Whispers Through the Pines

by Lynne Wilding

  Simon drove like a man possessed. At first he had no particular destination in mind, but as darkness descended over the island, it became clear where he was headed. Sue Levinski’s apartment, because he knew she came off duty at six o’clock. He had to talk to someone, get things off his chest, and who better than Sue? She sympathised with his problem. Hadn’t she since day one? He nodded his head affirmatively as he drove.

  From habit he locked the car before he headed up the front steps and, seeing the light through the glass panel, knocked on her door.

  ‘Simon!’ Sue’s tone echoed shock. ‘What’s the matter? You look awful. Come in.’

  ‘T-thanks. I’m a mess. Got anything to drink?’

  ‘Southern Comfort?’

  ‘Great. I’d even accept cooking sherry if that’s all you had.’

  She half-filled a tumbler with the alcohol, added a couple of ice cubes and handed it to him. Her eyebrow lifted, either with admiration or surprise, as he downed the contents minus the ice blocks. She refilled his glass and motioned for him to sit on the lounge. Then she waited for him to talk.

  He sipped the alcohol as he spoke. ‘God, I needed that. I…I’ve just come from the Hunters’ place.’

  ‘Oh, how did it go? The hypnotising?’ Personally, she believed that only those who were weak willed could be hypnotised, and she wasn’t even sure if Marcus was skilled enough to do it.

  ‘Scared the shit out of me,’ he said with brutal honesty. ‘Marcus got Jessica under and took her back through various stages of her childhood. Then, this strange voice came out of Jess’s mouth…’ He looked at her and shook his head as if he still couldn’t believe it. ‘It was this Sarah.’

  ‘Oh. Really!’ Sue tried not to smile. What kind of hocus pocus was Marcus trying to pull, and why? Sarah O’Riley, indeed. What a load of rubbish!

  ‘It knocked me for a loop, Sue. There was this voice, different to Jess’s and with an Irish accent, talking about things that happened over a hundred years ago.’

  ‘Are you sure it wasn’t put on, an act? Maybe Jessica was playing a trick on the lot of you.’

  He nodded. ‘At first I didn’t know what to think. Whether Sarah was a split personality of Jessica’s or whether it was a delusional situation. But, Marcus is on the right track. Sarah is some kind of spirit who’s taken over part of Jessica’s life.’

  ‘For what purpose?’ she asked as she filled his glass again.

  ‘She wouldn’t say. Got angry when Marcus asked her straight out. I tell you it was damned weird, the whole thing. Frightened the life out of me. I couldn’t take it, so I left.’

  ‘Poor Simon. It must have been awful for you,’ she soothed. Say the right words. Make him think you’re sympathetic.

  ‘I don’t know what to do…I had a well-ordered life, everything was going to plan, until we came here. Now it’s all changed. I’ve changed. Jessica’s changed, too. It’s like living a never-ending nightmare,’ he ended on a self-pitying note as he rested his head back against the lounge.

  ‘Have you eaten?’ When he nodded negatively, she got up. ‘I’ll fix you a snack. You’ll feel better with something in your stomach.’ That’s what her mother had always told her.

  He watched her stand up and move to the kitchenette and became aware, for the first time, of her scanty attire. All she had on was a white translucent shirt which reached halfway down her thighs, and underneath he could see the outline of a black bra and very brief lace panties. Something kick-started in his chest and worked its way down to his groin. He swallowed the lump in his throat and looked away…

  But not before Sue intercepted his glance. She smiled and accentuated the swagger of her hips as she opened the fridge door and bent over to purposely give him an eyeful of her shapely legs and bottom.

  ‘It’s okay, I…I’m not really hungry,’ he said stiltedly, his tone vague, preoccupied by his startling response to her. His gaze was riveted on her as if he couldn’t break away. Jesus, why hadn’t it occurred to him before? He’d seen her almost every day for over two months yet he hadn’t really seen her at all! Well, his eyes were open now, and liking what they saw. Not only was Sue Levinski a compassionate, caring person, she was beautiful, a very beautiful, desirable woman. A tingling began at the base of his spine and spread to his groin. God, what was he thinking? He damned well knew the answer to that. Gulping down the rest of the whisky, he made to get up. He had to get out of here before he made a fool of himself.

