Tomorrow's Path

by Anna Jacobs

  ‘Not yet it isn’t.’

  ‘What on earth do you mean by that?’

  ‘His ex is on the rampage and you may be in danger.’

  ‘She’s been causing trouble for a while. I still don’t want to speak to him.’

  ‘You have to. We’re talking about real danger, as in someone trying to murder you.’

  ‘What? Why would anyone want to murder me?’

  ‘Because you and Jivan love each other.’

  Jessica was silent, then said, ‘He doesn’t love me.’

  ‘He does. And he’s starting to face it. Look, he had a car accident yesterday.’

  ‘Jivan did? But he’s the most careful driver I’ve ever met. Was it a drunken driver? Is he all right?’

  ‘He’s OK, but only thanks to some very skilled driving by two other people who got out of his way as he crashed on the freeway coming back from the airport.’

  ‘He was at the airport?’

  ‘Yes, wanting to say goodbye to you properly. But he was too late. He and I had quite a chat. Then he rang me later to tell me about the accident and ask me to warn you to be careful.’

  ‘I can’t believe what you’re saying.’

  ‘Someone must have got at his brakes while he was talking to me at the airport. Then, when he started driving back to Mandurah they used a big four-wheel drive to shove him out of his lane on the freeway into the fast lane. He jammed on his brakes hard but they failed. Luckily he was near some roadworks, so had somewhere to spin off the road.’

  The words seemed to echo in Jessica’s head and she could only whisper, ‘Someone tried to kill him?’

  ‘We don’t know if they were trying to kill him or frighten him. After all, he was driving a modern car with top safety features.’

  ‘Did the police catch them?’

  ‘No. It was a stolen car. No sign of the driver.’

  ‘It can only be his ex-wife.’

  ‘Yes. That’s what he said.’

  ‘Dear heaven! What will she do next? He’s got to go into hiding straight away.’

  ‘He’s taking precautions. And he wants you to take them too. She may go after you next.’

  The silence on the line was filled with faint crackling sounds as Jessica tried to get her head round that.

  ‘Talk to Jivan when he calls, Jessica. Let him help you find somewhere safe to hide till this is over. If you stay with your parents, you won’t be safe enough and you’ll endanger your family.’

  Jessica put the phone down and stared at it for a long time before she raised her head and looked at her parents. She didn’t want to leave them, felt as if she’d only just found them properly.

  But she didn’t want to put them in danger. Definitely not. Or her unborn child.

  ‘What’s the matter, love?’ Her father took the buzzing phone gently out of her hand and set it down.

  Jessica was still so shocked, she blurted it all out. ‘Jivan thinks my life’s in danger. His ex-wife seems to have … gone crazy.’ She explained about the car accident and some of the nasty harassment he’d faced over the years.

  ‘We need to get you away, then,’ her father said at once.

  ‘Where to?’

  The phone rang just then. They looked at one another.

  ‘If it’s him, you’d better speak to him.’ Her father picked up the phone, his expression grim. ‘Ah. Mr Childering. Yes, she’s here. I’ll put her on.’ Without asking, he pressed the speaker function on the phone and put it down between them so that he could listen in.

  ‘Jessica, I’m so sorry I wasn’t there to say goodbye and help you make suitable arrangements.’

  ‘Are you? But you wouldn’t have stopped me going?’

  ‘Of course I’m sorry. And no, I’d not have stopped you, for your own sake, because I’d found out from the security company I’ve hired that you were in danger. I was coming home to persuade you to get away that very afternoon. Look, did Barbara explain what’s happening? She said she would.’

  ‘Yes. I find it hard to believe. It’s like something you see at the movies.’

  ‘I’m still trying to come to terms with it myself. But the security people say it seems likely that Louisa’s totally lost all sense of morality. The trouble is, she’s hired a hit firm to harass me, which as it happens is also being investigated by the international police.’

  ‘How do they know what she’s doing?’

