Murrook Farm (Sam & Jody Series Book 2)

by Lois Kay

  “Come on, Stevens. What kind of a sick joke is this?” Peter asked, afraid to raise his voice. “Your dog knows me. Hell, I played with him last week. What’s up with this bull?”

  “Just training Kurt.” Sam laughed. “I was wondering if he’d take the ‘guard’ command serious, even if he would see a familiar face. Or should I say: smell a familiar face?” Sam chuckled.

  Peter let out a soft snort. “Hilarious. End the experiment and call back this furry, four-legged descendant of Canis Lupus will you?”

  “It’s alright, Kurt. Good boy,” Sam praised the dog who immediately started wagging his tail and stepped closer to Peter to press his snout against his legs.

  Carefully, Peter petted the dog and shot Sam a respectful glance. He still didn’t know whether to be annoyed with her or praise her qualities as a dog trainer.

  “Sorry, Pete,” Sam said, giving him a friendly slap on the back. “Can I make it up to you with a cold drink?”

  “Sure.” Peter grinned. “By the way, you did have me scared there for a moment. I guess the training works out well.”

  “He’s a smart dog,” Sam answered. “And he loves to learn.”

  “It’s good to have a dog like that around when you live up here. What’s up with the screwdriver?”

  “I was fixing the shutters,” Sam explained. “We had an outbreak this morning,” she added with a chuckle. “Come in, out of the sun, before our brains start to leak out of our nostrils.”

  “Ew, nasty visual, Sam,” Peter grinned, following her toward the house.

  “I guess you didn’t come over here to bring us some good news in person?” Sam asked over her shoulder. She stepped up the stairs that led them to the veranda.

  “No, I’m sorry, Sam. I came to see Trishia, and I also would like to talk to you about a security system.”

  Sam’s eyes lit up with interest, and she nodded. “Sounds like a good idea. Especially now,” she admitted. “I’d feel a lot better if we had one. One word of warning, though, Pete,” she said with her hand on the doorknob. “The house is filled with women.”

  “Great,” Peter mumbled. ” I think I’d rather face a pissed off Kurt.”

  When they stepped inside, Peter was greeted by six women, who were all sitting around the huge kitchen table, talking quietly.

  “Would you like a cold drink, Peter?” Jody asked, already walking toward the refrigerator.

  “Thanks, Jody,” Peter answered. “Sam promised me something cold to make up for the fact that she let Kurt scare the heck out of me.”

  Trishia grinned and punched her partner in the shoulder, which made him wince. “We saw that mate. You looked a little frightened there.”

  “I was,” Peter admitted. “I like dogs, but a growling Shepherd always makes me nervous.”

  He smiled at Jody who handed him a tall glass of cold lemonade and gratefully sipped the cold liquid, enjoying the feel of the chilled fluid in the back of his throat.

  “Do you have the footage?” Trishia asked.

  Peter could tell she was full of nervous anticipation. “Yup got it. Is there anywhere where we can have a look at it?”

  Trishia cast a look at Sam who rose from her chair and nodded.

  “You can use my office. I have a computer in there.” She looked at Fiona. “I’m told it’s a dinosaur, but I’m sure it can handle whatever we need it to do.”

  “If not, let me know.” Fiona’s voice was smug, and Sam shook her head when both Yarra and Jody chuckled.

  “I’d like to talk to you as well, Sam,” Peter reminded her.

  Sam glanced at Jody who looked up at her with a puzzled expression. She knelt next to her chair and smiled at her. “Do you want to come as well?” she asked. “I don’t want to be seen around here as the one who makes all the decisions.”

  Jody looked at Sam with all the love and trust she felt for her partner reflected in the green depths of her eyes. She reached out, and her fingertips drew an invisible line down the side of Sam’s face, before cupping her cheek. Still smiling, she leaned in and gently kissed a pair of soft lips. “Go ahead, I’ll stay here. Alice might wake up soon, and I want to be here in case she needs anything.”

  “Alright, love,” Sam answered. She kissed Jody’s forehead. “I’ll tell you about it later. I love you.”

  “I love you, too,” Jody whispered. “Better get going, Sam. I feel Fiona’s stare burn holes in my back.”

