the situation doesn’t help.’
‘Me being back you mean?’
She nodded. ‘We knew it wouldn’t be easy. Today it was just something and nothing. He decided to come with me at the last minute and then wasn’t ready, but he’s been difficult for a while.’ She looked at me. ‘What did you say to him the other day?’
‘I told him about my past and that ex-addicts can never be really sure they’re cured.’
‘Did that satisfy him?’
I shook my head. ‘Not really. He’s got the idea someone might have wanted to harm Dad because of the Briomab drug scandal.’
She gave a small snort. ‘Oh my God, not a conspiracy theory.’
A flash of resentment. Couldn’t she see how important it was not to make light of Tom’s suggestions? I took a deep breath, trying to keep my voice even. ‘I have to take his ideas seriously, Alice.’
When she didn’t speak I picked up my coffee mug and drank a long drink. I didn’t want to argue with her, but I remembered how determined Tommy had always been and I was sure I was right in this. Alice shifted in her seat. ‘So what are you going to do?’
‘Talk to Matt and to Lorna first of all.’
‘Just be careful, will you. You’re both under enormous strain.’ She glanced up at the house again. ‘He still feels guilty because he wasn’t there and you must be finding things so difficult too.’ She laid her hand on my arm. ‘But I’ll help all I can, of course.’
She looked close to tears and I put my hand over hers. ‘I’m sorry. You’re getting all the flak and it’s not fair.’
‘I’ll cope. Just do me a favour and try to enjoy your time together rather than focusing too much on the past. That’s the best way you can help Tom, in my opinion.’
I smiled at her. ‘OK, doc, as long as you try to enjoy yourself a bit more too. Which reminds me, what about that latest man of yours – Duncan – how are things with him?’
‘I told you he wanted to go back to Australia eventually,’ she said. ‘Well he did – a few months ago.’
‘Oh, Alice, you didn’t tell me. Did he ask you to go with him?’
Her hand clenched under mine. ‘Yes, or to follow him out later, but I said no because it wouldn’t be fair to keep him hanging on indefinitely.’
‘And you said no because …’ I jerked my head towards the house.
She looked at me, her blue eyes bright. ‘I didn’t want to go.’ Her voice dropped to a whisper. ‘Yes, it was partly Tom, of course, but … I just didn’t want to go – couldn’t have felt that much for Duncan after all I suppose.’
I knew she had been thinking of me as well as Tom. I squeezed her hand, but could only swallow on the words I should have said.
There was a sound overhead and we looked up. Tom was at an open window. ‘Come up, Mum. I want to show you something.’
Alice smiled and picked up her mug. ‘Go on, I’m OK.’
Upstairs, Tom was hunched over the computer again. He turned to me with gleaming eyes. ‘Look at all this stuff about Granddad.’
There were loads of references to Dad and to his company: Parnell Pharmaceuticals. Most of them related to the suspicions that some data about a new arthritis drug had been falsified. I knew all this, of course, – the drug was implicated in making certain forms of cancer more aggressive. There were pay-outs, but it was never proved that the company had done anything wrong.
‘Yes, it was a horrible time for Granddad. He wasn’t involved with the testing data, but he felt bad, even though we still don’t know if the medicine was to blame or if any of the data was faked.’
‘It’s worth looking into though, Mum. It says here that the directors got threats.’ I bit my lip. If only his theory could be remotely possible. ‘If they wanted to drug you then they must have had someone at the reception. We should check everyone, even the catering people.’ His face was very pink and I could feel the heat coming from him. I wanted so much to hug him, but
‘Me being back you mean?’
She nodded. ‘We knew it wouldn’t be easy. Today it was just something and nothing. He decided to come with me at the last minute and then wasn’t ready, but he’s been difficult for a while.’ She looked at me. ‘What did you say to him the other day?’
‘I told him about my past and that ex-addicts can never be really sure they’re cured.’
‘Did that satisfy him?’
I shook my head. ‘Not really. He’s got the idea someone might have wanted to harm Dad because of the Briomab drug scandal.’
She gave a small snort. ‘Oh my God, not a conspiracy theory.’
A flash of resentment. Couldn’t she see how important it was not to make light of Tom’s suggestions? I took a deep breath, trying to keep my voice even. ‘I have to take his ideas seriously, Alice.’
When she didn’t speak I picked up my coffee mug and drank a long drink. I didn’t want to argue with her, but I remembered how determined Tommy had always been and I was sure I was right in this. Alice shifted in her seat. ‘So what are you going to do?’
‘Talk to Matt and to Lorna first of all.’
‘Just be careful, will you. You’re both under enormous strain.’ She glanced up at the house again. ‘He still feels guilty because he wasn’t there and you must be finding things so difficult too.’ She laid her hand on my arm. ‘But I’ll help all I can, of course.’
She looked close to tears and I put my hand over hers. ‘I’m sorry. You’re getting all the flak and it’s not fair.’
‘I’ll cope. Just do me a favour and try to enjoy your time together rather than focusing too much on the past. That’s the best way you can help Tom, in my opinion.’
I smiled at her. ‘OK, doc, as long as you try to enjoy yourself a bit more too. Which reminds me, what about that latest man of yours – Duncan – how are things with him?’
‘I told you he wanted to go back to Australia eventually,’ she said. ‘Well he did – a few months ago.’
‘Oh, Alice, you didn’t tell me. Did he ask you to go with him?’
Her hand clenched under mine. ‘Yes, or to follow him out later, but I said no because it wouldn’t be fair to keep him hanging on indefinitely.’
‘And you said no because …’ I jerked my head towards the house.
She looked at me, her blue eyes bright. ‘I didn’t want to go.’ Her voice dropped to a whisper. ‘Yes, it was partly Tom, of course, but … I just didn’t want to go – couldn’t have felt that much for Duncan after all I suppose.’
I knew she had been thinking of me as well as Tom. I squeezed her hand, but could only swallow on the words I should have said.
There was a sound overhead and we looked up. Tom was at an open window. ‘Come up, Mum. I want to show you something.’
Alice smiled and picked up her mug. ‘Go on, I’m OK.’
Upstairs, Tom was hunched over the computer again. He turned to me with gleaming eyes. ‘Look at all this stuff about Granddad.’
There were loads of references to Dad and to his company: Parnell Pharmaceuticals. Most of them related to the suspicions that some data about a new arthritis drug had been falsified. I knew all this, of course, – the drug was implicated in making certain forms of cancer more aggressive. There were pay-outs, but it was never proved that the company had done anything wrong.
‘Yes, it was a horrible time for Granddad. He wasn’t involved with the testing data, but he felt bad, even though we still don’t know if the medicine was to blame or if any of the data was faked.’
‘It’s worth looking into though, Mum. It says here that the directors got threats.’ I bit my lip. If only his theory could be remotely possible. ‘If they wanted to drug you then they must have had someone at the reception. We should check everyone, even the catering people.’ His face was very pink and I could feel the heat coming from him. I wanted so much to hug him, but
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