“Oh, look, a blue wren!” Alyse pointed.
Kim grinned. She was so enchanted by the bird, she didn’t seem to realise she no longer held onto the kayak. “Their colours are brilliant at this time of year.”
“Yeah, I saw a few yesterday when I was checking my spring hive locations.”
“By yourself?”
She glanced at him. “Of course.”
“But you’re injured. Shouldn’t someone be helping you?”
“Who, Mark?” She laughed. “Not a chance. Besides I was simply examining the sites, seeing if there were any issues which had to be fixed before I move the hives.”
“I’ll help you if you need it.” With Eden and Sarah on winter break from university, he had a little more flexibility around work.
“I’m fine. I do it on my own all the time.” A brief touch of sadness crossed her face before she turned back around.
Maybe she hadn’t even realised she’d moved. Good. “I’m going to head back down river.”
Her body stiffened and then relaxed. “OK. Should I paddle?”
“If you want.”
She picked up the extra paddle and set it across her lap. As Kim started to turn them, she joined in, stroking into the water in time with him. With her help, they returned to the little sand bar. “Do you want to continue?”
“I don’t want to go further into town.” She steered them towards the sand bar and the kayak rubbed against the shore. She huffed and carefully climbed out.
Kim wasn’t ready for her to go. “How was it?”
A slight wobble to her smile. “Lovely. Better than I’d expected. Thank you.”
“We can go again tomorrow, or try a dinghy along the river.”
She stepped back, hugged her arms around herself.
“Sorry. Too fast?”
“A little. Plus I don’t know what Mark will be doing.”
He smiled, keeping his annoyance at Mark off his face. “Call me when you’re ready.”
“All right.” She climbed the bank, then turned back to him, clasping and unclasping her hands. “Kim, I don’t know how to thank you. This means a lot to me.”
“You don’t have to thank me. I want you to conquer your fear as much as you do.”
She hesitated and then said, “It’s not just this. It’s everything.”
“You’re my friend, Aly. That’s what friends do.”
Her eyes widened and then she gave a small nod. “I’ll see you later.”
Kim watched until she was out of sight. He let out a breath. She was beginning to trust him. He could be happy with that.
He pushed off the bank again and headed back to town.
Chapter 11
Alyse drove out of town, heading for one of her hive sites, her spirit lighter than it had been in ages. She’d done it! She’d stepped onto a boat and not had a panic attack. The urge to sing in celebration was strong. It hadn’t been easy moving past her initial fear, but with Kim there, and the river so tranquil, she’d enjoyed it.
Switching on the radio, she turned the volume up loud, singing along to a popular song.
This was what freedom felt like.
Kim had been so patient with her, so understanding. He’d not mocked or yelled at her.
He wasn’t Mark.
No, he was a far better man than Mark. His continued defence of her and then his offer to help her again… it boggled her mind. They’d chatted as easily as they had sitting side-by-side at the markets all those years ago.
She drove into Kit Zanetti’s property. Kit had allowed Alyse’s parents to set up some hives on her land, and in return Alyse supplied her with honey throughout the year. She drove past the dairy as Elijah walked out of the machinery shed. In the past she’d wave and keep driving, but today she pulled up and wound down her window. “Hey. Can you tell Kit I’m checking the hives?” She’d emailed Kit last week to tell her.
“Sure. Do you need a hand?”
The easy offer surprised her. “No. I’m right.”
“How are the ribs?”
“Still sore, but I’ve got good painkillers.”
“Good.” He tilted his head. “You look different today. Have you done something with your hair?”
She shook her head. “I can’t lift my arms far enough to do more than tie it in a low ponytail.”
“Maybe it’s not that.” Elijah shrugged. “You look happier.”
The words struck her hard in the chest. “I am.”
His grin was wide. “I’m glad. Listen, if you want help, call me.” When she took out her phone, he gave her his number. “I’ll be fixing fences, so any interruption is welcome.”
She laughed. “Will do.” She waved and drove off.
Elijah was being so nice to her, despite how rude she’d been to him the night of the storm. She’d been embarrassed the whole SES team had seen Mark hit her, figured they were all talking about her, asking why she didn’t leave him, not understanding it wasn’t so easy.
She frowned. Should she have saved Elijah’s number? If Mark questioned it, she’d tell him Kit asked her to call Elijah about anything related to her hives. It was a decent excuse.
The van bumped over the dirt track and her hives came into sight. A couple hadn’t done so well over the summer so it might be time to get them a new queen bee if the worker bees didn’t kick her out themselves. One thing she loved about the insects was everyone pulled their weight. If you didn’t perform, you were out, and it didn’t matter if you were the queen. It was a society where everyone understood their role and its success relied on the many not the few. Unlike her, the bees had a community. It was a reason she’d been so powerless for such a long time. She’d been alone, isolated by a hostile man, but now she was building a hive of her own. Not that she was queen bee, but she had people around her, wanting to do their part. It strengthened her.
