RETRIBUTION RIDGE: a dark, gripping and intense suspense thriller

by Anna Willett

  RETRIBUTION RIDGE

  Anna Willett

  Published by

  THE BOOK FOLKS

  London, 2016

  © Anna Willett

  Polite note to readers

  This book is written in British and Australian English apart from instances where local dialect is used. For that reason, some spellings of words may differ from North American English.

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  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Chapter Twenty-two

  Chapter Twenty-three

  Chapter Twenty-four

  Chapter Twenty-five

  Chapter Twenty-six

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  Chapter Twenty-eight

  Chapter Twenty-nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-one

  BACKWOODS RIPPER

  FREE sample chapter

  Chapter One

  “You didn’t have to agree.” Harper pulled her hair back and fastened it with a black band. “You could have just said no.”

  A good point. One her friend had made at least eight times since leaving Perth. Millicent could have told her sister she had work commitments – not completely untrue. Hell, she could have just flatly refused. Two days hiking the Cape to Cape trail wasn’t her idea of a holiday. But Judith’s offer of some sisterly bonding time was the first real attempt either of them had made at a reconciliation since Mum’s funeral. How could she say no?

  “I know. And believe me, I’d rather reconnect over cocktails in Bali, but …” Milly paused, and rubbed the back of her neck. “You know how prickly Judith can be. If I’d said anything but yes, I wouldn’t have heard from her for another ten years.” She sighed. “I’m glad you agreed to come along as a buffer.”

  “Okay, well, stop complaining and make the best of it.”

  Milly glanced over and fixed her friend with a grimace. She was right. She’d accepted Judith’s offer so now it was time to suck it up and mend some fences. Even if it meant sleeping on the ground and peeing in the bushes. But was roughing it really the problem? Seeing Judith again, being reminded of the things Milly had worked so hard to leave in the past – just thinking about it made her stomach twist in an unpleasant knot.

  “And watch the road,” Harper added pointing at the windscreen.

  Ahead, packed on either side by towering gums and scraggy natives, it narrowed to two lanes curving left. Milly eased her foot off the accelerator and glanced down at the navigation screen. The turn off for the Breaker’s Ledge carpark showed as less than a kilometre ahead.

  “Last night I dreamed of the Reach.” She hadn’t meant to say anything but the words spilled out.

  “Don’t, Milly.”

  “Don’t what?” The question came out as a moan.

  “Don’t get bogged down in all that.” Harper waved her arm in an expansive gesture, her tone sharp with impatience. “Especially not now. You and Judith need to work out how you can build a relationship now.” She jabbed her index finger in a downward motion. “Bringing up the tragedy that tore you apart is counterproductive, unless there’s anything about that night that needs rehashing?”

  Milly felt uneasy. What was Harper getting at? Stop it, she told herself. She’s not getting at anything. No need to get paranoid. “No. No… It was just a dream.” Milly pressed her lips together. She shouldn’t have mentioned it. Dredging up the past would only taint any chance she had of moving forward with her sister.

  They rounded the bend and the dense bush fell away as the road began its gradual ascent. With the windows cracked, the smell of salt and dried seaweed filled the car.

  “I’d say we’re getting close.”

  “Smells like it,” Harper seemed excited by the prospect of a few days in the great outdoors.

  “It’s not like you to be happy about giving up your creature comforts,” Milly teased.

  “You’ve been away for a long time, Milly.” Harper shrugged. “Things change.”

  True, Milly had left Perth ten years ago and moved to Sydney. But she’d kept in touch. Not constantly, but at least once a month. I probably could try harder.

  “Harper, I…”

  “There it is.” Harper leaned forward and tapped the dashboard. “We’re here.”

  Fine whitish-grey sand mounds lined the edges of the road, as if forcing back the human intrusion. A low fence of pine logs zig-zagged into the parking lot. Milly pulled in, taking care to stop between the white lines in the almost empty lot.

  Before Milly had time to turn the engine off, Harper bounced out of the car and headed towards the silver four-wheel drive parked three spaces away. She watched her friend bound over to Judith and pull her into a quick hug. Judith’s arms came up, but didn’t quite make it around Harper’s back. She hesitated just long enough for Harper to let her loose and turn her attention to the man standing at the rear of the vehicle.

  Milly could hear Harper say something, but her attention was fixed on Judith. It had been three months since their mother’s funeral. They’d barely spoken at the chapel. Sitting on the same bench separated by their cousin and his wife, Milly snatched glimpses of her sister as Mum’s coffin began its decent to the crematorium. Only once did Judith look away and meet Milly’s gaze. For a moment, her sister’s eyes held a look of anguish and desperation. Milly wanted to put her arms around her and make everything better. Then Judith straightened her back and clenched her jaw. She turned away and the moment vanished.

  Now Judith regarded her with the same clenched jaw and accusing glare. Milly lifted her hand in a wave that felt stiff and awkward. The wind ruffled Judith’s brown hair. She raised her hand in what might have been a greeting, but turned into an attempt to push her fringe out of her eyes.

