Murrook Farm (Sam & Jody Series Book 2)

by Lois Kay

  Jody opened her mouth to protest because she didn’t want Sam to go out by herself but before she could say anything, she realized Sam was right. Somebody had to stay with Joan at the house. So, Jody merely nodded while her thoughts went back to that horrible day when Sam had gone out, by herself, to meet Megan’s kidnappers. Never in her life had Jody been more scared. Sam had kept contact through her cell phone, but in the end, when meeting the criminals, she had to leave the thing in the car, breaking off all contact. The hour that had followed had been the longest one in her life, and she had hoped never to go through a situation like that again. She let out a shuddering breath and ran her fingers through her hair. Where the hell were Fiona and Alice?

  *

  “No, Sam, wait for me,” Trishia urged, rubbing her eyes and trying to wake up. “I’ll be there in a minute. Stay where you are. If there are any tracks or clues, I don’t want them to be trampled on. I’m on my way now!”

  Trishia pressed the ‘off’ button on her phone and jumped out of bed, blindly reaching for the clothes that had ended up in different places when she… when Lucy had taken them off a few hours earlier.

  “What’s going on?” Lucy asked. The grim expression on Trishia’s face filled her with dread. She had already started to get dressed, knowing something serious had happened at the house, and she wanted to go to her family as soon as she could. “Trish?” she asked again, the worry in her voice evident.

  Trishia turned around to look at her, and a pained expression crossed her face. “Fiona and Alice are missing from the house,” she answered, knowing that sugarcoating the news was not an option.

  “Oh, God,” Lucy breathed, bringing her hand to her throat. “How long?”

  “They just found out,” Trishia said, quickly tying her shoelaces. “They’ve been gone for more than an hour, at least. Are you ready?”

  Lucy nodded and tried to push down a feeling of nausea that made her stomach churn. There was a murderer around, and now Fiona and Alice were missing. Her eyes nervously darted from Trishia’s pale face to the strong hands that were quickly and expertly checking her gun. She swallowed hard. She knew that in Trishia’s line of work, firearms were sometimes needed, but it was something she was still not used to. The idea that the relatively small device could end a person’s life in less time than it took to blink an eye, filled her with fear. Lucy could only hope that Trishia would not have to use the weapon again. A year ago, she had shot one of Megan’s kidnappers who was about to kill Sam, and Trishia had been devastated by it. She knew there hadn’t been a choice since Steven Hayes was about to take Sam’s life, but still, it had been very hard on her, and Lucy hoped they would never have to go through a situation like that again. The subject of her thoughts looked at her and managed a weak smile.

  “Are you ready?” Trishia asked, reaching out a hand that was gratefully accepted.

  “Yes, let’s go,” Lucy encouraged in a subdued voice.

  “Stay close to me,” Trishia ordered, putting her body between Lucy and the line of dense trees across the clearing. Her eyes scanned the area, looking for anything that was out of the ordinary, but to Trishia everything looked normal. When they were halfway up the driveway, a bouncing Kurt greeted them, and Trishia couldn’t help smiling. She petted him on the head and briefly wondered why Kurt had not raised the alarm. She had no time to ponder that question because the door was opened and Sam emerged. The two women looked at each other and a silent message passed.

  “Go inside, Lucy,” Trishia said gently. “Lock the door behind you, okay?”

  Lucy didn’t immediately respond, but she nodded and squeezed the warm hand that was still holding hers. “Be careful,” she whispered, feeling the tears pool in her eyes.

  “Always,” Trishia answered with a smile, leaning in to give her a quick kiss. As soon as Lucy had closed and locked the door behind her, Trishia looked at Sam and gave her a curt nod. “I take it you checked all the bedrooms?”

  “I did,” Sam answered. “Nothing seems to be out of place. The girls just aren’t there, and it looks like they left the house through Fiona’s bedroom window.”

  Trishia took a moment to digest the information, which only increased her anxiety. They had assumed that the murderer worked alone. But what if he didn’t? How could two teenage girls disappear from the house, without making a sound? The only explanation Trishia could come up with was that there must have been more than one intruder. Or, the girls had known the person and had left voluntarily. With a gesture that showed her frustration, Trishia rubbed the back of her neck. Part of her wanted to call the police station and ask for assistance, but deep down inside a nagging feeling of doubt made itself known. She could not put her finger on it yet, but hopefully, a look around the property would provide some answers. She needed more information before calling for help.

