Murrook Farm (Sam & Jody Series Book 2)

by Lois Kay

  “Ah, it’s you, Miss Stevens,” he spoke with evident relief. “Everything has been quiet around here.”

  “Good, I’m glad to hear that Gary,” Sam answered with a pleased smile. “The situation has changed somewhat though, and we need to talk.”

  “I’ll fill in Gary, Sam,” Peter offered. “You two can go inside and talk to the girls.”

  “Thanks, Pete,” Trishia mumbled, squeezing his shoulder affectionately.

  “No worries, Trish,” Peter answered. “I’ll fill in Gary, check out a few things and join you later, okay?”

  “Great,” Trishia smiled, following Sam inside the executive wing.

  As soon as the two women stepped inside the room, they were greeted by a gentle smile from Jody and a mixture of stunned and surprised looks from the others.

  “Wow, you are back,” Fiona exclaimed. “Cool. Did you get him?”

  But neither Sam nor Trishia shared her excitement, and when Fiona noticed the pained look Trishia shot Alice, her stomach dropped. “Did he escape?” she asked, feeling the blood drain from her face.

  Alice’s gasp was audible, and Jody cast Sam a worried look. Alice’s legs were unable to carry her any longer, and she sat down on the bed heavily. “He escaped?” Her voice was quivering.

  “Sort of,” Trishia replied honestly, feeling Lucy wrap an arm around her waist and press herself against her side. “Why don’t we all sit down, so we can talk about it?” Without waiting for an answer, Trishia grabbed Lucy’s hand and pulled her toward a couch where she sat down, taking Lucy down with her.

  Silently the others followed suit, and within a few moments everybody was seated and staring at Trishia with anxious eyes. She raked her fingers through her unruly hair and let out an explosive breath. No matter how hard Sam had tried to make her feel better, Trishia still felt that she should have anticipated Martin Coles’ move. In her own eyes, she had failed miserably, and the feeling of guilt made her stomach churn. “This is what happened,” she started in a calm voice, although her thoughts were in turmoil.

  In a clear voice, Trishia related what had happened and how Martin Coles had been able to find out there was a surveillance system at Murrook Farm without even entering the driveway.

  “And on our way over here, I received the news that the neighbors across the street had their car stolen about the same time. You don’t need to be a genius to figure out who took it,” Trishia ended with bitterness in her voice. “We now think he might be trying to make his way over here. He was smart enough to realize Alice could be at Murrook Farm, so I’m afraid he’ll also figure out she could be here.”

  Her gaze traveled to Alice, who was still sitting on the bed, flanked by Yarra and Fiona. “I’m sorry, Alice,” she said softly. “I wish I’d have had better news.”

  “We…we are safe here, aren’t we?” Alice asked quietly, her blue eyes were dark in her pale face.

  “We are on a floor where the only access is the private elevator and a private emergency exit that can only be opened from here, or downstairs with a special key from the fire department,” Sam explained. “Nobody who is unauthorized will be able to enter this floor.”

  Alice nodded and cast down her gaze. She felt nauseous and cold. She had hoped Trishia would have been able to arrest Martin Coles and lock him away, but again he had managed to escape the clutches of the law. It only took one look at Trishia’s face to know how bad she felt about the whole situation and Alice knew that Trishia was the type of person to blame herself for the failure of capturing her mother’s murderer. “You couldn’t help it, Trishia,” her voice broke the silence, and she raised her head to look at Trishia. “Martin…he is smart and cunning.”

  “Can you tell me more about him, Alice?” Trishia asked with pleading eyes, hopeful that Alice would be able to provide some information that would give her more insight into Martin Coles’ way of thinking. “Anything you can remember about him could help.”

  Alice wished she didn’t have to let the memories surface. She wanted to keep them where they had been for years because it would make her feel so much safer to not know the things Martin Coles was capable of doing. But she wanted to help. She closed her eyes and cautiously reached out invisible hands to push aside the imaginary curtains that formed a barrier between her conscious mind and her buried memories. Like Lisa Bailey had instructed her she breathed in deeply, while part of her brain reached out for something to ground her.

