‘Tell me about it! She’s gone right over the edge.’
Georgia fell silent for a few moments. When she spoke again, her voice was hesitant and soft.
‘All that stuff about bullying and being abused … it’s horrible but I sort of understand where it can come from. Wanting revenge. I was so angry with you... I was … It was wrong and now this … us … your house.’ Tears streamed down her face and she wiped them away with her hands. ‘It wasn’t meant to be like that. I’m so sorry.’
‘It was my fault. I should have been there for you. I’m sorry.’ Sobs rose up and threatened to engulf Abbie in a surge of grief and regret. ‘I was selfish.’
‘That’s nothing new.’ But the tone held none of the bitterness of before.
Abbie sniffed hard and rubbed her hands over her cheeks. ‘You mustn’t tell Rupe,’ she whispered fiercely.
‘Why not?’
‘He doesn’t need to know about your involvement. It was Aaron and Kaelee. They threatened us with a gun and tied us up. And one of them attacked poor Rita. Not you.’
‘But I told him where you lived and I …’
Abbie cut in. ‘Did you know he was involved with her?’
‘No. I promise I didn’t.’
‘So it’s not your fault. You couldn’t have known what they were planning. He used you.’
‘And she used both of us. She set the whole thing up.’
‘That’s why you came to see me, isn’t it?’ Abbie said sadly. ‘Not because you wanted to make amends, but for revenge. Did Sophie say any of what you told me?’
‘All of it.’
‘But you ignored her.’
Georgia nodded. ‘Until I got here and you were so pleased to see me and you … were happy about …’ Tears ran down her cheeks.
‘The baby,’ said Abbie softly. ‘I still am. I’m thrilled.’
‘I didn’t take much convincing to come here, not really. I missed you.’
‘Me too.’
‘Sorry to interrupt.’ Rupe’s voice startled Abbie as she hugged Georgia as tightly as she dared, given the bruising. ‘Lunchtime. I’m starving. So’s Ben so we thought we should go to the Crown for a counter lunch.’
Abbie smiled into Georgia’s damp eyes.
‘Okay,’ she said. ‘Sounds good.’
Chapter 18
Rupe was pleased to see Abbie and Georgia becoming close again but he couldn’t toss the niggling suspicion there was more going on than just a touching family reunion. Those words of Georgia’s played about in his head. What was she sorry for? Whatever it was, had she just explained it to Abbie, resulting in both of them in tears?
Perhaps he could have a few words with Georgia in private. Get a feel for whether she was hiding something. She had a past with Kaelee that was for sure, but what about Aaron? Had they only just met? It all went back to that trial where Callum Stirling had walked away a free man. That was the common factor uniting all three, four if he included Abbie.
Going by the scene he’d just witnessed, he was pretty certain Abbie would forgive her daughter anything. The question was, how relevant to the case at hand was Georgia’s transgression? And would either of them tell him if it was?
A pang of regret struck somewhere in the region of his heart. Dismay that Abbie might deliberately lie to him, or if not lie, be economical with the truth. He’d thought they were on the way to a closer relationship than victim and cop. Of course Georgia’s presence changed everything. He couldn’t compete with a pregnant prodigal daughter for her affection and loyalty, and neither would he. Or should he.
Over steak, chips and salad in the Crown, Abbie gave Ben a thinly disguised third degree. He answered all her questions with a smile and furtive glances at Georgia, who virtually ignored the exchange beyond rolling her eyes a few times at her mother’s barrage, and giving little private grimaces of embarrassment at Rupe.
When Abbie finally wound down, Ben had revealed he was an actor with a commercial shoot he had to be back in Melbourne for very early on Saturday morning because it was being filmed in the deserted CBD; he’d had a couple of minor roles in popular soaps; he’d done some theatre work and his mother had arrived as a boat person after the Vietnam War. She was nine and came with her aunt and two cousins, having lost her own family in the war. He’d been in the share house for about six months, played classical guitar and was a Melbourne boy.
