She went straight to the elevator, pushed the button and waited nervously, until her peripheral vision caught sight of something on the floor. There were small shards of glass scattered about. Looking up, Adele gasped to see the mangled remnants of the security camera. Her hand was already going for her phone, ready to ring the police, but she paused. Nobody was going to rush to her aid over a vandalised camera.
The elevator arrived and she forced herself inside, pushing the button to the fifth floor. On arrival, she stepped out and looked at the two closed doors across from her. Her heart wrenched as she spotted several drops of blood on the floor.
“No.” She shook her head, still refusing to believe anything was wrong.
Her hand was shaking as she lightly tapped at the door on the right. When there was no response, she reached into her bag and drew out a key. Looking to the other door, she was tempted to knock and have someone go in with her, but quickly dismissed the idea. The neighbour was an elderly woman and probably long tucked up in bed.
“Get a grip,” she whispered to herself.
In one determined move, she unlocked the door and opened it. One step inside was enough to confirm all the fears she had held. The air was thick with the smell of urine and the distinctive metallic odour of blood. A man’s body lay face-up on the blood-soaked carpet. Adele began to weep as she moved closer to see if it was Brendan.
There was too much blood on the mangled face to be certain. Both eyes were blackened and swollen shut, his lips were bulbous and his jaw hung at an odd angle. Adele broke into gulping sobs as she finally recognised him and fumbled into her bag to get her phone. Her hand was shaking violently and the phone dropped from her grip and landed near his body.
Crouching down, she couldn’t take her eyes from his face. “I’m so sorry, Brendan.”
She nearly screamed when she saw his hand move as a gurgling rasp spat blood from his mouth.
* * * * *
As James opened his eyes, he was quickly aware of how wrong everything was. His head was pounding and his vision was blurred. The only grace was the cold, fresh air he was breathing. He kept his eyes half closed, instinctively feigning unconsciousness while he assessed his situation.
It was easily worked out that it was night and he was sitting in his car with the window open. Somewhere, far off, was the sound of muffled rock music. His limbs were free from any binds, giving him some hope that he was under no hostile situation. Allowing his eyes to open further, he stared out at the scene in front of him.
As far as he could tell, he was in the back blocks of the city. Most of the buildings were in darkness, aside from a second floor window, across the road, where the music was coming from. To his left, he could make out trees and a bronze statue of a man that he had seen often. At least he knew where he was.
Carefully, he shifted to sit up. The movement made him aware of several painful areas on his body. Licking his dry lips, he tasted the blood where his mouth was split at the corner. His jaw was aching and the back of his hands were stinging.
Bringing them up, he gazed at the bruising and bloodied abrasions to his knuckles, and the startling absence of his watch. His skin was stained with blood halfway up his forearms. Looking down, there was more blood on his t-shirt and jeans. James struggled anxiously to recall what had happened. He remembered something had happened at the club, and had a vague vision of faceless figures and some kind of altercation. He certainly had no memory of getting away from them.
His keys were sitting in the ignition. Wincing, he arched his back and lifted himself from the seat to pat his back pocket. His phone was there and he pulled it free, falling back into the seat, exhausted. One press of the power button alerted him to the gravity of his situation.
It was after eleven o’clock at night and there were at least twenty unanswered calls, most of them from Mairead. He had no idea what he could tell her, but he called her number anyway, and was soon smiling to hear her distraught voice firing questions at him.
“Baby, calm down,” he said softly. “I’m alright and I’m so sorry. Is Dylan still there?”
“No. Vanessa is here and Sophie. James, please tell me what’s happened.”
He was relieved to hear she was not alone, but wasn’t about to tell her over the phone that he’d been mugged. It still wasn’t clear to him if it had been that simple.
“I had a slight accident, nothing serious.” His mind grasped the first thought. “I was up a ladder at the club and fell off, winded myself more than anything, but thought it best to get checked over at the hospital, but I left my phone at the club. That’s why I couldn’t ring. I was stuck there for hours. I’ve just got back to the club now and I’ll be home very soon.”
“We can come and get you,” Mairead insisted. “You shouldn’t be driving.”
“I’ve been given the all clear from the doctor, so the quicker you let me finish here, the sooner I can be with you.” He sighed with relief as she reluctantly gave in. “I’ll see you soon.”
Hanging up, James looked out again at the scene about him. Nothing made sense. Somehow he had lost six hours and ended up several blocks away from the club. He contemplated driving to the police station, but had no idea what he could tell them. There was also a worrying concern that the blood on his clothes suggested he might have come away from the incident better off than someone else.
His phone rang and he looked at Vanessa’s name on his screen. He answered it.
“Do you want to tell me what the hell you’re doing?” Her refined British voice was furious. “I’ve been sitting here with your wife, trying to assure her that you’re perfectly alright when I was seriously beginning to have doubts myself.”
“Vanessa, listen, don’t let Mairead know any of this. I’ve just woken up, sitting in my car down, near the East reserve and I have no fucking idea why I’m here, and there’s blood all over my clothes and it’s not mine.”
“Good god, James, are you alright?”
