She shoved Callie forward. “Now quit stalling and move.”
Callie wracked her brain to think of some way to stop this madness, but Trish kept pushing her in the back every time she dragged her heels. She couldn’t think of a single thing that she could say that would change Trish’s mind. The woman had been pushed beyond reason.
They hadn’t moved far into the trees when Callie spied a mound of earth piled up. A shovel poked upward from where it was buried deep in the soil. She stopped short. A large hole gaped open in the ground. All the breath left her body. Surely it wasn’t what she thought it was. The shape and size reminded her of a similar hole in which Lucinda’s remains had recently been placed.
Trish shoved Callie toward the hole. All the air left her lungs as she gazed down into the deep, rectangular pit. She couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t even blink. Small spots danced in front of her eyes as she stared in horror at the wooden box lying at the bottom of the hole.
“In you get.” Trish gave her another small shove. Callie dug in her heels. She swung her arms around to keep her balance.
“Please, no!” She didn’t recognise her own voice. Was that terrified keening really her? Ice cold terror plunged through her veins. “Shoot me first! You can’t just bury me. Please, have mercy.”
“I’m sorry, dear. There is no other way. I’m not a cold blooded murderer, despite what you may think. It was years before I could stop seeing Sophie’s struggles. I can’t go through that again.” Trish’s voice hitched as she spoke. “Besides, Sandra told us all that you’d died at birth. That’s what should have happened. An unnatural creature such as you should never have been born. I’m simply putting you where you belong.”
Callie backed away from the open grave. Tremors seized her body. She couldn’t allow Trish to do this. She turned, intent on running. White hot pain exploded in the back of her head. Her knees buckled and she plunged towards the ground. Hard hands pushed at her. She tumbled backwards into the box awaiting her below.
The impact knocked her senseless. She opened her mouth to scream, but couldn’t draw air into her lungs. The world spun around her. She tried to lift her hands to her head, but they felt heavy and laden. The blurred outline of Trish’s form stood over her. Panic clutched at her heart. Jason’s face filled her mind. She wished she’d told him how she felt instead of wasting time being afraid of his reaction. Now she’d never get the chance. It was her last thought before everything went black.
Chapter Twenty Six
Jason swerved into the layby and screeched to a halt beside Max’s car. He beeped his horn, impatient at the delay. Why the hell hadn’t Max kept an eye out for him? They were wasting precious time. Jason gritted his teeth. Max struggled out of his car, a cigarette clasped between his fingers. Jason wondered if the guy had been a snail in another life.
He tapped his hand against the steering wheel and willed Max to move faster. His heart pounded in his chest and adrenaline pumped through his body, screaming at him to take action. He held himself in his seat, while everything in him wanted to grab Max by the scruff of his neck and stuff the man into the van by force.
Jason beeped his horn and waved an impatient hand at Max. The man grimaced and threw a scowl in Jason’s direction. He slung his half smoked cigarette butt on the ground and squashed it with his toe before he finally strode towards the van. He opened the passenger door and climbed into the seat, huffing loudly and grumbling under his breath.
“How far to the nature reserve?” Jason threw at him before Max could even settle in his seat. “Where do I turn off on this road?”
“Why are you persisting with this nonsense?” Max bit out. “I have no desire to ever see that place again. It brings back too many painful memories.”
“Didn’t you hear what I told you over the phone?” Jason pulled out onto the road, the back of the van skidding slightly as he went. He couldn’t just sit there and argue with the man. Too much time had already passed. “Callie is in trouble.”
“What makes you think that?” Max scoffed. “She’s perfectly safe now that your mad ex is dead.”
“Not so. I have it on good authority that she’s in danger,” Jason replied evasively.
“Who’s authority?” Max pressed, his tone condescending.
Jason sighed. He was reluctant to disclose the truth to Max. He knew how nuts it sounded. He hadn’t really believed Callie until he’d seen Sophie for himself. Even after what he’d witnessed, he still barely believed it. He now knew how Callie had felt and how hard it must have been for her to tell him about it. He wished he’d been more understanding and supportive.
