Blood Sport (2 page)

Five

If he ever found whoever had done this to the poor kid, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to stop himself from beating him to a pulp. He’d sat in the bed clutching Kat’s hand like his life depended on it, and even though he’d been standing on the other side of the room he’d flinched every time Finn spoke. He’d put his questions to him gently, hoping that he would be able to give them something, anything, that would help them, but he’d gotten nothing. In fact, the boy hadn’t spoken at all, merely nodding or shaking his head in answer. He hadn’t even been able to tell them his name, just shaking his head when he’d asked.

Not wanting to push him too hard
, he’d left Kat with him and had headed back to the station. He was hoping that CSI might have something to give him. They’d taken the kid’s DNA at the hospital and he was hoping that it was in a database somewhere. There was a chance, a very slim one, that if the kid had been reported missing the local PD would have taken a sample of DNA from his home and entered it in the system.

“How’s the boy
?” the chief asked, coming to stand by his desk.

Finn
shook his head. “Not good. The doc says there’s no medical reason for it but he won’t talk. I’ve left Kat with him. He seems to really trust her so maybe she can get somewhere.” He frowned at the thought of Kat. That woman had a way of getting under his skin; there was no denying it. He’d watched as she’d sat on the boy’s bed talking to him in a low soothing voice and had been struck by what a natural she was with him. Rather than make his feelings towards her soften, though, it had just left him even more confused.

“So we still have no idea who he is?”

“No, none. I’m hoping that we might get something from the lab.” The phone on his desk interrupted them and Finn grabbed, it hoping it was the results he was waiting for. He listened for a minute, writing notes as the chief looked on. Finally, he put the phone down with a smile and held up the paper he’d been writing on.

“We’ve got a DNA hit!” He could barely believe they’d gotten so lucky. “The kid is Dan
iel Lytchett, age twelve.” His fingers started flying on his computer keyboard as he spoke to the chief, inputting the information to find out more. “He was reported missing six years ago from Torino by his parents.” He paused as he read more. “He was on his way home from school. He got off the school bus to walk the short distance from there to his house, but he never arrived.”

That must be a parent’s worst nightmare,
he thought “There’s a number here for the officer dealing with the case. I’ll give him a call.”

“Torino? That’s got to
be what, five hundred miles from here? How on earth did a kid who went missing that far away end up here?” The chief shook his head. “No matter. At least we’ll be able to make one family incredibly happy today.” He checked his watch. “I’m going to check in with the others. They’re checking the area where the kid was found, but at this time of night I don’t think they’ll find much.”

As soon as the
chief had gone, Finn picked up the phone and dialed the number listed on the file. “Officer Pelks?” Finn spoke as the phone at the other end was picked up.

“Yes
, can I help you?”

“I’m
Officer Groves, calling from Brecon Point PD. I’m calling about a case you dealt with a few years ago, a missing boy by the name of Daniel Lytchett.”

“Went missing on his way home from school
. I remember it.” There was a pause on the end of the phone. “It was one of those cases, you know? One of the ones that you don’t forget.”

“Well, we had a bit of an incident here last night and it looks like we might have found him.”

“Found his body, you mean?”

Finn smiled, enjoying this part of his job
. “No, I mean we found him alive.”

There was a sharp intake of breath on the other end of the phone “I don’t believe it
. I was sure that we were only ever going to find his remains. Dear God, if only it had been six months sooner.”

Finn was confused but officer Pelks went on to explain
, and what he told him made his blood run cold.

***

Finn sat in silence at his desk, taking in what he had just heard. Despite years of investigating and never giving up hope, Officer Pelks and the boy’s family had never been able to come up with any leads at all and the case had gone completely cold. The Lytchett’s had remained in the same home where they’d been living when Daniel went missing, and it was on a drive back to this house after attending a fundraiser for missing children just six months ago that the accident had happened. A trailer had skidded on black ice and jacknifed before toppling over and crushing the Lytchett’s car. They didn’t survive. They died without ever knowing what had happened to their son. Unexpectedly, this thought brought tears to Finn’s eyes and he brushed them away with the back of his hand.
Dammit!
According to Officer Pelks, the kid had no other family, so he was all alone in the world now.
Hasn’t he gone through enough?
he thought angrily.

