‘What were they looking for?’ Faith asked. ‘Do they think we have information on the women?’
‘Probably. I wouldn’t be dumb enough to keep anything on my laptop, though,’ Zoe said, picking up clothes in her room and returning them to hangers and drawers. ‘Everything I’ve found, Lillian’s notes, the USB stick, is in there.’ She nodded to her bedside table.
‘The famous hidey-hole.’ Faith sighed, as if she’d finally admitted defeat but wasn’t happy about it. ‘It’s a warning. You’re right, we need to call the police.’
‘There’s something else,’ Zoe said. She told Faith about the papers Lillian had signed. ‘Is it Bailey trying to scare us about looking for the women. Or has he come searching for the papers?’
‘Maybe he’s killing two birds with one stone.’
Zoe walked into the lounge. ‘I’m going to call Constable Barnes.’
‘What? The baby cop?’
‘Maybe she can help. Out of everyone at the police station I refuse to think she’s involved in the cover-up of missing women.’
Emma turned up within half an hour, along with Liam. ‘Sorry, had to bring my babysitter along,’ she muttered before Liam could catch up to her.
Liam cautiously entered the house, his stance low, head swivelling right then left. Emma rolled her eyes.
‘There’s no one in there, we’ve checked,’ Faith said.
‘Can’t be too safe,’ he whispered back.
Faith shook her head.
Zoe kept one eye on Liam’s retreating form, making sure he was out of earshot. ‘There’s something the police should know,’ she said quickly, not sure if she was making the right decision, and told Emma about what was happening with the missing women.
Emma stood in silence. Zoe feared the information would be too much for her. That she wouldn’t know what to do with it.
‘This is the second break-in you’ve had in less than a week. I’m guessing it’s got something to do with these women?’
‘We think so,’ Zoe said, looking to the door, making sure Liam didn’t make an appearance.
‘Why haven’t you said anything earlier?’
‘We think that some important people are in on it.’
‘Like who?’
Zoe was about to mention Bailey and Max Vincent but Faith let out a cough, indicating Liam had joined them. ‘Place is clear.’
‘No shit, Sherlock,’ Faith muttered.
‘We’ll get the fingerprint team here again. Looks like someone’s not too keen on you.’ When Emma glared at him he gave Zoe a mumbled apology. ‘Emma, you set that up now.’
Emma got her phone out and walked down the driveway.
‘You look familiar,’ Liam said to Faith.
‘Do I?’ Faith said, squinting at him as she lit up a cigarette.
‘I can’t quite place you. I haven’t arrested you for anything, have I?’ He looked her up and down.
‘No, you idiot,’ Faith said, losing all patience. ‘We went to high school together.’
‘It’s Faith. Faith Marsden,’ Zoe said, hoping to bring the conversation to an end.
Emma walked back over. ‘They’ll be here soon.’
Over the next hour Lillian’s house was fingerprinted, and Zoe and Faith began the job of tidying up. They still needed to speak to Emma, but Liam was always hanging around. Just as they were leaving Emma said to Zoe, ‘Meet me at the café out by the lake at nine tomorrow. We need to talk more about this without the flapping ears.’
‘We’ll be there,’ Zoe said.
‘Come back to my motel,’ Faith said after Liam and Emma had gone. ‘You can’t stay here. I don’t think it’s safe.’
‘No, it’s fine. I’m fine. I’m staying here.’ Zoe looked out to the road. Was someone out there watching them? She couldn’t imagine Richard Bailey hiding in a bush down the road spying on her. It made her think he’d probably paid someone to break in.
‘Lillian’s house has been damaged and broken into. Stuff has been stolen. Nothing is fine. You’re not fine,’ Faith said.
‘OK, you’re right,’ Zoe admitted. She folded her arms tightly to stop herself from shaking. ‘It’s not fine. I’m not fine.’
‘Someone’s watching us. You realise that, don’t you?’
‘I know. We might not have evidence but we’re onto something. We’ll tell Emma everything tomorrow. She’ll be able to do something.’
