by Lois Kay
“No,” Jody said with something that sounded like regret. “We didn’t. We never got passed kissing, good kissing I might add, and some heavy make-out sessions. We both thought that we’d have all the time in the world. And then the accident happened, and Sam disappeared for eight years.” Jody rubbed her tired eyes and remembered the deep pain and sadness she had experienced after Sam had left. The memories were still a little unsettling. Especially now, with Sam staying at the farm and Jody safely tucked away at The Reef. What if she’d lose her all over again? Jody shook her head, clearing her mind of negative thoughts. Sam would be fine, and they’d be together again soon. She had to believe that and not let her insecurities get the best of her.
“So, since you seem eager to know, I’ll answer both questions,” Jody continued with a touch of humor. “My very first time was not completely what I had imagined it to be, but Megan was gentle and loving, and I did enjoy the experience. My first time with Sam, however, was what I had expected from the very first time, and more. It was…intense, powerful, and it was quite overwhelming. It definitely rocked my world,” she added with a smile.
Lucy pushed back her dark hair and leaned back against the couch again, her hands clasped behind her head. “That sounds satisfying,” she said dreamily.
“Oh, it was,” Jody said with a laugh. “But.. um…sister mine…quid pro quo.”
“Like you, my dear, I won’t go into details,” Lucy smiled mischievously. “But I can tell you my first time was something I’ll never ever forget. It was incredible.”
“Was that the first time with Trish, or the very first time, or both?” Jody asked casually, thinking she already knew the answer to that question.
“My first time with Trish was my very first time,” Lucy softly replied.
Jody smiled. “Good for you, Luce.”
“Yeah, considering Dad always accused me of being the town whore.” Lucy couldn’t hide the bitterness in her voice.
“You know I never believed that,” Jody said. “You weren’t like that. I know you had a lot of friends and there were always at least a couple of guys trying to get your attention. And you may have joked a lot about that and pretended you didn’t care, much like Fiona does, but I knew you’d never sleep with anyone just for the heck of it.”
“Trishia and I kissed the day she brought Sam and Megan back.” Lucy smiled, remembering the moment so clearly, she could almost taste the salt in the air and feel the ocean breeze brush against her skin. “We started dating that day, but we didn’t sleep with each other for weeks. I needed to be sure that’s what I wanted. And it was,” she added with an impish smile.
“So, I guess I can safely conclude that you and I have both found our partners for life?” Jody remarked.
“Absolutely,” Lucy answered. “Trishia really is the one for me.”
“And when will be the big day?”
“We haven’t even discussed that yet,” Lucy admitted with a chuckle. “This morning, after she asked me, we came into the house and—.”
“That shameless make-out session on the veranda had something to do with Trishia’s proposal?” Jody interrupted gleefully.
“Oh, yeah.” Lucy grinned. “It sure did. But then we came back inside, and a lot of other things happened, and we haven’t even set a date yet. But I don’t care. After all this is over, we’ll go on a vacation. And it will be just Trishia, me and a lot of privacy.”
“That sounds excellent, Lucy,” Jody said, looking at the door when she heard a polite knock. She sighed and pushed herself up from her comfortable seat. “I guess that’s Sandy. Let’s get this fashion show started, shall we?”
*
“What will happen now, Trish? What’s the meaning of all this?” Sam asked, pacing the kitchen, nervously drumming her fingers against her thigh.
Trishia leaned her back against the kitchen counter. Her hands were tucked into her pockets, and there was a brooding expression in her eyes. She didn’t look happy. In fact, Sam thought that if anyone would rub her the wrong way, she would probably explode.
“I’m not sure, Sam,” Trishia finally answered. “I can only guess. But it looks like Martin came up with a plan to see how well protected this place is. He sent up that kid in a stolen car and waited to see what would happen. When I called for back-up, the kid was only halfway up the hill, and if he did hang around to see the outcome, he’d have seen the police cars arrive. He’s smart, Sam, he figured out we must have a security system up here. Otherwise, the police cars couldn’t have been here so fast.” Trishia raked her fingers through her unruly hair and let out a deep sigh. “I‘m sorry, Sam. I screwed up.”
