Ben placed his hands on his knees and leaned forward. ‘Sure, shoot.’
Scratching her head and feeling dreadfully awkward, she indicated with her head towards Jamie. ‘In private?’
‘Sounds ominous. Don’t tell me you’re chickening out of horse-riding lessons already.’
Emma shook her head vehemently. ‘No, nothing like that.’
Jamie sauntered over and said, ‘I’ll give you guys some privacy.’
Placing a hand on Jamie’s arm, Emma stopped him. ‘Please don’t leave on my account. We can step outside. You stay.’
‘Nah, I was about to head to the shower, anyway,’ Jamie said with a shake of his head.
As Jamie left the gym, Ben looked directly into Emma’s eyes. ‘What’s up?’
‘I…’ she paused, running a hand through her hair, searching for the right words. ‘I wanted to tell you to call everyone off with the round-the-clock protection.’
‘What do you mean?’ Ben stood, crossing his arms, and she felt like shrinking into the ground. This was a hard thing to tell someone who had only shown her kindness and was a wonderful friend to her, but something had to change. She had to set some boundaries.
‘Before I moved here, I was suffocating in a world of people hovering over me, worrying about me and feeling like it was their duty to help me. Part of me moving here was to escape all that.’ She looked directly into Ben’s eyes, hoping what she was saying to him was being made perfectly clear.
‘I see.’ His eyes hadn’t left hers.
‘I don’t think you do.’ She grimaced, hoping what she said wasn’t going to be misinterpreted. ‘The thing is since Jess left, I’ve had friends dropping in constantly, people inviting me to go to their place for lunch and dinner, people wanting to go with me to do my grocery shopping. It’s too much. I like company, but not this much company if you catch my drift.’
Ben shrugged. ‘That’s country living for you. When one of our own is in trouble, we look out for them, we check on them, we take care of them.’
Emma blew out a frustrated breath of air. ‘That’s the thing, but I don’t need to be taken care of. I feel suffocated again like I felt after my accident.’
Ben gave her a sympathetic look, tilting his head to the side. ‘You still haven’t told me what happened.’ His voice was a gentle summer breeze.
‘It’s not something I want to burden you with.’
‘What if I choose to be burdened with it?’
‘It’s not going to happen, Ben.’
‘Too late. Something pretty damn serious happened to you, and now, for some reason, you’re scared.’
She interrupted him, ‘I’m not scared.’
‘You’re not? You have checked the door ten times since you walked in. Your house is like Fort Knox, and your eyes are constantly darting everywhere. It’s like you’re waiting for something or someone. So, what is it?’
Emma looked down at her feet. She felt Ben’s hand come to cup the back of her neck and drag her towards him. She dared not lift her head as her forehead came to rest against his mouth. He kissed her there, a soft caress, allowing his lips to linger against her skin as he spoke. ‘Trust me. Please. I care about you.’
‘I care about you, too, but it doesn’t change the fact I can’t tell you.’ She felt terrible saying it, knowing keeping her past a secret from him could cause their friendship to end, which was the last thing she wanted to happen.
‘That doesn’t exactly fill me with confidence. If you’re in danger, I want to help and protect you.’
‘You’re not listening to me.’ She lifted her head then, looking directly into his eyes. ‘I can take care of myself. I won’t let anything ever happen to me again like what happened in my past. You have to believe and trust me that I’m more than capable of protecting myself, better than you or anyone else could do. I’ve got this.’
‘I doubt that. What aren’t you telling me?’
‘I’m telling you all I can, for the time being. That may change one day, but for now, I’m sorry all I can give you is what I’ve already told you. You need to trust me. I can’t live like I did back in Melbourne with people constantly worrying and hovering over me. I need space and privacy. If I can’t get that here, then I’ll move to where I can.’
‘You’d leave?’ His nostrils flared with annoyance.
She nodded. ‘I don’t want to, but I will if it means getting my independence and privacy back.’ Frustration was etched all over his face, and her heart went out to him. ‘Look, can you please try? Who knows, I might be able to tell you more in a few days or in a few weeks. Please be patient.’
