by Mark Ayre
"You already confessed to hitting her," said Abbie. "You never said how hard, nor with what."
Angel stopped. For a second, only the wind moved as the group tried to process Abbie’s implication.
Then, the strength left Alice's legs. She went to her knees, then her behind, her hand to her mouth.
"Stop," she whispered, but Abbie knew going halfway was not an option.
"No matter what happens, Ollie, you may never forgive yourself. But I promise that if you walk out the door with that woman: if you run away, the guilt will eat you alive."
"Shut up," said Angel. "Baby, she doesn't know what she's talking about."
"I know exactly what I'm talking about," said Abbie. "And Ollie, I want you to remember what I told you this morning. I'd forgotten Aurora suffered a head injury. That was you, wasn't it?"
"Come on, Ollie," said Angel, but he pulled his hand free and stumbled forward.
"Yes," he said, and Alice let out a low groan. "It's like you said. She wouldn't break up with Jacob. She walked away, and there was a brick on the ground. I wasn't thinking. Didn't even know what was happening. One minute I was shouting after her and the next..."
He was unable to go any longer. Abbie stepped forward, her hand outstretched.
"But the moment she fell, you regained your senses, didn't you? You knew straight away what'd you'd done was wrong, right?"
Ollie nodded as though his life depended on it. "Yes. Yes, I knew."
"So what did you do?"
"I went to her."
"And then?"
"I checked her pulse."
"And she was alive?"
Another nod.
"She was alive," Abbie confirmed, more for Alice than Ollie.
"She was breathing," said Ollie. "There was a lot of blood, but I used my jacket to try stop it because I wanted to save her life. She wasn't speaking, but I told her it was going to be okay. I got out my phone. I was going to ring an ambulance."
"That's enough," said Angel.
"But you didn't ring an ambulance, did you?” said Abbie.
"I said: that's enough."
"Because your mother didn't only teach you it was okay to use violence to get what you wanted; she also drilled into you that you don't call the authorities when you have a problem. Matter of fact, you don’t ask anyone for help, except your family. Because this family doesn’t need anyone else.”
Alice moaned again.
Angel raised her gun, pointed it at Abbie. "Last chance."
"Please don't confuse me for someone you can intimidate,” said Abbie and turned back to Ollie. "You called your mother, didn't you?"
"I've had enough," roared Angel, but Alice was up again.
"Shoot Abbie, and I'll kill you," she said. Her tone was flat, emotionless. It left no room to disbelieve her vow.
Angel didn't lower her gun, but she trembled.
"Ollie, do not cross me on this."
"I called mum," he said. Then collapsed to his knees in floods of tears. "I called mum. I'm so sorry. I wanted to save her. I knew I should call an ambulance. I should have called an ambulance."
"You should," said Abbie. "Because when your mum arrived and saw Aurora bleeding on the ground, saving the girl didn't cross her mind." Abbie turned to Angel. "You knew if Aurora lived, she would tell Alice what Ollie had done. Protecting your son was a consideration, but it wasn't your main concern. Already, you knew about Jacob and Aurora—even though you’d not been told—and like with Tony and me, with Alex and Louis, you saw it as a betrayal. How dare the girl that you believed you had raised consort with the enemy. This was Romeo and Juliet, and you stepped up to play Tybalt. You wanted to protect your son, but more importantly, you wanted to punish your treacherous sister. Isn't that right, Angel?"
Shaking her head, Angel stepped back. She looked at her son. "You make me sick."
"You should make yourself sick," said Abbie, feeling the anger build. "Aurora was innocent, but you imagined her betrayal, and it infuriated you. I'd ask how long it took you to decide to end your sister’s life, but you know what? I'm afraid of the answer.”
Alice still had her gun raised. Sensing her time was running out, Angel grabbed Ollie's hand.
"Come on."
"What did I tell you this morning," said Abbie to Ollie. "You should feel guilty for attacking Aurora. You should hate yourself for it, but the primary blame still does not lie with you. You know who it lies with."
"I said, come on."
Angel yanked her son. She didn't expect him to yank back.
