed. She forced herself to swallow, then picked up the plate and dropped the second half of the toast in the bin. She opened
the dishwasher and started to stack it with the dirty dishes scattered all over the kitchen. Why couldn’t people put things
straight in there instead of leaving them in the sink? It just created extra work for her. She screwed up her face as she
poured the dregs of Wendy’s wine away, then noticed the pink lipstick stain on the glass. She sighed; she’d have to wash that
off by hand.
Half an hour later, she heard Jim’s ute pull up. She realised that she was still standing by the sink, staring at the mess.
She closed her eyes, enjoying the last moment of solitude before he trudged into the kitchen.
‘Did they let Wendy in to see Anna?’ she asked when he came in and perched on a stool. She noticed the dark shadows under
his eyes.
‘Yeah. No problem. I was going to wait, but Emily calledher. She’s going to meet her at the hospital, then go back to her apartment tonight. They’ll pick up her stuff on the way.’
‘Good.’
Jim raised his eyebrows. Ursula continued stacking the dishwasher. ‘Are you OK?’ he said.
‘As well as can be expected.’ She closed the dishwasher door while the drawers were still pulled out; the dishes crashed against
each other. She knew Jim hadn’t done anything wrong, but she had no energy left to be polite.
Jim slid off his stool and started to help. ‘Don’t worry about cleaning up now, love, sit down. You must be exhausted.’
She spun around. ‘Yes, I
am
exhausted! We’ve been running around after everyone, worrying about Wendy and Anna, and being all nice and supportive. But
who’s supporting us? We’ve lost our grandson, our son has lost his son, and everyone seems to have forgotten that!’
‘Hey!’ Jim moved towards her. He put his arms around her shoulders and rubbed her back, but she shrugged him off.
‘Everyone’s forgetting about him, Jim.’ She dropped her head to her chest. ‘Poor little baby. Poor little Jack.’ She clenched
her eyes shut, wiping away a tear. ‘I just have this horrible feeling about it.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Well, what if she
did
do it?’
‘Do what? We have no idea —’
‘You know what I’m saying – don’t be so naive. She’s locked up in a psychiatric hospital for God’s sake. They must think she
—’
‘Don’t say that! We don’t know what happened. Like Tony said, she could have been mugged, attacked. We just don’t know.’
She let herself cry. She wanted to agree with Jim. But no matter how much she prayed that Anna had had nothing to do with
Jack’s death, she couldn’t ignore the gnawing feeling that she could have done it. It wasn’t impossible.
She bit her lip. ‘Jim, what if she
did
? Jack was just a tiny baby! Poor Anthony, how’s he
what had happened, but now nothing made any sense. ‘I just want to be on my own for a while.’
Jim stood up and put his hand on Tony’s shoulder. ‘Fair enough, Tony. It’s only been a day since … well, you know. She’ll
still be there in the morning.’ He looked at Wendy. ‘I’ll take you to the hospital to see her, Wendy, and you can let Tony
know if there’s any change.’
‘Of course. I’ll just be a couple of minutes.’ Wendy stood up and walked out of the room.
‘Thanks, Dad.’
Jim nodded. ‘Give me your car keys. I’ll go and get Anna’s bag and put it in my car.’
Ursula began clearing up the glasses and bottles. He held out the keys for his dad and whispered, to no one in particular,
‘I’m sorry.’
* * *
When Jim and Wendy had left for the hospital, and Tony had gone home, Ursula made herself a piece of warm, buttery toast.
She wiped crumbs from her lips as she leaned on the kitchen bench. Her back ached, and her jaw felt stiff and frozen as she
chewed. She forced herself to swallow, then picked up the plate and dropped the second half of the toast in the bin. She opened
the dishwasher and started to stack it with the dirty dishes scattered all over the kitchen. Why couldn’t people put things
straight in there instead of leaving them in the sink? It just created extra work for her. She screwed up her face as she
poured the dregs of Wendy’s wine away, then noticed the pink lipstick stain on the glass. She sighed; she’d have to wash that
off by hand.
Half an hour later, she heard Jim’s ute pull up. She realised that she was still standing by the sink, staring at the mess.
She closed her eyes, enjoying the last moment of solitude before he trudged into the kitchen.
‘Did they let Wendy in to see Anna?’ she asked when he came in and perched on a stool. She noticed the dark shadows under
his eyes.
‘Yeah. No problem. I was going to wait, but Emily calledher. She’s going to meet her at the hospital, then go back to her apartment tonight. They’ll pick up her stuff on the way.’
‘Good.’
Jim raised his eyebrows. Ursula continued stacking the dishwasher. ‘Are you OK?’ he said.
‘As well as can be expected.’ She closed the dishwasher door while the drawers were still pulled out; the dishes crashed against
each other. She knew Jim hadn’t done anything wrong, but she had no energy left to be polite.
Jim slid off his stool and started to help. ‘Don’t worry about cleaning up now, love, sit down. You must be exhausted.’
She spun around. ‘Yes, I
am
exhausted! We’ve been running around after everyone, worrying about Wendy and Anna, and being all nice and supportive. But
who’s supporting us? We’ve lost our grandson, our son has lost his son, and everyone seems to have forgotten that!’
‘Hey!’ Jim moved towards her. He put his arms around her shoulders and rubbed her back, but she shrugged him off.
‘Everyone’s forgetting about him, Jim.’ She dropped her head to her chest. ‘Poor little baby. Poor little Jack.’ She clenched
her eyes shut, wiping away a tear. ‘I just have this horrible feeling about it.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Well, what if she
did
do it?’
‘Do what? We have no idea —’
‘You know what I’m saying – don’t be so naive. She’s locked up in a psychiatric hospital for God’s sake. They must think she
—’
‘Don’t say that! We don’t know what happened. Like Tony said, she could have been mugged, attacked. We just don’t know.’
She let herself cry. She wanted to agree with Jim. But no matter how much she prayed that Anna had had nothing to do with
Jack’s death, she couldn’t ignore the gnawing feeling that she could have done it. It wasn’t impossible.
She bit her lip. ‘Jim, what if she
did
? Jack was just a tiny baby! Poor Anthony, how’s he
Similar Books
