He heard a car.
Bel was pulling into the driveway.
“She’s home. Ladies, do your best. Her safety and Mia’s life are at stake.”
“We’ll do whatever we can, Doctor.” Jules sounded calm. Too calm.
There was nothing more he could do. Just trust them to persuade Bel. And pray.
The radio went silent. His heart was beating so loudly, he could hear the thump-thump echoing in his head. He sneaked a glance out the window.
Bel was unlocking the front door. She let Mia in first, then followed and closed the door behind them.
He waited.
“Good heavens! What are you ladies doing here?” Static crackle distorted the signal, but he could still make out the words.
Jules spoke. He could hear every word as if she were standing in front of him. “Isobel, this is an intervention.”
“Intervention? Intervention for what? Are you all crazy?”
“We want you to be careful of Roric. We don’t trust him.”
Liam groaned. Subtlety was not Jules’s strongpoint.
“Have you been talking to Liam? I would expect this kind of thing from him. Not from you ladies. What has he been telling you? Is he the reason you’ve been tailing me?”
He had to grin at that. Isobel knew him far better than she thought she did.
“Bel, listen. You have a way of creeping into a person’s heart.”
Liam strained to hear, but he couldn’t make out who was speaking.
“And that’s what you’ve done with us. We love you, otherwise we wouldn’t be here.”
They all started talking at once, muffling the signal.
Liam ground his teeth. One at a time, ladies!
Isobel spoke above the noise. “Here’s the thing that I don’t get. I feel more together now than I have in years. I can’t see why you lot would think that is so bad.”
Was she angry? Upset? He couldn’t tell. More than anything, he wished he could be there to look in her eyes and make sure she was OK.
“Together is not always good.”
Softly spoken, maybe Maggie?
“To us, it feels like you are slowly freezing over. The joy and light that were such a part of you is fading. Your life wasn’t perfect, Bel. You were dealing with challenges, pain…but in it all, you were gloriously alive. Real. Present. We’re losing you.”
Silence.
Liam felt a bead of sweat run down the nape of his neck. This van was suffocating. Still nothing. He was about to start fiddling with knobs and cables when Isobel spoke.
There was no mistaking the quiet fury in her voice. “It’s easy for all of you to look fondly on the mess that I was. You didn’t have to live it. So maybe I’ve buried my emotions. You know what? Because of it, I might just survive. You all have no right to come in here under the banner of ‘love’ and try and take me back to the disaster that I was before. I will not go.”
“We never meant to hurt you, Bel.”
Liam couldn’t tell who was speaking, but he could hear thick pain in the voice.
Jules spoke. “Isobel, we’ll leave now. But before we go, promise us you will watch out for two things, and when they start to happen—which they will—come and find us. Please?” Jules was calm and detached.
Good girl.
“What things?”
Knowing Bel, she’d pay attention with the hopes of proving them all wrong.
Liam didn’t care, as long as she took them in.
“The first is a subtle undermining of your skills as a mom. A dropped hint here and there. Nothing obvious. Just enough to make you doubt your instincts. At some point he’ll suggest a night out without Mia.”
“But we’ve done that. Melindi babysits. I don’t see the problem.”
Jules floundered.
Liam grabbed the mic and whispered even though he could have shouted and Bel wouldn’t have heard the feed into Jules’s ear.
“Tell her it will be on a night Melindi can’t babysit. He will offer to find a babysitter.”
Jules was coughing to buy time. She ended her cough with a whispered got it. “Melindi won’t always be there. He’ll offer to find a babysitter.”
Silence.
“You are all wrong, you know.” Her words trailed off at the end. A glimpse through the tinted glass showed the front door swinging open. They were coming out.
“We love you, Bel.”
The only response was the front door swinging shut behind them as they walked down the path. They had done everything they could.
All that remained was to pray. Pray and trust.
****
They were a few minutes early for their lesson.
Liam found the others ladies downstairs and they squashed into the lift together. “Ladies, you have to stop tailing Isobel.”
“Why?” Kez wrinkled her nose.
Maggie frowned. “I thought that was one of our better ideas. I’m surprised you didn’t ask us to in the first place.”
“I liked it, too.” Savannah shrugged. “She is still mad at us, I’m sure.”
Liam was torn. “As much as I love knowing that you have your eyes on her every move, when it comes to that man, we can’t risk him getting suspicious or put your lives at risk. Or your families. Think about it. You ladies aren’t quite stealth material yet. You’re just not subtle enough.”
The lift shuddered to a stop and the ladies walked into the studio to find Rochelle, no Isobel.
Rochelle’s voice filtered through to the lift as Liam punched the button to go down. “Morning, ladies. I’m sorry to have to tell you that Isobel is no longer with us. I’ll be taking your classes from now on until I find a suitable replacement.” She carried on talking, allowing no time for questions, taking them step-by-step through the process of fabric painting a cushion.
****
Mia was crying in a high chair. Her eyes were red-rimmed and damp with tears. A red hand mark was beginning to show on her thigh were Roric had smacked her for not wanting to finish her hot dog.
