by Lois Kay
It was over in seconds. Taking a few deep breaths, Trishia tried to calm her racing heart and sent her partner a questioning look. Peter nodded, letting her know he was okay and they both looked down at the man on the veranda, who was softly whimpering
“Don’t hurt me, please,” he pleaded, and Trishia and Peter exchanged a stunned look.
“What the hell?” Trishia exclaimed, easing the pressure on the man’s back and rolling him over.
“Bloody hell.” Peter groaned in frustration.
Staring down they were looking at the frightened face of a young man who could not be older than twenty, at the most.
“Who the hell are you and where did you get that car?” Trishia snapped, feeling the anger and frustration rise.
The stranger trembled and behind his glasses, his eyes nervously darted between Trishia and Peter. His face was pale and small beads of perspiration had formed on his forehead. He opened his mouth a few times but was not able to produce any sound. He was clearly petrified.
In the distance, the sirens of rapidly approaching police cars drowned out the sounds of the forest and Trishia briefly closed her eyes. “Damn, Peter, we have been played,” she whispered hoarsely. She carefully tucked away her gun and extended her hand to help the still shaking man back on his feet. “I’m sorry about that, mate,” she mumbled, showing him her police ID. “We were expecting someone else. Where did you get that car?”
“I…I…down the road, I…there was this bloke who…who asked me if I could do him a favor. He said he…he lived here and he was on his way up, but he had a bad stomach ache and he said he was afraid he had a bleeding ulcer or something. He asked me if I could go and get his wife, while he was waiting down the road. He said he wouldn’t be able to drive up, because of the pain. I…I am really sorry, I thought…I—.”
“Don’t worry, mate,” Peter said, patting the young man on his back. He looked up to see two police cars racing up the driveway, kicking up pebbles and dust. “You thought you were helping somebody, there’s nothing wrong with that.”
“I… I thought it would be okay, ‘cause he said I could take up his car. I didn’t think anything of it. And he did look sick and all that.”
“Were you walking along the road?” Trishia asked, feeling a presence at her back and knowing Sam was standing right behind her.
“No, I was on my bike. I was driving by and saw him bent over, looking sick. I stopped to ask him if he needed help.”
“What kind of bike?”
“An all-terrain bike, a red one.”
Trishia glanced at Peter, who understood the silent question and he sprinted toward one of the police cars. He exchanged a few words with the uniformed occupants and grabbed the police radio. When he was finished talking, he stepped back. The two vehicles turned around and left the driveway in the same way they had arrived; in a cloud of dust.
*
Martin Coles was gloating when he heard the police cars approach. Casually leaning against a tree, his hands stuffed in his pockets he watched the cars turn onto the dirt road where a small sign read: ‘Murrook Farm.’
He grinned. “I knew it. They were expecting me. What a shame, I missed the party.”
He pushed himself away from the tree and quickly walked toward a small house on the side of the road. There was an old truck in the driveway, and Martin knew that if he could get inside, he would have no trouble hot wiring it. As he approached the car, he noticed the windows were rolled down, and he chuckled. This would be easier than taking candy from a baby. He tried the door, and to his utter delight, it was not even locked. The keys were absent, but Martin reached underneath the dashboard and yanked at the wires. He made quick work of hotwiring the engine and whistled when he backed out of the driveway.
“Good job, Marty,” he complimented himself. “You haven’t been able to kill that bitchy piece of trash yet, but that could be dessert. Maybe I should visit a little blond girl first, especially since the evil police lady won’t be by her side.” He chuckled. “Now, if I were a little girl with a big protector like Senior Sergeant Dyke who has friends with the name Stevens, where would I hide?”
Martin made a show of furrowing his brows as if he was deep in thought. He checked his appearance in the mirror and laughed. Humming he steered the truck through the early evening traffic, feeling utterly content and invincible. “I know where you are hiding. I know where you are hiding,” he chanted in a sing-song voice. “Martin is going to get you.”
Abruptly, his whole demeanor changed, and he gripped the steering wheel so tightly, his knuckles were turning white. With narrowed eyes, he stared at the road in front of him.