‘I can try. I guess I should call Mum and tell her not to call into your place with lunch, then.’ He smiled a mischievous smile melting her heart.
‘Yeah, you should do that.’ She grinned back at him.
‘Okay. I’ll see you Tuesday, then?’
‘I’ll be there. Wouldn’t miss it.’
He reached out and squeezed her hand. ‘I’m here if you need me.’
She squeezed his hand back. ‘I’ll keep that in mind.’
He shook his head, smiling. ‘What makes me think you won’t, though?’
Emma shrugged and reluctantly let go of his hand. The touch of his hand in hers was sending warmth radiating through her body, not an unpleasant sensation in the slightest. ‘Bye.’
‘I take it that’s my cue to leave.’ Reaching up, he brushed a loose tendril of hair behind her ear. He went to speak but must’ve changed his mind. Instead, without saying goodbye, he headed towards the showers.
Later, as Emma drove out of the gravel driveway of The Golf Club, she saw the silver SUV pull out from the side of the road and follow behind her. It wasn’t the first time she’d seen the car. It had been parked several times in the main street when she’d been at work and when she’d gone to get some groceries. She’d had an uneasy feeling for days, ever since her sister had left to return to her home in Melbourne. She was certain she was being watched and knowing this, was actually beginning to frighten her.
The windows of the SUV were tinted dark, making it impossible to see the driver. She had memorised the number plate and thought it was high time she popped in to see Roy at the police station, so he could run the plates and see exactly who this person was who was intent on knowing her every move. She’d have to outsmart whoever it was, though. She didn’t want to scare him out of town before she knew exactly who they were and what they wanted with her.
She slowed her car, indicating she was going to turn left onto the main street. Parking, she locked her car and made her way to the café. The SUV slowed as if looking for a park. Once inside, Emma spotted Tracey, the friendly waitress, and walked over to her. ‘Hey, hun, you eating in or getting takeaway today?’
Emma chewed on her bottom lip and looked behind her, making sure the SUV wasn’t in her direct line of sight. Thankfully, it wasn’t. She turned back to Tracey, who was looking at her curiously. ‘Are you alright? You’re as pale as a ghost.’
‘Could I duck out the back door, please?’ Emma asked.
‘Sure, you can.’ She took hold of Emma’s arm and steered her towards the kitchen. The smell of toasted sandwiches wafted towards her and made her stomach grumble as they walked through the kitchen and out into the fresh air. Tracey turned to her. ‘So, who are you hiding from?’
Emma grimaced. ‘I need some space, that’s all.’ She gave Tracey a quick hug. ‘Thanks. I owe you one.’ She jogged down the street past the backs of all the shops until she came to the police station. Jumping the low fence, she walked up a ramp to the back screen door. She knocked and waited. Fiona, the constable she had met a few days prior, came to the door. ‘Hey. How are you?’ Smiling, she let Emma in.
‘Hey, Fiona.’ Emma was a little puffed from running and placed her hands on her hips, trying to catch her breath. She looked around the station hoping to see Roy. ‘Is Roy in?’
‘Nope, I’m afraid you’re stuck with
me today. What can I do for you?’
‘Is there somewhere private we can chat?’ She indicated to another constable typing on a computer at a desk not far from them.
‘Sure, come this way.’ Fiona gestured to a room which Emma gladly entered and sat down.
Fiona sat across from her. ‘You seem agitated. What’s going on?’
‘I think someone might be following me.’ She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone where she had stored the number plate and handed it over to Fiona.
Fiona immediately tapped the plate number into the computer while Emma gave her a detailed description of the car. This was something she’d always been good at. She was observant, and in a split second, could provide a detailed description of a suspect or witness—hair colour, eye colour, even down to the way they walked.
‘Bingo. Found the car,’ Fiona exclaimed.
Emma went to stand and move around the desk so she could see the computer screen, but Fiona stopped her, moving the screen away from Emma’s line of sight. ‘Emma, you know I’m not at liberty to tell you the details of who owns that car.’
