Chapter 33
Thirty-Three
‘I still don’t believe it,’ Kim said as they drove. ‘He’s not a paedophile.’
After the call from Penn, Bryant had immediately turned the car around and aimed it towards Daniel’s house. They all knew what came next, and she just hoped she could get there before social services.
‘And you’re sure of this because…?’ Bryant asked.
‘He just isn’t,’ she repeated, even though in her heart she knew that it was a strong motive for murder.
If the accusation was true and Ashley had somehow found out, Daniel would definitely have wanted to silence her.
To be sure, she needed to see him face to face and gauge his reaction to the complaint.
‘Not a very convincing argument, guv,’ Bryant answered. ‘They don’t all wear a sign, as we well know. You said yourself that he’s hiding something, and why was he in such a rush to leave this morning? Just because the Chances are poor doesn’t mean they’re liars.’
‘It’s not about that, Bryant, and you know it,’ Kim snapped. ‘Where was their complaint of molestation when Ashley was alive?’
‘Maybe they knew she’d defend him,’ he argued.
‘Bryant, will you just agree with me one time?’
‘Where’s the fun in that?’ he asked as he parked outside the Reynoldses’ home for the second time that day.
Kim approached the front door, not relishing this conversation one bit and only hoping they had time before the inevitable happened. She turned to her colleague and raised an eyebrow. Her chat with Daniel needed to be private.
‘Yeah, I know. More princess talk for me.’
She smiled as the door opened. Understandably, Daniel didn’t look delighted to see them. Nevertheless, he stood aside for them to enter. Kim headed to the kitchen, where Ava sat at the table with a colouring pad and felt-tip pens.
‘Hey,’ Bryant said, smiling at her. ‘Just the person I need to speak to.’
Kim took a seat as Daniel entered the room.
‘Ava, I need your help with something,’ Bryant said seriously. ‘My wife insists that Olaf’s head melted in front of the fire in Frozen, but I said not. Could you show me that part so I can prove her wrong?’
Ava looked to her father who nodded.
‘I’ll show you,’ she said, heading out the room.
Kim couldn’t help but wonder how her colleague knew so much about Disney films. A conversation for another day, she resolved as Daniel took a seat.
‘Have you got him?’ Daniel asked once Ava was out of earshot.
Kim shook her head. ‘That’s not why we’re here.’ She took a breath. There was only one way to say it. ‘There’s been an accusation.’
‘Okay,’ he said, frowning.
‘It came from the Chances.’
‘Of course it did,’ he said as his face tightened. His hands gripped each other until his knuckles turned white.
‘They’re concerned that you’re sexually assaulting Ava.’
All the colour drained from his face, and Kim thought he was going to throw up right in front of her.
‘I would never… I could never… Oh God, that’s sick beyond belief. I love that little girl more than life. I knew they’d try something, but nothing as despicable as this. You can’t possibly believe that I…’
‘I don’t,’ Kim said, trusting the feeling that had now settled in her stomach.
His reaction was one of genuine disgust. It wasn’t faked.
It wasn’t rehearsed. It was naked repulsion at the very idea.
‘But the complaint has been made and the process has been activ—’ She stopped speaking when a knock sounded on the door.
His face filled with fear, and Kim could offer him no reassurance. She’d had barely an hour’s head start on the authorities. She believed he was innocent and there wasn’t one thing she could do about it.
‘You need to answer the door, Daniel,’ she said as a heaviness settled on her heart.
She knew what came next.
‘Surely if they talk to Ava they’ll see that…’
‘You need to let them in,’ she said as the door banged harder. She really didn’t want to see this man getting himself into trouble.
‘Daddy,’ Ava called from the hallway.
‘Coming, sweetie. It’s okay,’ he said, pushing back his chair.
Bryant brought Ava into the kitchen and stood with his hands resting gently on her shoulders. A woman in her late fifties followed a terrified-looking Daniel into the kitchen. Behind them was a younger woman in her early thirties who took the time to smile at everyone.
