Chapter 76

‘Officer, will you please tell me what's happened to my daughter?' Viv Anderson asked while clutching her son, Justin, who looked equally as pensive as his mother.

The boss had instructed her to tell the Andersons the truth as gently as possible and also explain that the decision to meet would rest purely with Katie.

‘Let me start from the beginning. It's going to be hard to believe, but your daughter was abducted by a woman named Sheryl Hawne. She abandoned her own child and took yours. She gave your child her own daughter's name, and she was raised as Katie Hawne. As that was the name we came to know her by, that's what I'll call her.'

Viv Anderson nodded, eager to know her daughter's fate.

‘Sheryl was not an affectionate woman and craved attention either for herself or through Katie. As a child, Katie was entered into pageants and did very well. It wasn't an overly loving childhood and she wasn't allowed friends, but she was not physically mistreated or harmed.'

Stacey could see the pain of hearing of the loveless childhood written over Viv's face. Stacey would imagine that every possible scenario had passed through her mind over time.

‘In recent years, they became estranged following Katie's need to distance herself from Sheryl's overbearing and manipulative nature.' Stacey paused. ‘On Tuesday morning, Sheryl was found brutally murdered, and Katie was our prime suspect.'

Viv cried out in anguish and clutched her son's arm.

‘Had she not been a person of interest, none of this would have been uncovered. Within twenty-four hours, we knew Katie was no murderer. Katie had just found out that she and Sheryl weren't even related and was on her way to confront Sheryl. Sheryl had never indicated that Katie was anything other than her biological daughter. That's when Katie found the body.'

Viv was gobbling up every word as though it was her last meal. A multitude of emotions were passing over her face as she listened. The current one was hope.

‘But she's alive?' Viv asked, clutching her son's hand harder.

‘She is indeed, but she's learning all of this right now, and as you can imagine, it's a lot to take in. She's gone from natural child to adopted to abducted in a very short period of time.'

‘You're saying she might not want to meet me?'

‘It's a lot. My boss is currently?—'

‘She's h-here?' Viv asked.

‘She's next door, but we have to respect her wishes. She might be completely overwhelmed and?—'

A three-knock signal sounded on the door. The boss had told her how she would communicate Katie's wishes.

Stacey smiled. ‘Or she might be about to come through that door right now. Are you ready?'

Viv sprang up from her seat. ‘I've been ready since the day I lost her.'

‘Come in,' Stacey called out.

The boss pushed open the door, and Katie stepped into the room.

The tears were rolling openly over Viv's cheeks as she looked deep into her daughter's eyes.

‘Rebecca,' she breathed, opening her arms.

Katie flew into them as a cry escaped her lips.

A quick glance at Justin confirmed that he was eager to join in but was simply waiting his turn.

Stacey squeezed his arm before quietly leaving the room. Any longer and the tears building in her eyes would have been rolling freely over her cheeks.