by Clare Revell
It had taken weeks before she could even go out of the house again on her own, in daylight and in the car. She didn’t know why God had preserved her life and not those of the other seven women. Why was she so special? Closing her eyes, she did what she’d done the previous six times—She prayed hard for the woman’s family and for the police investigating the case. Not that she expected God to hear. After all, He’d let her be attacked in the first place.
Holly took several deep breaths. She needed to regain control of her life. The only thing to fear is fear itself. Wasn’t that what the shrink told her? She was stronger now than she was then. Hey, she fixed the car in the dark last night. Surely she could manage going for a walk in broad daylight? Prove that he no longer had control.
Is it wise to go out, just after he’d killed again? The small voice inside mocked her. She shook her head. Of course it was. He wouldn’t strike twice in so short a period of time. She’d go hunting for Christmas trees. Maybe go and see the big one they set up in the park. According to the reports in the paper, it was thirty feet high and covered with lights. She could stand there and hear the band play. Remind herself that she was alive, and that walking was something she loved.
****
The roads were quiet as Holly walked though the snowy streets, one hand closed tightly around the alarm in her pocket. Houses glinted with lights and decorated trees stood proudly in front windows. Reaching the park, she stood still and took a deep breath. She hadn’t been here in months. The gates at the entrance had holly and ivy wrapped around the wrought iron railings. Beyond them, the snow covered path extended into a winter wonderland.
Children played snowballs and tobogganed down the hill, making the most of the heavy, overnight snowfall. Holly stood and watched them. She and Drew would have done the same thing about twenty years ago. She turned to the path ahead. Which way should she go? Around the lake to where the tree stood, of course, but did she take the path to the left or to the right? She glanced over her shoulder.
Get a grip, girl. Loads of people here; no one will jump out and try to kill you again. Not with all these witnesses.
Her gaze wandered around the park. It was so beautiful. Would the snow last until Christmas? It was only five days, but this was England, and the weather was renowned for being fickle. Watching the white-covered world, Holly felt encased in her own private snowglobe. Had there been snow in Bethlehem two thousand years ago? Although according to some commentators, Jesus was supposed to have been born in April not December. The theory being shepherds didn’t guard the lambs in win—
Something crashed into her side and she screamed as she fell to the ground. The breath whooshed from her body as she landed hard. Pain shot through her, centred on the back of her head as it thumped into the icy path with a dull thud. Her vision blurred. Everything went dark.
Not again. Please, not agai...
****
A wet, hairy face pushed into Holly’s, a cold nose brushed her cheek, followed by a dripping, slobbery tongue. Her hands rose to defend against the onslaught. She could hear someone screaming and then realized it was her. Over the panting in her ear, she could hear the owner’s voice calling to the animal. After what seemed an eternity during which she thought something was eating her alive, someone pulled the huge black Irish wolfhound away.
“I’m terribly sorry. Here, let me help you up.”
She knew that voice. It was Kyle. The one person she’d never thought to see again.
“Are you all right...Holly?”
She opened her eyes and grabbed the hand he was offering. He sat her up, concern in his eyes. He reattached the dog’s lead and Holly used a sleeve to wipe the dog drool from her face. Cautiously she touched the back of her head. A lump was forming. She let her hand fall and blinked hard, vision blurring again.
She looked at Kyle. There were two Kyle’s that slowly merged into one, then back into two again.
Two Kyle’s for the price of one. Buy one, get one free .
Kyle’s voice came from a long way off, and Holly had to concentrate to hear it. “I’m sorry, Holly. He’s normally pretty well behaved, but he’s never seen snow before and is a little over-excited. Plus he was on his own all day yesterday. Are you all right?”
Holly nodded. The headache upped a notch. That was a stupid thing to do.
“Can you stand?”
She moved her head a little as Kyle helped her to her feet. She brushed the snow from her coat and tried to focus on the man. His hat, pulled down over his ears, hid his hair. Her head pounded, stars danced in front of her eyes, and it was all she could do to stand upright.
