by Lois Kay
That was more than fifteen minutes ago, and with a worried frown, Lucy stared at the phone in her hand. She wanted to gather up the courage to ask Trishia what had happened on the beach, what she had talked about with Peter and Inspector Wong and why they were driving back to Murrook Farm. However, Lucy knew she didn’t want to hear the answer. And another glance at the haunted look in Trishia’s eyes filled her with fear. It had not happened a lot to her in life, but this time Lucy McDonnell was scared.
“I know it’s after ten already, and I know Sam and Jody won’t be happy, but I need to talk to them as soon as possible, Luce,” Trishia finally spoke. Her fingers were nervously drumming on the steering wheel.
The unexpected sound of Trishia’s voice had startled Lucy from her own thoughts, and with a quick glance aside she noticed a pair of green-blue eyes staring at her. She swallowed hard and took a deep breath to try and settle her racing heart. “Why?” she whispered.
“It’s… complicated, and I want to spare you the details, but… it comes down to the fact that we have every reason to believe that Alice could be in danger.”
Lucy’s head jerked up. “In danger? As in—?” she didn’t finish her sentence, but the expression on Trishia’s face told her all she needed to know. “Somebody wants to…kill Alice?”
“We’re not sure yet,” Trishia said. “But we have every reason to believe that is the case, yes.”
“Oh, no, not again,” Lucy almost cried, vividly remembering a time, not that long ago, when a criminal organization had nearly killed Sam and one of their friends, Megan. It had been a bullet, fired from Trishia’s gun that had saved their lives. “Trishia, please, tell me —.” The trauma of that day was still fresh in everyone’s memory.
“I can’t,” Trishia interrupted. She sounded frustrated. “I wish I could, honest to God, Lucy, I wish I could tell you something different. I know what your family has been through last year and if I had it in my power to change the current situation, I swear I would. But honey,” Trishia half-turned and took Lucy’s hands in her own. “Without going into any details, there was a picture on the… girl… on the beach, and it was a picture of Alice. Somebody with evil intentions is sending us a message, and we have to take that bloody seriously.”
Trishia could feel Lucy’s hands tremble and she silently cursed the confinement of the car, which made it impossible to take the woman she loved more than anything else in the world, into her arms and give her the support she needed. “I know this will bring back bad memories and I am so sorry about that,” she continued, tenderly brushing away a strand of hair from Lucy’s forehead. “But I have come to know your family very well, and one thing is clear: Alice could not be in a better place.”
*
Peter Jones impatiently waited near his computer. He was pacing back and forth, eyeing his screen for incoming mail. It had been ten minutes since he had spoken to a police officer from Sydney, who might have valuable information regarding an unsolved murder that had occurred about a year earlier. A young teenage girl, with long blond hair, had been found stabbed to death, at Watson’s Bay, north of Bondi Beach. Pinned to the body, they had found a picture of a different young, blond girl that they had never been able to identify.
Peter had almost been beside himself when he had heard the news, and he had requested a copy of the file and, most importantly, a copy of the picture. A little voice in the back of his mind told him it would be the same picture, but he needed to see it for himself. He was grateful for the information, but the fact that they were probably dealing with someone who had killed before, in the same, cold, heartless way, was sending chills down his spine. Finally, after what had seemed like hours, a message appeared at the bottom of his screen. With two big steps, Peter reached his desk and sat down. His eyes were glued to the screen when he clicked the attachment of the email he just received. He cursed under his breath when he stared at Alice’s pale face. It was an exact copy of the picture he had found earlier that evening.
Peter let out a shaky breath and cast a look at the clock on the wall. It was after ten already. He knew Trishia would be on her way to Sam and Jody’s and he decided to give her some time to break the news. He could always call her later. He knew Trishia would not sleep much that night.
“Pete?” Someone called out. “Phone call. Do you want me to put it through to your desk?”
“Yeah, sure,” Peter called back, looking at his coworker with raised eyebrows. “Who is it?”
“Perth. Something about an unsolved murder on Cottesloe Beach,” was the chilling answer.
