Nuzzling, he buried his face in her neck, his hot breath feathering against her sensitive skin as he slid one leg between hers. Using a gentle pressure he pushed his thigh upward against his own hand to increase the pressure of his fingers as they delved in the slickness that flowed from her. A groan tore from her throat as he slid the pad of his finger over her swollen nub. Her legs quivered. His index finger pressed firmly, just once, and her back arched upward.
Crying out, the spasms of ecstasy shivered through her and her eyes flew open.
She gulped in air, panting as if she had just run a race. Her whole body thrummed and the contractions of her internal muscles continued to pulse, firing her nerve endings to send spurts of sensation down the insides of her thighs all the way to her toes.
‘Omigod! Not again,’ Kelly said into the silence as her heart rate and breathing began to slow. Her eyes darted about the darkened room. Could he be here? When she’d asked for him to follow through and haunt her, this wasn’t really what she’d meant!
Leaning across to the bedside, she tapped on the light. It took a minute for her eyes to adjust, but she already knew that she was quite alone. The hollow sensation that had gripped her since last night returned along with the light.
Looking down at herself she felt an uneasy sense of humiliation. Her nipples stood out against her t-shirt and as she wriggled her bottom to the side of the bed she felt that slippery, squelchy sensation that only ever happened when she’d had sex.
Raising a shaky hand to push her hair from her eyes, she stared at the blank space where the mirror should have been. The loneliness hit her in the chest like a blow. If this is what the future would be, she didn’t know how long she’d cope; erotic dreams and asking ghosts to haunt her … she definitely needed a psychiatrist!
It was no surprise to Richard when he opened the door to find Detective Inspector Mathieson’s unreadable visage staring blankly at him. He’d been expecting the good inspector all afternoon. Whether the man believed Will Montgomery’s allegations or not, he was fairly certain that Kelly would have told him all the gory details of last night’s little fracas. The flowers had been a peace offering, suggested by his lawyer. While he didn’t think it’d do much good, he decided the gesture wouldn’t hurt. Obviously it hadn’t helped any, either.
‘What can I do for you, Detective Inspector?’ he said in a sarcastic tone as he walked away, leaving the door open for the inspector to come in, or not, as he chose.
Sitting on the couch before the television, he nursed his bandaged arm and proceeded to focus on the football game that was playing.
The inspector followed him into the room and stood between Richard and the screen. ‘I’ve just been over at Stanthorpe getting a statement from Ms Reid.’
Richard’s eyes darted up momentarily before they again settled on what he could see of the match.
‘Ms Reid has decided not to press assault charges, Mr Ditchley.’
At that, Richard straightened and looked directly at the inspector for the first time. Maybe the flowers had worked. That notion set his mind to wondering whether he might, in fact, convince her to marry him after all? While he didn’t really think that likely, he’d pay another visit, perhaps in a day or so, just to test the waters. He knew he didn’t have long before Will would be by to collect Denny’s money … either he got a cheque from Kelly, or he needed to think seriously about getting out of town. And that wouldn’t be easy. Knowing Denny, he had blokes all over the place, watching him, waiting for him to do a runner.
‘Is that all you wanted?’ he asked the inspector lightly.
‘No, in fact it’s not, Mr Ditchley. Actually, I am here to make your day. You will be pleased to know that the blood test came back negative. It seems the foetus came back with neither your nor Deanna’s blood-type. We are doing further testing to see if we can learn the identity of the father of Deanna Montgomery’s foetus.’
‘I told you I hadn’t touched her.’
‘While you might not be the father, we still intend to pursue the investigation into Will Montgomery’s allegations. Until our inquiries are complete, do not leave the county.’
‘Fine.’ Picking up the remote control, he started flicking between channels as if the inspector was no longer there. ‘Anything else?’
Mathieson moved to the door. ‘I’ll be talking to you further, Mr Ditchley.’
‘Fine,’ Richard repeated.