  ‘She’s not as clever about hiding her tracks as she thinks she is. And my company always checks the situation out with the police in serious cases like this. They’ve been asked to work with the police and inform them about every step they take from now on, because the police team investigating don’t want anything to happen till they’re ready to pounce. It’s rotten luck that you and I have got involved.’

  Instinctively, Jessica placed a protective hand over her belly and glanced at her father. ‘I’ll find somewhere to go, Jivan. You’re right: I can’t stay with my parents. It’s probably better if you’re not involved in hiding me, either. I’ll rent a furnished bedsitter somewhere and I’ll be extremely careful, I promise you.’

  ‘Unfortunately, we think it’s gone past that. You need a trained bodyguard 24/7.’

  ‘What? Surely not.’ The situation seemed to be getting more and more surreal.

  ‘Don’t fight me on this, Jessica. If Louise finds out about the child, who knows what she’ll do?’

  ‘I don’t know what to say.’

  ‘Say you’ll do as I ask.’

  Her father nodded vigorously.

  ‘Very well.’

  ‘Give me a couple of hours to organise it and stay near the phone. And Jessica, once this is over, can you and I talk about ourselves?’

  ‘Will we have anything to talk about?’

  ‘I think so. But for the time being, we need to get you into hiding. You’ll have to change your appearance and stay away from everyone you know.’

  ‘But your ex doesn’t even know me.’

  ‘She knows you were living with me and I’m sure she hates you for that. It’ll be easy for her to find out what you look like, because there’s a photo of you on the covers of your books and your photo’s been in various newspapers. Talk to your friend Barbara if you don’t believe me about the urgency.’

  ‘All right. I will talk to her. Do you have a photo of your ex?’

  ‘I’ll send you a link to her online business site. There’s a photo of her on it.’

  ‘Thanks.’

  ‘My investigators will work with the police team to help you change your identity as well as your appearance, and find you a place to stay.’

  ‘This’ll cost you a fortune.’

  ‘You’re worth a fortune, Jessica. Look. Time is of the essence, so I have to go. I’ll phone back soon. ’Bye.’

  His voice sounded choked. He was hinting at the things she’d longed to hear, but did he mean them?

  She switched off the phone and looked at her father.

  ‘You’d better do as he says, love.’

  ‘I suppose so.’ But then she’d be on her own again. And so would Jivan. Would he be well protected?

  She got online and they all studied the face of Louisa Parry, who was thin and glamorous.

  ‘Does she look like a killer to you, Dad?’ Jessica asked doubtfully.

  ‘Who knows what a killer looks like? Better safe than sorry, love. I’m glad Childering has hired professional help.’

  She hugged her father, suddenly needing the human contact, and stayed with her head against his chest for a while, letting him stroke her hair as he had done when she was a little child.

  Her mother came to sit at her other side and held her hand.

  Oh, she didn’t want to leave them! She didn’t! She’d only just got back.

  Jivan put down the phone and took a moment to pull himself together. Then he started making phone calls and it was two hours before he got back to Jessica.

  ‘A man will be coming to pick
you up. He’ll introduce himself as Samuel Shere. He’ll take you to a safe house and stay with you until further notice.’

  ‘Oh. Right.’

  ‘If you have a laptop you’d better take it with you. You may be there for a while. But even if you can get on the Internet, don’t do it. Don’t contact anyone, especially me or your parents.’

  ‘But how will I find anything out?’

  ‘Your bodyguard will do that. Jessica … take care.’

  ‘You too.’

  He glanced at his watch and ran up to his bedroom where he packed a suitcase and picked up his own laptop.

  By that time the taxi had arrived, so he switched on the electronic security system and left the house. He looked back, sighing and hoping he’d be able to return to Mandurah one day. He had enjoyed living on the water.

  He had especially enjoyed living with Jessica, missed her dreadfully.

  Barbara was right. Why had he been so reluctant to commit?

  After Louisa had listened intently to the report from HOD, she asked, ‘Wasn’t that a bit extreme? I didn’t ask you to kill him.’

