Abernathy led her into a room. It looked like some kind of kitchen with a table in the centre and a stainless-steel bench running along the right-hand side. There was an old couch in the corner covered with a sheet, and a fridge in the corner cutting the silence with a continuous hum. All of the girls were in there. Some huddled on the couch together; others sat at the table with cups of coffee and tea. Two policewomen moved from one to another, their voices low and gentle. The girls’ faces mirrored her own feelings: stunned, still afraid to believe, all in the midst of clawing their way out of a nightmare. Abernathy directed her to a chair at the table and wrapped a thin blanket around her shoulders. ‘You’re safe now,’ he said. She looked into his blue eyes and wasn’t entirely sure if she trusted him. ‘Can you tell me how many women are here?’ he asked her.
‘Ten,’ she said. ‘No, nine. They took Tania away tonight. Will you find her?’ Megan asked, hopeful.
‘We’ll do our best,’ he said. Again, she wanted to believe him, but wasn’t sure if she could. ‘Sit tight for a few minutes and we’ll get you all out of here to somewhere safe.’
Megan nodded. It was only over if she got out of this building. A policewoman laid a hand on her shoulder. ‘Here, drink this and I’ll make you a cup of tea.’ She handed Megan a bottle of water. Megan pushed it across the table, as far away from her as possible.
Chapter 60
Faith and Zoe got back to Lillian’s at 11 p.m. ‘You take my room,’ Zoe said. ‘I’ll sleep in Lillian’s.’
After making sure Faith had everything she needed she said goodnight. At the door she heard Faith whisper, ‘Jeff. It was Jeff all along. He’s the one I saw in the hall that night. He came to take Claire away. I can see the back of his head. It was Jeff. He was so nice, Zo. I met him at the cemetery. Remember? We talked to him at Pam’s house.’
Zoe nodded. ‘I know.’
‘And Alex. He took me that night. All those years ago.’
‘Do you remember anything? Now that he’s told you?’
‘I don’t know. When he told me I got these flashes — down at the little lake. But I’m not sure if they’re proper memories or my brain’s just offering me up something I want to see.’
‘Try not to think too much about it. We’ll just see what happens. Try and get some sleep.’
Zoe took queen-sized sheets and another of her grandmother’s blankets from the hall cupboard and made Lillian’s bed up with shaking hands. As she was tucking in the sheets her hand brushed against something hard under the mattress. She pulled at it and yet again she was confronted with one of Lillian’s notebooks. She placed it on the bedside table. At the moment she felt no need to see what was inside. What else could she possibly learn that Alex hadn’t told her tonight? She lay in the bed where Lillian had lain only four weeks ago. She stared at the ceiling, at the naked bulb swinging slightly in an invisible breeze, and briefly thought of calling Dan but felt too tired to explain. God, there was so much to explain. She thought of Pam next door and how in the morning her life would start crumbling piece by piece; a life she had worked hard to build with a seemingly loving and dedicated son and a man who was at last going to become her husband. And now, after what Alex had blurted out, both would disappear from her life forever.
Jeff.
Alex.
Aroha.
Megan.
Tania.
She let out a groan and turned the bedside table lamp on, knowing sleep was a long way off. She tiptoed down the hallway, stopping briefly at her own door and hearing snoring. She couldn’t believe Faith had fallen asleep so quickly after what they had just learned. But then again, the sweet smell of marijuana that had wound its way through the house had probably helped. Zoe thought about Faith’s history, never knowing after all those years who was behind her abduction. For the first time in years maybe she could finally sleep soundly.
Zoe poured herself a whisky in the kitchen and knocked it back in one go, her eyes watering. She poured another large measure to help silence her busy brain and took it back to bed. She sat on the edge of Lillian’s bed sipping at her drink. She picked up the notebook. Her brain flashed back to a few hours previously at Alex’s; she squeezed her eyes shut as if to erase the memory and opened the notebook. It was filled with printouts of staff profiles. Photos from the schools Zoe had taught at since graduating: Wellington, London, Manchester, Aberdeen and finally her profile photo from St Clement’s. She flicked through it, reading passages from what seemed a diary.
