“Kate! Oh thank god you’re OK!”
Kate looked bewildered. Was her husband standing in front of her?
“James is it really you? I can’t believe it! James, what are you doing here?”
Falling into her husband’s arms, tears cascaded down her cheeks.
Sam held back, was she seeing things? Was that Alex behind James? Surely not, Alex was on his honeymoon. Had she fainted because of the blood, was she in some sort of parallel universe, or was she actually dead? She glanced down at her body, no blood, thank goodness.
Alex started to walk towards her.
“Sam, you’re not imagining it,” he said, as if reading her mind, “we’re both here. I’m sorry we couldn’t get to you sooner, to save you from all this.”
She stood frozen to the spot – her legs wouldn’t move.
Chapter 27 – A Gruesome Find
Two uniformed officers approached Sam before she had a chance to utter a word, not that any words of any significance were actually forthcoming.
“Excuse me Miss, have you been harmed at all?” asked one of the officers, who still had his phone to his ear. “Only we’ve been in constant touch with the police helicopter, who’ve been keeping us informed of what’s been happening, and I understand there was a gun involved.”
Sam was still staring at Alex, still trying to take everything in. Still wondering what on Earth he was doing in New Zealand when he should be on honeymoon with Ana, his wife.
“Yes … yes there was a gun, but I’m fine, we’re both fine, aren’t we Kate?”
“Yes, hmm, just a bit shocked, thank you officer. I’ll introduce everyone, my name is Kate Robinson and this is my travelling companion Sam Adams. My wonderful husband James and our friend Alex Walker, have only just arrived from England. Sorry,” she said, wiping her eyes with a tissue, “it’s all a bit overwhelming, only we didn’t expect them, you see.”
The officer smiled. “I understand. You say you’re alright, but both of you look as if you’ve been hit around the face and Mrs. Robinson, you’ve blood on your jacket and hands.”
Kate put her finger to her lip. “Yes, I realise we look a bit of a mess but our facial injuries were from earlier. The blood on my hands and jacket is Cooper’s, the young man who saved our lives.”
“Right, well I shall need a statement from the pair of you, if you’re feeling up to it. Perhaps we could go and sit in the main building? There are toilets in there, you’ll be able to clean yourselves up a bit. And there’s a drinks and snack machine inside the entrance, I’m sure you both could do with a beverage and a sweet biscuit, which I think always does the trick in these sorts of situations.
“This is the last time I’m letting you out of my sight!” exclaimed James, putting a comforting arm around his wife, as they walked behind the police officers. “Who had a gun, and who the hell hit you Kate?”
“Jim Baxter, a violent bully, you’ll hear all about it when we make our statement. I only hope he gets what’s coming to him. Anyway, darling, it’s lovely to see you, but why are you and Alex here?”
“It’s a long story, the short answer is Alex didn’t get married …”
Kate raised her eyebrows. “Oh I see. Sam doesn’t know.”
“Right, well I think Alex is the one to tell her, don’t you?”
Alex strolled beside Sam, his hands deep in his pockets, not speaking or touching her. It was quite an uncomfortable scenario for them both. What he had wanted to do the minute he saw her was to take her in his arms and kiss her. So why hadn’t he? Why was she still putting up an invisible wall between them? He’d come all this way to declare his love, believing she loved him too. Had he and Josie got it wrong?
Entering the building, they all took a seat in the reception area.
“Right, ladies, I’m Sergeant Fleming and this is Constable Dancer. Let’s start from the beginning, tell me how you came to be mixed up with Jim Baxter? Let me add here, he’s been on our radar for years and if, with your help, we can bring him down, well, there will be a lot of people who will be very grateful.”
Sam cleared her throat and began to relay their story.
“We came to New Zealand looking for a man called Daniel Brennan, who arrived here ten years ago with Nancy Baxter …”
Half an hour later, the police officer switched off his dictating machine.
“OK, let me make sure I have this straight. You believe there’s a body in a cesspit in the grounds of Jacob Baxter’s old farmhouse?”
