Groomed: Part 3 of 3: Danger lies closer than you think

‘It hadn’t. So she reiterated what Keeley had told her. And was told that it didn’t really make a lot of difference now. Though there was no evidence that Keeley had ever behaved inappropriately around her siblings, they knew she’d been sexually abused herself – she was seeing a counsellor for that by this time – and the consensus was that it was a can of worms that was better off remaining closed. The children were settling, as would Keeley, and they didn’t think any good would come of raking the whole thing up all over again.’

‘“They”,’ I said, finding myself both stunned and very angry. ‘Bloody hell.’

‘I know,’ Danny said. ‘But to be fair, we weren’t there. And Mrs Stewart did say Keeley displayed some worrying behaviours when she had her. Said they were all very relieved when the Burkes agreed to take her on. So, on balance, perhaps nothing would have changed anyway.’

‘And that’s it? Deal done? Keeley isolated from them for life now?’

Danny put a chocolate biscuit in his mouth. All of it. Whole. ‘Ah,’ he said eventually. ‘That’s where the “tentative good news” bit comes in. Given everything that’s happened recently, not necessarily.’

‘You mean we can rescue this? Try to see if we can propose some sort of contact? Perhaps Mrs Higgins –’

He shook his head. ‘Sadly gone to meet her maker. Only recently in fact. RIP. But I’ve spoken to my manager and he’s going to look into it for me. For you. Well, for Keeley, but please don’t say a word to her. It’s still all theoretical at this point. And you know how these things go. Sometimes nowhere. We know the older two – Courtney and Aaron – are still with the same family, so that’s good. But there are no guarantees. And it’s unlikely any approaches would be made re the ones that have been adopted.’

‘Fair enough,’ I said. ‘But the older two – oh, my God, wouldn’t that be brilliant?’ Danny’s expression made me conscious that I must rein myself in. ‘Sorry. I’m getting ahead of myself, aren’t I?’

Danny nodded. I smiled. Again. Bears did live in the woods.

Chapter 19 (#u4d36eb81-ed70-5cb7-9a8f-ecd836c64876)

Though Keeley knew nothing about the conversations that had been going on in her absence, unburdening herself to me seemed to mark something of a watershed, because she seemed to settle into a calmer, more productive place. Though, of course, the key might have been how Mike had changed his own perspective – he, of course, did know about what Danny had uncovered, which at least made him more sympathetic.

As for me, I had to take John Fulshaw’s sage advice, and put everything on the mental back burner; leave social services to do their job without interference, while I got on with mine. There would be lots for them to do – assuming they felt as motivated to do it as I did – I hoped so – to look closely into the minutiae of Keeley’s records, and see how well they could stitch together a picture that was in accord with what Danny had found out.

Only when they’d done that to their satisfaction would social services even consider taking steps to get in touch with, and therefore potentially disrupt the lives of, the carers Keeley’s older siblings were with now.

And though John reminded me again that there was no question currently of any contact being sought for the younger, adopted siblings, I still hoped – though not outwardly, as I had to be poker-faced around Keeley – that the door was at least open for that to happen once the little ones had grown up.