I'll keep you safe

Chapter 144

"How could he do that?"

It was a question Rachel didn't have the answer to. But it was one she wanted the answer to as well. How could Earl do something like this? Why? Letting his little brother take the blame, and not just for something stupid, for the possession of a gun! Denzil had gone to prison when he was innocent. It was wrong.

"I don't know, Rose"

If she was honest, Rachel had a lot of questions for Earl. She wanted to know why he'd killed those birds. She wanted to know why he'd made his own brother take his gun and hide in the school, leading the innocent eleven year old to be arrested. She wanted to know why he'd killed Maxine. Why had he done all these things? One teenage boy had caused so much hurt, chaos and grief. And what for?

She thought back to her first day back at Waterloo Road when the Kelly's had first arrived. She had asked Earl who he was. "Your worst nightmare" had been his response. He had turned into just that. First Stuart, now him.

She wanted to support Rose and reassure her, but she didn't know how. It was bad enough that her son had murdered his girlfriend. But to find out that he had also manipulated his little brother into taking a gun and going to prison for him? That was something else. This was a situation Rachel had never thought she would experience. She was sure Rose felt the same.

"How could he do that to his own brother? And what does that say about me? That I brought him up to do something like that?" Rose sobbed

Rachel sighed. She was lost for words.

"They should just lock me away as well; it's the best place for me. Well away from my other kids, where I can't hurt them anymore!"

Rachel placed a hand on the other woman's arm.

"No, Rose, you've got that wrong. All your children need you"

"Bit late for that" Rose grumbled

"It's not all so bad, Rose. Denzil is innocent. We've got a chance of getting him out" Rachel pointed out

Rose nodded quietly.

"I'm going to speak to Paul and Bolton. Paul is on board to make a statement; I just need to talk to Bolton. Alright?"

"Ok"

"Why don't you go and see Marley and Sam and let them know what's happening? I'll come and see you in a bit" Rachel suggested

Rose nodded again, leaving the office.

When the door had closed, Rachel rummaged around in her desk drawer, finding the number for the LEA legal officer. That was the next thing on her to-do list. She needed to get as much information as she could about what Paul and Bolton (if she could persuade him) needed to do next.

As she typed the number into the phone, her eyes fell on the clock on the wall above the door. It was already 2:15pm. She hadn't done any of the things she needed to do. She hadn't even started to plan or write the report for the new Head Teacher. It was an hour until the end of the school day, and it felt like her day was only just beginning. If she wasn't feeling so unwell, she would have cancelled her Doctor's appointment this evening so she could stay in her office till late. But she couldn't. Eddie would be even more frustrated with her than he was already. So she would be taking work home with her tonight. But it didn't matter, as long as this situation was resolved and she could leave with a clean slate, it would be worth it.

...

From the minute Eddie had stepped into the cooler, Bolton hadn't said a word. They had sat in silence for the last hour. Even when Paul had entered the room thirty minutes ago, Bolton hadn't said anything. Eddie was a little confused as to why he was there when he was supposed to be with Rachel. According to Paul, Rachel had sent him to the cooler to wait. Eddie figured she knew what she was doing, so he had taken Paul's word for it.