When breakfast was over, I went upstairs to make a start on putting the blankets inside the new crib. After Aiden’s paint incident we’d bought an entirely new crib. We could probably have washed most of it away, but there was something about seeing the red paint splattered across the baby’s blanket like that. It made me want to buy a new one just to rid my mind of that image. So we did. And I decided to keep Aiden out of the baby’s room.
That was as far as I’d allow myself to think that morning. Though my due date was looming, there was so much going on that I decided to block out my worries about Aiden around the baby. Did I trust my son? Did I believe that he was dangerous? Those were the kind of questions that played on my mind when I allowed myself to think for too long. If I admitted those things then it led down a road I didn’t want to tread. It meant giving Aiden up. I couldn’t do that. I had to believe that everything would turn out okay somehow, but that belief waned by the day.
After spreading out a soft baby blanket I went back to the bedroom to straighten up the bed and sort out some washing for the machine. While I was there, I checked on my mobile phone charging up next to the bed. I had five missed calls and a two voicemail messages.
The first was from DCI Stevenson asking whether Aiden had made any progress. He usually made that call once every couple of days to ‘check in’, or, when the family liaison officers were with us all day every day he’d check in with them. I felt bad for DCI Stevenson. He was a good man trying to do his job under extraordinary pressure. But the fact was that after two and a half weeks of investigation, he had come up with nothing.
The second voicemail was from Rob. I sat upright when I listened to the message. Then I quickly unplugged my phone from the charger and made my way downstairs. The message said: “Emma, it’s Rob. Dad has just been released. They didn’t find any evidence. They searched the house and there was nothing. He didn’t do it, I know that and you do too, probably. That’s not the main reason I’m calling you. Look, I didn’t want to say this over a voicemail, but you’re not answering and you need to know. I don’t trust Jake, you know that. Well, I’ve been following him for a while. He keeps going to some garage outside Bishoptown near the A59. There’s something dodgy about it all. I’m not saying that he’s hurt Aiden, I’m not saying that… yet. But I think we should go and see this garage and figure out what’s going on. No police. Just you and me. Drop Aiden off at my parents’ place and come meet me.”
*
It was Peter who answered the door, though I’d been hoping it wouldn’t be. I offered him a thin smile. “I’m so sorry you were questioned by the police like that.”
“It’s all right,” he said, ushering me in. “They’ve questioned everyone else. I’m just sorry I never saw Aiden. I had no idea I was so close to where he was taken. If only I’d seen something. Anyway, they’ve cleared me from the investigation now. Apparently the CCTV footage went on to show me taking pictures at the time they suspect Aiden was taken. Why they couldn’t check all that before holding me for hours I don’t know. It’s that duke they should be questioning. I don’t like the look of that fella.”
“Me neither,” I said. “Is Rob around? He thought it might be a good idea for you guys to watch Aiden while we check something out.”
“Yes, and he was just as vague. I hope you’re not getting yourselves into any trouble?” Peter walked beside me as we made our way through the front of the B&B to the living quarters behind the main reception.
“No, nothing like that.” I hesitated outside the door into their personal rooms. “Listen, Peter. This is hard to say, but I need to say it. Can you make sure that Sonya doesn’t do anything without getting my okay? She had another child visit Aiden last time and it didn’t go so well. He isn’t up to playing with other children just yet. It’s all a delicate balance and I need to be sure that Sonya isn’t going to—”
“Upset the apple cart?”
I let out a sigh of relief. “Exactly.”
“I’ll keep her reined in, don’t worry,” he said.
“Thanks, I appreciate it.” I paused. For a moment I was going to tell him that I never suspected he could have hurt Aiden, but that would have been a lie. There had been a moment where I’d sat down and thought about whether Peter could be capable of kidnapping, imprisoning, raping, and torturing my own son. The truth is, I had thought that it might be possible, just as I had thought about virtually everyone in my life being capable of such an act. As we walked into the back rooms of the B&B, I felt sick to my stomach with the realisation that I presumed everyone guilty.
Whoever did take Aiden had won. He’d broken Aiden to the point where he was an empty shell, and he’d turned me into a suspicious, anxious woman. I attempted to rearrange my face to hide these thoughts from the others, but Rob was the first to frown at my fixed grin.
Nevertheless, we settled Aiden and left the B&B. I was on edge, scratching my hands and my temples. I didn’t want to leave Aiden with them, but I knew we couldn’t take him with us. We made our way back out of the B&B and headed to Rob’s truck.
“Are you all right?” he asked as I climbed into the passenger’s seat.