J & P Book 3 - Please Don't Leave Me

Chapter 11

Deny stood at the side of the room, eyes fixed firmly on his stepsister. She looked vulnerable as ever, desperate, scared. All emotions that he could relate to, but he wasn't a man for displaying his emotions. He kept them to himself.

"The weekend has come and gone, and there is still no sign of our beautiful little boy, Andrew," she said, camera flashes in front of her lighting up her green eyes. "My husband and I, and all of Andrew's family, we are at our wits end. Please, ask yourself if you've noticed anything unusual. Here is a picture of him. He's four years old, very nearly five. He only started school last week. We want him home safe."

Patrick was by her side, his hand on her arm, supportively. Deny looked at him. He knew what Patrick was going through each time they made one of these appeals. He knew the public were quietly accusing Patrick in connection with the disappearance. It wasn't a nice position to be in. Deny knew that Patrick had nothing to do with it, same as he knew Jenny didn't. Deny liked Patrick. He was a good guy. He was exactly the sort of guy that Jenny needed. And yes, he was a bit stuck-up at times, and had the tendency to come across as if he thought he was better than everyone else, but he'd been a good husband to Jenny, and he'd looked after her better than her previous two loser boyfriends had.

The filming was finished and Jenny and Patrick started to make their way back to the room where he was standing. He made eye contact with Jenny as she approached. She looked exhausted, as did Patrick. Both of them looked as if they were at breaking point.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked.

Jenny nodded. "It's been a long day, what with this, and the prison this morning. I just want to get home now."

Patrick followed behind her, nodding also. "Yes, we should get home. Thanks, Deny." He put his hand in Jenny's hand and squeezed it gently. Deny looked again at Jenny. She looked haunted. She didn't look as relaxed in Patrick's company as she normally did. There was definitely some sort of tension between the two.

Patrick wandered off to let the officers know they were heading home, and Deny took the opportunity to check Jenny was okay.

"Are things okay between you two?" he asked.

"Things are not okay full stop," Jenny sighed, "But between me and Patrick? That's all fine. Why do you ask?"

Deny looked at her, knowing she was lying. "Little lie lines, Jen. You know you can't lie to me." It was the truth. For example, he'd known about her feelings for Williams long before she'd admitted them to herself.

Jenny looked sulkily at him. "I'm sure it's nothing that won't sort when Andrew is home. It's been such a stressful time for both of us."

"I'm sure," agreed Deny, as Patrick returned. But there was definitely something about the dynamics between his step-sister and her husband that he didn't like.

***

"You spoke to Jenny recently?" Deny grunted to his sister, as he walked into her flat later that evening. He'd been home for tea, but Yolana was busy this evening, and he'd been driving himself mad thinking about Jenny's situation.

"Hello, Becky. How are you doing?" spat Becky, who clearly didn't appreciate his bluntness. She should have been used to it by now.

"I'm concerned," he said. "Something's not right between her and Patrick. Something's different since a couple of days ago. Something's happened."

Becky went white, and Deny walked towards her.

"You know something," he said, furrowing his brow.