"Debbie! Please let me in. I have something I need to tell you. Please it is important."
Cameron had been stood outside half an hour or more in the bitter cold, ignoring the blatant glares and flying accusations from the passing villagers, he shouted loudly through her letterbox and continuously rang the front door bell. He knew she was inside. He had been outside most of the morning, having spent the night in his van, he had seen her returning from the shops, but Cain and Charity had been with her then, so he had waited albeit impatiently until Charity had left with Sarah and baby Jack heading up the hill towards the park and Cain left shortly afterwards on one of his unscheduled business opportunities in one of the garages collection vans.
"Get lost Cameron. She doesn't want to see you."
That voice sounded vaguely familiar, but it couldn't be whom he was thinking. The owner of that voice happened to be in France with his rugby star boyfriend, on the run from the English law, or at least he had been for the last six months. It would be beyond crazy for him to return to the village even for family, especially as he was still in Cain's bad books because he covered for Adam. Cameron didn't think even Aaron would be that stupid.
"Aa…Aaron? But apparently he was wrong. He stepped back as the front door opened wide enough for the ever slender mechanic to slide through. What are you doing here?"
"Really? You can't work that out?"
He drawled sarcastically, struggling to keep his tone even, his fists clenching deliberately as he focused every fibre of his being on supressing the urge to pound every inch of Cameron's body he could make contact with, but instead by making use of one of his therapy coping tools, he pushed down his anger and focused on controlling his breathing.
"You shouldn't be here. Does your mum know you are in the country?"
"Not yet, but I have been to see the police."
"You can't have. That is a suicide mission."
"No it's not. I told Cain the truth and he dropped the charges. That is what we do for family."
He was pleased to see that Cameron looked suitably ashamed.
"When did you get here then?"
"End of last week, but as you pointed out I have had a lot to deal with. How is my mam?"
"Honestly? She is different."
"What did you expect?"
"She is resolute about accepting her fate."
"And what do you think that will be?"
He flinched under Aaron's intimidating gaze.
"She has pleaded guilty."
He mumbled nervously.
"And is she?"
He stumbled backwards as Aaron loomed in his face menacingly.
"She hit him over the head with a brick."
He spoke each word defiantly.
"I don't doubt that, but he did force himself on her. The thing I do doubt though Cameron is my mum as a killer, especially as we are talking about Carl King. Now if you had said Cain or even Zack I would have agreed, but not my mam. You see she loved that pathetic excuse of a human being, right to the end."
He spat those last words venomously, looking him straight in the eyes.
"He was blackmailing us."
He muttered almost inaudibly, the anger evident in his eyes.
"And you couldn't let him get away with that?"
"Thirty grand she gave him and still he tried…"
"So you followed them that night?"
"Yeah I saw him. His hands all over her, fighting and groping, holding her down. She struggled beneath him. She kicked him in the nuts, but he clung onto her tighter. That brick was the only thing within her reach."
"But you didn't step in?"
"I was going to when I heard her begging him…Aaron felt the anger rising inside him, his fists automatically clenching at his side. But then she wacked him, hard too. I saw him fall. She didn't, she just ran, as fast as she could away from the scene, away from him."
"What did you do then?"
"I saw him trying to get up. He was bleeding heavily, but she hadn't done that much damage, he could still move."
Neither of them heard Debbie opening the front door.
"What did you do?"
Aaron probed.
"I watched him sitting there, blood pouring from the wound in his head. I pulled on my leather work gloves, with it being winter I had them in my jacket pocket. I picked up the brick. Your mum had thrown it aside as she ran away."
"And then?"
Debbie felt her breath catch in her chest.
"I hit him. Once, twice, three times maybe, until he was still at my feet."
"I…Iii…it was you. You killed him."
Debbie trembled involuntarily as she spoke. She stepped away from him, the anger and hatred in his eyes was so alien to her. He was no longer the man she had first fallen in love with.
"I did it for Chaz. For your mum."
"You need to own up. You killed him in cold blood. You can't leave my mum thinking it was her."
Debbie wandered back inside, closing the door soundlessly on the pair of them. Her mind was swimming with all she had just heard.
"I'm not….I won't. I have sent a confession written and videoed to the necessary authorities. I needed to see you. He shouted through the letterbox. Before they came."
In the distance as she looked through her front window, Debbie could see the flashing lights and hear the blaring sirens as they screeched through the village.
"You have really confessed?"
Aaron could hardly believe his own eyes.
"Yeah. Your mum will be released as soon as they have seen the confession. Cameron inclined his head towards the police officers climbing out of the patrol car which had just pulled up front. And don't worry there are no surprises. He smiled reassuringly. I have taken full responsibility."
"You've got guts. I'll give you that."
Aaron almost managed a smile despite the grimness of the situation.
"Yeah well like it or not for a time I loved her. I am sorry for how it happened. We…I never meant to hurt anyone. He chanced a glance at the house and he saw Debbie stood watching him, tears streaming silently down her cheeks, as he was handcuffed and then assisted down the driveway towards the waiting car. Especially not her. He called back over his shoulder. Can you tell her that for me? And tell your mum I am sorry, but something tells me she will already know the truth."
"Well she is anything but stupid Cameron."
"I know. I fell in love with two of the strongest, most exciting, most loving women, from the same family, what are the odds?"
He joked in an attempt to hide the tears now welling in his eyes.
"Well some men have all the luck, with it being my family most would probably consider it bad."
"I don't. I have nothing but respect for your lot. Tell Cain that from me."
"I will. Goodbye Cameron."
"Bye Aaron. Bye Debbie."
He raised his cuffed hands in acknowledgement towards the window and she returned the gesture, her heart breaking as she watched him turn and walk down the drive. She sank to the floor, her head buried between her knees, tears flowing freely, Aaron's arm draped round her shoulder, as once more she lost a true love to Her Majesty's Prison Service.
