Page 95 of The Question of Us
But the true unveiling of what went on inside Marty’s house and at his parties came not from the initial police search of the property—Marty had been very careful to make sure nothing untoward was readily accessible—it came from evidence provided by Lee, who led police to all the hidey holes Marty used for storing his most prized information and collections.
These included a ton of incriminating videos and audios, some of which starred none other than Freddie Young, a fact which allowed investigators to put pressure on the odious man and get him talking as well. Ronnie and Jack had also been picked up and were quick to throw their bosses under the bus. It all helped draw the noose tighter, although it was gutting that Marty himself was no longer alive to feel the pressure.
The story made front-page headlines on both sides of the Tasman, the public full of praise for the dismantling of another sex ring. The excellent press went some way toward mending the strain between Samuel and his bosses and certainly helpedourrelationship with the Australian police. We would need to return for the trial or trials as required. Freddie was pleading guilty in exchange for a reduced sentence but would still be going away for a very long time, and as for some of the others, like Jacob, I wasn’t sure what our involvement would be. Lee and Aaron would be called upon, for sure.
Sliding my arm from under Mads’ head, I slipped out of bed and headed for the bathroom to relieve my protesting bladder. A few minutes later and feeling a lot more comfortable, I donned sweats and a T-shirt and crept out of the bedroom.
Emerging from the hallway into the living area, I found Lee and Aaron eating breakfast at the table. It was early for them to be up, which meant Aaron must’ve had another bad night. Dark circles framed his pretty hazel eyes and he looked drawn and pale in direct contrast to his brother who appeared disgustingly fresh and raring to go most mornings. I would’ve been envious if I hadn’t regularly seen him sitting on Mads’ back deck staring across the fields looking troubled and even tearful.
Lee remained pretty closed-lipped about his life with Marty, much like his brother who refused to talk about the sexual assault charge on Jacob with anyone other than the police and Lee. Which was perfectly fine. We knew the rape kit had been negative but that really didn’t mean much. All we knew was Aaron had been plagued by nightmares and guilt ever since it happened, blaming himself for Lee’s decision to stay.
I’d mentioned my therapist to Lee as a possibility for Aaron. He’d leaped on the suggestion and Aaron’s first session was coming up in a week. In the meantime, Lee wasn’t letting Aaron out of his sight, to the point of sharing a bedroom with Aaron so Lee would be there when Aaron’s nightmares came knocking.
I’d tentatively suggested to Lee that maybe he could do with someone to talk to as well, but he’d scoffed at the idea, saying he’d been fine leaving Marty the first time and he’d survive again. I wasn’t so sure about that, but I didn’t push.
“Morning all.” I made my way past the two men and into the pantry, moaning appreciatively at the sight of the already warm and ready espresso machine. “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Have I said how much I love you guys?”
Lee chuckled. “No, and let’s keep it that way.”
I poured myself a mug and carried it to the table to watch them eat their breakfast. The Australian police had allowed the brothers to leave Australia as long as they made themselves available as needed. Lee’s false identity had been a bit of a hurdleand he was facing possible charges on that in both countries, but no one expected them to come to much, everything considered.
Lee relinquished the passport he held in his new name and got an updated one with his original. When the dust finally settled on the case, he intended to legally change his name back to Lee but keep the Cunningham surname, like his brother. In the meantime, we all called him Lee, as he wished.
And so there we all were, breakfasting together in Mads’—ourhouse—the introvert king and the knave of grouch. Go fucking figure. No one had been more surprised than me when Mads had offered the brothers a place to stay while they decided what they wanted to do. I hadn’t even known they wanted to return to New Zealand. Then again, maybe they didn’t. Maybe this was just a safe place for them to crash while they decided. It was fine with me either way, but Mads was incredibly protective about his privacy and quiet time and, quite frankly, I’d been gobsmacked.
Concerned, I’d told Mads he could offer the two men my house rent-free instead, but he’d scarpered that idea before the words were even cool on my tongue. I’d felt his forehead in case he’d been sick, but he’d simply laughed and shoved my hand away, saying, “I don’t know why I want them here, but I do. I think they want it too. Haven’t you felt it? The pull between us all? It feels... safe.”
He was right. It seemed that every time one of us had amoment, the others gathered around and we talked it through, everything except what had happened to Aaron. Safety in numbers? Maybe. Whatever it was, it was working. The only one missing out on the group process was Gazza, something I wasn’t too happy about. But if Gazza was present, Lee shut things down pretty quick.
“Got any plans for today?” I directed the question at Lee.
He looked up from his cereal. “We thought we might pay Shirley a visit, if that’s okay?” He flicked a glance Aaron’s way. “She’s good company. Makes us laugh.”
I understood exactly what Lee was implying. From their first meeting with Shirley when Jerry had brought her for a visit, something had sparked between her and the two young men, but especially Aaron. Whether it was a mothering thing or Shirley’s irrepressible optimism, bluntness and plain pig-headedness, she seemed to reach Aaron on a level none of us could, maybe not even Lee.
I shrugged. “You’ll need to check with Mads, but I doubt he’ll have a problem with it.”
“Cool.” Lee went back to finishing his Weet-Bix only to look up again when a car could be heard coming up the driveway.
I glanced at the clock. “Gazza is early... again.” I gave emphasis to the again part because it had become a habit for the young man to arrive well before he was due to start work. I wasn’t exactly sure why but guessed it had something to do with Lee since Gazza seemed to hang around the table for a chat if Lee was present—something he didn’t bother with if Mads and I were on our own. Speaking of which, the man himself suddenly appeared, wandering through the lounge and looking deliciously fresh from bed, hair mussed, and extremely fuckable—and okay, that latter idea was beginning to have a lot of merit in my head.
Mads glanced at the front door and frowned. “He’s early... again.”
I caught the eye roll on Lee and bit back a smile. “You want something to eat, baby?” I ran a hot gaze over Mads and he blushed adorably.
“Shut up.” He scowled back with zero heat in his eyes.
“Give me strength,” Lee chided. “Honestly, you two are worse than a couple of horny kids.”
Mads whacked Lee up the back of the head as he passed, saying, “And your point?”
Lee chuckled. “Only that I hope I’m as bad when I get to your age.”
“Great save.” I held up my hand for a high five.
Lee obliged, then turned to watch Mads slump his way into the pantry. The poor man was moving on autopilot, the general state of affairs until he was suitably caffeinated. Lee shook his head. “The guy won’t touch a mango if it’s been sullied by too many air miles, and yet he can’t survive without his morning hit of Brazilian coffee beans.”
“I heard that,” Mads grumbled from the depths of the pantry while Lee and I shared another high five just as the front door opened and Gazza walked in.