I want to sit down. Please, let me sit down . The words echoed in her mind, but she wasn’t sure she’d said them aloud. He didn’t respond.
His deep voice reverberated as he pulled off his glove. “Are you sure you’re all right?”
Holly nodded for a third time. She had a huge lump in her throat and she struggled to breathe. Her legs didn’t want to hold up, but she didn’t want a fuss. Fingers tingled inside her glove where he held her hand. His grip kept her upright.
Kyle’s other hand cradled the back of her head. Holly winced as he found and examined the lump. His touch increased the pain by a magnitude of five. Kyle checked his fingers and relief crossed his face at the lack of blood. “Holly? Please, say something. Otherwise I’ll have to assume Orion ate your tongue.”
Holly blinked, trying to clear her vision. Her voice was no more than a husky whisper. “Orion?”
“The dog.” His hand cupped her face, her skin igniting at his touch. “We should sit you down. You could have hit your head harder than either of us realize. You could have a concussion.” His arm went around her and he started walking at a slow pace.
His scent and nearness filled her senses, making breathing even harder. She shook uncontrollably, a combination of fear at a man holding her, not feeling well, and something she couldn’t work out. She stumbled, light-headed.
Kyle’s arm tightened. “Take it easy now, Holly.”
His voice made her tremble. What was different? Usually men’s scents and nearness filled her with total panic. Even Kyle had put her nerves on edge at first, but now, something made her want to trust him. She had no idea what it was.
Kyle's lips moved without making a sound. Maybe he’s right and I am concussed. Everything started to spin, and she closed her eyes.
“Holly.” His sharp, worried tone made her snap open her eyes as he sat her on a bench.
She didn’t move, trying to work out where she was. “Where...?”
“We’re at the Inn on the Park. Although, to be honest, I think the ED might be a better idea. You seem kind of spaced out.”
Holly’s words slurred as she fought to keep her eyes open. “I fine.” The Emergency Department was not the place for her.
Kyle tied Orion to the bench. He looked at Holly and frowned. “Are you sure you don’t want me to take you to the hospital? You really don’t look well, Holly.”
“I fine...”
He didn’t look convinced, but sat next to her. “OK, but if you don’t feel better in a few minutes I’ll drive you there myself.”
Holly rubbed her head, a roaring in her ears. Her vision blurred, and she blinked hard several times. Everything started to spin. Kyle’s voice echoed, something chinked and everything went dark.
****
“Holly?”
The sick feeling in Kyle’s stomach increased as Holly keeled forward in slow motion. His quick reaction prevented her from hitting the ground for a second time. He laid her gently on the ground, putting her into the recovery position. Then he pulled his phone from his pocket. The fingers of one hand felt for a pulse while the other fingers dialled nine-nine-nine.
The ambulance came quickly and Kyle gave them what details he could. Holly still hadn’t come round. Lord, don’t let her die. It’s my fault. Please, let her be OK. He watched as the paramedics loaded Holly. “Where are you taking he
r?”
“Headley General. You want to come with her?”
Kyle hesitated. “No, I’ve got the dog. I’ll follow in the car.”
The doors shut with a resounding thud and the lights flashed as the ambulance moved off. Kyle closed his eyes. What had he done? Glancing down at Orion, he let out a deep, shuddering breath. “Let’s get you home. You realize she’ll never forgive me for this one.” He grabbed the lead and set off on the short walk home. From there he’d take the car to the hospital and stay until he knew she would be all right.
****
The hospital emergency department was crowded. It was full of people nursing bumped elbows, wrists and ankles from slipping in the snow, or falling off toboggans. Kyle waited his turn at the reception window. The girl behind the glass looked as frazzled as he felt. “Hi, I’m here for Holly Carmichael. She was brought in by ambulance.”
“Your name is?”
“Kyle Stevens. I’m a friend. I was with her when she got hurt.” At least he hoped he was a friend. Of course, she may very well have him thrown out, but the least he could do was make sure she was OK and offer her a ride home.
