A Daughter’s Choice

by Lee Christine

  A plan formed in his mind and he eased his foot off the accelerator. The four-wheel-drive had too much body roll for a spirited chase through the back streets. ‘Where is he now, Lyns?’

  ‘Gaining fast.’ Her voice was shrill with panic. ‘Why are you slowing?’

  ‘Turn around and brace yourself.’ He swung the car onto the wrong side of the road and took his foot off the accelerator and braked. The car behind shot past them.

  The driver braked, two car-lengths ahead.

  Julian pushed himself back in the seat and floored the four-wheel-drive. ‘Hold on!’

  He struck at the vehicle at a forty-five-degree angle, ramming the bull bar into the rear of a silver sedan and propelling it forwards and off the road. The car jumped the gutter and ploughed through a low picket fence. Shards of timber exploded into the air. Glass shattered. Dogs barked. An engine hissed and a cloud of steam rose into the sky.

  Julian threw the car into reverse.

  Lights came on in the house.

  Lynsey groaned.

  ‘Lynsey?’ Fear spiked through him and he shot her a glance as he shifted the car into drive. ‘Lyns?’

  She groaned again and put a hand to her forehead. ‘I hit my head … on the door pillar.’

  ‘Hang in there, baby,’ he said grimly, not caring that he was about to leave the scene of an accident. The people in the house and most of the neighbours would already be calling the police.

  Chapter Twenty

  Julian pressed the remote for the garage door the moment he reached the top of the street. By the time he pulled into the driveway the door was wide open. He nosed in beside the Camry and pressed the remote again. The roller door rumbled on its tracks, whining a little as it ground to a close behind them. He killed the ignition and the garage plunged into total darkness. ‘Stay there.’

  By the time he opened the passenger door she had the seatbelt undone. ‘Put your arm around my neck. It’s a bit of a drop.’

  She did as he asked and he slipped his arm around her slender waist and lifted her onto the ground. He kept her close by his side as he opened the internal door. ‘Are you alright?’ he asked when he’d settled her on the lounge. He crouched in front of her and she looked at him through dazed eyes, hand trembling as she pushed her hair behind her ear. ‘I have some slight double vision.’

  ‘We need to get you looked at.’ Julian’s stomach twisted into a worried knot. ‘I’m so sorry. It was the only way I could get rid of that bastard.’

  She put her hands on his forearms. ‘Julian, he could have killed us. And we don’t know how many people were in that car.’

  He hadn’t thought of that. Julian’s blood ran cold and he dragged his phone from his pocket. ‘I’ll call the police–tell them I’ve left the scene.’

  She watched him while the call diverted from the police station to the sergeant’s house. ‘How’s your lip?’

  It was stinging like a bitch, the coagulating blood drying into a stiff, sticky mess which clung to his bottom lip and chin. ‘I still have my teeth at least,’ he said, attempting to inject some humour into the situation.

  ‘Sergeant Johnson, Mindalby Police.’ Derek Johnson’s words were slurred a little.

  ‘Sergeant. It’s Julian Stone.’ He told him about the accident in Locker Road.

  ‘We’ve had several reports already. I’m on my way.’

  ‘I’m not at the scene.’

  There was a significant pause. ‘Why would you leave an accident?’

  ‘It’s a long story, Sergeant.’

  ‘Any injuries?’

  ‘A couple. A possible concussion. You’ll find me at my place. Lynsey Carter’s here too. She was with me in the car.’

  Another pause. ‘Sit tight. I’ll be there after I check out Locker Street.’

  Julian killed the call and sat down next to Lynsey. Reaction was setting in and her legs had begun to shake. ‘Let me look at your head,’ he said.

  She tilted her head for him. With gentle fingers Julian brushed her hair away from the injury. A nasty lump had formed near her hairline where her skull had impacted with the metal pillar. He inhaled, sucking the air between his teeth with a hiss. The skin above her temple was already beginning to bruise. ‘You’ll need to get that looked at.’

  ‘My vision’s improving,’ she said.

  They moved at the same time. Julian slipped his arm around her and she lowered her head onto his shoulder like she used to do all those years ago. They stayed like that, his head resting against the back of the lounge, her face turned into his neck. If not for his throbbing lip he would have turned and kissed her on that little frown between her eyebrows, but he settled for rubbing a soothing hand over her hip.

