by Beevis, Keri
‘I don’t care. That crutch could be used as a weapon. Both hands, Miss Amberson.’
Careful to keep her movements slow, Lila set down her crutch on the gravel driveway, raised both hands as she tried to keep her weight on her good leg. She was still shaking badly and tried to control her breathing, not wanting to lose her balance.
‘You too, Mr Foley.’
Jack hesitated, a scowl on his face as he reluctantly did as told.
Lila glanced in his direction. He was still worked up, that temper of his simmering away, but it seemed like he was finally working his way down to rational, and she only hoped he wouldn’t try anything stupid.
The sirens were getting louder, but they weren’t there yet. What was Gruger’s plan? Did he intend to shoot them and claim self-defence just before the police arrived?
‘What are you going to do to us?’
Gruger looked amused at her question. Lila hadn’t wanted to ask, but the words had slipped out, and she hated how shaky her voice sounded.
‘Well, Miss Amberson, I guess that depends on you. Your boyfriend here has caused me a considerable amount of trouble tonight. As I said earlier, I would be entirely within my rights to defend my family.’
‘Please don’t do this.’
Gruger frowned, as he seemed to consider her request.
To her relief, Lila heard engines, the wail of the sirens cutting off as headlights swept up the driveway. Gruger glanced in the direction of the two cars as the policemen jumped out, though kept his shotgun pointed at Lila and Jack.
‘Sir, I need you to drop your weapon.’
Gruger glanced in the direction of the policeman making the statement, but made no attempt to lower the gun. ‘I don’t know what took you so long. Bloody police, it’s us taxpayers paying your wages. Seems like we have to do your job for you these days too.’ When the man frowned at him, he added, ‘Mr Foley here broke my window trying to get into the house and he threatened my family.’
‘Sir… Mr Gruger? I need you to lower your weapon and then we will talk.’
Gruger let out a huff, but set the gun down on the floor as asked. ‘I’m not the bloody criminal here. I was trying to protect my family.’
‘You know these people?’ the police officer asked, once the weapon had been safely retrieved.
‘Unfortunately yes.’ Gruger made a point of making eye contact first with Jack then Lila. The look he gave her chilled her. ‘And if I see either one of them on my property again, I won’t be waiting for the police to arrive.’
33
It was gone four in the morning when Jack was finally released from custody. Lila and Tom were waiting for him at the front desk of the police station, having been there for much of the night, Tom quick to thank the family’s solicitor who had arrived within an hour of being called.
Richard Gruger had also been taken in for questioning, but had been released. He wasn’t interested in taking matters further, just repeating his request to the police that Jack and Lila stay the hell away from his property, and given that Jack had no prior convictions, the police decided the matter wasn’t worth pursuing.
Lila had given a statement, told them everything she knew, and if the constable taking notes was as certain as she was that Richard Gruger was guilty of the things she accused him of, he didn’t show it. Still he went over everything thoroughly with her before getting her to read through and sign the statement, telling her in a non-committed tone that it would be looked into.
Tom had been the glue that had held her together, first dropping Imogen off in Filby so she could drive Jack’s car back to Burnham and look after Cooper then coming straight to the station, arranging for the solicitor to meet them there. Although she knew he was worried about his brother, he remained clear-headed and supportive as they waited for news, not pushing Lila for too much information, which she appreciated. Stephanie had been his sister too and it was Jack’s place, not hers, to tell him everything they had uncovered.
He was so different to Jack, steadier and less reckless, and his calming presence and pragmatic approach to the situation helped soothe her frazzled nerves. She was tired and anxious, the realisation that she had come close to losing Jack, that Gruger could so easily have put a bullet in him, hit home hard, but she managed to hold it together thanks to Tom.
Jack was subdued, though still a little cranky on the ride back to Burnham. His temper had mostly dissipated and he was able to be more rational, Lila guessed he could see how badly he had overreacted.
Tom asked a few questions as he drove, had his head bitten off on a couple of occasions, but much of the journey was spent in silence, and Jack didn’t attempt to open up until they were back at his house, sat around the kitchen table, Imogen telling them she’d been ready with the kettle as soon as she’d heard the car pull into the driveway.
