by A N Drew
"Officers are chasing him. I thought you should know."
I swore under my breath. Obviously, there were hidden depths to Will Holmes. I hadn't picked up on the seething anger, tentacles unfurling.
A tall thin guy with glasses walked by, casting a stare in our direction.
Boss lady pointed her eyebrows towards the exit. I started walking.
Out on the street, the noise was deafening. Pedestrian crossing controls clicked and beeped, horns honked, and business people laughed and chatted.
I stopped at the curb, a couple of metres down from the intersection. The pedestrian crossing clicker quietened down obediently.
I pulled out my phone and stared at it. "Garrett and Wallace are there?"
"Yeah. You know this guy, you’ve got history Jack, you're a father. I figured you could talk him down from the ledge."
"Thanks.” I wondered if I could. I'd spent the last couple of weeks in an alcoholic daze that I'd only emerged from the last few days. Was I up to it?
Reading my thoughts, Selena Hicks pressed the point. "You got a confession, Jack. That's something."
I looked back at her. Her eyes glinted in the sun.
"I gotta go. I'll call the guys on the way."
I should have listened when Will Holmes told me he'd kill the guy that did this. He couldn't get to Slavosky, so he'd chosen the next best thing.
His ex-wife.
I had to get to the car park and drive over to Slavosky’s place before Will killed two birds with one stone.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
The sky was a ribbon of clear blue. I thought about Will Holmes. I wasn't a religious guy in any way, shape or form, but at that moment, I offered up a silent prayer.
God, if you stop Will Holmes before he hurts Melinda, I'll consider coming back. Seriously.
I got into my car, an unmarked Ford Falcon sedan. The quiet warmth didn't do much to combat the nausea and adrenaline invading my system.
"Call Ed Garrett,” I called out to no one in particular. The familiar tones of the car’s equivalent of Siri told me she was calling him.
"Ed, what's the go?” The guy was still in the house by the sound of it, although I didn't hear screams.
"We're en route. He's in his car. He didn't kill his ex, he threatened her and took off, but came pretty close. A female officer got to their place, just after Will left, they’re with Melinda Holmes now"
Shit.
I tried to swallow, but a lump the size of a house brick prevented it. My temperature was up. I gripped the steering wheel tighter.
"Where?"
"In Kew, he's heading for the freeway, Chandler Highway entrance, I'd say."
"I'm leaving the city now. What's he driving?"
"Black XR6 turbo. Reg WIL399"
“Thanks.” I hung up.
Distinctive. I pulled out of the car park and flicked the switch. The indicators flashed, and the siren squawked.
Dickheads wouldn't move out of the way at the intersection as per usual. I swerved to miss a white van that sprung out of Latrobe street to my right.
I saw the sign announcing the entrance to the freeway and swung into the left lane. The entrance was about 800 metres left. Thankfully, at around 11am, traffic was light.
Anguish burned through my veins. I'd put myself in harm’s way if I had to. Thinking about Will Holmes, I had some idea of what he was going through, although I didn't pretend I'd ever fully understand. Losing a child to the worst kind of murder was every father's nightmare. Will had lost his daughter in the most horrific ways, memories most likely etched into his brain forever.
Losing one of my girls in that way was something I couldn't think of; I'd already seen too much. The hairs on the back of my neck were up, along with those on my arms.
I turned left over a bridge and was on the freeway. The truck in front of me didn't move, so I veered into the fast lane where a red Ute swerved left, then right. I leaned my hand heavily on the horn, which blared loudly. I changed lanes, back into the middle.
My chest burned, and my head buzzed. The two-way radio sparked into life.
"Armed suspect outbound on M3. Three vehicles in pursuit."
Maybe rather than a knife, Will Holmes had somehow got hold of a gun. He'd kept that quiet but then the father of a murdered daughter hellbent on revenge didn't exactly announce his intentions to the world.
I swung into the lane for the M3 and hit the horn, again. A silver Holden Barina moved away from the exit.
