Shadows Over Wongan Creek

by Juanita Kees

  On his haunches, Kieran paused in the middle of packing the white wine into the fridge to cool and looked. So damn hauntingly beautiful in a fitted silk dress with a Mandarin collar that ended above her knees. The Monet-style print of pink waterlilies and shades of blue emphasised the midnight black of her hair. He didn’t need to see her eyes to know that those colours would bring out the blue in them. The whole package stealing his breath in a way it shouldn’t.

  He found himself thinking how her legs would look when she swapped the ballet flats for high heels. Then his gaze fell on his son and he remembered why he shouldn’t see her that way at all. Fen was in the kind of trouble he couldn’t afford to get Liam involved in, but he could do whatever it took to get her out of it.

  He sighed and unloaded the last of the wine, closing the door and checking the reading on the temperature control panel. They’d be perfectly chilled in time for the reception.

  ‘Daddy?’ Liam tapped his shoulder.

  ‘Yeah, mate?’

  ‘Look what I made. I’m helping. Fen showed me how.’ Liam held out an origami boat, a little rough around the edges.

  ‘Great effort, mate. Are those for the tables?’ Kieran took the boat from him and studied it. He’d forgotten Fen’s penchant for origami. Anything to keep her hands busy and her mind off whatever inner battle she was fighting. In the early days, they’d littered her space as she worked through the changes and challenges of settling into a small town and a new family.

  Liam nodded. ‘Yep. I gotta make more. Red and blue ones. Did I do good?’

  He held up his fist for a bump, his heart swelling with pride. ‘Really good.’

  ‘We’re going to put sugar almonds in them. Pink and blue and white ones. Fen says it’s a tra … dition?’

  ‘That’s right. It is.’

  ‘Why?’

  Kieran smiled. He loved it when Liam asked questions. For so long his little boy had been silent. ‘There should be five in each boat. One each for health, wealth, happiness, fertility, and long life.’ Elaine had insisted on sugar almonds at his and Diane’s wedding, even though Diane had poo-pooed them as old-fashioned. She’d wanted more modern bonbonnieres.

  Liam nodded, his eyes serious as he thought on each one. ‘What does fer-til-ity mean?’

  ‘It means they’ll have babies.’ Kieran handed him back the paper boat.

  ‘Will you have more babies, Daddy?’

  Kieran pushed to his feet and swept his son up. ‘I’m not sure. Maybe one day. But not now. We have each other for now. That’s okay, isn’t it?’

  A part of him wanted desperately to have a brother or sister for Liam, but after Diane … He let his gaze slide across the room to where Fen dressed the tables. Did Fen want children? She’d been so kind and patient with Liam so far. But no, there was no point wondering. He never wanted to be that vulnerable again. So far under a woman’s spell that he couldn’t see the signs that would do his son harm. He had to put Liam first. When the time was right, he’d find someone who would love Liam like he was her own. But Fen was a friend and off limits.

  Liam shrugged. ‘I suppose.’ He wriggled to be freed. ‘I gotta go finish my boats. Fen says we have hundreds to make.’

  Kieran set him down on his feet. ‘Off you go then.’

  ‘You can help too.’

  He ruffled Liam’s hair. ‘I’m sure Fen has other duties for me.’ He flexed his muscles and knelt for Liam to feel them. ‘I’m the brawn, you’re the brains. Together we’re the M-Team.’

  ‘I’ve got muscles too.’ Liam flexed his and Kieran gave them a squeeze.

  ‘You need more Weetbix. They’re growing nicely. Come on, mate, let’s get some work done.’

  He followed Liam back to where Fen alternately checked the staff setting up the tables and the watch strapped to her wrist. The broad black band with its over-sized watch face had replaced the leather cuff on her arm. It should have looked too modern for her outfit, yet it suited her. A perfect contrast for the unique personality that symbolised who she was.

  ‘Nice dress.’

  She smiled up at him briefly, her concentration clearly on setting up the room. ‘Tameka wanted a theme that would reflect both her and Harley’s heritages. So, we’ve planned a mixed of Vietnamese and Australian traditions.’

  ‘Sounds like a lot of planning.’

