“His words seem conciliatory but that is completely at odds with everything we know about Richard. The profile we have had worked up on him tells us that he is not the kind of person to just walk away. Everything he has done so far seems to be building up to something so it makes no sense that he would just stop.” The Detective rubs her forehead and exchanges a look with Henry.
“If anything I would place money that this letter is a ruse to get us to back off and reduce the security we have surrounding you all, if not get rid of it altogether. And then, when you are at your most vulnerable, that is when Richard will strike.”
I feel myself going pale at the detective’s words and Henry quickly jumps in to calm my fears. “Please don’t worry, Abby. There is no way we will be reducing security, if anything I think I will be getting more men on board, particularly for the foreseeable future until we have a better idea of where Richard is.”
“Um, okay,” I murmur as I clasp my hands together nervously. When Richard had been arrested it had been such a relief to get rid of the constant scrutiny, of people watching my every move. But now it’s worse than ever and I can’t even begin to contemplate a future where I need to have a security detail so that I can take my daughter for a walk or down to the park or the beach. That’s not living, surely?
Henry pulls Detective Stanton to one side and they begin to talk quietly about security arrangements. I block out their words more interested in their body language; if I am not very much mistaken, there is definitely something going on between those two. I suppress my grin, now is really not the time to be interrogating them over their love life. At least something positive might have come out of this mess, I think to myself.
By the time everyone leaves, I am exhausted. I curl up on the couch hoping to catch up on my sleep-deprivation with a short nap but instead of a peaceful slumber I’m haunted by familiar nightmares of waking up to find a figure in my room, but this time instead of Hannah holding the knife over my pregnant belly, Richard is my attacker.
.........................
“Abby, wake up!” I feel a hand on my shoulder but my mind is so busy fighting off Richard that before I know it my fist is connecting with something hard.
“Oomph.” The very real grunt seeps into my subconscious and, as I open my eyes, an image of Taylor, doubled over and clutching his balls, comes into focus. “Nice right hook,” Taylor bleats out.
“Oh shit,” I say scrambling to sit up. “Oh, Taylor, I’m so sorry. I didn’t realise it was you.”
“Another nightmare?” Taylor asks looking concerned.
“Yeah,” I say still feeling groggy, the images playing on a never-ending loop in my mind.
“This one seemed awful,” Taylor comments. “Was it the letter from Richard? Did that trigger it?”
“I think so. I was the standard nightmare, but this time instead of Hannah attacking me, it was Richard. I’m fine, though,” I say lamely.
Taylor raises an eyebrow seeing through my empty words. “Clearly not, Abs. You landed quite a punch.”
“Sorry, Taylor. Are you going to be okay?” I feel terrible for hurting him, even if it was unintentional.
“Yeah, I’ll survive. We may not be able to have any more kids, though,” Taylor jokes weakly.
“What time is it?” I ask realising that I must have been asleep for some time if Taylor was home already.
“Just after seven,” Taylor responds glancing at his watch.
“Stix!” I gasp out.
“Relax, she’s helping the others finish up downstairs. I thought we could all go out and grab some burgers down at the marina, if you are up for that?”
My stomach lets out a grumble reminding me that I haven’t eaten since before Henry’s visit. “Sure, that sounds great. Let me just freshen up and then I’m all yours,” I say struggling to get up off the sofa.
Taylor holds out his hand and helps me up before pulling me firmly into his embrace. He kisses the top of my head as his arms slide down my back. “It’s going to be okay, Abs. I promise,” Taylor murmurs into my hair.
The Nineteenth
Today is officially a washout, I’ve decided. The weather has been stormy all day, reflecting all our moods. Even the ever-cheerful Bea seems to be affected by the grumps today. In an effort to be helpful, I popped down to the bakery to see if I could help with the day’s baking and was told in no uncertain terms that I wasn’t needed and to go back upstairs.
I feel like I am almost invisible these days. Even Stix has barely spoken to me since the weekend. At dinner last night she pretty much kept her head down and dodged joining in the conversation. And today she has just avoided me altogether.
