by Shirley Wine
‘So how did you like that?’
‘I didn’t, but with Ian breathing down my neck and a strict curfew, I didn’t have much choice.’
‘How old were you?’
‘Seventeen going on forty.’ He turned to face her and leaned back against the cabinets, his lips twisted in a grimace. ‘A few of my mates didn’t want to let me go and they hung around when Ian and Jenn weren’t there.’ He broke off, shaking his head and staring at something only he could see.
Brooke looked at him, her eyebrows raised. ‘Mates?’
‘The other guys in the gang I was hooked up with.’ He punched a fist into his palm.
‘What did they do?’
‘I was a fool. I bragged to them about how good my life was with Ian, and like the stupid little dickhead I was, it didn’t occur to me that they were pumping me for information.’
‘Oh, Luke,’ she said breathily, just knowing that this story could not end happily. ‘What happened?’
‘My mates laid in wait and tried to rob Ian.’
‘Tried?’
‘Yeah.’ His lips twisted in a sardonic smile. ‘Ian was always one step ahead of me. He didn’t trust me an inch. He arranged for a mate who owed him a favour to keep me under surveillance. When the two toughies in the gang tried to hold Ian up, the cops were waiting and nabbed them.’
‘When I discovered what had gone down and learned that one of the guys had a sawn-off shotgun, I realised that through me Ian could well have died—’ He broke off, shaking his head.
‘It didn’t happen.’
‘Not then, and no thanks to me, but it was the salutary wake-up call I needed,’ Luke growled, scowling at her.
‘So what happened to the gang, did they disband?’
‘No, other members of the gang struck again a few days later. Two men were shot and killed when they held up and robbed a liquor store.’ He rubbed a hand across his eyes. ‘As soon as I saw the surveillance video clip of the robbery the police played on the news, I knew immediately who the guys were.’
‘You—’
‘Narked on them? Yeah, I told Ian.’
Brook caught his arm. ‘It was the right thing to do.’
‘Maybe.’
‘It still worries you?’
‘Not that much. Those punks killed two men who were just trying to make an honest crust.’
‘So what happened next?’
‘Ian escorted me to the police station and stayed with me while I dobbed my mates in.’ Luke avoided her gaze and studied his feet. ‘That detective was clever and by the end of his questions, he’d extracted enough information from me to ensure the whole gang was rounded up and off the streets.’
Brooke studied his face but could read little from his expression. Surprised by his candidness, she guessed there was far more to the story than this bald recital of facts.
‘Did you have to give evidence against them?’
‘I probably would have agreed to, but Ian vetoed this, adamant it wasn’t in my best interests.’ He met her gaze. ‘The detective looked at Ian and made the laughing comment: with my eye for detail, I should join the Force and specialise in undercover work.’
‘And so the seed was sown.’
‘Yeah.’ Luke walked across to the French doors that led out to the wide wrap-around verandah and stood with a hand on the doorframe.
‘What time do you start work?’
He glanced over his shoulder at the big clock on the kitchen wall and shrugged. ‘Any time now.’
Brooke knew this, but she was seriously concerned. Any man working while he was this exhausted was surely an accident waiting to happen. And the last thing Luke needed was an accident to add to his troubles.
‘You need to rest, Luke. Put your feet up on the swing seat for a few minutes and I’ll ring Matt and tell him you’ll be late.’
It was a measure of his weariness that he barely hesitated. With a shrug he walked to the glider and sat down heavily. He leaned his head back on the headrest and closed his eyes.
Brooke watched him; her brow wrinkled in a troubled frown before she walked inside and picked up the intercom phone that connected the foreman’s house with the main house.
Matt picked up on the first ring. ‘Daintry.’
‘Matt, it’s Brooke.’ She nibbled on her lower lip, wondering at her temerity.
‘Is everything okay down there?’