  It was as if Yarra had been reading her mind because her left hand was covered by a warm, larger one and without opening her eyes, Alice knew whose hand it was. She turned her hand palm up and entwined her fingers with Yarra’s longer ones, earning a gentle squeeze. Taking one more deep breath, Alice tentatively let the memories come, concentrating on anything that could link the shattered images in her mind to Martin Coles.

  It was frightening. The echoes of long lost sounds and fragments of pictures came rushing at her like a freight train out of control. And Alice was standing in the middle of the track. Holding her breath and bracing herself for the inevitable impact.

  “Calm down, Alice, keep breathing. Take a deep breath, that’s it…in…out. You’re safe here, I’ve got you,” Yarra’s voice sounded close to her ear, chasing away the tight band that had started to constrict her chest, making breathing hard.

  Alice gradually relaxed, not aware of her nails digging into the dark skin of Yarra’s hand, who didn’t utter a sound, nor did she try to pull away her hand.

  Alice’s labored, and shallow breathing returned to normal when she realized the blow she had expected never came. Instead, the onslaught of memories receded and she could scan them with her mind’s eye and pick out the ones she needed. It was like flipping through a photo album. When she finally opened her eyes again and lifted her head, the expression on her face was a mixture of grief and wonder. The vice-like grip on Yarra’s hand relaxed, and Alice shot her an apologetic look, which was returned by a gentle smile and a shrug.

  “When Martin started dating my mom, he was charming and friendly, and he used to take the three of us to do family things together,” Alice began in a voice that was rough with emotion. She cleared her throat before continuing. “That didn’t last very long, though, but I remember when he took us to a play at the theater. He took us backstage because he knew the director. They had been to school together, and Martin used to be a member of the amateur group as well. His friend told us what a good actor he was.” Alice bit her lip, and her eyes searched Trishia’s. “He has always been good at impersonating other people and dressing up and acting like different characters. When my mom broke up with him stalked her for a while, but at the time we didn’t know that. Later, we discovered that he’d been the old man walking down the street, calling at our door to ask if he could use the phone. He can transform into a ragged drifter as easy as he can change into a distinguished looking gray haired old man.”

  Sam and Trishia exchanged a look of understanding and Trishia cursed under her breath. Martin Coles’ acting skills in combination with his psychopathic mind could definitely complicate things.

  “Alice, do you think he’d be bold enough to try and make his way into The Reef?” Trishia asked, feeling Lucy’s grip on her hand tighten.

  “Yes, he would,” Alice answered without hesitation. “He’d probably think it’s fun and a great challenge. He’s evil, Trishia,” Alice added, not able to suppress the shiver that ran down her spine. “He has no conscience.”

  An idea started to form inside Trishia’s mind, and she pensively stared at the floor, mentally calculating the possibilities and risks. She exchanged a glance with Sam and slowly rose from her comfortable seat on the couch, reluctantly letting go of Lucy’s hand. “I have an idea, but I need to talk to Peter first,” she explained. “But I’ll be right outside this door,” she promised, pointing towards the entrance. “I’ll be back soon. And Alice?”

  Alice’s looked up and saw genuine respect and admiration in Trishia’s eye
s.

  “Thank you,” Trishia smiled. “And I love your hair. You look like Renee O’Connor.”

  Yarra rolled her eyes, while Fiona and Lucy chuckled. “What?” Trishia asked with raised eyebrows.

  “Nothing, sweetie,” Lucy answered with a smile. “I’ll tell you about it later.”

  “Please, do,” Trishia mumbled, bending down to kiss Lucy’s cheek before she headed to the door. It closed with a soft click, leaving the occupants in the room staring at each other.

  “I hope the idea she has is a good one,” Lucy groaned. “This guy gives me the creeps.”

  Sam noticed the somber expression on the faces of the three girls who were still sitting on the bed, side by side and she decided to try and lighten the mood a little. She firmly believed they were safe now, and it would only be a matter of time before Martin Coles was arrested. Reaching out, Sam pulled Jody on her lap. She let out a surprised yelp, but the smile on her face showed Sam that she thoroughly enjoyed the attention. She wrapped her arms around Jody and pulled her even closer. She rested her cheek on the top of Jody’s head and breathed in her scent. Her gaze traveled through the room until they came to rest upon a blond head and she met eyes that rivaled her own in color and brilliance. “Trishia is right, Alice. Your hair looks good. Did Jane come up and do that for you?” she asked with a pleased smile. “And I love your outfit. It looks good on you and brings out your eyes.”

