Cold Deception

by D. B. Tait

  “Time to get up anyway,” he said, letting go of her.

  She stepped back but couldn’t look away as he stretched and ran his hands though his hair. Hot, insistent lust hit her right in the pit of her belly and traveled down. She had to stop herself from stepping forward, straddling him, and letting her hands roam over his chest and up into his hair. She would move against him…

  She turned away and made for the kitchen, grateful for the noises she could hear from above. “I’ll put some more coffee on. Would you like some toast?”

  He murmured something that sounded like a yes. As she busied herself in the kitchen she made herself think of what she needed to do on the house.

  “How’s the hand?”

  She spun around to find him close to her, too close. He lifted her hand and inspected it while her heart raced. She prayed he couldn’t see her blush but, from the heat on her face, she was certain he could.

  He frowned. “You won’t be doing much with this for a day or so. You really should bind it up.”

  “It’s fine.” She pulled away then turned back to the toaster. “Are you going to look for the pills now? Do you think you’ll find them?”

  He shrugged. “Probably not. If she did a good job of it, the package will be right on the valley floor. Call me cynical, but I can’t see Rez climbing down all that way in the freezing cold with no certainty they’re still there.”

  “I guess not.”

  The toaster made a ticking noise which sounded deafening in the silence. He leaned on the kitchen counter and crossed his arms, a frown on his face.

  “What is it you don’t like? Me or what I do?”

  A spike of adrenaline surge through her. She let her eyes search his face then turned quickly away.

  “I don’t dislike you.”

  “You’re nervous around me.”

  “Aren’t a lot of people like me nervous around you?” She couldn’t look at him. If she did, she’d start stammering and blathering.

  He smiled and her pulse pounded. “Only if they’re guilty of something. What are you guilty of?”

  She turned to face him and got lost for a moment in his gray eyes. She never knew gray could be so compelling. Like the tumbling mist in the valley…

  He raised his hand and gently flipped her earring.

  “Pretty.”

  She closed her eyes when his hand cupped her cheek, his thumb brushing her lips. He gasped and drew in a ragged breath when her lips enclosed him. She opened her eyes and saw the mist transform into a storm as she gently sucked on his thumb. He moved closer to her. Unable to resist, she slid her hand under his sweater, across the smooth hardness of his back. Heat, wild and freeing, surged through her. A long forgotten pulse of need throbbed between her legs. She wanted him, she could have him…

  The clattering of someone coming down the stairs made them spring apart like guilty teenagers.

  “Ah, you’re up.” Eleanor bustled into the kitchen. “And coffee made. Excellent.” She reached for a cup and gave a quick good morning kiss to Julia.

  “Did you get any sleep, Dylan? We’re so grateful you’re here. And you know, I think the whole experience has been a turning point for Blossom. She’s angry with Rez now which is a whole lot better than mooning about him. Hopefully, she’ll be in a better frame of mind to get herself together. What’s that you’re making? Toast? Come on. We can do better than toast for this poor man. How about some omelets? Set you up for the day. Get out of the way. I’ll make them.”

  Julia let her mother take over and fled to the back veranda. This was impossible. She held her hands to her overheated face and took in deep breaths of the cold, clear mountain air.

  Get a grip. This can’t happen. A convicted criminal and a serving member of the police force does not make for happily ever after. Not that she believed in happily ever after, even in the best of circumstances.

  Eleanor called from the kitchen. “The omelets are ready.”

  After building up the fire, she made her way back to the kitchen with a pounding heart, determined to put Dylan out of her mind. Easier said than done when he took up so much space in this house of women. Dee and Blossom had appeared which made him seem even more like a wild male animal. He sat at the end of the table, unshaven and tousled, wolfing down omelet and toast. She wanted to devour him. Slipping onto a chair, she played with her food and avoided looking at him.