“This will be the last time you have ruined my plans, you pervert,’ he growled. “I am going to end this now, for once and for all.”
Chapter 17
Alice looked at the smiling faces surrounding her and tried very hard not to be nervous, but she failed miserably. After Fiona had left the room, it had only taken ten minutes for Jane to arrive. She was a petite brunette with a bubbly personality, and when she had studied Alice’s features her hazel eyes had shone with warmth.
Before Alice had the chance to change her mind, she was seated in a chair, with a big towel draped around her shoulders, while Jane’s skillful hands were expertly using a pair of scissors to radically cut off her long hair. When the first long strands had fallen on the sheet that was covering the floor, she had tried not to wince. There had been no way back, and she had closed her eyes, hoping that she would not regret her decision.
When Jane was almost done, Jody, Lucy, and Joan entered the room. Joan smiled, Lucy sported a big grin and perched herself on the edge of the bed, and Jody gave Alice an encouraging nod. “Looks good, Alice.”
Alice grunted, and the look on her face told Jody she wasn’t convinced her new look would be an improvement.
“Are you going to put some color in there too, Jane?” Lucy casually asked.
“No way,” Yarra exclaimed, wishing she would have kept quiet when Lucy and Fiona both cast her an identical amused look. “I mean, it’s a beautiful color already, right?” Yarra tried to explain her protest.
“Sure,” Fiona drawled with sparkling eyes. She would have loved to tease Yarra about her apparent preference for blond, but a look at Alice’s tense features made her change her mind. She made a mental note to grill her friend later.
“I don’t want to dye it,” Alice spoke up. “Cutting it is pretty drastic already.”
“But it looks great, Alice,” Fiona smiled, tilting her head and studying her friend. “You look like Renee O’Conner.”
“Who?” Alice asked with a puzzled expression.
Fiona grinned. “She’s an actress. She plays Gabrielle in Xena: Warrior Princess. It’s a classic.”
“Renee O’Conner.” Yarra snorted. “I hardly think so. Alice’s are eyes are definitely blue, while hers are, I don’t know, greenish blue? Green? Besides, who knows what color her hair is right now? Last time I saw her on TV, her hair was red.”
“Okay, “Fiona laughed, amused by her friend’s fierce defense of Alice. “But her hair looks like Renee’s in the last episode. Only Alice’s is a bit curlier.”
“Are you watching Sam’s Xena DVD’s again?” Lucy asked, casting her youngest sister a teasing look. “My, my, little sister. You are full of surprises. I remember you complaining about how that show crippled Greek mythology. That was you, wasn’t it?”
Fiona shrugged and tried to look indifferent. “It’s a classic,” she mumbled, trying hard not to look too embarrassed. She shot a grinning Yarra an annoyed look. She was not about to confess that ever since Yarra had introduced her to the show and she had watched a whole episode, she had been hooked. That knowledge would make Lucy’s day, and she did not want to contribute to that. Not when it would be at her own expense anyway.
Jane stepped back and walked around Alice, scrutinizing her work. With a pleased smile, she took the towel off Alice’s shoulders
and motioned her to follow her to the bathroom, where a huge mirror adorned the wall.
“Have a look, Alice,” Jane encouraged, understanding Alice’s need to watch her new looks in private and not surrounded by a group of admiring women.
Nervously Alice turned to the mirror where a stranger was looking back at her. Her first reaction was to hastily step back, but she squared her shoulders and took a deep breath. Bringing her face closer to the shiny surface she stared at her own image with unbelieving eyes. She touched her now short locks, slowly turning her head from side to side. Her blue eyes gradually lost their cautious expression, and with relief, Jane saw them look at her in awe.
“That’s amazing,” Alice whispered. “It…it looks real nice. I…I don’t know what to say. Thanks, Jane,” she stammered.
Jane patted Alice’s shoulder and smiled warmly. “It was entirely my pleasure, Alice. You look gorgeous, but you already did. I had nothing to do with that. I just styled your hair and made sure we can see your beautiful face better,” she said with a wink before leaving the bathroom.
“That’s one happy teenager,” Jane announced when she came walking back into the room. “It’s almost a real makeover.”
