by Lois Kay
“Damn,” Peter cursed. “He should have known she wouldn’t miss.” He took another sip of coffee. “We’ll need statements and stuff later, Sam,” Peter said, rubbing his tired eyes. “But I don’t want anyone to even think about that now, not while—.”
Peter was interrupted by the sound of footsteps. His head jerked up, and all eyes were glued to the entrance of the waiting room where a woman clad in green scrubs filled the doorway. Her gaze swept across the waiting room and a tired smile appeared when they came to rest on Lucy. “You must be Lucy McDonnell,” she said. She walked up to Lucy and crouched down in front of her. “It’s nice to meet you. My name is Elisabeth Cook, Trishia’s surgeon. Trishia told me I needed to be on the lookout for a beautiful, dark-haired, green-eyed woman,” she said with a warm smile.
“She did?” Lucy whispered with trembling lips. She grabbed Joan’s hand in a painful grip. “You mean—?” Lucy was afraid to finish her sentence.
“Your Trishia is going to recover completely,” the surgeon promised, taking a seat on the coffee table and touching Lucy’s knee in a comforting gesture.
“What—?”
“The bullet entered her shoulder and hit the bone. Instead of getting stuck there, its direction was altered, and it punctured the top of her left lung, exiting her body through the back. Except for the lung, which we could repair, no vital organs were damaged, and before you know it, she’ll be as good as new. The more TLC, the faster she’ll recover,” Elisabeth Cook smiled, glad to be able to bring some good news.
Across the room, Jody, Sam, and Peter sported relieved smiles. The uniformed police officers were hugging and slapping each other on the back.
“May I see her? Please?” Tears of relief were rolling down Lucy’s cheeks.
“Since I promised her I would bring you back, I don’t have a choice,” the surgeon laughed. “Don’t let all the tubes scare you, alright? It looks a lot worse than it is.”
Elisabeth Cook stood up from the table and led Lucy out of the room, toward the ICU. As soon as the two women had disappeared out of sight, there was a collective sigh of relief.
“Holy smokes. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry,” Jody said. She closed her eyes to enjoy the relief that was flooding through her body, relaxing muscles that had been tight with tension for hours. When she opened her eyes again, her gaze traveled to Alice, who had her face buried in her hands and whose body was shaking.
“Oh, kiddo,” Jody sighed in sympathy. She kissed the knuckles of Sam’s hand when she removed the arm that had been wrapped around her and quickly stood. A few strides brought her close to Alice, and she sank on her knees in front of the small couch. Yarra looked at her with soulful, teary eyes and Jody sent her an encouraging smile.
Jody rubbed Alice’s back, trying to provide comfort while Alice cried away the pain and sorrow. When the sobbing finally eased Alice looked up at Jody with puffy, red-rimmed eyes.
“Do you feel a little better now?” Jody asked, brushing Alice’s hair away from her forehead.
Alice nodded. “Thanks.” Her voice was hoarse. “I was so scared. If I hadn’t run toward Martin, I…maybe she wouldn’t have been shot.”
“That’s not true, Alice,” Jody gently but determinedly rebuked.“Sam had already stopped you. Trishia challenged Martin, and my guess is she would have done that anyway.”
“He is dead now,” Alice said in a voice that was void of emotion. “He’s really dead.”
Jody and Yarra exchanged a look, and Jody knew it was important for them all to help Alice deal with everything that had happened. “Yes, he is dead,” she acknowledged. “How does that make you feel?”
“I—.” Alice bit her lip, and her eyes were pensive. “I thought I’d be happy, but…I’m not. I mean…he scared me, and I know he hurt a lot of people. He killed my mom and Dean…but when I saw him there on the ground…I…I was just sad that he killed so many people…it made me feel…empty.” Alice paused for a moment to take in a deep breath before she continued. “I’m glad it’s all over now. He won’t…hurt anyone anymore and maybe I can…maybe now I can try and…and…try to get a normal…life… again,” she ended in a whisper.