As she set mugs of strong tea down before them, slipping into the chair beside her husband, Jack placed his hand over Lila’s on the table. It was the first real physical contact he had given her since being arrested, having stood stiffly when she’d tried to hug him after he was brought through from the holding cell. She turned her hand, entwining her fingers with his, grateful that he seemed to be coming back to her.
‘So are you going to tell us what this is all about?’ Tom asked, his tone patient.
Jack exchanged a glance with Lila, gave her hand a tight squeeze before meeting his brother’s questioning gaze. ‘This could take a while.’
He laid everything out for them in a chronological order, starting from the car accident and meeting Lila, the locket in her possession, and the first visit to the Gruger house. Tom and Imogen already knew about the attacks on Lila, but they were clueless about everything that had happened with Stephanie in the lead up to the accident and Lila could tell they were shocked as they learnt about the hidden gifts and how Stephanie had been blackmailed after trying to cheat on her A levels.
‘Why didn’t she come to us? We’ve always been a close family. We would have supported her.’ Tom looked dazed by the revelation Stephanie had tried to cheat.
‘She was seventeen, honey,’ Imogen reminded him. ‘It’s not easy being a teenager and sometimes things can manifest themselves into a bigger deal than they actually are. Plus you know the pressure Henry puts those kids under to do well.’
Tom looked at his wife, gave the slightest nod, but Lila could tell he was still reeling.
‘Do either of you have any idea who could have sent her the gifts?’ she asked gently.
Jack might not know, but it was possible Stephanie had confided in Tom or Imogen.
They shook their heads, though Lila noticed Imogen seemed distracted, toying with her mug as she studied the table and she appeared to wrestle over whether to say something. When she finally looked up, Lila made a point of catching her eye, giving her an imploring look. Stephanie was gone. If Imogen had been keeping secrets for her and they could lead to answers to find out who had been harassing her, they needed to know.
‘They were expensive gifts,’ Tom mused, having seen the photos on Jack’s phone. ‘And there’s no giveaway on her tablet? No e-mails from a boyfriend?’
‘Nothing I can see,’ Jack told him, ‘but I’ll have a more thorough look once I’ve had some sleep.’
‘She came to the house on Boxing Day,’ Imogen blurted out.
When Tom and Jack’s heads shot in her direction, she reddened, looking downright uncomfortable.
‘When?’ Tom demanded. It was the first time Lila had seen him look annoyed. ‘Why didn’t you say anything before?’
Jack, who seemed to have burned out all of his anger on Richard Gruger, was for once the calmer of the two, simply staring at Imogen, waiting for her to elaborate. Her eyes flickered again to meet Lila’s, and Lila gave her a brief nod of encouragement.
‘You had gone over to see your dad,’ Imogen began, seeming unsure where to start.
‘That was first thing in the morning. Steph was up that
early?’
‘I was surprised too when I saw her car pull in the drive.’
‘Did she say why she was there?’
‘Not at first, she came in, made herself a coffee. I was still clearing up from Christmas Day and she helped me load the dishwasher. We chatted for a bit, but I could tell she was agitated.’ She glanced at Jack. ‘I think she’d gone to you first wanting to talk. The two of you were always so close. She thought she’d catch you before you and Tiffany headed to London.’
‘We ended up driving down Christmas Day night. It’s why we didn’t go to yours. Bloody Tiff wouldn’t wait till morning. If she had I would have still been here when Steph showed up.’ Jack looked upset that he had failed his sister again, hadn’t been there when she had needed him.
‘I asked her what was wrong,’ Imogen continued. ‘At first she was reluctant to say, but then she got tearful, said she’d been a little drunk on Christmas Day night and she’d made a terrible mistake.’
‘She didn’t come to yours Christmas Day evening?’ Jack demanded.
‘No, neither Oliver nor her did,’ Tom told him. ‘Oliver went over to see Simon and Steph said she wasn’t feeling great, so she was going to stay home and have an early night. It was just Mum, Henry, Alyssa and Giles who came in the end, plus Immy’s family of course.’