  Tried to at any rate. She couldn’t resist a quick glance only to see his gaze resting on her, a look of burning intensity on his face, as if she was a puzzle he needed to work out. Her gaze seemed to decide something for him. He shook himself, smiled at Dee and Eleanor then pushed back his chair with a clatter.

  “I have to go. Thanks for the omelet Ellie. I may need to speak with you later today, Bloss. I’ll call you.”

  With that, he scooped up his keys and jacket and disappeared through the back door.

  “Thanks, Dylan,” Eleanor yelled after him.

  Dee frowned at Julia. “What was all that about?”

  “What?”

  “He couldn’t wait to get out of here. Did the two of you have words?”

  Julia shook her head.

  Dee continued to frown at her while Blossom made strangled noises into her tea cup.

  “What’s wrong with you?” Dee snapped at her irritably. “This isn’t something to laugh about.”

  Blossom snorted. “I don’t think they exchanged words.”

  “You need to put some more ice on that eye.” Julia grabbed Blossom’s arm and pulled her toward the bathroom.

  “Hey! That hurts! Stop it,” Blossom said, her voice filled with laughter.

  Julia pushed her down the corridor and into the bathroom. Part of her was happy to hear Blossom laughing, but she still slammed the door and took in a deep breath.

  “Don’t go there, Bloss.”

  “What do you mean?” she said, giggling.

  “You know what I mean. It’s an aberration that will go away. He’s attractive and I’m just getting back into the world. It doesn’t mean anything. I’m finding my way.”

  “What about him?” Blossom said, suddenly serious. “He’s not exactly ignoring you.” She stared at Julia with pain-filled eyes. “He’s a good man, Jules. He went out of his way to try and keep me out of jail when he didn’t have to. He likes you. Maybe you should let yourself have some fun.” She turned to look at herself in the mirror. “You gave up a lot. You don’t have to anymore.”

  A knot of dread tightened in Julia’s belly. “What do you mean?”

  Blossom glanced at her in the mirror as she gingerly touched the swollen flesh around her eye.

  “I know what you did. I know you took the blame for Father Pat instead of me.”

  “No! That’s not true! Where did you get that idea?”

  Blossom turned to face her with tears in her eyes. “From my dreams. From memories that have been leaching into my mind for the past six months. It’s weird the way the drugs brought it all back. I was there with Father Pat. I don’t remember stabbing him but I remember the blood. All that blood, all over me.” She shuddered and hugged herself tight.

  Julia shook her head. “It wasn’t like that, Bloss.” She took in a deep breath. Everything depended on what she could make Blossom believe. “What do you remember of that day?”

  Blossom shuddered again. “I remember there was a school camp down south at Bundanoon. Father Pat came with us. But we came back early because it got rained out. And I was getting sick I think. Fluey. He insisted I drive back in his car rather than the bus. I remember the car and getting closer to home, but I can’t remember a lot of what happened. I think he told me we had to go to his place to pick up something before he could take me home.”

  Her voice sounded dreamy and disconnected. Julia grasped her hand which seemed to bring her back to the present. “He must’ve drugged me.”

  “No. That’s crazy. When he bought you home, you were really sick. So sick I thought I’d hav
e to take you to the hospital. You were hallucinating. I got you into bed and gave you some paracetamol and you slept for twelve hours straight. While you were asleep I went up to see Father Pat… to confront him. I wasn’t thinking straight to have left you alone when you were so sick.

  “But I remember the knife. I remember holding the knife.”

  “You weren’t there, Blossom. I don’t know why you keep thinking you were. Have you talked about this with Douglas?”

  Blossom stared at her for long seconds as if her gaze could penetrate her skull and into the truth lodged in her brain. Julia stared back unflinching, willing her sister to believe her.

  Blossom turned away from her. “He thinks I’m deluded. He’s nice. I like him, but he’s wrong like you. I know you’re lying.”

  “No I’m not! Stop being a drama queen. Just accept what I say. Listen to Douglas. Let him help you.”

  A sharp rap on the bathroom door made both of them jump.

  “What’s going on? What are you doing in there?”

