so good, but don’t go too far, because that’s no good, and people may get hurt. Idon’t think Miss Ferrier would want to come anyway.’
‘I’m going to ask her,’ I said.
‘You know I like you to make your own decisions and take responsibility for them,’ my mum said. ‘But I think you’re asking for trouble this time. Mrs Joseph may seem easy-going and all that, but that could just be a front, she could be hurting up inside and putting on a brave face, and bringing her face to face with the mother of her husband’s killer could make her really emotional, Jackson. I’m not sure about it. Be careful.’
‘How about if I ask Mrs Joseph first? If Mrs Joseph’s cool with it then I’ll ask Miss Ferrier.’ I was determined to convince my mum.
She came back into the room and sat back on her seat, holding her mug of tea with both hands.
‘I don’t see the point,’ she said eventually.
‘I do,’ I said. ‘Miss Ferrier has done nothing to Mrs Joseph and Mrs Joseph knows that. Mrs Joseph is a very compassionate and caring woman, and if she knew all that Miss Ferrier has been through she would be the first to show her some understanding. She wouldn’t think of her as a horrible woman like some people do. And if Miss Ferrier knew Mrs Joseph, she would probably really look up to her. She needs to see strong positive women, she needs role models. If they decide to meet not much can go wrong. If they don’t get on with each other they’ll just say goodnight and that’s it, but if they do get on it willbe a great example of how good can come from bad.’
‘You’ve got it all worked out,’ said my mother. ‘And how’s this going to help your case? I thought your case was finished. Closed?’
‘No, I haven’t got it all worked out. I have a lot worked out but like any good detective I’m always looking for clues. And anyway, it may help, you know, bringing people together. I think I still have some way to go.’
The next day I rang Mrs Joseph and put the idea to her.
‘Mrs Joseph, you know you’re coming to our house on Friday?’
‘Yes.’
‘Well, I had this idea.’
‘Yes.’
‘If you think it’s a stupid idea just tell me.’
‘Yes.’
‘It’s just an idea, right?’
‘Yes.’
‘Well, would you mind if I invited Miss Ferrier round as well?
There was a long silence. Then when Mrs Joseph spoke she spoke very slowly.
‘Do you mean Lionel’s mum?
‘Yes,’ I said very, very nervously.
There was a long silence. I could hear her thinking.And then the phone went dead. I couldn’t believe it; she had put the phone down on me. I had managed to upset my detective partner, I had lost her confidence and friendship. I wanted to call her back and apologise but I wasn’t sure if that would make things worse. I wanted to tell my mother but I could hear her saying ‘I told you so’. I sat still, trying to imagine how she was feeling and getting angry with myself for going over the line. An hour after she put the phone down on me my phone rang. I could see on the display that it was Mrs Joseph and for a moment I thought that maybe I shouldn’t answer it. I wasn’t sure if I could take a telling-off from her, but I also thought it would be disrespectful if I ignored her. I answered.
‘Hello.’
‘Hello, Jackson. It’s me, Mary, Mrs Joseph.’
‘Hi, I’m really sorry, it was a stupid idea.’
‘Don’t be sorry, and it wasn’t a stupid idea. I’m just going through a rough time at the moment and it took me by surprise. It would have been our wedding anniversary today. That kind of thing brings back lots of memories.’
I struggled to find something else to say. Simply saying, ‘I’m very sorry, Mrs Joseph,’ didn’t feel adequate. But that was all I could say.
Mrs Joseph continued, ‘I have thought about it. At first it did sound rather crazy, but now I have to saythat I think it’s something I would like to do.’
I was liberated from my despair. I wanted to
‘I’m going to ask her,’ I said.
‘You know I like you to make your own decisions and take responsibility for them,’ my mum said. ‘But I think you’re asking for trouble this time. Mrs Joseph may seem easy-going and all that, but that could just be a front, she could be hurting up inside and putting on a brave face, and bringing her face to face with the mother of her husband’s killer could make her really emotional, Jackson. I’m not sure about it. Be careful.’
‘How about if I ask Mrs Joseph first? If Mrs Joseph’s cool with it then I’ll ask Miss Ferrier.’ I was determined to convince my mum.
She came back into the room and sat back on her seat, holding her mug of tea with both hands.
‘I don’t see the point,’ she said eventually.
‘I do,’ I said. ‘Miss Ferrier has done nothing to Mrs Joseph and Mrs Joseph knows that. Mrs Joseph is a very compassionate and caring woman, and if she knew all that Miss Ferrier has been through she would be the first to show her some understanding. She wouldn’t think of her as a horrible woman like some people do. And if Miss Ferrier knew Mrs Joseph, she would probably really look up to her. She needs to see strong positive women, she needs role models. If they decide to meet not much can go wrong. If they don’t get on with each other they’ll just say goodnight and that’s it, but if they do get on it willbe a great example of how good can come from bad.’
‘You’ve got it all worked out,’ said my mother. ‘And how’s this going to help your case? I thought your case was finished. Closed?’
‘No, I haven’t got it all worked out. I have a lot worked out but like any good detective I’m always looking for clues. And anyway, it may help, you know, bringing people together. I think I still have some way to go.’
The next day I rang Mrs Joseph and put the idea to her.
‘Mrs Joseph, you know you’re coming to our house on Friday?’
‘Yes.’
‘Well, I had this idea.’
‘Yes.’
‘If you think it’s a stupid idea just tell me.’
‘Yes.’
‘It’s just an idea, right?’
‘Yes.’
‘Well, would you mind if I invited Miss Ferrier round as well?
There was a long silence. Then when Mrs Joseph spoke she spoke very slowly.
‘Do you mean Lionel’s mum?
‘Yes,’ I said very, very nervously.
There was a long silence. I could hear her thinking.And then the phone went dead. I couldn’t believe it; she had put the phone down on me. I had managed to upset my detective partner, I had lost her confidence and friendship. I wanted to call her back and apologise but I wasn’t sure if that would make things worse. I wanted to tell my mother but I could hear her saying ‘I told you so’. I sat still, trying to imagine how she was feeling and getting angry with myself for going over the line. An hour after she put the phone down on me my phone rang. I could see on the display that it was Mrs Joseph and for a moment I thought that maybe I shouldn’t answer it. I wasn’t sure if I could take a telling-off from her, but I also thought it would be disrespectful if I ignored her. I answered.
‘Hello.’
‘Hello, Jackson. It’s me, Mary, Mrs Joseph.’
‘Hi, I’m really sorry, it was a stupid idea.’
‘Don’t be sorry, and it wasn’t a stupid idea. I’m just going through a rough time at the moment and it took me by surprise. It would have been our wedding anniversary today. That kind of thing brings back lots of memories.’
I struggled to find something else to say. Simply saying, ‘I’m very sorry, Mrs Joseph,’ didn’t feel adequate. But that was all I could say.
Mrs Joseph continued, ‘I have thought about it. At first it did sound rather crazy, but now I have to saythat I think it’s something I would like to do.’
I was liberated from my despair. I wanted to
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