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for affection? Do you use her fondness for your daughter to keep her around? To make your life less miserable?ā€ Finlay prompted, snarling, waiting for some mud to stick to Jack Harper. Finlay imagined his sister in the same position as Catherine, and that infuriated him.

Catherine Jones had now reached over the legal age limit and was more than capable of running her own life.

ā€œNo. We hug, at the very most. Not that our private lives are any of your business.ā€ Jack seemed traumatized at Finlayā€™s intrusion. ā€œShe wanted to hug me, not the other way around. Sheā€™s like a second daughter to me. Not that anyone could ever replace Emily.ā€

ā€œAnd what about the medication?ā€ Finlay cut off Jackā€™s heartfelt speech, cursing at the thought of them two embracing in any kind of way.

Jack paused, mentally gathering his story into order. ā€œCatherine felt a lot of grief, but she didnā€™t want to upset her parents. Theyā€™re not emotional people, and she didnā€™t want them to know how much she was struggling. Catherine was already registered with the medical centre I worked for at the time, and all she had to do was ask for me. It was kept between us, patient confidentiality, so her parents never found out.ā€

ā€œHow so? If she were under eighteen at the time, they would've had to sign forms allowing Catherine to visit you in the first place,ā€ I recalled.

ā€œI kept it all off the record. No agreements, nothing to sign--ā€

ā€œAnd then you stole the pills,ā€ I said, filling in the blanks.

ā€œA few boxes of antidepressants here and there. Not too regularly, but that didnā€™t matter because the boss still found us out after checking lack of inventory,ā€ Jack relaxed, a weight taken off of his shoulders. This was the first time heā€™d openly admitted it. ā€œThey told Catherineā€™s parents about the pills she had been taking, and Catherine begged with her life to not press charges. Her parents agreed, thinking it was their fault for Catherine not opening up to them about her struggles.ā€

ā€œDidnā€™t her parents teach you a lesson? Warn you to stay away from their daughter. A late father doting after their daughter poses a few uncertainties for them, surely?ā€ Finlay couldnā€™t wrap his head around it.

ā€œThey did. They moved to the other end of town, and her father threatened me a couple of times.ā€ Jack touched his side as though he was punched at some point.

ā€œBut we found you at Catherineā€™s house.ā€ Finlay couldnā€™t fathom why, after all this, Jack disobeyed his warnings.

ā€œHer parents were away, and they couldnā€™t do anything about it. Catherine invited me over. She wanted to make sure I was safe. Iā€™d phoned her and told her about your visit.ā€ Jack looked me directly in the eyes, being brutally honest this time around. ā€œIt was one time we didnā€™t have to sneak around.ā€

ā€œWhat were you doing? Catherine was in her nightgown,ā€ Finlay scowled, sure Jack was still covering up the other part to their ā€˜relationshipā€™.

ā€œWe celebrated Emilyā€™s life. Wrote poems for her, went through photographs. Honoured her spirit.ā€ Jack breathed shakily, threatening to cry again. The solicitor sat back in shock, not realising the extent of her clientā€™s rigorous life.

ā€œNone of that explains the scalpel,ā€ Finlay was quick to point out.

ā€œIt happened a few days ago, possibly a week. Catherine snuck out to come and see me. I gave her a drink, and she dropped the glass. A piece embedded into her hand, so I used whatever was around to help loosen it. By the time Iā€™d sorted her out, it was early in the morning, and Catherine had to rush home.ā€ Jack recollected, flapping his shirt to cool down.

ā€œI went to bed, and then I woke up to your officers knocking on my door. I assumed Catherine's parents had called them or found out what was going on, so I stashed it all. But then you informed me about Gavinā€™s death, and all this escalated from there.ā€ Jack almost couldnā€™t believe the challenges heā€™d faced these past few weeks.

ā€œYouā€™ve protected Catherine from her parentsā€™ judgement all along,ā€ I concluded, rounding up recent events. ā€œCoincidences can happen,ā€ I hinted at the woods located so near to Catherineā€™s home.

ā€œYou canā€™t tell Catherineā€™s parents. Promise me you won't. Sheā€™ll have no one to talk to--ā€ Jack whipped himself into a nervous frenzy.

ā€œAnd neither will you,ā€ Finlay grimaced. ā€œItā€™s in your own interests that we donā€™t tell Catherineā€™s family. You canā€™t stand to be alone,ā€ Finlay derived. ā€œYouā€™re a broken man, Jack Harper. If you cared about Catherine in the long run, as you so abundantly claim to now, youā€™d stop hindering her future.ā€ Finlay cautioned Jack Harper and pursed his lips tightly, fist clenched in revulsion.

ā€œThen, clearly, DI Cooper, you havenā€™t cared for anyone. I know this would ruin Catherineā€™s life if we were found out, but I canā€™t stop myself. Sheā€™s the only thing left of Emily that hasnā€™t walked away from me. Iā€™m not letting go so easily,ā€ Jack told us sincerely, begging me especially.

I couldnā€™t help them now.

ā€œI think weā€™re done here. Interview terminated at six forty-five.ā€ Finlay switched off the recording and huffed. The solicitor was already on her feet.

ā€œYouā€™re free to go, Jack,ā€ I broke the news, seeing relief written all over his aged face. He didnā€™t know what to say, sore from being accused of a crime he didnā€™t commit. His footsteps followed his solicitor out of the interviewing room, leaving Finlay and me in stone-cold silence.

ā€œTrauma bond, in a way. Your instincts were right though, he was sketchy,ā€ I assured Finlay. He sat frozen in place, tensing all of his muscles. A blood vessel stood out on his blotched forehead, willing itself to explode.

18

A pit of fire raged in my stomach. Not at Jack Harper, who had squirmed his way out of my grasp, oh no. But the fact that McCall didnā€™t debrief me or share her uncovered information. I looked like a fool during that interview, and it was all caught

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