Crime Fiction Series

Still Waters Run Deep

For the Sins of Red #23: It turns out his mum was pregnant at nineteen and simply didn’t realise until the day before she found herself in labour

Recap: After being abducted & released by her 1st boyfriend Clive, Rose ‘Red’ Redman revealed the identity & background of the ‘noirette’ serial killer. The police question Red, and she feels like a suspect. She thinks back to when she moved out from Clive’s flat after he slapped her & then missed him so badly they got back together — trying out some kinky play. The Police ask Red about Steph, & she reflects on the time they became friends again. Back to the present — the DI informs Red that Clive is now in custody. The news reminds her of the so-called recent abduction and how that evening his conversation made her think about the olden days when Clive got on great with Steph. Then… Steph kissed Rosie, and rather than being cross, Clive was aroused so Rosie encouraged Clive to fuck Steph while they engaged in a threesome. They made some ground rules, and learned more about Steph & her family. A few months after, Clive surprised Rosie by announcing he’d found his birth mother. (Told from Red’s POV — Series list is at the end of the episode.)

“Well, I only went and found my bloody mother!”

I stared at him, open-mouthed. A whole host of questions filled my mind, but unable to speak. He took that as his cue to continue.

“She lives way up in Scotland, about fifty miles from Edinburgh. I visited her on the weekend. She actually put her DNA on the find your ancestors site in case one day I searched for her.”

“OMG, so you really met her. How does that feel?”

“I can’t yet get my head around it. I was only on an overnight stay at a bed-and-breakfast and we had already decided via email as a first meet it would be best if it was in a public, neutral place and just for a few hours. The idea was overwhelming for us both.”

I sat there and listened as Clive told me about the visit. On occasions I saw tears well up in his eyes. When I leaned forward to hold his hand, he pulled away. I know he felt if I touched him, he would crumble. That’s probably why he didn’t just take me back to his flat and explain. Because of everything that has gone on in his past, he finds it difficult to express his emotions appropriately. Often, he will get angry with himself and others when he is upset. Which I suspect is why he hit me that one time. Not able to channel his jealousy.

It turned out his mum was pregnant at nineteen and simply didn’t realise until the day before she found herself in labour. After giving birth in her bedroom in the middle of the night, she became scared that her very strict parents would notice. She bundled him up in a basket and left him at the library.

People do some crazy things, for sure. Apparently, soon after, she went back to Glasgow University, where she was studying finance, and never returned to Warwick. She finished her degree and was employed by a large city insurance company, where she still worked. Never married or had any more children.

“All this new information, Clive. Your head must be spinning.”

“Yeah. Pretty much. By the time I’d told her about me and my adopted parents, and you… Well, we were both exhausted. We’ve promised to write to share more news with each other.”

“Erm. did you like her?” I asked tentatively.

“Yeah, I think so. She’s only in her early 40s now, so seemed young really. She was just a girl who felt she had no one she could turn to. I can understand that.”

“How about we head back to mine with some ice cream and watch a movie?”

And that’s what we did. Even though he ate his share of dessert, I could tell his mind wasn’t on the film.

That night in bed, I hugged him, and he literally fell asleep in my arms. If ever there was a time that I loved him the most, then that was it.

For anyone who wants to know — or be reminded — about Clive’s family history, you can find it in this episode — Abandoned in a Basket.

To be continued next Wednesday…

For the Sins of Red #23: Still Waters Run Deep - Fiction by May More

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