Riley released a huge sigh of relief.

"Jim? Can you spare some time at the office?" "Are you okay, son?"

"No, I think… Can you come now?"

"I can be there in twenty minutes."

"Come in the side entrance."

"What's wrong, Riley?"

"I'll let you in the fire door at the back of the

office."

"Okay…" Jim paused as if maybe he wanted to ask

more questions, but clearly the urgency in Riley's voice got

through to him. "On my way."

Riley started to pace. He couldn't sit still and think;

he needed movement. His instinct was to call Jack as well,

but Jack was with Taylors and probably all this was nothing

more than the aunt wanting to make sure Hayley was in

good hands. It must be.

Jim made it in the space of twelve minutes, and

Riley didn't like to think of the speeding tickets on Jim's

license. The other man was dressed casually in denim and a

T, but he still looked every inch the lawyer. He started

straight in with the questions.

"What's wrong? Is it Hayley? What can I do?" "Hayley's aunt and uncle are in reception," Riley

started worriedly. "They've brought a lawyer." He referred

to the newer scribbles on his note pad. "Abbot Essene?" "He's…" Jim paused, evidently sifting through information in his head to tell Riley what he needed to hear.

"A shark."

Riley had already run a Google search, and he could

guess what Jim was going to say.

"Family law, right? Adoptions, fostering, that kind

of thing?" Maybe they had the lawyer because they

believed Riley was going to stop Lexie's sister having any

access?

"Child placement for money. That kind of thing,"

Jim said sadly, and Riley straightened tall. Well, fuck. He walked to reception and took a few minutes to

look at the three visitors from behind the safety of a Rileysized yucca plant. Sarah looked like her sister with the

same dark hair and slim build. Only, she looked older; not

just the five years Riley knew there was in difference, but

ten or twenty. Her dark hair was scraped back off her face

and her selection of clothing had aged her. She wore a

simple A-line skirt, sensible shoes, and a blouse. She sat

nervously on the edge of her seat and stared straight ahead.

It wasn't difficult to spot the lawyer in the thousand dollar

suit, which just left Elliot Anderson. The man Lexie had

hated.

Elliot was dressed simply; nothing about him

screamed ex-con. There were no tattoos, no restless

aggressive pacing. He just sat still opposite his wife, waiting patiently. His hair was thick and black and pushed away from his forehead in deference to the heat. He had the look of an urbane and polished professional. It seemed like

the years in prison hadn't left much of a physical mark. "My apologies," Riley said as he finally walked

towards them with his hand held in front of him in greeting. The lawyer took his hand first, then Lexie's sister,

and finally Elliot. "Please follow me." He led them down

the short corridors to the offices of CH Consultancy and

pushed open the door marked Riley Campbell-Hayes. Jim

stood up, and Riley introduced him as "my father". He

expected Jim to correct him and add he was a lawyer, but

Jim simply raised an eyebrow. There was no sense in

giving his visitors a heads-up that Riley had a lawyer

present himself. He pulled enough chairs for them to sit

ranged opposite his desk and offered them a drink. Sarah

opened her mouth to speak, but Elliot interrupted. "We're fine." He was obviously keen to get on to

whatever he wanted from Riley. "We're here to make

arrangements to bring Hayley back home." Silence. "Hayley is staying with me." Riley could be just as

blunt.

Elliot pasted a condescending smile on his face. "A

young man like you doesn't want to be saddled with a child.

I don't know what Lexie was thinking. She was on a lot of drugs, you know." Their lawyer was scribbling notes, and Riley stiffened at what Elliot had said. Was he implying to

Riley that Lexie was some kind of drug addict?

"Yes, I know. Cancer is a terrible thing," Riley

offered instead.

Elliot narrowed his eyes. "She wasn't really in the

right frame of mind to be making decisions. Was she,

Sarah?" Sarah shook her head, but Riley caught something

in her expression. Was that a glimmer of defiance? Or

sadness?

"The letter my son received and the copy of the will

indicated Lexie was of sound mind when she wrote she

wanted custody of Hayley to go to Riley. I'm sure you're

just mistaken in thinking she was less than lucid." Jim had

on his best lawyer face.

Elliot leaned forward in his chair, and momentarily,

Riley considered this was probably Elliot's intimidating