  “Just fixing Blossom’s eye, Ma. We’ll be out in a minute.” Julia took her sister by the arms and shook her. “Stop this craziness, Blossom,” she hissed. “You didn’t do it. Let it go.”

  Blossom wrenched herself away from her sister’s arm and flung open the bathroom door. She smiled at her mother.

  “Aren’t we having a party for Dee soon? We better get to work.”

  Julia stared into the bewildered face of her mother.

  “She’s right. Let’s get going shall we?”

  Chapter 13

  The late afternoon sun was still warm on Julia’s back. There was just enough time for a short walk in the bush. She’d go down the path from Gordon Falls and along the Prince Henry Cliff Walk.

  She tried to thrust all thoughts of Blossom to the back of her mind and made her way down into the bush. Blossom would get over it. There was no reason for her to keep on about what happened that night in the face of Julia’s continual denials. At least she hoped that’s what would happen. The fact that memories were coming back to her wasn’t the end of the world. They could remain just that, memories. Douglas Sinclair would work with her and help her see they weren’t real. That had to be better than the truth, surely. The truth could tip her right over the edge, a place Blossom didn’t need any more exposure to.

  The nagging worry about O’Reardon and the DVD he said he had was the beached whale at the back of her mind. What if he decided for some perverse and perverted reason of his own that it would be more fun to show Blossom the DVD? He admitted he enjoyed inflicting pain and that DVD was a whole world of pain for Blossom.

  On the other hand, that fact that he had it at all compromised him. The only way he could’ve got it was taking it from the crime scene, an act that would attract criminal charges. He wouldn’t want that to happen. All in all, the DVD was probably safe enough where it was. She just had to keep to her end of the bargain with O’Reardon. That, and convince Nessa to get out of there. Somehow she had to contact her and make her see sense.

  Thoughts crashed around her mind like toxic bubbles. She used a meditation technique her teacher taught her where she gathered all her thoughts, put them in a box and gently but firmly shut the lid. Taking a deep breath, she focused on what was around her. The gray-green of the foliage and the flashes of colored parrots swooping through the canopy calmed her.

  As her mind quietened, other thoughts intruded. Thoughts about piercing gray eyes and the feel of her hand sliding across hard, warm muscles. His story about Dale Rowe went someway to explaining why he was seen as mysterious by the locals. He had his own demons to contend with. Demons she didn’t need in her life. He was definitely an admire-from-afar man.

  Julia continued on her way through the bush and marveled that as the only one of her family to have spent time in custody, she was also the only one without a history of problematic drug and alcohol use. She meant to keep it that way.

  So far, except for Blossom, Nessa, and her own inconvenient lust for Dylan, everything was going along okay. She knew where she was with O’Reardon. He would leave her alone. She was certain that any hostility from the locals would dissipate and she was working on some designs for Larissa. Her confrontation with Eleanor had left both of them tentative and careful with each other, but Julia could see Eleanor was right. She was a different woman to the mother of her childhood. Julia had to let that go.

  The work on the house felt solid and real, grounding her and giving her a sense of purpose. When she went to the hardware store, she went as a tradesperson with experience and an eye for what she wanted. After a few interactions with the blokey sales assistants, she established herself as knowledgeable and capable.

  One of them, Des, had delivered some new weatherboards and some paint one day, then stayed a few minutes to watch her work.

  “You got your work cut out for you here, Jules. I’ve been telling Ellie for years she needed to get someone to work on this house. Good to see it finally happening.”

  Julia took this to mean he approved of her work. She smiled at the memory then grabbed for a branch as she tripped on a rock. Righting herself she jumped when she saw a figure through the branches. Damn it. She came out here to get away from people.

  Too late she realized who he was and that she couldn’t avoid him.

  If only she was a different person with no history and no fear. Because any red-blooded woman would take one look at this fine specimen of manhood and welcome the sizzle of anticipation in her blood or the quickening of her breath.