As soon as the door closed Richard stood and smiled to himself. Relief washed through him like a spring wind. So, the brat was some other man’s bastard. While the idea that she’d been sleeping with someone else irked him, he felt deliriously happy that they had no evidence against him. That news deserves a celebration! He headed for the cabinet that held his stash of scotch and grabbed the most expensive bottle. What with Kelly not pressing charges and the test findings, things were looking up.
Another persistent knock sounded on his door. ‘What now,’ he grumbled under his breath as he stalked back into the living room and wrenched the door open. He was just about to ask the inspector what he’d forgotten, when Eithne’s angelic face greeted him.
‘Hello, Eithne. What brings you over?’
The girl tilted her head up and gave him her best smile. ‘You said to come by after the funeral, Mr Ditchley. Me dad’s at the pub having a wake with his friends, so I thought I’d come to ask you about the job … if it is still open.’
The charming persona clicked into place and he swung the door wide. ‘It most certainly is. Come in, Eithne. Would you like a glass of juice? Or a soft drink?’
She shook her head and shuffled inside.
‘Take a seat,’ Richard suggested as he sat on the couch.
‘What happened to your arm, Mr Ditchley?’
‘Call me Richard, Eithne … if you’re going to work for me, you’ll get sick of calling me mister all the time. I got cut by broken glass. Just a few stitches but it’ll be better soon.’
She nodded and squeezed into the seat on the end of the couch.
‘How was the funeral? I wanted to come but your dad wouldn’t let me.’
She glanced up at him from under her pale brows, her eyes, so like Dee’s, glassy from unshed tears. ‘It was okay. Lots of people kept trying to hug me and I just wanted to get away.’
Richard sipped his scotch and nodded sagely. ‘Yeah, people can smother you. Do you miss Dee?’
She put her head down. ‘Sometimes,’ she said weakly. ‘She used to stop dad from hurting me when he got to drinkin’ too much.’
Interesting.
‘Did he try to hurt you often?’
‘Sometimes. He hurt Dee lots.’
One of Richard’s brows rose slightly. Dee had never told him that her father beat her. ‘I’m sorry, Eithne. If he ever tries to hurt you, you can always come here … okay?’ He slid closer to her on the couch and gave her a reassuring pat on the thigh.
Without warning the girl threw herself against him, hugging him fiercely. ‘Thanks, Mr Ditchley,’ she whispered against his ear. ‘Dee said if I ever needed help and she wasn’t around, to come to you.’ She squeezed for a second, then pulled back and gave him a shy smile.
The smell of her fresh skin flooded his senses and his whole body tightened. Squirming slightly, he angled his body away from hers to relieve the sudden pressure inside him. This was not good, not so soon after Dee’s death, and certainly not with Will’s accusations still hanging over his head like the proverbial sword of Damocles. He needed to stay cool. While he might be eager to explore the possibilities Eithne offered, he really needed to bide his time.
‘What did Deanna tell you about the job?’ he asked to divert her attention, and his.
Eithne’s eyes narrowed as she concentrated on remembering. ‘Dee used to say that it was real good working for you Mr Di— Richard,’ she giggled sheepishly. ‘She said you never made her work too hard, and that you used to give her nice things to eat and sometimes special clothes to wear.’
Eithne slid him a sideways look that reminded him of Deanna when she was out to seduce him. His groin tightened further and his temperature went up a notch. He wondered just how much Dee might have told her little sister.
Leaning over he picked up the end of her pigtail and twirled it through his fingers, deliberately tickling her neck. Again she giggled.
‘What else did Dee say?’
‘She said that she was going to marry you one day.’
Richard’s eyes widened. ‘Really?’
She nodded with the enthusiasm of youth. ‘She said you were going to take her to London and marry her as soon as she was old enough.’
Swallowing, he wondered whether Dee had told her father these things as well. It would account for the accusations.
The door crashed open, bouncing on its hinges with an almighty crack. His breath lurched.
‘I told you to leave my little girl alone, you animal!’ Will Montgomery roared as he threw himself headlong at Richard so fast that he had no chance to evade him. All the wind was knocked out of him and he heard, rather than felt, several ribs crunch as the full weight of Will’s nuggety body landed on his chest. He couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t even moan.