“Don’t be silly, Trish,” Sam answered. “You couldn’t have known he’d do something like this. Bloody hell, woman, if you could anticipate moves like that, I want you to come work for me,” Sam said with a crooked smile.
Her comment had the desired effect because Trishia looked up and Sam noticed a fleeting smile cross her face.
“Thing is, what do we do now?” Sam asked. “Better yet; what will he do?”
“Let me think for a moment, Sam,” Trishia sighed. “I’m so tired, my brain is working in slow-motion.”
“Do you want me to make us some coffee?” Sam asked. “I could even whip up something to eat. It’s almost six thirty. It will be getting dark soon as well.”
“Coffee would be excellent, Sam,” Peter grunted. He was trying to lift the screen door out of its last hinge. The metal frame was completely bent out of shape, and both Peter and Sam had decided the door was a lost cause and needed to be replaced.
“Alright, I’ll make us some coffee and sandwiches.”
“Yeah, fine,” Trishia answered absentmindedly. She stared at a point on the kitchen floor and tried to organize her thoughts. It wasn’t an easy task. Lack of sleep and the massive amount of stress she was under made it hard for her to think clearly. Especially since her thoughts were regularly interrupted by the image of a pair of dark-green eyes. A nagging thought in the back of her mind encouraged her to think hard and deep. Her gut feeling told her she was overlooking something. There was a piece of information in the back of her mind that was screaming for attention. But the tired haze made it hard to focus and knowing she was missing something was incredibly frustrating.
“Sometimes it helps to think out loud,” Sam encouraged.
When Trishia looked up, she noticed Sam was leaning next to her against the counter. There was a pensive expression in her clear blue eyes. Trishia shot her a weary smile and took a deep breath.
“Alright, Sam. Here goes. The Inspector said that it looked like Martin Coles was interrupted packing his stuff when our team arrived at his house. Apparently, he wanted to run off. He fled the house through the backyard when it wasn’t surrounded yet and walked toward the business area close to his place. He disappeared into the crowd and eventually managed to con an elderly couple out of their car. About an hour later, the couple notified the police. That was around one-thirty. Martin could have put that time to good use by getting the heck out of town, but he didn’t. He stayed. So, he either is too stupid for words, incredibly arrogant and sure of himself, or very smart and dangerous. Or all of the above.” Trishia paused for a moment and noticed the worried looks on Sam’s and Peter’s faces. “Around four-thirty the stolen car shows up here. That means Martin must have been driving around for about three hours. The kid who drove up here told us the man who gave him the car, was dressed in a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt. He was wearing glasses, had a mustache and blond hair. So, Martin either visited a beauty salon and dyed his hair, or he had another place we don’t know about and changed his appearance there.”
“He could have gotten a motel room,” Peter suggested. “Those cheap, sleazy ones never ask for an ID anyway. As long as you pay cash, they don’t care whether you are Mother Theresa or Jack the Ripper.”
“We’re in the middle of a tourist destination. It would be impossible to find him,” Sam said,
putting in words what Peter and Trishia were thinking.
“Anyway, Martin sends the kid up here, a few minutes later two police cars come racing up the hill, and he knows for sure we have a security system up here.” Trishia continued. “So, what would be his next move?”
“We have to take a step back first,” Sam spoke up, chewing her bottom lip. “Nobody, except for Inspector Wong, knows where Alice is. Why would Martin come over here? How did he know?”
“He knows about my connection with you,” Trishia answered. “It’s more than likely he knows that Jody and Lucy are sisters. There has been enough gossip about it at the station. I bet he staked out my place and Lucy’s. He only had to drive past my place, or Lucy’s to see my car wasn’t there.”