Letting out a sigh, I try and not let it get to me. People are busy, I reason with myself. Everyone is flat out pulling together everything for Taylor’s party so really I am the least of everyone’s priority. Feeling listless I pull out my phone and dial my mother. It goes straight to answerphone and I throw the device down in frustration.
Oh sod it, I think to myself. I stalk through to our bedroom and root around in my bedside table until I unearth my trusty MP3 player. It has been ages since I have listened to my ‘angry girl’ music but today I just feel the need to vent some frustration. I shove my earphones into my ears and crank up the volume. As Limp Bizkit begins to rap wanting to ‘break stuff’, I find myself singing along at the top of my voice.
Several songs later I am starting to feel a little better, like I have released the valve on a pressure cooker. I am halfway through my rendition of Kelly Clarkson’s Stronger when I suddenly sense a presence behind me. My head whips around to find Stix standing there smirking at me.
“What?” I snap, feeling embarrassed at being caught out.
Stix looks at me nervously, “Um, Bea sent me up. Said she could do with some help after all.”
“Fine,” I respond wearily. “I’ll come now.”
Slipping on a pair of comfy pumps, I follow Stix down the stairs and through the back entrance. I barely register that it’s kind of dark as I continue down the corridor and through the doorway that comes out beside the kitchen. It’s only when I step out into the bakery that I begin to notice something is amiss.
The regular queues of people lining up at the bakery counter are missing and the usual hum of activity from the café is noticeably absent. “Hey, Stix? What’s going on?” I ask turning towards her.
Just then a movement in the corner of my eye grabs my attention and I turn to see that the café is filled to the brim with people, people I recognise. “Surprise!” calls out Stix and is followed a second later by a chorus of people joining in. Jeez, if anything would send me into labour it would be a bunch of people jumping out at me, but, fortunately, I catch on quickly.
“Wh…what’s all this, guys?” I ask nervously, wondering why on earth all these people are here.
My mum steps forward with a twinkle in her eye. “Welcome to your baby shower, Abs,” she says.
“Sorry for being so weird this last couple of days, Abs,” Stix whispers into my ear. “I was so excited I thought for sure I was going to give it away.”
I let out a chuckle, “You guys really fooled me!” I am definitely going to have to grill Stix later to find out how they pulled all of this off without me having a clue.
I am suddenly surrounded by friends and family all wanting to say hello and give me hugs. After a few minutes, my mum claps her hands to get everyone’s attention and asks everyone to help themselves to drinks and some food. I turn to the bar to see glasses of mimosas have been set up and on the opposite wall there is a large buffet of sandwiches, an intricate fruit sculpture and a stand piled high with cupcakes, cupcakes that are decorated with tiny pink feet. I am swiftly feeling completely overwhelmed.
“Come on, Abs,” my mum says grabbing my elbow gently and steering me towards a chair that has been placed in the centre of the back wall surrounded by pink helium balloons. I settle into the chair and am handed a glass of
orange juice and a small plate of food.
Stix plops herself down next to me. “You aren’t mad at me, Abs, are you? I know I have been a complete cow the last few days.” She looks so worried I rush to reassure her.
“Of course not, Stix. You are completely forgiven. Especially if you grab me one of those amazing-looking cupcakes over there.”
“Sure thing,” she says eagerly as she gets up and heads across to the buffet table.
“Hello, my darling girl,” Genevieve says coming to stand in front of me. There are so many people here I hadn’t even noticed her in the crowd.
“Genevieve!” I exclaim happily. “Thank you for coming.” I look her up and down; her makeup and hair are impeccable as usual but she hasn’t been able to disguise the dark circles under her eyes. I attempt to get up to give her a hug but she pushes me back gently and tells me firmly to stay seated. Stix quickly brings a chair over for her grandmother and she sits down carefully on it before taking a sip of her drink.