I revved the shit out of the Ford Falcon and saw Garrett’s car in the middle lane. He was probably doing at least 130 kilometres an hour. I floored it to try to match him, my chest drumming a heavy metal tune.
I took the right lane, no concept of failure or sudden death. I had to get to Will before he killed himself or other drivers, and time was running out.
I focused on the road, awareness heightened and a combination of fear and determination buzzing through my veins.
"Suspect ahead; we need to block the Bourke Road exit."
I gunned it, hoping my car was up to the task. Garrett was about two hundred metres ahead.
"Suspect is heading for the exit."
I saw the flashing lights and the tyre spikes ahead on the left. I switched lanes, narrowly missing a green Corolla. It was time to end this.
Will’s car ran over the spikes, then crashed into the fluorescent orange and white barriers, the right quarter panel of the car spinning first. Then the XR6 turbo squealed to a stop. I pulled up in the emergency lane on his left. Garrett and Wallace were already out of the car, along with several uniforms.
All weapons pointed at the car. For a long minute, nothing happened other than yelling.
"Get out of the car! Show your weapon!" No response.
I had to judge the right time to get across to Will. Another fluoro barrier had been set up and traffic sped past at high speeds. I picked my way across the road, around officers with their weapons drawn, flashed my badge and made it to the side of the car. I stood beside Garrett. He didn't react, gun drawn and pointed at the driver’s door which opened a few centimetres. No weapon.
"Drop your weapon, now!” Garrett's voice was loud and angry as hell.
I crept forward, slowly edging closer to the driver’s side door of Will's car. Open just a centimetre or two, I pried it open slightly. Will sat back in the seat, dazed, eyes barely open, a gun on his lap. He did have a knife, but at that point, he'd laid it on the passenger seat. Angry purple weals, possibly scratches, marked his right cheek.
"Back away, Jack.” I ignored Ed Garrett calling from behind. I nudged the door open even further with my right knee and squatted down, inches away from Will.
I didn't believe Will would hurt me. Sure, he'd committed a crime, and I wasn't condoning that. But as a Father, I thought I understood him. Although I'd never voice it, I wondered how I'd react if a scumbag like Slavosky raped, tortured and killed my baby girl. Would I try to kill him, or if I couldn't kill him, try to kill the next best thing, the ex-wife who’d brought the piece of shit into their lives?
I had no answer.
I did feel a wave of compassion for the guy.
"Will,” I said quietly. No response. His eyes were still glazed and staring off into the distance. "Will, are you okay?” I shifted a little closer. He turned his face towards me. His eyes flickered briefly, as he registered me there. Then tears ran down his face and his expression crumpled.
"Fuck. Jessica. What have I done, my girl?" Will covered his face with both hands.
My chest felt like someone had wrung it out, an old dishcloth. "I'm here to help, Will."
I turned to see Garrett had attempted to move closer, but with a barely perceptible signal, my nod to him, he backed away. I held up five fingers behind my back. Five minutes. Just give me five fucking minutes.
"It's too late. I should have kept my girl safe. Jessica, I'm coming.” In the blink of an eye, Will had the weapon up and pointed it at his temple.
Goosebumps rose on my legs, my back. Fuck. I understood. Staring off into the distance, I realised he wanted to be with Jessica. "Mate, it's not where you want to be. Gemma needs you, she wants her Dad here with her."
"Bullshit. I just tried to kill her bitch of a mother, how do I tell her that?"
I had no idea where the words came from, but they came. "Tell her the truth. Kids understand more than we know. She can take it, and so can you."
Will hung his head and sobbed harder. He didn't drop the gun, still holding it at his temple.
I waited. Hoping like hell he wouldn't do the unthinkable. I fixed my gaze on his finger, held over the trigger. Thankfully, at that moment, his finger hadn't connected with it. Behind us, traffic sped, and cops waited with guns drawn. I looked back at Collen and extended a flat hand, bringing it down. He dropped his chin and his weapon, signalling behind him for officers to do the same.
"Why? I trusted her, and that fucking parasite of a boyfriend… and he—” He collapsed into grief again. I extended an open palm to him.
"Take my hand, Will."
