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They both turned towards the crib. ‘I can’t allow him to have a life like that, Carrie. If his mother didn’t want him, then maybe this is the best thing for him. To go to loving parents who do want him. There are thousands of people out there who can’t have kids of their own, just waiting for a baby like Abraham.’
Carrie hesitated. She didn’t want to upset him. What he said made sense, but it still just didn’t ring true with her.
‘I get that, Daniel. I do. But I still think there’s something else—something that we’re both missing here.’
‘Like what?’
She stood up and walked over to the window. The newscaster had been right. She could see the difference in the snow outside. It wasn’t quite so deep. It wasn’t quite so white. No freshly lain snow was replacing its supplies and what was there was beginning to disintegrate, to turn to the grey slush that had been on the streets before.
This time tomorrow Abraham would be gone. Gone forever. And the thought made her heart break.
She turned to face him again, her arms folded across her chest. ‘Why here, Dan? Why this house? There are plenty of nice houses on this street. What made Abraham’s mother leave him here?’ She pointed downwards, emphasising her words.
Daniel lifted his hands. ‘What do you mean, Carrie? We’ve been through this. The lights were on. This place was a safe bet. Even if the mother didn’t ring the bell.’
‘That’s it.’ She was across the room in a flash, a little light going on in her brain. ‘A safe bet. Don’t you get it?’ She grabbed hold of his arms.
‘Get what?’
Her frustration was mounting. ‘Dan, I knew you were a cop—even though you’d never spoken to me. I saw you every day in your uniform. Walking along this street and into our apartment building.’
‘So?’ A wrinkle appeared on his brow.
‘So!’ Her face was inches from his. The compassion in her eyes more prominent than anything he’d ever seen. ‘What’s a safer bet than a cop? If you had to leave a baby at anyone’s door, who would you choose, Dan? Who would you choose?’
A horrible feeling of realisation started to wash over his skin. A horrible feeling that he’d missed something really important.
‘You think the baby was left here because someone knew I was a cop?’
‘I know he was. Think about it, Dan. It makes perfect sense. If I wanted to keep my baby safe—and couldn’t tell anyone about it—where safer than at a cop’s door.’
‘But who? Who would do something like that?’
Their eyes met. It was as if a mutual thought had just appeared in their heads. One that left a sinking feeling in his stomach. But Carrie wasn’t about to stand back and leave things unsaid. Leave possibilities unchallenged.
She looked at Abraham again and tried to keep the tremble from her voice. ‘Dan, is there any chance—any possibility at all—that Abraham could be your baby?’
‘What? No! Of course not.’ There was pain in her eyes. Hurt there for him to see. It didn’t matter to her how painful the suggestion was, Abraham came first. She was thinking only of him.
It was there, in that split second, that he knew. Carrie McKenzie was the girl for him. He loved her, with his whole heart. The past few days had let deep emotions build, heartbreaking secrets revealed by both of them.
But as he looked at her flushed face, her blue eyes trying to mask the pain she didn’t want him to see, her teeth biting her plump bottom lip as she tried to digest his answer, he absolutely knew. This was a woman who was prepared to push her feelings aside for a child she had no responsibility for, no connection with. If he pulled her to the side right now and told her there was a strong likelihood that Abraham was his—even though that wasn’t a possibility—he knew she would just nod quietly and say nothing. All for the sake of the child.
The one thing he’d never been able to do—connect with a woman—he’d found here, in his own home and right on his doorstep. His fractured relationship with his mother had made him erect barriers even he couldn’t see. But here, and now, with Carrie McKenzie, they were gone. She wasn’t shying away from him because he’d been an abused child. She was only trying to understand him better.
‘Are you sure?’ She was struggling with the words, trying to be steady and rational even though he knew inside she wasn’t.
It only took a step to reach her and touch her cheek—no, cradle her cheek in his hand. ‘I promise you, Carrie. There’s no chance that Abraham is mine. That’s not why he’s been left here.’
There were tears brimming in her eyes. Tears of relief? She let the air out of her lungs with a little whoosh. Her bottom lip was trembling and he ached to kiss her. But it wasn’t the time. They were on the precipice of something here. The precipice of something for them and something for Abraham. And they both had too much duty and responsibility to know what came first.