  She smiled again, and he let his gaze linger on her lips. A shiny coating of gloss made those lips so damn kissable. ‘No more so than any other wedding. And Tameka deserves something special after the year she’s had.’

  ‘How’s she recovering?’

  ‘The burns are healing well. But the emotional wounds take a lot longer.’

  Damn it, he knew that better than anyone. Liam would grow up and hopefully not remember much of the trauma Diane had caused. He, on the other hand, would remember it for a long time to come. ‘Good thing then she has Harley and his family.’

  Fen finished folding the last origami boat and dropped it into a basket on the preparation table. ‘Yes. She’s a lucky girl to have escaped that fire alive. If Harley hadn’t seen the flames …’ She shivered. ‘Ready to fill these boats with the almonds, Liam?’

  Liam nodded enthusiastically.

  ‘Okay then.’ She held out her hand. ‘Shall we go and wash our hands over there at the basin first?’

  He looked up at Kieran who ruffled his hair. ‘Off you go, mate. I’ll be right here taking care of the boats until you come back.’

  At Kieran’s nod and after another moment’s hesitation, Liam slipped his hand into Fen’s.

  ‘Kieran, could you please keep an eye out for the groom and his party? They’ll be arriving any minute now. Liv’s set up the guest room at the main house for them to get ready in. If you can show them to it, that would be awesome. Then you can come back and help put the boats on the table.’

  ‘Yes, ma’am.’ His dry tone didn’t escape her, and she shot him an amused look.

  ‘Might as well get used to it. We’re booked out for weddings all through the winter and the better part of spring. No-one escapes wedding fever at The Cranky Lizard.’

  And because that put thoughts of Fen walking down the aisle towards him into his mind, he turned his gaze to the driveway where the dust trail on the unsealed road indicated the arrival of one half of the wedding party.

  Time sped by in a rush of activity. Only ten minutes late, the bride arrived, stunning in a traditional Vietnamese wedding dress that covered the ravages of the fire that had left her scarred and the town of Wongan Creek shocked at the events that had followed. He’d heard about it, read about it online and watched the news that had reached Sydney channels through disbelief at the cruelty of her case. It had made him so much more thankful that Liam had survived the car crash with Diane almost completely uninjured.

  He watched Fen move in her high heels and allowed himself a little smile of appreciation. She really did look hot in stilettos. Although he had no doubt they’d be kicked off as soon as the ceremony was over, and the rush of the reception began.

  Liam smiled and whispered to Liv from his spot at the back of the rows of chairs. Perched on a chair so he could see, Liv held him securely to stop him from toppling off. Kieran’s heart warmed a little more. Here there was so much to occupy his son and take his mind off the past. And on a day as magical as this one, he could almost forget about the blackened scar in the vineyard and the threat that hung over it like a dark cloud waiting to rain down hell on them.

  The celebrant welcomed the couple and the crowd. Oh, good Lord, whoever would have imagined Virginia Turner, the dragon lady of Wongan Creek’s school, would be the one blessing the unions of her past students. Kieran smiled at the irony of it. Hell-bent on keeping boys and girls from kissing behind the bicycle shed, here she was years later conducting marriage ceremonies.

  ‘Quite the sight, isn’t she?’

  Fen’s warmth at his side, hand on his arm and whisper that drifted quietly to his ears, had him
looking down. Even in heels, she barely reached his shoulder. From deep inside him, the need to throw an arm around her shoulders and draw her closer called, a hug from one friend to another, but he knew it would be more than that. He was proud of what she’d achieved, of how far she’d come. And to have that torn from her the way it had been was unacceptable. He placed a hand over hers and squeezed her fingers.

  ‘The bride or Ms Turner?’

  Fen grinned up at him. ‘Both.’

  ‘The bride is beautiful. Ms Turner is a puzzle I’ll forever be trying to figure out. You’ve done a great job here today, Fen.’

  ‘I didn’t do it alone. Liv is a powerhouse. Speaking of which, could you put those muscles to use for me? I need the champagne brought out of the cool room to be ready for the toasts. We’ve got a window of about an hour before the reception starts.’

  ‘Of course.’ He placed his hand in the small of her back, feeling the curve under his palm. A perfect fit. Too perfect. But when she didn’t object to it being there, he left his hand where it was as they walked towards the café, not quite a hug but a connection that made him feel better knowing he could be beside her to help with whatever she needed.