She parked and checked the hives for anything amiss. It was easy work and the cooler weather meant most of the bees were inside staying warm. Nearby some grevillea still flowered, so she donned her beekeeping suit, and then retrieved the smoker from the back of the van. She was running low on pine needles, so she’d stop on her way home and fill her bucket from the nearby pine plantation. It took very little time to add the needles to the smoker and light it, puffing air until white smoke appeared. She inhaled the soothing pine scent and smiled.
A couple of puffs at the entrance to the hive and then she lifted the lid and puffed some more smoke inside. The gentle buzzing was music to her ears. She placed the lid on the ground and examined the hive. The frames were full of honey. Using her hive tool, she tried to lift one frame and her ribs pulled. Nope. She wouldn’t be able to do this herself and she couldn’t leave the frames full. She hesitated for a second and then called Elijah.
“Please tell me you need my help,” Elijah said as he answered.
Alyse laughed. “Yes, please. The frames are full and I can’t lift them with my ribs hurting.”
“I’ll be right there.”
Alyse took her suit off so Elijah could wear it when he arrived. The rest of the things she needed were in her van, but she’d get him to get them out.
A couple of bees buzzed around her, curious but not attacking. They had a home to guard, a queen to protect, but she wasn’t a threat to them. What would it be like to live in a home with no threats, where she didn’t have to consider how every word could be misconstrued? She’d taken her life, her safety, her home for granted before her parents had died.
She wouldn’t take them for granted ever again.
It was mid-afternoon by the time she returned home. Mark’s ute wasn’t there. By the time she’d filtered the honey she and Elijah had extracted from the hives and filled her jars, evening had fallen. She walked to the house. Mark still wasn’t back. She could see whether Olivia had emailed her and there was plenty of leftover cottage pie for dinner.
After locking the door, she switched on her laptop and put some pie in the microwave
to heat.
The evening was quiet, so she should hear Mark returning home. Still, her skin prickled as she logged into her webmail, holding her breath for an answer.
There it was. An email from Olivia. She clicked and waited for it to load.
The email was short, to the point. Please call me about your accounts. There are some things we need to discuss.
Using her mobile was out of the question because Mark regularly checked it and Alyse hadn’t had a land line in years. There wasn’t a pay phone in Blackbridge. She’d have to borrow a phone.
Frustration itched at her. She didn’t want to wait. Olivia had given her mobile number, so even if she’d gone home, she still might answer.
The growl of an engine made her dash to the window. Mark. Damn it. She shut the webmail, got her dinner out of the microwave and retrieved her e-reader from the bench. By the time Mark stomped in, she was engrossed in the romantic suspense she was reading. Still she looked up. “How’s your Mum?”
“She’s fine. I’m going out tonight.”
It was always a guess whether he wanted her to ask for details. “All right.”
“Don’t you want to know where?”
Not really. “If you’d like to tell me.”
“I’m going out with Yvette.”
Good. “Have fun.”
He growled. “Don’t you care that I’m fucking someone else?”
Not if it meant he wasn’t forcing himself on her. “No, because you’ll do what you want no matter what I say.”
His eyes widened, and she bit her lip. Usually she was pliant and agreeable. But after her success on the kayak today, she was tired of being weak.
“What’s got into you?”
Standing up for herself would only make him suspicious. She sighed. “Sorry, I’ve had a bad day. Some of the hives have an ant problem,” she lied.
“Want me to look at them tomorrow?”
Her mouth dropped open. What? He never offered to help. “No, I fixed it.”
“Fine. I’m going to shower.”
Alyse stared after him. Why the concern all of a sudden? It was reminiscent of what he’d been like when they’d first started dating. Her skin crawled. This was a new level of unpredictability. Would he want to sleep with her again? Please, God, no. She had to act normally, watch her words and call the accountant as soon as possible.
She had to get him out of her house.
***
Half an hour later Mark had showered and left the house smelling like expensive, but overly strong aftershave. Alyse stood at the window, watching his taillights disappear. She longed to get into her van and drive somewhere to call Olivia, but Mark might be faking. Instead she showered, dressed in warm clothing and then checked the house again to ensure Mark hadn’t returned while she’d been in the shower.
Clear.
Now was a good time to go through his office for evidence. She’d love to take a copy of the data on his laptop but it was above her skill level. Her phone rang. Kim. She smiled. “Hi.”
“Hey. Mark just arrived at the restaurant. He’s having dinner.”
Her heart jumped. “Is Yvette with him?”
“Yeah.”
“Great.” He’d be at least an hour. This was her chance. “Is Zamira home? I need to call the accountant but I can’t use this phone.”
“I’ll phone Jeremy. If you don’t hear from me, it means they’re waiting for you. I don’t want to call you too many times.”
Sensible. “All right. Can you tell me when Mark leaves?”
“Yeah.”
She smiled. “Thanks, Kim.”
“My pleasure.” He hung up.
Alyse grabbed her laptop and keys and hurried out the door. No time to waste. She’d walk over via the fire break just in case Mark arrived back before she did. She could pretend she was working in the shed.
Heart beating fast, she hurried across the back of her property and onto the grey sandy fire break which ran behind all of their properties. When she arrived at Jeremy’s, the back floodlight lit her way, and Zamira and Jeremy sat on the back verandah waiting for her. Jeremy’s beautiful wooden cabin had the feel of a home.