  In an instant she was by his side, touching his arm. ‘Don’t go, Simon. Not yet.’ She walked around behind him and put her hands on his shoulders. ‘Oh, you’re so tense. Let me fix that. I’m a pretty good masseuse.’

  Petite as she was, her hands felt like steel hooks as they propelled him back against the lounge. His groan was a mixture of ecstasy and pain as her fingers dug mercilessly into his tense shoulder and neck muscles. ‘God, that feels good.’

  ‘I’m glad. It’d be more effective without your shirt though,’ she suggested and smiled knowingly as he began to undo the buttons. This was going to be easier than expected. Him coming here had been an acknowledgement that he felt comfortable with her, that he could tell her anything. It was time, she decided, for the next step in their relationship.

  Ten minutes later he was almost purring with contentment. Her hands were like magic, he admitted to himself. They had found every tense muscle in his back and worked on them until he felt loose, and relaxed.

  ‘What are you going to do about Jessica?’ she asked conversationally.

  ‘Do? I don’t know.’ He took a deep breath. ‘I don’t want to go home. The thought of facing her, knowing there’s this thing, this person, Sarah, influencing her. It makes me wonder how much of what Jessica does is Jessica and how much is Sarah?’

  ‘I understand. Why,’ she paused for effect, ‘it’s as if you’re married to a stranger, isn’t it?’

  He turned his head to look up at her and his eyes widened when he saw how close her face was to his. ‘That’s exactly what it’s like. Half the time I don’t know where or who the real Jessica is.’

  ‘You don’t have to go home, Simon. You’re welcome to stay here, you know. In fact,’ she whispered huskily, ‘more than welcome.’ She inched forward and let her lips brush against his. ‘You’re a very handsome man, Simon. Surely you must know how I feel about you?’ She batted her eylids shyly at him. ‘I’ve tried to hide my feelings because of your situation, but you’re a sensitive man. You must see that I care…’

  ‘N-no!’

  He’d had no idea, but then he suddenly recalled a few instances. The little things she did to make him feel comfortable, at ease. Her interest in his problems, in his geriatrics complex. Of course. He blinked, but he didn’t move away. Instead, he wondered, what was the name of that wonderful perfume she wore? So heady, and so bloody arousing. Christ, not that he needed it. He was rock hard and if she were standing in front of him, she’d be able to see how her massage had affected him. But…he was married. He had never looked at another woman since he’d been married to Jessica. Well, not much more than a fleeting glance, a moment of wondering. Hell, all men married or otherwise did that. Now though, right now, he was doing more than wondering. He wanted Sue, badly.

  She moved and came around in front of him. He saw that she’d opened her shirt’s buttons. God, she was magnificent! Her breasts almost spilled out of the low cut bra, and the panties, well, they accentuated and hinted at more than they disguised. He swallowed the lump in his throat, unable to find a reason to move, to do what he knew he should do—leave.

  Sue sat astride his lap and put her arms around his neck. ‘You don’t really want to go, do you?’ she asked in her sexiest voice. His aroused body, his heavy breathing, had already given her the answer, but she had to make him say it. She leant close and kissed him, and as she deepened the kiss, working her tongue through his opening lips into his mouth, she heard him groan. His arms came up and pulled her hard against his bare ch
est.

  ‘You know I don’t,’ he whispered hoarsely, surrendering his conscience to the delights her willing body promised.

  She cradled her head against his chest as if he were a small child, but what he was doing to her breasts—he’d unclipped her bra, set her twin orbs free, and was suckling them hungrily—made little arrows of passion dart through her body. Oh, yes, he was ready and so was she. She disguised the triumphant smile with one of wanton passion as she led him into the bedroom. He was as good as hers now, even before they reached the bed.