I lifted his head to meet my gaze. His eyes were filled, tears running down his nose. He had a cut on his eyes and his mouth contorted. "I can't do this anymore, man. Do you understand? I can't fucking do it,”
"I do understand. But you can, and you will. Gemma needs you, Jessica needs you. She wouldn't want you to do this,” Will wiped his face with his left sleeve. He still had the gun at his temple but had lowered it now to his jaw.
"We need you at the court case. Look evil in the eye and show him you're a survivor."
"I don't know if I can."
"You can. Think about Gemma. I'm a father, I have daughters nearly the same age as yours."
Will stared at me, pain radiating out from him so deeply it almost hummed. He didn't speak so I continued.
"Gemma loves you like no one else can. Like only a little girl can love her daddy. Don't take that from her. She needs you."
Will lowered the weapon, dropping it onto his lap. I extended my right hand out to him, leaving it hovering. "Give me the gun, Will."
With lips trembling, he handed it over. I took the weapon and stood up, extending my left hand to him. "Give yourself up, Will. It will be rough, I'm not going to pretend this will all go away, but you can face it. You're stronger than you think."
He placed his hand in mine. "Well done, Will. You got this. I'm going to call for an ambulance to check you over okay? Then you'll be charged."
Will didn't answer.
Garrett walked over, took the weapon and after helping Will up, I walked away. Away from Garrett, away from the officers, further down past the ambulance, where Will was being escorted.
I needed a minute to decompress. I stopped underneath a bridge about a hundred metres away.
Will would probably be charged with attempted murder, but all being well, he'd get a suspended sentence. Fathers of raped, tortured and murdered seven-year-old girls generally met with sympathy from juries. So much destruction and devastation.
Garrett appeared, a serious look on his face. "Ambos are with him now."
"What a fucking mess."
"Yeah."
Garrett shoved his hands in his pockets, thought better of it, then removed them.
"You did good, Jack.” He clapped me on the back.
"Maybe. But we've still got a dead little girl, and a father charged with attempted murder."
"Still can't take a fucking compliment, eh?"
I managed a grin. "Something like that."
"Take the rest of the day off."
"Yeah right. Until the next job. Fucking hell."
We both walked back around the concrete pillars, down the emergency lane towards the exit ramp. The tow truck winch lifted up the back end of Will's car, scrunched up accordion-like in the front where it had hit the barriers.
Will had gone, presumably in the back of the ambulance further down, and officers were now clumped together in groups, some with notepads in hands, others wiping the sweat out of their hair.
I stood in the middle of all of it, lost and adrift. I still had the recorder with Slavosky’s confession, in my pocket. I had to drive it back to Crime Command.
I’d do that, then all I wanted was to see my daughters, hold them, kiss their hair, tell them I loved them.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
A Saturday morning looked different without a hangover. I skipped the painkillers, and the bottles had long been relegated to the recycling bin. Tomorrow was the day I got to see my girls, Maddy and Molly, along with Abbie, A happy day, if such a thing was possible.
I'd actually taken today off after Selena insisted. I'd even cleaned the place up, shock, horror. I'd opened up the doors and windows to air the place out when Abbie rang. I couldn't answer the phone quick enough, all fingers and thumbs when her name had appeared on my phone.
"Abbie?” I stretched my back, arching it, supported by my left hand at the base of my spine.
"Jack." Was that a smile I detected in her voice? Best not to get my hopes up, but I knew this woman.
"How about tomorrow? At Rosa's. Say, eleven?" Now she really was smiling. The girls murmured in the background.
I took a breath. "That would be.... great."
"Okay, see you then."
"Hang on, Abbie. Thanks, yeah?"
"You did have something to do with them being here, Jack. You're their father. It's okay. We'll see you tomorrow,”
She hung up. After the initial buzz of excitement, I'd finished my new-found interest in cleaning and watched a movie. The hours dragged. I consoled myself in the knowledge that should Abbie and the girls come back home, there'd be no complaints about the state of the house.
I might even win myself some brownie points; a few million would come in handy. I had backlogs.
