“I know, but there’s something that niggles me with this. I’m almost certain it’s connected to Paris’s abduction too. More than a stab at me to ‘keep my nose out of the case,’ kind of thing. If Eb was taken to teach me a lesson, then I can understand her being found so quickly. If, on the other hand she was taken for the same reason as Paris, someone is going to be mightily pissed off that Ethol brought her in.”
“It’s a case of trying to put it all together. Anyway, I thought you’d like to know what happened. Its thanks to you this got more publicity and someone saw the child. Shame we haven’t located Daniel Bird yet. Hopefully we will soon.”
Ryder squeezed her eyes shut and dug her finger and thumb into the soft skin either side of her nose. To her mind the cases weren’t connected in any way other than the children came from the same town. She still believed after chasing many cases like this that paedophiles struck randomly when they saw a child that fascinated them. Black market adoptions were the ones that searched, planned, and then carried out their abductions. “I still think he was taken purely by chance. It would be too risky for someone to take two children for the black market from the same town in the same month. Doesn’t make sense.” The chance of finding Daniel was getting weaker by the month and it made her heart ache to look at his photo.
“Have you managed to find out anything from your paedo chat site?”
Ryder lifted her feet up, placed them on the ottoman, and sank lower into the chair. “Nothing that would help us find Daniel. I put in a request for a child of that appearance but nothing has come up which leads me to believe it might be too late for him. It’s been over a year since he was taken. That extended passage of time always makes it harder to locate them.”
“Horrible, but at least we’ve had one good win with Paris, as well as Ebony that is.”
“Yes. When is the court appearance for Ethol? I’m assuming he can’t be released beforehand?”
“As much as Eric would like me to let his father out, no. He’d already been formally charged and Sally Beetson, the local prosecutor, is prepared to fight to keep him inside until they set a court date citing him as a flight risk. I doubt he’d find the judge too sympathetic either. Look, Ryder, I don’t want you back until he’s been in front of the judge. Its only a few days and I think you should spend the time with Ebony, if only to ease your mind that’s she’s okay.”
“Yeah, I agree. As much as I want to be at work, I have to figure out what we’re going to do with her while I’m there.” She sighed, wishing it would all go away.
“Not willing to take her back to Amy?”
She screwed up her face. The million dollar question. Should she, could she? “I don’t know. I honestly don’t know.”
Chapter 20
“This morning we’re going shopping. I’m sick of looking at that poor excuse for a garden.”
“Can Milo come?” Ebony glanced up with a pleading look and Milo, hearing his name, cocked his head in her direction too.
“Since it’s so cool, yes. I don’t like dogs in the car but it’s not hot so he’s in luck this time.” Ryder dropped her coffee mug in the sink. “Eat up and we’ll get going.” Ryder hurried around the kitchen, cleaning and putting things away so when she got home, the gardening would be the only thing to worry about. Some herbs could be planted in amongst the roses she intended to buy. It would save her purchasing those expensive little cellophane packets all the time that invariably went rotten before they were at their expiry date.
“Ready, Mummy.” Ebony pushed her empty cereal bowl up onto the kitchen counter and wiped her hand across her mouth.
“Okay, in the truck you two. I’ll grab my purse.” As Eb and Milo rushed out to the vehicle, Ryder walked down the hallway to her bedroom. She retrieved her purse from the bedside cabinet and hurried out, pulling the back door closed behind her.
Milo sat with his head out the open window, the breeze blowing back his cheeks like wings. Ryder watched him in the mirror and blessed Jake for insisting they get a dog. Best possible thing she could have done for her daughter. Milo and Eb were the best of friends. Where one went, the other would be close behind.
She drove through town until they got to the garden centre, parked out front, and turned off the key. “Milo will be fine. He can see us inside, see.” Ryder pointed to the chain wire fence. “You can wave to him and tell him to stay once we get inside.” Grabbing her purse, she slid from the truck and held the door for Ebony after undoing her seatbelt. Together they walked in through the doors where trolley’s were lined up.
“I’m thinking we might need one of these today. Hop on.” Eb climbed on and held the edges while her mother pushed her through the plant aisles. “Look, wave to Milo. He’s watching you.”
Ebony turned her head and saw him, waved her arms madly. “Stay, Milo. Good dog.”
“Righto, chicken. Let’s get some herbs and then we can choose the pretties for colour.” Together they picked out parsley, chives, mint, and coriander. Eb stacked them in the basket on front of the trolley before they started looking for shrubs.
“Oh look, Eb. A rose bush like Uncle Eric’s one.”
“No no no, Mummy. No please, not the rainbow flowers. They hurt me.” She whimpered and held her hands over her head, hiding