Quite a comprehensive summation of Ben’s existence extracted with a smiling interested expression. Rupe couldn’t have done better himself. Abbie seemed satisfied with his answers, Ben was unfazed and Georgia said nothing. If Abbie thought Ben was the father of the unborn child, in Rupe’s opinion she was way off the mark. Whoever the man was, it wasn’t this unrequited, besotted one.
Rupe got up to order more drinks, wondering if he was heading for the same boat as Ben. There weren’t many conditions as miserable as unrequited love. Clear to see in someone else, incurable and untreatable in oneself.
But he wasn’t that far gone in regard to Abbie. He leaned against the bar waiting for Jen to get his order ready, watching the group at the table. Abbie was a strikingly beautiful woman, even more so without the distraction of the russet red hair. Fragile, delicate, warm-hearted, intelligent, creative and strong.
‘Rupe! Wake up.’ He turned abruptly to see Jen grinning at him over the tray of brimming glasses. ‘She’s an attractive girl,’ she said with a smirk.
Rupe pulled out his wallet and paid her. ‘She’s too young for me.’
‘Not the daughter. Abbie.’ She laughed. ‘I reckon the daughter’s got her own admirer.’
‘They’ve had a rough few days,’ he said in an effort to steer her in another direction.
The smile disappeared in a flash. ‘Bloody terrible. You’ve gotta catch the bastards, Rupe, we don’t want crap like that happening here. Fancy bashing poor Rita like that!’
‘We’ll get them, don’t worry.’
‘Lock ’em up and throw away the key.’
He nodded and took the tray of drinks to the table.
‘We’ll go out to the house after lunch to collect Georgia’s car,’ said Abbie.
‘Okay. I have a few things to do and then cricket training this evening.’
‘I’ll cook dinner,’ said Ben. ‘Do you like Vietnamese food?’
‘Love it,’ said Abbie. ‘But no fish for Rupe.’ She sent him a little smile which entangled him like a silken strand of spider web.
‘I’ll do the rice,’ said Georgia. ‘It’ll be boiled.’
‘You don’t have to cook. We could get takeaway if you prefer,’ said Rupe. ‘The Chinese restaurant is good.’
‘Ben’s a good cook,’ said Georgia. ‘His mother taught him.’
‘We can do the shopping when we come back,’ said Ben.
‘The last time my visitors offered to cook dinner, I threw up all night,’ said Abbie.
‘You can make yourself a vegemite sandwich instead,’ said Georgia.
Ben’s face was a picture of horrified bewilderment.
***
Abbie drove her car to collect Georgia’s things that afternoon. She wanted to have another poke around in the studio to find anything else salvageable she may have missed before. She was calmer today and would be more methodical in her search.
While Georgia showed Ben around and, luckily the water was still on, watered the vegetable plot, Abbie set to work. The smell still permeated the rooms but she stayed in the studio, carefully sifting through the wreckage.
A soft noise, like a dull thump, had her straighten in an instant, eyes wide and searching, ears straining. A glance out the window told her Ben and Georgia were still at the vegetable garden with the hose.
She snatched up her bag and hurried on tiptoes to the back door, nerve endings prickling the back of her neck, wrenched the screen open and ran outside, heart pounding. Georgia and Ben turned in surprise. Water sprayed over the path and he turned off the tap.
‘Someone
’s in there,’ Abbie said.
‘Are you sure?’ Ben took a couple of steps towards the house.
Georgia grabbed his arm. ‘Don’t.’
‘I heard a noise,’ said Abbie.
‘Could it be them?’ Georgia’s voice dropped.
‘I don’t know.’
‘We should call Rupe if you’re worried,’ said Ben.
‘We can’t. No signal,’ said Georgia.
‘The phone’s working now but it’s in the kitchen.’ Abbie bit at her lip. ‘I could go up the hill and call.’
‘We could all go in while you phone,’ said Ben. ‘They can’t take on all three of us.’
‘They’ve got a gun,’ Georgia said tersely.
‘They must know we’re here. We should go back to the cars,’ he said.
‘What would they be doing in there?’ asked Abbie. ‘It stinks, for a start.’
‘It could be an animal. A possum or a dog or something.’ Ben stared at the back door.