Their hands flew apart, and Ollie stumbled, but Angel collapsed to the cliff.
Silence. Angel stared at her son in shock. Ollie was stunned himself, then he got ahold of his senses and stepped forward until he hovered over his mother.
"I blame you," he said. "You killed my sister."
The words were a sucker punch to Angel, but she was swift to wash away the fury with a relaxed demeanour.
"Did I hit her?" she asked her son. “Not that I remember, but I know I saved you from prison."
"I didn't want to be saved from prison," roared Ollie. "I wanted to save her. She wasn't dead when you arrived, she could have been okay, and I begged you, but you didn't listen. You never listen."
"Your temper, darling, it's too much. You should rein it in."
"You know all about my temper, don't you?" Ollie spat. “It’s your weapon. You used it when I was six, and you wanted my dad gone, and you used it the night Aurora died. Those things you wanted me to say to Grandma, that Jacob tried to drive Aurora and me apart, that he drove me to depression, it isn’t true, but you made me think it was. I told you about Jacob, and you twisted it like you always twist it. You made me feel like Aurora betrayed me, that she was trying to hurt me. She wasn’t trying to hurt me, and Jacob had no malicious intentions towards me. They’d fallen in love. That was all. They’d fallen in love."
"Oh, take some responsibility," said Angel, rising.
"I am," screamed Ollie. "It was my fault. I should never have let you get in my head, but you're my mum. Why couldn't you protect me from my anger? Why couldn't you listen to what I needed and save her?"
Angel met her son's gaze with a look of such contempt that the boy flinched.
Despite everything Ollie had said, Angel's evident disgust was breaking his heart.
"It's not about you," she told him. Then turned to the bar while waving a hand in Alice's direction. "I've changed my mind. Keep him. Here's hoping one day you piss him off, and he brains you like he did Aurora."
Without another glance at her son, Angel stepped into the bar. She was doing an excellent job of walking like a woman in no hurry, with no concerns. Still, Abbie could sense Angel's fear as she stepped with a little too much haste towards the kitchen.
The plan was no doubt to leave the house and not return until she was sure she could have her revenge, if ever. Once in the bar, she stopped. At first, Abbie couldn't tell why. Then three figures moved through the door from the kitchen.
Angel wanted to say something witty, but the words jammed in her throat. She looked at Alex on the left of the trio, Tony on the right, then to the battered and bruised girl in the middle.
Alice's gun slipped from between her fingers as her hands went to her mouth, and tears spilt from her eyes.
"You're alive," said Angel, forcing a smile. "Lovely to see you, Ariana.”
Thirty-Five
Ariana's face was pale and pained. Anger twisted some life into it. Where Tony and Alex held her up, she shoved their hands off and took an unsupported step towards Angel. Her eyes burned with tears and fury. Abbie saw she was building up to speak.
Then Ollie rushed through the bar door and threw his arms around her.
"You're alive,' he said. "Oh my God, you're alive. I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry. I shouldn't have let mum do it. I should have forced her out the way so grandma could call the coast guard. I—"
“Right, okay,” said Ariana, fury gi
ving way to bemusement at her nephew’s reaction to her reappearance. “You know I’m Ariana, not Aurora, yeah?"
Alice was unmoving, her hands still over her mouth. Gun in hand, Abbie approached the barroom.
The truth will set you free.
"Your dad never put a railing out here," she said to Ariana, "even when he had little kids. He couldn't allow something as boring as health and safety to ruin the beauty of the view."
Everyone stared at Abbie.
"What?" said Ariana.
"We have some work to do on our relationship, by the way, if I'm to forgive you," said Abbie. "But I can see you aren't ready for that, so let's keep on point—Morris: the kind of man who won't allow safety to ruin the experience. You told me before you tried to kill me that he regularly cheating on your mother. Do you think he used protection?"
Alex gasped; Ariana looked furious; Angel's grip tightened on her gun.
Behind Abbie, Alice had dropped her hands from her face and rushed to Abbie's back.
"What the hell did you say?"
