Most peculiar, he thought.
He also thought the woman was acting quite strangely, almost as though she was in a trance, drugged maybe. He logged the observations away and turned to see to a customer although he was still able to watch the attractive blonde walk across the foyer towards the lifts.
Adam was aware of the risk in returning to the hotel but had little choice. Even if he knew they’d been seen by that particular under-manager he would not have been overly worried; they were now well away from Hong Kong and heading for the security of the United Kingdom.
Some weeks later when questioned by the police, the under-manager would remember every detail of what he had seen that evening and, as with so many witnesses, he would even remember things he had not seen.
* * *
Gabrielle was sitting in the window seat, her head slightly tilted as she gazed out into the clear blue sky. Her constantly moving hands were in her lap, the fingers intertwined, her agitation obvious. She was reliving the horror of what had happened to her. She had counselled a rape victim in her parish, but at the time had felt inadequate because of her relative lack of sexual experience, her imagination stopping short of what it was like to be violated in such a way. But now she didn’t have to use her imagination. It had happened to her. It had happened to her because she’d been stupid: she had assumed too much and allowed her own self-confidence to be her worst enemy. She could see his face, inches from hers as he raped her.
She relived the pain.
She heard her screams.
She saw his smile, his even white teeth, the look of power in his eyes. She could feel him inside her; she could feel the bones in her hands, still tied behind her back, almost breaking as his full body weight fell on top of her when he had finished.
She remembered the relief she felt when he did finish.
She had not struggled because there was nothing she could do about it. Her whole body had been violated and she still wished she could die.
Gabrielle shuddered and the tears came back to her eyes; they ran down her cheeks as the horror of what she’d experienced whirled around in her mind. Over and over and over again.
She felt Adam’s hand cover hers. She tried to pull her hand away but he held on. She could not look at him. She didn’t want to look at anybody ever again.
She still wanted to die.
‘I can’t provide you with any explanations,’ she heard Adam say quietly. ‘I don’t know the answers to any of my own questions let alone yours. But you’re safe now,’ he continued, ‘I can only guess what you’ve been through and how you must feel, but you’re safe now.’
Gabrielle felt his hand squeeze hers.
He couldn’t even guess how she felt.
No man could.
But she did want to turn to him and bury her face against his shoulder. She wanted to … but he wouldn’t want her now. He had seen her and he had seen what had happened to her. He was being kind to her because he felt responsible for her, but once they were back in England he wouldn’t want to know. Nobody would want to know. The man who did this to her was dead. There would be nothing anybody could do. Nobody could give her back what Patrick Yong had taken away.
‘Close your eyes and try to get some sleep,’ Adam told her. ‘There’s a long way to go and the talking can be done later.’
She tried to close her eyes.
But each time she did, the images came at her from every corner of her mind. She wanted to scream but all she could do was sink deeper and deeper into the abyss that was engulfing her.
It was well over an hour before Adam spoke again.
Sleep had been impossible.
He had watched the cabin crew doing their jobs. He had looked at the other passengers near him: some were reading, some were watching an in-flight movie, others were trying to sleep and one or two were succeeding. There were not many spare seats so he guessed there were three hundred passengers on the aircraft and if questioned none would have a story that came anywhere near his or Gabrielle’s. Nobody would believe them. He saw the Elliotts lying in pools of blood, the gashes across their throats; he saw Lucinda and the children. He saw Leila falling, he heard the crack of the pistol and felt his brother go limp beneath him; he saw Gabrielle lying on the carpet, her body shaking uncontrollably with the shock of what Patrick had done to her. Four people dead, one raped - why? Why did they need to die? Why did his brother need to torture and rape Gabrielle? It can’t have been because he had simply wanted revenge.
When Adam had gone to Loch Lomond to escape the horror brought about by the loss of his family, when he had been persuaded to have a future - no matter how short - and when he'd decided to go to Hong Kong, he'd had no idea these perfectly feasible actions would bring so much misery to so many people.
