Free The Revelation Room (The Ben Whittle Investigation Series Book 1) by Mark Tilbury

‘I’m telling
you so you understand how precious you are to me. What a miracle you are. I had
a massive haemorrhage, Ben. They told me not to have any more children. But I
wanted to. I wanted to give your father a child. I wanted to give Dominic a
little brother or sister. I wanted to show them all I wouldn’t be beaten.’
    Ben took a deep breath. ‘Jesus Christ.’
    Anne bit her lip. ‘So you take that locket and remember just
how precious you are. I know what people think of me. I know what they say.
They look at me and think I haven’t got a thought in my head. But I have. I’ve
got just as many thoughts in my head as anyone else.’
    ‘No one thinks that, Mum.’
    ‘Yes, they do. But do you know what? None of them know me.
Your father included. He thinks he does. Thinks he knows me upside down and
back to front. But I don’t let him in here.’ Anne tapped the side of her head.
    What was he supposed to say? Hey, Mum, good job on keeping
that a secret all these years?
    ‘I know your father’s never treated you right. Ordering you
around as soon as you could walk. Making you nervous. So I won’t make excuses
for him not wanting to talk about what happened to Dominic. It’s just the way
he is. He keeps it all in. Puts on this great big brave face and hides his
feelings behind that big bushy beard.’
    Ben laughed. ‘He didn’t hide his feelings if I did something
wrong.’
    ‘I know.’
    ‘He didn’t hide his feelings when he used to make me stand
outside for half the night if I messed up.’
     ‘He was just trying to teach you—’
    Ben snorted. ‘Teach me? Teach me what? How to freeze?’
    ‘How to be a good boy.’
    Ben looked away. ‘I wet my pants once when he shouted at
me.’
    Anne looked shocked. ‘When?’
    ‘One Christmas Eve when he caught me sneaking a look at my
presents under the tree. You went to bed early with a headache. He took me out
to the shed and told me that all my presents were going to the children’s home.
And then he told me I had to stay in the shed all night because Santa’s evil
twin was going to come and punish me.’
    Anne shook her head. ‘I’m so sorry, Ben. I didn’t know.’
    Ben bit his lip. ‘I was scared of him. I reckon he was the
reason I stuttered.’
    Anne didn’t answer. She looked out of the kitchen window for
a few moments before speaking. ‘He does love you.’
    ‘He has a funny way of showing it.’
    ‘I remember when I brought you home from the hospital. He
was so proud. He walked around with you in his arms, talking to you like you
were all grown-up.’
    ‘As if I’d have understood that.’
    Anne didn’t seem to hear him. ‘He took you out in the garden
one night, all wrapped up in a blanket. It was black as coal, and there were
lots of stars in the sky. He pointed up at the brightest star and told you it
was called the Star of Dominic. He said the Star of Dominic would always be up
there, shining bright and looking over you, protecting you. He said that the
Star of Dominic was your guiding light, and that no matter where you went, if
you ever got lost the Star of Dominic would show you the way home.’
    ‘Obviously I can’t remember that.’
    ‘You were such a beautiful baby. You never cried. You slept
through the night most nights. Sometimes I used to take you out of the crib at
night just to hold you in my arms. Babies have such a lovely smell, Ben.’
    ‘Yeah. Like dirty nappies and puke.’
    Anne ignored him. ‘It’s like love and talcum powder. Can you
imagine that? Love and talcum powder?’
    Ben shook his head.
    ‘You will one day. When you have children of your own. I
used to sit with you for hours in the rocking chair, just rocking back and
forth and watching you as you slept. Do you remember the rocking chair?’
    Ben didn’t.
    ‘It went to a charity shop when you were about nine or ten.
Your father said it was taking up too much room when we got the new bedroom
furniture. I wish I’d kept it now.’
    ‘Then you