‘Let’s hope so,’ Faith said. ‘Because we’re not the only ones who know we’re getting closer.’
Chapter 43
After Aroha had talked to Ms Haywood that morning about Megan she’d locked herself in her bedroom with a bottle of her dad’s slightly watered-down whisky. When the walls had started moving, and no amount of blinking or shaking her head would stop them, she walked down to the little lake for some fresh air and to clear her head. She sat at the picnic table overlooking the lake. It was almost dark. She didn’t have a watch and didn’t really care what time it was. There was no one at home. She could stay out for as long as she wanted. Though even if her dad was home he wouldn’t care where she was. She kicked at the gravel, wishing she’d brought something to drink. She didn’t know if what she’d done was right. What if she got him in trouble? What if he was arrested for kidnapping or whatever and ended up in jail? She’d be pregnant and even more alone, if that was possible. But then she remembered who he was. He was important, he knew important people. He wouldn’t get in trouble, her mixed-up brain told her. She nodded. Happy with her theory.
She didn’t hear the footsteps until they were right behind her. She swung around, standing at the same time. It was Tai from the tavern.
‘What do you want?’ She didn’t like the small grin that played on his lips.
‘Come on. Let’s go.’
‘Where?’
‘Home.’
‘Why?’
‘You ask a lot of questions. Here. Have a drink. Relax.’ He handed her a hip flask
She took it from him and gulped down half the contents.
‘Jesus, girl. Easy.’
She shrugged. Hoping to show him she could handle it. The cough she tried to suppress gave her away. She looked around to see if there was anyone else in the park. Not a soul apart from the ducks. She took another slug of vodka, enjoying the numbness that was slowly enveloping her body. She’d probably had enough. She’d wake up with a hangover tomorrow and school would be more impossible than usual. She wondered how much vodka it would take to kill the thing inside her. A bottle? Two?
God, that would probably kill me. I need to drink enough so this thing inside me dies, just slides right out of me. Then everything will be OK again.
‘I’m not going anywhere with you. I don’t trust you.’ The alcohol had emboldened her and she started walking away, but she tripped over her feet and landed on the gravel. Her head was spinning.
‘Come on.’ He picked her up by her arm and she struggled out of his grip. ‘Don’t give me any shit,’ he said, grabbing her arm, harder this time.
‘You’re hurting me,’ she said, wincing as her skin pinched between his fingers.
‘Well, stop fucking struggling,’ he said, pulling her towards the car park.
But she couldn’t help it. She wrenched her arm out of his grip again and before she could take a step away he punched her in the side of the head. She would’ve fallen to the ground if he hadn’t wrapped an arm around her waist and half-carried her to a white van.
She didn’t have any more energy to fight and said, ‘Just take me home.’
‘That’s what I’ve been fucking trying to do, you crazy bitch.’ He unlocked the van and threw her in the front seat.
Back at Aroha’s house five minutes later, he threw her over his shoulder in a fireman’s hold, carried her into her bedroom and tossed her on the bed.
She groaned, feeling nauseous, then smiled when she saw who was sitting in the corner of her room. He was here. Everything was OK.
‘Hi,’ she smiled.
Tai stood at the door. ‘She gave me a bit of trouble.’
‘Good on you,’ he said, winking at Aroha and ignoring Tai.
‘You’ve never been in my house before,’ she said.
‘I know your dad’s away so thought I’d come for a quick visit.’
‘Come over here,’ she said. He smiled, pulled himself out of the chair and walked to her. He eased his body onto hers and kissed her.
‘God, your breath! You smell like a distillery!’
She giggled uncontrollably as though it was the funniest thing she’d ever heard. She couldn’t help it. He was here. He wasn’t angry.
He looked at her closely. ‘You’re wasted. I can’t talk to you like this. Stay here and I’ll make you a coffee.’
She listened to him clattering around in the kitchen. For a second, she thought, This is what it could be like. Me and him, in a house together, making dinner, watching TV.