  ‘You did request a strong warning and he was in a modern car with several air bags, so he wasn’t likely to be killed. Our operative took advantage of a sudden opportunity. They’re all trained to think on their feet.’

  ‘Hmm. What next?’

  ‘We’ll contact him and ask him to get in touch with you, then you can deliver your ultimatum to him, as you’ve requested.’

  ‘Good.’ She was looking forward to that. And to living with him again. See if she didn’t charm him into her bed.

  The woman rang back just as Louisa was getting ready for bed. ‘He’s left Australia, so we couldn’t get through to him. He could only be on one plane going to the UK from Perth, so we’ll have someone at Heathrow watching out for him.’

  ‘What about the woman who was living with him? You said she’d gone back to live with her parents.’

  ‘Yes. Did you know she was pregnant? Her mother phoned some members of the family to tell them.’

  The room seemed to spin around Louisa. ‘That bitch is expecting his child?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘How the hell did you find that out?’

  ‘Modern surveillance gadgets are very sophisticated and you did ask us to investigate her and her phone calls as well.’

  ‘Yes. But I didn’t expect … Look, can you continue to keep an eye on her? I don’t want them getting back together.’

  ‘He chased after her to Perth airport, remember.’

  ‘I won’t forget that. And listen, I want to see him face to face to deliver my ultimatum. I’m not doing it on the phone.’

  ‘Very well. It may cost more.’

  ‘He’s got plenty of money. He’ll pay me back later.’

  After the call ended, Louisa sat by the phone, drumming her fingers on the table top. It was taking longer than she’d expected and costing more. Far more. She’d had to sell her flat to pay for this, but she’d got a good price for it and now had plenty of money in hand.

  It’d all be worth it in the end. She’d make sure of that.

  And that child would never be born. She’d make sure of that, too.

  Jivan Childering didn’t need children; he just needed her.

  Twenty-One

  A man came into the shop, ignored the young woman behind the counter and approached Richard. ‘I believe you’re expecting me, Mr Lord.’ He lowered his voice. ‘I’m Samuel Shere. Don’t repeat my name, please.’

  ‘No. I understand.’

  ‘I’ll come back around two in the morning to pick up your daughter and take her to a safe place. Tell her not to put any lights on anywhere in the house while she’s getting ready to leave. I checked out this district before I came into the shop. It’ll be best if she leaves by the warehouse gate in your back yard.’

  ‘How do we know we can trust you?’

  ‘You’ll get a call shortly from a lady who phoned you from Australia before. She’ll confirm my name. Mr Childering can’t do that himself because he’s in the air at the moment on his way to the UK. Tell your daughter not to mention any names during this phone call, and it would be helpful if you and your family didn’t talk about this on the phone.’

  Richard studied the man’s face but it gave nothing away. ‘All right.’

  ‘Now, it’d look better if I bought something. Act as if you’re helping me find it.’

  ‘The assistant’s been with us for years. She won’t worry if you’re with me.’

  ‘Nonetheless, humour me.’

  The so-called Samuel Shere walked out of the shop a couple of minutes later having paid the young assistant for a set of school mathematical instruments, which were in a brightly coloured paper bag.

  It was usually quiet at this time of day, so Richard waved to his employee and indicated that he’d be nipping into the house for a few moments. It was so convenient living on site.

  He told his wife and daughter what had happened and Maureen looked at him in dismay. ‘I’ve already mentioned Jessica on the phone to some of the family.’

  ‘Well, let’s hope no one was listening in.’

  Five minutes later the phone rang and the assistant transferred the call from the shop. Richard again switched over to speaker, so they could all hear it.

  Barbara’s voice sounded clearly. She didn’t greet Jessica by name, though. ‘How are you going, dear? Is England warming up at all?’

  They chatted about the weather for a couple of minutes, then Barbara asked, ‘Did you enjoy your visit from that friend you were telling me about? He was due today, wasn’t he?’

  ‘Yes. He only left a few minutes ago.’