Despite the heat outside, Sam’s hands were cold, and she briskly rubbed them together. Talking about Martin Coles was extremely disturbing. Deep down inside she didn’t want to talk about the man at all, but keeping her friends and family safe was her primary concern, and if that meant trying to crawl inside his head, she was willing to do so. “If he knows about me, he also knows about The Reef,” Sam stated matter-of-factly, but inside her heart was pounding. She looked at the clock and noticed she was expected to call Jody within the next fifteen minutes. Nervousness settled in the pit of her stomach, and when she looked at Trishia, her eyes were almost pleading. She didn’t want to voice what she was thinking, but the look in Trishia’s eyes made it clear they were on the same wavelength.
“He could be on his way to The Reef,” Sam managed to say. The tension was constricting her throat, making swallowing painful.
Trishia didn’t cast down her gaze but met Sam’s calmly. Without looking away, she took her cell phone and dialed a number by memory. “Inspector? Can you send two cars up to Murrook Farm? We’ll be leaving, but we need a team here just in case Martin decides to show up again. We’ll be going to The Reef.”
*
It wasn’t unusual to see an elderly person slowly stroll through the parking garage of The Reef. It was a regular occurrence since the resort was top-rated among retirees from all over the world. The elderly man who stiffly walked through The Reef’s main entrance didn’t look out of place. He was leaning heavily on his cane, and when he passed the security guard, he greeted him politely by tapping his orange and green ball cap.
The guard smiled at the man and opened the door, so he could easily pass through.
“Thank you, son,” a raspy voice sounded, while the man shuffled past the guard. “It’s mighty fine to see that there still are responsible young people around.”
“No worries, sir,” the guard smiled. “Have a lovely evening.”
“Same to you, son,” was the answer.
The guard closed the door behind the old man and walked back to his position near the main entrance, while the old man slowly continued his way to the elevators. Nobody spared him a second glance.
*
Jody couldn’t hide her smile every time she looked at Alice. The teenager was clad in a pair of dark-blue shorts and a light-blue top that brought out the bright sapphire hue of her eyes. Alice kept looking down, touching the fabric of her clothes with a soft smile. It was clear she was trying to get used to the idea that she was wearing a brand-new outfit and that it was hers to keep, together with a few more outfits that were neatly hung in the closet. The new hairstyle and outfit, combined with the shy smile truly made her a sight to see, and Jody couldn’t blame Yarra for not being able to keep her eyes off her friend.
Jody smiled knowingly and exchanged glances with Lucy who sent her an amused smirk. They were both completely endeared by the way Yarra and Alice interacted with each other because Yarra wasn’t the only one who kept stealing glances. The bashful looks Alice shot Yarra through long, thick lashes had not escaped the McDonnell sisters’ attention.
Even though it provided a cute picture, Jody couldn’t help worrying about what could eventually develop between the two girls. She knew Yarra was reliable, honest and down to earth but the things Alice had been through already, and the issues she still faced, would make her extremely vulnerable. Jody knew Yarra would tread lightly and be sensible, but from her own experience, Jody knew that falling in love could make even the most down to earth person blind for pitfalls and obstacles.
Jody’s cell phone interrupted her musings, and her heart skipped a beat. She smiled. “Sam.”
“Hi, Jody,” Sam answered, and Jody could hear the smile in her voice. “Are you okay?”
“Not really,” Jody said honestly. “But talking to you makes me feel a lot better already.”
“Good, I’m glad,” Sam answered. “Listen, sweetie, are you alone?”
Jody glanced around the room where her mother and Lucy were chatting on the couch, and the three teenagers were stretched out on the floor, playing a game of Trivial Pursuit. She frowned and shook her head. “Not really. Why?”
“Could you, please, go someplace private?”
Normally, Jody would have teased Sam about a request like that, but the serious tone of her voice was an indication that Sam had a good reason to ask her for privacy. “I’ll go outside, on the balcony,” Jody said, rising to her feet and walking to the huge sliding doors that had been opened to let in the cool, evening breeze.
“No!” Sam almost shouted, making Jody jump. “Not the balcony, honey. Stay inside, okay?”