  A lump grew in Julian’s throat and he swallowed hard. He’d never move on from Lynsey Carter. He hadn’t before, so what hope did he have now? She was always with him. In his thoughts. In his dreams. And this felt so natural, so right, so totally different to the feelings he had for other women.

  He closed his eyes and patted her hip, pleased that they could comfort each other.

  Terrified that his actions in the car had hurt her.

  Relieved to sense she’d stopped shaking.

  ***

  Lynsey started awake at the thump on the door. She raised her head, wincing as a white-hot pain shot through her temple before receding into a sickening throb.

  They untangled themselves and Julian gave her a quick wink as he pushed himself to his feet and went to answer the door.

  Sergeant Derek Johnson’s reputation for having a problem with the bottle was well-known among Mindalby residents. Tonight, his puffy eyes and flushed complexion were testament to him having tied on a big one rather than any loss of quality sleep time.

  ‘Nice to see you, Ms Carter. Shame it isn’t under better circumstances.’ He lowered his considerable bulk into the armchair while Julian sat down beside Lynsey again. ‘I’ve been over to the house. Understandably the residents are shaken up, but the car only made it as far as the garden so there’s been no other damage.’

  Beside her, Julian gave a relieved sigh.

  ‘The driver fled on foot. I’ve called my other officers. One is at the scene, the other one is searching for the driver.’ He stared at Julian first and then at Lynsey. ‘Before we begin, do you two require medical attention?’

  ‘I think Lynsey should get checked out.’ Julian turned and looked at her, concern in his eyes. ‘She hit her head on the door pillar—not when he rammed us. When I got behind his car and pushed him onto the gutter.’

  The sergeant’s eyebrows rose at that.

  ‘Do you need to go to the hospital, Ms Carter?’

  ‘Not yet. I might see a doctor tomorrow. I had some double vision earlier but it seems to have gone now.’

  ‘Mr Stone?’ There was a monotone to the sergeant’s voice, suggesting he was barely tolerating being called out at one-thirty am.

  ‘Just a split lip. Looks worse than it is.’

  Sergeant Johnson appeared to accept that. With deliberate movements he put on a pair of reading glasses then took a notepad and pen from his breast pocket. He was opening the pad at a new page when his mobile rang.

  ‘Yes?’ He stared at the carpet and listened. His eyes widened in response to what the person on the other end was saying. ‘Rope off the area with crime scene tape and brush the car for fingerprints. Then bring the contents of the glovebox over here.’

  Lynsey exchanged glances with Julian.

  ‘Let’s try again,’ Sergeant Johnson said, ending the call and picking up his pad and pen for the second time. ‘Everything—from the beginning.’

  While Julian explained what had happened that night, the sergeant listened and scribbled on his pad, only interrupting when he needed something clarified. ‘Do you think he followed you all the way from the depot?’

  Julian shook his head. ‘I have no idea. I didn’t see him until he flew up behind me.’

  Sergeant Johnson p
eered at them over the top of his reading glasses. ‘What were you doing at the depot so late?’

  Lynsey exchanged another glance with Julian. He gave a faint nod, leaving it up to her as to how much she wanted to reveal.

  ‘We were using the photocopier,’ she said.

  The sergeant’s eyebrows shot up making his bloodshot eyes appear larger. ‘The photocopier?’

  ‘That’s right.’

  ‘It must have been something important for you to be doing that at this time of the morning.’

  ‘It is important, Sergeant. I’m seeing a lawyer tomorrow morning— I mean later this morning. I needed to have copies ready by then. Julian kindly allowed me to use the one in his office.’

  Sergeant Johnson nodded but didn’t say any more. Julian got up and disappeared for a minute then returned with three glasses of water. He was putting them down on the coffee table when a knock came at the door.

  ‘I’ll get it.’ The sergeant heaved himself out of the chair. ‘Sit down, Julian. You’re as white as a sheet.’

  It was Constable Boyd Dunbar. He greeted his superior then handed some papers to him. ‘These were in the glove box.’