Gabrielle stirred next to him.
She had been making little whimpering noises, and at one stage Adam thought she was going to scream but he stroked her hair and it seemed to calm her a little. One of the cabin crew started to take a particular interest in them and each time she patrolled the aisle she looked at Adam and then at Gabrielle, her face showing her genuine concern. Adam had accepted the drinks and a light meal but Gabrielle did not have anything, not even a sip of water. She hadn’t drunk or eaten anything since Adam found her in the warehouse.
Why had she been in Hong Kong?
As he held her hand, trying to find answers, his thoughts went once again to Loch Lomond. He’d been grateful at the time for the reprieve from a watery death, but on reflection, if Doris McIlvoy and Gabrielle Brooks had not played the good Samaritans, none of this would have happened. The Elliotts would still be alive, as would Patrick and Leila. If he’d been left alone he would not have known of Gabrielle’s existence and she would only have found out about him when it was too late. But she had been full of confidence, vitality and the need to stop him, a complete stranger, from doing what she was sure he was intent on doing. She had succeeded. And then they had parted as friends. He had thought about her, of course he had. She had talked him out of taking his own life, added to which, he admitted, there was the physical attraction. But as far as Adam was concerned when he had driven away from Luss he had also driven out of Gabrielle Brook’s life.
So why had she followed him all the way to Hong Kong?
She would have the answer to that question when she was ready. He was surprised when she didn’t want to get out of Leila’s clothes as soon as possible after leaving the warehouse, but although he offered at the airport to buy her whatever she needed, she did no more than shake her head slightly, her eyes telling him he was wasting his time.
‘Sir?’
Adam opened his eyes and looked at the source of the voice. The concerned stewardess was there again and this time she was leaning over the unoccupied aisle seat next to Adam and looking more closely at Gabrielle. ‘Sir?’ she asked again, ’is the lady with you feeling unwell?’
Adam did his best to smile. ‘No, no, she’s just very tired.’
‘I’m afraid she’s disturbing the passengers behind you.’
‘How? She’s simply trying to get some sleep.’
The stewardess’s voice dropped a little. ‘It’s the noises she’s making ... the people behind you think there may be something wrong.’
‘No, there’s nothing wrong. She always makes those noises when she’s asleep.’
‘I see, sir,’ the stewardess said, not very convincingly. She was probably slightly younger than Gabrielle. Her blonde hair was tied back in a ponytail and she wore very little make-up. Her light-blue eyes made her look distinctly Scandinavian.
‘I’m … I’m sorry,’ Gabrielle suddenly said, her voice hoarse, her head resting against Adam’s shoulder. ‘I ... I must have been having a bad dream.’
The stewardess smiled. ‘I understand, madam. Would you like a drink?’
‘Yes, yes, I would. Could I have a glass of orange, please?’
‘Of course.’ The stewardess looked at Adam,
narrowing her eyes before moving further down the aisle.
Gabrielle looked at Adam, her face almost expressionless. ‘I need the toilet,’ she told him, her eyes filling with tears.
‘I’ll call for someone to go with you.’
‘I ... I can manage.’
Adam was more worried about what she would do when she got to the toilet. He was determined not to leave her on her own. ‘You’re very weak and you haven’t eaten anything for hours, please -’
‘No, Adam.’ She took a deep breath before standing up. ‘I can manage.’
He moved into the aisle. ‘All right, but if …’ His voice trailed away as she walked unsteadily towards the back of the aircraft. He wished he’d been able to upgrade their tickets, but at that late hour they had to take the seats they were offered.
The stewardess arrived back seconds later with Gabrielle’s drink. ‘Oh, where is she?’
‘She’s gone to the toilet. Please, would you be so kind as to go and see that she’s all right?’
‘Of course I will.’
She handed Adam the glass of orange.
