Ryder looked at Ebony tucked up in bed, white starched sheets pulled up to her chin. Her glossy black hair fanned out over the pillow and Ryder stroked it, smoothing it down around her daughter’s face. The initial reaction she had when Jake met her was panic, but once he told her there were no injuries or signs of molestation, she calmed down.
“We’ll continue to monitor her through the night. I’m confident she’ll be fine.”
“Thank you.”
“I’ve heard rumours around town about you going over cold cases.” He seemed a little embarrassed and Ryder nodded her head. “I just wanted to say, good on you. I hope you find those little kids. Daniel’s parents are friends of mine and they’re beyond destroyed over his disappearance.”
“I’ll do my best.”
“And if this is tied into it, I hope you nail the bastards to the wall.” The doctor coughed and cleared his throat. “Not very professional of me. You see, I’m a parent too.”
“I understand, Doctor. Sadly, I suspect we will never get rid of all of them. They’re like cockroaches. They breed and travel under the radar more than we would like. And thank you for looking after my baby. She’s all I have left now.”
“You’re more than welcome. I’m glad it turned out okay.” He wiped a hand over his face. “Time I clocked off and went home. The nurses can call me if anything comes up, otherwise I’ll see you in the morning.” He looked at his watch. “Which is in about four hours from now.” He shook his head and walked out the door.
Ryder climbed on the bed beside Ebony and lay down, her head on the pillow. She put an arm over her daughter’s stomach and closed her eyes.
It seemed like only seconds passed when the rattle of wheels sounded in the back of her brain. She snuggled her head into the pillow and a wisp of hair tickled her nose. Ryder lifted her hand to brush it away and came into contact with another body. She opened her eyes.
Ebony blinked and yawned, rolled over, and snuggled her face into her mother’s neck. Ryder’s eyes filled with tears and she let them slide down her cheeks silently. Last night she’d wanted to stay and watch her baby, waiting for any sign of her waking up. She’d promised herself she would watch over her and keep her safe. Instead she’d fallen asleep.
“Mummy, I’m thirsty.” She worked her tongue around her lips and pulled a face.
The curtain whisked open and a cheerful lady stood at the end of the bed. “Did I hear you say you were thirsty? I came at the right time then. What’ll it be, love, milk or juice?”
Ebony shuffled up in the bed and looked around. “Juice please.” She turned to her mother. “Mummy, why are we in here?”
Here come the questions.
“What about you, love? Tea or coffee?” A glass of juice was placed on the side table for Ebony and the lady stood waiting for Ryder’s answer.
“Coffee please, black.” She sat up and rubbed her hands over her face, wishing she had a toothbrush with her. “Thanks.” Ryder accepted the cup and took a sip, swilling it around in her mouth to clear away the dryness.
“Mummy.” Ebony slipped her hand under Ryder’s arm and gripped with her fingers.
“Honey, its okay. Something happened and we wanted to make sure you were okay.” She turned and wiped a long strand of hair from Eb’s face and tucked it behind her ear. “Jake is going to come in soon and speak to you, okay? I’m not going anywhere so don’t worry and you’re fine. The doctor said so. Mummy had to be sure cause I love you so much.”
Ryder reached for the controls and turned on the television set, found the children’s channel, and turned it up to try and distract Ebony from asking too many questions until Jake arrived. The first interview with her daughter was crucial and she didn’t want to muddy the waters by quizzing her now, as much as she wanted to.
“I need to use the bathroom. I’ll leave the door open and if you want me, call, okay?”
Eb nodded her head, her gaze firmly fixed on the screen in front of her.
Ryder slipped into the bathroom and leaned against the wall. Her shoulders slumped and tears of relief ran down her cheeks. If she’d lost Eb, her world would have ended. The horror of yesterday would be burnt into her brain for the rest of her life, no question about it. She lifted her hand and wiped the tears away, then rubbed her palms against the legs of her jeans.
Crossing to the bathroom sink, she looked in the mirror and grimaced. Black smudges under her eyes showed how much this had taken its toll on her. She turned on the tap and cupped her hands under the cold water, bringing it up over her face. Repeating it a few times woke her up and cleared the fog in her brain. When she was finished and had composed herself, she put a smile on her face and walked out.
“Right, kiddo. What do you want for breakfast?”
Chapter 18
“Morning, Ebony. You’re looking pretty cheerful this morning.” Jake walked into the hospital room hoping she could give him answers.
“Hi, Jake.” She looked at the screen. “I get to watch TV in bed.”
“Aren’t you the lucky one?” He pulled up a chair and sat the other side so he could watch Ryder while they talked. He pulled his phone out of his pocket, selected the recording device, and looked at Ryder across the bed, a question in his eyes. She nodded her head.
“Hey, honey. We need to turn off the television so we can talk to Jake, okay?”
“Mum!”
“Yeah, I know. But we have to do this.” She took
