Defeat rested on her features, and then she sobbed and dropped the knife.
Kim was saved from attempting to remove it from play altogether by the sound of footsteps thundering towards them. Bryant appeared first, closely followed by five police officers.
He looked at her and then at Ava behind her. ‘You okay?’
She nodded as one of the uniformed officers retrieved the knife. Who did what to whom would be sorted later. Right now, it was enough to know the killers would never hurt anyone again.
Bryant bent down and retrieved Ava’s arm as Kim heard the sound of a helicopter overhead.
She pulled Ava around and held her tight. ‘It’s okay, sweetie. You’re safe now.’
She looked up to the sky and then at her colleague, who knew exactly what she was asking.
‘Not looking good, guv,’ he whispered. ‘Not looking good at all.’
Eighty-Five
48 Hours Later
‘Okay, kiddo, hat as well,’ Stacey said, passing Ava the pink knitted bobble hat with ears sewn on.
‘Oh, not that one,’ she said, sighing dramatically. ‘That’s for babies.’
‘Well, it’s the only one we’ve got, so you’re putting it on.’
Devon appeared. ‘It’s either that hat or I’m gonna do this,’ she said, folding a cuddly toy on top of Ava’s head and pulling it over her ears. ‘Gotta keep you warm.’
Ava laughed and took the hat from her. It was a welcome sound after the last few days.
Devon must have had the same thought, as their gaze met above Ava’s head. She turned away but not before Stacey saw sadness creep into her eyes.
Stacey forced cheer into her own voice. ‘Righty-ho, are you ready?’
Dee headed out first and put the pink suitcase in the boot of the car.
Stacey settled Ava in the back before joining her wife up front. She squeezed Devon’s leg reassuringly before she started the car and pulled away.
Ava hummed quietly, and Stacey had to marvel again at the little girl’s bravery. She wasn’t sure how she would have handled it all, and she was a grown woman.
‘You okay back there?’ Stacey called over her shoulder.
‘Tickety-boo,’ Ava said, making them both laugh.
As they drove, Stacey’s thoughts returned to two nights earlier, when Bryant had updated her about what had happened and who was responsible. She had instantly called Devon to tell her that Ava was safe.
‘Okay, I’ll pick you up,’ Devon had said.
‘For what? It’s ten o’clock.’
‘To go to her,’ Devon said resolutely. ‘We have to. She needs us.’
Stacey had been on the M5 heading towards Scotland within the hour.
They had arrived, and the little girl had immediately run into their arms. There had been no news on Daniel, and Eric and Donna were finally ready for transportation back to the Black Country.
There had been no question that she and Devon would book a hotel room until there was news of Ava’s father.
They had met Aunt Janine while Ava had been sleeping and told her the whole story. Just as they’d finished, Janine received a call from the hospital and sped away to be by her brother’s side.