  ‘Sheer pleasure, seeing old friends. You’ll see him again soon, no doubt, now he’s back in England.’

  ‘I hope so.’

  ‘Have a nice day, then.’

  Richard picked up the phone and set it in its cradle. ‘So that’s that. I wonder where your Jivan is heading.’

  ‘To a good hiding place, I hope. With a bodyguard of his own.’

  ‘These people suggest someone’s bugging our phone. I can’t believe it.’

  ‘Better safe than sorry. Don’t say anything important on the phone from now on. I’ll go and pack. Thanks for lending me your laptop, Dad.’

  ‘You’ll like it. It’s a new one, with all the bells and whistles, including an anti-theft program. I hope you manage to do some writing. You may have a lot of time on your hands.’

  ‘I hope not.’ She doubted she’d get any writing done till she was sure Jivan was safe.

  She went up to her bedroom to sort out her clothes. But she stood there lost in thought for quite a while before going down to wash and tumble dry the garments she’d been wearing. Who knew when she’d be able to do that again?

  This all felt totally surreal. How could she possibly have got mixed up in an international investigation into murder?

  Jessica woke when someone shook her. ‘Go away!’

  Her mother’s voice penetrated the fog of nightmarish dreams. ‘Jessica, love, you need to get up. Remember not to put the light on.’

  Then it all came back to her and she sat bolt upright, glancing at the bedside clock whose green numbers were glowing brightly in the darkness. ‘Oh! Thanks for waking me, Mum. I didn’t think I’d get to sleep.’

  ‘I’m glad you did. Do you want a quick cup of tea?’

  ‘Better not. I don’t know how long I’ll be travelling for.’

  ‘I’ll leave you to get dressed, then.’

  Her clothes were ready to slip into and she tucked her pyjamas into the backpack her father had found for her. She’d found a rounders bat in the bag and had left it there, more for luck than because she expected to use it. He’d kept that old bat behind the counter of the shop for years in case someone tried to rob him, but had never had to use it, thank goodness.

  When she went downstairs, her parents were waiting for her and they each
gave her a big hug.

  ‘Don’t come outside with me. I know my way across the yard.’

  ‘I have to come out to unbar the gate then lock it after you’ve gone. We’re going to be very careful too.’ Her father picked up the backpack and handed her the laptop in its carrying case.

  The yard was dark and then grew suddenly bright as the moon sailed out from behind some clouds. It was like an old black and white movie.

  Her father opened the tall wooden gate just enough to let her through and she heard a man’s voice.

  ‘Samuel here.’

  ‘It’s him,’ her father whispered, handing her the backpack and giving her shoulder a quick squeeze. ‘Watch how you go, love.’

  She took a deep breath and stepped outside.

  When Jivan got off the plane in the Middle East, he saw a young man holding a sign that read ‘Mr J. Chandler’, his assumed name, and signalled that he was the person.

  His guide led the way across the vast airport without looking back and Jivan followed him into a side corridor then a small office whose door had no sign on it.

  A woman at a desk looked up, studying Jivan. ‘I’m sorry you’re having such trouble, sir. We’ve booked you through to Frankfurt instead of London, and under the name Chandler again. If you’ll just hand me your ticket?’

  He passed over his documents.

  ‘And your passport?’ She studied it, held it under a machine and nodded. ‘Please go through that door. Someone will take you on board when the time comes.’

  ‘Thank you for your help.’

  She nodded, still not cracking a smile, so he went out of the rear of the office and was passed through machines that scrutinised both him and his hand luggage.

  The police team was certainly taking no chances with his safety.

  He was shown into a small but comfortable room and offered refreshments, which he declined. He seemed to have lost his appetite completely today.

  ‘I’ll come back for you in about an hour, sir,’ the attendant said. ‘Don’t hesitate to ring if you need anything in the meantime.’

  With a sigh, Jivan sat down for another wait, unable to settle to reading, unable to do anything but beg whatever fates were out there to keep Jessica safe. He hadn’t admitted to himself how important she was to him till this happened.