Relief filled her and her chest tightened. “Thank you,” she called as she trotted up the steps.
“You’re welcome.” Zamira wrapped an arm around her shoulder and handed her a phone. “Come in, it’s cold out here.”
Alyse smiled at Jeremy. “Can I connect to your internet?”
“I’ll get the password,” he replied.
While he fetched it, Alyse called the accountant.
“Hello?”
“Olivia. this is Alyse Wilson. I’m sorry for calling so late, but you asked me to ring.”
“Yes. Hang on a moment.” Muffled voices and then she came back on the line. “There are a lot of inconsistencies in your accounts, Alyse. Large sums of money have been transferred and the companies don’t appear to be legitimate.”
She grinned. “Can they be traced?”
“I’m sure someone with more skills in the area could,” she said. “Whoever has been doing your accounts has been stealing from the business. Your profit margins should be a lot bigger than they are.”
Though she suspected it, it galled her to think Mark was also stealing from her. Didn’t he make enough from whatever he was doing illegally? “Is there enough evidence to go to the police?”
“More than enough.”
“If I give you an email address, could you send all the details you have to it as well?”
“Sure.”
Alyse covered the phone with her hand and said to Zamira, “Can I have your email?”
Zamira told her and she repeated it to Olivia.
“I’ll send it right now.”
“Thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome. Let me know how you get on.”
She hung up.
“What did she say?” Zamira asked as she switched on her laptop.
“My accounts are a mess and Mark’s been stealing from me.” She hugged herself. “Olivia’s emailing us both the information.”
“Why?” Jeremy asked.
“Mark monitors my laptop,” she said. “I’ll have to keep the documents in my webmail account, but if Zamira has it too, she can send it to the police for me.” She winced. “I hope it’s all right.”
“It’s fine.” Zamira turned her laptop around for Alyse. “Take a seat and go through it. Would you like some tea?”
Her stomach was in too many knots. “Maybe a glass of water?”
Jeremy went to get it and Zamira sat next to her at the table. Alyse skipped the accounts file and clicked on the report Olivia had written. It was comprehensive, pointing out several inconsistencies and errors. Mark swore he went to his own accountant each year, but perhaps he paid him to fudge the numbers.
This was it. She’d been determined to hand the file to the police when she had some proof, not caring if she went to jail, but the loss would be so much greater now she’d made connections with people in town. If only she knew how incriminating the documents were.
Jeremy placed the water in front of her. “So what’s next?”
Alyse was silent for a long moment. No, she was far safer with Mark completely out of her life.
“Can the police arrest him?” Zamira asked.
“I hope so.” They deserved the truth. “But I might be arrested too.”
“What?”
“Right after my parents died, Mark had me sign a few things. I didn’t bother reading them, because I trusted him.” She clenched her hands. “When I first tried to leave him, he told me I’d go to jail if I ever turned him in, because he’d tied me up in what he was doing.”
Zamira scowled. “What were the documents?”
“Some kind of contracts and Mark keeps them locked in his office.” She sighed. “Kim thinks the police might give me immunity, but I’m not sure.” Stupidity wasn’t a good defence.
“You should ask
,” Jeremy said. “Lincoln’s a good guy. I can call him.”
She hesitated. It had to be done at some stage. “Please.”
Jeremy made the call and Alyse sipped her water, her hand shaking. Zamira squeezed her other hand. “Things will work out.”
She hoped so.
Jeremy hung up. “He’s making some calls.”
So she had to wait. Her breath was shaky as she exhaled. “Thank you.”
Jeremy’s phone rang. Concern crossed his face, and he glanced at her. “I’ll tell her.” He hung up.
“What is it?”
“That was Kim. Mark left the restaurant while Kim was serving a customer.”
Her heart leapt as she pushed back her chair. “I have to go.” It was a ten-minute drive from town.
“Why don’t you stay here?” Zamira asked. “If you’ve got the proof, there’s no need to go back to him.”
“If he suspects anything, he’ll get rid of evidence and it will be my word against his.” All of a sudden the conversation with Troy at the Christmas fundraiser made sense. “He’s been telling people I’m bi-polar.” What other lies had he told to make her seem unreliable?
“It’s not safe for you there,” Zamira said.
“I’ll be fine. I’m not abandoning my home to him.” She grabbed her laptop off the table.
“Do you want me to drive you back?” Jeremy asked.
She shook her head. If Mark caught her getting out of Jeremy’s car it would be far worse. “I’ll walk. Thank you for your help.”
“I’ll let you know what Lincoln says,” Jeremy told her.
She nodded and dashed out of the house, ignoring the pain in her chest as she ran across the floodlit grass and then was forced to slow as she entered the darker bush. Her phone torch lit the way and she crashed through the low grasses. When she reached the fire break, she switched off the torch and ran again, her breath huffing and puffing. Her ears strained for sounds of a motor, but the night was silent except for her gasps. At her property she slowed so she didn’t trip on the bushes. She daren’t use her torch in case Mark saw it bobbing. She was halfway across her field of hives when she heard the rumble. Lights moved along the road and turned into her drive.
Harbour Page 11