Page 94 of Hold On

“No.” Ren spoke before Dominic could. “We’re just doing this for fun, like you. We leave analysis to the experts. What about you and Travis? What do you do for a living?”

“I’m a teacher,” Travis said. “PE.”

“I teach too,” Irma added. “Yoga.”

“Where’s your studio?” Dominic asked.

“Hastings.”

Ren raised his eyebrows. “Wow, that’s a long way away.”

“I don’t mind travelling if it’s something I’m keen to be involved with.” She gave Dominic a flirty look that he didn’t see but Ren did.

The next hour or so passed slowly. Ren threw in questions now and again, but apart from still not being convinced Irma was all that into what they were doing, despite the distance she’d travelled, no alarm bells were ringing.

“Ren!” Dominic called. “Have I actually found something?”

Ren went over to look. Dominic was brushing at a piece of metal about fifteen centimetres long, still caught in the soil.

“Piece of a tractor?” Dominic suggested. “But it looks…worked.”

“We better call Will over for this one.” Ren phoned him.

Will arrived while Dominic was still teasing out what now appeared to be a figure. Will crouched next to him and rubbed the surrounding material in his fingers until the figure dropped into Dominic’s hand.

“What do you think, Nic?” Will asked.

“Is that a charcoal deposit it was in?” Dominic asked.

“I think so. Any ideas anyone?”

“A toy?” Travis suggested.

“I don’t think so.” Will took the figure from Dominic and held it carefully as he brushed away the loose material. “Wings. That’s a flaming torch. It’s bronze.”

“An offering to the Gods?” Dominic said.

“I agree.” Will nodded. “Maybe left when the owners of the villa set off elsewhere. An offering in return for a good journey. Or left by someone who passed through this area. Excellent find. Well done. Come with me to the finds tent, Nic. The rest of you keep looking.”

Dominic wasn’t surprised when Will pulled up in a spot where they couldn’t be overheard.

“I don’t know what to say to you,” Will muttered. “And yet I have to say something.”

It wasn’t going to becongrats on the find.Dominic brushed his hands on his trousers. “I have a younger brother too. I understand the responsibility you feel. I was prepared to do anything to keep Col safe.”

“Kill your parents? You couldn’t have taken him to a police station? Told them? I know your father was a well-respected fireman, but they’d have done something.”

Dominic wasn’t surprised Will had looked him up but he still jolted.

“You’re right, I could have found another way, but that afternoon all I could think about was that my father had touched my brother after swearing to me that would never happen, after I’d let him and my mother do whatever they liked to me, after I’d done to them whatever they wanted. I’d clung to that promise.”

His fists clenched and his stomach churned as he remembered.Don’t throw up.He swallowed hard.

“Col stood outside my school gates waiting to tell me what had happened, and he’d…wet himself. He was terrified. My head… It was as if a veil had been lifted and fury rushed in. How could I have been stupid enough to ever believe a word our parents said? But I had and now it was too late. I had no choice. Yes, you can tell me I did have a choice and in hindsight I see that too. But I was fifteen years old and I was broken, and that was the decision I made at that time.”

Will gave a slight nod.

“Col means the world to me,” Dominic said. “So yes, I do appreciate your concern for Ren. You think I want him hurt by staying with me? I asked him not to stay. I want him to be safe. I want everyone to be safe.”

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