Will began pummelling his face. ‘You won’t be such a pretty-boy after I’ve finished with you, Lord bloody Stanthorpe.’
Richard’s head rocked back when Will’s fist ground into his face. Strangely, he didn’t feel a thing … it was as if he was watching from the sidelines. He knew he ought to be fighting back, but he had no strength, no air.
‘NO! DA, STOP!’ screeched Eithne from somewhere behind him. ‘We wasn’t doing nothing! We were just talking, Da!’
From the corner of his eye he could see Eithne trying to grab hold of her father’s raised fist. But Will was too fast and light blasted inside Richard’s brain as the fist found its mark. Now it hurt. Hot pain jagged all the way down his spine and warm liquid covered his face. Everything in the room went dark and hazy for a moment and his body began to shudder. The fist drew back, ready to strike again. He tried to turn away but his head no longer obeyed his commands.
‘DA! Stop it!’
The fist caused another shower of sparks inside his brain and he coughed hard. Several teeth came spraying out of his mouth in a crimson cascade that threatened to choke him.
‘Keep your weaselly cock out of my daughters!’ Will growled as his knee jerked upward.
GOD! Fire consumed him as the most excruciating pain he’d ever endured exploded through his body. Richard began screaming. Now he did choke and he didn’t even notice when Will’s fist smashed into his nose for the third time. He didn’t hear the sound of it breaking. He didn’t hear Eithne’s convulsive cries. The pinpoint of agony between his legs consumed him beyond all else and he struggled towards the distant buzzing that promised unconsciousness.
Only it didn’t come. Like a rag doll he slid to the floor while Will battered him relentlessly. Will straddled him, thumping each side of his face with the skill of a boxer. The buzzing got louder and Richard would have smiled if his face had been able to respond to his thoughts.
Suddenly Will’s weight disappeared and Richard found himself staring into Mathieson’s hard face.
‘Playtime’s over, Montgomery,’ he said as Will landed in a heap beside the television. ‘Let’s all take a ride into Abingdon.’
Richard didn’t know how long the ambulance took to arrive. He drifted in and out of consciousness. But he did hear Mathieson arrest Will and a gleeful sound gurgled up his throat.
13
Day Twelve
‘That was Mathieson,’ Tom explained as he put the telephone handset back in its cradle. ‘He says he’ll be over to talk to you later today.’
Kelly glanced up from her uneaten breakfast. A chilled feeling passed through her despite the sunny warmth of the kitchen. ‘Maybe he has decided to arrest me. It might be time to find a lawyer.’
‘Don’t be silly, Kel,’ Nancy placed her hand over Kelly’s and gave a reassuring squeeze. ‘The man needs evidence for that, and I’m sure he hasn’t got any.’
‘The police were at the funeral in force yesterday. They watched everyone like hawks. My guess is they were hoping the killer was there and would do something to reveal himself,’ Tom offered as he stirred his tea.
Kelly’s lips thinned. ‘You watch too much television, Tom. I’ve been party to a few investigations in my time and they don’t usually tell you anything unless they need to. The good inspector probably has a whole lot of circumstantial evidence. They keep everything under wraps until they think they have enough, then they come get you.’
Furrowing her brow, Nancy gripped Kelly’s arm tight. ‘But if you didn’t do it, what evidence could they have?’
With a long slow sigh, Kelly lifted one shoulder in a careless shrug. ‘Apart from the bicycle pump, I don’t know. Maybe they’ve got all the dirt on me from Frank. Deanna’s murder would probably help his case.’
‘What dirt? What are you talking about?’
Kelly squeezed her eyes shut for a second before focusing on Nancy’s concerned face. ‘I didn’t want to worry you. Frank is suing for half of my trust fund. He’s made all sorts of allegations from infidelity to inferring I have some kind of mental illness. That was why I was initially reticent to take on John’s story. If it got back to his legal team that I had started believing in ghosts … well, you can guess the rest. Dad has his people working on it but I need to keep my nose clean. Just the sniff of a scandal and he’ll have a field day.’
‘Oh, honey, why didn’t you tell us all this in the first place?’
