‘Not one person who knows Ava and Daniel thinks there’s any truth to the accusation and, believe me, we’ve checked. Teachers, neighbours, friends, acquaintances and even speaking to the child herself.’
‘You’re not trained to establish whether or not abuse has taken place.’
‘I’ve had all the training I need… sir,’ she said, tempering her voice. She was the one in the shit.
He met her gaze and held it for a minute before continuing. ‘So, I say it again, where is she?’ he asked. They both knew her actions would be investigated forensically in a disciplinary hearing.
‘I don’t know,’ she said honestly.
‘Stone, I am under mounting pressure to send a team to retrieve?—’
‘I know, and if I knew, I’d be forced to tell you, and you’d be forced to bring her back. Which is why it’s best that we don’t know.’
‘Stone, I swear there are days when you are not worth the stress. You know that I have no choice but to formally?—’
‘Sir, do it tomorrow, please. I know you have to suspend me, but just give me twenty-four hours. We have a solid lead on our murderer. If we act quickly, we could have them in custody tonight.’
He began to shake his head.
‘No more victims,’ she said, wondering if it was a promise she could keep.
‘Jesus, Stone, this is one hell of a mess you’ve saddled me with.’
‘And I’ll have it all cleared up by tomorrow if you just give me a bit more time. I’ll even go quietly when you suspend me.’
He looked at his watch. ‘Twenty-four hours, Stone, and you’d better make them count.’
She stood and headed for the door but not before she heard his final words.
‘Because they might be your last hours in the force.’
Seventy-Four
Bryant looked to the door for the hundredth time since he and Stacey had returned to the station.
He’d seen his own car pull into the car park, and he knew exactly where the guv had gone first. He could also guess at the consequences of her actions.
His teammates remained blissfully unaware.
Penn was tapping away at something, and Stacey had been understandably quiet since their return.
She was probably picturing Ava being handed over to the Chance family, but he knew better, had known better the minute the guv asked him for his car keys.
He had known she wanted to be alone when she broke the rules. She would never take anyone down with her. There was no safety in numbers when it came to her pig-headedness, and she wouldn’t accept others being punished for her actions.
A fresh pang of guilt surged through him. He had known what she intended to do. Not because she’d done anything to give herself away but purely because he knew what she was like. To have handed Ava back to social services would have been to concede defeat, and his boss wouldn’t do that. She would always try and work within the rules, but when the well-being of a child was in question, she would step outside of those boundaries if she had to.
He had known and he’d said nothing because a part of him wanted her to do it. He had wanted Ava to be protected from the horrors of the Chances, of Hollytree and the new future that was being written for her. He had wanted the guv to solve the problem. And she had.
But at what cost to herself?
He didn’t fool himself that she would have listened if he’d tried to talk her out of it. She was far too obstinate for that. Once her mind was made up, there was no budging her. But he had known, and he hadn’t even tried to stop her.
‘Damn,’ he said, banging his fist on the desk.
His colleagues looked at him questioningly.
He pushed himself up and headed for the kitchen, picturing what was going on up on the third floor.