  Sam gave Jody one last kiss and rose back to her full height. Looking at Fiona and Yarra, she noticed both girls were grinning, and she shook her head. “Be good, you two,” she warned.

  “Oh, Sam. Ouch. That hurts,” Fiona answered, covering her heart with her hand. “We are always good.”

  “Good enough to get into trouble,” Sam teased. She turned to Trishia and Peter. “Alright, let’s go, police people. My office is this way.”

  *

  Alice had gradually stirred from a deep, dreamless sleep that had made her feel more rested and refreshed than she had felt in a long time. After she had reluctantly opened her eyes, she had stretched and stared at the ceiling, reveling in the peaceful feeling that had her wrapped in a warm blanket of contentment. Her conversation with Lisa Bailey had proven to be fascinating and not half as threatening as she had expected. At first, she had been reluctant to answer the questions the psychiatrist had gently asked her, but soon Lisa had made her feel more at ease, and before Alice knew what was happening, she had talked freely. She had surprised herself.

  Lisa had been cautious, careful not to trigger any more unpleasant memories. Their meeting had been about getting to know each other. That strategy had given Alice peace of mind, and when she had asked Lisa what she thought was wrong with her, Lisa had explained the way her mind could be dealing with a traumatic experience and gave her insight into possible causes for her memory loss. Lisa had made it clear to her that seemingly innocent remarks, scents or other things her brain registered, could bring back memories in the form of flashbacks or nightmares. It was a way of coping and protecting herself.

  “I’m not crazy,” she whispered to herself. “Maybe one day I’ll even be normal again,” she told herself wistfully.

  Alice let her mind go back to the conversation that morning, during breakfast, when unexpectedly, her brain had been on overload, and she had gone into a state of shock. Very carefully, as Lisa had taught her, she tried to remember bits and pieces of the discussion that had taken place and particularly the words Trishia had spoken.

  Alice could feel her heart rate pick up and her breathing became faster, and for a moment she closed her eyes, concentrating on taking deep breaths and telling herself repeatedly that they were just memories. She was in a safe place, where nobody would hurt her. Gradually, Alice let her mind drift closer and closer to the words that had shocked her system so violently that morning. There was something important about the murdered girls. They had all been killed on a beach. Alice knew that it was essential information. The tickling sensation in the back of her mind indicated that there was something familiar, something she knew, but couldn’t remember. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on the words Trishia had spoken and that were still echoing in the back of her mind.

  Runaway teenagers…beach…Sydney…Perth…

  Alice’s body jerked, and she gripped the sheet she was lying on in both her hands, needing something tangible to try and center herself. She could feel the panic rise in her chest, and with all the strength she could muster, she fought back the anxiety that was about to consume her again.

  “Not this time,” Alice hissed through gritted teeth. “Not again.”

  They are painful memories, Alice and remembering them will hurt, but try to keep in mind that they cannot harm you now. You are safe here, the echo of Lisa’s voice sounded in the back of her mind.

  “I am safe. I am safe,” Alice whispered, forcing her mind to repeat Lisa’s words until she could feel herself starting to relax.

  She let out a shu
ddering breath, and with trembling fingers, she wiped her sweaty brow. The fact that she had just won a victorious battle did not even register. She was concentrating on her breathing again, trying to remember why Trishia’s words had made such an impact.

  “I am trying to be strong, Mom,” she spoke to the ceiling, not seeing the cream-colored panels and dark brown beams, but a pair of eyes that matched her own in color. “I’m trying hard to remember who I am.”

  Runaway teenagers…beach…Sydney…Perth…

  Alice’s body stilled, and her eyes grew wide. She could feel all color drain from her face, and she shot up straight, gasping for breath. She ignored the dizziness that made the whole room spin and jumped off the bed. On shaky legs, she stumbled to the door, blindly reaching for the knob.

  “I need to talk to Trishia.”

  When she staggered into the kitchen, Yarra’s excellent reflexes prevented her from running into the table. She had noticed Alice’s approach from the hallway and had immediately jumped up when she saw the state she was in. The moment Alice tripped over her own feet and threatened to fall forward and hit her head against the solid wood of the kitchen table, Yarra had caught her in a pair of strong arms and held her close.