  “Let’s have a look underneath that window,” she suggested. “Are we taking Kurt?” she asked, pointing to the leash Sam was holding.

  “Yes, I’m sure he’ll be able to pick up a scent and track,” Sam answered with confidence. She whistled and immediately Kurt jumped off the veranda. Sam scratched his ears and attached the leash to his collar. “Come on boy,” she said, walking toward the back of the house where Fiona’s and Alice’s bedrooms were located.

  Trishia’s experienced eyes looked at the ground, searching for visible tracks or footprints. Sam was right, the girls had left the house through Fiona’s bedroom window. The blinds and the window itself were open, and the grass underneath the window was trampled on. But there were no signs of a struggle or other proof of violence.

  With her face set in a grim mask, Sam looked down at Kurt, who had picked up on the tension and patiently sat down next to his human, waiting for a command. She cast a look at Trishia, who had sucked in her bottom lip and nodded. “Kurt, find,” Sam ordered, immediately seeing the ears perk up. “Find Fiona, Kurt.”

  With a high-pitched whimper, the dog pulled the leash, almost making Sam lose her balance. His nose had already picked up Fiona’s scent, along with two other ones and he immediately started to guide Sam and Trishia away from the house, down the gradual slope at the back toward the dense vegetation at the bottom of the hill.

  Sam and Trishia didn’t speak. They were both absorbed by their own thoughts, but in the meantime, all their senses were on heightened alert. They were very aware of their surroundings, and Trishia could not ignore the cold steel that was pressing against the skin of her back, where she had tucked away her gun. She was mentally kicking herself for not being able to protect the family that so easily had accepted her as one of their own. What if something had happened to Alice and Fiona? She knew she would never be able to look into Lucy’s eyes again if something had happened to her youngest sister. And what would she tell Inspector Wong? How could she explain that the girl she volunteered to protect had disappeared? If anything happened to the girls, Trishia knew she would never be able to forgive herself.

  They had reached the tree line and silently followed Kurt, who seemed to know where he was going. He kept a steady pace and did not hesitate or falter, not even for a second. They were still walking downhill and gradually the path became harder to follow. The hillside became steeper, and the forest floor was littered with rocks, roots and broken tree limbs. The undergrowth was dense and hard to walk through, and both Trishia and Sam let out an occasional gasp of pain when branches or sharp thorns scratched their bare legs. In the distance, they could hear running water and Sam knew they were approaching one of the creeks that ran through their property.

  Suddenly Kurt whimpered and pulled his leash, trying to free himself from the restraints that kept him close to Sam.

  Trishia and Sam exchanged a look, and with growing trepidation, Sam noticed that Trishia pulled out her gun, sending Sam an apologetic look. Trishia knew the sight of the weapon would bring back bad memories, but she didn’t want to take any risks. She had no idea what they would encounter, and she wanted to be pre
pared. She signaled Sam to follow her and carefully made her way through the bush. Their view was obscured by trees, ferns, and shrubs, but she knew they were close to the creek now. She could hear the water dance across the rocks, and in the distance was the distinct sound of a waterfall.

  Trishia cast a look over her shoulder and saw that Sam was right behind her. She gestured for her to get down and they both crawled toward a dense area of huge ferns that were the only barrier left between them and the creek.

  Sam silently cursed when a sharp rock embedded itself in her right leg and a sharp pain shot through her knee. Without looking down at the affected limb, she knew she had a cut that was bleeding. She could feel the warm, thick liquid slowly slide down her skin. She lowered herself flat to the ground, next to Trishia who was carefully pushing aside the fern, to get an unobstructed view of the creek. The only sound was that of the water in the stream, and the rustling leaves overhead.

  When they were finally able to see what had excited and alarmed Kurt, they were both stunned. A few meters away from them, they saw Fiona and Alice, stretched out on the forest floor next to the creek. They were lying on their stomachs with their heads resting on their arms and looked like they were asleep. The only indication they weren’t, was Fiona’s left foot that was rhythmically moving from left to right and back again.