Checking the clock on the wall
, he realized it was now past midnight and his shift had ended hours ago. Long hours were part of the job, though, and he still had a lot to do before he could go home. Pushing his chair away from his desk, he stood up and walked over to the chief’s office. The door was open, but Finn knocked on the glass anyway before walking in and filling him in on the conversation he’d just had.

The
chief shook his head. “As if the poor kid doesn’t have enough to deal with,” he said wryly. “This needs to be handled sensitively. Get together with Dr. Crichton about the best way to move forward. We don’t want to do anything that’s likely to get in the way of his recovery. We’ll also need to contact Child Protective Services as he has no legal guardian.”

Finn nodded. “Ok
ay, I’ll speak to Dr. Crichton as soon as I can. She was still at the hospital when I left. I’ll contact CPS in the morning. He’s going to have to stay in the hospital overnight anyway and he’s safe and settled where he is for now. ”

The
chief nodded. “Okay. CSI are still at the original scene but there’s nothing more you can do tonight. After you’ve spoken to the doc, go home and get some rest.”

“Will do.” He turned to leave. “Night
, Chief.”

Six

He’d planned on going home and
calling Sally, but halfway there he’d turned the car around and headed to the hospital instead. He tried to convince himself it was because he wanted to see Sally, but he knew that the real reason was one he didn’t want to admit to himself. He wanted to see Kat, wanted to make sure she was okay.
Why did she get to him so much?
He’d dated many women, married one, but none had had the effect on him that Kat did. When he didn’t see her he managed to push thoughts of her to one side, almost pretending she didn’t exist; but when he found himself in her orbit, she was all he could think about. Even now, when he was dating someone else and should be thinking about her, thoughts of Kat were in the place where thoughts of her should be.

As he turned the cruiser into the hospital parking lot he made himself a promise. After this case was over he would sit down with
Kat and sort this out once and for all. But to do that he needed to sort out his own feelings and he wasn’t there yet. Admittedly, to do that he needed to actually sit down and think about it, which was something he had been studiously avoiding. He couldn’t avoid it forever, though.

Seven

She’d fallen asleep with her head resting on the bed, his small hand still clutched in hers.
The curtains were drawn now and the room was dark except for the gentle glow under the door given off by the lights in the hall outside. It had taken him a long time to settle at first, and the first time he’d fallen asleep it had only been a few minutes before he’d woken screaming, gripped in the throes of a terrible nightmare. Kat had sat and cuddled him, reassuring him gently until he’d finally managed to go back to sleep. Now the sound of his gentle breathing was the only sound in the room and it was like a balm to her heart. Gently pulling her hand from his without waking him, she stood up and stretched.
God, I need a coffee.
She turned to the door, intending to go and grab one from the machine down the hall.

“Don’t leave me.”
The words were barely more than a whisper, but the plea behind them was deafening. She quickly went back to the bed and took his hand in hers. “So you can speak!” She smiled gently at him. “Don’t worry, I’m not leaving you. I was just going to grab a drink. Is that okay?”

“
Okay.” he whispered.

“Would you like some candy from the machine? Don’t tell the nurses
. It’ll be our little secret.” She winked.

A small flutter of a
smile crossed his lips and he nodded.

“
Okay, I’ll be right back.” She squeezed his hand and left the room, closing the door gently behind her.

***

“Damn machine!” she cursed under her breath. It had taken her money but wouldn’t give her the candy. There was no way she was going back empty-handed. It might only be a candy bar, but she had a feeling this kid had been let down enough and she wasn’t about to do it to him again.

“Need help?”