  Jessica stretched and slowly came to wakefulness. She, Marcus and Nan had talked well into the night and, for the first time in a long, long time, she believed that she was a whole person, both physically and mentally. One eye opened, expecting to see Simon’s head on the other pillow. He wasn’t there. She glanced at the clock. 6.30 am. Where was he? She sat bolt upright and listened for sounds in the house, the shower running, him pottering around in the kitchen. There was only silence. She bounded out of bed, threw on her robe and then looked back at the bed. His side hadn’t been slept in.

  So he had gone off in a bit of a tizz last night. Where could he be? Had he stayed out all night? She understood, kind of. He couldn’t help the fact that anything spiritual or supernatural scared him shitless. Some people were like that, and it wasn’t, strictly, their fault. Something in their emotional make-up couldn’t accept the possibility of things or entities they couldn’t see. So Marcus had said.

  She padded through the house, checked the back verandah to make sure he hadn’t crept in and destroyed the Anson Bay painting. Then, as she looked through the living room window, she saw his car parked in the drive and him asleep in the driver’s seat. Wondering how long he had been there, she went outside.

  Jessica opened the passenger door and leant in. She shook his shoulder. ‘Simon.’

  ‘Wh-at!’ he mumbled. He opened his eyes, blinked, then squinted at her. ‘Jessica, what am I doing here?’ But as his brain became fully awake, he remembered everything. That he had made passionate love to Sue intermittently all night and had crawled out of her bed at five, intending to sneak into the cottage, but had fallen asleep once he’d stopped the car. Christ, he was going to have to do some smooth talking to get through this.

  ‘I don’t know, Simon. You tell me.’

  He yawned and ran a hand through his hair as he glanced furtively at her. She had that closed, tight-lipped expression she got when she was exceedingly annoyed. ‘Don’t be like that, Jess.’ He scratched the stubble on his chin. ‘What time is it?’

  ‘Time for you to be getting ready for work, wouldn’t you say?’

  Her cool tone told him she was miffed with him, so it would be best to go quietly. ‘I’m sorry about last night, at the Hunters’ place. I don’t know what came over me, I had to get out of the place. I…I guess I felt threatened.’

  ‘I understand, Simon,’ she said tiredly. ‘It doesn’t matter. Marcus and I clarified quite a few of the things that have happened to me. When you’re in a more receptive mood, I’ll tell you about them,’ and then she closed the door and walked back into the cottage.

  He waited a few minutes before he followed her. ‘Love,’ he leant close to her and tried to plant a repentant kiss on her cheek. ‘I really am sorry for being the emotional coward I am.’

  Jessica stood back and studied him, really studied him. He looked exhausted, his breath smelt of alcohol, and there was something else, another aroma. What was it? The odour was vaguely familiar. Her olfactory senses went into overdrive. Perfume. She could smell the lingering esssence of perfume, a very distinctive perfume. She concentrated, trying to place where she had smelt it before.

  ‘Where have you been, Simon?’

  He shrugged as he undid his tie and fiddled with the buttons on his shirt. ‘Nowhere in particular. I just drove around. Went and had something to eat…’

  ‘Where did you eat?’ she probed. Because of the perfume, a burgeoning suspicion was beginning to replace her earlier lack of curiosity. The smell was familiar, yet unfamiliar. Certainly not the type she would wear. Too heady, too…blatantly seductive.

  ‘Some place. I don’t remember. Why?’

  ‘Just curious,’ she fielded his query. God, if only she could remember…someone…she knew wore that brand of perfume. Aahh, yes, it was Poison. So apt because she then remembered who wore it, Sue Levinski. Sue wore it all the time, even at the hospital, where she should have known better.

  ‘I’d better grab a shower.’

  Simon had begun to feel nervous about the way she was looking at him. There was a strange look in her eyes. A coldness and worse, suspicion. Jessica, he knew, with her legal background, was too smart to believe he’d just driven around all night. Christ, why hadn’t he taken the time to think up an alibi? With a nod in her direction, he escaped to the bathroom and stood under the shower for five minutes, sluicing all trace of Sue’s lovemaking from his body, if not from his senses.

  Instead of breakfast being ready when he emerged from the bedroom dressed for work, there was nothing. Not a cup of tea, a slice of toast. Nothing. He was in the doghouse for sure, he realised, but so long as she didn’t confront him and he could get out of the house fast, he reckoned he’d survive.

