Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 121871 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 609(@200wpm)___ 487(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121871 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 609(@200wpm)___ 487(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
“How is she?”
“She’s doing well. Impatient to see you. But I’d like to talk to you in private first.” Her dark gaze flickered to London.
“Uh, this is my … wife.” It still felt so odd to say it. “You can speak in front of her.”
“Of course. Come this way.”
We followed the constable into a private room, London’s hand tight in mine. I fought my impatience as the officer introduced another officer called DC McJennett and asked us to sit at a desk across from them.
“Is it bad?” I asked, my gut knotting. “What you found?”
“Mr. Shaw, this morning at 5:26 a.m., PC Brown and her colleague PC Frost attended a welfare check on your daughter Kelly at your ex-wife Jill Tinsley’s home,” DC McJennett relayed information I already knew. “The scene they found was concerning enough for them to call it in. I and fellow officers attended the call, and we confiscated illegal drug paraphernalia. Some of it has been tested at the station and some of it will be tested off-site. We’ve found enough quantities of cocaine and money that indicate the premises were being used for dealing. That and the fact that we arrested this individual from your ex-wife’s home. Do you know him?” The constable slid a tablet across the table and on it was a photo of the bloke I threatened a few weeks ago.
My pulse picked up pace. “I met him when I dropped Kelly off at her Mum’s. He said his name was Dorian. He’s Jill’s boyfriend.”
“He is Dorian Walsh, the youngest brother of a well-known Liverpudlian criminal, Aaron Walsh. The brothers have spent the past few years branching out into Scotland. Finding vulnerable people whose homes they can take over and use to deal drugs out of.”
Jill … Jill had brought a criminal into the same house as my daughter? My whole body was suddenly too hot with my rising anger. “Did Jill know?”
“Jill tested positive for cocaine and cannabis.”
I turned to London, horrified. “How the fuck did I …”
“No.” London caressed my arm, her brow furrowed with concern. “Don’t put this on yourself.”
“I hired a private investigator. He told me there were people coming and going from the house. I should have …” I curled my hands into fists, pushing down the fury.
“Why did you hire a private investigator?” PC Brown asked.
“I wanted sole custody of Kelly. She told me Jill was leaving her alone for days at a time, bringing strange men over, drinking during the day … but no judge would give me sole custody without proof. I thought if I could get proof of her leaving Kelly on her own, then I could get an emergency court order.”
“You’ll get your emergency court order now, Mr. Shaw.” PC Brown gave me a reassuring nod.
“We just needed to know if you had knowledge of any of this?” her colleague asked. “Also, I’d like to ask for the footage your private investigator has obtained. It could prove very useful in our case.”
“No, I had no knowledge. Aye, I can get the footage for you. I just … what happens to Jill? I need to know what I should tell my solicitor.”
The officers went on to relay that Jill was now key to helping the police bring down a wider operation they were working on in conjunction with the Merseyside Police in Liverpool. They had offered her a chance to cooperate to lessen her charge to possession rather than dealing. But they said she appeared too scared to testify against Dorian. Therefore, she could be released on bail.
A tiny part of me was concerned for Jill. That she was in danger of Dorian and his brother … but I had to put those feelings aside because Jill was a grown woman who knew what she was doing when she got into bed with Dorian. My daughter was an innocent victim dragged into this mess. I’d worked so hard to make sure my child had all the love, comfort, and security in the world, and I’d failed in the end, anyway.
“We have specialist officers here who we ask to talk to children in sensitive situations like this. Kelly has assured that officer that nothing untoward happened to her or has happened to her. She locked herself in her bathroom and has been doing that anytime there have been people she didn’t know in the house. Of course, if Kelly does divulge any new information to you or your wife, you can call us directly.” DC McJennett handed me his business card. “PC Brown will take you to your daughter now.”
We found Kelly in a family room that had a comfortable sofa, toys, and a TV. She jumped up from the sofa as soon as I walked in and threw herself into my arms.
I breathed her in, shuddering with relief.