  “This is going to be a long two days.” Milly sighed and climbed out of the car.

  “I’m Lucas. Lucas Werd. A friend of Judith’s. She’s asked me to lead the hike.”

  “I’m Milly. I see you’ve met Harper.” Milly grasped the man’s hand, grateful that he’d stepped forward and bridged the uncomfortable silence between her and Judith.

  “I was just telling Lucas that you and Judith haven’t really spoken in years, not since you were both teenagers. So,” Harper drew out the word. “This might be the most tortuous hiking group he’s ever led.”

  Harper’s words hung in the air. Milly felt the knot in her stomach twist into full-blown anxiety. Why did I agree to this, she asked herself, and not for the first time. Guilt? Loneliness? She wanted to look at her sister and see how the moment was affecting her, but she couldn’t bear to meet Judith’s gaze. She found her eyes darting everywhere but at the one person she’d driven three hours to see.

  “What’s all the rope for?” Her focus landed on the pile of equipment heaped on the bitumen near the r
ear of the car.

  “We’re going to do a bit of abseiling.” It was the first time Judith had spoken since Milly and Harper arrived.

  Milly forced herself to meet her sister’s gaze. Judith’s blue eyes were shiny, as if filled with unshed tears. There were tiny lines creasing her forehead and the softness Milly remembered seemed absent from her face. Although it had been only three months since the funeral, it had been almost ten years since she’d really looked at her sister. The changes were unsettling.

  “Judith, I… Hi.”

  “Hi.” Something flickered across Judith’s face. It could have been the beginnings of a smile, but the look vanished and Judith turned to Lucas. “When everything’s ready we should get going. It’s almost ten.” She moved to the back of the vehicle, pulled a large red pack out and dropped it on the ground. “If you need to use the loo, the toilet block’s over there.” She jerked her head towards a squat brick building in the left hand corner of the sandy carpark.

  “Okay. After that heart-warming reunion, I need to pee.” Harper headed for the toilet block.

  Milly followed her friend. Harper jogged across the bitumen, her long blonde ponytail bouncing up and down on her shoulders. Milly didn’t bother to try to keep pace, she walked slowly, relishing a few moments away from the painful exchange with her baby sister. Agreeing to this trip had been a mistake from the beginning. What was I thinking? It seemed like a great idea via email, with thousands of kilometres separating them. In person, nothing had changed. They were both still angry and hurt; this trip might only make it worse.

  Milly stepped into the toilet block. The floor was a faded grey concrete slab and the walls exposed brick. A building typical of bland, functional, Australian beach-side conveniences, she could have been standing in any such block on any beach in the country.

  “Harper?” Milly crossed the overly spacious room and stood in front of the closed stall door. “I wish you’d just tone it down a bit. It’s difficult enough without you constantly pointing out the awkwardness of the situation.”

  “I’m just trying to lighten the mood,” Harper’s voice echoed from behind the door. “You two need to thaw out and start talking or this is never going to work.”

  “That’s just it.” Milly looked down at her shoes and let her shoulders drop. “It’s not working. There’s too much pain and … I don’t know. I think it’s better if I call it quits now and leave.”

  The door swung inward and Harper darted forward with such speed, Milly wondered if her friend had been standing on the other side. A weird thought, one that she instantly dismissed.

  “What do you mean leave? We drove three hours and have been here approximately ten minutes.” Harper took a step closer. “Now you want to just turn around and drive back to Perth?”

  Milly felt taken aback by Harper’s reaction. But then she’d asked her friend to come and act as a shock absorber while the sisters tried to patch things up. She really couldn’t blame her for being pissed off at being jerked around.

  “Look, I know I asked you to come as a favour and you’ve put things on hold to be here. But you saw what it was like out there.” Milly gestured over her shoulder. “Maybe some things can’t be fixed.”

  Harper grabbed Milly’s arm and glared up at her. “No. We’re doing this.” In the dimness, her blue eyes looked almost black. “This might be your last chance to get your sister back in your life, and I’m not letting you give up after ten minutes.”

  Harper’s fingers dug into Milly’s arm with surprising strength. Maybe she’s right. Did I really expect Judith to rush into my arms and act like that night never happened? Her knee-jerk reaction was to run away, just like she’d done last time.

  “It’s only two nights,” Harper’s voice softened. She let go of Milly’s arm. “Didn’t Judith say it was what your mum wanted, for you two to try again?”

  At the mention of her mother, Milly weakened. In Judith’s email she’d said their mother made her promise to try again. She wanted her girls to be close again. She could at least try, if only for her mother’s sake.

  “Yes. You’re right.” Milly nodded. “Ignore me, I’m just having a moment.” She managed a weak smile and touched her friend’s hand. “Thank you for being the voice of reason.”

  “Don’t mention it.” Harper returned the smile and headed for the exit. “Don’t be too long in here, we need to get going,” she called over her shoulder.