He didn’t ever want to do that to her again. He didn’t ever want to do anything to cause Carrie McKenzie even a second of hurt, a second of pain. Once was enough. She was far too precious to him for that.
She looked at him with her big blue eyes, words hovering on her lips, before she broke eye contact and looked down at the floor. Anything they had to say to each other would have to wait, if just for a few hours. She lifted her head again. ‘Then it must be someone else, Dan. Someone that knows you’re a cop and trusts you.’
He tried to rack his brain. ‘I just can’t think, Carrie. Most of my friends don’t stay around here. And none of them are pregnant.’ He glanced towards the window again. ‘And the snow might be beginning to clear now, but it was thick on Monday night. It could only have been someone around here, someone local....’ His voice tailed off and he pressed his hand against the window.
‘What if it isn’t a friend, Dan? What if it’s a neighbour? Or someone you’ve come into contact with because of your job? Is there anyone around here you’ve been called out to see?’
‘I usually work in the middle of the city. I’ve only ever covered a few shifts down here. It doesn’t do any good covering your own patch.’
‘Who did you get called out to see when you visited? Anyone that sticks in your mind?’
He felt the blood rush from his head right down to his toes. He could be sick, right now, all over the floor.
He made a mad dash for the phone, pressing the numbers furiously. ‘It’s Daniel Cooper. I need to speak to the captain. Now!’
‘Dan, what is it? What have you remembered?’
He shook his head. He didn’t have time for small talk. All he could do was pray that some of the roads had cleared and help would be available if needed.’
‘Captain, it’s Dan. This baby? Yes, he’s fine. But I think I know who put him here. Look up Mary and Frank Shankland.... Yes, that’s them. A list of domestics as long as your arm. Last time I was there, she was pregnant, he was mad and he’d beat her so badly she lost the baby. Told her if she ever got pregnant again, he’d do the same.’
Carrie’s hand flew to her mouth. ‘Oh, no! That’s awful.’
Dan lifted his hand to silence her as he listened to the other end of the phone. ‘That’s why she was unprepared. She couldn’t buy anything for this baby or else he might notice. She must have hidden her pregnancy from him. How are the roads? Can you send a unit? I’m going there. Now.’
He
slammed down the phone and headed straight for the door. ‘Wait, Dan, you can’t go there alone. Look at your hand—you’re already injured. How will you be able to protect her with a broken wrist?’
He spun around, his eyes furious. ‘I can’t, no, I won’t wait another second, Carrie. Why didn’t I think of this? After what he did to Mary the last time, we’ll be lucky if she’s still alive.’ He pointed over to the crib. ‘Take care of Abraham. Take care of Abraham for his mother. And just pray I get there in time.’
And in an instant he was gone.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
IT WAS THE longest two hours of Carrie’s life. Every time she heard a siren her heart was in her mouth. Every time she heard the start-up of a car engine she would run to the window to peer outside.
Abraham was perfect. He fed and winded like a little dream. It was as if he knew how stressed and on edge she was. The noise of the snow plough coming down the street nearly tipped her over the edge. Most of the snow was starting to melt and it merely ploughed the dirty slush ahead of it.
Finally, there was a flashing blue light and the sound of a door slamming. She ran and opened Dan’s apartment door.
There was a scuff mark on his cheek, as if he’d hit a wall. And his clothes, although still intact, were definitely rumpled. As if someone had clutched them in a tight grip.
Behind him, a uniformed officer was lurking, obviously waiting to hear their interaction. She couldn’t stop herself. With Abraham in one arm, her other was wrapped around Dan’s neck in an instant. ‘Are you okay? Are you hurt? What about Abraham’s mother? Please tell me that she’s okay?’
Dan turned and nodded to the other cop. ‘Give me five minutes, Ben. I’ll be right out.’ It was then Carrie noticed the baby car seat in Ben’s hands. He nodded at Dan, and left it sitting next to the door.
Dan closed the door and leaned against it for a few seconds, catching his breath, before finally leaning over and dropping a kiss first on Abraham’s head and then on Carrie’s.