Bel had never agreed with the concept of forcing a child to eat beyond the point where they no longer felt hungry. But then, maybe Roric was right. She needed to learn the value of food and not to waste it. Isobel shut off the voice in her head that disagreed. He was right of course. He always was.
She checked her watch. Her ladies would be washing brushes and tidying up by now. Part of her wanted to be there, elbow to elbow rinsing off paint and laughing at the comments flying. She brushed away the thought. Now was not the time to get soft, not with the progress she was making.
“Isobel!” Roric was glaring at her.
“What?”
“Did you hear a word I was saying?”
“I’m so sorry. I was just—”
“You need to think about what kind of example you’re setting. You can’t expect Mia to focus when you are forever drifting off somewhere in your head.”
Isobel felt the familiar wave of embarrassment wash through her. She really wasn’t cut out to be a mom. You really aren’t… what? I’m not any good at being a mom. Says who? She thought for a moment. Roric. He knows about these things. Oh, really?
The thought hovered in her mind as she turned toward him. He had finished correcting her and the charm was back. It was this side of him that she found irresistible—confident, self assured. Yet that one simple question hung in the air between them like a fog—a truth serum for her mind.
It was almost funny.
She needed time to think.
“I think I’m coming down with something. Can we postpone?” She put her hands on her belly and wasn’t lying. “My stomach is in knots.”
He brushed back her hair and ran a hand along her jaw line, his touch cool. “Of course. Look after yourself, my dove. Get to bed early. I’ve managed to book tickets for The Playhouse tomorrow night. You know the show you were raving about? Collaboration of live art on stage: dance and music? You can’t be sick.”
“
I told you I can’t make tomorrow night. I don’t have anyone to look after Mia.”
“It’s part of my treat. I’ve organised someone.”
Isobel picked Mia up out of the high chair and held her close. Mia reached down and pulled at the top button of Bel’s blouse. Isobel absently covered the button with her own hand to prevent Mia’s clever fingers from wielding the new skill they had mastered.
The light was off in the kitchen and she kept it that way as she watched Roric walk down the garden path and let himself out the gate.
Mia was quiet in her arms. Thinking back over the last few weeks, Bel realized she hadn’t said much at all, reverting back to staring at the world silently through sombre eyes.
Isobel felt hot tears prick as she snuggled Mia against her, as if her body warmth could erase the darkness she’d been succumbing to. One question from God—there was no denying it was Him—and light had flooded into her, exposing the twisted truth. That was too close. Her arms around Mia were shaking.
“I’m so sorry, my little Mia. So sorry.” She kissed the top of Mia’s hair, breathing in her scent, her softness.
Mia’s arms stayed hanging at her sides.
Isolation swamped Isobel. She had alienated all her friends, taken a torch to the connections as if they were origami bridges. No, not all. There was still one.
She waited a few more minutes to make sure it was all clear. Keeping Mia tucked close, she jogged around to Melindi’s front gate. It swung back silently. How strange, it used to squeak. She had no idea if Melindi would be home or not, but she needed to speak to someone.
Yellow light spilled through the lounge curtains, casting a muted glow on the lawn. A shadow passed by, first one then another.
Bel’s heart started thumping.
The first shadow was slight—Melindi. The second was much taller than her. A man’s shadow.
She hasn’t said anything about this to me. Why keep it a secret?
Bel crept closer. There was a gap in the curtains. If she could just get close enough…
Grateful for Mia’s silence, she wedged herself between a large conifer and a rosebush. A thorn scratched her leg and she bit back a yelp. Warm blood trickled down. Ignoring the sting, she stretched to see.
Melindi was wearing a black dress which skimmed her curves and sparkled with diamantes as she moved. She flicked her hair back from her shoulders, laughing at something the man was saying. He moved closer, into view.
Ice ran through Isobel’s veins.
It was Roric.
21
Back in her lounge with her doors locked, Bel eased Mia onto the couch and pulled a soft throw over her. It was past bedtime. Between that and her crying session, the little girl was completely worn out.
Bel stood in the dark, hugging herself to stop the trembling that rippled through her body like an aftershock. What now? She felt like a sleepwalker waking up to find the edge of a cliff at her feet. The solid ground beneath her had turned to quicksand.
Her desperate thoughts became prayers. God, what now?
Liam.
She had to phone him. She could only hope he’d understand. Working in the dark, she punched his number into her phone from memory. With each unanswered ring, her heart sank a little more. Her breath caught as he answered.
“Hi, this is Liam. You know what to do.” A prolonged beep.
No! She whispered into the phone, “We’re in trouble. You were right. About everything. I don’t know what to do. If you are there, please pick up.”
The upstairs floor creaked. She hung up, feeling perspiration break out on her forehead.
It’s nothing, Bel. God, I can’t stay here.
The walls that kept her feeling safe had dissipated like mist in a breeze. She was exposed, alone. She ran upstairs to pack for Mia, got half way up and stopped. There was no way Mia could stay downstairs by herself. She ran back to the lounge, thought about the extra weight and time lost and changed her mind.
Back upstairs. Mia’s bag already had the essentials. Isobel threw in a few extra sets of clothing and a change of underwear for herself. A quick glance around the room. Nothing important.
