Petrified and light headed, Ruby staggered a few feet until in total darkness. She began to feel her way.
The further she went, the narrower the tunnel became. Eventually, she slid to her knees and crawled. Her head thudded and her eyes grew heavy.
She gave in to the darkness.
Chapter 15
The cold dank air hit her nostrils like a sledgehammer. Ruby recoiled. Froze. Held her breath. After a few minutes, she tried to turn her head, but immense pain shot through her temples, settling to a dull throb at the base of her skull. She fought to keep her eyes open, needing to remember where the hell she was. She couldn’t. She gave in to the heavy, drifting sensation.
Not sure how much time had passed, she reached up to touch the tender spot on the back of her head. A cry escaped her as a thick stickiness came away on her fingertips. The metallic scent of blood now mingled with the earthy wet stench surrounding her.
She shivered uncontrollably as blood gushed through her veins in unison with the thudding inside her head.
She could see nothing. Not a thing.
Were her eyes even open?
She knew they were when she felt them close once again.
The only sound was the continuous drip-drip-drip that came from all around her.
She managed to roll onto her back. Icy rock almost touched her on either side. She reached up and yelped as the tips of her fingers hit more hard rock not six inches above her face.
She was in a tunnel—a cold, dark, terrifying tunnel.
Ruby was disoriented. She crawled forward in the direction she faced.
Memories began flooding her mind. Cody, Steve and Kyle. A sob caught in her throat.
Her back scraped on the jutting rock as she manoeuvered her way forward. Her head connected with sharp rock and she cried out. The impact made her sink her teeth into her tongue. Now blood filled her mouth.
Kyle had seemed certain this awful tunnel led to the river. The sound of water became louder and more of a steady flow rather than a drip. Ruby prayed the end was close by.
A small, furry creature ran across her hand, squeaking. She screamed, her head once again banging on the rock.
Her teeth chattered.
All her fears surrounded her.
Enclosed spaces—scurrying creatures—bone crippling cold.
She sensed a change to her surroundings when a draught blew on her face.
Sobbing now, she pushed forward. Small slivers of light enabled her to see in front of her and she gasped as she stepped out into a cave-like clearing. Climbing down from the rock, Ruby stood full height. She headed off in the direction of the light.
All of a sudden, a large opening appeared and the early morning sky beyond.
On weak and shaky legs she forced herself on, her eyes filled with tears making the opening appear blurred. Then she suddenly realised it had nothing to do with the tears.
A cry caught in her throat.
Her legs propelled her forwards.
A padlocked wrought iron gate covered the entire opening.
But that wasn’t the worst of it.
The remains of a woman wearing a multi-coloured jersey were slumped to the side of the gate, the bones of her hands still gripping the bars.
Ruby’s screams filled the silence.
Chapter 16
Ruby slid to the ground—exhausted from screaming. Although unable to look at poor Felicity’s corpse any longer, every time she closed her eyes it was all she could see, in intricate detail. She kept getting flashes of the news image—a vibrant, fun-loving young girl wearing the same multi-coloured jersey that covered the skeleton beside her.
Her neck and the back of her dress felt wet. She knew she was losing her life’s blood, she could feel the last of her strength oozing away. She prayed the end would be fast. Ruby welcomed the heavy darkness.
When she came to, her whole body shivered. Her teeth were chattering and she could see puffs of her shallow breath hovering on the air in front of her face.
Through the gate she could see the sun beating down, but it came nowhere near the cave which was deep in shadow.
She dragged herself further into the cave in search of some warmth. A few feet in and off to the right, she came across a pile of rocks, all different sizes, placed in a large rectangle shape. It reminded Ruby of a grave. She shuddered, wishing she could run from this place of death, but she couldn’t move another inch. Resting her head on her arm, she floated off once again.
The light had faded when she finally woke. The temperature had dropped even more—she might as well have been naked for all the warmth the wispy summer dress gave her.
