Many thanks to Gabi
 
Chapter 2
 
“We’re going to be at the cottage for an hour or so, why don’t you follow us back there?” Richard suggested to the Police Officer.

A minute later they were all piling through the doorway as it started snowing. Angela and Tammy went to the kitchen while their parents sat in the living room with the officer.

Joan grasped Richard’s hand as they stared at the Constable,. “what’s happened?”

The officer spoke slowly and quietly, “Your husband was found in his cell this morning with severe injuries to his wrists. He was taken to the Infirmary where he was declared deceased. I’m very sorry.”

“How, why?” Despite the divorce and the assaults Joan still felt something for her daughter’s father.

“We don’t know; there will be an inquest, of course. You will need to collect the death certificate from the hospital, I'm told they have already carried out a PM.”

“Wasn't my authority needed?”

Richard answered, “obviously not, probably because of the divorce proceedings.”

The officer’s radio beeped, he obviously heard something in his earpiece as he stood up after uttering “Tango Victor received, ETA ten minutes.”

“Madam, Sir, if you’ll excuse me.”

Angela and Tammy returned from the kitchen with a pot of coffee as the front door closed, a blast of cold air entering the room.

Angela put the tray down before she saw her mother’s face.

“Mum, what is it? Oh no!”

“Angela, sit down, you too, Tammy.” That was Richard. Joan was in floods of tears, having broken. Richard took over as he hugged Joan.

“Angela, you father died earlier today, we don’t know the circumstances but it looks like he took his own life.”

Angela just stared at him. Her face was one of anger then of distress. Tammy put her arm around Angela and pulled her tight. Words didn’t seem to matter at that juncture.

Joan held on to Richard’s hand, as tightly as she could manage. Angela straightened her back, Tammy releasing her from the bear hug. Both Tammy and Richard pulled tissues from a box on the coffee table and wiped the eyes of both mother and daughter.

It was minutes before another word was spoken.

“Why, why, why—?”

Richard spoke softly, “Joan, we don’t know and we might never know the real answer. Let’s just take this one step at a time. First, we need that certificate, next we phone your solicitor, then we go over to the house and I’ll fax it.”

“Don’t leave me.”

“I won’t, if you don’t want me to. Tammy, can you call Elsie and let her know?”

“Yes, Dad. Angela, can you come out to the kitchen with me?”

Tammy picked up the tray with the cold coffee pot and carried it out, Angela in tow. Angela was still visibly shaken, as was to be expected, but was handling it better than her mother. Tammy asked Angela to boil the kettle again, partly because caffeine was needed by everyone and partly because Angela needed a distraction.

“Elsie?”

Tammy explained what she knew, Elsie immediately became business like and tried to take over but Tammy warned her off.

“My Dad’s handling this right now, I don’t think Joan would accept anyone else.”

“Okay. I’ll send the groundsman over, he’s in the kitchen having a mug of tea right now. I’ll also ring the school and Dr Hoskins.”

“Right, thanks.”

Tammy took two fresh mugs of coffee into the living room but left hers and Angela’s in the kitchen. Right now their parents needed each-other. Ten minutes later the sound of a diesel Land Rover was heard outside, followed by the horn. Tammy grabbed her coat, then grabbed Angela, before heading out of the door.

Behind them, Joan was still gripping Richard, but she’d stopped crying.

It was snowing harder but not settling so Tammy could worry about Angela and not the road. Their driver—Ben he’d called himself—was obviously an experienced driver, that helped Tammy too, sat in the back of the 4x4.

Angela was quiet—too quiet. Tammy gripped her hand and tried to encourage her to say something, anything.

“Angela, I know you didn’t get on with your Dad but he was your father and I know deep down he cared for you.”

“How could you know that?” Angela spat the words out. At least she was now talking, thought Tammy.

“All fathers care for their children, they just can’t always show it. Mothers can be just the same.”

“So?”

“Look, forget what I just said, if that’s easier. I know you’re bottling it all up and when it comes out it will hurt, real bad. So let it all out now.”

“I don’t have anything to say, and I don’t know why you dragged me out. I want to go home.”

“We have to do this, and I think you need to be there.”

“Why?”

“Trust me, I think they will need a family member.”

“Who will, to do what?”

“To collect the death certificate.”

“No! No! No!”

Their driver looked back at Tammy briefly, as they paused at a junction but Tammy waved him on.

“Angela, we have to, nothing else can happen until we’ve done it.”

“I won’t.”

“We will.”

“What’s it got to do with you, who put you in charge?”

“No-one, I’m just the one who’s trying to help you.”

“I don’t need any help.”

“I’d like a second opinion on that.”

“You’d what?”

“Never mind. I care about you, I really do, but there are some practicalities here. We need that piece of paper, at least three copies if I remember right.”

Angela released herself from Tammy and folded her arms. She remained like that as Ben drove into the hospital car park and stopped outside the main entrance.

Tammy pulled a reluctant Angela from the back of the vehicle and dragged her through the automatic doors, into the warm reception area.

After asking a few questions they were directed to the nurse’s station at the A&E entrance where they were asked to wait for a doctor. They were still waiting fifteen minutes later.

“Hello Tammy, Angela. I was expecting you in Out Patients and just saw you disappear in this direction. what are you doing here?”

“Oh, hi Jill,” Tammy was not enthusiastic. Dr Jill Davison did not need to be a psychologist to sense trouble. She sat next to Tammy. “What’s wrong?”

Angela did not appreciate that question so broke down again. Tammy did what she could to help her kindred spirit but couldn’t stop Angela from crying, her face buried in her hands. Neither of the girls saw a white-coated doctor arrive with the black bordered certificates.

Jill quickly stood to speak to the doctor before taking the death certificates from him. She sat and waited for Angela to wipe her eyes.

“Angela, I’m sorry, I just didn’t know.”

“Jill, it’s okay,” Tammy answered for the girl.

“Tammy, do you need a hand with anything?”

“No, we have it organised, for now.”

“Can I come and see you both a bit later?”

“Sure, we’re at Angela and Joan’s cottage, probably for a few hours more. I just need to get back to the house to fax one of those.” She pointed at the sheets in Jill’s hand.

“Oh, sorry. Hang on, I’ll be back in a mo.”

Dr Davison headed behind the nurses’ station and returned with a large envelope, inserting the certificates.

She handed the envelope to Tammy and shooed her and Angela towards the main entrance. Ben had moved the Land Rover from the ‘Drop Off’ area but had kept the engine running, the lights and sound of the diesel engine made it easy to find. Emotionally drained, they boarded their transport.