‘If it is we’ll look pretty stupid if Rupe turns up with the cavalry,’ said Georgia.
‘And if it isn’t …’ Abbie grimaced. ‘What do we do?’
‘Get to the cars,’ said Ben. ‘Leave. Rupe can send someone to check it out.’
He started walking, heading for the side of the house. Georgia hesitated then took Abbie’s arm. ‘Come on, he’s right. We should go.’
‘What if it’s nothing?’
‘Do you want to risk it?’
No way did she want another confrontation, this time with a pair on the run and desperate. But why would they stick around? It didn’t make sense.
Just as Abbie and Georgia rounded the corner of the house, the screen door banged shut.
‘Run,’ she screeched.
A hoarse voice called, ‘Georgia, please … wait. Wait.’
‘That’s Aaron.’ Georgia stopped but Abbie dragged at her.
‘What are you doing? Come on, move.’
‘Please... help me.’
Abbie hesitated. He sounded genuinely frightened. She peered around the corner of the house with Georgia craning her neck beside her.
‘He looks terrible,’ Georgia said softly.
He did. His clothes were smeared with black residue, as were his hands and his lank unwashed tangle of hair. Dark smudges under his eyes and sunken cheeks added years to him.
‘Stop right there,’ Abbie called when he took several steps along the path.
‘Where’s Kaelee?’ asked Georgia.
‘I don’t know. I got away from her. She took the car.’
Ben hovered behind them. ‘What are you doing?’ he hissed.
‘Ben,’ Georgia turned. ‘Take my car and drive down the road a kilometre. Call the police.’ She thrust the keys into his hand.
‘I can’t leave you here.’
‘We’ve got Mum’s car. Go.’
Ben went. Moments later an engine started and the red hatchback roared down the drive.
‘What happened, Aaron?’ Georgia stepped round the corner a pace and stopped. ‘Why didn’t you tell me about Kaelee? You set me up, you bastard.’
Abbie put a restraining hand on her arm but she shook it off with a furious jerk.
‘You used me,’ she said.
‘I’m sorry. I didn’t know how crazy she was.’
‘Why should we believe you now?’ asked Abbie. ‘How do we know Kaelee isn’t in the house with that gun?’
‘She’s not. I’ve been here by myself since last night. I didn’t know where else to go.’
‘Why didn’t the police find you?’ asked Georgia.
‘I hid in the bush.’
‘Why did you attack Rita?’ Abbie’s turn again. He had a lot of answers to come up with.
‘Kaelee did. Is she all right, that old lady?’
‘She’s alive but she might not survive. She’s seventy-nine, what harm could she possibly have been to you?’ Abbie’s mouth twisted in disgust.
‘Oh god.’ He rubbed grimy hands over his face. ‘This wasn’t meant to happen.’
‘Well it did. And you were the one who destroyed my studio … all my work …’ The words jammed in her throat.
‘I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I … I thought if I didn’t do something to distract her she might have used that gun. I didn’t know she was setting your house on fire when we left. I only found out when I heard it on the car radio. That’s when I decided I had to get away.’
‘Why didn’t you give yourself up to the police when they were looking for you?’ He had an answer for everything, but was it the truth? How could she tell?
‘I didn’t see them. I only got back last night. I came through the bush.’
Abbie pulled at Georgia’s arm. ‘We should tie him up,’ she whispered.
‘What with?’
‘There’s rope in the shed.’
‘Do we need to?’
Abbie glanced at Aaron. He stood watching them like some forlorn, lost refugee.
‘I don’t trust him.’
‘Okay. Go and get the rope.’
Abbie dumped her handbag and sprinted for the shed. She was sure she’d seen rope in there and if not, there was that old leather horse gear with a length of rope attached, and there were old bits of chain too.
She rummaged about and came up with a massive coil of rope thick enough to tow an ocean liner. Hands on hips, she surveyed the dusty bench, rusty tools and stacks of ancient bits and pieces. A coil of yellow plastic-coated electrical cable hung from a nail. That would do. She snatched it down, grabbed secateurs and hurried back to Georgia.
Fumbling with the unwieldy bundle, she unrolled a metre and cut at it. The blades slid off.
