Reluctant Witness

by Rachel Brimble

  “What’s the matter, sweetheart? You sound kind of shaken. Is Detective Inspector Conway not looking after you properly?”

  “Why did you do that to my parents’ pictures, Marcus?”

  “What did I do?”

  Anger simmered beneath the surface of Julia’s skin. So he wanted to play, just as he always did. “I know you’re angry I called our relationship off but I will not accept you threatening my parents, Marcus. They have the police looking after them right now. Have you any idea how that must feel to my mother?”

  “I wasn’t the one who caused this to happen, Julia. You were.”

  But as he talked, she pressed the phone closer to her ear. She could hear a female voice in the background, she was sure of it. “Who’s that?” she asked. “Have you got someone with you?”

  He laughed. “Oooh, are you jealous?”

  “Of course not.”

  “No? Well, if you will insist on ringing me in the middle of the night you never know who I’m going to be with...” He let the sentence hang.

  “I thought you were dating Suzie now,” Julia said, in her friend’s defense. “Or is that her?”

  “No, it’s not Suzie, Julia. I’m not into exclusivity unless I’m with you. No one means to me what you do.”

  “Suzie really likes you, Marcus. A lot. You should let her go. Let her find someone who loves her back,” Julia said, angrily. “It’s not fair. She doesn’t deserve to be treated this way.”

  He sighed. “Please don’t tell me what to do, Julia. It will only annoy me.”

  Calm, Julia, stay calm. She changed the subject. “Will you meet me? Maybe we can work our differences out? Try again?”

  “Try again?” he laughed. “Even after I shot a bullet through your parents’ heads? So to speak.”

  “Marcus, please.”

  A long pause. Julia heard his breathing quicken. “Where are you, Julia?” he asked, quietly.

  “I was with Daniel but I’ve managed to get away.”

  He let out a low whistle. “Well, well, maybe I was wrong about the two of you. Is his goody-goody charm becoming a little repulsive?”

  “I never had feelings for him in the first place, Marcus. I told you that. Look, will you meet me or not?”

  “I can’t. It’s too risky.”

  She swallowed. “What is?”

  “The police think I had something to do with Derek Palmer’s murder. Ridiculous, isn’t it?”

  “Did you?”

  There was a momentary silence. “You shouldn’t ask me things like that, Julia. You haven’t a clue about anything.”

  Her thoughts snapped back to the woman with him. “You know, the police are now saying it was woman who shot Derek.”

  “A woman?” He laughed. “Is that what Inspector Conway thinks? Even after you told him it was a man? He isn’t giving you a lot of credit as a witness, is he, darling?”

  But instead of answering she strained to hear the now muffled female voice in the background. All she could make out was the distinct sound of a door slamming.

  “So, what happens now?” asked Marcus, in a far too breezy voice. He was scared. Julia was sure of it.

  She had to deal with this in Marcus’ mind set, not her own. Blowing out a breath, she tried again. “This is crazy, Marcus. I want to talk to you face to face. You can’t carry on like this. Someone’s going to get hurt and I know you don’t want that.”

  “It doesn’t matter what I want anymore. If the police catch me, they’re going to throw away the key. You know they don’t care whether they’ve got the right person or not, don’t you, sweetheart?”

  “But—”

  “They’ll pin it on me if that’s what they want. They would’ve planted evidence or something, no doubt.”

  “Maybe I can help,” Julia said, quickly. “I will testify in court it wasn’t you who pulled the trigger.”

  “Ah, you’d do that for little old me? I’m touched.”

  “The point is, Marcus, it will do you no good to run away.”

  “I am not running away, I am merely keeping a low profile.”

  Julia’s mind was working overtime trying to come up with a way to get him to meet her, trust her. All she needed to do was arrange a meeting and Daniel could be there to arrest him. “Why don’t I check into a bed and breakfast out of town? I’ll ring you with the address and you come over tomorrow?”

  “What about the police?”

  “They’ll have no clue. I’m going to turn off my cell so they’ll have no way of tracking me.”

  He hesitated. “Fine, I’ll catch up with you sometime tomorrow.”

