by Clare Revell
Her thoughts turned to Vicky. Had she gotten out of the blazing house? Or had Amy failed her, too?
“So we meet again.” Polished boots appeared in her field of vision.
She jerked her head up, passed pressed slacks, shirt, tie, and jacket, to the scarred face she knew from before. “It’s you—”
Kevin Saunders nodded. “Yes, it’s me. I wanted justice to be done as it should have been. And that didn’t happen. You cheated the system. But no one can run from me for long.” He ran his fingers down her face, and she pulled away. “You see, Amy, you need to pay for what you did. You were clever to fake your own death, but not clever enough for me.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Kill you.”
She looked at him with every ounce of defiance she could manage. “And Jodie? What about her?”
“She can go once I get the money you promised.” His fingers raked her skin. “So noble.”
“Her life comes before mine, every single time.”
“Like my brother’s before mine. I think we finally understand each other. Very well. You may exchange your life for hers.”
Dane drove from the work car park to the nearest layby. Jumping out he ran around to the boot, hoping the tin was there. He couldn’t have searched for it at work. That would have been too obvious. Besides, he didn’t want Nate or the Guv coming out to find him searching the car. God, can I have a little help, please?
Sure enough in the boot of his car was a tin containing Amy’s money. She’d hidden it well. He’d never have found it if he hadn’t been looking for it. He didn’t want to know what she was doing with that much money. Was that why they’d taken her? She’d lied to him. He’d known something was wrong, and she hadn’t come to him.
Of course he knew why now. She was a convicted criminal. He was a cop. Or should that be Cop with a capital C. Someone she couldn’t trust. There was no way he could have a relationship with her or any woman if trust wasn’t there.
But he still wanted it.
He wanted her.
After all, if he turned it into an analogy, a sinner was simply another word for a criminal, wasn’t it? And they were all sinners in God’s eyes. And no one was worthy, but all could be forgiven, no matter what they had done.
He drove through the dark streets to the park. Once the clocks changed, the nights drew in earlier and earlier. He parked and looked at the tin. If he’d had time, or thought about it beforehand, he’d have picked up a case with a tracker in it and transferred all the money to that. But it was too late. Then he locked the car and walked to the base of the war memorial.
Lord, please let him turn up. Let him free Jodie and Amy. I might have to negotiate for Amy, but I love her. It doesn’t matter what she did, we can work this out. Just give us the chance to do so. Please…
A second car pulled up to the war memorial. A man got out. Dane caught a brief glimpse of Amy in the car. The man opened the door and yanked out Jodie, a gun pressed against her head. Another man pulled out Amy.
Nausea and rage filled him. Terror knotted his gut, and his tie threatened to choke him. That was his little girl in danger. It was all he could do not to charge over there. That would only get Jodie or Amy hurt or killed. He stood slowly.
“Daddy…” Jodie’s cry was cut short, and his anger rose.
One of the men shoved Amy towards him.
She stumbled, almost falling before regaining her balance. She slowly walked over to him. “Have you got the money?”
“Yes.”
She held out a hand.
“Amy, we can work this out.”
“Just give me the money, please, Dane.”
“Why?”
“Because if you don’t, then they’ll kill Jodie, like they killed Rosalie. Because of me. I’m buying her freedom with this.”
“What about you?” His throat constricted. He could still lose them both.
“I’m beyond redemption. She’s a good kid, a brave one. Look after her.”
Dane gave her the tin, the pad of his thumb running over her fingers. “I will. It’s all there.”
Amy held his gaze. “Is Vicky…? Did she get out of the house?”
“Yeah, she’s fine, I got her out. She actually spoke, told me who’d taken you.”
Tears tracked slowly down Amy’s face. “I’m glad.”
“Amy…” He reached out for her, grabbing her arm. “Rosalie isn’t dead.”
“What?” She looked at him, and then shook her head. “Don’t…it’s not fair.”
