“I don’t have to do Christmas with Mum. But I—I guess I always have. I mean, Christmas is for family, and her and Tim are it, so…”
“Of course, sorry. Can we still see each other?”
“Huh? Oh God, you idiot. Of course I’m spending Christmas with you! I thought that went without saying, but apparently not. I guess I kind of assumed we would spend it with Mum and Tim, but that’s not fair, so can we maybe think about it now that you know you are coming home? I didn’t mean we have to spend it with Mum and Tim just because I always have. We can do our own thing.”
“Love, I would love to spend Christmas with you guys, if that’s okay. I spent the past couple with the James’s, and I would like to see them sometime over the holidays, but as long as I’m with you, then I don’t really mind where.”
We only spoke for a few minutes more before we hung up. I laid awake for quite a while, thinking through what I wanted for Christmas. I knew what I really want more than anything, but I wasn’t sure I could pull it off. I would definitely need some help. First thing in the morning, I called Eric.
I had just finished at the gym and was changing into jeans and my Arrow T-shirt Tim got me after a long discussion over who was hotter—Stephen Amell or John Barrowman (spoiler alert, Tim was wrong, the correct answer is both together). It was several years old now and nice and soft.
My phone rang, and I was surprised to see Ian’s name. He was supposed to be away for the week with his wife.
“Missed me already, Ian?”
“Where are you?” His tone of voice had me on alert.
“Just leaving the gym. What do you need?”
“Can you get to Orange quickly?”
“If you need me to. Why?”
“Aimee and Bailey Short have just presented to ED at the hospital there. Get an unmarked and call me back once you’re on your way.”
“Give me ten.” I ran across the street and up through the station, grabbing my spare kit bag and then keys from the lockbox, not bothering with the paperwork.
Once I jumped in the Subaru STI, entered Orange Base Hospital into the GPS, and exited the carpark, I called Ian back.
Apparently, a cleaner at Orange Base Hospital recognized Aimee Short from Facebook posts and alerted the nurses, who called the police. The kids had given fake names, saying they didn’t have their Medicare card because Aimee had left her purse at work. Bailey might have had appendicitis and, if so, might go into surgery. Police from Orange were at the hospital but at this stage had been told not to approach Aimee unless she tried to leave.
Once Ian updated me, he asked what my ETA was so he could let the officers in Orange know. I glanced at the GPS and then at the clock. “It says three and a half hours. I can’t get through the mountains too quick. Give me two and a half. I should get there around ten-ish.”
At 9:20, I called him back to say I was fifteen minutes out and to see if there was any update. They were waiting for Bailey to go in for surgery, but nothing else was new. I pulled into the emergency department, leaving the car in the police bay. I had to go in through the public doors but had no trouble finding the local cop. After a quick check-in, I explained we were only to detain Aimee if she ran.
The Nurse Unit Manager pointed out Bailey's bed in a private room, making this a lot easier. When I approached the door, I watched for a minute. Aimee sat and held Bailey’s hand, whispering to him. He appeared to be pretty dosed up on pain meds. I pulled my identification out of my pocket and stood in the doorway, leaning against the door frame. When Aimee didn’t seem to notice me, I cleared my throat. She glanced up with red, sad eyes. “Hi, Aimee.”
I could see the moment she realized what was happening, her eyes widening in fear, and then she frantically looked from Bailey to the doorway. Even with her terror, she was never going to run. Not with Bailey laying helplessly in the hospital bed. She had left not to protect herself, but to protect him. There was no way she was going to leave him here.
But still, she backed as far away from me as she could without letting go of Bailey’s hand.
“Aimee, it’s okay. You’re not in any trouble. Please just sit down so you don’t stress Bailey out, and we can talk, okay?”
I wasn’t sure she even heard the words through her panic.
“The nurses said he is going to be fine. It’s a really simple surgery, and then he will just need some medication for a bit. You’ve done a good job taking care of him.”
Frantically, she shook her head. As she backed herself right up against the wall beside the head of his bed, I took the chair furthest from her and sat down so I wasn’t between her and the door. It gave her the illusion she wasn’t wrapped, that I wasn’t blocking her in. But there was no way she could move faster than me and the two officers outside.
“Please,” I pleaded softly. “I want to talk to you. I think I know what Jeff was doing to you. What he was doing to Bailey, or was going to do. I’m not really sure about that. We know part of what he did, but I really need your help to make sure he can’t do that anymore. I know that’s not a fair responsibility to put on you, but I am desperate here. I want him and Stacey to be punished. I want them to go to prison. Well, honestly, I want a lot more than that, but I will work with what the law lets me do. I can’t promise you how any of this is going to play out. I really, really wish I could. What I can promise you is that I believe that he was hurting you, and you took Bailey to protect him. That was incredibly brave. To care about someone else so much. Please let me help you. Please let me help Bailey.”
While I was talking, Aimee hadn’t moved, other than the tears streaming down her cheeks. But as I let the silence continue, she began to look restless, and finally, she sat in the other seat, slumping in defeat. Close enough I could reach out and touch her, but I sat still and waited for her to be ready.
“I tried to tell Stacey once… but she… she didn’t believe me.” Her voice was croaky and small. With her shoulders slouched and her clothes dirty and sweaty, she looked so much smaller than the photos. My heart broke for her and her brother. No one, especially family, should ever make someone feel so small.
I waited some more.
“Mum and Stacey are sisters. They are basically best friends. I know if Stacey didn’t believe me, Mum wouldn’t either. And I couldn’t do that to them. Dad was unemployed for so long, and he only got that job because of Jeff. I couldn’t be the reason he lost it. But when I saw the photo… I couldn’t let… He…”
She began to sob, and I knew she needed a moment, so I stood slowly and walked outside to get her some water. I kept an eye on the room door even though I knew she wasn’t going anywhere.
When I passed her the water, she stared at it and then quietly thanked me.
Not long later, Bailey was taken upstairs to surgery, and we were directed to the surgical waiting room, where we sat in silence for about an hour.
“What happens now? To me? To Bailey?”
I leaned forward and put my elbows on my knees. “Now we help each other. We need to know if there is a chance your parents knew. I have spoken to them, but it’s possible I am wrong about them, so I need to know from you. We need to talk a bit more, and then we’ll work out what you and Bailey need. What do you need to move forward, to start to heal, to feel safe again? That is all going to be a very long road. Making sure Jeff can never hurt anyone else is only a small part of that process. What you and Bailey need is the most important thing.”