With a curt nod, Peter sank down in his chair and waited for his desk phone to start ringing. When it did, he took a deep breath and tried to push down the bile that was rising in the back of his throat.
Chapter 6
Jody stretched her tired, but satiated body, enjoying the feel of the soft cotton sheets against her naked skin. With a smile, she looked at a sleepy Sam who was wrapped around her and Jody softly chuckled.
“What’s so funny?” Sam mumbled, without opening her eyes.
“You look adorable when you’re sleepy. You look very comfortable,” Jody answered. She kissed Sam’s chin and snuggled deeper into the loving embrace.
“I am comfy,” Sam admitted. “I love to feel you so close. And no barriers either,” she said. Her fingertips slid down the bare skin of Jody’s back.
“You’re a hedonist, Samantha Stevens,” Jody whispered, raking her fingers through Sam’s blond hair.
“Guilty, and loving every minute of it,” Sam murmured. She shifted her body so she could look at Jody without having to release her hold. Her eyes opened and found Jody’s. Their gazes locked and for a long moment, they stared at each other.
“I love this warm, soft, loving cocoon I’m in,” Sam admitted. “It’s my most favorite place to be.”
“I can’t argue with that.” Jody smiled. “I love it as well. But then, I don’t think there’s anything about you I don’t love.”
“Wait until we celebrate our five-year anniversary,” Sam predicted with twinkling eyes. “You’ll be complaining about how I always walk into the kitchen without leaving my muddy shoes outside. Or you’ll be fed up with me for never hanging my towel on the rack to dry. Or you’ll be sick and tired of being the one who does most of the cooking.”
Jody smiled, aware of the teasing tone of Sam’s voice. “You’re giving me too much credit.”
Sam chuckled. “I am?”
“Yes, do you really think it will take me five years to start getting ticked off by all those things?”
Sam laughed and tried to avoid Jody’s hands when she started to tickle her. She was a lot taller and stronger, but sometimes it was fun to wrestle Jody and let her win. Especially since Jody had a habit of emphasizing her victory by draping her body firmly over Sam’s. Something Sam always thoroughly enjoyed. Losing a tickle fight was a small price to pay.
Jody’s busy hands found a very sensitive spot behind Sam’s knee, and when fingers dug in, she jerked up and would have fallen off the bed if Jody had not wrapped her arms around Sam’s upper body and held on for dear life. Sam’s arm had managed to knock over the night stand and grinning she rubbed her wrist, which had collided with the small table.
“It’s true what they say about redheads.”
“What’s that?” Jody asked.
“That they’re little spitfires,” Sam answered with a grin.
“You’d better keep that in mind,” Jody said, resting her chin on Sam’s shoulder.
Sam laughed and leaned over to put the night stand back on its four legs and collect the bottle of massage oil and her cell phone that had ended up on the ground.
“Is it still in one piece?” Jody informed.
Sam grabbed her cell phone and inspected it in the light of the lamp. “Yup, no harm was done,” she answered. “It’s still…. hey, I have a message. Did you hear the phone ring?”
Jody wrinkled her nose and playfully nippe
d Sam’s shoulder. “Sweetheart, with the things you were doing to me, I wouldn’t have noticed if the house was on fire.”
“Same here,” Sam admitted with a laugh, turning her head to gaze into a pair of emerald green eyes. “But since I’m holding the phone, I’d better check it out.”
“Why don’t you?” Jody answered, untangling from Sam’s body. “In the meantime, I’ll go to the bathroom, and when I come back, I’ll massage your leg.”
“Aw, honey, you don’t have to do that,” Sam objected. “I’m pretty relaxed right now, and the spasms have disappeared.”
“I’ll have a look at it, stubborn Dutchie, whether you like it or not,” Jody spoke, heading for the bathroom and very aware of a pair of eyes that were taking in her nude form with appreciation.
Only after Jody had shut the door behind her, Sam’s gaze traveled back to the phone. “I hope it’s not a business emergency,” she mumbled. Her finger slid across the screen and tapped the message. When she heard Lucy’s voice, Sam knew something must have happened. She looked at the time of the message and noticed the call had not been made all that long ago. “Important, call Trish back,” Sam mumbled to herself, after listening to the short message. She tapped ‘call back.’
