No answer.
He could hear Poppy whispering inside. Mel was telling her it was a game. A game! Trying to stay rational, Mark pressed his hands either side of the door and leaned his head tiredly against it. What could he do? Force it? He felt like dropping to his knees and weeping. Who else could he call? Talk to? He’d lied to Edwards – said he was fine, just overwrought, would be back at work within the week. He’d avoided telling Lisa too much in case she tried to talk to Mel, which would only make matters worse.
For the sake of Poppy and Evie, he couldn’t let this go on.
Resigned to make the only call he could, Mark tugged in a deep breath and took a step away. Then the door squeaked open.
‘I want the children with me. They’re staying with me tonight,’ Mel said coolly.
Seeing the gritty determination in her eyes, knowing there was no way to get the kids out of there without arguing in front of them, Mark nodded slowly and looked away.
‘Okay,’ he said, his throat tight. ‘Okay. Just…’ He looked back at her, imploring her, through whatever madness was in her mind, to understand. ‘Please don’t lock the door, Mel.’
Mel didn’t say anything, just looked him over as she might a stranger.
‘I’m terrified there’ll be a fire, Mel,’ he admitted hoarsely. ‘Please, don’t lock the door.’
Fifty-One
JADE
Finding the house in semi-darkness, Jade was intrigued. But finding Evie and Poppy’s rooms empty and Mark sitting on the landing floor, his head resting on his arms and apparently fast asleep, she was furious. What had that pathetic excuse for a wife been up to now?
Jade crouched to gently shake his shoulder, and Mark almost shot out of his skin.
‘Christ.’ He ran his hands over his face and glanced towards the bedroom door beside him.
‘Mark?’ Jade looked him over, concerned. ‘What’s—?’
Mark pressed a finger to his mouth, and quietly eased himself to his feet, gesturing her to follow him to the stairs.
She’d follow him anywhere. To the ends of the earth. The poor man looked like death, he really did. That bloody woman. Jade might bring all this to an abrupt halt and strangle her and be done with it.
His gaze constantly flicking towards the bedroom, Mark outlined what needy Melissa had been up to, telling her about the extra bottles he’d found. It confirmed Jade’s suspicions, she admitted reluctantly, that she had been a bit tipsy on occasion.
‘There’s more,’ Mark said, looking suddenly nervous, as if scared what her reaction might be. ‘The cat…’
‘Felix?’ Jade prompted him, a surge of excitement running through her as she guessed what he might be about to confide.
‘Mel said you, er… She said you got rid of him?’ Mark looked at her questioningly.
Jade furrowed her brow. ‘I said he’d run away,’ she said, pondering appropriately. ‘It was a bit strange, because he was a homey sort of cat. I wondered if he’d been run… Oh no.’ She clamped a hand to her mouth. ‘Has something happened to him?’
Nodding sadly, Mark closed his eyes. ‘He… It looks like he was suffocated. I’m sorry, Jade.’
‘Suffocated?’ Jade repeated, aghast. ‘But… how? Where?’
‘Polythene,’ Mark said, his voice almost failing him. ‘I found him in the workshop. In the clay bin. Jade, I am so, so sorry. I couldn’t not tell you. I…’ Blowing out a breath, Mark trailed wretchedly off.
‘Oh God.’ Looking horrified, Jade searched his face and then allowed her grief-stricken gaze to fall slowly to the floor. ‘Poor Felix,’ she said tearfully. ‘Poor Mel.’ She glanced back at him, and then came over quite faint.
Mark reached for her immediately, helping her as she lowered herself shakily to sit on the stairs. ‘I’ll fetch you some water,’ he said, as she clamped her hands to her tummy and dropped her head to her knees.
Smiling gratefully, Jade took the glass when he returned, sipping the water and taking several slow breaths.
‘Okay?’ Mark asked, his expression so anxious, it was all Jade could do to stop herself reaching for his hand.
She nodded sadly, as if accepting the tragic news about her beloved cat bravely. ‘I’m all right, Mark. Honestly, I’m fine. It’s Mel we need to worry about. Has she had her medication?’
Mark trailed a hand through his hair and shook his head. ‘She’s refused it,’ he said, looking sick to his soul. ‘She’s refusing to eat. I think she thinks I’m trying to poison her. She won’t let me near the kids.’
He stopped, squeezing the bridge of his nose hard between his thumb and forefinger. ‘I have no idea what I’m going to do, Jade,’ he admitted, his tone wretched. ‘None.’
Jade got to her feet and stepped towards him, her heart aching. She couldn’t keep his children from him! That was just too cruel, the callous bitch. ‘Let me try,’ she said, keen to ease his obvious anguish. She was also keen to find out just how far needy Melissa was from the edge. A few more little pushes in the right direction and she would do something drastic – jump or leave him. It was a matter of days. Jade felt a bubble of sweet anticipation growing inside her.
‘I’ll make her some soup. She might take it from me, and she’ll at least keep that down,’ she said, taking the opportunity to press a reassuring hand to his worried face. She looked into his eyes, the pain she saw there cutting her to the core. He didn’t look convinced, but he nodded wearily.
Yearning to wrap her arms around his broad shoulders, which were far too burdened with the weight of all this, Jade restrained herself. ‘I was thinking…’ she said, her brow knitted thoughtfully. ‘You might not agree, but… You don’t have any sleeping tablets, do you?’
Mark looked curiously at her. ‘They’re in the top kitchen cupboard. Why?’
From his wary expression, though, Jade guessed he was one step ahead of her. ‘I think it might be an idea to crush one up and pop it in her soup,’ she suggested, making sure to look reluctant. ‘I know that looks like you’re doing exactly what she thinks you are, but… At least she’ll sleep, until morning hopefully.’ Or longer. Jade had no intention of putting just one tablet in there. ‘Which means Poppy and Evie will get a decent night’s sleep, too. God knows they must need it.’
Mark drew in a tight breath and eyed the ceiling. Obviously, he would be unwilling, being such a naturally kind man, but eventually he acquiesced with a tired nod.
* * *
Jade tapped lightly on the bedroom door. ‘Mel,’ she called, ‘it’s me. Can I come in?’
There was a brief silence before Melissa padded to the door to pull it open an inch, peering warily past her as if expecting to see Mark about to charge in. This was good. The woman was definitely close to cracking or leaving. But she couldn’t take Evie with her. Jade couldn’t allow that.
‘I brought you some soup,’ she said, going in as Melissa eased the door further open.
Melissa wrapped her arms about herself, eyeing the mug suspiciously as Jade turned to face her.
‘I know a bit of what’s happened.’ Jade smiled at her understandingly. ‘Mark’s version, at least,’ she said, hinting that she didn’t necessarily believe him, which would hopefully encourage Melissa to open up and spill her guts.
‘It’s kind of you, Jade, but…’ Still eyeing the mug, Mel hesitated, and then shook her head. ‘I don’t think I should.’
‘You can’t stay up here without any sustenance, Mel,’ Jade pointed out, oozing compassion. ‘You need to stay strong, for the children.’
She nodded over her shoulder to where Poppy and Evie were tucked up on the bed, fast asleep. It really was a heart-warming scene, Poppy with her thumb plugged in her mouth, one little arm protectively around her tiny sister. Such a pity they’d have to be separated.