by Juanita Kees
‘I’ve got some fresh stuff to put into your home, Lucky. And Liam will add some more when he comes home from school.’
She pulled out the old branches and dropped them into an empty cardboard box. Lucky nestled into her neck to hide under the warmth of her jumper as she lifted out the rocks. Picking up a plastic cup, she began to scoop the sand out of the bottom of the enclosure.
‘Well, that makes my job so much easier.’
Fen whirled around, the scoop falling from her fingers as Lucky dug his claws into her collarbone. Fear pooled in her belly. Roach Sampson held Liv up against him, a knife glinting at her throat. ‘Let her go. What do you want?’
‘What I came for. What I’ve waited for since the day I killed that bitch, Antoinette. And now I’m going to kill this one too.’ He nodded towards Liv. ‘And then it’s your turn. Don’t make any stupid moves. There’s no-one to protect you anymore.’
Fen dug her heels into the carpet, her chest tightening. Where was Kieran? ‘You killed Luciano Romano.’
‘Diablo was an idiot. He had no business protecting that piece of trash he stamped as his property. She didn’t pay for her hits.’
‘So you murdered her?’
‘I cut her because she promised me a free fuck in lieu of payment and then wouldn’t give me what she owed me. So now I’m going to take it from the little snitch she kept hidden.’ The rank smell of stale sweat permeated the room, stealing the freshness from the air as he moved, dragging Liv with him. ‘And then you’re going to die along with your sweet mumma here. Dead girls don’t tell tales, you see. A pity because you’d fetch a good price on the meat market.’
She wanted to slap the smug look from his face, but he held Liv a little too closely and she knew all too well the burn of a knife blade. She needed a distraction that would make him drop that knife. Then they’d stand half a chance. ‘You’ve got balls breaking in here with the place crawling with cops.’
‘Do you think cops will stop me? I’ve got friends on the inside. Pigs hungry for money and a piece of the action.’
‘Let Liv go. I’ll give you what you want.’
His hand came down hard on her wrist, grating the leather cuff against her scars. She cried out and Lucky skittered along the back of her neck.
‘You don’t have to give it, sweetheart. I’m a man who prefers to take what he wants.’
‘Is that what you did to Antoinette?’ Pain skittered up her arm as he twisted her wrist hard and she fell to her knees.
He removed his hand. ‘Get up. No more questions. But you understand how I won’t leave any witnesses?’
‘It’s too late. The cops already know. I remembered everything. How you cut Antoinette like a piece of meat. Because you wanted what Diablo had. Isn’t that why you’re president of the club now? Murdering innocent people, setting fire to property, stealing hard-earned incomes?’ She pushed herself up off the floor, feeling Lucky settle on her shoulder under her jumper.
‘Then a couple more bodies won’t matter, will they now?’ The knife glinted at Liv’s neck.
Fen did a mental scan of the contents of her room. Unless Roach was afraid of crickets, she didn’t have much in the way of a defence weapon. Her penknife had become police property thanks to the man who’d used it on Harry’s dog. If the bite marks on Roach’s arm were evidence, Robbie still had a strong pair of jaws. She could really use them now. ‘You put a harmless pet in danger. Stabbed him with my knife.’
‘Had a lot of fun with that. Useless mutt bit me. I wanted to leave you a message, Fenella. I’m going to cut you like I cut that dog. Like I cut the bitch that night. Cut, cut, cut. I bet you wish you had that knife right now.’ He twisted the blade in his hand, grazing Liv’s throat. ‘I’ve got one right here you can use. It’s sharp. And I’m going to sit back and watch you take it to your wrists. One. Last. Time.’
She stepped forward, catching Liv’s glance. Her mum’s eyes were wide with fear. Fen wouldn’t let this bastard get the better of her and harm the people most precious to her. ‘Why?’
‘Why?’ He laughed, the sound harsh. ‘Because you’re the last one standing. The last one between me and freedom. The last one who can identify Roach Sampson as a murderous bastard. Once you’re gone, those files will disappear. The prostitute bitch’s case will go cold again, back on the shelf where it belongs. The body in the bag will be a terrible case of the foster child so damaged by life, abused by the system, that she murdered the social worker responsible for it. Slashed her foster mother.’ He pulled a lighter from his pocket and the flame flickered to life with a click. ‘And then she burnt the place down before she turned that knife on herself.’
‘No-one will believe it.’
‘No-one will argue with the president of Beyond Hell’s Reach because I’ll own this town and the people in it. I’ve been looking for you for a long time, little girl. Your daddy’s not here to save you anymore. The past has caught up with you.’
He shoved Liv away hard, sending her smashing into the desk and chair, scattering paperwork across the room. Fen moved fast, crashing into him with all the force she could muster, slapping the knife from his hand. It skittered out the door into the hallway.
Lucky leaped from her shoulder and found purchase on Roach’s face, claws digging into his eyes. Roach screamed and tried to dislodge the dragon, but Lucky clung on as the man stumbled backwards and fell. Desperate for him not to get up again, Fen brought her Doc Martin down hard on his crotch and prayed the guttural cry would bring Kieran running.
Downstairs the front door slammed open. Feet pounded through the house and up the stairs. Blindly, Fen delivered punches to keep the man down. Kidneys. Ribs. Solar plexus. Until she was lifted away.
‘Woah. Easy, Tiger. It’s okay.’ Adrenaline kept her fighting blindly. Strong arms wrapped around her, Kieran’s voice soothing in her ear. ‘You can stop now, Fen. He’s not getting back up. If he does, Riggs will taser his arse.’