“Hey, Trish, I just found your message. What’s going on?” Sam listened to Trishia talk, and after she had finished, there was a moment of silence. “Sure, come on up. Jody and I weren’t …. sleeping yet, so we are still up. Um…do I need to wake anybody else? Okay, Trish. We’ll see you in a little while.”
“Trish?” Jody’s voice asked.
Sam looked up, not having noticed Jody’s return from the bathroom.
“What’s going on, Sam?”
“I don’t know,” Sam answered. She slowly got up from the bed. “I do know Trishia and Lucy are on the way up here.”
“Why?”
“Trishia didn’t want to tell me over the phone. But she sounded pretty upset.”
*
“I guess I’ll put the kettle on and make some tea,” Jody yawned. “Since I’m up anyway, I might as well have a cup.”
“Good idea, honey.” Sam wrapped her arms around Jody and pulled her close, resting her chin on the disheveled, ginger-colored hair.
Jody leaned back and closed her eyes, reveling in the feeling of warmth and love. “If we keep this up, there will be no tea,” she mumbled. “But I guess I can live without that…if I really have to.”
“You may, but Lucy can’t, your sister is a tea-addict,” Sam said. She noticed the headlights of an approaching car illuminating the top of the trees. “Here they come.” Jody stepped away from Sam’s body and filled the kettle with fresh water, then she lit the stove and placed it on top. “They’re fast. They must have been at the bottom of the hill.” She frowned, her eyes following the slow progress of the vehicle.
Kurt, who had been lying on the veranda had jumped up as soon as he had heard the rumbling sound of an engine. His ears were twitching, and his eyes were glued to the car that was climbing the hill to the house. He sniffed the air, and a low rumble escaped his throat. He knew that scent. It was the tall, curly-haired human who liked to play with him. Kurt yawned and sat back on his haunches, while his slowly wagging tail brushed the floor.
Behind him, the door opened, and Sam stepped into the darkness, deliberately leaving off the lights, to avoid attracting mosquitoes. Quietly she stood next to their young dog, scratching his already massive head.
As soon as Lucy and Trishia left the car and walked toward the house, Sam noticed their faces were pale and drawn. Lucy seemed uncharacteristically quiet and had slipped her hand in Trishia’s.
“Hi, Sam,” Trishia’s voice was subdued. “I’m sorry to keep you up.”
“I’m sure you have a good reason,” Sam answered, opening the door for the couple to let them step inside the spacious kitchen.
Jody welcomed their unexpected guests with a warm smile and gave her sister a quick hug. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” she said with a worried look. “Are you alright?”
Lucy’s eyes showed a mixture of pain and sadness and Jody also sensed something else, fear. With a rapidly growing feeling that something was seriously wrong, Jody blindly reached out for Sam and grabbed her hand. The firm grip centered her, and with a shaky voice, Jody asked Trishia and Lucy to sit down.
“Alright, no beating around the bush,” Sam started, once they all had a cup of hot tea in front of them. “What’s going on?”
Trishia cleared her throat and took a sip of tea to gain a few extra seconds and organize her thoughts. She glanced aside and covered Lucy’s hand, whose fingers were nervously drumming on the table. “To make a long story short, there has been a murder, on the beach, behind Ocean View Gardens. The victim is a teenage girl, with long blond hair. On her body, they found a picture of a girl whom she resembled. That girl is Alice.” With her free hand, Trishia rubbed her tired eyes, and she let out a shaky breath. “We don’t know a lot at this point, but we are on top of it. We think somebody is after Alice and this…. murderous display is either a sick game or a warning. Maybe even both. We don’t know that yet. But hopefully, we’ll find out soon.”
Jody had scooted her chair closer to Sam and was relieved when an arm was protectively wrapped around her shoulders. Trishia’s announcement had shocked her to the core and left her feeling cold and nauseous. And before she even realized what happened, frightening memories surfaced, and Jody looked at Sam with eyes that had gone wide in shock.
