The Next Girl(Detective Gina Harte #1)(26)

‘They’ve had a spot of lunch. Is Luke okay?’ Brooke asked as she stepped into the hall, holding Joe’s hand.

Cathy stepped forward and took her other hand. ‘It’s probably best if he calls you in a while, dear. He’s had to go and have a lie down. Thank you so much for watching the kids.’

‘Can I see him?’

‘He’s not in any fit state to talk,’ Cathy replied.

Brooke frowned and stepped back out of the door. ‘We’ll just be going then,’ she said, pulling Joe behind her.

‘Wait,’ said Cathy. ‘He will call you in a while. There’s been some news and he needs—’ And Cathy burst into tears once more.

Brooke walked back and placed her arms around the woman. ‘He can call me when he’s ready. Is there anything I can do?’

Cathy shook her head and hugged Brooke.

‘I’m here if any of you need me. Just call, okay?’

Gina, standing half in the hall, leaned back to watch out of the lounge window as Brooke closed the garden gate and walked down the road. ‘I’ll call you when we get back to the station,’ she said to Cathy. ‘Hopefully you’ll be able to visit your granddaughter today.’

‘Thank you.’ Cathy wiped her eyes and blew her nose.

‘Here’s my card. You have my number. Again, if you see or hear anything, let me know. Even if it seems like it’s nothing, it could be the key to cracking the case and finding Deborah.’

The woman nodded, thanking them again as she showed them out and closed the door.

‘Well, that wasn’t easy,’ Gina said.

‘No. I don’t know how they’re going to cope. Imagine finding out that not only is your daughter potentially being held by some psycho, but that you might have a grandchild fathered by that same psycho? I don’t know how I’d feel.’

‘Me neither. I feel for them. Back to the station now. I need to call children’s services, see if I can arrange a visit for Mrs Beddows at the hospital. The fun never ends with this job—’

‘But you wouldn’t have it any other way,’ Jacob continued.

‘You know, I hate it when you finish my sentences. I might just puke on your dashboard to get my revenge. Do we have the name of the social worker in charge of the Baby Jenkins case?’

‘Yes, Devina Gupta.’

Gina found Devina’s number and waited for an answer. She stared out of the window as they travelled down the road with the speed bumps before leaving the estate and joining the main road through Cleevesford.

‘Devina, hi, it’s DI Harte. I need you meet me at the hospital in an hour… I know you’re busy, we all are… Thank you, see you there.’ Then Gina dialled the Jenkinses’ home number. She had no idea if just Cathy would turn up or if Luke would manage to make it too. She did know it would be an emotional introduction.





Seventeen





As they walked along the hospital corridors, Luke stopped and leaned against the window ledge, staring out into the courtyard below. ‘I don’t know if I can do this.’

Cathy stepped closer and placed her hand over his. ‘You can. You have to. For Debbie.’

‘Do you need a moment, Mr Jenkins?’ DI Harte asked.

‘No,’ Cathy replied.

‘Yes,’ Luke said.

Cathy placed her arm around his shoulders. ‘We have to do this, for Debbie. I know it’s painful, really I do,’ she said. Luke went to speak but stopped. He rubbed his eyes and continued walking along the corridor with Cathy until they reached the ward where Baby Jenkins lay. They stopped outside and Cathy peered through the tiny window in the door.

‘You just have to press the buzzer,’ said DI Harte.

Luke leaned across and pushed the red button. Cathy bit the skin on her bottom lip as they waited. The detective walked ahead as they were buzzed in. Luke couldn’t work out what she was saying to the nurse, but within a moment they were pointed in the right direction.

As their footsteps echoed through the corridor, Luke kept thinking of the huge mess that everything was in. He hadn’t called Brooke back. Hell, he didn’t even know what he was going to say to her. Well, you know my missing wife, the one presumed dead, the one I’d just about given up on? Well, she’s just had a baby. Have I found her? No. Just her baby. The baby’s not mine. They think she might have been taken and held captive all these years. We’ll probably be looking after the baby, I think.

Maybe he wouldn’t say that. He didn’t know if he really meant the things that were unfolding in his thoughts or if they were just a reaction to his increased stress levels. He was walking towards the room where his wife’s baby lay. Another man’s baby, but she was part of his wife and his wife was going through something, somewhere. What if she never came home? Could he rise to the challenge of bringing up this baby alone, in Debbie’s absence? Would that be too much to ask? Would Cathy bring the baby up? His wife’s mother gripped his hand as they reached the entrance to the room.

He paused at the door to the room, staring across at the little baby, dressed in a white all-in-one vest, sleeping in a tiny plastic crib. This was the baby he was possibly meant to take responsibility for. His legs felt weak and he began to tremble. What had Debbie been through? His lovely Debbie had been forced to— he couldn’t say it, even in his mind. It felt like his heart was ripping apart, taking his breath away. ‘I just want Debbie back. I need her.’