“Almost?” Lucy mumbled. “I’d say she looks like an entirely different person.”
“I think I know what Jane is trying to say,” Fiona said with a smirk, turning to Jody and sending her a sweet smile. “Why don’t we go all the way, Pea? Get her a new wardrobe?”
Jody’s green eyes widened in surprise, and after a few moments, she shot Fiona an appreciative glance.
“I think I can contribute to that. Sam and I already talked about that anyway. We were going to send you and Lucy to the shopping center,” she answered. “Isn’t it a coincidence that only two weeks ago our new fashion store opened, right here in The Reef?” she grinned walking toward the phone. “I think Sandy wouldn’t mind bringing up some outfits, so Alice can try them on and see if she likes them.”
“Good thinking, Pea,” Fiona applauded with a huge grin. “We truly share the same blood.”
“A clothing store? Here?” Yarra asked with a frown. “I don’t want to be rude or anything, but most of the shops in the hotels I have stayed at were…stuffy and boring. I mean, they’re nice clothes for older people, but not for teens.”
“That’s the beauty of this place, mate,” Fiona laughed. “Sam wants to attract a younger crowd, so they opened up a cool shop downstairs.”
Jody had dialed a number, and her face lit up when the call was answered. “Sandy, it’s me, Jody. How are you? Wow, that’s good, I’m pleased to hear that…Oh, yes, Sam and I are doing great. Listen, I have a request, can you bring up some clothes from the store? They are for a teenage girl. Blond hair, blue eyes…size?” Jody raised her eyebrows and shot a quizzical look at Fiona and Yarra.
“Do you know my sister, Fiona?” she continued with an impish smile. “Something like that…Alright, thanks, Sandy. See you in a bit.” Jody put down the phone and cast a pleased look at the bathroom where Alice emerged. Jane was right, Alice did look gorgeous. But the clothes she was wearing were a little on the large side, and Jody hoped Alice would feel better if she could wear clothes that would fit and would be her own.
Jody looked at Lucy, who was sitting on the other end of the room with a forlorn look on her face. She exchanged a look with her mother, and a wordless conversation took place. Joan nodded, and with a smile, she walked toward the three girls.
Jody took a seat on the couch next to Lucy, and with a soft groan, she stretched her legs.
“Tired?” Lucy asked with sympathy.
“Very,” Jody sighed. “But maybe not as worn-out as you are. You look exhausted, Luce.”
“Thanks,” Lucy replied with a chuckle. She shot Jody an amused look.
“You’re welcome,” Jody grinned, patting Lucy’s knee. “How are you holding up?”
Lucy’s eyes reflected something close to pain and Jody scooted a little closer, grabbing Lucy’s hand and squeezing it gently.
“I’m having trouble dealing with all of this,” Lucy confessed in a husky voice and Jody could tell her normally composed sister was on the verge of tears. “I know we’re safer here, that Alice is safe here and right now that’s all that matters. But I worry about Trish. She was already tired when this whole situation began and…there is so much pressure. I…I know you agonize over Sam not being here, but Jody, I am glad. I know Sam will keep an eye on Trishia.”
“And I’m happy Trish will keep an eye on my stubborn wife,” Jody answered with a sad smile. “Sitting here and waiting drives me nuts.”
“I know what you mean,” Lucy said. “I just…I am here, Trishia is at Murrook Farm, and I don’t know when we’ll see each other again. And that’s after I just told her I never wanted to wake up alone anymore,” she ended in a whisper.
“You did?” Jody inquired with a smile. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy you feel that way, but what brought that on?”
Lucy bit her bottom lip, debating with herself whether to tell Jody about Trishia’s proposal or to remain quiet until things would be back to normal again. But a pair of warm, green eyes won her over.
“Don’t tell anyone else yet, because Trish should be with me when we announce it to the world, but this morning she proposed to me,” Lucy said, casting down her gaze and taking a deep breath when she felt a blush creep up her cheeks.
Jody’s grip on her hand tightened, and when Lucy looked up again, she could see the unguarded happiness in Jody’s eyes. “Oh, Lucy, that is wonderful. You did say ‘yes,’ didn’t you?”