He appeared five minutes later. ‘Drink this.’
‘Yes sir,’ she said, giving him a salute.
He smiled and shook his head, sitting on the bed next to her. ‘Do you know Zoe Haywood?’
‘Of course. She’s a teacher at school.’
‘Right. So why were you at her house this morning? Seems a strange thing for a student to go visit one of their teachers at home on a weekend.’
‘How do you know I was at her house this morning?’ Aroha asked.
‘Tai’s been keeping an eye on you.’
Aroha thought back to Ms Haywood’s house this morning. Trying to think if she’d seen anything out of the ordinary. A white van parked at the end of her street, she realised. The one Tai had brought her in here. Shit.
‘I just needed to tell her something,’ she said, her hand sweaty around the coffee cup now. She kept sipping, avoiding his gaze. She thought of Megan and what she’d seen and what she’d told Ms Haywood. ‘I’m pregnant. I went to tell Ms Haywood I was pregnant.’
He looked shocked, and she thanked God she had something believable to tell him. He’d forget about Megan now.
‘Pregnant? Are you serious? Is it mine?’
‘Yes, I’m serious and of course it’s yours. Whose else would it be?’ She felt embarrassed and angry at the same time.
‘Keep drinking,’ he said. He got up off the bed and opened her wardrobe. He grabbed a backpack and opened her drawers, stuffing T-shirts, shorts, dresses and underwear in.
‘What are you doing. Are we going somewhere?’ She had started to feel sleepy but the idea they were going away excited her. She put her cup down next to the whisky bottle and leaned her back against the wall.
‘If I take some of your stuff. Clothes, wallet …’ He grabbed her handbag and stuffed it into her backpack. ‘Mobile. They’ll think you’ve run away. Simple.’
She frowned. ‘What the fuck are you talking about?’ She tried to sit up, to get off the bed but her limbs felt like lead and she could hardly keep her eyes open.
He turned to her. She thought he looked sad. ‘You saw Megan. I know you did. I asked you to stay in the car. This could’ve all been avoided if you stayed in the car.’ He dropped the bag and walked over to the bed. He kissed her on the head. He looked sad and disappointed.
Aroha shook her head, uncertain of what she’d just heard.
‘I was stupid to trust you. I actually didn’t think you’d tell anyone. I thought I was important to you. But now too many people are sticking their noses in where they don’t belong. You’ve become a liability, my love.’ He turned to Tai. ‘Where’s the van?’
‘In the driveway. There’s high hedges on either side. No one will see anything.’
‘What are you talking about?’ She had the sound of the ocean in her ears, roaring and threatening to split her head apart. ‘I didn’t see anything. Not really.’ She looked back and forth between both men.
‘You did.’
‘I’m sorry. Please …’
‘You saw, and even worse, you told someone.’ He picked up her backpack and left the room without looking at her.
Tai was close to her now. She felt the heat coming off his body. She could see a small grin play across his lips.
But she had no more words. It was like a fog was descending, shutting down all her senses and then there was only blackness.
*
Aroha woke to her head bumping against steel. She opened her eyes and looked around. She was in the back of a van, lying on her side. She lifted her head to avoid the bumping, easing her way up with difficulty as her hands and feet were tied.
Where the fuck am I?
She didn’t remember much. She’d been in her room drinking. Had he come to visit her? Or was that just a dream? The jolting motion of the van and too much alcohol made her want to vomit. She could hear the whack of tree branches against the van’s windows. She got onto her knees. The windows had been covered with newspaper. She could see out a small crack. It was pitch black outside, and she could just make out the outlines of trees. Not just one or two — they were in a forest.
The van came to a sudden halt and her body pitched forward. She landed heavily against the side panel. There was absolute silence apart from her deep breathing. Too late, she started wrestling with the rope tied around her wrists. It did nothing but tighten the knots and burn her skin. She stopped as she heard the back door open and squinted as torch light flooded her face.