  “Alice, what happened?” Jody exclaimed, also jumping to her feet and walking around the table. She pulled out a chair and Yarra carefully helped the distressed Alice to sit down.

  Alice looked from Yarra to Jody with eyes that were a mixture of fear, wonder, and confusion. Her mouth felt dry, and she moistened her lips, before swallowing hard. “I need to talk to Trishia,” she panted, shooting Joan McDonnell, who had also risen to her feet, a pleading look. “Where is she? Is she still here?”

  “Take a deep breath, sweetheart,” Joan said gently. “Trishia is still here, but try to calm down a little. Do you want something to drink?”

  Alice wordlessly nodded and instinctively grabbed Jody’s hand that was resting on her shoulder. “I didn’t lose it this time, I focused and I…I…I knew there was something because this morning it triggered a memory and I…just…just—.”

  “It’s alright, Alice,” Jody soothed, not really understanding the incoherent sentence. She stroked Alice’s hair and smiled when she looked at her with trusting blue eyes. “And I am so happy you didn’t lose it this time,” Jody complimented.

  Alice raked her fingers through her long, disheveled hair. A rueful smile found its way to her face, and she shook her head. “I’m not making much sense, am I?” she asked with a touch of humor in her voice.

  “Don’t worry about that, Alice. They are used to me,” Fiona joked from across the table.

  Alice smiled and gratefully accepted the glass of iced tea Joan handed her. She took a deep, calming breath and gulped down half its content, not realizing how thirsty she was until she tasted that first, cool sip.

  ‘Better?” Yarra asked with a laugh when she heard the small sigh of contentment after Alice had finished her drink.

  “Yes, thanks,” Alice answered, looking up into a pair of warm dark brown eyes. “I was thinking back on this morning and the things Trishia told us, about the girls who were murdered and all that. And I was trying to figure out why that made me…flip. I…I remember something now, and I think Trishia needs to hear about it.”

  “She and Peter are in Sam’s office,” Jody said. “Come on, I’ll take you to them.”

  “Okay,” Alice breathed.

  *

  Trishia and Peter had looked at the security footage for little over an hour. In addition to the main entrance, the police station had a back entrance and both were covered by a surveillance camera. They were focusing on the hours between Peter leaving and returning, but so far, they hadn’t discovered anything out of the ordinary.

  “I wonder if the boss knows about all those smoke breaks Gary takes,” Peter mumbled.

  “My guess is she doesn’t,” Trishia said amused. “He wouldn’t be going outside every forty minutes if she did.”

  “It’s good to have some leverage,” Peter grinned.

  “You mean blackmail.”

  “If that’s what you want to call it,” Peter said. “Maybe I can use this for him to make a coffee run every now and then.”

  “You do know his wife is a pharmacist, right?”

  Peter looked up at Trishia and frowned. “What does that have to do with me sending Gary for coffee?”

  “Easy access to laxatives?”

  Peter sent Trishia an astonished look, and then he started laughing. “You actually did earn your rank,” he said. “Thanks for the warning. I may reconsider.”

  Trishia took in a deep breath and slowly exhaled. She was tired and was craving a nap, but they had to try and find a lead. “Okay, let’s go over this again.” She looked at the notepad in front of her. “In addition to our chain-smoking friend, we saw Martin come and go, which is normal, since he’s working on the murder, with Phil, whom we also saw leave. We have the front-desk staff come in and the night shift leave. I feel we don’t even have to consider them, because they wouldn’t have known anything about the murder, especially not about the picture.”

  “I agree. They would draw attention if they’d go to my desk.” Peter groaned and rubbed his forehead. “This is frustrating. Someone put that creepy doll in my drawer and took my notes.”

  Trishia nodded and leaned back in the office chair. Her eyes scanned her notes again, before gazing outside. She let her mind wander for a moment. She had a nagging feeling that she was missing something. She knew focusing on what she thought she had to know would not help her remember. She stared out of the window and let her gaze travel across the tree line and the lush vegetation. She followed a kookaburra that had landed on one of the tree branches and continued her lazy sweep of the area. From Sam’s office, she could see the pool, and she hoped she’d be able to go for a swim later that day. Maybe Lucy would want to join her. A familiar fluttering in her stomach made her smile. It would be nice to have a chance to relax.