  Sam was about to jump up and ran toward them, but Trishia’s hand on her arm stopped her. When Sam glanced aside, she saw the relief on Trishia’s face and a twinkle of amusement in her green-blue eyes.

  “Look,” Trishia whispered, pointing to the bank of the creek.

  Sam’s eyes traveled into the direction Trishia was pointing, and when her brain registered the scene that was unfolding she was so relieved, she almost felt dizzy. “Yarra,” she whispered.

  A tall, dark-skinned girl, clad in shorts and a tank top was sitting cross-legged on the bank of the creek. Her big, dark eyes were focused on a small animal that was sitting close to her. Yarra was holding something in her hand, patiently waiting for the furry creature to come over and grab it. Sam’s eyes widened when she saw the little wallaby that was sitting so close to Yarra, she could almost touch it.

  “I don’t know whether to be angry or happy,” Sam whispered, seeing a flash of white when Trishia grinned.

  “I am thrilled, Sam,” Trishia admitted. “But I won’t show them that. They scared the crap out of me.”

  Sam chuckled and watched in amazement when the wallaby hopped even closer to Yarra, grabbed the treat she was holding in her outstretched hand and quickly leaped away with it. Yarra’s dark-skinned face was split by a huge smile, and even from a distance, they could see the sparkle in her eyes.

  “Wow, that was cool, Yar,” Fiona’s voice broke the silence as she scrambled to her feet, followed by Alice who seemed very impressed. “Don’t you think so, Alice?”

  Alice nodded, and when she spoke, Sam and Trishia could hear the wonder in the soft voice. “Thanks for showing me that, Yarra,” she said. “That was great. I’ve never seen a wallaby that close.”

  “I know something else that will be awesome,” Sam mumbled. “Let’s get those girls home, Trish. Three frantic women are waiting for them.”

  Before Trishia could respond, Sam rose to her feet and unfolded her tall frame. The three teenagers jumped when Sam appeared, and Alice’s first reaction was to run. Trishia had anticipated a move like that, and with a few long strides she was behind her and caught her in a pair of strong arms.

  “It’s okay, Alice,” she tried to reassure the girl. “It’s just Sam and me.”

  Trishia could feel Alice tremble and a pair of fearful eyes looked up at her. When Alice finally realized who was holding her, she let out a shaky breath. At the same time her legs seemed no longer able to carry her, and slowly Trishia lowered the girl to the ground. “Damn,” she mumbled.

  “I’m so sorry, Alice,” Sam apologized, kneeling next to the girl. “I didn’t mean to scare you like that.”

  “Yeah, well, that was a nasty thing to do,” Fiona admitted, crouching down on the other side of Alice and shooting Sam an annoyed look.

  “Listen to me, young lady,” Sam answered. The irritation in her voice was clearly audible. “Do you have any idea how worried everybody is about the two of you? What the hell were you thinking sneaking out of the house like that, without telling anyone where you were going? I thought you were more responsible.”

  Fiona had never seen the usual calm Sam angry, and she visibly paled. Sam’s eyes were shooting daggers at her, and unconsciously Fiona moved closer to Trishia. She swallowed hard, and with confusion written all over her face, she looked from Trishia to Sam and back again.

  “I…I…It was… everybody was still asleep, and since it had been such a weird night, we didn’t want to wake anybody up. Yarra came by to ask me if I wanted to see the wallaby and… I thought Alice would like to see it as well, so… I didn’t mean to worry anyone. I’m sorry,” she ended in a whisper.

  Sam let out a shaky breath and cast a look at Yarra, who was standing close, watching her with big, dark eyes. “Is this about that murderer?” she asked. Yarra had met Trishia on different occasions and knew she was a police officer. When she had seen Sam and Trishia appear and had noticed their worry and irritation, she had put two and two together.

  “What murderer?” Fiona asked. Suddenly, the events of the previous night started to make sense, and her eyes widened in shock.

  “It was on the news this morning,” Yarra explained. Her intelligent eyes were scanning Trishia’s face for clues. “A girl was murdered on the beach yesterday.”

  Trishia and Sam exchanged glances and Sam could feel the anger drain from her body, leaving her sore and tired.