Tapping on the toilet door, she waited. ‘Madam, this is Jessica, the stewardess. Are you all right?’ She tapped the door again when there was no reply. ‘Madam?’
None of the other toilets was in use so she had to be in this one, Jessica concluded. She tapped a little louder but was afraid of disturbing those passengers who were trying to get some sleep. She beckoned one of the other stewardesses, then turned the emergency release and pushed the door, but it was jammed and they couldn’t get it to open fully.
‘Madam?’
The stewardesses exchanged looks.
Jessica pushed the door a little harder until she could squeeze her head through the gap. Gabrielle was wedged between the toilet and the wall. Her head was slumped on her chest and she was shaking uncontrollably.
‘Quickly! Go and get Peter, Christine,’ she told the other stewardess. Meanwhile she managed to move the door a little more so that she could get her whole body into the tiny compartment. She reached for Gabrielle’s wrist and felt her pulse. It was strong. ‘Madam,’ she said quietly, ‘can you hear me?’
Gabrielle moaned.
Jessica manoeuvred Gabrielle’s legs until they were straight and her feet were clear of the door. Peter and Christine arrived and between them they carried her to the rear of the plane.
Laying her on the bunk used by the air-crew, Jessica checked Gabrielle’s pulse again. ‘Seems okay and I can’t see any sign that she may have tried to hurt herself. ’
‘What about pills, or drugs?’ Peter suggested.
‘No evidence of either. I thought she might be having some sort of fit.’ Gabrielle’s eyes were closed and she was still shaking. ‘She could be in shock. I don’t know. She ...’ It was then that Jessica noticed the blood on the collar of Gabrielle’s shirt. She frowned. The blood had dried but it was definitely blood. ‘Can you go and check the manifest and see if there’s a doctor on board?’ she asked Peter. ‘I’m sure I saw a couple of doctors listed in business class.’
‘Where was she sitting?’ Christine asked after Peter had left.
‘Row 27 in economy, nearest the window. I checked the manifest. She and the man she’s with were a very late booking.’
‘Is she with her husband?’
‘I don’t think they’re married. They have different surnames for a start. He’s Harrison and she’s Brooks. I was keeping an eye on her anyway because she hadn’t eaten or drunk anything since coming on board, and the people behind her thought there was something wrong with her.’
‘Shall I go and call the man to come back here?’
Jessica hesitated. ‘I don’t think we’ve got a choice. No, tell you what, just tell him she fainted, he’s not to worry, we’re looking after her but because of the limited space back here we would appreciate it if he stayed where he is. And we’ll get her back to her seat as soon as we can.’
‘It’s important I’m with her,’ Adam told Christine. ‘She hasn’t been well and if she sees nobody but strangers -’
‘We’re locating a doctor, sir.’
‘Another stranger,’ Adam said, getting out of his seat to follow her.
The other passengers were staring at him, probably pleased to have a bit of a diversion after nearly twelve monotonous hours in the air.
‘There’s not a lot of room, sir.’
‘I’m sorry, I don’t want to get in your way but I must let her see me.’ Christine stepped back as Adam started up the aisle.
A doctor was already there.
He was relatively young, casually dressed and bending over Gabrielle. She had stopped shaking. Her eyes were open and she was watching the doctor warily as he checked her pulse and temperature. He took a stethoscope from a bag, undid a button on her shirt and placed the stethoscope over her heart.
‘What’s your name?’ he asked, but she did not reply.
‘Gabrielle Brooks,’ Adam said from the behind him.
The doctor turned round. ‘The stewardess had already told me her name,’ he said a little impatiently. ‘Are you her husband?’
‘No, but we’re travelling together.’
Jessica and Christine frowned and exchanged looks.
‘She seems to be in shock,’ the doctor said.
‘She said she felt unwell at the airport but insisted she was all right to fly.’
‘Has she suffered any form of trauma recently, Mr -?’
‘Harrison, Adam Harrison.’