  “Shit!” She swiveled the chair, facing the desk and saw the startled look on Peter’s face. “What if he came and went through the emergency exit?”

  Peter frowned. “He could have left that way, sure, but how would he have entered the building? The door doesn’t open from the outside.”

  “No, but he could have propped it open earlier.”

  “The body…the girl wasn’t found until after business hours. That means most staff had already left,” Peter said. “That wouldn’t have left a lot of time to pull this off.”

  “Unless he planned to do this even before the murder.” Trish grabbed a pen and twirled it around in her fingers. “Think about it, Pete. If the killer knew when the body would be discovered and if he’d knew who’d be around that evening, he could have propped the emergency exit so it would have been easy to get in and out without being captured by security cameras.”

  “Does that mean you think it was someone who works days?”

  Trishia shook her head. “I don’t know what to think anymore, Pete. We know someone left that doll in your drawer when you went home. They know which desk is yours, and they also knew when you left.”

  “That’s creepy,” Peter muttered.

  “Tell me about it,” Trishia said. The responsibility of keeping Alice safe just became heavier with the knowledge they were dealing with someone who was cunning and smart. She threw the pen back on the desk and rubbed her eyes. “I guess the footage is crap because it could have been anyone. The only thing I know is that whoever was at the station at the time of the murder is not a suspect.”

  “And anyone else is on our list?” Peter let out a frustrated grunt. “That’s a long list, Trish.”

  They looked up when there was a knock on the door. Jody stepped inside, followed by an apprehensive looking Alice. The teenager did not come closer, but stood next to the door, her back pressed against the wall, looking like she could run off at any given moment.

  “Sorry to interrupt,” Jody ap
ologized. “But Alice needs to talk to you, Trish.” She turned to look at Alice and put a hand on her shoulder, giving it an encouraging squeeze. “Do you want to talk to Trishia alone? I’m sure Peter wouldn’t mind,” she said, remembering Trishia’s story about Alice’s reaction to Peter the previous day.

  “No, it…it’s okay,” Alice whispered, shooting Peter a shy glance. I am trying to be strong, Mom.

  Unexpectedly, Jody wrapped her arms around the trembling teenager and pulled her close, wordlessly conveying words of encouragement and strength. “You are brave, Alice,” she whispered. “Your mom would be so proud of you.”

  Blinking away the tears, Alice took a deep breath and shot Jody a watery smile. “Thank you,” she said. “Will you stay?”

  Jody glanced at Trishia who nodded. “If you want me to, yes, I’ll stay,” she said.

  Alice nodded and stared at the floor. “Please.”

  Peter stood up from his chair, offering it to Alice. “Come, Alice, have a seat,” he encouraged her with a smile. “This office chair must be the best one in the house. I think Sam spends a lot of time here because I’ve heard her wife is strict.”

  Jody laughed and looked at Alice, who sent her a tight smile and moved toward the chair Peter had so gallantly provided. “I’ll be right here, Alice,” she promised.

  “How are you feeling, Alice?” Trishia asked with genuine concern.

  “Better, thanks,” Alice answered in a small voice. “That talk with Lisa did help me a lot. Thanks.”

  “I’m glad it did, and you’re more than welcome.” Trishia was pleasantly surprised by the change in Alice’s attitude. The hostility seemed to have disappeared and was replaced by a cautious cooperation.

  Alice’s eyes took in the pictures that decorated the walls of Sam’s office. The most striking one was a portrait of Sam and Jody. They were leaning against an old fence, the wood cracked and faded to gray. The sun highlighted the red in Jody’s hair and the bright green of her eyes. Sam’s eyes were bright blue, and she was sporting a happy, goofy grin. Their arms were wrapped around each other, and their faces were close. They were radiating so much love and devotion, that even the most cynical person in the world would have to acknowledge the obvious love they shared. It made Alice smile.