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“Really?” She looked up, surprised, and found his gaze locked onto her.
“Sierra…” His voice broke as he said her name.
She didn’t know if she was ready to hear what he was about to say.
He tried again. “Sierra, we need to talk. About…you know…your daughter, and—”
“I’m back,” her mum called as she hustled into the room, carrying three coffees in a cardboard take-out tray. “I got you a coffee, too, Officer Kapua. I thought you looked like you could do with one.”
Saved by the bell. Yes, she agreed with Reed, they needed to talk. But she didn’t think he was going to like what she had to say. She could see it in his eyes. She saw hope there. Hope that perhaps she could get past the terrible thing he’d done—they’d done—back in Adelaide. But his hope was wasted. Because even though Sierra wanted him desperately—wanted him to wrap his arms around her. To kiss him. To lie with him, be cocooned in his strong arms. Feel the strong connection between them. Stronger, perhaps, than anything she’d ever felt for another man—it would never be enough. For her to forgive him.
* * *
Reed tamped down his sudden urge to frog-march Sierra’s mother straight back out of the room. He needed to finish this conversation. But he couldn’t blame her, Sierra’s mother was only trying to protect her child from what she saw as a threat. If not a physical one, then the one to her mental well-being. And it wouldn’t do to alienate her. If anything, Reed needed Aileen on his side.
He’d met her last night, when she rushed from Adelaide to be at Sierra’s side. It was he who had called her, to let her know what’d happened. It was the least he could do. And she’d been eternally grateful to him then. But now more of the details were emerging, she was starting to look at him with circumspection in her eyes. There were certain similarities between mother and daughter, he could now see where Sierra got her tilted nose and high cheekbones. But their personalities were very different. Sierra was all cool calm and control, while Aileen flapped around like a startled chicken, letting her emotions show for everyone to see.
He glanced at Sierra, but her poor bruised face was a blank canvas, and he knew he’d get nothing more from her at the moment.
“I’ll come back and see you later,” he said, laying his hand back over the top of Sierra’s, not caring if her mother raised her eyebrows at him.
Sierra opened her mouth, but before she could speak, Aileen cut in. “They’re discharging her today. I’m going to take her back to her place and look after her for a few days. She needs some peace and quiet to recuperate from all this…trouble.” The stern look on Aileen’s face made it clear she would brook no argument.
Reed stifled a sigh. By the look on Aileen’s face he understood Sierra had already told her who he was; what he’d done. No wonder she was being overly protective.
Sierra still hadn’t said a word, just watched the interplay with hooded eyes.
“I’ll come and visit you soon,” he said, emphasizing the words and ignoring the glare he got from Aileen. “Look after that ankle.” He glanced at the lump under the blankets and then back up to her face. He couldn’t help himself, he reached up and stroked a gentle finger down the uninjured side of her cheek. Her eyes widened at his touch and he thought he saw a flare of yearning there. “And that beautiful face.” There was so much more he wanted to say. Wanted to do. He wanted to take her into his arms and hold her. She looked so small and alone in that big hospital bed. Diminished, somehow. The bruises on her temple from the car accident a few days earlier were turning a deep shade of purple, but were competing with the new, lighter bruising on the bridge of her nose and down her cheekbone, where that bastard had head-butted her and broken her nose. He knew she was a strong woman, that she would recover from this, just like she’d recovered before. But he wanted to help her. He could be there for her this time, if only she’d let him in.
The anger he’d felt towards her yesterday—was it really only yesterday?—was gone. His father’s words replaying over and over in his head had replaced the emotion with something softer and more malleable. His father was right; she had every right to be angry at him. Just as he had every right to be angry at her. But perhaps, as his father had said, given time, Sierra might start to change her mind. And he wanted to be the one to help convince her. After what they’d been through together yesterday, it was more than obvious they shared a connection. She’d been prepared to forfeit her life for him. And for the girl. That was huge. He owed her a debt. Plus, he wanted to explore that connection, to find out if it was as strong as he hoped. Because, as his father had also pointed out, it was time he tried to find love again.
Reed turned away quickly, before he got so lost in her eyes he couldn’t leave. “I’ll let Eric know you’re going soon. He’s out front, keeping all the media hounds at bay. He can give you a ride home in the police cruiser.” He turned his gaze toward Aileen, so she understood his next words were for her. “And make sure you go out the back door, if you don’t want to be swamped by those vultures.” He tilted his chin towards the main road, where he could see part of the large contingent of journalists who were still camped out near the front door of the hospital. Sierra might’ve been one of them before, might be good at answering their questions, but now was not the time or place. He could see the vulnerability in her eyes, and the vultures would see it, too, and swoop in for the kill. Aileen would perceive that, and at least her protective instincts would come in handy where that was concerned.