  She blew out a breath. “Good. We’ll talk then. We’ll get this all straightened out, Marcus. I promise.”

  “Julia?”

  “Yes?”

  “I’m sorry for doing that to your parents’ pictures. I don’t know what has happened to me since I fell so hard for you. Everything is going wrong and I’m beginning to feel as though I’ve got nothing left.”

  She lifted her eyes to the ink-black sky, sending up a silent prayer asking God to make this work. He was so unstable, so unpredictable. “I know, I know. But you can still have me, Marcus. As a friend, if nothing else.”

  “A friend, Julia?” He laughed. “I think I need considerably more than that.”

  She swallowed, feeling the mood shift once more. “We’re in this together now, Marcus. I won’t let you down.”

  “No, Julia—I know you won’t.”

  The line went dead and Julia exhaled a heavy breath. There was no turning back, the wheels had been set in motion. Part of her was scared but another deep, more determined part knew she had no alternative but to carry this forward. No one was going to threaten her family or stop her from living the life she wanted to. Marcus had murdered a man, threatened her parents, used Suzie. Julia had had enough.

  ****

  Daniel reached for his phone, trying to silence it before it woke Julia.

  “Hello?” he mumbled. “What?!”

  He snapped his head around and saw the empty space beside him. He threw back the covers and ran into the bathroom, the phone still at his ear.

  “Why the hell didn’t you break down the door if I didn’t hear you knocking?” he yelled. “Yes, yes, you were right to go straight after her. You’ve no idea who she was speaking to? No? Right, I’m on my way. Do not lose sight of her.”

  He snapped the phone shut and fought his fury at Julia’s disappearance and his own humiliation at falling asleep. How could he have been so stupid? He should’ve known she would not stay put.

  By the time he’d dressed and pulled the door shut behind him, his pulse was beating hard at his temple and a line of icy cold sweat had formed on his spine. Thank God he’d requested someone to watch the house—the woman was not only a danger to herself, it was a wonder he hadn’t suffered a heart attack himself.

  As Daniel checked and double-checked the ammo in his gun, he rushed through the front door. The officer who’d been stationed outside was following her down the deserted path that led into town. For once, Daniel wished he’d bought a town house on a main road rather than the discreet vacation-type home he’d had to have the minute he’d laid eyes on it.

  He brushed a hand through his hair. He’d seen Julia’s terrorized expression when she’d been faced with her parents’ gruesome pictures, but he’d also seen her raw determination when he’d left her alone in the bath tub. She’d been hurt and angry at his rejection and he knew with Julia, anger quickly became action. He should have known she would try something like this—she was the type of woman who took matters into her own hands. She’d proven that several times over the few days he’d known her.

  Apparently, she’d spoken to someone on her cell. Lowell? Did she know where he was? But then he saw her up ahead and slowed his pace. If anything happened to her, he had no idea how he’d get over it. He loved her. He loved her more than he’d ever loved anyone else. She was the most selfish, crazy
, inconsiderate...caring, protective, passionate woman he had ever met and he wanted to make her his forever. He blinked against the sudden stinging in his eyes. God knew how he’d get through the next four months without her, but he would. And when she came back? He would present her with a proposal she couldn’t refuse.

  The tracking officer would be somewhere to his right. Daniel scanned the silhouette of the trees until he spotted him. Daniel gestured for him to come over.

  Once the young officer was at his side, Daniel put an arm around his shoulder. “We’ll let her go on ahead. If she was talking to Lowell, there’s every chance he’ll want to see her. I’ve got no idea why she left or what she’s got planned. But this will not end badly, do you hear me? This will not end badly.”

  The young officer nodded curtly. “Understood, sir.”

  Daniel watched Julia as she hurriedly walked on. Her head darted left and right, her steps unsteady and hesitant. Daniel and the officer continued behind her for the next ten minutes or so when a car approached from up ahead. Both Daniel and the officer jumped under the cover of the trees. Julia did the same.