‘Did she say what kind of mistake she’d made?’ Lila pressed.
‘She’d had a visitor, I know that much, but she refused to say who it was. She said she’d had quite a bit to drink and they were flirting a little.’ Imogen’s voice trailed off as she looked at Tom and Jack. ‘Things got out of hand.’
‘What do you mean by that?’ Jack’s tone was steel.
‘She wouldn’t tell me exactly what happened, but the way she spoke, I thought it was that ex-boyfriend of hers, Dan, the one who cheated on her last summer. I knew he’d been sniffing around her again and she still liked him, but she was trying to be strong and not give in. I did ask her if it was Dan, but she didn’t confirm nor deny it. Just said she’d been drunk and made a mistake. I honestly never thought much more of it. But now…’ Imogen stared at her hands. ‘Dan’s a teenager. He wouldn’t have sent her expensive gifts.’
‘You’re just saying this now?’ Tom sounded broken.
‘She swore me to secrecy. Made me promise I wouldn’t say anything. I thought it was Dan, Tom! If I’d thought for one second it wasn’t then of course I would have said something.’
‘So if it wasn’t Dan then who the hell was it?’
Lila didn’t know Stephanie and aside from Jack, Tom and Imogen hadn’t known any of the people in her life, so it was impossible for her to answer Tom’s question. It didn’t stop her thinking, figuring there had to be a way to find out who had visited the family home that night. She recalled the security system Natalie had installed at Nat’s Hideaway following a spate of vandalism. The Whitmans were rich and would want to guard their assets. ‘Would there be any security camera footage?’ Lila asked.
Jack exchanged a look with Tom. ‘There’s a camera above the front door.’
‘I’m not sure how long Henry keeps the footage for though. It’s stored online so I can check easily enough.’
‘Tom’s the tech savvy one in the family. Not quite as geeky as Dave…’ Jack explained to Lila. ‘But he helped install the cameras.’ He nodded at his brother. ‘You check the camera footage and I’ll go speak with Dan. We need to be certain it wasn’t him before we rule him out.’
‘Meanwhile, what do we do about Richard Gruger?’
‘We can’t do anything. The police cautioned me to stay away from him. I’ve told them everything I know, so we have to trust they will follow it up.’ Jack shrugged helplessly. He looked exasperated by the whole situation. ‘I lost my temper and I messed up. He knows we’re onto him though, so hopefully he won’t be stupid enough to try anything else with Lila.’
* * *
Tom and Imogen didn’t leave until after six in the morning, Tom promising to check out the security footage at the Whitman house, while Imogen looked a little subdued. Lila felt sorry for her, knew it wasn’t her fault and she shouldn’t blame herself for not taking Stephanie more seriously at the time. Lila made a point of thanking them both for everything they had done, knew they had gone above and beyond for her and Jack.
Sleep came easily as she crawled into bed beside Jack, her eyes closed before her head had even hit the pillow, but it was dream fuelled, with memories of the accident merging with what had happened that night.
Richard Gruger was pulling her from the water, but instead of calling an ambulance, he carried her back to his house. She tried to pull free when she spotted two bodies lying side by side in the driveway in front of the door, but Gruger tightened his grip. As they neared, she realised one was Mark and the other was Stephanie. Their hair and clothes were wet, their faces bloated and carrying a horrible greyish hue. Gruger had laid them out neatly and Lila could tell they were both dead.
As she continued to stare, Stephanie’s eyes shot open and she screamed, the sound piercing through the night air. Gruger put Lila down and went to silence Stephanie, thrown off balance when the girl was suddenly on her feet and running away from him, and he chased her into the house.
When Stephanie reappeared, she was at the lounge window, banging frantically on the glass, warning Lila to leave, her voice loud to begin with, but becoming softer to the point where Lila couldn’t even make out what she was saying.
She wanted to get up, leave before Gruger returned, but her limbs weren’t working. Seeing him walking through the doorway towards her, she tried frantically to scramble to her feet, but then he had hold of her again, was dragging her towards the house.