“If you take a seat, someone will come and speak to you in a bit.”
“Thanks.” He made his way to a spare seat and sat down, shoving his hands into his pockets. Why were these places always so cold and unwelcoming? He hated the smell of hospitals. He stared down at his shoes. She had to be all right, she just had to be.
He wasn’t sure how long it was before someone called his name. He stood up.
The nurse came over to him. “You can come and sit with Holly if you like.” She led the way though the doors to the resuscitation room where the most serious cases were treated. “She’s still unconscious, but a familiar voice may help.”
Kyle nodded, following the nurse through the busy department. The nurse showed him to Holly’s bed. He set his coat over the chair. His voice wouldn’t be familiar. He was a fraud. He should have phoned Stacey and Phil. They knew her. He looked at the pale figure lying on the bed, and his gut twisted again. This was his fault. He sat down slowly, his hand a fraction away from hers. His gaze ran over all the equipment then moved to her face. “I’m so sorry. Please wake up. I’ll sit here all night if I have to, just don’t die on me.”
****
Holly’s eyes flickered open and she glanced around. Her head pounded. The bright lights, crashing, and beeping sounds coming from every direction only served to make it worse. “Where am I?”
Kyle leaned forwards, his face appearing inches from hers. “Hey, Holly. How are you doing?”
What was he doing here? “Kyle? My head hurts.” She glanced around. “Where am I? What happened?”
“You’re in hospital. Orion knocked you over. I rang for an ambulance when you passed out.”
“I did?” Holly tried to sit up.
Kyle pushed her back down. “Yes, you did. You’ve been unconscious for over an hour.”
“I don’t...” Nausea flooded her, and she felt the colour drain from her face. Her skin prickled and turned clammy and she shook hard. “Going to be sick,” she gasped, trying to get up.
Kyle grabbed a cardboard bowl from the top of the locker, and held it while she threw up. His other hand held her head and kept her hair out of the way. As the heaves subsided, he gently laid her on the bed and rang for the nurse. “Better?”
“A little,” Holly whispered, not wanting to move her head in case the pain and dizziness increased.
The nurse came in and shooed Kyle out. Standing, he grabbed his coat and shot a smile at Holly. “I’ll go grab a coffee and be back in a few.”
“’K.” Holly lay still as the nurse took her pulse and temperature. She tried to get her befuddled brain to think, but all she could remember was something hairy in her face and nothing else. Was that hairy something Orion?
The doctor came in just as the nurse finished writing on the chart. He was a short, stocky man with horn rimmed glasses and a tie that clashed horribly with his shirt. It made Holly wish for sunglasses. He moved the chair away and stood next to the bed. “I’m Dr. Ian Woon, the medical registrar.” He took the chart in his right hand and looked at it. “And you must be Holly. Can you tell me what happened?”
“I don’t know. All I remember is something big and hairy hitting me and then nothing.” His voice gave her the creeps, like she’d heard it somewhere before. Her skin crawled as he examined her. He’d touched her before. She knew him, the pale scar on his cheek was more than a little familiar. The stench of his cologne made her head spin faster and she gagged, throwing up again.
Leaning back on the bed after a few minutes, Holly managed to answer Dr. Woon’s questions. Then she looked at him. “Have I seen you somewhere before?”
He looked over the file at her, his piercing gaze holding hers, before he nodded. “You dropped a wrench on your hand a few months ago. I treated you then. How’s the hand doing now?”
That was it . “I thought I recognised you. It’s fine now.”
Dr. Woon’s eyes narrowed a little, then he smiled. The smile didn’t reach his eyes. “That’s good, glad to hear it.” He paused. “I want you to go for a CT scan. We’ll need to keep you in overnight for observation and maybe tomorrow, depending on the scan results. I’ll organise a bed for you upstairs. You’ll be fine in a few days. What kind of work do you do?”
“I’m a mechanic.”
“Hmm. You’ll need to take time off work. Go back after Christmas.”