  But the driver had obviously already seen her as he pulled up at the exact spot where she’d disappeared. Daniel’s jaw tightened as he watched Lowell exit the car. But when he saw who got out of the passenger side, shock reverberated through him until his blood boiled with suppressed anger.

  In that moment, Daniel knew it was Suzie who had shot Derek Palmer in cold blood.

  He pulled his gun from its holster as Suzie ducked one way into the trees, Lowell the other. Daniel gestured for the young officer to come closer. “I’ll focus on Lowell, you keep with the woman. No matter what, do not lose her. She is no doubt armed and dangerous. I am trusting you to keep her well away from Miss Kershaw.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Daniel gave a nod and the officer disappeared silently into the trees. Cocking his own gun, Daniel followed Lowell.

  Within seconds, he halted upon hearing Julia’s voice.

  “Marcus?” she asked, in apparent surprise. “You scared me. What are you doing here? I thought we agreed to meet at the Bed and Breakfast.”

  “I changed my mind. Thought I’d pick you up before Conway knows you’re missing.” He laughed. “God, what I wouldn’t give to see his face when he realizes.”

  Daniel took comfort from the weight of the loaded gun in his hand. He hoped the rookie cop covering Suzie had enough experience to keep her well out of the way—by whatever means necessary. He wanted to charge at Lowell but knew it would pay to bide his time just a little longer. He looked up when Lowell spoke again.

  “You see, I knew Conway would insist on taking you back to his house after the things I said to him, Julia. The man is so predictable.”

  “What things?” Julia asked.

  “None of that matters anymore. Look, whether or not you truly want to help me, I can’t risk it. I’m leaving. The chances are the police will disregard your testimony and stick Derek’s murder on me anyway.”

  “How can they? A woman shot Derek. They don’t have any idea you were involved.”

  “But they must have, or why would you be so keen on seeing me? You really must think I was born yesterday to fall for your little charade of wanting me back. Oh, no, sorry, you don’t want me back, do you? You just want us to be friends.” He grinned. “Isn’t that what you suggested?”

  “You have to trust in the system, Marcus.”

  He snorted. “Oh, Julia. You expect me to believe you’ve suddenly had a complete change of heart about the police? Your brother was shot dead by one of them and you’re preaching to me about justice? God, you should be ashamed.”

  Daniel heard her sharp intake of breath and pain burned deep in his chest. Lowell may as well have stuck a knife in her heart. He was goading her, hurting her and all the while she still had the same defiant tilt of her chin. Lowell was wrong. Daniel had already figured out why she was here, doing this, putting her own life in danger. There was no way Julia could allow Derek’s murder to go unpunished. But to Daniel that meant, in turn, she didn’t trust him to get the job done.

  The pain in his chest intensified.

  Marcus took a few steps closer to her and brushed the hair that had fallen from her ponytail back from her face. “I have to go before they find me. I’ve got myself into a mess I can see no way out of right now. But I will. I always do.”

  “Did you arrange for Derek to be killed, Marcus?” Julia asked, quietly.

  Daniel’s pulse beat rhythmically at his temple. Confess it, you asshole. Confess it and then I’ve got you.

  “What did you say?” Marcus’ voice was low, angry.

  “I said, did you arrange for Derek to be killed?”

  Lowell didn’t answer and the two of them remained locked in a battle of wills that Daniel knew could explode at any minute. He lifted his gun. The atmosphere hung around them thick and suffocating. Marcus hadn’t let go of her hair and now tightened it around his fingers. She gave a gasp.

  “If I didn’t know you better, Julia, I’d say you were trying to piss me off,” he said. “Now why would you want to go and do a thing like that when you might never see me again?”

  He wrenched a gun from the back of his pants and pushed her roughly to the ground.

  Daniel snapped. Confessions and careful policing evaporated as he burst from his hiding place with a primitive roar and ran headlong at Lowell.

  “Daniel! No!”

  But Daniel ignored her yell and ran full speed toward Lowell. Lowell braced himself against Daniel’s attack, but to little avail. Their groans and shouts echoed in the air as they tumbled to the muddy leaf-strewn ground. Daniel grunted as Lowell brought the butt of the gun down hard against his jaw. But the pain brought fresh determination and he pushed hard against Lowell’s chest and heaved him to the side.

