Chapter 14 – Wounds

Boyd held onto Christopher's hand as they walked into the park, he had a football in a carrier bag that he was holding onto. It was almost a rite of passage, going to the park to play football with his Dad. Boyd had done it with Luke, now it was Christopher's turn. What Boyd the younger didn't know, was that his Dad had also asked Luke to meet them.

Boyd could see a lonely figure sat on a bench, his heart skipped a beat as he saw him, he'd half expected him not to turn up, but he was here, waiting for them. He hadn't seen him since he'd left the rehab unit, but he'd spoken to him on the phone a couple of times, Luke never said much, but he obviously listened, because he was here.

As they approached the bench, Christopher kept a tight grip on his father's hand. "Hi." Boyd said quietly.

"Hi."

"How are you?"

"I'm okay."

"Good, this is Christopher." He said sitting down on the bench and lifting Christopher onto his lap.

"Hello." Luke replied.

"Are you my brother?" Christopher asked him.

"Um, yeah I guess I am." Luke replied, a little amused by his brothers question.

"This is Luke, do you remember?"

Christopher nodded his head, "can we play football now Daddy?"

"Yeah, we can play football now." Boyd said to him.

Christopher Boyd was full of energy, running around kicking the football, Luke, however, could barely break into a fast walk without becoming breathless, it saddened Boyd to see him this way, to think he was once an active and fit young boy who could run rings around his father, now the effects of years of drug abuse on his body was plain to see, he tired easily and frequently bent over with a stitch.

Boyd was in goal as his sons kicked the ball around, and nothing pleased him more than when Christopher scored a goal and Luke picked him up and hugged him. They only stayed about half an hour, and it was enough for all of them, Christopher needed his inhaler, and the other two were just unfit. Before they went their separate ways, Boyd managed to get a picture of his two sons together, on his phone.

"Stay in touch, please?" He said to Luke before he left.

Luke wasn't big on shows of affection, in that respect he was definitely his father's son, he just nodded his head in agreement, rubbing Christopher's hair before he left and telling him he'd see him soon.

On the way back home Boyd stopped and brought them breakfast, grabbing a newspaper at the same time and coffee for Grace who had stayed over the night before. Boyd wouldn't stay away from home over night in case Luke needed him and tried to find him. So if they wanted to spend the night together, it was Grace who always stayed over at his. He had left her in bed this morning whilst taking their son to the park, giving her a well-deserved and much needed lay in.

He opened the door to his bedroom to see her still tucked up in bed, but wide awake.

"Are you getting up at all today?"

"I might do, I haven't decided yet." She replied smiling at him as he sat on the edge of the bed.

He tugged the duvet away from her a little and looked underneath it before bending forward and kissing her. "You're wearing my favourite outfit." He said looking at her naked body, he slid his hand beneath the covers and gently began to touch her.

"Stop it!" She said unconvincingly.

"Why?" He whispered.

"For one your hands are bloody freezing, and two, mini me is downstairs, and you know what he's like for wandering in at inappropriate moments."

"Yes I do know, I remember the last time he walked in at an inappropriate moment, I also remember how long it took me to explain why you were kneeling in front of me in the kitchen."

"It was your fault that we were in that situation in the kitchen, as I remember, so it was entirely down to you to get us out of it."

"Oh it was just my fault was it? You had nothing to do with it?" He replied whilst his hand gently snaked its way up her inner thigh.

"Well obviously I was there, but it was your suggestion that got us into that situation, as I recall you practically begged."

"Oh really." His hand reached the top of her inner thigh just as the door to the bedroom was opened, Grace was quick to grab hold of his wrist and stop his hand. "What do you want?" He asked his son.

"I wanted to tell Mummy about Luke."

"Well let's go downstairs and let Mummy get dressed first, okay." He replied ushering him out of the door.

They spent the rest of the day together, before Grace took Christopher home. She was keen for Boyd to move back in with her, but he couldn't at the moment. He needed to stay where he was for Luke, and she understood that, so for the moment they continued to live apart.

The following day they returned to work, a body had been found in a disused tunnel that had been built by road protesters some years before. Grace was researching the possibility of connection to Native American burial rituals, whilst Boyd, Spence and Stella were all out of the office, locating and questioning friends and family of the victim that they had now identified as Chris Dearden, an air conditioning salesman who went missing in 1996, leaving his wife and son behind.

Grace looked up from her computer as Eve walked into her office.

"Grace, um, I need to speak to you."

"Oh dear, what have I done?" She replied a touch of humour to her voice.

Eve smiled nervously back at her, "Boyd's phone has been diverted to the lab, so I've been answering all the incoming calls."

"Oops, sorry I'll get him to change it as soon as I can."

"No it's not that, I mean it's not a problem. What I'm trying to say is that someone has been trying desperately to get hold of Boyd, but his land line diverts to the lab and his mobile goes straight to answer phone."

"Do you want me to take a message?"

"It's his son Grace."

"What Luke?"

"Yes Luke, he was found dead this morning from a suspected drugs overdose. Someone called an ambulance for him, but it was too late. I'm so sorry." Grace sat in stunned silence; she knew Boyd would be devastated. "Do you want me to tell him?" Eve asked her.

"No, thank you Eve, I'll tell him." Eve left Grace alone again, and she waited with baited breath for him to return to the office. It was a couple of hours later when he eventually returned, she waited for him to hang up his coat and sit at his desk before she went to his office.

She opened the door gently and closed it behind her.

"Hi Grace, everything okay?"

She took a deep breath before speaking, "No it isn't, the police have been trying to get hold of you, but your mobile was switched off, and your land line was diverting to the lab, it's about Luke."

He interrupted her before she could continue, "What about Luke?" She could already see the fear in his eyes.

"I'm so sorry Peter, but they found him dead this morning, he was found in a disused school."

"Was it an overdose?"

"Yes." She walked over to him and attempted to put her arms around him, to comfort him, but he walked away from her.

"I'm okay Grace, I mean if we're being honest I'm sure we both knew it would end this way."

"He's your son Peter." But before she could continue he walked out of his office and away from her.