  In the distance, the moan of the ocean and the screeching of seagulls merged in a frantic chorus.

  Chapter Two

  He watched the small, white hatchback pull into the carpark. He didn’t bother to slide down in his seat, people seldom took in anything outside of their immediate focus. Besides, he’d parked at the far end and the windows were tinted. He felt relaxed, self-assured in his anonymity. He watched the blonde spring out of the car, tapping his fingers on the bottom of the steering wheel in an excited tempo. Small, slim, nice legs. She held his interest for no more than a few seconds. It was the tall dark one he’d been waiting to see.

  She climbed out of the car, long-limbed and confident. It had been a long time, but she hadn’t really changed. A little older, but still the same arrogant rich girl used to getting her own way. He gripped the steering wheel and looked down at his lap. His breathing slowed. He calmed himself by picturing the smug look slide into terror when she finally understood what was happening to her. A smile crept over his face; it held no warmth or merriment.

  Boots crunching on the tightly packed pea stones around the toilet block snapped him out of his reverie. The blonde jogged past the grimy windscreen. She tossed her head, almost looking his way. He cocked his chin to the side, the smile still lifting his coarse features. Her shorts hugged her toned ass, cupping the firm, round mounds. Smooth, tanned legs revealed up to mid-thigh. She’d be an added bonus; he’d have some fun with Blondie. Maybe draw it out a bit. It wasn’t part of his plan, but why not? He had plenty of time.

  The dark-haired one strode past and his smile soured. She’d be the main event. Something to be savoured; his moments with her stored up for future examination. He watched Millicent turn the corner and disappear into the toilet block. He’d have liked to slip out of the car to skirt the building, maybe listen to the two women talking. He imagined their private schoolgirl voices, high and superior. What will they sound like when they’re screaming? He stayed put behind the wheel and turned his attention to the sister.

  The years had changed Judith; hardened her in a way he couldn’t quite put his finger on. She had the air of an athlete, someone who’d spent years training and wanted to show the world what they could do. She pushed her body away from the car, folded her arms and tilted her head up as if searching the sky for divine answers. Her stance looked impatient. Can’t wait for it all to get going. He almost laughed. Me too, Judith. I’m raring to go.

  When the group gathered back together, he watched them pick up their stuff and set off. Leaning sideways, he reached under the passenger seat, his fingers hooking around the handle of the knife. Drawing it out, he took a moment to examine it. The blade picked up a glint of sunlight that reflected back in his face. He imagined Blondie’s face when he showed her the knife, and chuckled. She’ll be a scared rabbit.

  He forced his thoughts back to the present and carefully slid the blade into the sheaf fastened to the small of his back. He checked the time on his watch: just past ten. An hour’s head start should be enough. He decided to recline the seat and take a nap. The knife pressed into his back, the feeling brought him comfort. He closed his eyes and imagined himself with the blonde. His business was with the sisters, but she was something.

  “Let the good times roll,” he whispered before drifting off to sleep.

  Chapter Three

  Twenty minutes into their two-day hike, Milly began to relax. The sea breeze lifted her hair and played across the back of her neck. Overhead, the almost cloudless sky stretched out in an endless expanse of blue. She fi
lled her lungs with tangy sea air and tilted her face to the sun. She’d worried that being this close to the sea with Judith would rattle her, but so far the dark memories kept their distance.

  “Not bad out here, is it?” Harper asked from behind her.

  They walked single file with Lucas in the lead, followed by Judith, then Milly, and Harper in the rear.

  “No. Not bad at all.” Milly slowed her progress on the red sandy path that led them along the top of the long white beach. The contrasting colours made her feel as if she were on another planet. “Walking through soft sand for two days will do wonders for my thighs.”

  “We’ll be looping back inland in another hour or so,” Lucas called from his place at the head of the group. “The terrain will be less sandy, but still challenging.”

  “Oh. I thought the Cape to Cape ran mostly along the beach?” Milly stopped walking and readjusted the straps of her backpack. “I didn’t realise we’d be in the bush.”

  Judith stopped and turned to face her sister. She wore a floppy blue hat and sunglasses making it difficult to read her expression. “Not afraid of spending the night in the bush, are you?”

  “Why should I be?” Milly snapped back before she could stop herself and cringed. The question sounded much harsher than she intended.

  If Judith was bothered by her tone, she didn’t show it. “No reason.” She shrugged and continued walking.

  Milly watched her sister’s back. Judith looked slim. Slimmer than she’d been as a teenager. She wore loose, khaki shorts and a long-sleeved denim shirt. Her legs were tanned and muscular. Milly wondered if the muscles were from hours at the gym or days spent hiking. She had a flash of memory – Judith in yellow bathers, ten years old and chubby. They were at the beach, probably Cottesloe. Judith held her hand and together they jumped over waves laughing with excitement and waiting for the surf to knock them off their feet.