“Do you think he’ll ever speak?” Rob asked.
“He will when he wants to tell us his story,” I said. It was what I always said when I answered that question. “But I want to hear his voice. I want to know what he sounds like. He won’t be like the little boy who disappeared all those years ago. I know that. He’ll have a deeper voice, like a man’s, I suppose. Right now he’s more like a shell than a person.”
“Aiden is in there. I’m sure of it.” Rob set down his mug to hook an arm around my waist. It felt natural. I was being comforted by the father of my child and it felt right. “It’s just going to take some time.”
“I’m so sick of time.” I shook my head. “Time is what I’ve been robbed of already. Time with my son. Buying him football boots when he grows out of his old ones. Arguing with him about tidying his room. Watching him awkwardly try to flirt with girls.”
Rob laughed through his nose. “You’ll still get to see him try to flirt with girls.”
“Will I? Rob, is he ever going to be normal? I know it’s early days, but can you ever imagine him at school or at university? I can’t imagine him interacting with anyone at the moment.” Though the words felt good to let out, they left a sour taste in my mouth because deep down I knew them to be true. Aiden was damaged. He would never be like the other kids.
Rob’s arm tightened around my waist. He leaned into me and rested his head against mine. “We’ll figure it out, Em.”
And as we were stood there in the door of Jake’s kitchen, linked arm in arm, I genuinely believed it would be me and Rob who figured out the best path for Aiden. We were his parents and we would know what was best for him. At that moment I didn’t even think about Jake, though later I would look back and feel shame for not doing so.
The spell was broken when the door opened and Denise stepped in. “It’s chilly out there. The autumn is really setting in now. How’s Aiden doing?”
We’d stepped away from each other as Denise had walked in. It was a move we’d made countless times when we were young teens in love—every time my mum popped into my bedroom to deliver laundry. Well, we were like silly teenagers again.
“He’s fine,” I replied. “Any news from DCI Stevenson?” I idly let one hand stroke my belly.
“You’d better give him a call and speak to him yourself,” Denise said.
26
“Try again,” Rob insisted.
“I’ve called three times,” I replied.
“He’s bound to be in important meetings,” Denise chipped in.
“Can’t you just tell us?” I demanded.
Denise only shook her head. “It’s best it comes from him. Try again in a while. Shall I—”
“—pop the kettle on?” I mimicked. “No, I’ve had quite enough bloody tea, thank you.”
Rob smirked. I rubbed my hands and tried not to think of my high blood pressure. I picked up my mobile phone from the kitchen table and clicked through to my recent calls for DCI Stevenson’s number.
When he answered, I almost dropped the phone from shock. It was my fifth attempt and I’d already come to the conclusion that he wouldn’t answer.
“Emma, now isn’t a good time.”
“Denise says there’s been a development,” I said. “What’s happened?”
“We’ve made an arrest that may or may not be relevant to the investigation. Now, Emma, this is confidential, and it’s important that you don’t look too much into it at this stage. We don’t know if it’s relevant to the case or not, okay?”
“Stop patronising me and tell me,” I snapped.
“You’re right, I’m sorry. We have arrested James Graham-Lennox for possession of child pornography.”
“What?”
“An IT consultant found images on his personal computer and informed the police.”
“The Duke of Hardwick?”
“Yes.”
“Shit.” Then a disgusting thought popped into my mind. “Is… Is Aiden on—”
“We’ve not found any pictures of Aiden on his computer.”
I let out a long, deep sigh.
“This is very sensitive information. Do not repeat it to anyone outside the family. Is that clear? We need to tread carefully.”
“Of course. Shit. He’d have the money to do it. He’d have the opportunity. Oh God.”
“Emma, I need you to stay focussed. There’s no evidence linking the duke to Aiden. Not yet anyway.”
When I hung up the phone, I could tell by Rob’s expression that I’d paled to a deathly white.
“What is it?” he asked. “They’ve made an arrest?”
I could feel Denise hovering over us. I wanted to talk to Rob but I hated her listening in on every conversation. I didn’t trust her. She was police, not family. Her loyalties were with the police and that was a barrier I could not climb.
“Denise, would you mind checking on Aiden?” I asked.
“Is everything okay?” she replied with a bright smile.
“Sure.”