UNWELCOME GUESTS: An atmospheric, suspenseful thriller

by Anna Willett

  Jace opened his mouth to protest, but Cat spoke up first. “I found something upstairs in the linen cupboard.” Both Jace and Eli turned in her direction. Her hands hung at her sides, bunched into fists as if she were bracing herself.

  “Now’s not the time.” Eli sounded tired just by speaking.

  Ignoring his dismissive attitude, she continued. “Wait here, I’ll get it.” She turned, hair fanning out behind her in a reddish-gold ribbons, and darted out of the kitchen.

  “Why don’t you pull your head in?” Jace had promised himself he wouldn’t interfere. With everything else that was going on, he knew it was a mistake to say anything, but the way Eli was treating Cat made him want to strangle his brother.

  “What are you talking about?” Everything about the way Eli spoke told his brother he knew exactly what he was talking about.

  “What has she done that’s so wrong?” He held up his hand. “You know what, don’t bother. You’re a fucking hypocrite and you know it.”

  Eli took a step forward. His eyes narrowed until they were little more than slits. Jace had seen this look before, it usually signalled trouble. When they were kids, Eli always got real quiet just before he struck out. By the time Jace was eight, he knew to watch for those narrow eyes and learned when to run. But things had changed, Jace wasn’t afraid of his older brother anymore and judging by the way Eli hesitated, he knew it too.

  The silence screamed with tension. Jace could hear his own breathing, louder than a cannon in his ears. If he were honest with himself, he’d like a physical confrontation with his brother. As much as he’d idolised him at one time in his life, he was hungry for the chance to show him he wasn’t so big and bad anymore.

  “Look at this.” Cat trotted back into the room holding a silver box which she set down on the bench top. The metal hit the marble with a ding.

  As if sensing trouble, she stopped moving and looked from Jace to Eli. “Has something happened?”

  Eli circled his shoulders as if limbering up for a fight. “It’s nothing, just my little brother being a twerp.” He smiled at his wife, a tight-lipped forced lift of the corners of his mouth. It wasn’t the smile that really got to Jace, but Cat’s reaction. Her lips parted and a puff of breath escaped. It was a small movement, but he could see how relieved she was to be thrown such a small scrap of approval. In that moment, he disliked his brother with almost as much depth as he’d once loved him.

  He’d planned this weekend in the hopes of helping Cat and Eli put the pieces of their fractured relationship back together. At least that’s what he’d told himself, but now he knew it was Cat he’d been trying to help, not Eli. His love for his brother had leaked away like water out of a cracked glass.

  The catches on the side of the box clicked open, snapping him back to the moment. “Look.” Cat opened the lid and turned the box so Jace and Eli could see its contents.

  “Shit.” The word whistled out of Eli’s mouth in a tone that sounded more like admiration than surprise. “Felix said Blyte waved a gun in his face, this must be it.” He pulled the box across the benchtop until it was sitting in front of him. “Where did you say you found it?” He spoke with his eyes on the gun.

  “It was in the linen cupboard, hidden at the bottom.” Cat pursed her lips as if in thought. Jace found himself wondering what it would be like to feel those lips on his neck. It was a fleeting but dangerous thought. He turned his attention back to the gun avoiding making eye contact with his sister-in-law.

  “This doesn’t change anything.” Eli pointed at the box. “I still think we should leave Felix here and send help.”

  When the repercussions of what Eli was suggesting sunk in, Jace’s heart thumped with panic. His brother wanted to go to the cops and tell them about Felix. If they did, Jace would be in trouble up to his eyeballs. He had to find a way to convince Eli and Cat that it would be better to go along with Felix’s idea and drop the guy off at the hospital.

  He searched for some line of reasoning, anything to make the second option more appealing, but he came up blank. He placed his hands on the island bench, icy under his palms. “Let’s just think this through.” He tapped the side of the box. “This changes things. Whatever Blyte’s doing with Felix is one thing.” Jace shrugged. “Assault, maybe kidnapping, but the handgun makes it more serious.”