“If you didn't know, Alice, I'm sorry. Maybe it's not true, but let us for a second assume Ariana knows something we don’t. Morris is a cheat. Does he use protection? He should, but I'd theorise not," Abbie said, answering her own question. "What does that mean? Simple. A man who has frequent affairs and refuses to use protection is, eventually, going to have an accident."
Stunned silence.
Abbie said, "I don't mean he wet himself. Not even an STI, though that's possible. Sorry Ariana, Alice, you don't want to think about that."
More stunned silence.
Abbie looked to Ollie on the floor.
“You said you were six when your dad died. So a decade ago. When you told me originally, I assumed you were older, and that's my bad. Alice, when did your husband die?"
Alice didn't answer. Couldn't answer.
"Fell off his boat, didn't he? Died in suspicious circumstances. The police believed he was murdered, and you were to blame. You thought it was a drunken accident. You were both wrong. Well, the police were half-right. He was murdered."
"Stop this," said Alice.
But Abbie couldn't. "Ariana, when Ollie talks about Aurora, he always calls her his sister. Sometimes he corrects himself to say she was like a sister, and everyone assumes that's what he means anyway." Abbie looked to Ollie on the floor. "But that isn't what you mean, is it? Why else would you be so relieved to see Ariana back from the dead? She's an awful person. No offence."
But Ariana couldn't talk. She was staring at Angel. Everyone was staring at Angel.
Abbie looked at Alice. “Morris supported Angel through her pregnancy when Ollie’s father did a runner. You never knew who the father was, though, did you? And Morris was brilliant with your grandson. That’s what you said. Ariana believes that Morris preferred Ollie to her. Why would she have that impression? Why was he so close to his step-grandson?”
Abbie didn’t need to answer these questions. Alice was still staring at her eldest daughter.
"Angel," said Alice. "Tell me it isn't so."
Letting out a long breath, Angel looked from her mother to Abbie to her siblings to her son. Back to Alice.
Shrug. "Come on, mum. It's not like I didn't warn you about him."
"Oh, God," said Alex. Tony stood back in revulsion.
“Look how appalled you all are,” said Angel. "It was a couple of times. Meant nothing, and look what came of it. I don't jump your husband's bones; you don't get Ollie. Surely that's worth the trade." She turned and looked at her son on the floor. "Then again…”
"You vile creature," said Tony.
"Sticks and stones, brother."
Abbie turned to Alice. "I'm so sorry."
"Not for long," muttered Angel. "I've had enough."
Stepping back, she raised her heavy handgun, pointed it at Abbie's back, and pulled the trigger.
Her mistake had been throwing in a final line, like in a movie. The moment she started speaking, Tony sensed what she was going to do. As Angel raised her gun, her younger brother cried out and dived at Abbie, knocking both her and Alice, who had been inches behind Abbie, to the ground as the gun went off.
Abbie's ears rang as the shot exploded in the small barroom; her head span as it cracked against the cliff.
Above her, Angel had turned her gun on her sisters.
"Move," she said.
"You screwed my dad, then killed him," said Ariana. "You gave me another brother and never told me. You murdered my sister."
"Correct on all counts, now get out my way."
Ariana screamed, dived at Angel. At the same time, Ollie launched at his mother's feet, and the three of them went down in a heap.
On the bar floor, they rolled. A stool was knocked over then a bottle shattered.
Looking a little confused but wanting to do something, Alex charged in and dived onto the pile.
Untangling herself from Tony and Alice, Abbie rose.
Angel’s gun went off.
The floor to ceiling window between the bar and the balcony shattered, cascading into thousands of pieces that littered the cliff.
Angel was still waving the gun. Ollie had fallen aside, and the swaying weapon cracked Alex's skull before Angel tossed her sister away.
Stepping forward, Abbie kicked the gun from Angel's hand, sending the weapon flying across the room. She'd lost her own gun when Tony had tackled her.
Screaming, Angel drove an elbow into Ariana's stomach, rolled the younger woman off, and rose. Staggering, she went for her gun. Abbie grabbed her before she could make it two paces, yanked her back, spun her around, shoved her towards the balcony.