“And we’ll be right there,” Jody promised. She leaned forward to kiss Alice’s forehead. “We’ll wait for Lucy to come back and then we’ll all go home. How does that sound?”
“Wonderful.” Alice smiled. “Kurt must be lonely.”
Jody let out a soft laugh, and with a groan, she pushed herself to her feet again. Leave it to a gentle soul like Alice to worry about the dog after their days of horror and close encounter with death. She knew Alice still had a long, difficult road ahead of her to deal with the traumas that Martin Coles had inflicted on her. But Jody had already learned that Alice was remarkably strong and resilient. She was confident Alice would recover from her suffering and learn to live with the scars.
Walking back to Sam, Jody passed Fiona and stopped to give her youngest sister a kiss on her cheek. A pair of surprised green eyes looked up at her and shone with all the love and admiration Fiona felt for her sister.
“Try not to look too timid, Fiona,” Jody teased gently. “You have a reputation to uphold.”
“Not today, Pea,” was the unexpected answer. “I’ll be my bratty self again tomorrow. Right now, I just want to enjoy the fact that we’re all alive and together.” Fiona’s eyes caught Jody’s again, and they looked at each other with a feeling of profound understanding. “Thanks for using your brain and getting us out of there,” she said.
Jody smiled and took her seat next to Sam, who immediately wrapped her arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. “Let’s go home soon,” Sam mumbled, leaning in to kiss a pair of soft lips.
“Yeah, let’s,” Jody smiled a few moments later.
Chapter 23
It had been a little over a week since Trishia had put an end to Martin Coles’ reign of terror. The Senior Sergeant had been discharged from the hospital and was cared for at home by Lucy who had taken time off to make sure her partner was compliant with her rehabilitation plan. There wasn’t a lot of trouble Trishia could get into, not with her arm in an immobilizer and a hovering girlfriend but she was okay with that. For once she didn’t object taking it easy, and once she started feeling better, she thoroughly enjoyed the fact that she could take a nap whenever she wanted to. The icing on the cake was that Lucy often joined her.
Peter checked in with her almost every day. At first, Lucy had objected to the ‘shop talk’ the two engaged in, but she quickly found out it was better for Trishia’s state of mind to know what was happening in the ongoing investigation of Martin Coles.
“They did have another look at the fire that killed Alice’s mom and brother.” Peter took a sip of his beer. “The cause is still inconclusive, though. We all know Coles started it, but the son of a bitch must have known how to do it without leaving any evidence.”
“Alice’s statement puts him at the scene,” Trishia responded. “Maybe that’s all the hard evidence we’ll ever find. We know he’s the one responsible for Allison and Dean Wilson’s deaths.”
Peter nodded and picked at the label on the bottle he was holding. Condensation had made it damp and ran his finger back and forth over the curled edges. “Phil’s gone through quite a few files on Coles’ computer,” he said quietly.
Trishia glanced at her friend, noticing he was clenching his jaw. “Yeah?”
“He found footage and stills of Alice when she was in Wentworth Park. The bastard had hacked into the city’s surveillance system and was using facial recognition software. From what Superintendent Phillips can piece together he went to the park and showed some of the people who live there Alice’s picture. He pretended to be her concerned uncle looking for his runaway niece.” Peter let out a humorless laugh and shook his head. “Son of a bitch had a lot of nerve. Anyway, the lady Alice told us about, the one who let her sleep behind her tent didn’t trust him and sent him on a wild goose chase. She
told Phillips Alice had said she was going north, and she wanted to give her a head start.” Peter took another sip of his beer. “I think she might have saved Alice’s life.”
“Does she know?” Trishia asked. “Alice, I mean.”
Peter shook his head. “I haven’t told her. I asked Jody what to do, and she said to wait until Alice is a little stronger, unless she specifically asks for the information.” He leaned back in his chair. “That girl’s incredible, Trish.”
“Who? Jody?” Trishia asked with a grin.