She glanced at Mark’s body, except he was no longer dead. He stood before her, skin sallow and bloated, eyes dark holes in his head. He held his hand out, a look of panic on his face. ‘We have to go.’
Lila fought against Gruger, but his grip was tight.
‘Lila, come on. Now!’
She glanced back at Mark, except he was no longer Mark. Jack stood in his place, urging her to run to him. Kicking out at Gruger, she managed to wrench herself free from his grip, tried to run to where Jack was waiting for her.
‘I told you never to come back!’ Gruger roared behind her as he spotted him.
A shot rang through the air; the bang making Lila jump, and then Jack was on the ground, his body twisted at an awkward angle as blood poured from a wound in his chest.
Lila screamed.
Arms grabbed her again and she fought frantically to free herself, heard a grunt as her fist connected with bone.
‘Damn it, Lila, wake up!’
Her eyes sprang open. She was in a dark room, though a thin trail of sunlight cut through from behind the drawn curtains. Jack was leaning over her as he pinned down her wrists. He looked annoyed, worried, tired and very much alive.
‘What the hell were you dreaming about?’
He wasn’t dead and he was right there with her. Lila yanked her wrists free from his grip, threw her arms around him, hugging him hard. ‘You’re not dead.’
‘Still alive, though no thanks to you,’ he grumbled. ‘You just punched me in the face.’
‘I dreamt he shot you.’ She sucked in a hard breath. ‘God, Jack, I thought I’d lost you.’
The anger ebbed from him as he pulled her close, rubbing his hands up and down her back. ‘Hey, it’s okay. I’m sorry I scared you earlier. It was a dream. I’m right here and I promise you I’m not going anywhere.’
He pressed a kiss to her forehead, kept his arms around her when they finally lay back down. Lila’s heartbeat slowed, her breathing becoming more settled, as she drew in his scent, felt the steady rise and fall of his chest.
Jack was there and he was with her, and they had both survived a terrible night.
Still though she couldn’t shake the ominous feeling that worse was yet to come.
34
Aaron’
s heart had been in his mouth as he’d watched his father unlock his precious shotgun from the cabinet. What the hell was he planning to do? Was he really going to shoot Lila and her friend?
Jack, that was his name. Aaron did actually know that, had googled him and knew he was some hotshot author. He’d even downloaded and read one of his books, curious to know more about this man in Lila’s life, (the book was okay, he guessed, though nothing special), and although he referred to Jack as Lila’s friend, he suspected they were more than that, wasn’t sure he particularly liked it. Lila was soft and sweet and pretty, too good for the likes of Jack Foley.
Jack was the half-brother of Stephanie Whitman, who had been in the accident with Lila. It was funny how fate had worked, bringing the pair of them together.
Not of course that someone like Aaron would ever have a shot with Lila. She had to be at least ten years older than him. Probably thought of him as a stupid kid, which is why his friend request on Facebook had gone unaccepted.
His parents didn’t think he was old enough to understand love, but Aaron had been there before. His father had called him stupid and reckless at the time, told him he had been an idiot risking his future over a girl. But then his father would think that way. Richard Gruger carefully plotted every move in his life and everything he did was either for financial or personal gain. Meanwhile Aaron’s mother foolishly worshipped the ground he walked on and would do anything, literally anything for her family. Did she realise deep down that she was just a pawn in his father’s game?
She had lied to the police.
Jack Foley may have been arrested, but it seemed the police were keen to follow up on the allegations he had been making. Not only had Jack accused Aaron’s father of blackmailing Stephanie Whitman and terrorising Lila Amberson, even to the point of attacking her, he had also intimated Richard’s involvement with the two missing girls from Lincolnshire.
The accusations were intriguing for Aaron to listen to and it was kind of funny to hear his father bluster in outrage when they questioned him. The man was many things and, true, there were times when his absence from the house couldn’t be explained, but to think he had been attacking Lila, trying to kill her, after he had saved her life was ridiculous.