Alex said he spoke to Zoe today. She’s off to the UK on Friday. Alex suggested I ring her, but I think it’s too late.
Zoe’s birthday today. It’s always a hard day. One filled with regret and sadness.
Later:
I think something’s happening. With my brain. Something’s not right.
Zoe turned the page.
I emailed Zoe today. I found her school email easily. I apologised for everything. But I was too scared to send it.
A tear landed on the page.
I wonder about those people who know me — or think they know me — who think I’m wonderful, a person caring for the youth of Crawton. I wonder what they’d think if they knew the only reason I carry on with this work is as a type of penance. I wasted my chance with Zoe, so I help anyone I can, and I’ll keep doing it till the day I die.
I never wanted children. When I found out Dave couldn’t have kids, I can’t remember feeling devastated or angry. But I know Dave was. When I fell pregnant I knew I had to come clean. Dave was so angry. I’d never seen him so mad. But the idea of a child won him over. He’d never got over the fact we couldn’t have kids and now here was our — his — chance. I would’ve done anything to keep him. The affair was a ridiculous mistake. I loved Dave. But as soon as she was born he started distancing himself. I could feel it. And then he left. And I was left with a child I didn’t want. I’d like to say I tried, but I didn’t. I kept her fed, I educated her, but I gave her no love, no affection.
The fact she turned out so amazingly clever and intelligent therefore has nothing to do with me. As she approached her mid-teens I felt myself thawing towards her. She was becoming a woman, an equal. I decided I would try to make amends. But it had been too long. All of my peace offerings were ignored. She wanted out. Out of this house and away from me. And it was my fault from the beginning. I realise now I haven’t contacted her because I know she won’t forgive me. Why would she? I ruined her. From the moment she came into this world I made sure she knew she wasn’t wanted. And that was the biggest mistake of my life.
Chapter 61
One week later
Zoe, Faith and Emma sat outside in the sunshine at the café opposite Lake Waitapu. ‘Most of the women were released from hospital last Sunday,’ Emma said. ‘They’re staying together in a house receiving counselling. Some had been in that place for over a year. They’re addicted to heroin but will get the help they need. They’ll be able to stay as long as they want. For some, it’s going to be a while.’
The three women sat in silence, reflecting on what the women had been through.
‘Do you know how Megan is?’ Zoe asked.
‘She’s doing as well as can be expected. She was only there for about a week. Physically she’s fine. Emotionally, like all the other women, her recovery will be a long one.’
‘How about Aroha and Tania? Any word about where they could be?’
‘Alex says Tai killed Aroha. He says he doesn’t know where she is and says he doesn’t know about Tania.’
‘He’s lying,’ Zoe said. ‘He knows everything that goes on at that place. The way he spoke about it the other night — it was his business. He was proud of his little empire.’ She took a sip of her coffee. ‘What’s happening with Alex, anyway?’
‘Who gives a fuck about that psycho?’ Faith said, staring out to the lake.
Emma glanc
ed at Faith and said to Zoe, ‘He’s in Mt Eden prison, in Auckland. He was refused bail and will be there until his next court hearing. He’s admitted to everything. He’s told the police about everyone’s involvement. It appears that if he’s going down, everyone else will be too. Christchurch and Wellington CIB have already started their investigations with names Alex has provided. Max Vincent has been stood down without pay while the investigation is going on,’ Emma said, and Zoe noted the small smile that played on her lips. Emma’s working life would be made a lot easier without Vincent in it. ‘Alex has been charged with abduction and conspiracy to commit murder.’
‘So what about Jeff?’ Faith asked. ‘He’s the big fish in all of this, isn’t he? He’s the one who started it off, groomed Alex to take over the family business.’ She rolled her eyes, disgusted.