  While Sergeant Johnson studied each individual sheet Constable Dunbar gave him an update. ‘We ran the plate number through the database. Car’s stolen. Taken from Bourke a couple of days ago.’

  The sergeant nodded and passed the papers to Lynsey. ‘It seems Ms Carter may be the target.’

  Lynsey’s scalp crawled and her stomach gave a sickening lurch. She looked at the sheet on top and gasped. It was her LinkedIn profile, complete with details of her current position and working history. In the photo she was smiling and wearing her white lab coat.

  ‘What the fuck?’ muttered Julian.

  She flicked through the sheets, her head throbbing along with her heart. There was a profile picture from a social media account she barely used, and some random shots from media interviews. One was an interview she and Jeremy had given to an agricultural magazine. She remembered the day the photograph was taken because Jeremy had finally drummed up the courage to ask her out.

  ‘Do you have any idea who might be stalking you?’ Sergeant Johnson asked, taking the printouts from her and handing them back to Constable Dunbar.

  Lynsey shook her head but then regretted it as pain speared through her temple. ‘I’ve only been back a few days. I’m assuming it has something to do with the mill.’

  The sergeant paused as he considered what she’d said. ‘Most reasonable people in Mindalby know you haven’t lived around these parts for a long time. Still, emotions are running high and you could have become a target of one of the mill workers.’

  ‘My mother’s fence was defaced the other day. We assumed they were targeting her.’ She turned to look at Julian. ‘Maybe it was me.’

  Julian’s arm encircled her waist again and Lynsey moved closer to his comforting warmth. He could have been badly hurt tonight because of her … or worse. She shuddered and pushed the thought from her mind. ‘I’ve had the feeling since arriving home that someone’s been following me.’

  Three sets of male eyes bored into her.

  She told the Sergeant about the black ute.

  ‘Did you get the make?’

  ‘No.’

  Sergeant Johnson turned to Boyd Dunbar. ‘Open an investigation, and run a check on everyone in town who owns a black ute. I want to see if any of them have a record.’

  ‘Yes, sir.’

  ‘There’s something else.’ Lynsey told them about the man at the storage shed. ‘I wasn’t going to put the roller door up. I thought he’d say something but he didn’t.’

  ‘What part of his clothing did you see?’

  ‘Only the bottom of his work pants and his boots. The pants were navy, like cotton drill Hard Yakka ones. The boots were black with a big silver buckle on the side.’

  Sergeant Johnson wrote everything down in his notebook. ‘And what were you doing at the storage shed when this happened?’

  Lynsey’s mind raced. She wasn’t ready to tell the police about the contents of the crates. They’d know soon enough if the liquidator thought a police investigation was warranted. ‘It’s my mother’s unit. She keeps extra fittings and mannequins in there for her shop.’ Lynsey put her hand to her forehead. ‘Oh God, I need to call Mum. She’ll be freaking out. She would have been expecting me ages ago.’

  ‘Where’s your bag?’ asked Julian.

  ‘It’s in the car.’

  ‘I’ll get it.’ For the second time in a number of days he disappeared and returned a few moments later with her bag.

  When Lynsey looked at her phone there were three missed calls from her mother and a text message. ‘Excuse me. I need to call Mum now.’ She got up and walked down the back of the townhouse and into Julian’s kitchen. Her mother picked up on the first ring.

  ‘Lynsey!’

  ‘Hi, Mum. I’m sorry. I missed your calls.’

  ‘Is everything alright?’

  ‘We had a bit of an incident on our way home from the depot.’

  ‘What happened?’

  ‘A car tried to run us off the road. It was pretty scary. We’re with the police right now.’

  ‘Oh my God. Do you want me to come down …? Oh, I can’t, you have my car.’

  ‘We went in Julian’s four-wheel-drive, Mum. We left yours in the garage thinking it might draw unwanted attention. But I’ll tell you about that later. I can’t drive home. I got a bump on my head in the accident.’

  She heard her mother’s quick intake of breath. ‘Oh, Lynsey, have you been to the hospital?’

  ‘It’s not that serious.’ Lynsey swung around as Julian came into the kitchen. He motioned with his hand for her to give him the phone. Lynsey nodded and passed it over.

