Page 29

Out in the hall, he hears the snick of a key, the rattle of the door latch. If Tilly’s already home, and Erin just left for the print shop, it must be Max. Joseph slides the wallet back intohis pocket. He grips the wash basin, takes five long breaths. Then he unlocks the cloakroom door.
The hallway is deserted, as is the kitchen. Through the bifold doors he sees Tilly and Drew carrying their smoothies across the garden. As they set up their loungers, Drew throws Tilly furtive looks. She seems spooked, as if she knows she just messed up and is wondering if she got away with it.
Joseph returns to the hall and creeps up the stairs. He pauses outside his son’s room, gathers himself. The door is closed but not fully. He gives it a gentle push.
Max is hunched over on his chair, muttering to himself in an urgent, animated tone. His words are indistinct but the emotion in them is clear. He sounds wretched, distraught. When he notices Joseph, he lurches off his seat, so violently that he nearly collides with his desk. Tear tracks glisten on his cheeks.
‘Dad,’ he says, dragging his shirtsleeve across his face. ‘You scared the hell out of me.’
Joseph stares at his son, trying to reconcile himself with what he’s seeing. ‘What,’ he says, ‘the fuck,’ he continues, ‘is going on?’
Max flinches as if he’s just been struck. ‘What’re you talking about?’
‘What am I talking about? How about you start by telling me where you’ve been this morning, and what you’ve been doing? I woke up and you’d disappeared.’
‘I went out.’
‘No shit. Where?’
‘To the hospital.’
Joseph baulks. ‘Thehospital?’
‘Mealtime support,’ Max says. He raises his hands as if in surrender. ‘My old volunteering role. I called them yesterday, arranged it. I just … I just wanted to do something positive, you know? Start paying back.’
‘And you thought now was a good time for that?’
The boy opens his mouth, blinks hard. ‘I didn’t think it wasn’t.’
‘Maybe you weren’t thinking at all. Why didn’t you tell me?’
‘I don’t know. I …’ He shrugs, swallows. ‘I don’t know.’
‘Honestly, you’re really starting to worry me, here, Max. I’m beginning to doubt your judgement.’
‘Dad,’ the boy says. He looks frightened, confused even – and, somehow, small. ‘Other than doing a volunteer shift at the hospital, and forgetting to mention it, what exactly do you think I’ve done wrong?’
Joseph opens and closes his mouth. Half of him wants to put his arms around his son. The other half wants to shake some sense into him. ‘Have you spoken to anyone? About what we’re trying to deal with?’
‘Of course not.’
‘Really? You didn’t tell Drew? You didn’t tell her what happened in Jack-O’-Lantern Woods? That I’m helping you toburythis guy?’
The boy licks his lips. ‘No, I—’
‘Max, you fucking schoolboy!’ Joseph hisses, slapping the doorframe in frustration. ‘She justtoldme.’ He shakes his head in disbelief. ‘Apparently, she thinks – and these are her exact words, by the way, which is just fantastic – “it’s really brave”. I mean, is there— Do youwantus to go to prison?’
Max’s holds his father’s gaze a moment longer. Then he goes to the bed and slumps down on it. ‘She shouldn’t have said that.’
‘Maybe, just maybe, you shouldn’t have told her.’
‘I’m sorry. It won’t happen again. I promise you.’
‘You do realize that both our futures might now depend on whether Drew knows how to keep her mouth shut?’
Max runs his hands through his hair. ‘She won’t say anything.’
‘Well, I’m delighted you’re so confident. She’s certainly made an excellent start.’