“Of course.” Lucy laughed. “I ‘d be a fool to let her get away. I love her, Jody. I really do.”
“Does that mean I can stop worrying about you?” Jody joked.
“You worried about me?”
“I did,” Jody confessed. “I know that when you and Trish got involved, it was…stormy, to say the least. I couldn’t help holding my breath and see what would happen. But when I saw the two of you grow closer I was so happy, Lucy. I was hoping Trishia and you eventually would make a commitment.”
“Oh, so because you are a married woman, you want the whole world to be happy, huh?” Lucy gently teased.
“Something like that,” Jody admitted. “I love you, Lucy, and want you to be as happy as I am. You’re very special to me, don’t ever forget that. You were my very first friend. You were the one who kept me sane when I fell in love with Sam. Heck, you were the one who pointed out that very fact to me,” Jody remembered with a smile. “You kept Dad off my back as long as you could. Don’t think I’ll ever forget that. You arranged for Sam to pick me up.”
“Which got her in a car wreck.” Lucy’s eyes darkened with sadness. “Every time Sam is in pain, and I see her limp, I’m reminded of that.”
“Are you crazy? That was hardly your fault. It was Matthew who drove her off the road. You only had my best interest at heart, Lucy. If Matthew hadn’t pulled that stupid stunt, Sam and I’d have run off together.”
They were both silent for a moment, lost in their own thoughts and memories.
“You think that…if Sam and you would have run off, do you think you’d still be together now? I mean, you were both so young.”
“We would have managed,” Jody answered, not having to think hard about Lucy’s question. “I know we were young, but we’ve always had a deep connection. When she disappeared, and I thought she’d left me I was in pieces. I was hurting so much, I thought I’d die.” Jody paused to swallow away the constriction in her throat. The memories were still painful. “So, to answer your question: yes, I think we’d still be together,” she said in a hoarse voice.
“I always wanted what you and Sam had.” Lucy smiled. “That unconditional love, that connection. The way Sam looks at you…I thought I wished for too much, but—.”
“You found that in Trishia,” Jody added quietly.
“Yes,” Lucy answered with flushed cheeks. “I kn
ow that people who don’t know Trish may think she’s cool and distant. But she’s not. She has such a warm personality. She’s sweet, kind and loving. Her sense of humor is incredible and so is her patience, especially when it concerns me.” Lucy grinned. “She’s also incredibly romantic,” Lucy added in a low voice, not noticing the amused smile on Jody’s face. “I know we started our relationship very fast and maybe even a little impulsive, but I swear Jody, from the very beginning she’s always made me feel special.”
“Good, I’d hate having to beat her up,” Jody deadpanned, which made Lucy chuckle. Trishia was as tall as Sam and very athletic. The idea of Jody, who was at least a head shorter trying to beat the daylights out of Trishia was too funny.
“You’d need something to stand on then,” Lucy quipped. “Unless you want to just kick her in the shins.”
They both laughed, and Jody was happy to notice that most of the tension had disappeared from Lucy’s face.
“So, Trishia is a closeted romantic,” Jody said with a twinkle in her eyes.
“Oh yeah.” Lucy leaned her head against the back of the couch and stared at the ceiling. “I’ll never forget our first night together.”
“Um…do I want to hear about that?” Jody teased. “Because if your idea is to swap ‘first-time’ stories, I’m not sharing.”
“No, that is not the intention.” Lucy softly chuckled. She turned her head and glanced sideways. “Unless you just want to tell me.”
“I’d like to keep some things private,” Jody replied, nudging Lucy in the ribs.
“I understand. I just want to ask one thing, out of curiosity. Was the first time the way you had expected it to be?”
“The very first time or the first time with Sam?” Jody asked in a soft voice.
Lucy’s head shot up, and she stared at Jody with wide eyes. Jody raised her eyebrows and gazed back into a pair of stunned dark-green eyes. “Yes?”
“You mean, Sam was not your first? You and Sam…you didn’t? Really? Wow, I thought the two of you would have slept together before the accident happened.”