‘These are blunt,’ she muttered.
‘You don’t need to tie me up,’ he said. ‘I’ve had enough. I want to get out of here. Kaelee might come looking for me.’
‘What was that?’ Georgia stared at the house.
‘What?’ Abbie stopped hacking.
‘It sounded like a voice. A cry.’
‘I didn’t hear anything.’
‘Listen.’
Abbie strained her ears. The wind rustled the leaves in the trees by the shed. A cockatoo screeched in the distance. Apart from that, nothing.
‘Might have been a bird.’
‘Maybe.’ Georgia walked along the path and peered in the window. ‘Can’t see anything.’
‘Georgia, don’t go in,’ Abbie called fiercely.
‘There’s no-one there,’ Aaron said. ‘I’ve been here on my own.’
‘I heard a voice,’ Georgia said stubbornly, heading for the back door.
‘We’ll wait here until Rupe comes,’ Abbie said. She resumed hacking at the cable and succeeded in separating a piece. ‘Hands behind your back, Aaron.’
He hesitated. ‘You don’t need to do that.’
In answer, Abbie grabbed his arm but he stepped back, twisting free and in the same movement whacked her on the jaw with a fist that felt like a rock. She staggered back, tripped on the coil of cable and fell heavily to the ground while the world spun. His blurred figure upended her handbag, spilling assorted junk on the ground, then bent and patted her pockets. He yanked out her car keys and disappeared.
‘Georgia.’ Abbie tried to yell but her voice was weak and croaky.
The car engine roared. Abbie struggled to her feet but swayed, a cannonball of pain rolling in her head. Georgia was there steadying her.
‘What happened?’
‘He hit me … took the car.’
‘Christ! He looked so feeble.’
Abbie touched her jaw gingerly.
‘Are you all right?’
‘I think so.’
‘Ben should be back soon. Sit down.’
‘He won’t get far in my car.’ Abbie remained standing. The side of her face pulsated and her jaw barely functioned, making her sound drunk, but she was steadier on her feet now.
‘No but I guess he’s pretty desperate. I’m goin
g to phone the cops from inside.’
Before Abbie could object she’d sprinted for the house. Minutes passed. Had Georgia heard a voice or was it a bird call? A lump of dread settled in her stomach. The only voice it could possibly be was Kaelee’s. Where was she?
Abbie walked along the path carefully, each step jarring her aching face, listening for sounds from inside. At the back door she stopped. The phone was close, just inside on the bench, but she couldn’t hear Georgia’s voice.
A car roared down the driveway. Abbie stumbled to the opposite side of the house from the path and the sheds. She crept around the laundry wall and along beside the lilacs. When she reached the front she stopped and peered round, gripping the wall for support. Georgia’s car. It was Ben. He was walking to the other side of the house where he’d left them.
Abbie raced to catch him. He turned in surprise, then alarm when he saw her face.
‘Are you okay?’
‘Aaron hit me and took the car.’
‘Where’s Georgia? Your car shot passed me just now and I thought you must have decided to leave in a hurry.’
‘Why did you come back here? I’m glad you did.’ Abbie started for the rear of the house.
‘It didn’t stop when it came by me and I thought there was only one person in the car, which was odd.’ Thank goodness he was a smart boy.
‘Georgia’s phoning the police on the landline. Did you talk to Rupe?’
‘I had to leave a message. His phone was off and I remembered he said he’d be at cricket training so I called Emergency.’
‘Good. She’s been in there ages.’
Ben ran the last few metres with Abbie after him.
With none of Abbie’s caution, he wrenched the screen door open. ‘Georgia?’
The kitchen was empty.
‘Georgia,’ Abbie yelled. ‘Where are you?’
‘In here, my room.’ She sounded distant, under stress.
Abbie led the way, heart thudding.
Georgia was standing by the bed, white-faced. Crimson stained the bedcover, the bright red clashing with the lilac and white of the pattern. A girl lay motionless, her limbs sprawled untidily, long blonde hair loose and partially covering her face.
The Secrets that Lie Within (Taylor's Bend, #1) Page 24