Straight Back by David Menon Read Free Book Online

her dad might calm her down and make her more rational. If only Brian had been willing to be a responsible parent, perhaps none of this would’ve happened.
    “Why didn’t you start looking for her last night?” asked Arif. “Who made that decision?”
    “I did,” said Rebecca. “I didn’t want anyone protecting Sheridan if they recognised her. Because, let’s not forget here, that she murdered a stranger who was standing up for a man who Sheridan was abusing. Let’s not forget that, with all due respect.”
    “I think you’d better leave,” said Arif. He was holding Ellie as she sobbed.
    “Where are your other children?” asked Ollie.
    “Both Paige and our son Tariq are with their grandmother, Ellie’s mother, in Ashton-under-Lyme. Paige, as you can imagine, is distraught about the death of her sister and about the circumstances surrounding her death.”
    “You’ll pay,” said Ellie.
    “Sorry?” said Rebecca.
    “Your decision led to the death of my daughter and you will pay for that,” Ellie warned. “I’ll make sure of it.”
     
    Jeff Barton was tucking into his breakfast on the flight from Hong Kong to Manchester. He’d opted for the ‘English’ breakfast but immediately wished he hadn’t. The sausages tasted of nothing, the bacon was as dry as sticks, and the scrambled eggs were okay but not exactly moist. His son, Toby, had gone for the Chinese breakfast of three different types of dim sum and was very proudly sitting there, eating it using his chopsticks. It made Jeff smile. He loved the bones of his son. Nothing and no-one would ever come between them. 
    ‘Daddy?” Toby asked.
    “Yes, mate?”
    “Do you think Brendan will cook dim sum for my breakfast when we get home?”
    “Well, we can ask him,” said Jeff. He’d given Brendan, their live-in housekeeper and male nanny some time off whilst they’d been away but he was due back to the house later on today. “He could go with your grandma to the Chinese supermarket to get them. I don’t think they’re that difficult to cook.”
    “Or Grandma could bring them for him when she comes to see us?”
    “Yes, I suppose she could,” said Jeff. “I don’t think she’d mind.”
    Jeff and his son were returning to the UK by themselves. Jeff’s late wife’s parents, with whom they’d travelled out, were staying on in China for another week. They’d had a wonderful holiday. Jeff took great delight seeing Toby soaking up his late mother, Lillie Mae’s, Chinese heritage and he was determined that he would always do so. Lillie Mae’s mother, Cynthia, had talked with Jeff at great length one evening. She said that she and her husband would completely understand if Jeff met someone else and wanted his life to move on. All they asked was that he’d maintain contact with them and never allow Toby to forget his Chinese heritage. Jeff had reassured her on both counts.
    Jeff did want to finally move on with his own personal life. He’d done a lot of thinking whilst he’d been away and now understood that Rebecca Stockton could be the new woman for him. He’d treated her badly. He’d led her up the garden path and then closed the door on any future relationship. But he’d been wrong. He knew that now. So, when he got back, he was going to try and make it up with Rebecca and see if she would give him one more chance. 
    Shortly after takeoff from Hong Kong, they’d lifted the armrest between their two seats, Toby being by the window and Jeff being on the aisle, and Toby had snuggled up to his dad whilst they watched a film and played some games on the small seatback video screens. Then they’d both dropped off and now, as the map on the screen was showing them, they were flying over Hamburg, Germany, before crossing the North Sea and beginning the descent into Manchester. Just another hour or so and they’d be home and Jeff was looking forward to finding out what had been going on in his