The question concentrated her attention. ‘Luke has been up most of the night with Rose and Otto. Rose is okay, but she had a doozey of a nightmare,’ she said carefully, finishing in a rush, ‘It’s Luke I’m worried about. He’s exhausted.’
She looked through the window at the man in question. He’d swung his feet up on the glider and was stretched out full length and, unless she missed her guess, he was already snoring.
‘Tell him to get some rest.’
‘Thanks.’ Brooke hesitated a moment and then asked, ‘Luke also mentioned the garden party you’re hosting. Are you sending out formal invitations?’
‘A few, but we’re also advertising it widely as an open day. Why?’
Brooke sucked in a shaky breath, and then decided to go for broke. ‘Luke wants to send a formal invitation to Ian’s parents and ask them to stay and visit with the children for a few days.’
‘That’s easily arranged. I’ll get Charlotte to mail them an invitation. Do you want her to extend the invitation to visit with the garden party invite?’ Matt asked, his voice clipped and to the point.
‘That would be great.’
‘Consider it done, and Brooke, tell Luke to take the whole day off.’
As she ended the call, Brooke nibbled on her lower lip. How would Luke react to her unilateral decision to issue an invitation to the children’s grandparents?
She knew he had serious reservations about the wisdom of such a visit, but she was firmly of the opinion that the best way to counter the threat of a custody suit was to encourage dialogue between both parties.
Only time would tell if this was the right decision.
Chapter Twelve
The sound of voices roused Luke. Soft feminine voices interspersed with a peal of infectious laughter, followed by a quieter murmured comment. Rose and Brooke—a smile touched his lips. It was so long since he’d heard that light-hearted lilt in his niece’s voice.
A soft sigh eased from his parched throat. His stomach grumbled and he opened his eyes. For long moments he lay staring at the striped canvas canopy of the porch glider trying to work out why he was sleeping there and why he was so heavy-headed. He turned his head and saw that the shadows were long enough to know the hour was late in the afternoon.
Have I slept the day away?
He was so sluggish he took a little while to process this information, and to understand why he felt so different. It was as if, while he’d slept, a weighty burden had shifted from his shoulders, leaving him with an unaccustomed lightness of spirit.
He moved and the light cotton throw covering him moved. Someone had draped it over him while he slept, the deepest sleep he’d enjoyed since that shattering moment he’d taken that hideous phone call telling him of Jenn’s accident.
Brooke?
He closed his eyes, struggling to re-orientate himself.
His senses cleared and as he came fully awake his memory returned, accompanied by a hefty dose of embarrassment.
What on earth made me spill my guts to Brooke?
He lifted an arm and shielded his eyes, mortified.
‘Do you think I should tell Uncle Luke?’
Rose’s question jerked him from his self-absorption and captured his attention. He stiffened, listening intently. Tell me about what?
‘That’s up to you. Do you think he needs to know?’
Luke frowned at Brooke’s quiet rejoinder. Once again he was assailed by the uneasy feeling that something deeper than losing her parents was troubling Rose.
‘I don’t want to worry him.’
‘T
he only thing likely to worry your uncle is you keeping secrets from him.’
‘You think?’
‘Yeah, I do and I think you should tell him, but this is your decision.’
If Rose confides in me, I’m honour bound to respect her confidence … I’ll do my best to persuade her to confide in you.
Luke closed his eyes on a trembling sigh. Thank you Brooke.
‘Rose, now try lifting your arm … higher still … that’s it … now squeeze the ball. That’s it. Squeeze it harder and harder still. Squeeze it hard and wring out all the water …’
Brooke was taking Rose through her exercise routine. As he listened, Luke was filled with an energising sense of relief. It was his lucky day when she had agreed to work with Rose and Otto.
Rose giggled. ‘Water is running down my arm.’
‘That’s not a biggie, just concentrate on squeezing that ball.’ Brooke’s voice was filled with gentle encouragement. ‘Now, let go of the ball and squeeze my hand. As hard as you can now, that’s it, give it all you’ve got.’