  “So what are you saying?” Cat asked.

  He opened his mouth, but a distant sound caught his attention. Within seconds, he could see the other two heard it too. He looked into Cat’s green eyes. Huge and shiny with fear, they reminded him of an injured bird’s. A knot of dread twisted in his gut.

  Eli reached forward and picked up the gun.

  Chapter Five

  Hearing a sound and really registering it are two different things. It took Caitlin almost two full seconds between registering a distant noise and understanding what it was. An engine, the hiss of tyres on gravel. The saliva dried in her mouth leaving her tongue dry like a day-old waffle. There was no mistaking the sound of a car approaching. He’s dangerous, Felix’s words bounced around her mind. He’d warned them. We should have gone while we had the chance. If it hadn’t been for Eli they’d be on the road now, headed towards Mandurah.

  She watched her husband pick up the gun. Part of her couldn’t believe her eyes. This was supposed to be a fun weekend. A chance to get close to each other again. Now Eli had a gun in his hand and her knees trembled so badly she thought they might actually start knocking together like a cartoon character.

  “What are you going to do?” Even as she asked the question, she could see the set of her husband’s mouth, a hard line almost turned down at the edges. He meant to do something drastic. For some reason, she found herself turning to Jace for reassurance. “We can’t go out there.”

  Jace took hold of her elbow, his fingers felt rigid against her skin as if he were handling explosives and wanted to make the least possible contact.

  “Stay here.” He moved around her, blocking the archway that led to the main room.

  Her mouth opened, she wanted to argue and protest, but from the front of the house came the sound of a car door slamming. Jace let go of her arm.

  “I won’t let anything happen,” his voice was soft. “It’ll be okay.”

  She watched them file out of the room, Eli in the lead with Jace following. Caitlin stepped back, pressing her spine against the island bench, grateful for something solid to lean on. The only sound came from Jace’s flip-flops slapping across the stone floor. A minute or so later, a scrape as something large was moved or dragged. Then voices.

  Caitlin stepped up to the archway. She heard Eli’s, loud and commanding. He and Jace stood near the main entrance, a heavy looking dark wood cabinet had been wedged against the front door.

  “Don’t try to come in, I’ve got your gun.”

  She couldn’t hear whoever Eli addressed, but judging by the way he leaned towards the door, someone spoke from the outside.

  “Get in your car and drive away. We’re leaving and taking Felix with us.” His voice sounded uncertain. She wondered what Blyte, if that was who was out there, was saying.

  Cowering in the background struck her as ridiculous. She wanted to know what was happening. Whatever was being decided affected her as much as everyone else. Eli had the gun and the door was barricaded, Blyte couldn’t get in. Now all I have to do is force my rubbery legs to move.

  Taking the first step was the hardest part. When her foot came down on the floor, it wobbled as if it might slide out from under her. But her legs held and she managed to make it across the room. On the way, she glanced towards the study. Felix had to be able to hear what was going on. Why hadn’t he come out? Maybe he’s like me, shaking with fear. After what he’d been through, she couldn’t blame him. Another possibility might be that he couldn’t walk unaided. He’d needed Eli and Jace to help him into the study.

  “I can’t let you take him.” The voice, muffled but audible, came from the other side of
the door.

  From her position behind Jace, Caitlin guessed Blyte had to be standing close to the front door. Eli held the gun up, pointed straight ahead as if ready to shoot. Was it loaded? She couldn’t remember if he picked up the clip or just the gun. Did he even know how to load a gun? The questions tumbled through her mind. She considered asking Jace, but decided against it.

  “I don’t care about you or what you’re doing in my house.” Caitlin jumped. The disembodied voice was louder as if the man were pressed against the door. “Whatever he’s told you is lies. This is between me and him.”

  He didn’t sound crazy but she supposed they never did. Just looking at the house told her he was successful. He had to be able to get along in the world without anyone knowing what was going on in his head. Maybe he was just good at convincing people to believe him.