Max shifted in his seat to face Jason. “I refuse to give you directions until you tell me where this nonsense has come from.”
“Fine, but I doubt you’ll believe me.” Jason gritted his teeth. “Sophie told me.”
Max choked. “What kind of cruel stunt are you pulling? Stop this van at once! I will not stand for this.”
“It’s not a stunt or a joke. Sophie came to me. As a matter of fact, Callie has been seeing her since she decided to come and meet Sandra.” Jason drew in a deep breath. “I didn’t believe Callie when she told me about her experiences, but I wish I had.”
Max remained silent for several moments. “What did Callie tell you she’d experienced?”
Jason filled him in on as much as he could remember. He could feel Max trembling beside him as he spoke. He only hoped Max would believe him.
“Callie was sure that Sophie was warning her about something.” He concluded. “We thought it was Lucinda, but now I don’t think so. Sophie told me Callie is in danger, something about a bad lady that had come back. She said the woman would hurt Callie.” Jason flicked a glance at Max. The man had turned chalk white.
“It can’t be true. What you’re suggesting is that someone killed Sophie and is now after Callie?” Max’s voice sounded strained.
“I’m suggesting nothing. It’s what Sophie told me.” Jason kept his voice hard. “Now direct me, damn it. If anything happens to Callie because of your dithering, I’ll make you very sorry!”
Max shook himself and stared at the road. “You’ll need to turn soon. Keep an eye out for a water tower. Turn left just before it.”
Jason kept scanning the area for the water tower Max mentioned. “Callie and I suspected that there was some kind of secret in the family. Trish mentioned that Sandra had pretended that Callie was dead at birth. Do you know why that was?”
Max sighed. “Sandra was paranoid after Sophie’s death. She was sure foul play was involved. Sophie could swim and there was no indication that she’d hit her head. The theory that she’d been tangled up in weeds under the surface didn’t sit right with Sandra. She decided to lie about Callie and send her away where she was sure she’d be safe.”
Max hesitated briefly before he continued, his voice thick with emotion. “It’s the reason Sandra never contacted Callie. She was convinced Callie would be in danger if she did. I never believed it, but I abided by Sandra’s wishes.”
“Why didn’t you or Sandra simply explain all of this to Callie? Come to think of it, why did anyone want to hurt Sophie in the first place? None of this makes sense.” Jason flipped on his indicator as his eyes locked onto the water tower ahead. He turned down a small dirt track, his tires screeching in protest at the tight bend he navigated at speed.
Max grabbed hold of the handhold above the window, holding his body rigid. He remained silent. Jason flicked his gaze at the older man as they bumped along the road. What wasn’t Max telling him? They drove for several minutes before they spied a car parked in a layby. Max’s complexion turned a nasty ash grey.
“No! Oh, God, I can’t believe it.” He plastered his face to the window and stared out. “She knows!”
Jason slammed on the break, skidding to a standstill in the road. “Who knows what?”
Max rocked backwards and forwards in his seat. He stared at the car parked just beyond the van, his eyes
wide and glassy. “Trish. She must have found out. All this time and she never said anything.” His voice broke. “I never had a clue.”
Jason threw the door of the van open and climbed out. He ran round to the passenger side and hauled Max out of the vehicle. He was tired of being fobbed off. He slapped the older man across the cheek to bring him out of his trancelike state. Max jerked and blinked several times.
“We’re wasting time. Talk while you take me to where Sophie died.” Jason pushed Max ahead of him. “What did Trish find out?”
Max wrung his hands, misery etched deep lines into his face. “About me and Sandra.”
The words were spoken so quietly, Jason was sure he’d heard wrong. “Excuse me?”
Max cleared his throat. “Trish knows that Callie is my daughter. Sophie was too.”
Jason’s stomach twisted and his jaw dropped. “No!” He stared at Max in horror. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
“Don’t judge me, Jason,” Max snapped. “It’s true what they say. You can’t help who you fall in love with.”