‘Mr Reynolds, I am Gloria Lincoln from child services,’ the older woman said. ‘This is my colleague Deanna Short.’ She glanced at Ava. ‘We need to talk to you about a concern that’s been raised.’
‘I’ve been informed,’ Daniel said, glancing Kim’s way.
‘Then you’ll understand there are certain precautions we need to take.’
The younger woman moved closer to Ava, who broke free of Bryant and ran to her dad. His arms wrapped around her protectively.
‘I’ll co-operate. Ask me anything. Take Ava to another room and talk to her. You’ll see there’s been a mistake.’
Kim wasn’t sure if Daniel knew that wasn’t how it worked or if he was just hoping.
‘We will speak to Ava, but I’m afraid it won’t be here.’ The words were gentle, but the tone was firm.
‘Daddy,’ Ava said, shrinking against his legs.
His face was stricken. ‘Can we just talk about this before…?’
‘I’m sorry, Mr Reynolds, but we have no choice but to remove Ava from the home. We’d appreciate your help in making this as easy on Ava as possible.’
Again, the younger woman moved closer to the child. Kim wanted to prevent what was about to happen, but she was powerless. Her opinion would hold no weight in the face of a formal complaint.
‘Daddy?’ Ava cried as the woman reached for her hand.
Daniel pulled Ava away as tears began to course down both of their faces. Kim wondered how much more heartache this family was supposed to suffer.
Ava turned in to her father, clinging to him.
‘Please, there has to be some way,’ he begged, raising tear-stained eyes to Gloria.
The social worker shook her head. ‘I’m sorry, but Ava has to come with us.’
‘No,’ he cried, dropping to his knees and hugging his child tightly. They sobbed in each other’s arms.
Kim swallowed down the emotion in her throat as she touched Daniel’s shoulder.
‘Let her go,’ she advised. She knew what came next. Not far away were two police officers ready to enforce the separation, and that wouldn’t help either of them.
Reluctantly, he let go of his daughter and wiped his eyes.
‘You go along, Ava. I need you to be a big girl for Daddy. Everything will be okay. It’s just a mistake and we’ll have it sorted in no time. I promise, okay.’
She nodded through her sobs, and this time she allowed the younger woman to take her hand.
‘We’ll need some of her—’
‘There’s a pink suitcase in the hallway,’ Kim said. ‘Everything she’ll need is in there.’
‘Donkey,’ Daniel exclaimed. ‘She must have Donkey. She won’t sleep without…’
‘I’ll go and make sure,’ Bryant said, following the woman and Ava out the door.
‘Thank you for your co-operation, Mr Reynolds. We’ll be addressing the complaint immediately, and someone will be along tomorrow to talk with you. Right now, our priority is Ava, as you can imagine.’
‘Where are you taking her?’ he asked.
‘I’m sorry but I can’t tell you that. We’ll take very good care of her, I promise.’
Gloria Lincoln turned and headed out of the kitchen, leaving a shell of a man behind.
He fell into one of the kitchen chairs and held his head in his hands. ‘How did we get here? Forty-eight hours ago, I had both my wife and my daughter. Now I have neither and I’ve done nothing wrong.’
Kim heard the front door close before Bryant appeared in the doorway.
‘Donkey is on board,’ he said, taking a seat.
‘I knew it, you know,’ Daniel said, shaking his head.
‘I knew they’d try something. They know how much I love her, but I knew they’d try and take her from me.
’ He met Kim’s gaze as tears filled his eyes once more.
‘You should have let me go this morning. I’ve lost her. I’m never going to see her again.’
‘That’s not going to happen, Daniel. You’ve done nothing wrong, and she’s your daughter so she’ll be…’
Her words trailed away as the pieces of the puzzle fell into place.
His absence in the baby photos, his urgency about getting away.
The sudden appearance of an uncle who had shown no interest before.
Ashley’s boss insisting he was one of the ‘good guys’.
His fear every time Warren’s name was mentioned.
It had nothing to do with Ashley’s murder.
Kim had a sinking feeling as the truth of his biggest fear hit her.
Ava was not Daniel’s biological child.