Kelly shook her head. ‘I thought it would just blow over. As far as I’m concerned Frank can have the money. I don’t care anymore. But Dad refuses to let him swindle me out of my inheritance. My grandmother would have a fit if she were still alive to see all this.’
One of the workmen chose that moment to start hammering in the hallway beyond the kitchen.
Kelly pushed her plate away and stood.
‘C’mon, Kel, you have to eat something,’ Nancy cajoled. ‘You can’t face Mathieson on an empty stomach.’
Kissing Nancy’s cheek, she tried for a smile. ‘I’m fine … really I am. I just need some more sleep. I sat up last night writing John’s story and forgot the time. Maybe I’ll nap for a while and then have something.’
Nancy followed her to the hall where they dodged several workmen. ‘I don’t know how you could sleep with this racket.’
‘My CD player. I have some meditations on disk, and if that doesn’t work, there’s always U2.’ She hugged her friend and escaped up the stairs.
After half an hour she conceded that sleep was unlikely. The workmen had stepped up their pace with the opening next week. The nerve-shattering sound of drills had joined with the hammering to create a cacophony that defied anyone to sleep.
With a wistful glance at the empty mirror frame, she picked up her laptop and went downstairs to the small rose garden where she could find a little peace to finish her article. She sat under an arbour on a curved stone bench, and took a few minutes to draw in the beauty of her surroundings before she again tackled her story. It had begun to shape up nicely. While she didn’t mention her relationship with John or the true method of his incarceration, she did give all the details of how he’d tragically helped Elizabeth to end her agony, and how Edward had gone mad afterward and killed him. She quoted parts of the journal and made certain the reader would know who the real villain had been. While she didn’t want to lie, for Tom and Nancy’s sake she decided she’d leave out the part that John had now gone.
That thought brought a hot rush of tears to her eyes and as she lifted her head to blink them back, she saw Tom and Nancy heading towards her with Detective Inspector Mathieson bringing up the rear.
Panic filled her when she noted Nancy’s colourless expression. Had she thought right? Was the inspector here to arrest her? While she was just under suspicion, nothing of w
hat had happened would have made it back home to the States. But if she was arrested … that would definitely make the newscasts.
With her heart beating hard in her chest she closed her laptop and mentally prepared herself. Her experience with Frank had taught her a little about how to suppress her feelings and withstand the emotional onslaught. Although this was completely different, the principles were the same. Think of something positive. Focus on the question at hand. Do not allow your imagination to run away with you.
‘Ms Reid,’ the inspector greeted her with what she realised was his version of a smile. The sides of his lips rose but only enough to cause them to thin.
‘Hello, Inspector.’ She set the laptop aside and hugged her arms to her chest. Nancy sat on her other side and put a hand on her shoulder.
‘I thought I ought to apprise you of developments in the Montgomery case.’ He crossed the gravelled space to grab a cast-iron chair from the nearby setting and sat before her. Tom hovered behind him.
‘We have Deanna Montgomery’s killer in custody.’
All the air left Kelly’s lungs in a great whoosh as the relief swept through her. Nancy enveloped her in a big hug and Tom stood grinning at her like she’d won a prize. ‘I knew it would all be fine,’ Nancy whispered as Kelly felt the tension of the moment force her eyes to well.
‘Who did it?’ Tom asked, point blank.
‘Will Montgomery confessed to the murder of his daughter.’
Mathieson waited while each of them gasped before continuing. ‘It appears Will had been abusing his daughter for some years. During the autopsy it was discovered that she was pregnant when she died, and further investigations revealed that it wasn’t the first time. Deanna had had three abortions in the past four years.
‘After Deanna’s death Will tried to throw suspicion upon Ditchley by telling us he suspected the lord of having an illicit sexual liaison with the girl. According to Deanna’s friend at the bakery, and also Deanna’s younger sister, she had a big crush on Ditchley and of course, she had worked for him for more than four years. While we cannot rule out that the viscount had been having an affair with Deanna, blood tests revealed that the unborn child was most likely fathered by Will Montgomery.’
Secret Reflection Page 27