“She’s your sister, you sick bastard. You should want to protect her, not sleep with her.”
Revulsion filled his being. He could never imagine feeling anything but the brotherly love he held for Fay. Sandra had been nothing but a child herself when she’d given birth to Sophie. Fourteen, Trish had said. A whole year younger than Fay. Max ought to have protected his sister from creeps that wanted to take advantage of her, not been the creep that got her pregnant himself.
“Whatever you think of me, Callie is my child. She was created with love.” Max sounded like some kind of pious preacher. It made Jason sick.
“Stop talking! I can’t stomach any more of this rubbish you’re spewing. You have no idea what love is.” Jason slashed his hand through the air. “Just take me to where Callie is. That’s all I care about right now.”
Jason followed Max until they burst out onto the small lake Trish had mentioned. He licked his dry lips and ignored the sick twisting of his guts. It was hard to tell if Callie’s imminent danger or Max’s story churned his insides worse. Had Trish told Callie the truth? He couldn’t bear to think how she must feel. He wished he could have been there to comfort her when the whole sordid, ugly truth had been told to her.
Jason cocked his head to one side. The sound of loud banging echoed through the clearing. Jason surged forward, listening hard. He recognised the sound of a hammer striking in nails. Panic gripped him. Callie!
“It’s coming from that direction.” Max pointed into the trees.
“Wait here. I don’t want Trish seeing you in case it drives her over the edge. Let me assess the situation first.” Jason ordered over his shoulder as he ran into the trees.
He pumped his arms and legs, his breath coming hard and fast. He hadn’t gone far when he spied Trish. She was standing in a large hole, several long, galvanised nails clasped between her lips. She glanced up at his sudden appearance, her expression wild. She spat out the nails and leapt out of the hole.
“Oh God, what have you done!” Jason staggered forward a few steps before he crashed to his knees.
He wrapped his arms around his body. Jason thought his heart would stop and part of him wished it would. Pain seared through him, rendering him incapable of movement. He was too late! His beautiful Callie was gone, lost to him forever. The bright plans he’d started making for their future, crushed with one deadly blow.
He roared out his agony, rage and grief filled his entire being. Surging to his feet, he started towards Trish. His hands flexed and in that moment he wanted nothing more than to wrap his fingers around her neck. She’d stolen his Callie from him and nothing would ever be the same again.
“Stay back.” Trish lunged at something on the ground and came up with a gun in her hand. She levelled it at Jason, her hands shaking. “Don’t interfere. I have to do this. Please, you don’t understand. I can’t let Callie live. It’s too much for me. I just can’t take it.”
Jason stopped short, her words penetrating his fury. He frowned. She talked as if Callie were still alive. His heart leapt in his chest and his gaze flew to the wooden box at the bottom of the hole. The sound of dull thumps reached his ears.
“Callie?” His eyes shot to Trish. “You were going to bury her alive?”
Relief and horror washed through him in the same instant. He hadn’t lost Callie yet, but he still had to find a way to get her out of that box before she suffocated. He sucked in a breath and tried to calm his erratic heartbeat. He had to think clearly. He couldn’t risk Callie’s life by acting rashly.
“I couldn’t live with the memories a second time. It was so hard with Sophie. I couldn’t sleep for weeks. This is the best way.” Trish shook her head, tears pouring down her face. “I had to do it. You have no idea how hard this has been for me. He forced me into this with his lies. You don’t know what he put me through.”
Jason held his hands out to the side. “I do, Trish.” He spoke softly, stepping slowly forward. “What Max has done is terrible, but you don’t have to do this. He is a sick bastard. You can’t let him turn you into a monster because of his depravity.”
“You know?” she choked out. Her eyes bugged out of her head and her mouth hung open. “How the hell do you know?”
“Because I told him.” Max stepped out of the trees, moving slowly towards his wife. Jason grimaced. Why the hell couldn’t the man have left it to him? If his interference cost Callie her life, Jason would kill him.