“OK.” She watched the doctor leave. Great. She ran the garage alone. She couldn’t work and there was no one else to help. Not since Rob left and his replacement didn’t start until the New Year. There was nothing else she could do but close the garage and put off the customers she had booked in.
It was only a matter of minutes before Kyle came back.
He moved to her and smiled. “What did the doctor say?”
“Concussion, but they want me to stay over night as a precaution.” She looked at him. “Why so worried?”
“I’m sorry.”
She frowned. “Of course this is your fault.”
The concern in his eyes turned to surprise. “My fault?”
“Yeah. I assume it was your dog that knocked me over, so yeah, your fault. The doctor won’t let me work until after Christmas. Maybe I should sue you for loss of earnings.”
Kyle raised an eyebrow. “That is the head injury talking.” He turned away.
Holly looked at him, thinking he was leaving. “Don’t go just yet. Please, look at me. I hate talking to the back of someone’s head.”
Kyle turned with the chair in his hands, a smile that reached his eyes, and warmed her heart. He set the chair back next to the bed. “You stole that line from me.”
She laughed. “Yeah, OK. I’m sorry for what I said. Thank you for all you did. I’m sorry if it delayed your trip home.”
Kyle looked puzzled as he sat down. “My trip home?”
Holly nodded. “I assumed you lived out of town.”
“No.” He smiled at her. “I live here. I’ve been going to Headley Baptist for a while now.”
“I never noticed you before.”
“It’s a big church. Easy to miss people, unfortunately.” He broke off as the nurse came over. “I should go, let you get some rest. Hope you feel better soon.” He squeezed her hand gently, and then picked up his coat and left.
Holly watched him cross the room, her fingers tingling where he touched them. She should be scared of him, but she wasn’t. And for the life of her she couldn’t work out why.
****
Later that evening, Holly lay on the bed on the ward staring up at the ceiling. A voice made her turn. It took a moment to convince herself they were really there. “Stacey? Phil? Aren’t you two meant to be on honeymoon?”
Stacey and Phil sat next to the bed. Concern shone in Stacey's eyes. “We are, but the flight doesn’t leave until tomorrow morning. We didn’t want everyone kn
owing that, though. What happened, Holly? Kyle sent Phil a text to say you were in hospital.”
“He shouldn’t have bothered you.”
“Why not? Hols, he said he had to call an ambulance and you were unconscious for over an hour. What happened?”
“His dog ran into me, knocked me to the ground. I have a concussion and can’t work for a week, but other than that I’m fine.”
Phil raised an eyebrow. “Orion ran you over? You and Kyle didn’t seem to get on well enough to see each other again. Talk about fire and brimstone at the reception.”
“He just wound me up with his sexist comments. I didn’t mean to ruin the day for you.”
Stacey laughed. “You didn’t, hon. It was quite amusing.”
“For you, maybe; it wasn’t from where I was standing. Anyway, after the news of another murder at lunchtime today, I had to get out, prove to myself I wasn’t scared, even if the killer is still around. So I went Christmas tree hunting—”
“You and your Christmas trees. Honestly, I have never come across anyone as into Christmas as you.” Stacey looked at her husband. “I swear Holly would leave that tree up all year long if she could.”
Holly rolled her eyes and carried on. “—Christmas tree hunting and I’d got to the park, when this huge monster of a dog flew into me and knocked me for six. I whacked my head so hard on the ground, I saw stars.”
“Kyle was quite concerned.”
“I bet. It was his dog.”
Phil shook his head. “He’s a decent bloke. Of course he’d be concerned.”
“He’s a hairdresser.”
“Now who’s being sexist?” His eyes narrowed. “Holly, he runs his own chain of salons, which at thirty-five is no small achievement. He could sit back and just rake in the profits if he wanted to, but he loves the practical side of things.”
“Wow.” That puts my one garage to shame.
“Yeah, wow. You of all people shouldn’t judge a person by what they do.”
Holly nodded. “Kind of like the pot calling the kettle black, huh?”
Stacey smiled with a twinkle in her eye. “Just a tad. So, how are you really doing?”