The Disappearance of Katy Harper
Part 4
Detective Lane appears on screen, smiling softly. He has a rare kindness in his eyes, a genuine honesty to him that makes you know that the next thing he says will be brutally hard for him, but he wants to make it as easy as possible.
‘Despite our inquiry, we didn’t find Katy. It’s a case I know haunts most of the people on my team, including those who have retired. We didn’t have enough evidence to make any formal arrests, so her whereabouts remain a mystery.’
The screen flashes to a clinically white room with high ceilings and a dark grey chair in the middle, a mustard cushion propped up against the back. Ian Walters, Katy’s alleged father, walks in and takes a seat.
He makes himself comfortable, a disappointed look on his face as he shakes his head. ‘I met Grace when we were very young. We were in a relationship, though it was nothing serious. She wanted to move in with me and I just wasn’t ready for the commitment, so we went our separate ways. It was amicable, no screaming matches or emotional turmoil, though I’m sure Grace will see it differently.’
The screen flashes to Grace. She looks worried and shakes her head slowly, her lips parting and closing again until she says finally, ‘I don’t want to talk about him.’
‘Is he Grace’s father?’
‘No.’
‘Why won’t you let him get a paternity test, to check?’
‘Because it doesn’t matter now, does it?’ she says, her voice strained.
The screen flashes back to Ian. He grimaces and taps both hands against his thighs, sniffing. ‘I never got to know my daughter.’ He shakes his head. ‘She sounds like a wonderful person, and I was never allowed to grieve for somebody I didn’t know.’ He composes himself. ‘I found out about Katy when I saw her on the news.’
‘Have you spoken to Grace?’
‘No, I don’t think there’s anything for us to say.’ He tries to smile. ‘Maybe she could tell me what Katy was like, show me pictures of her from when she was a baby.’
‘Have the police asked you any questions?’
He nods. ‘I didn’t find out about Katy until she disappeared, but they still asked questions, due diligence and all that. I was happy to speak to the police. I let the police know of my existence when I first found out about Katy, but I was clear I didn’t want to involve myself in any news or public appearances. I thought it would be wrong to do that.’
‘Why have you come forward now?’
‘Well, because now, in a strange way, it feels like I can be a part of her life.’
‘Are you upset that you can’t confirm you’re Katy’s father?’
‘I am her dad,’ he says firmly. ‘I don’t need a paternity test to confirm that. I can only imagine Grace didn’t want me to know about Katy because she thought I’d stuck with her for our child. I would have, of course. But I was very fond of Grace, and although we were young, we were in love, we just hadn’t experienced enough of the world yet.’ He smiles wistfully. ‘Katy would have been all the experience I needed. I just wish I had known her, if she was like me, but I had to read about it, like everyone else.’
‘That must have been very hard for you.’
‘It was,’ he agrees.
‘Do you have any hope of Katy coming home?’
‘I like to think I’ll see my daughter one day,’ he says, nodding.
The screen flashes to Joanna, who starts sobbing and dabs at her face with a tissue. ‘It still feels raw even though it was so long ago.’ ‘It feels strange to bring new life into this world. I wish Katy were here to be the fun aunt I know she’d be.’
The screen fades to black.