“Yes, I’m guessing there must be something down there, after Jim Baxter’s reaction towards us, don’t you?”
The ringing tone of Sergeant Fleming’s phone interrupted their conversation.
“Sorry I’ve got to take this call …” Getting to his feet he walked towards the outside door. Minutes later he was back. “Right ladies. Good news, the police from Christchurch have arrived and they’ve raided Oaklands. Several people are under arrest including Nancy Baxter. They’ve also retrieved your luggage and your car, both of which are on their way to Gwen Manning’s bed and breakfast. Now, do you feel able to accompany us to the farmhouse to show us the place you think a body is buried? I have to tell you, most of my colleagues would be more than sceptical about listening to the ravings of a medium, Mrs. Robinson, but I happen to have a wife who believes in that sort of thing and I wouldn’t hear the end of it if we didn’t give it a try.”
Kate looked over at Sam. “I’ll go on my own, if you’re not feeling up to it?”
“I’m actually feeling a lot better now,” replied Sam, forcing a smile. “We started this journey together Kate, and I want to see it to the end. Come on, let’s go while it’s still light and oh yes, officer, you’ll need a crowbar.”
***
Sergeant Fleming insisted Sam and Kate ride in the back of their vehicle, which left James and Alex to follow on behind. To be frank, it was quite an unsettling experience for the women to be back at the old farmhouse after everything that had gone on since. Standing over the metal hatch, the officers’ inserted two crowbars and with a lot of heaving, slowly the disc started to lift. Discarding it to one side, they shone a powerful torch into the darkness of the interior. Dropping to his knees so he could get a better view, Sergeant Fleming, peered down into the void.
“I can see there is something down there, whatever it is, it’s definitely large enough to be a body.” He scrambled to his feet. “Looks like your contacts on the other side could have got it right, Mrs. Robinson. I’ll get a rescue team out here so they can bring it to the surface. In the meantime, thank you for all your help. I think we can take it from here. I would ask that you stay in Jacob’s Rest until at least, I’ve written up your statement. Obviously, I will need you to sign it and I’m guessing you’re more than interested to know exactly what we find down there.”
“Yes, thank you Sergeant, I think we’re all very keen to know who or what is,” emphasised Sam.
James drove their vehicle back into town with Kate beside him, which meant Alex and Sam were forced to sit together in the back seat. Still without talking.
Trying to cool the atmosphere around her Kate piped up. “Although I really could do with a proper wash and a change of clothes, I’m starving. Is everyone else hungry? Only Sam and I know a café which does a mean burger.”
There were many more people sitting eating than before in Arnold’s Cafe, but they managed to find a table for four near a window overlooking the street. The waitress who’d served them when they arrived in Jacob’s Rest appeared and took their order, somewhat pleased that this time, there were no multiple questions for her to answer.
Alex’s eyes met Sam’s across the table. “I noticed a decking area outside, I think we need to talk.”
Sam stood up. “Come on then, let’s get it over and done with.”
To say she was feeling uncomfortable about their impending conversation was not an exaggeration. So many questions were going around her head. For one thing, Alex, t
he man she had finally admitted to herself she loved, had followed her halfway around the world, and for what reason? Where was Ana? She was more than surprised the Russian had let her husband out of her sight. Sam looked down at her clothes. She felt dirty; she’d been wearing the same damn clothes for two days, she’d never ever done that before, she just hoped he didn’t get too close – not that he had any reason to.
Once outside, they mounted the wooden steps leading to another seating area from where they had a magnificent view of the mountains in the far distance.
Leaning on the railing Alex turned to her. “Aren’t you pleased to see me Sam?”
She stared at him. “Why are you here? You were only married a few days ago, I’m guessing your wife’s not best pleased, surely you should be on your honeymoon, or is she waiting for you at some hotel?”
Alex stared at her in disbelief. “You don’t know? I thought your mum or Polly would have told you!”
“Told me what? I haven’t spoken to anyone at home since Saturday morning, and since yesterday we’ve been a prisoner of the local tyrant, if that hasn’t escaped your notice.”