Stumbling, Angel tried to steady herself as she took one, two, three quick steps back. On the fourth, her foot caught between the end of the carpet and the beginning of the cliff. Tipping, she waved her arms in the air but was unable to stop herself from going over. One second, she was glaring at Abbie, the next, she had crashed to her back.
Alice cried out. "Tony. Anthony, listen to me. Don't close your eyes."
Frightened, shocked, Alex was rising. Her eyes flicked between Angel and Tony.
Crossing the room, Abbie collected Angel's gun. Returning, she lay a hand on Alex's arm.
"Go to your brother."
Alex looked to Abbie, tears in her eyes. Nodding, she turned and rushed for the door.
Still clutching her stomach, Ariana was tugging herself to her feet using a table. Ollie remained on his behind, his back to the bar, his arms pulling his knees tight to his chest. He was sobbing.
Stepping forward, Abbie pointed Angel's gun at its owner. The eldest of Alice's present children lay on her back in starfish position. Her eyes were semi-focused on the sky.
"End it," said Ariana. "Kill her."
"I don't have to," said Abbie. "And now might be a good time to say I haven't forgotten what you tried to do to Jacob and to me. Your consistent failure to carry out your horrendous plans doesn’t make them any more forgivable."
Ignoring this jibe, Ariana gestured to Angel. "What do you mean you don't have to?"
Abbie looked at the younger woman. Her skin was bruised all over and darkening by the second. She would already be in plenty of pain. By morning, each limb movement would bring fresh agony.
Abbie wouldn't feel much better.
"Good job, surviving the fall."
Ariana looked at Abbie, saw similar markings. "You as well?"
Abbie nodded. "Sorry about your boyfriend. Although he was an arsehole and probably deserved to die; for what he was prepared to do to Jacob if nothing else."
Ariana didn't know what to say to this, so she looked back at her sister. Gesturing with the gun, Abbie said, "Look beneath the torso, at her sides."
It was dark, and Ariana was not as experienced at looking for signs of injury as was Abbie. Taking a step forward, leaning in a little, she spotted it. A growing trickle of blood on either side of Angel's body. Every second it spread a littl
e further. In a couple of minutes, it would be unmissable.
"That's what happens when you try to make a snow angel in shards of glass,” said Abbie.
Ariana chuckled, then pointed at her sister in response to Abbie's raised eyebrow.
"Angel..."
"Ah." Abbie smiled. “That’s clever.” She turned from Ariana to the doorway, across which lay Tony, shrouded by his mother and Alex. "How is he?"
"I thought he might be..." Alice stopped, took a breath, moved on. "There's a bullet lodged in his shoulder, but it's not gone deep. He's on the verge of unconsciousness, but the blood loss isn't major."
"Can you deal with it here?"
"I should be able to remove the bullet," said Alice. "If so, yes. I'll need my kit."
Alex started to rise, but Abbie said, "No." Turning, she looked to Ariana. "Take Ollie, bring the kit."
"It's not a two-person job," said Ariana.
"I know."
Ariana met her eye. Abbie didn’t know what Alice’s youngest living child was thinking. She imagined it had to do with Ollie’s part in Aurora’s murder. Whatever the case, Ana hesitated.
“Please, Ariana,” said Alice. “Just do it."
Ariana looked at her mother. Closed her eyes. Ollie was still on the floor, his knees pulled to his chest, but he looked up to Ariana as she snapped her fingers in his face.
"Come. Now."
Without hesitation, Ollie rose. At first, he looked ready to leave without delay. Then his eyes caught on his mother, and for a few seconds, he stared.
"Forget her," said Ariana and left the room.
In a gentler tone, Abbie said, "I know she's your mum. It can't be easy—“
“Whatever you want to do," Ollie cut in. "I support you 100%."
Without looking back, he hurried after his half-sister.
Leaving Alex to care for her brother, Alice rose and came to Abbie, her protector, who had now placed her gun on the table and was watching Angel with crossed arms.
"What now?" Alice asked.
Abbie took a breath. "That's up to you... birthday girl."
Alice shuddered. "Don't."
“Sorry."
"Explain my options."
Abbie had already considered this. "I think you have three."