  In the kitchen, he watched as she gathered the wait staff and gave them a run-down of the schedule for the reception. Some of the faces he recognised—older now, they’d been primary school age when he’d left Wongan Creek. The unfamiliar faces were either backpackers or new in town since he’d been gone.

  In the group, a middle-aged man studied Fen closely. Long hair tied back, his catering company kitchen staff uniform neat if not a little too big. Rugged features that might appeal to a woman who liked the look of a man who’d lived a hard life. Untidy hair concealed by a bandana and teardrop sunglasses with reflective lenses hiding his eyes. As if he’d forgotten he was wearing them, and they were a part of his everyday uniform.

  Kieran’s senses hit high alert. Not the same guy who’d come to the cellar on his first day here. This guy was taller, older, scrappier, but no less suspicious. He’d keep an eye on him, make sure the man stayed at his post. He made his way to the storeroom to get the stock of drinks, moving quickly so he wouldn’t lose sight of the kitchen hand.

  * * *

  Fen stepped out the back door of the kitchen onto the narrow decking, ticking off the checklist in her mind as she headed for the freezer room out the back. If all had run to plan, the supplier should have delivered the bags of ice for the bar.

  A movement behind her had her turning. She pasted her I’m-okay smile on her face, expecting it to be Kieran or Liv who’d followed her out. It froze in place as a stranger invaded her space, so close she could smell his lack of cologne and the remaining stench of stale cigarette smoke.

  The man’s hand closed around her arm, his fingers digging into her flesh, his breath on her face and his words threatening in her ear as he propelled her down the stairs and onto the gravel path. Adrenaline raced through her veins, chasing down the terror as her instinct for fight or flight kicked in.

  ‘Let me go!’ She pulled against his grip, knowing his fingers would leave bruises, the pressure of them reminding her of hands that had grasped and hurt before. A long time ago.

  ‘I’ll let you go when I’m bloody good and ready.’

  ‘What do you want from me? Did Luke send you?’ She looked over her shoulder to the cellar building, panic setting in as he half ran, half walked her down the path. Where was Riggs? She could see the guests in the tasting hall, their backs turned to the windows, no-one facing the grounds. Kieran. He’d been in the kitchen. Had he seen the man come after her? She tugged against his hand again, but the fingers holding her were strong. She could scream, attract attention. She opened her mouth and took a breath.

  His nails bit into her skin. ‘Not a sound. Don’t make me kill you before we’ve had some fun. Takes all the pleasure out of it. You didn’t think you could hide forever, did you?’

  ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about. Who are you? Why won’t you leave us alone?’

  ‘It doesn’t matter who I am. You won’t live long enough for it to matter. I don’t like loose ends, you see. They tend to earn a man a cell in prison.’ He pushed the sunglasses up on his head and Fen got a look into eyes so dark they were almost black. Empty eyes with a teardrop tattoo. ‘We have unfinished business, you and I … Rosa.’

  The emphasis he placed on the name had her skin crawling with goosebumps. Recognition flitted in and out of reach. A voice calling her. A name she’d forgotten because she hadn’t been called it since the day she turned seven. ‘My name is Fenella Waterman. You have the wrong person.’

  He rubbed a thumb over her wrist. ‘Don’t play dumb with me, girl. It would be a shame if people thought you’d taken to cutting yourself again. This time you might succeed. The way your mother did.’

  ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

  The grip on her wrist tightened, pinching her skin. ‘Your foster mother is looking well. Maybe I should let you watch me make her suffer. Jog your memory. Before I do exactly the same to you. Do you have any idea how much that appeals to me? Nothing more satisfying than the slice of a knife against skin. But you know all about that, don’t you, Rosa?’

  Cold terror gripped her spine. ‘You leave her alone.’ Fen swallowed the fear that rose to claim her words. She’d fight until her last breath to keep Liv safe.

  His grip tightened some more. ‘Maybe I’ll leave her to my friends. You’re more my type. I like a feisty girl. A good fight. If you’re lucky when I’m done with you, I’ll leave something over for them to play with.’

