A Family Affair - First Born

by Marilyn McPherson

  A Family Affair – First Born

  Marilyn McPherson

  Amazon Edition

  Copyright © 2012 by Marilyn McPherson

  License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Amazon.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Books by this author:

  A Family Affair

  A Family Affair - First Born

  A Family Affair - Next of Kin

  The Faithful Watcher

  Lottie’s Patch

  Stray

  Note to Reader

  This novel is written in Australian English.

  Chapter 1

  Two Years Ago

  Dr Douglas Walsh was nervous. He sat at his desk fidgeting. His calendar confirmed that there were still seven patients to see today, but it was no use. His anxiety was building and the tension starting to hurt his temple. He pressed his desk’s intercom, which connected the office to his receptionist.

  “Yes, Dr Walsh,” she answered.

  “Carol, come into my office please.”

  It only took a few seconds for her to arrive. She opened his office door quietly, slid inside and closed it behind her. She always appeared quickly when he called, which made him wonder if she ran the length of the hallway.

  Carol was a serious girl, of about twenty-two years. She was a quick learner, and showed him the proper amount of respect. This was one of the reasons why their professional partnership had lasted almost two years. The fact that Carol liked to wear short skirts which showed her shapely legs did not hurt either.

  “Dr Walsh.”

  He looked at her trusting face. It wasn’t easy lying to a person like this, but under the circumstances it was necessary. “I’m not feeling well. Please cancel my appointments for the day. Apologise to anyone already in the waiting room.”

  “Yes, Dr Walsh. Is there anything I can do for you?”

  Douglas wondered what she meant. It was a strange question, given that he was the doctor, and she the receptionist. If his problem was medical, he himself would know the best course of treatment. “No thank you, Carol.”

  Carol started to leave, but then turned back around. “Is that all, Dr Walsh?”

  Douglas was thoughtful. “Best cancel tomorrow’s patients as well.” He suspected he might not be alive by tomorrow to see them.

  “I will.” Carol stayed there in the room, looking uncertain as to whether there would be further instruction.

  “That’s all.”

  “Yes, Dr Walsh.”

  Douglas knew they would come for him today. He looked at the clock, which continued to tick despite his hopes. If only time stood still! His repayment had been due at twelve o’clock noon, and he had not made the transfer. He had gambled it, and it was gone. The honest truth was that Douglas was now broke and couldn’t pretend otherwise any longer.

  His phone showed twenty-four missed calls. They would all be from Tony’s men. It had been a risk taking money from a shark like Tony – other people had said it was dangerous, but he hadn’t listened.

  It had seemed so safe – he remembered the feeling of confidence when he placed the bet. It was supposed to have been a sure thing, guaranteed to return ten times the outlay. He had been so confident that he bet the lot in one go.

  There was nothing else to mortgage. Katherine would leave him and take their children when she found out about the house. They owned nothing. He had lost it all, and now Tony would take the only thing still in his possession - his life.

  Douglas collected his things, and slowly closed the door behind him. He wondered how they would do it. Would his death be slow or fast? He nodded to Carol on the way out. He would never see those legs again.

  He noticed that a dark van was parked outside the medical centre. If he tried to run, the van would certainly follow. Running would only endanger his wife and kids. He might as well walk right up to the van and voluntarily go with them. Did that ever happen? People willingly handing themselves over to thugs like this. Douglas stood motionless, undecided about what to do. Perhaps he could take a closer look at the van without making a firm decision.

  He approached it slowly, and to his surprise, the sliding door of the van slowly opened. He couldn’t see anyone, but a deep voice ordered him to get in. They were definitely here for him. He might as well face his future head on. Douglas obeyed the instruction, and stepped inside.

  The last thing he remembered was the door slamming shut, the engine starting, and a forceful whack to the back of his skull. Then he passed out.

  Chapter 2

  When Douglas came to, he found himself tied to a chair, and soaking wet. They must have poured cold water over his head to wake him. Tony’s men were here – he recognised a few of them. He looked around the room – it was some sort of warehouse but he had no idea where.

  The men’s eyes all turned as the door opened, and Tony walked in with a jacket over his shoulder. He always liked to dress well, as if he was pretending to be someone that he wasn’t. He could appear respectable if he wanted, but the clothes couldn’t hide his character for very long.

  Tony walked slowly towards him, while one of the men put a chair in front of Douglas. Tony didn’t say a word until he was seated and looking directly into Douglas’ eyes.

  “Dr Walsh, this is a sad day,” he said slowly, enunciating each word. “I can’t tell you how disappointed I am that we find ourselves in this situation.”

  Douglas only nodded. He knew that anything he said would make things worse.

  “My boys haven’t hurt you, I hope.”

  Of course he was fully aware that they had. “No,” Douglas lied, trying to sound agreeable. It wasn’t true, as his head was throbbing, and the rope used to restrain him was biting into his flesh.

  Tony smiled. “Good. I don’t want anybody to get hurt, but a deal is a deal. I have upheld my end of the arrangement, but it seems that you have not.”

