Chapter 34
Thirty-Four
‘We thought we had time,’ Daniel said, rubbing his forehead.
Kim should have clocked that the man was only present in photos after Ava was around two years and up.
She should have also noted his concern every time Ashley’s brother was mentioned.
His attempt at a quick getaway wasn’t due to him being involved in Ashley’s murder; it was to avoid this very situation.
‘We always planned to track down Ava’s biological father and get him to give up his parental rights so I could adopt her.’
‘And would he have?’ Kim asked.
His face tightened. ‘He left Ashley on the day she gave birth to Ava. He took one look at her arm and neither of them ever saw him again.’
‘Bastard,’ Bryant said.
‘He’s no loss to her. I’m her dad, the only one she’s ever known. That’s why Ashley wouldn’t have told me about the baby until she felt it was safe. She wanted to give me a child of my own, but I didn’t care. Ava is my child in every way that matters.’
‘Does Ava know her uncle?’
Daniel shook his head. ‘She’s met him twice in seven years and she’s scared of him. Oh Jesus, what will happen now?’
Kim didn’t need to tell him that he had little claim on the child due to there being no blood relationship or adoption certificate. In the eyes of the law, Daniel was Ashley’s husband, but he wasn’t Ava’s father, regardless of the closeness they shared.
‘Will she go to them?’ he asked.
Kim shrugged. ‘They are the natural choice, especially in the short term.’
He closed his eyes and swallowed back the tears. ‘She’s going to be bloody terrified.’
Kim had spent enough time in the company of child services that she couldn’t reassure him to the contrary about any part of the process.
The child was terrified of her uncle, and few of the emergency placement children’s homes were any better.
Ava had been removed from everything familiar, and she was going to be frightened however the next few days panned out.
‘It’s the money, isn’t it?’ Kim asked. ‘That’s why they want her.’
Daniel nodded. ‘There’s no other reason. They don’t know her, but they know they’ll get paid for taking her in. They barely look after their own children.’
Kim felt sick as she predicted the future ahead.
Ava would likely be placed with family members during the investigation.
That was the dangerous part. Once the Chances had their claws into her, it would be difficult for social services to remove her from blood relations and hand her back to someone who had no legal or parental rights.
Nothing they’d done had contributed to this situation. The Chances had taken an opportunity to feather their own nest even if it meant breaking up a truly special bond. Unknowingly, she’d kept him here to face this, but the Chances would have done it anyway, and then he’d have been on the run.
But at least they would have been together, said a voice inside her.
‘I can’t even contact her, can I?’
Kim shook her head. The investigation had to take its course, but she was no longer convinced that Ava would be returned to him whatever they found.
‘Do I need to get a lawyer?’ he asked with a fresh wave of hope. As though doing something proactive would change the eventual outcome.
‘It wouldn’t hurt to consult one,’ Kim advised. ‘Get expert help on where you stand.’
He nodded his understanding before his thoughts returned to Ava. ‘She’s going to be so frightened and I can’t even comfort her.’
‘If it’ll help, we’ll try and check on her later,’ Kim offered.
‘Thank you,’ he said as her phone began to ring.
She excused herself and headed into the hallway. Her stomach lurched when she saw the name of the caller.
‘Stone,’ she answered. ‘And please tell me you’re calling with Ashley’s toxicology reports.’
‘All clear,’ he said. ‘Nothing to report.’
Her stomach returned to its rightful place.
‘But that’s not why I’m calling.’
‘Fucking hell, Keats,’ she snapped, heading out of the house. She knew that Bryant would make their apologies.
‘I request your presence. Behind the Dog and Duck, Brettle Lane.’
Kim ended the call as Bryant appeared.
She knew why she’d been summoned by Keats, and it wasn’t because he wanted to buy her a pint.