Alex shook his head and laughed. “Oh Sam, my darling Sam. I didn’t marry Ana, I found out at the last minute it was all a scam to bring her girlfriend to England.”
Sam’s eyes grew wide; she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “I don’t understand. Scam? Girlfriend?”
“Apparently Ana’s gay, and she thought marrying an Englishman would mean she could bring her lover to the UK to live with her. I’m sure you’re aware, it’s illegal in Russia for them to be together.” He took hold of her hands. “Look, I’m not just saying this because Ana and I didn’t get married, but I never did love her. I was only marrying her because she told me she was pregnant …”
“I see. At least I think I do. I knew she was pregnant, she told me on the day of Kate’s party …”
Alex smiled. “I had no idea you knew. You can understand then why I asked her to marry me?”
“Yes, I know you love kids, you were always wonderful with Harry. Deep down I knew you longed for a family. So, what about your baby? You can’t just turn your back on it.”
He swallowed. “It was all part of the lie to get me to marry her, there was never any baby.”
Sam squeezed his hands. “Oh, Alex, I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be, I must admit I was gutted at first, I’d made so many plans for our future in my head, but I’m over it, and now I’m actually relieved.” He gazed pensively at her, waiting for a reaction from his next words. “Sam, I’ve come all this way to tell you how much I …”
He broke off after hearing the waitress’s voice rising from the base of the steps telling them their dinner was served.
“OK, we’re coming,” cried Sam. Squeezing his hands again she said, “I’m sure we’ll have time to talk later …”
***
Gwen Manning was comforted by the safe, if not obviously battered, return, of her two female guests and immediately hurried them all into her private quarters.
“I’ve just heard from the hospital. Cooper is going to be fine. They’ve removed the bullet and thankfully, it didn’t hit any major organs. They said he should be home in a few days.”
“That’s good news,” exclaimed Kate. “You would have been so proud of him Mrs. Manning, if it wasn’t for him, we’d be at the bottom of the lake right now.”
“Thank you for saying that. He’s not really a bad boy, just easily led. Please call me Gwen.” She rubbed her hands together. “I’ve got something I want to show you before I pass it on to the police.” She reached forward and picked up a white envelope from a small table. “My husband Lawrence was Big Jim’s accountant until his death. When he died, Laurie’s solicitor handed me this envelope. I’ve not been able to open it until now, to be honest I’ve been scared to, scared that its contents would put me and Cooper in danger from Big Jim. When I heard he’d been arrested and was on his way to jail, well, I knew the time was right. I’ve already had a quick look. I think you’ll find what he has to say very interesting. It will certainly answer a lot of your questions.”
Chapter 28 – Words From a Dead Man
Although intrigued as to the contents of the envelope, there were more pressing matters Sam and Kate were desperate to deal with.
“Before we get into this Gwen, Kate and I must call home, we should have done it before now, our families must be frantic with worry.”
“Yes, of course you must. You go and do what you have to do, I’ll go and make us all a pot of tea,” she said, returning the envelope to the table.
“Thanks. James, can we use your phone? Only ours were taken from us by our abductors,” pointed out Sam.
The minute the women left the room, James turned to Alex.
“What the hell’s going on with you and Sam? I thought you’d be all over each other like a rash?”
“That was my dream, but there still seems to be this barrier between us. When we turned up at the aerodrome, she was unaware I hadn’t married Ana, hence the frosty welcome. She knows now though. I managed to tell her at the restaurant.”
“Boy, I would have loved to have been there.”
“I don’t know if it’s made any difference to our relationship James, mainly because I didn’t get to the best part where I told her I love her.” He ran his hands through his hair, his lips felt dry. “Perhaps she doesn’t love me after all, and conceivably is still mourning Michael. Maybe she’ll never get over the fact I cut her out of my life like I did, to be with that She Devil. I really couldn’t blame her if that’s the case – I acted like a complete idiot. Perhaps I’ve come all this way to find out she still only wants to be friends, and I’ve just made a fool of myself again.”