Back downstairs. Mia’s bag tugged on her shoulder like an extra toddler.
Relief washed through her at the sight of Mia. She was still here.
Bel reached down to pick her up, twisting her body sideways to keep her bag from swinging forwards and hitting Mia. Awkwardly, she slid the little girl into her arms.
Mia woke just enough to slip her arms around Bel’s neck. She clung on like a monkey.
Bel froze before opening the door. She had to slip out quietly, unnoticed. She eased the latch down and pulled the door back a fraction. Nothing stirred outside in her yard or next door. She had to go now or she’d lose her nerve.
The door swung open and she grabbed it with one hand, clumsily holding onto Mia with the other. She pulled too hard and it shut with a bang. Her heart was in her throat as she locked the door and hurried to her car. She eased Mia into the baby car seat, and straightened up to listen. No movement.
She eased the driver’s door open, got in, and released the handbrake. The car rolled backwards down the driveway, picking up momentum as it went. She reached the road, and the car changed direction to follow the slope. Past Melindi’s house, she found second gear and roll-started the car. Years of having a dodgy battery were finally paying off.
It was time to find Liam.
****
Dr. Liam Brigham had found excuses to avoid going home all day. After getting off work, he’d wandered aimlessly through the biggest mall he could find, lingering in the bookshop. Maybe a good murder mystery would take his mind off everything. By the third back-page blurb full of blood and secrets, he felt dangerously close to throwing up. Not his brightest idea.
He found himself in a clothing store. He hated shopping for clothes, but he needed a few new T-shirts. On the way to menswear, he found himself stuck in the girls’ section deliberating between getting a pink or purple fairy dress for Mia. At that, he left the shop and let his feet take over. It was no surprise to find himself in front of Isobel’s house. All was in darkness. She was either fast asleep or out. He hurried on before she caught him outside. He didn’t want to make her life trickier than it already was.
His feet led him to the beach and he walked along the water’s edge for ages in the gloom. Each cold wave rushed around his ankles, receding with a hiss. Over and over, until the water no longer felt icy, but warm. Almost inviting.
He prayed as he walked. His conversation with his Father touched the patients he’d seen today, their broken bodies. He even prayed for sour Angie and he couldn’t help grin in the dark as he asked for her to be filled with so much joy, she’d laugh in spite of herself. As inevitably as the waves returned to his feet, he came back to the centre of his heart—Isobel and Mia.
God keep them safe. Watch over them and deliver them safely from their enemies. As the thought left his mind, he was struck with an urgency.
Go home, Liam. Go home now!
He changed direction, chiding himself for walking so far. With every step closer, his hurt grew heavier. He began to run. Feet pounding the pavement, he ran faster. Pain seared through him, his breath coming in short gasps. He rounded the corner to his home, expecting to see evidence of disaster. Nothing.
No flashing lights or cop cars. No smoke or fire. He doubled over at his front gate, slick with perspiration, gasping hard. Jesus, what was that all about? The urgency, the panic?He shook his head and released the gate catch. He was halfway up the path, stepping cautiously in the dark, when the feeling of being watched descended on him like a thick cloak. What was it that Isobel always called him? Paranoid? She may well be right.
“Liam?”
“Bel? Is that you?”
“I’m here.”
Heat flooded his face. Questions assaulted him, but he ignored them. He found her huddled in a corner of the porch, squeezed in next to the potted
palm with Mia curled up on her lap.
“Let’s get you inside. Come.”
“Take her.” She held Mia away from her, enough for Liam to slip an arm around her slight body.
He lifted her off Isobel’s lap and she hung limp on his shoulder. She turned her head into his neck, breathed in, and sighed contentedly, snuggling against him. Liam thought his heart might implode.
Once she was safely inside, tucked into the bed in his spare room, he went looking for Isobel.
She hadn’t moved from her spot next to the palm.
“My leg has gone to sleep. I can’t get up.”
“I got you.” Leaning in somewhat clumsily, he grabbed her hand and pulled her arm around his shoulders. Before she could object, his other arm slipped behind her knees and he lifted, bracing her weight against him. Stepping into the door, his foot snagged a step and he stumbled, almost sending them both flying.
Isobel shrieked and tucked her face into his neck, shaking.
“Whoops! I’ve got you.”
She threw back her head, smothering giggles. No tears. This crazy woman was laughing! Somehow, between her pins and needles, giggling, and his aching back, they made it to the lounge where he dumped her on the couch.
“Coffee? No wait, how about some hot choc?”
“Please.”
His hands shook as he went through the motions of getting mugs and filling them with steaming liquid. Normally he avoided sugar, but they could both do with some.
She never wanted to see him again, yet here she was. What had happened to change her mind?
His heart constricted, and half the sugar on the spoon missed the cup and landed on the countertop. By morning it would be overrun by ants. He left it right there and carried their drinks to the lounge.
Thick silence blanketed the room, broken only by deep, even breathing. A single lamp in the corner spilled gentle light over Isobel. Curled up on the couch, hands tucked under her chin, she was sleeping.
He set the mugs down, pulled the throw over her, and settled in the chair opposite her. Why are you here, Isobel?
Finding Mia Page 12