Adam hoped the rising panic he felt was not obvious. He couldn’t tell them she’d been raped less than twenty-four hours ago and probably subjected to God knows what other forms of torture. He couldn’t tell them he’d found her lying naked in a disused warehouse where she had witnessed the deaths of his brother and a Chinese woman she’d never seen before. He couldn’t tell them the clothes she was wearing had been taken from the body of the dead Chinese woman. Nor could he tell them elderly friends of hers had been murdered, their throats cut from ear to ear - especially as Gabrielle still didn’t know about them
Adam felt beads of sweat erupt on his forehead.
‘Mr Harrison?’ All their eyes were on him.
The doctor was holding Gabrielle’s hand but she was looking at Adam. He detected the slightest shake of her head, her eyes closing at the same time.
‘No,’ Adam said. ‘No, there’s been no trauma and I would know.’
The doctor nodded. He let go of Gabrielle’s hand and went behind her head. ‘Can you explain the blood on the collar of her shirt?’
‘Er …’
‘That’s … that’s my fault,’ Gabrielle said huskily.
Everyone’s attention turned to Gabrielle. She was deathly pale. The doctor moved his hand to her forehead. ‘There don’t seem to be any bumps that shouldn’t be there, or even any abrasions.’
‘I’m sorry,’ Gabrielle said. ‘I … I want to apologise. I must have fainted. I banged my head this morning in the bathroom but didn’t tell Adam. I’m sorry, very sorry, to have caused all this … this bother.’
‘It’s been no bother,’ Jessica told her, her relief showing in her face. ‘We thought the blood …’ She looked at the doctor. ‘Do you think she’s well enough to return to her seat?’
‘Yes, I think so, but only on condition that she promises to eat something and drink plenty of water.’ He picked up Gabrielle’s hand again. ‘You seem very dehydrated. If you feel faint again you must alert one of the stewardesses, and when you get back to the UK you must go and have a check-up. You could be concussed.’ He turned to Jessica. ‘In fact, if the Captain could radio ahead and have an ambulance waiting ...’
‘No!’ Gabrielle said sharply. ‘No,’ she repeated a little more quietly, ‘that won’t be necessary. ‘I’ll go and see my GP as soon as I get home.’
‘If you promise ...’ the doctor told her.
Gabrielle managed a weak smile. ‘Yes, I promise. I really am
sorry to have caused all this fuss.’
‘As long as you feel all right now, that’s what matters.’
Chapter Twenty-Eight
The rest of the flight to Heathrow was without incident.
Once back in their seats Adam tried to talk to Gabrielle but she was unresponsive and he eventually gave up. Following her promise to the doctor, she picked at some sandwiches Jessica brought for her but she did drink a lot of water.
By the time they were told to fasten their seatbelts in preparation for the landing at Heathrow, some colour had returned to her cheeks but she still didn’t want to talk.
As they left the aircraft she thanked Jessica and Christine for their help and apologised once again for causing a fuss. Both women smiled at her caringly but their faces were positively accusatory when they looked at Adam. He wondered what false conclusions they had drawn.
He hoped leaving the aircraft was the final hurdle before he could decide that they were at last safe. The incident on the aircraft had drawn too much attention and too many people, passengers and crew, might remember them. Although the cabin crew seemed to accept Gabrielle’s explanation about the blood on her shirt collar, which also could have explained why she had fainted, Adam was worried that they might not leave the situation alone. Whatever conclusions they had drawn could determine whether they took any further action. Had they told the Captain? Had he radioed on ahead and asked for not only an ambulance to be waiting for Gabrielle, but also the police?
Adam knew he was over-reacting. They had no grounds whatsoever to suspect anything untoward had happened or was happening.
Once off the plane, Adam steered Gabrielle so that they were directly behind a group of people who looked as though they were travelling together. He stayed close to them as they wended their way towards passport control. Other than the straight-faced immigration officials in the booths, he did not initially see anybody standing to one side who might be looking out for them.
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