Excellent Danielle speaks to Callum about the prison visit His Silence : His Silence - Chapter Nine by Jacob1395

Background When Harvey murders his parents, he refuses to say why he did it. Twenty years later, he's finally ready to talk. ‘Hey, are you sure everything’s OK?’ Michael asks as we pull up outside home half an hour later. ‘You know if you want to talk about what happened you can.’ He keeps his eyes fixed on me, the same way he used to when he knew I’d had a bad day at school. He always gave me that look, that sideways glance, but he would never put pressure on me to tell him what had happened, he’d wait for me to find him. I nod, grasping the door handle. ‘Yep, of course, I’m fine. We chatted about things and that was that. There’s nothing really much more to say.’ Even I hear the sob in my voice as I speak. He twists his wedding ring. He doesn’t believe me. I try my best to keep my gaze fixed on him. ‘Well, if you’re sure you’re fine, I think I’m going to head off. I’ll find a coffee shop to sit in for a couple of hours, or perhaps I might stop off at the golf club,’ he says. ‘At least there might be a few people there I know.’ I laugh. ‘You know you don’t need to do that, Michael. I’m sure you can just say to Emma you were feeling tired and decided to come home early, she’ll believe that.’ He smiles at me. ‘No, don’t worry, love, I can’t sit around all afternoon doing nothing.’ He winks. I open the car door and step out to the sound of someone talking loudly on the phone a little further up the road. ‘Thank you, Michael.’ Perhaps I will tell him what Harvey and I discussed, but not now. Now I need to work out what to do. I fling the car door shut and head towards the house, darting around the puddles on the drive. At least it’s stopped raining. Michael waits until I’ve unlocked the front door before backing out onto the road. He waves and heads up the road, the front car wheel sending a spray of water onto the drive, as he speeds through a puddle. I slip into the warm hallway and push the door shut, breathing a sigh of relief. It’s half past four when there’s a knock on the door. Callum’s standing there in his football gear. He would’ve got changed before leaving work, he knows not to wear his football boots before coming into our house. Emma went mad when he did it a few years back, after the studs left muddy marks on the carpet. ‘Come in,’ I say, stepping aside to let him through, closing the door behind him, as though someone else might try to dive in to hear us talk. He breezes into the hallway and we slip into the living room. I rub my hands together. I need to somehow get across everything to him what Harvey told me. What Harvey said still seems impossible. It’s like I’ve stepped into a dream. ‘Michael not in?’ he asks as we step through into the living room, his eyes flickering around. I shake my head. ‘He went off to the golf club. I haven’t told him anything about what Harvey and I discussed. I need to speak to you about it first.’ We sit on the sofa. There’s no way Callum’s going to believe what Harvey said. I cross my knees over. Keep calm, breathe. ‘So, how did it go then?’ Callum asks. I blink rapidly to try and stop tears from falling. I can’t cry. If I cry, it’ll strengthen Callum’s belief that what I’m planning is a bad idea. He would do a far better job of explaining this than me, he’d just come straight out with it, like the time when we spoke about his mum for the first time. He lost her to cancer when he was only four. It’s part of what drew me to Callum in the first place, knowing he’d lost someone, like me. He’d spoken so matter of factly about it, without breaking down, it shocked me. ‘I . . . I honestly don’t know what to think, he told me . . . he told me he’s innocent and he . . . he said he could be given parole next year and he doesn’t want the public to still think he’s guilty,’ I reply. I can’t help but picture Harvey sitting across from me again. I see his dark eyes fixing on me, begging me to believe him, begging me to believe his innocence. I wrap my arms around my chest. I still can’t get over how much he looks like Dad, it’s scary. Why’s he inherited all the good looks, when I? I bite my lip. Callum raises an eyebrow. ‘OK, so why’s he waited all this time to tell you then?’ There’s a hint of curiosity and anger in his voice that makes me shudder. ‘He told me he didn’t want to put me in danger, I know it sounds ridiculous, but . . .’ ‘You don’t believe him, do you?’ Callum asks, his eyebrows shooting up. I shrug my shoulders. ‘I’m not sure at the moment. Part of me wants to believe him; we were so close when we were small. I want to have back what I lost, I . . .’ ‘OK, so he tells you he didn’t do it, who did then? The police didn’t find any other evidence to suggest anyone else was involved. If they had they would’ve looked into it.’ I shift in my seat. ‘Perhaps they didn’t look because Harvey confessed so quickly, and they had his DNA on the axe that was used. It was a water tight case. But he was adamant it wasn’t him who did it. He really believed it.’ It sounds like I’m defending him. He’s made my life hell and here he is begging me to believe he’s innocent. I clench my fists together. This is so wrong. Callum puffs his cheeks out. ‘I take it he wants you to try and do something about it, then?’ I wipe my eyes. He doesn’t believe Harvey could be innocent. ‘He wants me to try and somehow help him clear his name,’ I reply, biting my lip. Callum laughs. ‘Are you being serious? If he’s innocent, then why hasn’t he tried to get out of prison sooner?’ ‘He didn’t exactly tell me why. I think he’s been denied parole in the past, perhaps, I don’t know, perhaps he got into a fight, or something like that. He told me, when we were growing up, we were part of this community, near Leigh on Sea. I do have memories of that time, flickers of stuff. This place, and the people who lived there with us, are still there now.’ The image of people sitting around a dining table in white clothing flickers through into my mind again. Who are they? Why did we all live together? ‘So, you want to go to this place then?’ Callum asks, raising an eyebrow. ‘Harvey said he wouldn’t have asked me if there was another way, but he said if there’s any way of proving who really killed Mum and Dad, then I would find it there, he doesn’t want to get parole next year and for everyone to still think he’s guilty.’ What I’m saying sounds so ridiculous. It’s like I’ve gone onto one of the countless conspiracy websites there are about the case. Callum shakes his head. ‘I don’t like this, Danielle. He ignores your requests to speak to him for years, and then all of a sudden he’s telling you he’s innocent, and wants you to help prove it, are you sure he’s not having some sort of psychotic breakdown?’ ‘I . . .’ Harvey’s words filter through into my mind, the way how his voice cracked as he said he was innocent makes goosebumps rise up my arm. He was begging me to believe him. Surely there’s no way he could’ve been faking that? ‘Callum, I want to find out what really happened that night. I need to know the truth, and if Harvey is innocent, then I need to help him, he has no one else.’ My breath comes out slow and steady. Callum’s words roll around inside my head taunting me. I don’t want Harvey to be lying to me. ‘Danielle, you need to really think about this,’ Callum says, shifting in his seat so he’s looking directly into my eyes. ‘You have no idea how dangerous this could be.’ ‘I know,’ I say sighing. Does he not think I’ve not thought of that? ‘But this could be my chance to finally find out what’s happened. At least, if I visit this place, I could get some sort of closure at the very least. Could you live with it if you left your brother to rot in prison, even if there was only a small chance he might be innocent? If . . . if there was a way you could bring your mum back, would you do it?’ I kick myself, why the hell did I say that? ‘I’m sorry.’   A memory passes through my mind. I’m sitting on Mum’s knee. We’re outside in a garden, sitting underneath a willow tree. She’s singing softly to me, the words of the song, You Are My Sunshine filter into my subconscious. She holds me up so I can play with the leaves and I giggle as they flutter in my face, there’s warm sunshine on my skin. A tear slides down my cheek. I need to know what happened. ‘Don’t worry about it, if there was a way, then yeah of course I would.’ He lets out a shaky breath. ‘When are you thinking of going?’ There’s still hesitation in his voice. Whatever I say isn’t going to convince him this is a good idea. ‘Um, next weekend, perhaps,’ I say. ‘But, will you . . . will you come with me? I know Michael came to the prison with me, but I’m worried if I tell him what I’m planning, he’ll try and stop me. He won’t understand.’ ‘But what exactly do you know about this place?’ ‘I’ve told you everything I know. That’s why I need to go back there,’ I say thumping my fist on the cushion. If Callum won’t help me, who will? I remember what I said to Harvey, “It sounds like some sort of cult,” and his response, “I don’t think it started out like that.” I lean back my in seat. The remote control sat on the cushion next to me slips off, and drops into the crevice. There’s no way I can tell Callum that, not now. ‘Well, if you think this is the only way, then of course I’ll go with you, but, if Harvey does think he’s innocent of the crime he was convicted for, shouldn’t he be telling the police?’ ‘I think he’s tried, but . . . he said they’re not prepared to throw any more money at it, they think he’s having delusions. Perhaps he’s afraid it might spoil his chances of getting parole if he keeps going on about it. As far as the police are concerned the case has been solved.’ If Harvey was to offer a newspaper an exclusive, it’s clear how they’d twist it. They wouldn’t talk about him protesting his innocence. They would talk about a crazed lunatic who needs to remain locked up. Then they’d come after me. I swallow. Callum gets up from the sofa and sighs. ‘Well, I knew he’d spin some sort of yarn to you, but this is crazy.’ I look up at him. ‘He’s my brother. If there’s a chance he’s innocent, I . . . I have to find out the truth.’ In my head I can see myself sitting on Harvey’s lap again as he reads to me my favourite story. He kisses me on the head and tells me to go to sleep. ‘I will help you, Danielle, in whatever way I can, but if this gets too out of hand . . .’ he shakes his head. ‘Why don’t you come to the pub later, it’ll be good for you to let your hair down?’ I stand, grabbing the remote control. I place it on the coffee table. There was something he wanted to say, but he chose not to. ‘Yep, I’ll . . . I’ll think about it, text me where you’re going and I’ll meet you there.’ My chest is tight as I show Callum out. He steps back out onto the street, gets back into his car and drives to the top of the road. He’s got to see this from my perspective. He’s got to. I close the door.

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