Rose’s gusty sigh told Luke that the girl was exerting considerable energy to accomplish the task Brooke set her.
‘That’s brilliant. Your grip is getting stronger every day. Now rest up for a few moments.’
Luke wanted to leap up and confront Rose, demand that she tell him what she was keeping from him, but caution kept him still. He was assailed by a debilitating sense of frustrated impotence.
‘How long has your grandmother been ringing you here?’ Brooke asked.
Bloody hell!
Luke sucked in a harsh breath. It took all his formidable self-control to remain on the glider. It was only the years he’d spent undercover that kept him motionless. During that time he’d learned that listening was often more fruitful than asking questions. It was obvious that Rose felt comfortable talking to Brooke, more so than talking to him. And this speared Luke with grief.
‘Ever since Uncle brought us out here to live with him on Whitby Downs.’
‘Did she ask you to keep it a secret?’
‘Not exactly …’
Wait until I see you, Margaret McLellan!
‘So what does she want from you?’
‘She wants me and Otto to go and live with them in Auckland.’
There were a few beats of silence. ‘And you, Rose, what do you want to do?’ Brooke asked, the question also hovering on the tip of Luke’s tongue.
‘Stay here with Uncle Luke. Otto and me, we feel safe here.’
Luke eased out the breath he’d been holding and relieved tears stung the back of his eyes. He’d tried his best to make Jenn’s children feel secure and hearing Rose now made all the sacrifices worthwhile.
‘Safe from what?’ Brooke asked, her voice soft and conversational.
Luke stiffened and held his breath again, gripped by an uncanny certainty that Rose was about to reveal what it was that was scaring her so badly.
‘The man who killed Mum and Dad.’
Whaaaat?
Luke almost levitated off the seat. Only years of iron discipline kept him quiet. He listened intently, afraid he’d miss something.
‘It was an accident, surely?’
He had to hand it to Brooke; there wasn’t a shred of surprise or anxiety in her quiet tones.
‘I wasn’t asleep and I heard Mum and Dad talking …’ Rose’s voice faded away.
‘About what?’
‘Dad was working on a big case and Mum wasn’t happy about it. She said that Dad was putting us all at risk. They were arguing about it when that car drove straight at us.’
There were a few more beats of silence.
Luke didn’t need to see Brooke to know that she was trying to process this information too.
What car?
As far as Luke was aware, Ian had braked inexplicably and swerved on a straight stretch of road. He’d lost control and slammed into a brick wall. There was no mention of any other car involved in the crash.
‘I understood your dad’s car ran off the road and hit a wall?’
Brooke asked the question Luke wanted answered.
‘Last night, I remembered.’
Rose’s nightmare was the return of a bad memory? Luke strained to hear the low-voiced conversation; he sure as hell didn’t want to miss one single detail.
‘Here’s a towel, Rose. After you’ve dried off, I’ll massage this lotion into your injured muscles.’
‘Will they ever work properly again?’
‘For sure, your arm is so much stronger compared to when we first started working on it.’ Brooke’s tones were confident and assured. ‘You couldn’t lift it higher than your waist, remember, and the weight you’ve put on has also helped strengthen your muscles.’
‘I love Rio; he’s fun and makes such good food.’ Rose’s lilting laugh travelled on the hot air.
‘You won’t get any argument from me,’ Brooke said on a laugh. ‘You have no idea how much I was dreading the thought of having to cook for a little fuss-budget like you.’
‘True?’
Brooke laughed again. ‘It’s true enough and you know what? You scared your uncle even worse than you scared me.’
Rose let loose with another lilting peal of laughter. ‘I didn’t think Uncle Luke was scared of anything.’
‘A lot you know,’ Brooke said, chuckling.
Her laughter stirred Luke’s libido and he shifted on the swing seat.
‘So tell me more about this memory you had last night.’
Good work, lady, Luke thought appreciatively. Continue with the therapy and ask the right questions when Rose is relaxed and at ease with you. Luke listened, not wanting to miss one single nuance of his niece’s response.
