“I cleaned that entire place and there was no key there, I promise you.”
He sneered at her. “Your promises don’t mean squat to me, and since it’s not at the house then it’s only logical that the boy has it somewhere, and he’s going to show me exactly where he hid it.”
“Please don’t hurt him. Just leave and I won’t call the police.”
“Oh, you’ll call, alright. If you can.”
Suddenly, Grainger yelped. Liam had been wriggling the whole time and had found a way to bite the man’s fingers. He was free for a second or two.
“You killed my mom! I hate you and I’m not telling you anything.”
Grainger slapped him and grabbed him again.
“Stop it. Let him go, please.”
Abby inched closer to him. He looked rough, like he hadn’t slept in a while and he certainly hadn’t showered lately. He stunk of old sweat, and fumes of alcohol wafted across her.
“He does know where it is, and he’ll damn well show me,” he spat the words at her, his hold on Liam momentarily weakened.
Abby took the opportunity to grab him, but Grainger turned the tables and lunged at her. Liam wrenched himself free once more and ran down the hall, then stood in the doorway, hesitating
“Run, Liam. Go!”
Grainger slapped her hard and she fell back against the wall, tasting blood. He stood over her, his hands clenched.
“You better come back here, boy, if you don’t want me to hurt her any more.”
His voice was deceptively soft, and Liam slowly made his way back, in spite of Abby’s pleas not to do so. Grainger reached across Abby and grabbed Liam once more. The boy began to cry.
“Stop that sniveling. No-one’s coming to help you.”
“I wouldn’t count on that. Let the boy go.”
Max stood in the doorway, his face angry beyond anything Abby had ever witnessed. She was shaking, needing him to hold her, but grateful that he was focused on saving Liam from Grainger.
“Who the hell do you think you are, telling me what I can or can’t do?”
“I’m the man who’s making sure that you don’t hurt this boy anymore.”
“I’m warning you for the last time, to get out of my way. You and your wife had better stop interfering. Marie thought she could get one over on me and look how that turned out.”
The relief Abby felt at Max’s arrival was short-lived as the fear that Grainger might hurt Max instead crept over her.
“You might find it easy to pick on defenceless women and children, but to me you’re nothing better than a coward.”
Max pushed him a little, and like the weak man he obviously was, and to Abby’s relief, Grainger backed down. He thrust Liam at Abby, a look of hatred shared amongst them all.
“The police have nothing on me. Remember that when I come back for the boy,” he yelled at them as he raced out of the back door.
Max looked like he was about to follow him so Abby called out to him.
“Let him go, Max. We need you here.”
* * *
Max stopped in his tracks. The sight of the two of them being threatened by Grainger had nearly unhinged him. Abby was his world and the thought of losing her had never felt so real.
He picked Liam up and then bent down to help Abby. Wiping a smear of blood from the corner of her mouth with his thumb, he pulled her to him. “Are you okay, sweetheart?”
“A bit sore, but nothing to complain about. Liam, are you alright?”
Liam burst into tears and Max squeezed his small body closer, whispering softly into his ear, watching as Abby’s tears ran down her face.
“It’s okay, son. He’s gone now. I called the police before I came here and they will get him. We won’t let him come near you again. Either of you.”
“I was so scared, but you saved us.”
Liam lifted his tear-stained face, and Max saw such trust it brought a lump to his throat. “That’s my job.” Max rubbed Liam’s hair.
“My mom used to say that to me. I don’t have a mom anymore but you could be my dad, Max,” Liam said hopefully, as he buried his face in Max’s shoulder.
It was a huge honor but he couldn’t let Liam believe it was a foregone conclusion.
“I’d like to, Liam. But you know we have to wait and see what the courts decide.”
Liam tightened his hold on Max.
“Those people are so stupid. They always ask dumb questions over and over. I told them I want to live with you guys but they don’t listen.”
“They’re listening, buddy, but they have bosses that tell them what to do and then it takes a while for everyone to agree.”
“Still sounds stupid to me,” Liam said with a scowl.
Max had to agree with him. Just then Jeanne burst through the door and came to a stop when she saw the way they were they huddled together.
“What on earth’s going on? The police just arrived and I heard the sirens coming from down at the cabins.” She looked worredly from one to the other.
Before Max could answer, Dan and Shannon came in, with Allan hot on their heels.
“Grainger’s been here, threatening Abby and Liam.” Max blurted out. He wanted them to find the scum of a man and get him off the streets and away from Prossers Bay as soon as they could.
Dan nodded. “It’s okay, Max. We saw the van he’d been spotted in speeding down a side street. Our other team is chasing him as we speak. “Is everyone okay?” Dan asked as he made them all take a seat in the living room.”
“We’re fine, just a bit shaken. Aren’t we Liam?”
His voice still shook a little as he said proudly. “Max scared him away.”
Abby sniffed back her tears and turned to Max. “How did you know Grainger would be here?”
“Jordan Lambert, from the resort, was down at the garage picking up his Corvette. He mentioned that someone had been asking questions around town about the park and how busy it was. That same person had asked after Liam and Abby, too, and he got suspicious. It was too coincidental, and when I asked for a description of him, I knew it was Grainger. I called Dan and the rest is history.”