‘But…’ Emma began, but Fiona put her hand up.
‘Look, how about I go and get you a glass of water to calm your nerves. I’ll be back in a couple of minutes,’ Fiona said as she stood and left the office. Emma didn’t waste a second. She raced behind the desk to look at the open tab on the computer screen. The car that had been following her belonged to a man by the name of Stuart Hollows. He had a rap sheet as long as her arm—assault, drug possession, and theft/larceny. He resided in Melbourne, and he was a known associate of Jason Knight.
Emma let out a sigh. ‘This has to be connected to Jason Knight,’ she mumbled to herself.
Emma heard the fall of feet outside the office and rushed to sit back in the chair on the other side of the desk.
Fiona entered the office, handed Emma a glass of water, and resumed her seat back behind the desk. She didn’t let on one iota that she had left the office with the clear intention of allowing Emma to read the file open on the computer. ‘Now, let’s not jump to conclusions, yet. Where and when did you last see this car you think has been following you?’
‘In the main street,’ Emma looked down at her watch. ‘About ten minutes ago.’
‘Okay, well, we might go have a friendly chat with the owner of the vehicle and see what business he has in Holbrook.’ Her chair screeched against the floor as she pushed back and stood. Emma followed her out the door. ‘Go back the way you came, and we’ll let you know what we find out. And, Emma, don’t approach this person under any circumstances. Remember, you’re no longer a policewoman.’
Emma nodded. ‘I won’t, I promise. Thanks for looking into this for me and taking it seriously.’
‘Not a problem.’
Emma walked back to the café, ordered food, and left. There was no sign of the silver SUV, and she wondered if the driver had been taken in for questioning. Emma’s mobile buzzed, and she juggled her sandwich to place the phone to her ear. ‘Fiona. What did you find out?’
‘There’s nothing I can tell you, sorry. We haven’t been able to locate the car.’ Emma could hear the deflation in Fiona’s voice.
‘Well, it has to be in town somewhere. I didn’t imagine it.’ Emma’s voice sounded more abrupt than was intended, and she immediately apologised. ‘Sorry, Fiona. It’s not your fault. He has to be staying somewhere. Have you tried asking at The Golf Club?’
‘We’ve been called out to an MVA. We’re en route now. Sorry. We’ll head out there as soon as we can. I promise.’
‘Okay. Stay safe.’ Emma pressed the end button. If they couldn’t get to The Golf Club, she could. She needed to check in with Reg that Zoe was fine with them for a little while longer, and she’d track down Stuart Hollows and find out precisely what he was doing in Holbrook.
Emma entered the foyer of The Golf Club and walked up to the reception desk. She hadn’t been able to locate the SUV in the car park but was hoping he was staying here. A woman in her early twenties greeted her with a smile. ‘How can I help you?’
Emma placed her sweaty palms on the counter. ‘I was wondering if you could tell me if a man was staying here by the name of Stuart Hollows?’
‘I’m sorry, madam. I can’t give out that kind of information. It’s against our privacy policy.’ The girl bit down on her lip, clearly uncomfortable.
Emma looked at the girl’s name badge. ‘Please, Ava. It’s imperative I find out if he’s here.’
Ava pressed her lips firmly together and shook her head. ‘Sorry, that changes nothing.’
‘Emma. What do you think you’re doing?’ The male voice that came from behind her made her jump. Damn. She had been caught in the act, so to speak. She turned around to see Roy looking at her with disapproving eyes. ‘Well?’ he said.
Emma scratched the back of her head. ‘Well, I couldn’t sit around and do nothing. Could I?’
‘Well, yes, you could,’ Roy said, sharpening his gaze on her with obvious disappointment.
‘I’m not the type of girl to sit back and wait for disaster to hit me.’
‘I don’t care what type of woman you are, but in this town, you need to keep out of police business. Are we clear?’
‘Perfectly, but—’
Roy lifted a finger to interrupt her. ‘No, buts. That’s the way it is.’ He turned to Ava, who was watching the exchange as if it was a tennis match. ‘Ava, is a man matching this description staying here?’ Roy handed over a black and white photo of Stuart Hollows, and Ava took it in her hands.