A sob burst out of Trish’s throat. “What are you doing here? You were never supposed to find out that I knew. Everything has gone wrong.” She dragged her nails down her cheek, leaving long red lines in their wake.
“Why, Trish? Why did you never tell me you’d found out?” Max stared at his wife, his eyes filled with unshed tears.
“How could I? Our family life would have been over. I couldn’t pretend everything was normal and fine if you knew.” She clutched at her hair. “And then there was Mitch. I couldn’t risk him finding out. I wanted to shield him from the truth more than anything.”
“Well, it’s all out in the open now. There is no going back.” Max held his hand out. “Give me the gun. It’s over, Trish. Killing Callie won’t change anything.”
“Is it over? Are you and Sandra over?” she shrieked, waving the gun at him. “Tell me, do you still love her? Did you ever love me? I deserve to know.”
Max hesitated. Sorrow filled his expression. “I never meant to hurt you.”
Trish closed her eyes briefly. “I knew. I always knew you didn’t really want me.”
“I do love you, Trish. Just not in the same way.” Max was almost on top of her.
Trish’s eyes snapped open. “Get back.” She waved the gun at him and staggered several paces backwards. Max stopped short. “You never cease to hurt me. How can you stand there and tell me that you love me the way you should love Sandra? You’ve dragged me to the brink of hell. Don’t you care what you’ve done to me?”
“I’m sorry, Trish. I truly am.”
“Sorry isn’t enough.” She gazed around her with a dazed countenance.
Jason slipped slowly forward. He could still hear the dull bangs emitting from the wooden box. He couldn’t bear to think how Callie must be panicking shut up in that tiny space. Hold on, my love. I’m coming. Just as soon as I can. Hold on. He sent the thoughts to her like a mantra, praying she would feel his message and stay strong.
“It’s too late now, isn’t it? I can’t fix it anymore. It’s all broken.” Trish glanced down into the hole and then at Max. “Everyone will know the truth now, won’t they? I won’t be able to hide it any longer.”
“It doesn’t matter anymore. Please Trish, give me the gun.” Max held his hand out to her again, his expression grim.
She stared at Max. She reminded Jason of a trapped animal. He could see the realisation of the ramifications of her actions dancing in her terrified eyes. “It does matter. I can’t go t
o jail. I can’t see the pain in Mitch’s face when he finds out what we’ve hidden from him.” Her face became strangely resigned and her shoulders sagged. “Please tell Mitch that I’m sorry.”
Max and Jason ran forward with a shout, but Trish had already placed the gun in her mouth and pulled the trigger. The bang echoed through the air. The loud flapping of terrified wings filled the area…………then silence.
Chapter Twenty Seven
Callie slowly awakened with a groan. Pain lanced through the back of her head like a red hot poker. She raised her hand to inspect the area, but she hit her elbow and fingers against something solid above her. Confused, she carefully opened her eyes. Complete darkness reigned. Not even the tiniest splinter of light penetrated the blackness all around her. The strong scent of wood and earth filled her nose.
Panic engulfed her. The image of the wooden box lying in a hole in the ground filled her mind. Vaguely, she recalled falling backwards into it after Trish had struck her. Horror filled her entire being. Hyperventilating, Callie pummelled the wood above her with her fists. She kicked out with her legs and heaved with all her might, but she couldn’t remove the obstruction.
Callie’s head swam. Had Trish already covered her over with the mound of dirt that had been at the side of the hole? Terror threatened to overwhelm her and for a second she thought she would pass out again. There didn’t seem to be enough air inside the box. The dull sound of a yell reached her ears. She froze, straining hard. What was that?
She could hear the murmur of a voice speaking. Hope filled her heart. If she could hear outside sounds, Trish couldn’t have buried her yet. It was enough hope to stave off the panic attack she could feel hovering in the background. She banged against the lid of the box for all she was worth. Callie desperately wanted to scream, but she couldn’t seem to breathe to make a sound. Fear clogged her throat as effectively as a cork and all that escaped her were whimpers.
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