  Eli looked over his shoulder, catching her eye. She could see a film of sweat forming on his forehead, clinging to his dark hair. He looked uncertain, his gazed darted away as if he knew she’d caught the look.

  “Get away from the door,” Eli raised his voice to match the one coming from the other side. He paused, his breathing loud in the silence. “I’m not fucking around. If I have to, I’ll shoot.”

  Caitlin sucked in a breath. She didn’t like the edge in her husband’s voice, it sounded alien, almost crackling with desperation. She looked to Jace but his gaze remained locked on the door. The seconds ticked by without a response from Blyte. She wondered if he’d gone back to his car. Maybe he’d leave, just drive away into the night. Was it possible Eli’s threats had worked?

  The silence stretched. If Blyte intended to leave, they’d have heard his car start. Caitlin tried to remember what the front of the house looked like when they arrived. The driveway was a long, curved, strip of red pea gravel, if he was walking back to his car, surely they’d hear his shoes crunching over the loose stones.

  “The back door.” When she managed to get the words out, they bounced off the walls and echoed in the cavernous house.

  Jace reacted first, running past her so fast, she felt a rush of air against her bare arm. He dodged the oversized sofa and disappeared into the kitchen with Eli on his tail. She stood rooted to the spot, listening to their raised voices and hurried movements. Next came grunting and scraping. She guessed they were dragging something across the back door, most likely the fridge.

  By blocking both the exits, they were preventing Blyte from getting in, but what if they needed to get out in a hurry? For all they knew, the man outside might decide to set the house on fire. Caitlin ran her fingers through her hair and looked around. The windows were so narrow and high in the walls, it would be difficult to climb out. They’d be trapped, overcome by smoke before they made it outside.

  The thoughts bubbled in her mind, boiling and churning. She had to calm herself or she’d lose control and start shrieking. The situation was strange, volatile even, but no one had been hurt. What about Felix? Her brain threw up an image of him slumped on the cellar floor, bruised and dirty. Blyte did that to him. If he was capable of torturing someone, who knew what he’d do if they pushed him.

  A bang, sudden and heavy shook the front door. Caitlin screamed and stepped back as the solid wooden door shuddered under the weight of the blow.

  “We should have gone when we had the chance.” Felix spoke from behind her.

  She let out another scream and spun to the right, off-balance and stumbling. A hand grabbed her arm, pulling her back as she tried to run.

  “Let go,” her voice high and shrill with fear. The room blurred for a second, only coming back into focus in bursts of light and colour.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.” Felix let go of her arm and shuffled back a few steps. “I heard the voices and banging… I came to help.” He leaned against the wall breathing heavily.

  “What’s going on?” Eli appeared next to her. His face and bare chest were shiny with sweat, from heavy lifting. The gun dangled loosely from his hand.

  Before she could answer, the door shuddered as if hit by something weighty. Caitlin took hold of the hem of her dress, balling her hands into tight fists. No one moved. Felix and Eli stared at the door.

  “Give me the gun.” When Felix spoke, she saw her husband’s shoulders jerk as if he were startled. He’s as scared as me. The thought only fuelled her own terror. If Eli, always strong and sure of himself, was frightened, then the danger was all the more real.

  “He won’t go. He’ll never let us leave.” He reached out his hand. “We have to stop him.” Felix’s voice shook. Caitlin wondered if it was fear or anger affecting the man. He’d obviously been through hell. It made sense he was frightened, and holding the gun would give him back some semblance of power.

  “What are you planning to do?” Eli sounded calmer than he looked. Judging by his tone of voice, he was actually contemplating giving the gun to Felix.

  “I’m going to shoot him.” The tremor had left Felix’s voice. The words were still slushy over his swollen lip, but he sounded confident—resigned. Eli hesitated. “It’s the only way.”

  To Caitlin’s astonishment, her husband nodded. He lifted his hand as if ready to turn over the weapon. Caitlin sprang forward and grabbed Eli’s wrist.

  “No. You can’t.” She tried to look into her husband’s eyes but his gaze was fixed on the floor. “Eli.” When he finally looked up, his pupils were huge, his eyes watery. “We can’t let him shoot a man. It’s murder.”