“Did he say what he was here for?” Dan pulled out his notepad.
Abby looked at Liam but he hid his face in Max’s side.
“He was after a key. I have no idea what it was for but it seemed pretty important to him. Liam?” She touched his hand gently.
The boy looked up warily. “I can’t tell you about it.”
“Why can’t you, son?” Max put his arm around the thin shoulders.
“Mom said that I had to look after it for her.” Liam began to cry again.
“I didn’t know your mom, Liam, but I don’t think she’d want you or Abby or Max to get hurt over a key, do you?” Dan said gently.
Liam shook his head.
“Tell me about the key, Liam, so that Dan can help you.” Max didn’t want to upset the poor child anymore than he already was but this sounded important.
Liam sat up a little straighter, seemingly weighing up his decision. Finally, he sighed and rested his head on Max’s chest.
“It’s in my car.”
“Do you mean Jeanne’s car or Abby’s car?” Dan pushed.
“No, my car,” he hiccupped. “My red car.”
Everyone in the room was puzzled except Abby.
“Oh, my God.” She put her hand to her mouth. “It was the only thing that Marie left with Liam. His toy car.”
“Can you get it for us?” Dan asked.
Liam nodded. Reluctantly getting off the couch he took Max’s hand and made him follow him to his room. Max watched as the boy crawled under the bed. He must have been close to the wall by the time he stopped and began to slither out, the red car firmly in his grasp. They returned to the sitting room before he handed Max his prized possession.
“I hope my mom will think this is okay,” he whispered.
“Thank you, Liam. I’m sure that your mom would be very proud of h
ow you’ve looked after the key. Now it’s someone else’s turn to worry about it.”
It was the best Max could do. Turning the toy over in his hand he was unable to see where a key might fit.
“Open the trunk,” Liam explained.
With large, clumsy fingers, Max finally managed the hidden catch and sure enough, there inside was a key. Max showed it to all of them. It had the letters GT written above the numbers 666.
“I bet that’s a Georgetown post office locker,” Abby offered. “I worked there after I left school.”
Dan’s phone suddenly rang and he stepped outside to take the call. When he came back inside, he looked pleased as he went up to Liam. “They have Grainger. Thanks, Liam, for all your help today.”
Liam blushed but he looked pleased at the sergeants’ words.
Soon after, Dan and Shannon left, taking the red car and the key, and leaving them to get their emotions in order.
After a while, Max couldn’t take the silence and the white faces any longer. “How about we have a change of scenery? Let’s all get out of here, pick-up some takeout and go to the beach.”
“Anything will be better than sitting here.”
Jeanne smiled and Allan confirmed. “You take Liam and we’ll meet you there after we pick up the girls from the library. I don’t think anyone’s going to mind that we won’t be with you for such a short time after what’s happened.”
“Thanks, Jeanne. We’ll pick up enough for everyone. See you there.”
With a slightly mollified Liam, Max and Abby left.
Abby was delighted to have this chance the three of them to be together, even if it was for a short time. The scare of having to defend Liam from Grainger had left her shaken. Then watching Max defend them had frightened the hell out of her. She could only imagine how this small boy must be feeling. His life had been torn apart and was still up in the air, thanks to that awful man.
The only good thing was with Grainger soon to be behind bars, maybe the fostering process would speed up. Then Liam may finally have the chance of some much deserved stability.
They stopped and got a huge parcel of fish and chips, then headed down to the beach where they secured an empty picnic table. The others arrived soon after and it seemed like everyone had a good appetite, despite the drama.
Liam must have also felt relieved about Grainger, since he was hyped up. He hadn’t stopped chattering, telling the girls about Max saving the day, his eyes alight with hero-worship.
“Let’s go for a walk,” Max suggested.
Everyone seemed to like the idea but after a while, Jeanne and Allan stopped to talk to a friend and the girls walked ahead with Liam in between them.
“Are you really okay?” Max took Abby’s hand and kissed it.
“I’m more than okay. I hate that Grainger came into Jeanne’s house, and that he’d obviously been watching Liam and me, but I’m so grateful that he’s out of our lives.”
“For now. He could get bail. Then there’ll be a trial and they’ll have to prove that he killed her.”
Abby stopped suddenly and turned to face him. “Isn’t it a forgone conclusion?”
“We know he did it, but murder still has to be proven.”
“What about forensics?”
“They’ve already swabbed the car, and I’m sure they’ll have done a lot of other things you and I won’t ever know about, so I’m hopeful they’ll get something concrete. I’m not trying to frighten you, Abby, but we need to be realistic. We’ll probably need to give evidence. It’s not going to be pleasant.” A frown marred his handsome brow.
She rubbed his arm. “I’m not the same person I was even a year ago. I can handle this.”
“I can’t tell you how much I’ve wanted to see you like this again - strong and determined. I guess we’ve both changed over the years, but those are some of the reasons I fell in love with you. You always knew what you wanted.”
“Wanting you is the one thing that hasn’t changed.”