From her position next to the grave-like mound, she could see something colourful lodged between two rocks. She picked at it until she finally managed to pry it out. It was a small white card with a spray of pink roses, barely visible, printed on one side.
Ruby’s blood froze in her veins—a bereavement card. Not really wanting to know what it said, but intrigued, she turned the card over. She could see an imprint of handwriting, but no ink remained and in the failing light, she had no chance of reading what had once been written. She carefully placed it back between the rocks.
She shuffled down the side of the grave-like mound and curled herself into a foetal position, pulling the fine dress tight around her knees. She then pulled her arms from the sleeve openings and hugged her body tightly.
Her stomach growled. Although she hadn’t had a thing to eat or drink since the day before she no longer felt hungry or thirsty. She didn’t feel that cold thinking about it now, for which she was grateful. There was no way out. She knew she would die soon, but if she couldn’t feel the pain, at least she could sleep.
Ruby stayed in that position for what seemed like hours. She drifted in and out of sleep, or consciousness, she couldn’t really tell.
She wished she had the energy to go back to the gate and try to force it open somehow, but she wasn’t able to move a muscle. Maybe she should have gone back through the tunnel earlier when she hadn’t felt as bad, but she’d seen Kyle secure the padlock with her own eyes. The idea of crawling back through that awful tunnel, or worse, dying in there, made her flesh crawl.
Her head began to throb again and her limbs felt heavy and weak. She couldn’t keep her eyes open.
Her mother’s constant warnings filled her fitful dreams. Then Baxter’s barks made her heart contract. Semi-awake, she panicked. Baxter! What if he hadn’t been found? If he was still locked in her house, alone?
Oh, Baxy, Baxy. I’m sorry, boy. She wasn’t sure if she’d actually spoken the words or dreamt them. Baxter’s excited yaps were louder now, almost deafening. She could actually feel him licking her face. It seemed so real, she didn’t want to wake up. She relished in the heat his tiny body radiated. His excited yappy kisses were forcing her awake, but still she resisted. Holding her breath, she forced her eyes tight shut.
“Baxter?” someone yelled, spoiling her dream.
Baxter was gone and she heard herself whimper not wanting the dream to end. Her heart ached at the thought of opening her eyes to the cold, dark cave.
“Baxter—come here, boy.”
There was that voice again. She recognised it, but for the life of her, couldn’t think who it was.
Ruby felt herself slipping away once more. With Baxter no longer with her, she welcomed the familiar heaviness.
“Baxy, where is she, boy?”
Who was that? And why was he calling Baxter?
Suddenly Baxter returned, licking at her face.
“Baxy, good boy, Baxy,” she managed to utter.
“Ruby?” The voice, now closer, echoed off every wall. “Ruby, Ruby—wake up.”
She tried to open her eyes, but they were much too heavy. Then she heard footsteps and Baxter began barking again. She felt herself being lifted into someone’s arms, and suddenly recognised the voice. It was David. Her ex-boyfriend—her mum’s next door neighbour.
�
��David?” she whispered.
“Yes, you’re safe now, Rubes. Try not to speak—save your energy.”
She couldn’t understand how her dreams could feel so real. Had she died? If she had, why would David be there? It was all too confusing.
Epilogue
Ruby forced her eyes open and a cry caught in her throat. The cold, dark cave had been replaced by a hospital bed.
Her beautiful mother slept in an armchair to her side, her bottom lip inflating with every breath before letting out a pffft of air. Ruby was overjoyed, although much too tired to react.
A middle-aged woman with both legs in casts lay in the bed opposite. She poked a pen into the top of one cast, clearly trying to reach an itch.
So she hadn’t been dreaming. Baxter and David had found her—but how? She needed to know, but after a sleep.
David, Scarlett and her mother were around the bed when Ruby opened her eyes again.
Scarlett squealed and jumped forward, hugging her neck, and after the initial tears and emotional reunion, Mum and Scarlett began chattering in unison.
Ruby winced. “Shhhh. Please guys, one at a time.” Her head still felt woozy.
“You go,” her mother said to Scarlett, tears still streaming down her face.