Emma took a deep breath. ‘He’s been up to Auckland and has been very cooperative with the detectives. He’s lawyered up big time and of course denies everything. Says he’s given Alex everything in his life, paid for university, supported him throughout. He’s quite upset, apparently. He’s a shareholder in Phoenix Corp, the place that owned The Secret Garden building and leased it out. But there’s a huge number of shareholders so that evidence is pretty weak.’
‘It’s all bullshit,’ Faith said. ‘Alex said it was Jeff.’
‘But there’s no evidence, Faith. It’s Alex’s word against Jeff’s. I have no doubt Jeff is a very smart man. He got away with this for almost twenty years.’
‘Fuck the evidence.’
‘That’s his house over there,’ Zoe said. She pointed across the lake. ‘It’s past the old hotel where they kept Megan. All that time we thought it was Bailey. He really did think of everything, even implying Bailey was up to something.’
Zoe had got rid of Lillian’s papers earlier in the week. She hadn’t heard anything from Bailey since the burglary. If he’d been reading the papers and had his ear to the ground, which Zoe had no doubt he always made a point of doing, he probably thought it was wise to stay far away from Zoe Haywood.
They all looked at the gleaming white two-storey stucco house that sat right on the lake. A small jetty jutted out from a track that led down from the house. ‘All that money, people who loved him, a successful business yet he was involved in all of this,’ Zoe said.
It was all so unbelievable. She’d seen Pam once at the start of the week. She was going up to stay in Auckland with her sister to be closer to Alex who, she said, was innocent. She’d made no mention of Jeff although the sparkling sapphire on her ring finger was still comfortably ensconced. Zoe shook her head. ‘He could still get away with it all.’
‘I’m sure they’ll find something,’ Emma said, trying to persuade them that the police would do their job. ‘It’s not over yet. There’s still so much left to uncover. And as much as Jeff thinks he’s covered his tracks, something will come up.’
‘But what if it doesn’t?’ Faith asked.
Her question hung in the air. Emma had no answer.
Chapter 62
Faith had been staying with Zoe since they’d come home from the police station together the previous week. She sat on Zoe’s old bed, mobile in hand, staring blankly at the carpet. Zoe walked past and stopped. ‘What’s up?’ she asked.
‘I just quit my job.’
‘Really?’ Zoe said, unsure how to react. She came and sat down on the bed beside Faith.
‘I don’t really need to be in Wellington. The reason I ran there in the first place was to get as far away from the fuckers who abducted me. But now they’re caught — well, mostly.’
‘You heard Emma. They’ll get Jeff. They have to.’
‘I could stay here.’
‘Here? In Crawton?’ Zoe asked. ‘Isn’t it the last place you want to be?’
‘This is the only place that ever really felt like home. Sonya was always good to me even though I was a right little shit. The six months I had here with you and—’ She left Alex’s name out at the last second. ‘They were the best of my life. I actually felt safe, like I could finally settle.’
‘So you’re staying.’
‘I’m staying,’ she said.
‘Great!’ Zoe said. ‘We need to celebrate. I was supposed to see Dan tonight but that can wait. How about we go out?’
Faith hesitated. ‘Sounds good. But I have a few phone calls to make to sort some stuff. You go see Dan. We can celebrate tomorrow.’
*
That evening, after Zoe had left for Dan’s, Faith got into her rental car and drove out past the lake. She took a left and headed up past the old hotel and further on till she came to the white stucco house on the right that Zoe had pointed out that morning at the café. The house was accessed by a long, paved driveway. On either side of the open gate were rows of poplars. The grounds consisted of manicured lawns and a water feature in the far corner surrounded by terracotta tiles and draping ferns. She parked in front of the house. She walked up the tiled steps to the hulking wooden door and rang the doorbell. The chime echoed around the cavernous interior. She reached into her pocket to turn on the recording device on her phone. She was going to get Jeff Worthington, one way or another. As she waited her hand was drawn to the scar on the back of her head. She felt the familiar jagged line and withdrew her hand when the door opened.
‘Yes?’ Jeff said, looking past her, as though he expected her to have someone with her.