“I’m not the one bleeding. I’ve got a few abrasions, but I have no recall of the last six hours.”
“It sounds like you were drugged.”
“Vanessa, someone was waiting for me outside the club when I came out. They attacked me and I fought back. I think there were others, but I’m not sure. That’s the last thing I can remember.”
“James, you need to go to the police.”
“And tell them what?”
“The truth. Tell them you were assaulted, get a drug test and find out what’s been put into your system.”
“Vanessa.” James stared down at the injuries on his hands. “What if I’ve done something, had a blackout or something. It wouldn’t be the first time.”
“That’s nonsense, James. It’s been years since you went through any of that and you were on all manner of drugs, pain relief, anti-depressants, and yes, you had blackouts from time to time, but you certainly didn’t go around beating anyone up.”
“Yes, but I’ve been involved in something tonight and I want to know what it is before I go to the police, and I want some advice from Ron. As it is, it’s going to be midnight before I get back there. I’m going back to the club, see if there’s anything there that will give me a clue, and I’ll get myself a change of clothes. I can’t come home like this. Can you stay with Mairead until I get there?”
“You know I will, but if there’s the slightest hint of anything wrong, you don’t go near the club, you hear me, James?”
“I won’t. Thanks Vanessa.”
He hung up and started the car, sitting idly for several minutes until he was certain that he was capable of driving. At that time on a Sunday night, at least the streets were mostly empty of traffic. He kept the window down for the cold fresh air to help revive him and within ten minutes he was back at the club.
Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. The club was locked and the alarm was armed. He disabled it, but remained staring at the panel. He remembered the call from the security company which had tur
ned out to be a false alarm.
Scowling, he hurried to the office to retrieve a shirt and a first aid kit. In the bathroom, he stripped his t-shirt off, only to be sickened by the sight of blood on his body. Taking a handful of paper towels, he began to wash it off. His knuckles stung as the water made contact. The blood on his jeans had dried in and didn’t scrub off easily. It almost seemed criminal to make an attempt at it, as if he had something to cover up.
He leant on the sink, staring at the rose coloured water draining away. “What the fuck have I done?”
* * * * *
Vanessa had been gone a while, and Mairead was certain she was in a private conversation with James. It made her angry, knowing there was more to James’ accident than he was letting on.
She did her best to smile at the woman left behind with her. “Can I get you another coffee, Sophie?”
“No, thank you, Mairead. One’s my limit at this time of night or I’ll be up all night.”
It wasn’t the ideal atmosphere to entertain Vanessa’s girlfriend, but Sophie was easy to talk to and hadn’t complained of having been dragged out at such a late hour.
“So what do you do, Sophie?” Mairead asked. “When you’re not having to babysit distraught wives.”
“I’m a personal trainer, and honestly, Mairead, it wasn’t a chore to be here. Vanessa and I were just watching some movies.”
“Yeah, but I know how I value my time alone with James.”
“I don’t have a client until Wednesday, so I’ll be staying with Vanessa until then. We’ll have plenty of time, and at least I get to see you again. You were far too busy on New Year’s Eve for any serious conversation. Vanessa always talks about you and James.”
“We’ve only heard snippets about you,” Mairead grinned. “Vanessa’s been hiding you away.”
Sophie laughed. “We’ve been taking things slowly, I guess. Neither of us have done the long-term relationship thing and we’re both at that age when we’ve already established routines for our lives, and like typical Dutch women, we can be a bit reluctant to change them.”
Mairead often forgot that Vanessa was nearly forty. With her blonde hair and stunning figure she always seemed so much younger. Sophie looked to be in her early thirties, but she also possessed a youthful image with dark brown hair cut to fall in layers about her attractive face. Her tight sleeveless top revealed an athletic body and toned muscles that showed she took her work seriously.
“So how did you guys meet?”
Sophie grinned coyly. “On the beach near Vanessa’s place. I had rented one of the holiday houses there for the October long weekend, and our jogging schedules coincided. We’ve pretty much been together since then.”
“And yet New Year’s Eve was your first night at the club?”
“I’m not much of a nightclub girl. I like my sleep too much.”
“So you guys wouldn’t get that much time together.”
“It’s all good. Vanessa comes back to my city apartment when she’s finished up on Sunday mornings and then we go out to her place until Wednesday. It’s become quite a habit, but I don’t think Vanessa’s looking to rush anything.”
Mairead smiled. “Yeah, I think James thought he was going to lead a long bachelor life too.”
Vanessa returned and sat on the couch, next to Sophie, putting her arm around her. “What’s Mairead been telling you?”
“We were just talking about work,” Sophie replied with a grin and a wink to Mairead. “And how you ban me from coming to the club anymore.”
“Nonsense,” Vanessa scoffed. “You’re welcome anytime. You’re the one who says you’re too old for nightclubs.”
“Well, I may just have to come again, after seeing all those beautiful girls that get so much of your attention.”
Vanessa gave her a sharp look and said something to her in Dutch. Sophie bit her lower lip and grinned, snuggling into her closer. It was amusing to see Vanessa reveal a bit of her dominance, but it also reminded Mairead of how she and James had shared a deviant history, or at least shared the same women.