  ‘You were with Sue Levinski, weren’t you?’ Jessica said from somewhere behind him.

  For several moments he remained still, needing time to compose his features and conjure up a sense of indignation. ‘I was not,’ he denied as he turned to face her.

  ‘Don’t lie to me, Simon. You know I can always tell when you’re lying.’

  ‘I’m not lying. In fact, I’m rather insulted that you could even think…’

  ‘Oh, cut the crap, I’m not stupid, even if you are. Besides, I saw too much of the I’ll pretend to be outraged act when I practised family law to be fooled by insincerity. You think I don’t recognise the signs? You’ve hardly had a wink of sleep, and her perfume is, or was, all over you. I’ll bet that if I looked, really looked, I’d find lipstick somewhere on your dirty shirt, and scratch marks on your back.’ She didn’t bother to hide the smile as he gave a guilty start. ‘I thought so. What you should have done was shower before you left her place. You might have got away with it then.’

  ‘Do you care, anyway?’ he shot back at her, aware that he was all but admitting his adultery. ‘You’re so involved with your own problems, with Sarah’s problems. I don’t seem to fit into the picture at all.’

  ‘That’s not true and you know it. You’ve always had my one hundred per cent support. Besides, you could have supported me more,’ she quietly accused, ‘as I would have supported you had the situation been reversed.’ She quirked an eyebrow at him. ‘So, you did sleep with her?’

  He couldn’t meet her eyes, couldn’t bear the disappointment and the hurt in them. ‘Why don’t we just drop this, Jess? Let’s pretend that last night didn’t happen.’ Even as he said the words, he knew it was hopeless. She was like a dog with a bone. She wouldn’t give up until she’d exposed every small detail.

  ‘But it did happen, Simon, and it changes everything.’

  ‘So I made a mistake. I’m sorry. Trust me, Jess, it won’t happen again. I promise,’ he pleaded, though in his heart he knew that, too, was a lie. Sue had got into his blood, and just thinking about her raised his blood pressure, and other parts of his anatomy. And God, didn’t she know how to turn a man on! With an effort he pulled his thoughts away from how good she’d been in bed. He had a major repair job to do between himself and Jessica. They had a good marriage, one that had stood the most awful test, Damian’s death, and survived. He couldn’t let it fail now, especially…the thought came to him…when she had all that lovely money he needed for his project. Yes, old man, concentrate on that.

  Deep inside her Jessica was aware of an icy calm. Why wasn’t she in a hot rage over his betrayal? Of all the women on the island, with Sue Levinski. Sue, who’d embarrassed her at Marcus’ house, who watched
her with barely veiled disdain, letting her know she thought she was mentally unstable. Who had, she now knew, done her best to undermine their marriage. The rage would come, she supposed, later but, for the moment, all she could feel was a yawning emptiness, as if some emotion, the sense of caring deep within her, which had been sickening for so long, had finally died.

  The gulf that had insidiously risen, between them over the last eighteen months, suddenly hit home. She cared, was hurt over his transgression, but it was mostly her personal pride and his choice of partner. The rest of her was…oh, God! She didn’t care about Simon, or for Simon any more, at least not enough for it to matter. That revelation stunned her, rendering her speechless. If she did care, she would be hopping mad, as well as incredibly hurt, by what he’d done.

  ‘We’ve got to talk this out, Jess. We can’t let more than ten years of marriage go down the drain without trying to salvage what we have.’ Simon made an impassioned plea to her.

  She stared at him as if he were a stranger. Her brain was refusing to function, she couldn’t think clearly. How had this come to pass? How could the love between them just die, like a flame slowly being extinguished? Why hadn’t she seen it happening? So many questions and no answers, just jumbled confusion in her head and in her heart.

  ‘Jess, please…’

  She gave herself a mental shake. Simon was right. Of course he was. Hadn’t her legal work been about discussing marital issues, encouraging clients to compromise, to work at repairing the relationship, without having to resort to the law? Surely, if she had been able to do it with clients, she could do it with her own marriage. At least she had to try.