Peter laughed. “Well, yes, Jody is amazing in her own right, but I was referring to Alice. If my kids grow up with only a fraction of her courage, I’d be a happy camper.” He glanced at Trishia and shot her a grin. “I’m glad you were willing to take a chance with her when we first found her.”
“We all knew from the beginning there was something special about her.” Trishia sent Peter a warm smile. “I’m just glad we were right.”
*
Jody handed Alice a tall glass of lemonade and sat down on the loveseat next to her. It was late afternoon, and the gentle ocean breeze, combined with the movement of the rotating ceiling fan on the veranda provided a welcome coolness after another hot day.
“Thanks,” Alice mumbled, taking a sip of the cold liquid. Her eyes were unfocused as she was staring into the distance.
“How was your session with Lisa?” Jody asked, knowing Alice was processing.
A pair of tired blue eyes looked up at her and Jody smiled. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” she said. “But if you do, I’m right here.”
Alice nodded and managed a small smile. “I know.” Her voice was hoarse, and she cleared her throat. “It’s hard to talk about…Mom and Dean.” She angrily wiped away a stray tear. “Lisa says that because of all the suppressed memories I was never able to properly grieve.” Alice let out a shaky breath. “They’ve been gone for almost two years, and only now I start to mourn them.”
Jody immediately picked up on the guilt-ridden tone of Alice’s voice. “How does that make you feel?”
“Now you sound just like Lisa.” There was a hint of amusement in Alice’s voice. “Which is not a bad thing,” she said before Jody could respond. “I know there’s an explanation, but that doesn’t make me feel less guilty,” she confessed softly. “I miss them so much. And I feel bad I haven’t even thought about them for almost two years.”
“Do you think your mom wouldn’t understand?” Jody asked gently.
Alice exhaled and ran her fingers through her hair. “I know she would. But that doesn’t make me feel less guilty.”
“It will take time, sweetheart. And I know how hard this is, I can tell by just looking at you. But you don’t have to face this alone.”
Alice nodded and put her glass on the table. She shot Jody a shy glance. “Is it okay for me…? Can I…?”
Jody put her glass next to Alice’s and opened her arms in invitation. Alice didn’t need more encouragement and let herself be pulled into a hug.
“How do you always know what to say and do?”
Jody let out a soft laugh. “I don’t know, Alice, but I’m glad you think I do.”
They sat like that in comfortable silence until Alice pulled out of the embrace. She folded her legs underneath her and leaned her head against Jody’s shoulder. “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to properly thank you and Sam for everything you’re doing for me.”
“You don’t have to, Alice. All we want is to see you get better, get your life back, and, hopefully, be happy again someday.”
Alice nodded. “I want that, too. And I know how much you and Sam are sacrificing for me.”
“It’s not a sacrifice.”
“But you’ve only been married for a short period of time.”
“Which doesn’t change how we feel about having you here,” Jody said calmly. “We want you here, Alice. We care about you.” She dropped a kiss on the head that was still tucked against her shoulder. “And whenever Sam and I are in desperate need to have the entire, big house to ourselves, we’ll just put you, Fiona, and Yarra in the apartment,” she chuckled.
Alice smiled. “Don’t let Fiona hear you say something like that.”
Jody laughed. “Don’t worry, I won’t. I’d be opening myself up to a world of teasing.”
“She’s good at that,” Alice mumbled. “I know she’d never say something hurtful, though. I think she just can’t help herself.” She let out a chuckle. “She’s been teasing Yarra about liking me.”
“I noticed,” Jody said, not surprised Alice had picked up on that. “Are you okay with that?”
Alice shrugged. “I don’t mind. I know Yarra likes me.” She paused for a moment, and Jody patiently waited for her to continue. “I like Yarra too. I’m glad she’s my friend and, maybe one day I’ll like her more than just a friend.” Another pause. “I know I could easily feel that way about her, but I…there’s so much I have to deal with right now. I want to get better and I…I would really like to catch up on school as fast as I can. And on top of all that I have all this…hurt inside. I don’t think it would be good for me to have a girlfriend right now. I think I need a friend first.”