“I promise, she’s safe. The report was a false one to protect her. Let me help you, now.”
“I can’t.” She turned to go.
“Amy…”
“Please, Dane,” her voice trembled, the emotion in it causing his heart to swell and threaten to break. “Don’t make this any harder for me that it already is.”
“I love you.”
She turned, a haunted look in her tear-filled eyes. “I love you, too. Bye.”
Dane’s hand fell to his side as she moved away and headed back to the car. He didn’t want to let her go, but his daughter’s life was at stake. Once Jodie was safe, he’d come back for Amy. He wasn’t going to leave her to die here.
The man holding Jodie pushed her away so hard she almost fell.
Dane held out a hand to her, and she ran towards him.
“Daddy…!” She flung herself into his arms, holding him tightly. “Did you find Vicky?” she sobbed. “They burned the house.”
“Vicky’s fine, I got her out. She’s with Auntie Adeline. Are you hurt?”
“No…”
The man looked at him. “Get in your car. Drive away. Don’t look back.”
“What about Amy?” Dane asked.
Amy shook her head, the gun now pointed at her head. “Please, just do what he asks.”
A shot rang out and Amy’s scream merged with the scream from the terrified child in his arms.
“That’s a warning, you won’t get another.”
Dane pulled Jodie back towards the safety of the car. He didn’t want her hurt.
“You can’t leave Amy,” Jodie protested. “They’re going to kill her.”
“I’m not going to, but I need you safe.”
A hand dropped on his shoulder and he jumped, turning.
“Nate, what took you so long?”
“Jodie, go with this officer,” Nate said, his tone indicating she had no choice but to obey. “He’ll sit with you in a marked patrol car. You’ll be safe there. We’ll get Amy back.”
“OK, Uncle Nate. Take care, Dad.” Jodie hugged Dane and did as she was told.
Dane looked from Nate to the DI. “I have to get Amy.”
“The place is surrounded,” DI Welsh said firmly. “They’re not going anywhere. Let the armed response unit handle it.”
Dane turned around. Amy was standing in the road by the war memorial, not moving. The car revved its engine over and over, bright lights illuminating her shaking figure. Then it reversed as far as it could go. The main beam came on and Amy raised a hand to shield her eyes. The engine revved again.
Shock hit Dane with full force. “He’s going to run her over,” he gasped.
The car started to move.
Dane launched himself into the road, running full pelt.
Amy just stood there.
“Amy!”
The car got closer.
Amy turned her head, her eyes widening as she saw Dane. “No, he’ll hurt you, too.”
Dane got nearer.
Amy shook her head.
Dane leapt into the air, grabbing Amy and pulling her with him out of the way of the car, just in time. Hot air blasted them as the car passed with millimeters to spare. He landed on top of her, shielding her with his body.
A police cruiser roared past in pursuit, blues and twos blaring. Other well hidden cars appeared almost from nowhere, and surrounded Saunders’ car.
Dane looked down a
t Amy, pushing her hair out of the way. “Are you all right?”
“I think so. I’m sorry, I—”
“Later,” Dane whispered. He leaned down, kissing her.
Running footsteps came over to them.
“Ewww,” Jodie’s voice filled his head, and he broke off.
“Ewww?” he asked, rolling off Amy and helping her to her feet. “Then don’t look.” He turned his back on her.
Amy didn’t laugh as he expected, rather glanced at him in despair. “But you know the truth about me. How can you love me now? I’m a convicted criminal. You’re a policeman.”
Dane cradled her face gently, running the pad of his thumb along her bruised skin. He shivered as he stared into her eyes. How could he ever have doubted her? “Amy Childs, Amy Stabler, whatever your name is, you are still my Amy. And I still love you. Just promise me there are no more skeletons in your closet.”
“And no more Mr. Scruffys in the kitchen. One of those is more than enough, thank you,” Amy muttered.