‘Do you remember me?’ she asked.
His brow furrowed for an instant. ‘Oh yes, Zoe’s friend. Do you want to come in?’
Slightly put off, Faith hesitated then walked into the lobby. Did he really not know her from all those years ago?
He led her across marble tiles and into a lounge that looked out onto the lake. ‘Take a seat,’ he said. ‘Can I offer you anything?’
‘No, thank you.’ She’d heard enough details from Emma about the women who were drugged by water bottles. GHB, she’d said. She perched on the end of a white leather couch, her heels sunk into plush white carpet. The only colour offered in the room was by an abstract painting taking up an entire wall, ribbons of rainbow colour splashed across a canvas.
‘What can I do for you?’ Jeff asked, sitting on the opposite couch, legs crossed, one arm lying across the back.
‘I …’ Faith hadn’t thought about what she was going to say and found herself floundering.
‘You were a friend of Alex’s back in high school, weren’t you?’
Faith nodded. She couldn’t even remember meeting Jeff in the few months she was in Crawton.
‘I’m assuming you’ve heard all the news then. Have to be living under a rock if you hadn’t.’
‘Yes, of course I have.’ Faith was confused. Surely her name and Zoe’s had come up in discussions with his lawyer or Alex. If Jeff was the ring leader, he would’ve known about Zoe and Faith’s interference from the beginning.
‘Sad business. I had no idea what was going on. He’s a sick young man, but I intend to get him all the help he needs.’
Faith felt her toes curling in rage. He wasn’t going to admit it. ‘Alex said you were involved.’ Jeff took his arm from the back of the couch and leaned forward to take his drink from the glass coffee table. ‘Involved?’
‘In the abduction of these women.’
He let out a loud laugh that echoed around the room. His confidence made Faith want to jump across the coffee table and scratch his eyes out.
‘Involved in all this?’ Jeff got up and walked over to a built-in bookcase that lacked books but held a state-of-the-art stereo system, a stack of magazines and shelves of awards. He grabbed the nearest one and brought it over to the coffee table. ‘That’s what this community thinks of me,’ he said, licking his thumb and rubbing at an imaginary smudge on the pristine glass. ‘They won’t hang me out to dry just because my so-called stepson has lost the
plot. I have been very cooperative with the police. But they have nothing to suggest I was involved in any of this.’
Faith narrowed her eyes. ‘Why can’t you admit it? Just to me. No one else. If you admit what you did to me, I can finally get on with my life.’
She watched as Jeff’s complexion paled slightly. He took another sip and smiled at her. A smile that did not reach his brown eyes.
‘You’re going to blame all of this on Alex? Let him take the fall for something you did?’
‘Faith, he’s accused me of the most horrible things.’ He shook his head as if memories of Alex and what he’d told the police had hurt him deeply.
‘Stop it! Stop the lies! I was there when he told Zoe everything. He confided in her, thinking he was going to get away, that the police weren’t going to be involved. There’s no way he was lying.’
‘Faith—’
Unable to sit any longer Faith stood up. ‘It was you all those years ago.’ She had started now, and wanted to get everything out, get her questions answered. ‘Did you prime Alex to find a suitable girl for your cause? Is that it? And the Magic Man?’ Jeff looked up now. ‘He was another one of your helpers.’ It wasn’t a question. ‘Where would I have ended up? The same place with all the other Megans and Tanias?’
‘Is that what he called himself?’ Jeff asked. ‘The Magic Man. Why?’ He seemed amused.
‘Because he said he made girls like me disappear,’ Faith said, realising that Jeff was making some kind of admission.
He got up and walked over to the picture window. A security light attached to the outside of the house threw light on the back yard only, leaving the lake and the hills and Crawton beyond in darkness. It was then that Faith realised how far she was from help. The spacing between the houses at this part of the lake was such that you could throw a party with a hundred people and your neighbours wouldn’t be any the wiser. Or, thought Faith, kill someone in your mansion without a soul being aware.
No One Can Hear You Page 26