Sam’s face was set in a grim mask. “What’s your plan?” she asked Trishia in a calm voice. Her hand gently rubbed Jody’s back.
“The Inspector ordered me to provide protection, and I will do exactly that. But I want to discuss the details with the two of you first. I don’t want to go into specifics about the…. murder since that would not be of any advantage to you.” Trishia sighed and took another sip of tea. “We have every reason to believe that Alice is in danger. Somebody is looking for her. We don’t know why. The fact is that Alice is suffering from amnesia. Whether that is caused by a physical blow to the head or the blocking of memories, we don’t know either. But, somehow, Alice and the murderer know each other. My guess is that as soon as Alice does start remembering things, she’ll be able to identify the person who is after her.” Trishia looked up at Sam and Jody and managed to produce a weak smile. “A miracle would be nice, right now. Like, Alice waking up in the morning, knowing exactly who she really is and who is interested in seeing her suffer. But, that won’t happen. So, it’s up to us to keep her safe and do our best to, hopefully, trigger her memories safely so we can catch this monster as soon as possible.”
“What do we tell Alice?” Jody asked with a worried look.
“I wish I had a good answer to that,” Trishia answered. “If we tell her what’s going on, she might run away. I believe that, for the time being anyway, she’s perfectly safe here. So maybe we should try and keep her here as long as we can until we have a lead on this killer.”
“Alice doesn’t strike me as a kid you can easily keep within the boundaries of Murrook Farm,” Lucy said.
“But it might be more interesting for her if Fiona’s here as well,” Jody added. “They seem to be getting along.”
“Thing is to keep those two occupied.” Sam smiled, knowing Fiona’s penchant for getting into trouble. “And since the stables need painting, I think I’ve just found a way to keep them busy for a few days and in the meantime, keep an eye on them as well.”
Despite the gravity of the situation, Jody chuckled and snuggled even closer to the body that was already wrapped around her. “That’s sneaky, Sam. But very smart, I like it.”
“I aim to please,” Sam whispered in Jody’s ear, quickly kissing the skin that was so close she could not resist.
“So, Trish,” Sam continued. “Will there be any…protection around?”
“I’ll be here,” Trishia answered, seeing Lucy’s surprised reaction from the corner
of her eye.
“Camping out on the veranda?” Sam teased.
“No, down at the guest house, if that is alright with you. But if you have other plans, I could just pitch a tent in the bush.”
“Don’t be silly,” Jody immediately responded. “We have enough room. Of course, you can have the guest house.”
Jody cast a look at her sister who didn’t seem too pleased, and she suppressed a smile. “I guess you’ll be staying as well?”
“Depends,” Lucy answered, not able to hide the hurt in her voice. She realized Trishia had been planning to stay at Murrook Farm from the very first moment but had not mentioned a single word about it. She knew it was childish of her, but Lucy felt left out. “I’m not sure if I’m invited.”
Sam and Jody exchanged a glance when Trishia’s head jerked up, and she shot Lucy an irritated glance. “It was something I just came up with,” she explained, the tension in her voice clearly audible. “It’s not like we had time to discuss this before now, Lucy.”
Lucy knew that Trishia was right. Besides, Trishia was frantically trying to come up with a plan to, not only keep Alice safe but also Lucy’s family. “I know,” Lucy sighed, resting her head on her hands. “I’m sorry. I’m tired and all this…these…. this…. the murder and the picture and the fact that somebody might be a threat to my family again, it’s just—.”
Trishia’s anger was gone in an instant. She left her chair to kneel next to Lucy, wrapping her arms around her and pulling her close. “I understand,” she said gently. She stroked the hair underneath her hand. “And I’m sorry as well. I’m sad and incredibly frustrated you and your family are thrown into this situation. But just for the record, Luce.” Trishia put her fingers under Lucy’s chin and lifted her face, so she could look her in the eyes. “I do want you here with me.”
Lucy saw nothing but pure honesty in Trishia’s eyes, and she produced a small smile. “You just want to keep an eye on me,” she sniffed jokingly.