“How?” Ruby asked.
“Mum worked everything out, sis. She could tell Cody was bad news as soon as she laid eyes on him. I didn’t. I thought he was lovely.” Scarlett shook her head. “I’ll never doubt her instincts again, I can tell you …”
“But how did you find me?”
“David followed Cody. Once we found out where he lived we all turned up. David was ace! He didn’t take any shit from Cody or his dad.”
“Thank you,” Ruby mouthed at David.
David winked at her and smiled—the special smile he used to reserve only for her.
Ruby’s stomach flipped.
“Kyle was lovely. He showed us where he took you,” Scarlett continued.
“Felicity?” Ruby asked, her voice hoarse.
“She’s back where she belongs—with her family,” her mother said. “At least now they can give her a proper funeral.”
“And the other grave?” Ruby asked.
“Cody’s mum,” Scarlett said. “Seems she was going to leave her husband and so he strangled her. He used to take Kyle to visit there, that’s how Kyle knew about the old mine in the first place.”
“They always went by car, approaching from the other side. Kyle didn’t remember there being a gate, but he was only little. Then years later, his dad took him and Cody into the mine entrance closest to the house. He told them the tunnel led through to the river. Kyle worked the rest out for himself,” David said.
“What will happen to them?”
“Cody and his dad will be locked up for the foreseeable I guess,” David said.
“And Kyle?”
Mum shrugged. “He’s in good hands Rubes. He’ll be taken care of, and you can always visit him.”
“How did you work it out, Mum?”
“Fifty percent instinct. Then Baxter, the dog who loves everyone, was petrified of Cody—combined with the fact his mother had vanished but he didn’t even think to mention it to us. I saw blood on his face … lots of little things really. But the police had verified his alibi and so we had no choice but to deal with it ourselves.”
“Wow, I can’t believe it.”
“Believe it. I’ve told you many times—”
“We know, we know,” Scarlett said.
“Mother knows best!” they all chanted in unison.
The End
I hope you enjoyed reading Mother Knows Best. If so, would you please consider posting a short review? Genuine feedback is the greatest thank you an author can receive.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Netta Newbound, originally from Manchester, England, now lives in New Zealand with her husband, Paul and their boxer dog Alfie. She has three grown-up children and two delicious grandchildren.
For more information or just to touch base with Netta you will find her at:
www.nettanewbound.com
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For more books by Netta go to
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Acknowledgements
Once again I’d like to thank my family—especially my long suffering husband, Paul—love you, babe!
To my wonderful critique partners Sandra Toornstra, Linda Dawley, Serena Amadis and Jono Newbound—you’re the best.
And finally, to Tracey Alvarez and the BOCHOK Babes – my go-to group for anything from critiquing to formatting or just a good old moan. Where would I be without you?
A bonus first chapter of An Impossible Dilemma will follow.
An Impossible Dilemma
by Netta Newbound
Chapter One
“She looks terrible, Jon. We should have taken her straight to the hospital.”
The shrill peal of the surgery phone made my stomach twirl. I spun around as Stacey, the pretty, young blonde receptionist lifted the receiver, her voice all sickly sweetness.
I glanced around the room. Apart from an elderly gentleman dozing in the corner, we were the only people waiting to see the doctor. The clinic had had a makeover since my last visit—the pale cream walls, glossy magazines, and plush maroon covers on the chairs presented the image of an upmarket clinic instead of the laid-back, sleepy practice we knew it to be.
“Stop being a fusspot, Victoria. We’re here now.” Jonathan stroked Emily’s forehead. She lay half on his knee with her legs sprawled out on the bench seat beside him. He pinched her chin and smiled down at her. “Mummy’s being a fusspot, isn’t she, Miss Em?”
Emily nodded, her large grey eyes rolling as he stroked her golden brown curls.
“You know he’s going to say she has a virus or some other rubbish. The hospital would at least do tests,” I said, stopping mid-pace in front of them.