  ‘Hello, Veronica.’ He paused while her mother spoke. ‘I’m okay. I have a bit of a fat lip but otherwise all good. Listen, the police need to go over my car. If you like I can drive Lynsey home in the Camry but then you’d have to drop me back here. Honestly, I don’t think it’s a good idea for any of us to be driving around town at this hour, and neither do the police.’

  He paused as her mother spoke again. ‘That’s what I was going to say. She can stay here. How about we both pick you up in the morning?’ He lowered his voice. ‘I’ll carry the boxes for you.’

  Her mother must have agreed because Julian smiled, at least as much as his fat lip would allow. How was it that he looked good enough to eat even with a swollen lip and his chin and shirt covered in dried blood?

  ‘I’ll keep everything safe here, including Lynsey. Don’t worry.’

  As Julian and her mother finished their conversation, Lynsey opened Julian’s freezer and took out a packet of frozen peas. ‘Wrap those in a tea towel and put them on your lip.’

  He gave her a lopsided smile. ‘We can take it in turns.’

  ‘Thanks for reassuring Mum, and for not telling her about the stalker, or whatever he is. That would have really freaked her out. I’m worried about her now though, in the house on her own.’

  ‘Excuse me.’

  Lynsey turned at the sound of Sergeant Johnson’s voice. He was standing in the doorway. ‘I’ve just sent Constable Dunbar over there. He’ll be parked outside your mother’s house until morning.’

  Lynsey let go of a relieved breath. ‘Thank you, Sergeant.’

  ‘My other officer, Constable Ross, the one who’s been searching for the driver, she’s on her way over here now. She’ll be stationed outside this place until daybreak.’

  Chapter Twenty-One

  It was two am before Sergeant Johnson left. Julian had promised to leave the Land Cruiser in the garage until one of the officers came to photograph the damage. In turn, the police had promised to keep Julian and Lynsey informed of any new developments. Meanwhile, the stolen car would be impounded and brushed for prints.

  With the house finally quiet, Lynsey showered in the main bathroom while Julian slipped int
o the garage and transferred the boxes from the four-wheel-drive into the boot of the Camry. He was back inside and checking the street through the lounge-room window when Constable Meredith Ross pulled up outside.

  Julian closed the plantation shutters and began switching off the lights. The water was no longer running in the bathroom and he hovered anxiously outside the door, wondering if Lynsey was okay, and trying not to think about her naked inside.

  Struck by the realisation that she didn’t have any clean clothes, he walked into his bedroom and pulled the largest hoodie he owned off its hanger. Then remembering the bed in the spare room had an electric blanket, he changed his mind and grabbed a t-shirt instead.

  Back in the hall, he knocked on the bathroom door. ‘Lyns. I’ve left a t-shirt outside the door.’

  ‘Hey.’ The door swung open. ‘I meant to ask if you had something I could borrow.’

  Surrounded by steam fragrant with the scent of his body wash, her hair was slicked back and she was wrapped in one of his dark blue towels. Julian’s mouth turned dry. He couldn’t help getting an eyeful of a pair of slender legs and ten orange toenails as he bent down to retrieve the t-shirt he’d left on the floor.

  ‘Thank you,’ she said as he passed it to her. The lump on her head was beginning to bruise, but to his relief her eyes were no longer dazed.

  ‘I’ll turn the electric blanket on for you. The spare bed’s already made up. I never know when I’ll get a call from Mum saying she’s coming up from Dubbo.’

  ‘How is she?’ Willow had told her Julian’s mother had married for the second time about three years ago.

  ‘She’s really happy. It’s a beautiful thing to see.’

  ‘I’m so glad.’ Lynsey smiled. ‘She was on her own for a long time.’

  ‘She was. And she had all the worry of my dyslexia … but all that’s in the past now. Just make yourself at home.’ He hooked a thumb in the direction of the main bedroom. ‘I’ll go take a shower in my ensuite.’

  ‘Okay,’ she said with a smile. ‘Thanks, Julian.’

  In the bathroom, he stripped off his clothes and stared at his reflection in the mirror, cringing at the dried blood on his face. It would easily wash away but the fear lingering in his dark-ringed eyes would stay put until the person who wanted to do harm to Lynsey was caught.