  Alice felt a blush creep up her cheeks and quickly cast down her eyes. She was not used to being the center of attention, especially not when she was complimented on her looks. “Thanks, ” she managed to reply. “Jody arranged for it,” she explained with a smile.

  “But it was Fiona’s idea,” Jody was quick to make sure her sister received the credit for her plans. “I merely acted as mediator.”

  “And bankroll,” Fiona grinned, rolling her eyes when she saw Sam nuzzle Jody’s neck. With a deep sigh, she shook her head and glanced at her mother with feigned disgust. “Mom, can you tell them to stop being so publicly affectionate? Or maybe they should get a room.”

  “Fiona,” Joan McDonnell sighed. “If it bothers you so much, you could close your eyes and go to sleep.”

  “And miss out on all the fun?” Fiona quipped. “No way!”

  “Oh, that reminds me, Sam,” Yarra spoke up, casting a teasing look at her friend. “Fi here told me you will be selling tickets when she finally falls in love. I’d like to make a reservation already. I’d hate to miss the show.”

  Fiona stuck out her tongue and tried to playfully swat her friend across the stomach, but Yarra caught her hand and started tickling Fiona’s ribs. She tried to pull herself free from Yarra’s tight grip, but Yarra was too strong for her. Squirming, she tried to wiggle herself out of the strong grasp, but with a mischievous grin, Yarra used her other hand to pin Fiona down so she could keep torturing her.

  “Alice! Help!” Fiona gasped in between fits of laughter and high-pitched squeaks.

  Alice’s blue eyes were dancing, and she had scooted away to put a safe distance between herself and Fiona’s flailing arms and legs. She thoroughly enjoyed the interaction between her two friends, and she knew that even though they were always teasing each other, it was never done out of spite. It was how the two girls showed their affection for each other. “No, thanks,” Alice answered with a laugh. “You started it, Fi.”

  “Oh, no, she already has taken your side,” Fiona groaned, squealing when Yarra managed to tickle her behind her knee.

  “Jody!” Fiona cried, trying a different tactic. “Help!”

  But Jody didn’t answer. She wouldn’t have been able to even if she had wanted to, because Sam had been using the girls’ play fight to her own advantage, using the distraction to pull down Jody’s face and claim her lips in a deep kiss. Sam’s probing and teasing lips had robbed Jody of her any coherent thought and the only thing she was aware of, was the woman who was holding her so close she could feel her rapidly beating heart.

  “You are on your own, kiddo,” Lucy smirked, extending her legs in front of her, crossing them at the ankles and looking at her suffering youngest sister with amusement. “Jody is…engaged in other activities.”

  Yarra heard Lucy’s comment, and with a frown, she looked over her shoulder, curious as to what activities Lucy had been referring to. When she noticed the kissing couple on the couch, she grinned, and for a second her grip on Fiona lessened. Fiona immediately pushed away Yarra’s strong hands and managed to roll away. Her movements were a little too fast though. She hadn’t realized how close she was to the edge of the bed and with a loud thud, she landed on the floor.

  “Ouch,” she mumbled, rubbing her elbow that had connected with thick carpet on the floor. When she glanced up, she noticed a pair of warm brown eyes peering over the edge of the bed. She grinned at Yarra and shook her head. “You’re such a sucker for romance, CJ,” she teased. “And I guess it’s thanks to Jody I got free after all, even though she doesn’t even realize that,” Fiona added with a soft snort.

  A strong, dark-skinned hand appeared, and Fiona gratefully grabbed it to be hauled back to her feet.

  “Did you hurt yourself?” Yarra asked, her eyes scanning Fiona for injuries.

  “Just my ego,” Fiona answered with a laugh, before turning to look at Jody and Sam again, who had just come up for air and were looking at each other with a smile.

  “Are you two done already? Jeez, the world could come to an end, leaving the two of you wondering what the heck happened,” she teased.

  “We are done…for now,” Sam said with a smug smile. She brushed away a ginger-colored strand of hair that threatened to fall in Jody’s eyes.