  Dylan was sex personified. Low-slung faded jeans and what looked like a well-loved and comfortable black sweater molded his muscles and made her hands itch to touch him.

  That couldn’t happen any time soon.

  She stopped on the track and waited till he stood in front of her. Small talk. She had to dredge up her small talk skills, instead of philosophical discussions about good and bad murderers.

  She nodded at him. “Hi there. Out for a walk? It’s nice this time of day.”

  For God’s sake. If only the earth would swallow her.

  “It is,” he said. “Not too cold.”

  He stood and stared at her. His small talk skills seemed as good as hers.

  “How’s the painting going?” he asked.

  She looked down at herself. Undercoat was splattered across her overalls. Overalls. She didn’t think a walk in the bush required a clean up. Boy, did she get that wrong.

  “Good. Good. Getting there.”

  “Dee told me you’re going to do inside and out.”

  She nodded. Silence.

  “It’s beautiful out here,” she said, turning to Mount Solitary. “I can’t believe these mountains were once taller than the Himalayas. Puts our puny time on the planet into great perspective.”

  She sensed him relax beside her.

  “I went on a camping trip to Alice Springs last year. The MacDonnell Ranges have the same effect.”

  “Yeah,” she said, turning to him with a smile. “Eleanor took me there once when I was a teenager. I’d love to go back. All those gorges. Ormiston Gorge was my favorite. It was like an outdoor cathedral.”

  “And when you camp out, you can’t sleep because the stars are so bright.”

  “Or because a rock is digging into your back.”

  He laughed. “There is that. But there’s a great sense of peace out there. I think it’s because the traditional owners still sing the land. They look at the hills and all the different markings and can read the meaning in the slopes and planes.” He sighed. “Not like us. We lost that connection to the land a long time ago.”

  There was a sorrow in his voice that intrigued her.

  “Is that another reason why you shifted up to the mountains? To make a connection with the bush? Lots of people do that up here.”

  He shifted from foot to foot and frowned. Julia cursed her stupid awkwardness. Why did she feel compelled to delve deeper with him?

  “Sorry
, I didn’t mean to pry.”

  “You’re not prying, and you’re partially right. I did move up here to get away from the city. Life sends you a curve ball sometimes and you need to do something different.”

  “How long have you been a cop?”

  He shot her a quick glance. “Ten years.”

  “What do you do? I mean, what’s your rank?”

  “I’m a Detective Inspector.” He paused and glanced at her. “How is Blossom now she’s out of detox?”

  Okay. Message received. He’d done enough taking about himself the other night. No more.

  She grimaced. “All right so far. She’s seeing Doctor Sinclair. He’s the doctor you mentioned isn’t he?”

  Dylan nodded. “He’s got a good reputation for working with people with drug and alcohol problems.”

  Julia thrust her hands into her overall pockets and kept her eyes on Mount Solitary. “That’s good,” she murmured. Time to change the subject. “Did I tell you I met the wonderful Rez before he ended up at our house?” she asked. “What a stunner.”

  Dylan sighed. “We haven’t picked him up yet. I’m hoping he’s gone back to Sydney. He can be someone else’s problem. Has Blossom said anymore about him?”

  She shook her head. “She hasn’t said anything much. Spends a lot of time sitting in the sun drinking tea. Which is just what she should be doing. But she won’t go to rehab.”

  They both stood on the track and kept staring at the view. Julia could almost hear the cogs in his brain turning, trying to decide what to tell her. With her eyes away from him, all her other senses came to life. She heard twigs cracking as he shifted from foot to foot. The bush all around them smelled of eucalyptus and damp earth, but she was close enough to him to smell the remnants of something citrusy and fresh. Her stomach tightened in pleasurable pain at the thought of him naked and wet, slapping on aftershave with his damp, curling dark hair unruly, crying out for her hands to feel and play…

  “I didn’t go to rehab when I got sober. Did it at home with a doctor friend and some AA mates.”

  His words were a much needed jolt back into reality.