Jody slowly exhaled. “Sometimes you blow me away with your wisdom, Alice. And there’s absolutely no rush. I’ve known Yarra for quite a while, and I know she’d be a great friend. As would Fiona.”
“Fiona’s the best. Did you know she made a list of all my friends in Perth, created a new Facebook account for me and then send out a bunch of friend requests?”
“Is that what she was doing the other day? I was wondering about that.”
“I already heard back from almost the entire soccer team,” Alice said with a big smile. “They all wondered what had happened because suddenly I’d not only moved to Derby without saying goodbye, but I’d also disappeared from Facebook. I told them a little about what was going on.”
“As you know there will be an article in the paper about it sometime this week,” Jody said, having talked on the phone to a reporter from the West Australian the previous day. “Do your friends know about that?”
“Yes, I told them. It may be easier for me that way. If they have any questions after reading it, they can ask me. I think it will be better to answer questions than to tell the whole story.”
Jody nodded. “I think that’s a good idea.”
At that moment, Jody’s phone chimed, and she glanced at the screen, smiling when she noticed who had just sent her a message.
Alice laughed and sat up straight so Jody could grab the phone. “I only have to look at your face to know who is sending you that message,” she said. “It’s Sam. Right?”
Jody chuckled. “Right. I know I’m an open book when it comes to Sam.” Her eyes scanned the message, and when she put the phone back down, she smiled. “She’s on her way home.” She sent Alice a smile. “What would you like for dinner?”
“I don’t care,” Alice answered. “As long as you’ll let me help.” There was a brief flicker of pain in her eyes. “I used to help Mom all the time. I like cooking.”
“Great.” Jody stood up and extended her hand in invitation. Alice grabbed on to it and was immediately pulled to her feet. “Let’s put your culinary skills to good use.”
Alice squeezed her hand, preventing Jody from breaking the contact. “When I first met you, I…you reminded me of someone, but I couldn’t remember who.” Alice paused for a moment, aware of the gentle, knowing look that was sent her way. “Mom,” she whispered. “You remind me of my mom. I didn’t realize that at first, although I did feel it.” Alice breathed in deeply. “And it’s not a bad thing,” she continued. “It’s…nice, actually. Even though I lost my mom, I feel like I didn’t lose all of her.”
Jody swallowed hard and cleared her throat. “I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to hear you say that, Alice. Thank you.”
Alice nodded and slowly let go of Jody’s hand. “So…um…what is fo
r dinner.”
Jody smiled, grabbed her glass of lemonade and headed toward the door to the kitchen. “I’ll let you in on a secret. Before I decide what to cook, I always consider dessert first. Sam’s got an incredible sweet tooth, so when I know she’ll have something bad for dessert, I make sure to go light on the carbs and heavy on the vegetables.”
Jody smiled when Alice threw her head back and laughed out loud. “That’s sneaky,” she said. “I like it. Does she know?”
Jody opened the door to the kitchen and stepped inside. “I’m not sure, but I don’t believe she’s caught on yet, although, knowing my wife that’s only a matter of time.” She glanced at Alice and winked. “Our secret, okay?”
Alice laughed and followed Jody into the kitchen. “You bet.”
Epilogue
The sun had started its descent, painting the world in yellows and oranges, while a gentle ocean breeze rustled the leaves on the trees and brought a welcome, refreshing draft.
Both sides of the driveway were decorated with torches that had been securely stuck into the ground. Soft puffs of air gently encouraged the flames to dance. The veranda was decorated with a variety of lanterns in all different shapes and sizes and in front of the house tables were set up in the grass, all decorated with flowers and candles, which only enhanced the already festive atmosphere.
With sparkling eyes, Jody leaned back against Sam, who was standing behind her and had her arms securely wrapped around her. Jody playfully wiggled against Sam’s tall frame, knowing full well the effect that would have on her.