Jon reached for my hand and pulled me down beside him. “I get that you’re worried, Vic. We both are. And if things are no clearer after we’ve seen the doc, we’ll go straight to the hospital.”
“You promise?”
“I promise.”
I bent to kiss the top of my daughter’s head. Her eyelids fluttered and closed again.
As I sat up, I noticed Stacey gazing at us with interest. The village nosy parker was probably looking for a story to keep her friends entertained. Our eyes met, and she quickly turned away.
I chewed at the inside of my cheek, a habit I’d formed when in stressful situations as a child. It would be sore later.
At the sound of a buzzer, we both turned towards Stacey, who got to her feet and nodded at the old man. “You can go through now, Mr Delaney.”
All of a sudden, I thought I was going to vomit. I needed to get out. “I’m going for some fresh air. Give me a shout when it’s our turn,” I said, kissing Emily once more before heading for the double doors.
Outside, the chilly afternoon wind took my breath. I sat on the cold, stone surgery steps, pulled my orange woollen jumper over my knees, and hugged my legs. Daffodils filled the two garden squares on either side of the steps.
I sighed as the familiar hollow ache resurfaced between my ribs. Memories of my mother’s daffodil-laden casket brought tears to my eyes. I missed her so much. My fingers closed around her gold locket that I wore on a chain around my neck.
My legs began to bounce with irritation; the long wait had my nerves at screaming point. One of the problems with living in the country was the slow pace of village life. We’d been here almost six years, and I was still trying to acclimatise.
I was used to large surgeries with umpteen doctors to choose from. Here you got who were given, like it or lump it.
We’d sold our veterinary clinic in Manchester after Frank, Jon’s father, had suffered a stroke. Jon was an only child, and the responsibilities of the farm fell solely at his size nines.
Jonathan had
been born on the farm, and Doctor Taylor, our family doctor, had even delivered him—as he had most of the children in the area. But Doctor Taylor had gone to New Zealand for a year, leaving a locum in his place.
A hammering on the window behind me jolted me from my daydream. Jonathan was standing behind the glass, waving at me to hurry.
Doctor Davies seemed too young to be fully qualified. He had a large moon-shaped face with a helmet of floppy, fine blond hair atop a head that looked too big for his weedy body.
“Hello—this must be Emily,” the doctor said with an overused, insincere smile.
“Hello,” Emily whispered.
“Are you feeling poorly, sweetheart?”
I inhaled noisily and raised my eyes to the wooden panelled ceiling before refocusing on Jon.
Jonathan’s eyes flashed at me as he gave his head a tight shake.
I shrugged and turned away, fiddling with the locket at my throat.
Emily nodded and closed her eyes, leaning against Jon’s shoulder again.
“She’s not been right for a while, doctor. She’s lethargic and clumsy. I don’t know—just off, somehow,” Jonathan said.
The doctor nodded, raised his eyebrows and began typing on a keyboard in front of him.
“I’ve been doing some research and I’m positive she has some kind of neurological disorder,” I said.
Doctor Davies stopped typing and took off his frameless glasses. His beady brown eyes locked on mine. “Are you a doctor, Mrs—,” he glanced at the computer screen, “—Lyons?”
“A vet. I’m a vet—we’re vets,” I wiggled a finger between Jon and myself. “And although I’m not a doctor—doctor, I know my stuff, and I know my daughter.”
The doctor cleared his throat and sighed. His hands were in a praying position in front of his face, the index fingers touching the tip of his nose, contemplating me.
“I’m sure you do, Mrs Lyons, but let’s go through this from the beginning for my benefit, shall we? Then I will try to make my own diagnosis, and we can compare notes later. Is that okay with you?” he said.
His patronizing attitude was starting to get my back up. I bit my lip and stifled a sigh, trying to eyeball Jonathan, who did his best to avoid my stare. Of course the doctor needed to make his own diagnosis, but I didn’t want him poo-pooing Em’s symptoms and just throwing a course of antibiotics at her.
Mother Knows Best (Novella): A Psychological Thriller Novella Page 6