“That thing is going in the rubbish as soon as I find it,” Dane said firmly. “We can work everything else out, all of it. There is one condition though.”
“What’s that?”
He smiled. “You consider changing your name one last time.”
Amy wound her fingers through his hair, lowering her tone to match his. “What do I change it to?”
Dane leaned in so only she could hear him. “Amy Philips,” he whispered. He touched his lips to hers, kissing her with every ounce of passion his could find.
20
Amy sat on the gurney in the busy ED. “I’m fine.”
“You’ve got a cracked head,” Dane scolded. “And scratch marks on your cheek”
“And I’m fine.”
“Don’t argue, woman. If the doc says stay in overnight, then you stay in overnight.”
“Where’s Jodie?”
“In the next cubicle with Nate.”
“Go be with her.”
“She told me to come be here with you. But if you’d rather Nate hold your hand, then sure.”
DI Welsh stuck her head around the curtain. “Amy, there’s someone to see you. Dane, can we give them a moment?”
Dane nodded. “I’ll be right outside.”
Amy watched him go, holding her breath. Who could it be? Her heart leapt for joy as Ray came in, pushing a wheelchair. “Oh…”
Even though Dane had told her Rosalie wasn’t dead, she hadn’t dared believe. She thought perhaps he was just saying it to make her own death a little easier.
“Hello, Amy.” Rosalie looked at her, straight-faced. “How are you?”
“Fine, though that isn’t what the doctor says. What about you?” She pushed off the gurney, and closed her eyes, struggling to regain her balance.
“Been better.”
Amy hugged her tightly, then when the hug wasn’t reciprocated, let Ray help her back onto the gurney. “What happened?”
“Shouldn’t that be my question?” Rosalie asked, her voice as hard as her eyes. “I mean my ‘best friend,’ or the person I thought was my best friend, let me think she was dead. Faked her own death, put me and my family in danger, because she couldn’t trust me to keep a secret. Decided to run, after all we did for her, because she couldn’t trust us. She took matters into her own hands instead of trusting God to work on the mess she made.”
Amy’s face burned and nausea rose in her throat. “It wasn’t like that.”
“No? Then tell me what it was like, because I don’t understand! They kidnapped me. If those two men hadn’t been there, they’d have taken Sara and killed her, too. They broke my arm, and…” Her voice trembled, and she broke off.
Ray put an arm around her. “Easy, love.”
Rosalie shook her head. “She has to hear this. They tortured me wanting to know where you were. Then when I couldn’t tell them, they showed me photos of you, alive and well, having a whale of a time… in the park and shopping and walking with the kids. Then they took me to the cliff and pushed me off. I thought I was going to die.”
“But you didn’t…” Amy whispered.
“No. The doctors don’t think I’ll walk again. I just hope God has something good to come out of this, because right now I can’t see any..”
“I’m sorry.” But deep down, Amy knew sorry wasn’t ever going to be good enough for what she’d done.
Rosalie looked down at her hands. “So why did you leave?”
“He…he wanted me dead,” Amy said. “I thought if I left, if I pretended to give him what he wanted…” Tears poured down her face. “It broke my heart leaving you and Ray, but I had no choice. I didn’t want him to hurt you or Sara or…but he did and I’m so sorry…”
She turned away, sobbing. She’d ruined everything. She’d lost her best friend, gotten her back, only to lose her because of something she’d done.
The curtain swished, and Dane’s arm and scent enveloped her. His voice spoke over her head. “DS Dane Philips, we spoke on the phone, Pastor.”
Rosalie’s voice trembled. “It’s you. The man who saved Sara.”
Dane spoke. “I’m sorry we couldn’t stop them from taking you.”
“He shot you.”
“It’s healing, but a small price to pay.”
“The other man with you?”
“My partner. He’s just behind that curtain, making sure my daughter doesn’t do a runner.”
“I’m not the one afraid of needles, Dad.” Jodie’s voice was indignant.