‘Come on.’ It was Tai. She remembered. He was at her house. He grabbed her foot and dragged her out. She scrambled to get herself upright but landed painfully on the solid dirt. She yelped.
‘Stay there,’ Tai said, and untied her ankles.
He’s gonna let me go. They just wanna scare me. He’s gonna leave me out here. But I can find my way outta here. I’ll be fine.
‘Get up,’ he said, grabbing her forearm. She scrambled to her feet. ‘Walk.’
Her legs felt heavy and she tripped a few times before they started cooperating. She followed Tai’s torchlight and they began to walk out of the clearing and into the forest. She realised then she could hear the ocean in the distance and panicked. ‘I can’t swim,’ she blurted out.
Tai laughed but said nothing. They weren’t following any kind of trail, and she had to wind her way between thick copses of rimu and kahikatea. ‘I’m pregnant,’ she said.
She heard Tai scoff.
‘I am,’ she said, assuming he didn’t believe her.
‘Why do I care? Don’t waste your breath. There isn’t anything you could say to stop me doing what I’m about to do.’
Aroha stopped, and her legs gave way. She knelt in the dirt, the realisation he was going to kill her making her feel as if she’d run head-first into a wall. She raked her hands through the undergrowth and screamed.
‘No one can hear you,’ he said. ‘Give it up.’ He pulled her to her feet and dragged her over to a tree and pushed her down. ‘Sit.’
By the light of Tai’s torch she could see, a few metres to her right, two disturbed piles of dirt, slightly raised mounds about two metres long that looked out of place in the otherwise flat terrain. A shovel leaned against a tree.
‘What …’ She had no words and didn’t really want an answer.
Tai pulled a thick length of rubber from his back pocket and withdrew a small black case from inside his jacket. He brought out a syringe filled with clear liquid. ‘Could be a worse way to go,’ he said.
She tried to scramble to her feet, but got only as far as her knees before he kicked her in the chest. She grunted, the wind knocked out of her, and she fell against the hard-packed dirt. She looked up into the trees and felt his rough hands untying the ropes that bound her wrists. She felt him
tie the band around her left arm. She rolled away from him, her chest screaming but he pulled her back. Grabbing her shoulders, he slammed her into the ground. He tapped at her arm and she felt a prick as the drug entered her system. The euphoria she felt was instant. She tipped her head back and watched as the stars seemed to unhook themselves from their place in the sky and drift down towards her. She raised her hands, trying to catch them, but she kept missing them as they fell to the ground, extinguishing in the dirt. Her head lulled to the side and before her eyes closed forever, she heard the soft thud as Tai began to dig her grave.
Chapter 44
Zoe and Faith were sitting outside the café opposite the lake on wooden benches the next morning, fifteen minutes before they were due to meet Emma.
‘Are we going to tell her everything?’ Zoe asked, uncertain how much Faith wanted to disclose.
Faith sipped at her coffee. ‘I don’t know … I guess.’
They both stood as Emma came up the path from the car park. She was out of uniform and with her pixie cut and freckled face looked even younger. Once she’d got herself a drink they sat huddled together at a table outside. Zoe told her what she’d found through Lillian’s clues.
‘We think,’ she said, glancing at Faith, ‘that it’s been going on a long time. Women who have no close friends or family around them, ones who won’t be missed until it’s too late.’
‘What makes you think it’s been going on so long?’ Emma asked.
There was silence for a moment. Then Faith took a deep breath and said, ‘Because sixteen years ago the same thing happened to me — except I got away. There was another girl with me, Claire. They’d kept her in that house for a week and then they took her somewhere.’
‘Any idea where?’
Faith shook her head.
‘Richard Bailey,’ Zoe said. ‘Do you know him?’
‘Of course, rich developer. He’s on my list.’
‘What list?’ Faith asked.
‘When I’m on traffic I have a list, rego numbers. If I see them speeding or whatever, I’m to turn a blind eye.’ She rolled her eyes. ‘That’s what I’m dealing with. What about him?’
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