“What’s going on, Sam?” Jody asked, feeling her anxiety rapidly rising.
“I’ll…just go someplace private. We need to talk,” Sam answered, and Jody could hear how tired and worried she was.
“Okay, Sam, I’m the bedroom now. What’s going on?”
Sam took a deep breath and quickly relayed the events from that afternoon. She could hear Jody gasp and wished she would have had better news to share. “We think he might be heading to The Reef,” Sam added to the bad news. “For all we know he could be there already. We are on our way now, Jody and we will be there in about fifteen minutes. We don’t want to scare the girls, so, maybe it’s better not to tell them anything yet. We can explain once we have arrived. Trishia urged me to tell you to stay inside and don’t go out. Not even on the balcony. We’re dealing with a psychopath, and there’s no knowing what he could do.”
“Do you think he could be outside, on the beach, watching?”
“I don’t know, Jody,” Sam said, and she sounded frustrated. “But Trish won’t take any chances, and I have to agree with her.”
Jody swallowed hard and cast a look at the huge window where she could see the darkening sky. In the distance, a few twinkling stars already made an appearance. She knew that the darkness would cover anyone’s presence on the beach, making it easy to get a good view of the well-lit rooms.
“Alright, Sam,” Jody breathed. “Just hurry, okay?”
“We’re on our way now, sweetie,” Sam tried to reassure her wife. “We won’t be long.”
“Should I tell the girls anything?”
“No, we’ll tell them when we arrive. I don’t want to frighten them. The security team is aware, as is the police. You’re still safe where you are.”
“Okay, I won’t say anything. But I guess I’d better go back, and keep them away from the windows.”
“Will you be alright?”
“No, but I don’t have a choice,” Jody answered. “Be careful. I’ll see you soon. I love you.”
“I love you too, Jody.”
Jody broke the connection and rose from the edge of the bed she had been perched on. Her heart was hammering in her chest, and the palms of her hands were sweaty. She knew they would be safe where they were, especially with the guard stationed outside the entrance but she still worried. Martin Coles had escaped the police again, and Jody knew the man was as smart as he was deranged. With legs that almost felt numb, she walked back toward the living room.
Chapter 18
Softly humming out of tune, one of The Reef’s guests exited the elevator on the third floor. Nodding a gre
eting to an elderly couple, he headed toward the back of the hallway where he knew he’d find an emergency exit and a map of the floor he was on. The same map was visible on the wall next to the elevator doors, but he wanted to be able to study it in privacy. With a glint in his eyes, he took in the details of the floor plan. He softly chuckled when he realized things were so much easier than he had imagined them to be.
He had worked his way down from the fourth floor, where the maps had shown the hallways and equally sized rooms. But he was not looking for those. He was more interested in the area that was off limits to the regular guests. The only reason he was interested in the floor plans was that he needed an escape route. The Reef followed all safety regulations, and every hallway had its own elevator and three emergency exits.
The only puzzle he still had to solve was how to get to the executive level since the private elevator could only be operated with a special key card. He didn’t have one, but he did have an idea where he could find his ticket to the carefully protected floor. He would have to be patient and wait for the right time. But it would be worth it, that much he knew.
With a sly smile, he turned around and casually strolled back toward the elevator. He softly whistled, happy to know that soon his quest would come to an end.
*
With slightly trembling fingers Sam slid the key card through the slot, very aware of an equally tense Trishia who was standing right behind her, impatiently shifting her weight from one foot to the other.
With a hissing sound, the door slid open, and both women quickly stepped inside the elevator, followed by Peter, who was sporting a worried frown. The ride up to the third floor passed in complete silence. Only the sound of the tick, steel cables pulling up the car through the shaft was audible. The elevator stopped with a soft thump and even before the door had completely slid open again, Sam and Trishia had already stepped out.
The guard in front of the door had jumped up, his hand on his belt where he was carrying a can of pepper spray. When he recognized Sam his face relaxed, and he sent her a welcoming smile.