Amy looked up slowly to see Ray shake Dane’s hand.
“Thank you for what you did. You saved my daughter, tried to save Rosie.”
“I wish I could have done more.”
“You did more than I could.”
Dane reached into his pocket. “I’ve been asked to give you this. It’s the number of our church pastor.”
Amy tuned the men out and looked at Rosalie. “I don’t expect you to forgive me,” she whispered. “I hurt you, lied to you, you’re right to be angry…to hate me.”
“I don’t hate you,” Rosalie said. “I’m hurt, I’m mad and I really didn’t want to come down here and see you, but Ray insisted.”
Amy glanced at Ray. “I’m sorry.”
“I’m just as hurt,” he said quietly. “It’ll take us a while to come to terms with this, but…”
“But?” she whispered. Was that a sliver of hope?
“We’re prepared to work on it, if you are.”
“I promise,” she whispered, tears falling again.
Dane helped her off the bed and she knelt in front of Rosalie’s wheelchair. This time, when she hugged her, Rosalie hugged her back.
She was going to have to deal with the consequences of doing the wrong thing for the rest of her life, but maybe together they’d get through this.
A week later
Amy scrubbed the walls in the kitchen, trying to get rid of the smoke damage. Beside her, Vicky and Jodie worked with her in matching jeans, shirts, with scarves tied over their hair. She glanced up at Dane as he came in. He’d been talking to the builder for the last hour and a half. “How’s it going? Has Mr. Wallac left yet?”
“Yes, just. You’ll be pleased to know that he can rebuild it. Better than it was before.”
Amy laughed. “Oh, is it going to be better, stronger and faster?”
Dane grinned. “Hopefully soundproof if Jodie is planning more music homework in the study.” He moved over to Amy and wrapped his arms around her. “How’s it going in here?”
“Slowly. Though why I’m bothering to remove smoke grime when there will be brick dust everywhere as well for months, I have no idea. Or are we moving out? We can’t stay with Nate and Adeline too long. They won’t have the room.”
“Elliott says he can work while we live here. He’ll cover the area with blue plastic sheeting which should keep most of the brick dust out.”
Jodie looked up. “Vianne’s going to
have a baby cousin,” she said.
Amy smiled. “I know; that’s going to be really exciting.”
Vicky tilted her head. “Can I have one?”
“A baby cousin?” Dane asked. “Not really, sweetie, because I don’t have any brothers or sisters. And that’s where cousins come from.”
Her face fell. “Oh.”
Dane hugged Vicky as he gazed at Amy. “You never did answer my question.”
She looked puzzled. “What question? You asked me so many over the past few days that I can’t remember one in particular.”
He rolled his eyes. “About changing your name.”
“Oh, that one.” She grinned. “As I recall, you didn’t give me a chance to answer it, before first kissing me and then threatening to arrest me for breaking my sentencing conditions.”
Jodie’s face fell. “Forget I ever called you a girly swot. Really Amy, are you in trouble again?”
Amy shook her head. “No, sweetie. Your dad asked if I’d change my name to Amy Philips.”
Jodie and Vicky looked at each other. “He wants to marry you?”
“I do,” Dane said. He put an arm around each of the girls. “If you two agree.”
They both nodded and turned expectant faces to Amy. “Please, Amy.”
Amy grinned. “I’d love to change my name.”
The girls cheered as Dane’s arms went around her, and his lips found hers. Somewhere in the distance, as she lost herself in the emotions Dane stirred in her, she heard Jodie and Vicky talking.
“This means we go one better than Vianne. We might get a brother.”
“Sister,” Vicky whispered.
“It might be twins,” Jodie said. “One of each.”
Dane laughed. “Give us a chance, kids. I haven’t even booked the church yet.” He ran his fingers down Amy’s face. “It’s funny how things turn out, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, it’s just like I told Jodie. We mess things up and God straightens them out. Not how we’d imagine, but a whole load better.”
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