Max grinned and bent down to steal a kiss and her heart swelled with love. Together, they looked down the beach to the children. To Liam.
“That boy is so amazing. I wish we knew more about his mom. She must have loved him a great deal and obviously found a way to show him that because, considering what he’s been through, he’s one tough cookie.”
Max had kept his arm around her shoulder and they began to walk again.
“Jeanne said that the authorities will be able to send Liam more of his things soon, once they’ve finished looking over the house where they lived. It might help him a little if he’s got some of his mom’s stuff, too.” Abby brushed hair back from her face.
“That’s great, as long as it’s nothing that will remind him of Grainger.”
“They won’t make Liam go to court, will they? I don’t want Liam to ever have to face that man again.”
“I feel the same way. Aw heck, look at him - the poor kid’s exhausted.”
It was true. The adrenaline had probably left him, and now Liam was dragging a stick through the sand, his head down, his pace slow. The girls were trying to get him to help collect some shells but he wasn’t interested. Max and Abby caught up to him and Abby took his hand. He looked up at her trustingly.
“Time to go home sweetheart.”
Liam’s lips trembled.
“What’s the matter?” Max asked.
“I want to come home with you.”
Max got down on his knees and made Liam look at him.
“Abby and I would like nothing better, but you know you can’t. But you do get to stay with Jeanne and Allan for a while, and one day they’ll find you somewhere else that will be just as good.”
Liam studied his face as if searching for the truth, then he threw his arms around Max.
“No place will be as good as your place.”
Abby could have wept at the sight of the two of them. Abby could see that Max was struggling to hold back tears as well and, in that moment, she loved him even more.
The day had taken its toll and Max lifted the worn out child and took him to Jeanne’s car. A warm bath and a soft bed wouldn’t fix his heart or bring back his mom, but it might help him sleep and that wasn’t a bad thing to do when your mind was full of questions, as Abby knew.
It was hard to see Liam’s sad face pressed up against the window of the car. Abby knew that Max felt it too.
“Sit with me a while,” Max, asked as they waved at the receding vehicle.
“It’s getting cooler and I’m still quite wet.”
“We can get changed and sit in the car and turn the heater on?”
“Why would we do that?”
“I thought we could watch the sunset together. But if you’d rather go home…?’
He took her by surprise. When had Max last thought of something so romantic? “No. That sounds perfect. Let me just get out of this wet gear.” Abby did a quick change with her towel wrapped around her, foregoing her bra. It was a technique she’d mastered as a child, along with thousands of other beach-loving New Zealand children who were surrounded by water and too lazy or too far away from them to go to the changing rooms.
Max had done the same, except he was topless and that was enough to warm her even more. Once they were in the car, he leaned over and put his arm around her shoulder, pulling her in close.
“We don’t have to stay too long.”
“We can stay as long as you want.” Abby snuggled up against him, thinking what a weird and wonderful day they’d just shared, and to be here, like this, was like a little slice of heaven.
Words weren’t necessary. In fact, she felt closer to him than she had in so long she wanted the evening to go on forever.
Chapter Nine
Abby had gotten consent from the town council to have the Christmas lunch. With the help of the phone tree from the school that Megan and Jeanne had set up and some well- placed flyers, she’d organized a meeting for Saturday, a fortnight out from Christm
as. Everyone who’d replied had agreed to be at the square at ten o’clock, and by five to ten, people were turning up, en masse.
Megan had the girls dancing around her as she came up from the street opposite. Jeanne and Allan had parked their van outside the store and were talking to Stephanie, who lived above it, and had just come down the outside stairs. Alice and Lisa were arguing about something as they crossed the road. And Liam—he was flying across the grass towards her, his legs and arms pumping as he arrived breathless to dive into her open arms.
She kissed the top of his head, and Max ruffled his hair. The town’s doctor, Clifford McGregor, was sitting on one of the park benches feeding the pigeons. Cliff had seen Liam a few times to check him over, initially for his health, but he was also keeping an eye on how he was dealing with everything.
“Hey Liam. Would you care to help feed my friends?”
Liam looked torn.
“You go on and have fun. Max and I are going to be busy organizing the Christmas lunch but it shouldn’t take long,” Abby encouraged him.
It was such a lovely day. The sun was high, and the smell of the sea mixed with the scent of roses and other flowers that grew around the park’s perimeter made Abby’s heart sing with her love for Prossers Bay. Summer in New Zealand didn’t get any better than this. Unless you were actually at the beach. Still, there was something to be said for having sandless food.
Abby set out some cold juice, water, and the obligatory plates of brownies on a picnic table. Maybe she’d be known for something else if the Christmas party went off well, not that one plate was going to feed the sixty or so people who were choosing to spend their day in such a different way.
Eventually, everyone came together. Some sat at the tables and the others on the freshly cut grass. The kids, supervised by Alice and Lisa, began a game of stick in the mud, so the adults had time to talk.
Abby pulled out a notebook and pen and began a little shyly.
“Thanks, everyone, for coming. I know you all have things to do but if we’re to make this work, then everyone needs to be on board. I’ll assume since you’re here that you will be staying in the bay for Christmas?”
Prossers Bay Series Page 8