  “I guess we’d better go back to the house, so we can talk about it. Alright?” Trishia suggested, taking the lead.

  Sam nodded and rose to her feet, wincing when she felt a cramp in her right calf. She looked at Fiona’s bent head and felt bad for having snapped at her. “Come here,” she said, pulling her in for a hug.

  Fiona accepted the gesture and buried her face against Sam’s chest, while she wrapped her arms around the blonde’s waist. “I’m sorry, Sam” she mumbled.

  “It’s okay, Red. I’m sorry I snapped at you. I shouldn’t have done that.” Sam said. “I was worried, but you and Alice are alright, so let’s go home, okay?” She pulled out her phone and checked to see if she had a signal. “I’ll call the girls,” she said. “I’ll let them know that everybody is okay.”

  *

  It had been a tense thirty minutes. Neither Joan nor Jody or Lucy talked much. They were all lost in thought and knew they all shared the same kind of anxiety. They sat around the kitchen table, nervously sipping coffee, which did nothing to eliminate their concern. When the sound of a ringing telephone shattered the silence, they all jumped, and both Joan and Lucy looked at Jody with a mixture of dread and hope. Jody quickly picked up her phone. “Sam?” her voice was breathless.

  “Hey, Jody,” Sam’s voice was relaxed, and immediately the tension left Jody’s body. “We’re on our way back, with the girls. Apparently, Yarra stopped by this morning to pick them up for some wallaby watching.”

  “Oh, thank goodness.” Jody sank back in her chair. “I… wow, I am so relieved. I guess we’ll see you soon then.”

  “Yup,” Sam answered, and Jody could hear the amusement. “The girls are dragging their feet, but we’ll chase them back up the hill. We’ll see you in a few.”

  Jody chuckled. “Okay, Sam. Be a good girl.”

  Jody’s reaction had been clear enough to let the Joan and Lucy know that Fiona and Alice were alright and when she put down the phone, she could see tears in her mother’s eyes, while Lucy’s face was a mixture of relief and annoyance.

  “What happened?” Lucy asked.

  Jody leaned over toward her mother and grabbed her hand, giving it a loving squeeze. “I don’t know the details, but as far as I understand, Yarra stopp
ed by this morning to pick up the girls so they could watch wallabies or something.”

  “They what?” Lucy rose from her chair and started pacing. “Are they insane? My goodness, I really thought Fiona had more sense than that.”

  “Calm down, Luce,” Jody said, sending her mother an encouraging smile. “Don’t forget the girls don’t know anything about what’s going on. If Fiona had known, she wouldn’t have left the house, I’m sure. She would have told us where they were going.”

  “She could at least have left a note, or something,” Lucy mumbled, recognizing the truth for what it was, but still a little miffed at her youngest sister. “She scared the bejeezus out of me.”

  “Actually,” Jody responded, trying to keep a straight face. “When you think about it, it’s kind of funny.”

  “Funny my a—,” Lucy cast a look at her mother and swallowed hard. “Not funny at all. I hardly slept last night, and I really wanted to wake up and… well, you know, not have any added stress.”

  Jody, who could guess what was on Lucy’s mind laughed when she saw the frustration on her sister’s face. She knew that Lucy and Trishia treasured their time together because Trishia often had to sacrifice her time off. Empathic as she was, Jody had felt the subtle changes in Trishia and Lucy’s relationship, and she knew that Lucy’s plans for that morning had not involved spending time with her family. But since their mother was present, Jody decided not to tease her sister about it. That is why Joan McDonnell’s comment came as a shock.

  “You and Trishia can have a roll in the hay, later, honey,” she said. “I’ll make sure everybody will leave you two alone. I’m just grateful that your sister and Alice are unharmed.”

  Lucy was shocked into silence. It didn’t happen often, but she couldn’t think of a thing to say, and when her gaze traveled to Jody, her sister lost all control. Jody hid her face behind her hands, and her body shook with laughter. It was just too funny. The look on Lucy’s face was priceless. The relief that Fiona and Alice were safe had left her giddy, and her mother’s remark had been what she needed to get a good laugh and get rid of some of the tension that had been building up inside since the previous night.