Ava looked up at Emma and asked, ‘Is this the Stuart Hollows man you were asking me about?’
Emma went to speak, but Roy jumped in. ‘How on God’s earth do you know his name.’
Emma opened her mouth to speak, but Roy beat her to it. Holding up a hand, he said, ‘Stop. Don’t tell me. I don’t want to know.’ He mumbled under his breath something about Emma going to be the death of him. He turned his attention back to Ava. ‘Well, is this man staying here?’
‘Yeah, he’s been here for a couple of weeks. He checked out this morning along with the rest of the insurance conference group.’
Roy gave Emma a look that said I told you I would get the answers. ‘Was he here for a conference?’
‘Yeah, some boring insurance conference.’
‘Did he attend the conference?’
‘I said he did, didn’t I?’ Ava said. Emma bristled at the girl’s tone. She had no time for people who disrespected the police.
‘Don’t take that tone with me, Ava,’ Roy said, his eyes wild with anger.
‘Well, stop asking me stupid questions, Dad.’
Emma gasped, ‘Dad?’
Roy looked at her. ‘Meet my difficult daughter, Emma.’
Emma lifted her eyebrows. ‘I thought you were playing bad cop there for a minute.’
‘No, he’s playing annoying cop, Dad,’ Ava said, crossing her arms.
‘Well, you still haven’t answered my question. How did you know this man attended the conference?’ Roy’s voice was laced with annoyance.
Ava reached under the counter and brought out a leather-bound book. ‘Each member had to sign in and sign out, and I know this guy’s name was Stuart Hollows.’ She opened a page and tracked her hand down several names until she found what she was looking for. She turned the book around and tapped Stuart Hollows’ name. ‘Here, see. He signed in at ten o’clock and out at four.’ She turned the page and pointed again to Stuart’s name. ‘Here again, signed in at ten and out at four.’
Roy looked over at Emma. ‘Satisfied.’
Emma shrugged. ‘Not particularly.’
‘The man was here for a conference, Emma. You need to accept it and move on.’ Roy passed the book back to his daughter. ‘Thanks, love.’
Ava looked at Emma when she said, ‘The conference only went for a week. He was here a week before the conference started.’
Roy swore under
his breath. ‘Did I ask you that?’
Ava shrugged. ‘Nope, but I felt she needed to know.’
Emma looked at Roy askance. ‘There’s enough doubt here.’
‘The bloke could have been here on holidays before the conference started,’ Roy shot back.
‘I doubt it,’ Emma said as she crossed her arms. Turning back to Ava she asked, ‘Did any other conference guests arrive earlier for a holiday?’ She made exclamation marks with her hand as she said ‘holiday.’
Roy let out an air of frustration. ‘Don’t answer that, Ava.’
Ava looked at Roy and then at Emma as if she was unsure as to what she should do. All of a sudden she said, ‘Nobody else checked in earlier to the conference, and he was a walk-in. He hadn’t booked a room in advance with the rest of the conference crew.’
Emma raised her eyebrows to Roy. ‘Enough doubt now, Sarg?’
‘I’ll look into it.’ He pointed to Emma, ‘You’re ordered to stay out of it. Clear?’
‘Crystal.’ Emma thanked Ava and said her goodbyes. She’d be doing some digging up of her own. She didn’t care if it made her butt heads with Roy. She needed to feel safe.
Emma’s phone vibrated in the pocket of her jeans as she was wrapping Zoe in a towel after she finished bathing her. Retrieving her phone, she looked down at the display. It was Roy.
‘What did you find out?’ She held the phone between her ear and shoulder as she dried Zoe.
‘Not good news, I’m afraid. The MVA this afternoon involved the silver SUV we were searching for. Sorry, Em, but Stuart Hollows died at the scene from horrific head injuries.’
Emma inwardly groaned. It looked like she’d never find out what Stuart Hollows was doing in Holbrook and why he was following her, although she had a pretty good inclination of the answer to both those questions.
All of You Page 13
