“I ought to be hating your guts,” Jasmine informed him frankly, “we all should, and yet here we are feeling glad about your freedom.”

He looked unsure of himself, and suddenly seemed so out of his depth that Dan put a steadying hand on his shoulder.

“You probably want to get home with your mum,” he said, clearly reading the situation correctly given the relief that came into Archie’s eyes. “There’s a lot for you to take in, and there’ll be plenty of time for us two to talk in the coming days. I’ll call you in the morning, OK? I guess you don’t have a mobile, so . . .”

“You can call me,” Maria told him. “You ’ave my numbuh.”

“Of course. Are you OK to get home? Do you need a lift?”

“’Ave mah cah,” Maria told him proudly.

Surprising them all, Archie muttered under his breath, “So a death sentence then,” and everyone, including his mother, had to laugh.

As they watched them walk away, Dan took Claudia’s hand and said quietly to Andee, “We need to get them out of that estate or the next thing we know he’ll be back dealing drugs and carrying knives.”

“You’re right,” Andee agreed. “I’ll make some calls,” and wasting no time she began scrolling through her contacts.

Claudia said, “I’ve just had a text from Leanne. She and Tom have invited us to their place for a drink and food if we’re up for it.”

Marcy turned to Henry. “Are you?” she asked.

“If you are.”

“Then count us in,” Marcy said. She’d have time enough later to get over the loss she was already starting to feel of no more letters from Archie, in fact no more Archie at all. How very strange life was.

Chapter Fifty-Three

One Month Later

“I hear you’ve been inundated with requests for restorative justice since Archie’s trial?” Richie prompted, looking and sounding very much, Claudia reflected not for the first time, as though he interviewed for a major TV company every day of the week.

Behind his glasses Dan’s eyes shone in the amused, self-deprecating way that she loved. “It’s true,” he confirmed, “but there are a couple of points I need to make about that. First, there are RJ programs operating all over the country—our service only covers the Dean Valley region. So, if you want to know more about it, you need to get in touch with your local service. The second point is that some seem to be seeing it as an alternative to the justice system, and this is a big mistake.”

Richie said, “And one that’s being made as a result of Archie’s verdict?”