She hadn’t heard him come up behind her. “Hi, Finn. Yes, please. This damn machine won’t work.” She watched as he put his hands on the top of the machine and gently rocked it back and forth until, with a satisfying clunk, the candy dropped into the tray at the bottom. “Neat trick,” she said, reaching in for it. “You must have done that before.”

He laughed. “Yes, we have history
, this machine and I.” His face turned serious. “How’s the kid doing?”

“Well, he spoke to me
, so that’s a good sign. But after what he went through, I’d be lying if I said he’s okay.” She turned and started walking back to the room and Finn fell into step beside her. “Have you managed to find out who he is yet?”

Finn nodded
. “Yes. His name is Daniel. He went missing six years ago.”

“Six years? Where on earth has he been all that time?”

“That’s what we need to find out.”

“Poor kid. Any news on his family?”

Finn pulled up short. “Unfortunately, yes.” He filled her in on what he’d found out so far.

“Oh my
God. That’s awful!” She’d assumed there was a family out there looking for him and the news that he was all alone broke her heart. “What’s going to happen to him now?”

Finn shrugged. “We don’t have any choice
. We’re going to have to contact CPS.” He didn’t look happy at the thought. “They’ll find him foster parents for now.”

Kat shook her head. “No.”

“What do you mean, no? Kat, we have no choice.”

She didn’t know what made her blurt it out but she just knew there was no way she was letting this kid go into
foster care. “No. He’s going to come home with me.”

Finn looked taken aback. “Really? You’d do that?”

“Absolutely.” She knew without a shadow of a doubt that it was the right thing to do. “This kid has been through so much, more than we probably even realize. He seems to trust me. It makes sense that he come home with me. For now at least.”

“
Okay. Well, I’ll have to clear it with CPS, make sure they’re okay with it, but I’m sure it will be fine.” He gave her a hard look. “Are you sure you want to do this? It won’t be a walk in the park, you know. He’s bound to have problems after this.”

“What? And you think because a kid might have problems they don’t deserve a good home?”
She could feel herself getting angry.

“No, that’s not what I meant at all and you know it. I meant it’s going to be hard and with everything that happened with Jamie and Jake I just want you to think about it, be sure you’re up to it.”

“I’m sure.” She stuck her chin out defiantly.

“
Okay. Well I’ll call them in the morning and make the arrangements then.”

“Thanks
, Finn.” She stopped walking as they arrived outside the room. “You’d better not come in. He seems calmer and I’d hate for him to get upset again.”

Finn immediately agreed “Of course
. I came to see Sally anyway so I’d better go and track her down.”

Kat hated the feeling those words g
ave her, but that was her problem not his. “Could you tell her that he’s spoken to me? It’ll save me having to go and find her.”

“No problem.” He opened the door to the room for her. “I’ll catch up with you tomorrow
. Try and get some rest.”

“I will
. Thank you, Finn.”

Eight

After their midnight snack, she’d curled up in the chair beside Daniel’s bed
and tried to get some sleep herself. It wasn’t easy; the chair was not designed to encourage long stays and she’d kept waking up when she lost the feeling in various parts of her body. She’d finally given up at five a.m. and she was very conscious of how awful she must look when Dr. Crichton arrived shortly after they’d served breakfast. It was hard not to be. Despite having been at the hospital until late the night before, there was no sign of tiredness on Sally’s face, her skin looking fresh and flawless. She was very petite, only about 5’ 2” and very slim. Her blonde hair was cut in a pixie style which showed off her high cheekbones to their full advantage. Her easy glamor was making Kat feel like an ugly duckling but she had to grudgingly concede that Finn had good taste in women. That thought didn’t make her feel any happier about it, though.

Kat stood back as she
examined him. “That’s great, Daniel, thank you. I’m just going to have a quick word with Kat outside.” At her prompting, Kat stood and followed her out of the room.