  Douglas kept his mouth shut, but Tony’s smile disappeared anyway.

  “I feel that you are showing me disrespect by not repaying the money you owe, and that makes me unhappy. Do you know what I’m saying?”

  “Yes, Tony.”

  “I don’t want to feel unhappy anymore.” Tony paused. “This meeting is to let you know that you have forty-eight hours left to return my money, with interest. Do you know what will happen after that time is up?”

  Douglas nodded. There was no more money. He had forty-eight hours to live.

  It was over very quickly. Tony stood and left the room in the same manner as he had entered it. Once he was out of the room, one of Tony’s men put the hood back over Douglas’ head, and he was picked up and dropped into what he assumed was the boot of a nearby car.

  He heard a garage door opening, and the car sped out. It was an uncomfortable ride, as he rolled freely with each turn, hitting the sides of the boot with force. After ten minutes or so, the car came to an abrupt stop and the engine was turned off. The boot was opened, and one of Tony’s men removed the hood. One of the men had a gun in his hand, while the other removed the cords holding him in place.

  Once his arms were free, Douglas slowly climbed out of the boot, not wanting to alarm the men in any way. By complying with every instruction, he hoped to avoid another attack.

  “Have a nice day now,” one of the men sneered. “Don’t run away. Tony will always find you.�
�

  Douglas stood motionless as the car accelerated away. He knew running away wasn’t an option, and had heard stories about those who had tried in the past. They all ended in very messy deaths. If he didn’t run, his death would most likely be quick. But what would he do with the final forty-eight hours of his life?

  Suddenly the phone in his pocket started to ring, and he jumped in response. He looked at the screen. It was an old golf buddy – how unusual! There was no reason not to answer the call. Perhaps he might play a round of golf during his final two days on earth.

  “Hello,” he said.

  “How are you, Douglas?”

  It was a hard question to answer honestly. “Fine,” he said quickly. “Listen, if you’re ringing to play golf, I’d love to, but it has to be today or tomorrow.” Douglas looked down at his blood-stained clothes. He would need to change first.

  “I’m not calling about golf. I have no time for that at the moment.” His friend sounded irritated about something.

  Perhaps playing golf was a stupid idea anyway. “Listen, buddy. Come to think of it, now’s not the best time to talk. Can I call you back later?” Douglas knew he would never make that call.

  “Why don’t you talk to me now?”

  His buddy was being more direct than usual. Douglas had no time for this. “As I said, I’ve got to go.” If he remembered correctly, his buddy had sometimes displayed odd behaviour on and off the golf course.

  “Don’t hang up on me, Douglas. That would really piss me off.”

  Douglas was starting to feel angry. “What’s your problem, buddy?”

  “I’m not the one with the problem. You are.”

  That was true.

  “Maybe you want to start being more polite,” his buddy said.

  “I don’t know why you are talking to me like this.” His buddy couldn’t know anything about what was going on.

  “I’m trying to help you. Maybe you should ask me for my help.”

  “I’ve got myself into some trouble. It’s nothing you want to get involved in, trust me.”

  “I know what you’ve done.”

  Douglas’s curiosity gradually increased. How could his golf buddy know anything about the trouble he was in? “Oh.”

  “You borrowed from Tony. Is that right?”

  “Yeah.”

  “And now you can’t pay him back.”

  “Yeah. How did you know?”

  There was no answer.

  “It was stupid, I know,” Douglas said, imagining what his buddy was thinking.

  “I’m going to make this go away, but you need to understand that this is a once only arrangement. You’re on your own next time. Do you understand?”

  “What do you mean?” Could his buddy be saying the impossible? Was he going to pay Tony off? Did he have enough money to pay his entire debt?

  “Did you hear me? I asked you a question just then. I’m trying to help you.”

  “I’m sorry. What was the question?”

  “Do you understand that this is a once only arrangement?”

  “Absolutely, I understand. I’ll never gamble again, and all that... But buddy, are you sure you have that sort of money lying around?” How did his buddy even know how much money was owed. There were so many questions in his head. “I don’t think I will be able to repay you quickly. I will try, don’t get me wrong. I will work every day, and start repaying the money to you...”

  “Where are you now?”

  His buddy didn’t seem to want to talk about the repayment terms. In any case, Douglas would accept the terms, whatever they were. Douglas looked around him. “They dumped me at the docks. I’m walking back to town.”

  “Are you hurt?”

  Douglas felt the bump on his head, and looked at the open wounds on his arms which were still bleeding. “Just some flesh wounds. I’ll heal.”

  “Go back to work. Act as if everything is normal. I’ll come and find you soon.”

  “Thank you... Hayden. Thank you for saving my life.”

  Chapter 3

  Hayden Joseph had heard about the situation with Douglas through a mutual contact. Tony was a dangerous man, who did not like to be owed money. Douglas had defaulted on a loan to him, and wouldn’t last another week without intervention - he must have run out of items to sell or barter. Gambling held no interest for Hayden and it was difficult to understand this addiction in others. He had no idea whether Douglas would be able to stay away from gambling in the future. Perhaps the man would find himself in the same position within only a few weeks. If so, his fate would not be altered a second time.