We chat quietly for a few minutes as I watch everyone mingling and eating. I am amazed that so many people have turned up today. My mum moves through the crowd making sure everyone is happy and helping themselves to food, the consummate hostess.
A sudden bang startles me but I find my mouth stretching into a wide smile when Michelle rushes in full of apologies about being late. She drops a quick kiss on my cheek before saying she needs to talk to my mother about something and then rushes off when she catches sight of her talking to Sarah, my friend from the tattoo store.
For the next half an hour, I chat away to friends, both new and old, as we eat and sip at our drinks. As my mother clinks a cake fork on her now empty glass, people begin to settle into the chairs dotted around the room. She steps forward and I can feel my cheeks heating up in anticipation of what is probably about to happen.
“Thank you so much, everyone, for taking the time out of your busy schedules to come and help us celebrate today,” Mum begins. “In a couple of weeks our lives will be made all the richer by the arrival of a special little girl. As you all know, Abby has been through so much over the last nine months but here she is, still smiling. I know she is going to be the most amazing mother…” My mum trails off for a moment as she wipes a tear from the corner of her eye and a lump appears in my throat.
“Sorry,” she continues. “My baby girl is having her own baby girl and I couldn’t be prouder of the amazing young woman she has become. Bean is so lucky to have such a strong, compassionate and kind mother in her life. She is truly blessed.”
The tears are openly falling down my face at my mother’s words. I get the impression that some of her emotion is not just about me and this is confirmed when she continues, “Abby, your Nonna would be so proud of you as well. As you move into this new chapter, I would like us to raise a toast to you and Bean, and to wish you both the wonderful future you deserve.”
Glasses are raised in my direction and I do my best to wipe away the tears. I mouth ‘Thank you’ at my mother not really knowing how else to express my gratitude.
“Right, pressies,” squeals Stix excitedly, breaking the tension in the room and I let out a chuckle at her enthusiasm. A towering pile of gifts suddenly appears in front of me and I swallow hard.
“Really guys, this is too much,” I say, my belly swirling with emotion. “Just having you all here today is enough!”
Everyone pooh-poohs me and one by one they bring over gifts for me to open. I am flabbergasted. Cute little outfits, blankets and socks end up being piled beside books, lullaby CDs and even one of those harnesses so that you can carry your baby on your back. Paper in every shade of pink you can imagine litters the floor and I briefly feel guilty for all the mess I am creating.
I have just finished up opening Genevieve’s gift, an antique silver rattle that was hers as a child, when something tickles my senses. I glance up to find Taylor leaning against the bar nonchalantly watching me with a grin on his face.
“You knew?” I squeal at him and he just laughs before coming over and dropping a soft kiss on my lips. A couple of people go ‘aw’ and I suddenly feel a little embarrassed by our public display of affection, even if it was most definitely PG-rated.
The rest of the afternoon passes in a social whirl that is both completely exhilarating and exhausting at the same time. By the time I fall into bed a while later, I have a grin on my face and a feeling that the day was not quite the washout I thought it would be after all.
The Twentieth
“Hmm, this is a nice surprise,” I say sleepily as Taylor brushes my hair gently off my face and the aroma of fresh coffee tickles my nose.
“Stix is already downstairs working and I don’t have to be in the office until after lunch so I thought it would be nice to spend some time with my gorgeous wife.” Taylor smiles down at me and I can’t help the snort that escapes me at his description of me.
“Yeah right,” I say as I shift over so that I can sit up. I displace the ten million pillows that I seem to need these days, along with my pregnancy pillow, just to get a few hours’ sleep sending them crashing to the floor as push myself back against the headboard. “I’m the size of a hippo, and not the pigmy kind either. My fingers and feet are so swollen I can’t even wear shoes or my wedding ring so, yeah, I’m positively gorgeous!” My voice drips with sarcasm but suddenly my eyes prick with tears as emotion washes over me. Damn you, pregnancy hormones!