“
I’m pleased to say that he’s well enough to be released. Physically, he will mend; what damage has been done psychologically, though, it’s too early to say.” She handed Kat a large brown envelope filled with papers. “We’ve had a call from CPS allowing us to release him into your care.”

“
That’s wonderful news. Thank you. What’s all this?”

“They’ve arranged for him to see a psychologist and all the details are in there. There are also some forms in there that we need you sign before you leave. You can drop them at the desk when you go.”

“Okay, no problem.” She was just about to turn and go back into the room when Sally stopped her.

“One more thing
, Kat. Finn and I talked last night about how best to break the news to him about his family. We both agreed it would be best if it came from you. How do you feel about that?”

She’d be lying if she said she wanted to do it
, but they were right; it would be best coming from her. “I think you’re right. It’s going to be heart-breaking for him and he seems to trust me more than anyone else, so it makes sense.”

“
Okay, great. I’ll let Finn know.”

Checking that Daniel could still see her through the window, she gave him a little wave before pulling her phone out of pocket to call Jamie.

“I was just about to call you,” Jamie said when she answered. “How is he this morning?”

Kat filled her in on his condition and on what they’d learned about him since the night before.

“The poor kid! That’s awful. What’s going to happen to him now?”

“Well, that’s just it. I should have checked with you first
, I know, but I told Finn that he could come and stay with us for now. Is that okay with you?” Kat knew she should have asked before she’d said, it but she doubted very much that Jamie would have an issue with it.

“Of course he must. Absolutely
,” Jamie confirmed.

“That’s great
. Thanks, Jamie. Well, they’ve just given him the all clear to be taken home so do you think you could come and pick us up? I came in the ambulance last night and don’t have my car here.”

“No problem
. I’ll leave right now.”

“Could you also go by the store and grab him some clothes?
All his clothes were taken for evidence. Not that I’d want him to have to put them on again.”

“
Not a problem. I’ll get there as soon as I can.”

Kat disconnected the call and headed back to the boy
’s room. She was looking forward to getting him out of there; a hospital was no place for a kid. Besides, if she had to be the one to break the news about his parents, she didn’t want to do it here. He hadn’t asked about them, but from what Finn had told her, he had been gone so long his memory of them may well have faded. Still, it was not a conversation she was looking forward to and she wanted him to be in a place he felt safe when she told him.

“
Okay, young man.” she said, sitting on the edge of the bed. “My niece is on her way with some clothes for you to get changed into and then we can get out of this place. How does that sound?” The smile told her that that sounded very good to him.

“You’re going to come home with me for now
. Is that okay with you?” He nodded, the smile still on his face, and Kat felt her heart clench. “While we’re waiting, why don’t you go and take a shower and clean up?” He was still covered in the dried blood and dirt that the nurses hadn’t been able to remove with a sponge and Kat wanted him to leave it all behind at the hospital along with the clothes he came in wearing. It was all part of his past; he needed to look to the future now.

“You won’t go?”

“No, I won’t go. I’ll sit right here on the bed and wait for you and I’ll be here when you’re done.”

He looked much better after he’d showered
. It wasn’t long after that that there was a knock on the door and Jamie popped her head around.

“Come in, there’s someone I’d like you to meet.” Kat waved her in. “Jamie, this is Daniel.”

“Hi, Daniel. I’m very pleased to meet you.”

Kat was pleased to see that he gave her a small smile.

“I’ve brought you some clothes.” She put a plastic bag on the bed.

“Thanks
, Jamie.” Kat turned to Daniel. “Okay, we’ll give you some privacy to get changed, okay?” She stood up from the bed and, with Jamie, left the room, turning to pull the door closed behind her. As she did, she caught a glimpse of him as he removed his hospital issued gown and her breath caught in her throat. His back was a criss cross of scars. Some newly healed, some that had obviously been there for a long time. The sight made her stomach heave and her jaw clench.
I’ll find who did this to you and then the bastard will pay,
she promised him silently before closing the door.