  Hayden and Douglas were not friends of course, as Hayden didn’t have friends. He liked to keep people at arm’s length. The two of them had played golf together now and then over the years, but it had been a long time since their last game. Hayden didn’t owe him anything.

  However, the accrual of favours was a worthy pursuit. Could Hayden ever utilise Douglas’s skills? It was an unlikely proposition, but an idea not altogether worthless.

  Hayden checked his watch and the calendar on his phone. It was four o’clock in the afternoon. He was flying to Sydney in a few hours time, and had an important phone meeting at five. There was time now, he supposed. Hayden picked up his phone, and made the call.

  “Hello.” Tony’s deep voice was instantly recognisable.

  “It’s Hayden.”

  Tony hesitated. “Yes.” He sounded as if he was trying to hide the surprise from his voice. It had been a while since they’d talked.

  “I’m calling about Walsh.”

  Tony didn’t say anything.

  “Dr Douglas Walsh.”

  “Haven’t seen him in a while.”

  Hayden expected no less but there was no time to play games. “I’ll cover him.”

  “Really?” Tony made a chuckling sound. His curiosity was getting the better of him. “Now, why would you want to do that? I didn’t know the two of you were so close.”

  Hayden ignored the question. “How much?”

  Tony hesitated. “Three hundred thousand.”

  Hayden didn’t flinch. “Same account as last time?”

  “Of course.”

  “Check your account shortly.”

  The line went dead. Hayden and Tony were not associates in either their business or underworld activities, but they knew enough of the other to take every word said seriously. Tony’s men would be ordered away from Douglas as soon as the phone call ended, and Hayden would transfer the full amount immediately, with a small bonus for good measure. It was important to show respect.

  This was not the first time that Hayden had covered someone’s debts. He logged onto his online bank account and made the transfer. Grabbing his keys, he headed for the door. It shouldn’t take more than five minutes to reach the wharf, where he could collect Douglas. It was important to see the man soon, so that the image of who’d saved him was cemented into his memory.

  Hayden smiled reassuringly at his receptionist on the way out. “Just popping out, Emily.”

  She looked worried. “What about the phone conference with Singapore at five o’clock?”

  “I’ll be back shortly.” Emily lived in a world far removed from his own, and he scoffed at her mundane, secure existence, where life and death were not constantly on the table.

  Chapter 4

  Present Day

  “Keep going. That’s it. Ten more seconds.” Ellen’s personal trainer was pushing her body to its limits today.

  Ten more seconds running at this pace on the treadmill was not going to be easy, but Ellen gritted her teeth and powered through the pain. She had joined a gym three months ago in order to look her best for the upcoming wedding. Her trainer, Kane Jarrad, had been assigned to her by the gym, but they had quickly bonded, and Ellen didn’t want to be trained by anyone else. She worked one on one with him for an hour every morning starting at eight o’clock. Sunday was her only rest day, when she slept in and enjoyed a lazy breakfas
t with Tom instead.

  Sometimes Kane and she spent an hour in the gym as they were doing today, but if the weather was fine, they took Ellen’s workout to the nearby park. Strangely enough, the exercise regime was becoming rather addictive, and she was raring to go most mornings. Kane was undoubtedly the fittest person she had ever known, and he usually trained beside her. It was especially fun to have someone to work out with, and Kane had quickly become a friend.

  “Turn the machine down to a fast walking pace,” Kane instructed, in his focussed trainer-mode. “We’re going to recover for two minutes before running again.”

  Ellen breathed deeply, and tried to slow her heart rate down, in order to make the most of the recovery time. Two minutes would pass quickly before the next burst of energy was required.

  Ellen’s eyes surveyed the room. Kane was the sort of guy that women noticed. It didn’t matter if the two of them were in the gym or outside in a public place, Ellen sensed other women’s eyes watching him. He was tall and broad-shouldered with a square jaw – his features combined to produce the sort of stereotypical manliness that belonged in a magazine or on a catwalk. Kane was in his twenties, but seemed to attract the attention of women ranging from their late teenage years to middle-age. His short-cropped hair and designer stubble no doubt increased his sex appeal.

  Kane’s close-fitting sports shirt pulled tight against his stomach and arm muscles as he slowed the treadmill next to her. Ellen noticed his flexed muscles and smiled. He was ridiculously good looking – it was a fact which could not be denied. It was easy to appreciate the qualities in him which other women found appealing, although she enjoyed being around him for different reasons altogether. During their first week of personal training, Kane had mentioned the fact that he was adopted, while explaining the dynamics of his family situation. After Ellen had shared her own story, they both realised how much they had in common. It was nice to find someone who understood the feelings associated with being adopted, and she looked forward to seeing Kane every morning. At first, the idea of having a male best friend seemed quite odd, but she was becoming more comfortable with the idea every day.