Their close friendship still inspired some jealousy, knowing how he often confided in her before anyone. Mairead was certain that Vanessa was privy to another version of the night’s events.
“So, what did James have to say?” Mairead asked casually, watching her face. “That was him you were on the phone to?”
Vanessa smiled, but revealed nothing. “It was. He just wanted to apologise for interrupting my weekend and make sure that you were alright.”
Mairead had to accept that. “Yes, thank you both for being with me tonight. If you wanted to head home now, I’ll be perfectly fine.”
“We’ll wait,” Vanessa replied. “We’ve got all day tomorrow to sleep in, and I’ll sleep much better knowing everyone is where they should be.”
There was no use debating the issue, as much as Mairead would have liked to be alone to see James when he returned. As it was, the time dragged on for another hour, before she heard the front door open.
Mairead was out of her seat and hurrying to greet him. She stopped short of throwing herself into his arms, gazing up at him anxiously.
“Are you alright?”
“Yes,” he grinned. “Bit sore, but I’ll live.”
“What the hell were you doing up a ladder without someone being there with you?”
“I know, it was foolish and I won’t be doing it again in a hurry. Now would you like to continue nagging me or can I have a hug?”
“I don’t nag,” she pouted. “I want to hug you, but I’m scared I’m going to break something.”
James held his arms out. “Just get yourself here now.”
Mairead was content to fall into his arms. She remained careful of her embrace, happy just to breathe him in and hold him.
“You’ve changed your shirt,” she said.
“Yes, I ripped my t-shirt. I got this one from the club.” He grinned at her. “You don’t miss a trick, do you?”
Vanessa and Sophie approached them. Mairead watched the eye contact between James and Vanessa but said nothing, though her temper was niggled again. James greeted Sophie and said something to her in Dutch to which the three of them laughed, much to Mairead’s frustration.
“You two should stay in the spare room tonight,” James said. “It’s well after midnight.”
“No way,” Vanessa smirked. “Sophie and I are going home. We’ll do the couples thing another time.”
“Fair enough,” James replied. His gaze lingered on Vanessa. “Thank you.”
When they were gone, Mairead allowed James to lead her back to the lounge room and pull her onto his lap.
She frowned at him. “You speak Dutch too?”
“Not really. I’ve picked a little up from Vanessa over the years.”
Her eyes wandered over the cut and slight swelling to his lip. “What happened, James, and please don’t tell me you fell off a ladder.”
He sighed. “Baby, it’s after midnight and I’m exhausted. Could we sleep on it and I’ll tell you everything you want to know in the morning?”
As much as she wanted to press him, she could see how weary he looked. She nodded. “Of course.”
“Let’s go to bed,” he smiled. “And I might just have enough energy to show how much I missed you.”
It was a small consolation, and sex had been far from her thoughts, but she wasn’t about to deny him. After a long and emotionally charged Sunday, she was ready for some normality.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
When Mairead awoke, she was surprised to see James dressed formally in trousers, shirt and tie, sitting on the bed beside her.
“Good morning.” She peered at him through sleepy eyes. “What time is it?”
“Nearly seven,” he replied quietly.
“Why are you up and dressed liked that?”
His face remained solemn. “Baby, I have to go somewhere this morning. Vanessa will be here in half an hour to pick me up
.”
Mairead sat up, studying him. “Where do you have to go?”
“Something happened yesterday and I chose not to tell you last night, because I just wanted to be with you. I needed time to try to recuperate and I didn’t want to frighten you. I still don’t, but you need to know.”
“Tell me what happened.”
James dipped his head, frowning. “When I rang you, I had just woken up and had no recall of the previous six hours. I was in my car and parked on the other side of the city.”
“Oh my god, the fall…”
“I didn’t fall. There was no accident. Sometime after my arrival at the club I blacked out.” He sat down on the bed and shook his head. “But there’s more to it.”
Mairead listened as he related the events, trying not to react to the terrifying details.
“We have to get you to the hospital. You might have been poisoned or…”
“Mairead, I’m going to the police. I should have done it last night. Hopefully there will be traces of something in my system that will explain all this. I’ve rung Ron and given him the story. He’s taking me straight to a pathologist to get a blood sample.”
“And I’m coming with you,” Mairead stated. “You’re not going through this alone…”
“No. I want you to stay here…”
“The hell I will. James, I’m your wife and if anyone is going to support you it is going to be me, not Vanessa. It should have been me that you spoke to last night. I gave in to you then, but you don’t get to fob me off, again. Ring Vanessa and tell her we don’t need her.”
“Mairead, please…”
“No. It hurts that you think I can’t handle myself, that I would be more of a hindrance than a help.”
“I didn’t say that…”
“You didn’t need to.”
“I worry about you,” he insisted. “You’ve been through hell and I’ve seen the times when something’s triggered a reaction. You get that faraway look or wake up fighting me from the nightmares you have. You can’t blame me from wanting to shield you a little.”
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