Sunday morning, I'd sat in the car, parked outside Rosa's, with the radio playing quietly. The job was almost done. The case against Slavosky appeared watertight, but snakes could wiggle their way in or out of anything.
Will had been charged, and released on bail, although apparently, Melinda Holmes had taken out an intervention order to keep him away, with good reason.
My phone said 10.55 a.m., time to go inside. I got out of the car, locked it, and walked across the asphalt car park, dodging potholes. I couldn't see Abbie's car. Rosa's place looked to be moderately busy, the car park half full. An old shingle roof and aged brick with bay windows gave Rosa's a homely feel. It had been a second home for us for years, our go-to restaurant—back in the early days when I’d had time to spend with family, that is.
I pulled open the glass entry door. Warmth from the open fire wafted over me, combined with smells of garlic and red wine. I saw the girls straight away, standing beside the red vinyl seats of a corner booth just near the main entrance. Abbie smiled, her eyes moving from our daughters to me. The girls smiled and looked around the room. It took a couple of seconds before they saw me.
I swallowed. Their beautiful faces, their delight at seeing me, struck me and I couldn't speak. Tears threatened to spill over the burning rims of my eyes.
Maddy broke into a run, dodging and weaving around tables. As she passed the register, she did a turn towards me, still in the vestibule area. Molly walked behind her, a smile on her face, allowing herself to look in my direction.
I squatted down and opened my arms. Maddy hugged me tightly first, wrapping her arms around my neck for a long moment. This time, I let the tears fall.
There was no one else here, just my girls, Maddy, Molly, and me. Maddy pulled away and Molly took a couple of steps forward. She paused.
I stood up. "I missed you, Dad.” I brushed down her beautiful honey blonde hair. I'd almost forgotten what Molly’s voice sounded like, pure and high pitched.
"I missed you too, but now I'm here. It's so good to see you, both of you." Taking a hesitant step, I smiled at Molly, unsure. She took three more steps into my arms. I hugged her, and afte
r a second, she hugged me back, then let go. I held her by the shoulders. "Let's go eat and sit with Mum."
"Yeah!" Maddy jumped up, fist-pumping above the half wall separating the lobby from the rest of the restaurant. I weaved my way through patrons and strode along the walkway which ran along the servery. Rosa, the manager, smiled at me.
Abbie looked good, the happiest I'd seen in a while. She'd let her blonde hair out for a change, not a ponytail in sight. Her cheeks were pink. She wore makeup, and even better, I actually noticed she was wearing it. The girls slid across the red vinyl booth seats. Abbie stayed standing. "Hi.” She looked at me, then looked away.
"It's good to see you."
"Yeah, well, the girls need you."
I need you, Abbie. I decided some things were better left unsaid. One step at a time as Abbie had reminded me a few days ago.
Abbie took a deep breath and rubbed her hands down the back of her jeans. "Right, let's order, shall we?” She took a seat at the end of the vinyl booth seats, and I sat directly opposite her.
"Yeah, I'm starving."
Maddy beamed at me. Abbie shot her a look.
I picked up a menu, doing my best to read it. I decided on the steak in a millisecond. Maddy gave Abbie her order then ran off to the gumball machine.
"Not too far, okay?" Abbie watched as she ran to the other side of the restaurant, at the end of the servery on the left. There was a children's play centre to the side of the gumball machine.
Molly shifted on her seat. "So, how's work, Dad?"
I took a minute to digest the question. How was work?
My little girl was growing up.
"It's better. We got the bad guy. I took yesterday off. Can you believe it?"
Abbie and Molly looked at me round-eyed. "Huh?" Molly rubbed her eyes.
"Don't worry, I might have surprised myself as well."
Abbie smiled.
"Let me know when the food comes, Mum, okay? I'll go check on Maddy."
"Thanks." Abbie stroked Molly's hair. "Come back soon, okay?"
"Okay, Mum." Abbie shifted across to let Molly out of the booth.
Abbie slid back in and clasped her hands together. A waitress came, exchanged pleasantries and took our orders.