“See you both soon,” he said over his shoulder and walked down the corridor. He would be going out the back door as well. No need to give the media any more fodder today. The Sarge and himself had already fronted two press conferences. One last night, and then another again this morning. Giving them the basics to start with, as their investigation was even now still catching up with everything that’d happened. Don told the press that Jessica had been found alive and well. It was the main point, and the Sarge repeated it over and over, like a mantra. They had successfully rescued the girl. It was truly the one thing that mattered, at least to Reed. A young life had been saved. He also told them a suspect was in hospital, under police guard and they would give out more details as they came to light. Of course, it was never enough for the media, and they fired questions at him about Sierra’s involvement—how they found out about that Reed didn’t know.
Reed still couldn’t believe the incredible story they were piecing together.
He’d been on the phone earlier this morning, talking to Senior Sergeant Mike Delaney, head of the Port Pirie precinct. Mike had only been at the station for five years, and knew very little about the case from twelve years ago. But he and his team had spent the night combing through the archives, scrambling to pull together the clues.
“I’ll be damned,” Mike had said in his guttural voice. “Damien Nicholson was indeed an officer here; worked here for a total of seven years. He was on track to becoming a detective, back then. Had a spotless record. Go figure,” Mike had said, sourly.
Reed grunted, but not wanting to interrupt the Senior Sergeant, had said nothing.
“One of my officers pulled out the evidence from child abductions, and now, looking at it with fresh eyes, it does seem like everything that could go wrong, did. Little things like communication documents going missing or calls not being logged, certain witnesses not being questioned. Right up to big things, like destruction of evidence. There are some DNA samples that seem to be missing.” Reed could hear the discomfort in the other man’s voice after that admission. They both knew without having to say, that an internal investigation would take place. And the Port Pirie station would once more, come under intense scrutiny. Back then Sierra had blamed the police for the way they handled the investigation. And that’s why Damien had started to threaten her, to try and keep her quiet. Because her shining a light on the gaps in the investigation might’ve opened Pandora’s Box. And pointed straight to him.
Mike continued, “But Damien Nicholson wasn’t dumb. He took a job at a precinct in Adelaide, just as soon as he possibly could, to get away from the spotlight. But it was as a lowly traffic cop, so he would’ve lost any promotion he might’ve been angling for here.”
Probably something else Evan blamed Sierra for, Reed thought with a grimace.
“Have you got anything to link him to the girls’ abductions?” Reed asked. It was the question on everyone’s lips. Reed knew in his heart that Evan was responsible, but they still needed to prove it. He was sure some of that missing DNA evidence would’ve linked Damien to those first crimes.
“Not yet,” Mike answered. “But we’re throwing everything we’ve got at it.”
It was terribly frustrating that the pedophile was in a coma. The only way they could ever know for sure would be a confession. He needed to wake up. Otherwise they may never be able to corroborate his story, and there would be no chance of finding those poor little girls’ bodies.
Nothing much else had come from his call to the Senior Sergeant and so he had hung up with more questions than he had answers.
Reed made it to the police Land Cruiser, parked down a side lane next to the hospital, out of sight of the media pack. He turned on the ignition and started the car, but his mind was still caught up in the bizarre case of Damien Nicholson.
Preliminary DNA testing had come back on the bones found near Sierra’s precious bird-nesting site last night as well. It looked like they belonged to that of a six-year-old girl who went missing in Adelaide two years ago. Reed remembered Sierra had mentioned she’d also started following up on the case of two missing kids, Marley and Kasey, from three years ago, because her ex-editor had been convinced that they were somehow connected to the ones from twelve years previous. And it seemed the editor’s instincts might’ve been spot on. Police were now trying to link those more recent missing cases to Damien, as well. It was likely that he’d brought his second victim, Kasey, over to the island to hide her body. Perhaps that was when he’d decided to stay. Because it was reported he’d moved to the island a little less than two years ago, bought the shop and set himself up as a respectable, innocent citizen.
Why he’d decided to abduct little Jessica was still a mystery. He had a new life, was laying low, keeping off the radar. He’d obviously hoped to escape with her, get away from the island and set up with the girl somewhere safe. Perhaps he thought of Jessica as his last hurrah, the one he would keep, the one who never got away. Bastard.
Reed shook his head put the car into gear. Don needed him back at the office ASAP. He’d let Reed have half an hour to go and see Sierra, to make sure for himself she really was okay, but after that Reed knew he was in for a long day. Filling out paperwork, answering questions. It was possible he’d even have to fly to Adelaide for a few days, to answer more questions with the Senior Sergeant in charge of the case. The elation of getting the girl back safely and of finding Sierra alive was fast wearing off. The next few days were going to be long and hard, and emotionally draining. And on top of that, he needed to find time to go and see Sierra. They needed to talk about what had happened. He wasn’t going to let her go without a fight, that much he knew. She was special. What they had was special. But how could he get her to understand that?