‘The night Mum and Dad were killed we had dinner with Grandma and Grandpa.’
Whaat?
Luke eased himself upright on the porch glider, his thoughts in a chaotic tangle. He’d called in favours so he could access every report about the accident that had killed his sister, but there was no mention of Jenn and Ian visiting with his parents prior to that crash.
‘Dad had a big argument with Grandpa about Dad’s work, and after we left to go home Mum and Dad were still arguing about this.’
‘Do you remember what they said?’
‘Not really. They were talking in low voices about some case Dad was involved with. Mum was angry and upset and Dad kept insisting that he had to do what was right.’
As Rose’s voice faded, Luke leaned forward on the swing seat and raked his hands through his hair. The girl’s hesitant admissions raised so many questions and left him damned uneasy.
‘Rose, I want you to extend your arm out straight in front of you … that’s it,’ Brooke said in gentle encouragement. ‘Now lift it as high as you can and hold it there. You’re doing great, now relax.’
There were a few beats of silence before Luke heard Brooke ask, ‘What else have you remembered?’
‘It was dark and no other traffic, then suddenly out of nowhere a car headed straight at us.’ Rose’s voice broke on a sob. ‘Mum screamed and Dad swore and swerved. I was flung against the front seats … I don’t remember very much of anything after that until Uncle Luke was with me at the hospital.’
Luke buried his head in his hands. Rose’s version of events cast an entirely different perspective on the supposedly single-vehicle crash that left Ian dead and Jenn critically injured.
He’d pored over the Serious Crash Unit’s report, looking for any detail they may have missed. The reason for Ian swerving so sharply had left investigators perplexed. The official line was that Ian may have swerved to avoid an animal, but no evidence that any animal had been near the scene had been found.
This was something that had always seriously troubled Luke. He considered this scenario unlikely; after all it was Ian who had taught him to drive. As clear as yesterday Luke could hear Ian saying, Brake and stop if you can, but don’t ever swerve to avoid an animal … unless it’
s a pig.
It was a lesson Luke had taken to heart. To this day he would do his best to stop to avoid hitting an animal, but he never swerved. Jenn’s dying words haunted him: It’s this damned case … Ian was afraid this would happen.
What case?
This was a question that guaranteed Luke would spend yet more nights without sleep. He scowled at his hands, flexing and unflexing them as he tried to make sense of the conversation he’d just overheard. Nausea swirled in his gut. What case could Ian be involved with that would put his entire family at risk?
The man epitomised caution. Luke had never known his brother-in-law to create waves. Of one thing Luke was certain, that whatever Ian was involved with, it had to be important.
We had dinner with Grandma and Grandpa … Dad had a big argument with Grandpa about Dad’s work …
Luke frowned as he mulled over Rose’s admission. Nowhere in the accident reports was there any mention that Ian and Jenn were killed on their way home from an evening spent with his parents, nor was there any suggestion of a family disagreement.
Duncan McLellan sure as hell never once mentioned to me that my sister and her husband died soon after leaving his house.
Something didn’t add up, but Luke vowed he would not stop searching until he uncovered the truth. Feet came into his line of vision. He looked up into Brooke’s troubled face. ‘You overheard?’
Luke nodded, not needing her to elaborate. ‘This was behind Rose’s nightmare last night?’
‘It seems likely.’ Brooke pulled up a deckchair and sat opposite, her brow wrinkled in a frown. ‘I suspect her screams were ones she’s been holding in from the moment of impact.’
‘Delayed reaction? That makes sense.’
‘Rose said her mother’s screams woke her.’ Brooke looked down at the hands threaded together in her lap before glancing up at him.
‘The poor kid.’ Luke rubbed at his eyes as nausea roiled in his gut. ‘When Rose finally confessed to being a vegetarian, she told me that Ian was pretty well sliced up in the accident.’