They glanced up as the door opened and Gwen entered carrying a tray, which she set down on a coffee table and commenced pouring Earl Grey from a large floral teapot. Several minutes later Sam and Kate returned.
“Mum didn’t stop crying and Polly wasn’t any better,” said Sam. “Polly insists we get on the first plane home and forget about Daniel. I must admit I didn’t disagree with her.”
Kate took a seat on the settee next to James. “I’m all for going home.” She slid her hand into her husbands. “Our girls’ were still asleep darling, it was Flo who answered the phone. She was so pleased to hear from me, but curiously asked whether I had heard the news about Mrs. Hamilton. What’s happened to Mrs. Hamilton?”
“Alex and I will tell you both later,” James whispered.
Gwen handed round the teas before picking up the envelope once again.
“I need to explain a few things,” she began, pulling out a single sheet of blue paper and a memory stick from the inside. “I’ll read the letter to you first and then I’ll let you see and hear my husband’s video message he recorded on the memory stick.”
She unfolded the paper. “Before I start though, I think I should tell you a little bit about my husband. He was English, and originally came over here on a gap year from university. He worked for a time on my uncle’s sheep farm, that’s where we met. We talked, laughed and fell in love, it was as simple as that. Of course, he had to go home when his year was up, but we kept in touch and eventually he came back and we got married. We lived in Auckland for many years and then in 2005, Laurie saw this ad for a chief accountant in South Island. We both missed the countryside, so we thought Jacob’s Rest would be a wonderful place to end our days. How wrong we were. So that’s my life with Laurie in a nutshell. Sadly, it didn’t have a happy ending, but you’ll hear about the reason soon enough.”
She put on a pair of reading glasses and looked down at the sheet of paper in her hand and started reading.
Dear Gwen,
It goes without saying if you’re reading this then I must be dead. I hope you didn’t cry too many tears, knowing how you feel about me these days, you didn’t. I’m truly sorry for everything I put you through. Mainly by causing you so much unhappin
ess in bringing you to this godforsaken place. If only we had stayed in Auckland, things might have been different between us. Now we will never know.
I’ve made a video, which I would like you to show to the authorities. They need to understand I was of sound mind when I made it. I know hearing what I did will shock you, Gwen, but I had to tell the truth in the end.
Your husband
Laurie
Gwen refolded the paper. “I think you can tell from the tone of Laurie’s letter that things weren’t right between us. There were many times I wanted to leave him, I even packed my bags, but something deep down made me stay. I’ll turn on the laptop then you can watch his video. I’ll take my tea to the kitchen as I’ve already sat through it and can’t bear watching it again.”
It took a few minutes before the face of Lawrence Manning came into focus. He appeared to be in the very room they were all sitting. It was hard to tell how tall he was, as he was on a wing backed chair, however, he was a man in his early fifties with grey wavy hair. On his upper lip, a rather grand moustache gave him the air of respectability. His chocolate brown eyes stared directly at the camera as he started to speak.
“For the record, my name is Lawrence Manning and I am an accountant in the employ of Jim Baxter. I have thought long and hard about what I have to tell you – believe me, every word is true. I have to add here, if I’m guilty of anything, it’s that I let it all happen.
When Gwen and I arrived in Jacob’s Rest, we bought this four-bedded bungalow, with plenty of room for when our son, his wife and our much-loved grandson visit. We seemed to settle in very quickly and made friends and actually began to have a social life.
It took me a while to sort out the books for Jim’s company, which I could tell immediately, at least on paper, wasn’t doing very well. In fact, I had to inform him of the hard truth that if things didn’t start to pick up, he would lose everything. I had been working for Jim for two years when I met his daughter Nancy. What a pretty girl, she was; she still is. She’d been at uni in England and didn’t come back alone. I was in a meeting with Jim and one of his managers when Nancy made her surprise appearance. Jim greeted her warmly at first, until he noticed Daniel Brennan bringing in the cases. In her boldness, Nancy introduced Daniel as her lover. Jim’s face was a picture; I could tell straight away he hated the man with a passion.
Faraway Eyes_A fast-paced romantic murder mystery Page 17