“Stop it, Abs,” Taylor says firmly. “You are gorgeous. I’ve told you this before; you are growing our baby in there so how can I not think of you as the most beautiful girl in the word?”
“Humph,” I grumble feeling slightly mollified at his words.
“I’m serious, Abs. I know you feel awful. You’ve not exactly had the easiest pregnancy and Bean is certainly taking her toll on you but this is all just temporary. In a short time, Bean will be with us and things will go back to normal. But know this, no matter what shape or size you are, I will always love you. You are my penguin.” Taylor smiles at me as he winds his fingers through mine.
“You soppy git,” I respond grabbing the nearest pillow and thumping him on the arm with it.
Taylor just grins back at me infuriatingly.
“Tay,” I murmur. “It’s going to be okay, isn’t it?”
“What do you mean?” Taylor asks looking at me with concern.
“The birth, I mean,” I say taking a deep breath. “Ever since we had to go to the hospital last weekend, it’s all I can think about. I know it was funny me peeing myself and all that, but truthfully I was terrified. And now every time I think about Bean coming I get all hot and cold and I start imagining all the things that could go wrong.”
“Oh, Abs. It’s going to be fine,” Taylor says reassuringly scooting over so that he can put his arms around me. “Besides, I’m going to be with you every step of the way. Okay?”
“Promise me, Taylor,” I implore. “Promise me that if anything goes wrong, you’ll make sure that they put Bean first.”
“Don’t be silly, Abs. Nothing is going to happen to you.” Taylor is starting to bristle at my words but I know I need to make it clear how I feel.
“I’m serious, Taylor. Things happen. And I want to know that if something does go wrong, you will make them do whatever it takes to make sure that Bean is fine. Even if it means…it means that I don’t…um…make it.” I swallow down the lump that has suddenly lodged itself in my throat.
Taylor is clearly aghast at my words. “I will not lose you, Abs. Once was enough! Never again, I will not lose you, period!”
“Tay,” I sigh. “Bean is more than just me. She is the two of us; she is the future. Just promise me that if it comes to it, you will make sure that they prioritise her. Please!” I implore.
I watch as Taylor squeezes his eyes together. “Fine,” he says curtly. “If that’s what you want, Abs. But don’t think I would idly sit by and let them sacrifice you for our daughter.”
“I know you would
n’t, Taylor. I know you would fight for both of us but all I’m saying is that if the worst happens please, for me, make sure she survives.” I let out another sigh and wish for a moment that I hadn’t brought up the subject.
“I’m going for a shower,” Taylor says getting up off the bed still clearly agitated. I get the sense he needs some time to work through what we have just been talking about so I just give Taylor a weak smile in response.
I mull over my words. It’s something that has been dwelling in my subconscious for a while now and even though I’m sure I have completely pissed Taylor off, I do feel like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders.
The water turns on in the bathroom and I’m just debating whether to join Taylor in the shower when I notice that Taylor’s phone is buzzing quietly on the bedside table, the volume turned down low. The display shows that it is Detective Stanton and thinking that it might be something important, I answer the phone.
We exchange pleasantries but the detective quickly gets to the reason why she is phoning, “Abby, we have reason to believe that Richard is in Calais. We have been sent some footage of a person we believe to be Richard in the migrant camps. It’s fuzzy, but based on the description issued to Interpol, they believe it’s a match.”
My mind is reeling so I force myself to take a deep breath. “So why would he be there?” I ask. “It seems so bizarre.”
“Our belief is that he is trying to get back across the channel, using the people smugglers so that he can get back into the country undetected. The footage was actually taken by a news crew for general broadcast and it was just luck that someone recognised him from the description and called in the tip.”
“Okay,” I respond, not sure what else to say.
“We’ve had local police out there canvassing but as you can imagine with the current situation in the migrant camps no one is talking, let alone being helpful.” Detective Stanton lets out a sigh and I can’t help feel for this woman who is working tirelessly around the clock to get some kind of justice for us.
Book Four: Thirty Days, Book 4 Page 10