Page 49 of Her Deadly Promise

‘There, guv.’ Jacob pointed at the boathouse where the club kept their boats and equipment. Another PC stood by the shore trying to wave the man back.

Gina forced her leaden legs that bit farther, and she stopped by the PC.

The young woman removed her police hat and used it to fan herself. ‘He stole the boat from that family over there.’ A man with two children sat on a mound of grass, the youngest crying against his chest.

Gina walked to the shore, her feet almost in the lake water. ‘Shaun, please bring Kayden back. All this must be very confusing for him, and I know you don’t want to upset him.’

Brock stood in the rowing boat. Gina watched as it wobbled from side to side. ‘I just want to explain things to him. He’s alright, aren’t you, champ?’

Gina’s heartstrings pulled as she watched the sobbing boy nod. He’d lost his mother and witnessed his grandfather being assaulted, just before being taken by a man he doesn’t know. ‘Shaun, he’s crying. He’s upset. Please bring him in. No father would want to see their child like that.’

He ran his hands over his head. ‘Just leave us alone. He’s crying because of you lot, chasing us. I have rights, you know.’

‘Shaun, this can all be sorted out but not in the way you’re going about it. You need to bring Kayden back to shore.’ She turned to Jacob. ‘Can you get a boat out there? I don’t like the way he’s rocking that boat and Kayden isn’t wearing a life jacket.’

He nodded and headed towards the boat club.

‘Shaun, you’ve got nowhere to go.’

The man glanced around. He was surrounded by officers who were now in place. ‘Why are you doing this to me? I only want to talk to him. I went to the house to talk to him, and that bastard said no. He’s my son. I have rights.’

It saddened Gina that Kayden was hearing all this. The man on the boat had left him, he had denied his existence and now he’d taken him in a way that might traumatise Kayden for life. There were ways to move forward in building a relationship with his son, but this wasn’t one of them. ‘Yes, you do, but so does Kayden and he’s scared. Please, Shaun, bring him in.’

‘Stand up,’ Brock shouted at the boy.

‘I want Granddad,’ Kayden cried, his little lungs bawling out. The boy squirmed away from Brock, remaining on the seat.

Gina wanted to reach out into the distance, take him out of the situation and hug him closely but all she could do was watch and hope that he didn’t fall into the lake.

Brock dragged the boy up and the boat rocked again. Kayden let out a shrill scream. Gina’s heart was in her mouth as the boy almost fell. Without a life jacket, he was in danger. Just as someone rowed Jacob towards the commotion, Brock shouted at the boy, ‘Stop moving about.’ Brock’s arms windmilled, and the man fell into the water with an almighty crash. The boy crouched down and curled up in a ball, his arms hugging his legs as he remained low in the rocking boat. The skipper hopped over to the boy and safely began rowing him towards Gina. Jacob pulled Brock into the other boat and Gina watched, knowing that her colleague was reading Brock his rights. They now had him in their custody and the list of charges was growing.

As the skipper got out of the boat and pulled it onto the dried-up muddy beach, Gina reached in and took Kayden’s hand. ‘Hello, sweetie. I’m Gina and I’m with the police. Let’s get you away from the water.’

He sobbed and threw himself into her arms. ‘I want Nanny and Granddad.’

‘It’s okay.’ She felt herself welling up at what this dot of a boy had been through in a few short days.

‘Come on, let’s get you back.’ She thought again of Ms Brock, and the fact that she didn’t even know she was a grandmother. Gina couldn’t imagine being in her position. She missed Gracie, a lot. As soon as the case was over, she was going to visit her daughter and give her granddaughter a huge hug, but first, she wanted to get Brock in the interview room.

THIRTY-FIVE

CANDICE

Candice watched as the last of the children left with their parents while Poppy’s teacher, Mrs Hallam, kept checking her phone. With a beaming smile, she waved at the teacher. Poppy ran over, flinging herself into Candice’s arms. ‘Hello, sweetheart. Have you had a lovely day?’ She held her daughter close and inhaled her strawberry shampoo. Billie’s murder had made her realise how suddenly everything could end. She couldn’t bear to never see Poppy again. Candice glanced at William as he gripped his book bag. The little boy gazed around the playground searching for his mother.

‘Mrs Hallam said my reading is super, Mummy. I made you a picture.’ Her daughter thrust the piece of yellow sugar paper at her.

Candice turned it over and held it upright. ‘That is beautiful. Is that Mummy and Daddy?’

She nodded, her red bunches bobbing. ‘And that’s me.’ Poppy pointed at the blob of red in front of them. A happy family of paint blobs.

‘It’s beautiful. You’re such a clever girl. As soon as we get home, we are going to put it on the wall. Daddy will love this.’

Mrs Hallam ended her unanswered call and ambled over in her flat, wide shoes. Candice wondered if the woman had ever worn make-up in her life. That would never be her. ‘Mrs Brent, could I have a word? It won’t take long.’

She snapped out of her thoughts and glanced back at William. ‘Poppy, can you play with William for five minutes while Mummy talks to Mrs Hallam.’

The girl giggled and ran over to William, leaving Candice with the teacher. ‘Is everything okay?’

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