  “It’s self-defence,” Felix spoke from behind her.

  Ignoring him, she kept talking. “We don’t know anything about what’s happening here, but if you give him the gun, then you’re part of whatever happens next.” She tightened her grip on his wrist, the tendons felt bunched and tight. “Just take time to think this over.”

  He nodded, this time with more conviction. She felt the muscles in his wrist relax.

  “Okay.” He looked past her and spoke to Felix. “I think you should go back in the study.”

  “This is insane,” Felix’s voice was high with disbelief. “You don’t get it, do you? We’re all going to die if–”

  “Get in the study.” Jace’s shoulders almost filled the wide archway. He looked different, threatening and immovable. She’d been so fixated on Eli and the gun, she hadn’t heard him approach.

  Felix looked like he was about to argue, but another look at Jace changed his mind. His shoulders slumped and he let out a huff of air. No one spoke, the only sound came from Felix’s slow departure. Feet shuffling and one hand on the wall for support, he made his way back to the study.

  * * *

  Blyte backed away from the door and let the shadows close over him. There were others in his house, at least two. He’d heard a woman’s voice, faint but distinct. He pulled out a pack of cigarettes and jammed one between his lips. Leaving Felix had been a mistake and now there were others involved. If they’d found one of his guns, things could get messy.

  Even if they turned on the outside lights, they’d never get a clear shot at him, the angles were all wrong. They’d have to come outside. Once they were out in the open, he had no doubt he could disarm the man. But what then?

  He took a drag on the cigarette, the glowing end momentarily illuminating his battered knuckles. He could walk away, let them leave, but that would mean giving up everything. No, this was his only chance. It didn’t matter how the others ended up in his house, they were involved now and he wasn’t about to let them go. Not until I’m finished with Felix. He tossed the butt onto the dirt and ground it out with his boot. They’d come out or he’d get in, either way no one was leaving.

  * * *

  There’d been no sound from outside the house in almost ten minutes. Caitlin wanted to believe Blyte had given up and left, but while there’d been no banging, they hadn’t heard his car start up either. He was out there somewhere. The thought gave her chills.

  “We could wait until morning, he might give up and leave,�
�� she tried to sound convincing.

  They were in the main room. After Felix returned to the study, Jace closed the door behind him giving them some privacy. The temperature hadn’t dropped. If anything, Caitlin felt hotter. Or maybe it was the tension simmering in the air that made the house seem stuffy and oppressive.

  “You know Blyte,” Eli turned to his brother as if she hadn’t spoken. “Could this be a drug deal gone wrong?” He nodded to the gun now sitting on the coffee table next to a tarnished candlestick. “It would explain the gun.”

  Perched on the arm of the sofa to Caitlin’s left, Jace shifted his weight. A large V-shaped patch of sweat had formed on the front of his t-shirt. They were all tense, on edge, but Jace seemed jittery.

  “I don’t know Blyte.” His head hung down as if he were contemplating something on his hands. He spoke without looking up. “I did some work for him a few months ago, that’s how I knew the house would be empty this week.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Or at least that’s what I heard him tell one of the other tradesmen.”

  “I don’t understand.” Caitlin couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She’d always thought of Jace as a bit of a larrikin but not a liar. “You said he was a mate.”

  “I don’t believe this.” Eli jumped to his feet and stood over his brother. “If you don’t know the guy then how come you have the keys?”

  Jace let out a breath. “I—He left a house key for me and the boss. We needed to get the deck out back finished so we wanted to start earlier than the other tradies. Blyte gave my boss, Rick, the key. Rick took off early one afternoon and gave me the key so I could lock up before I left.” He raised his head and spoke directly to his brother. “I heard Blyte telling the electrician he’d be out of the country for the whole of January, so I had the key copied.”

  Caitlin felt a crawling sensation in the pit of her stomach as if something slithered around inside her. She wanted to get out of the house, breathe the night air and put some distance between herself and the isolated building.