  Before Lowell could catch his breath, Daniel was on top of him. He straddled Lowell and tried to extract the gun from his unyielding grip.

  “Let it go,” Daniel ordered. “I have back-up.”

  “Yeah, where are they then?” gasped, Lowell, still struggling.

  “Right here.”

  Daniel, Marcus and Julia all turned to the sound of the young officer’s voice, who had Suzie handcuffed beside him.

  “Suzie? Oh, no,” cried Julia. “Not you. It was you?”

  “Oh, shut up, Julia. What the hell do you know?” Suzie sneered. “With your blonde good looks and fucking perfect figure. I did what I had to be done to get my man, OK?”

  “You shot Derek for him? For Marcus?”

  “Derek was so near to topping himself it didn’t matter anyway. We had to make sure he didn’t blab to the police about Marcus’ loaning business.”

  “But Thelma. How could you do this to her?”

  “Do what? She’s in her eighties for God’s sake. She would’ve been a widow sooner or later.”

  Daniel watched the rage spread over Julia’s face as she processed the vile truth of the woman standing opposite her. Suddenly Julia lunged forward and slapped Suzie so hard across the face her head ricocheted backwards.

  Lowell seized his chance and with an almighty roar, Daniel was catapulted through the air and rolling away over snapping twigs and bracken.

  “Daniel!”

  Daniel heard Julia’s scream and scrambled to his feet. His breath rasped against his dry throat, his jaw throbbed from the blow of Lowell’s gun butt, but it was nothing compared to the rage roaring through him when he saw Lowell had grabbed Julia and now the pair of them were on the ground. She pulled at his hair and kicked at him with frenzied ferocity.

  Daniel took a step forward, but before he could reach them, Lowell punched Julia in the face and she toppled backward.

  “You’re finished, Lowell. Do you hear me?” Daniel bellowed, pointing his gun at him.

  Marcus merely grinned. Blood showing black amongst his teeth, his eyes wild with fury. He raised his own gun but instead of pointing it at Da
niel, swiveled around and pointed it at Julia.

  “I don’t think so, Inspector. You shoot me and it might just trigger my own gun.”

  Adrenaline pumped through Daniel’s veins but all he could think about was Julia, watching another cop point a gun at yet another human being.

  He glanced at her. Even then, in that terrifying moment she looked so beautiful in the half-light. His mind grappled with his choices. One might cause Julia’s death, the other more trauma to someone who’d already been through far too much.

  Two gunshots simultaneously rang out and for one stunned instant, Daniel thought he had made the choice and fired unconsciously. But no, he hadn’t.

  He saw, with horrific clarity, that one of the shots had come from Lowell’s gun.

  Epilogue

  Julia struggled to open eyelids that felt as heavy as lead. She had no idea where she was. Everything was white and far too bright. Her eyes fluttered closed again. Sleep. She just needed to sleep. Her throat was dry and a horrible, medicinal smell hung in the air like air-borne chloroform.

  “Hey, don’t think I’m going to sit here another ten hours waiting for you to wake up, sleepy-head.”

  A soft smile curved her lips. Daniel. Her eyes flickered open once more and met his.

  “Hi.”

  He smiled. “Hi yourself.”

  “Am I in the hospital? Or a really badly decorated bedroom?”

  He laughed. “Hospital.”

  “He got me, didn’t he?”

  Daniel nodded before dropping his gaze to her hand, which he held tightly in his own. “I’m sorry.”

  “What for? Please tell me you got him.”

  “Of course I did. He’s dead, Julia.”

  “Good.”

  He kissed her knuckles. “But the last thing I wanted was for you to see another cop shooting someone.”

  “Just as well I was unconscious then,” she said simply. “What about Suzie? What will happen to her? Is she in prison?”

  “She’ll be held in custody until her trial. What she did for love was as bad as it gets. She’ll get life, Julia. I’m sure of it.”

  “All that time, Daniel. All that time we spent with her, talking to her. How could we have not seen it?”