  Fen let her arm relax in his grip. She looked him right in the eye. ‘Fuck you.’

  Kieran’s shout reached her ears, the thud of his feet pounding out a rhythm on the gravel. ‘Oi!’

  The man’s hold on her fell away. ‘Make it easy on yourself. Call off the cops, let me deal with this my way, and maybe I’ll let you live.’ He walked away as Kieran reached her.

  ‘You okay?’

  She nodded. ‘Fine.’ Kieran made to go after the man, but she held him back with a hand on his arm. ‘Let him go.’

  ‘What? Fen, are you crazy? That didn’t look like a friendly visit.’

  ‘It wasn’t. Liv needs to go away for a while. Somewhere safe where they can’t harm her.’

  Riggs raced across the lawn, reaching them as the sound of a Harley engine disappeared up the drive towards the main road. ‘Trouble, Fenella?’

  ‘An unwelcome guest.’

  Riggs patted his pocket as he watched the dust settle on the road. ‘Lucky I got his rego number then. I don’t like what’s happening here. If there’s anything you need to tell me, now’s a good time. Did you recognise him?’

  ‘No. I’ve never seen him before.’

  ‘Right, I’ll run the rego for the records, but I think I know exactly where it will lead me. Think you can ID him if I show you some photographs?’

  Adrenaline seeped out to let fear creep in. ‘I’m scared, Sarge. After the fire yesterday and now this …’

  ‘I can get you protection.’

  Anger chased the fear. ‘I’m already in protection. You told me that. That makes me wonder if I can trust you because Beyond Hell’s Reach found me, and I don’t even know why I’m their target. You told me they’d reopened my mother’s case. You told me it was murder. And you’ve always known where I came from. Is that a coincidence, Sarge? Or are you on the take along with those same cops who filed a false report on my mother’s death?’

  ‘Fen …’ Kieran squeezed her shoulders with a gentle warning.

  ‘No, I have a right to be asking.’ Fen stepped out of the protection of Kieran’s warmth. ‘All I have is questions and no answers.’

  Riggs folded his notepad and tucked it away in his pocket. His eyes searched hers then held, his gaze direct and full of meaning. ‘The only way I can give you all the answers is if you come into the station and give me a positive ID. One
answer I can give you with absolute clarity is that I am not on the take. Muzz Waterman was a mate. A good mate. And I won’t let anything happen to his wife or the girl he considered his daughter, his flesh and blood, even when blood had nothing to do with it. I kept your secret from the day Martha Wallace came into my office to tell me she was bringing you here and why. When you’re ready to confront the truth, Fenella, you know where to find me. In the meantime, I’ll make sure I have back up from the anti-gang task force in this town by nightfall because things are about to get ugly.’

  His words smashed at her heart. She wanted to believe the honesty in his eyes, wanted to be sure she had the law on her side. The time had come to crawl out of the shadows and face what lay behind that bedroom door. ‘I’ll come in, but first I have a wedding to wrap up and a bride to keep happy. I won’t let any of this spoil Tameka’s big day.’

  Liam’s wail flowed across the lawns. ‘Daddy!’

  The panic in his cry made Fen’s heart ache. The speed with which Kieran turned and ran towards his son cemented how precious he was to his father. The way he swept the little boy up in his arms and comforted him against his chest made her wish she could do the same. And the reality of it all made her realise all the reasons she needed to make Kieran go back to Sydney where both he and Liam would be safe too. Safe and untouched by the dark forces that currently ruled her life and had the potential to harm them.

  ‘He couldn’t see you anywhere, love, and he panicked.’ Marge Everett’s tone was apologetic as she patted Liam’s back.

  ‘Thanks for bringing him to me, Mrs Everett.’

  Minutes earlier and Liam would have witnessed what happened. Damn it, he could have been bait if the man sent to threaten her had chosen to make him so. Anger shot through her as Fen made her way across the grassy patch and past the roses still in full bloom. Kieran and Liam had suffered enough, and they were no longer close enough to be dragged into her nightmares. Not like when they were kids and their situations had been similar. Kieran had pulled himself out of that life. She’d succeeded in doing the same until Luke had dragged her back there again. Neither Liv nor Kieran deserved that kind of treatment.