  Lucy rested her head against the back of the couch and closed her eyes. She was bone tired, and even though she scolded herself for being selfish, the only thing she really wanted to do was to have a long, long shower with Trishia, crawl into bed, wrap herself around Trishia’s naked body and go to sleep. To sleep? A little voice in the back of her mind mocked. A naked Trishia within reach and you want to go to sleep. Who are you kidding?

  A smile tugged on the corner of Lucy’s mouth when she remembered how Trishia’s skin felt underneath her hands. Soft in all the right places and stretched tautly across her nicely developed muscles. Lucy’s mind traveled back to the first time they had slept together, and the memory alone made her heart rate increase. What she had told Jody before had been so true. Trishia had proven to be very loving and gentle, she had provided Lucy with a gift she would never forget. Her memories were so vivid that Lucy could almost feel Trishia’s warm breath caressing her overheated skin, and her strong hands tenderly explore every inch of her body. Trishia had taken her time, with soft touches, warm kisses, and little nibbles, until Lucy’s desire had been so great, it had almost been painful. She had thrown back her head and begged Trishia to take care of her aching need. Holding her close with one arm, Trishia had passionately kissed Lucy’s lips, and when Lucy had arched her body, Trishia had finally made Lucy hers, melting their bodies together and making her world explode in a display of colors, leaving her gasping for breath. Lucy remembered how Trishia had lovingly kissed away the salty tears that had stained her cheeks, whispering words of love and comfort in her ear and holding her close until her breathing had returned to normal and her racing heart had calmed down again.

  Lucy pushed back her hair and opening her eyes she let out a deep sigh. The memories had been so vivid, her body had responded eagerly, and for a moment Lucy wondered if she had developed a one-track mind. Not aware of Sam’s and Jody’s curious stares, she shook her head and laughed softly. “What?” she asked when she raised her head, and her eyes met Jody’s.

  “That’s what I was going to ask you,” Jody replied dryly, but her eyes were twinkling when she noticed Lucy’s slightly flushed state. “Dare I ask what you were thinking?”

  “Oh, nothing,” Lucy shrugged, trying her utmost to look indifferent. “Just…some…memories, that’s all
,” she ended with a mumble.

  “Must have been some interesting memories,” Sam said with a grin.

  “The best,” Lucy answered with a wink, determined not to blush under Sam’s inquisitive stare.

  Jody smiled knowingly and brought her mouth close to Sam’s ear. Sam’s eyes widened, and a slow smile crossed her face.

  “It’s not polite to whisper in company,” Lucy warned, playfully shaking a finger at Jody.

  “I know, but I don’t think you’d appreciate me saying this out loud,” Jody whispered teasingly.

  Lucy sighed and rubbed her face where a blush made his way up her cheeks, after all, thanks to Jody’s whispered comment.

  “Paybacks, Pea,” she warned. “You just wait. The next time I can make you blush, I won’t hesitate.”

  Unexpectedly, a pillow hit Lucy square in the face, and when she looked up, she noticed the wide grin on Fiona’s face. “What’s this for?”

  “You guys are talking in code,” Fiona accused her playfully. “It’s rude to talk code in front of tender-hearted teenagers.”

  Lucy snorted. “Tender-hearted?” She grabbed the pillow and raised a questioning eyebrow when she looked at Jody. The answer was a grin. Before Fiona knew what had happened, Lucy and Jody had jumped up, hitting a laughing Fiona with every pillow they could get their hands on.

  *

  As soon as Trishia had walked out the door and entered the hallway, Peter had noticed the barely hidden excitement in her eyes. He had looked at her curiously, and when Trishia had taken his elbow to steer him to the other side of the hallway, he had obediently followed, sending Gary an apologetic smile.

  “What’s going on, Trish? I can tell you have something up your sleeve.”

  “How is your acting, Pete?” Trishia asked casually, suppressing a grin when Peter looked at her with a frown.

  “My what?” he finally asked.

  “Your acting,” Trishia repeated, raising her eyebrows. “Didn’t your school have annual plays? You know, where Mom, Dad, Granny, Grandpa, all the siblings and kids from the neighborhood showed up?”