Page 40 of Dream a Little Dream

Kenny scrubbed a hand down his face. “Where did they send him?”

“I don’t know. And if I did, you know I can’t tell you that.”

“He’s going to be so messed up.” Kenny reached for his cigarette, relighting it.

Jack waited a beat. “How messed up?”

“Depends on what he saw.” Kenny took a drag, blew it out. “What he was part of. How he was treated.”

“From what I gathered from the clinical reports, he was treated with care. Kindness. The perfect upbringing. You saw all the birthday stuff around the house. He was her little prince.Unlike the poor girl.” Jack glanced up and Kenny closed his eyes, shutting out the images, so Jack plucked the cigarette from him. “You need to stop thinking about it. It’s over. I’m sorry we couldn’t pin Jessica on them.”

Kenny took the cigarette back, flicked the ash into the tray, then inhaled a drag.

Jack sighed. “What’s his likely outcome, then?” He was appeasing him. Making him stop thinking about Jessica. But he never could. Never would. Not until he’d caught the person(s) responsible.

So he did what he could and got into other people’s minds to block out his own.

“Best-case scenario is if he gets a decent, stable foster family who helps and supports him, if he has therapy,extensivetherapy, a school that nurtures him, understands him, then he could turn out okay. He’ll have scars for life, of course. But he could be capable of a top tier career. Her intelligence is off the charts. So he’ll have that going for him. Especially if she nurtured it from a young age. Was he kept in the cupboard all the time?”

“Not according to the statement. He had what he believes is a normal childhood. Loves his mum.”

“Fuck.” Kenny bolted upright.

“What?”

“He won’t have seen the arrest as a rescue.”

“What does that mean?”

“If he refuses to believe what happened under his nose, he could harbour deep resentment for the authorities who ripped his world apart. He could be a ticking time bomb.”

“I’m sure he’ll get everything he needs and will turn out just fine.” Jack plucked the cigarette from Kenny’s fingers, leaned across him to stub it out in the ashtray, then kissed him. “They will kill you.”

CHapter ten

Smells Like Teen Spirit

Present day

Monday, Aaron knocked on Rahul’s door. No answer.

Tuesday, he knocked again. No answer.

Wednesday, he pushed a piece of paper under the door with his number on it. Then went to his first pole dancing session. He learned he had another talent. And when he returned buzzing, there wasn’t any message from Rahul. Nor any delightful meal to come home to. He ate someone else’s frozen pizza.

Thursday, he looked up BSc Engineering timetable and waited outside one of the first year core lectures. Rahul didn’t come out. And no one Aaron asked even knew who he was.

Friday, he’d had enough, decided he didn’t care all that much and passed Rahul’s closed door without so much as a second glance.

He’d just have to go hungry.

He knew he was fixating on the shy kid to get his mind offotherthings. Such as Dr Kenneth Lyons. When he’d applied to this course, thisuniversity, he’d known the doc was a major player here. Associate professor on the very course he signed up for. One of the main reasons for him to be here. So he could look him in the eye. Learn from him. Learnabouthim. To ask him all those questions burning on his tongue. He’d never, not in a million years, thought he would becomeobsessedwith him.

To take his mind off the potential implosion of that revelation, he focused on Rahul.

But Rahul wasn’t there.

In the kitchen, he toasted some bread that wasn’t his, and searched the cupboards for something to have with it. Most of the arseholes he shared this flat and kitchen with had padlocked their cupboards, but one was open and the only thing in there was a jar of Marmite. He fucking hated marmite. But hated dry toast more, so scraped some over his sliced half and half.

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