‘Liv?’ Her voice came out strangled through the knot in her throat.
‘I’m okay, sweetheart. A bit shaken and bruised, but okay.’
‘Uh … Fen? Can you get Lucky off this bastard’s face? I need something left of it to identify him with. Mostly, I don’t want Lucky in the way if I have to fire the taser. I don’t think he’ll like the after-effects much.’ Riggs’ voice had her relaxing.
Kieran’s arms loosened from around her and she stepped forward. Roach wouldn’t be opening his eyes any time soon. He’d be lucky if he could see out of them again. She held out her hand to Lucky, her voice shaky. ‘Come on, boy. Let go now.’
The dragon pulled in his beard and skittered up her arm. She stepped away, backed into the warmth of Kieran’s solid strength.
Riggs shook his head as he rolled Roach over and slapped on the handcuffs. ‘Bloody legend. The boys in the city will have a field day with this. Taken down by a bloody bearded dragon and a whippet of a girl. Only in the country. Gives a whole new meaning to the name Cranky Lizard, doesn’t it?’
‘Lucky’s not a lizard, he’s a dragon.’ Shivers raked Fen’s spine as the heat of the adrenaline wore off.
‘He’s a bloody legend, that’s what he is.’ He hauled Roach up. ‘Stand, you bastard. I’m getting too old for these shenanigans. One wrong move and you’ll feel the force fifty thousand volts can deliver.’
Fen felt the press of Kieran’s lips to her head. ‘You okay?’
She nodded.
‘Good. Grab the first aid kit and see to your mum while I help Riggs get this bastard down to the car. And, Fen? Could you please put Lucky back in his enclosure? I’m not holding you again until he’s safely out of the way. I like my face the way it is.’
Chapter 18
Fen stood on the café verandah with Liam and Kieran. A long afternoon of questioning and statements had preceded a restless night, but today Roach Sampson was well on his way back to jail in Perth and the search for Luke had been escalated.
She’d persuad
ed Liv to have a lie in this morning, her body sore and bruised from the battering she’d taken. Riggs would be by later to check on them all. Fen smiled. She hadn’t missed Riggs’ concern for her mum that went beyond the call of duty or that he’d come back to the vineyard after leaving Roach in the care of the detectives to spend the night in Liv’s guest room again.
A kind of surreal, unsettled peace hovered over the winery estate in the foggy morning aftermath of the events of the day before. A night in Kieran’s arms, held tightly and curled into the protection of his warmth, had done little to still the reality that it wasn’t over yet. Not until a conviction and sentence could be passed. For both men and the members of the club who’d assisted them. Only then would she relax completely.
At least Liam had been at school and out of danger yesterday. He’d grown so much since he’d arrived and didn’t need any setbacks to stop him healing completely. Fen squashed down the niggly feeling that twisted her belly and focused on business as usual at The Cranky Lizard.
‘Are you sure you’ll be okay with Liam for a while?’ Kieran kissed her hard and stepped back. ‘As soon as the machinery is loaded and out of the way, I’ll be back for him.’
‘Liam will be fine. He can help me set up tables on the verandah for this morning’s CWA book club.’
‘He’d like that.’
‘He’s a champ. If he sticks around after he’s eighteen, we’ll have him running the show at the bar. The ladies love him.’
Kieran smiled that smile that sent a warm glow through her. ‘I’d like to be here to see that.’
Fen reached out and squeezed his hand, comfortable in knowing the bond between them was healing and growing deeper again. ‘You’re welcome to stick around. Go now. Liam and I have work to do.’
She waved him away. Beside her, Liam looked up at his dad with a grin on his face. The little guy had wormed his way firmly into her heart. Just like his father had. She could finally look towards a future and the possibilities her growing relationship with Kieran presented. Perhaps she could be a wife to Kieran and a mum to Liam one day. Not a replacement mum, but a new mum, like Liv had been to her.
‘Yes, go, Daddy. We’re very busy now.’ Liam tugged on the leg of Kieran’s jeans.
Kieran laughed. ‘Okay, okay. See you in a short while, mate. You be good for Fen, okay?’
Liam rolled his eyes. ‘Course I will.’
‘Right. See you soon.’
He ruffled his son’s curls and gave Fen’s hand a squeeze. A part of her wanted to hold on tight and keep him there, an inexplicable sense of déjà vu twisting through her. But that would be silly when most of the bad stuff lay behind them and Marge’s busload was due to arrive in half an hour. She let him go.
‘Come on, Liam.’ She held out her hand. Tiny warm fingers wrapped around hers. ‘Would you like to lay out the plates this time?’
‘Can I?’ His excitement quickly turned to a pout. ‘What if I break them? Will you be mad?’
‘Not if it’s an accident. But you won’t break any, will you? Because we’ll be doing it together.’
The smile she’d grown to love reappeared as he tugged on her hand. ‘Come on, Fen, we’d better hurry.’
They worked steadily together, the tables soon set in cheerful summery shades to detract from the grey of the skies.
‘We need more plates.’ Liam placed the last blue plate onto the yellow-and-white-checked cloth. ‘We haven’t got enough.’ He pointed to the three empty spaces between the silverware.
‘Oh gosh, you’re right.’ Fen checked her watch. She’d have to duck into the storeroom to get some more. That would mean having to wash the dust off them first. Beside her Liam yawned his boredom. Surprised he’d lasted this long with the task, she decided to cut him a break. ‘Why don’t you go and see what Lucky is up to while I go and get those extra plates?’
Lucky was enjoying some outside time in his kid-safe enclosure near the play equipment. Liam would be okay in the playground with plenty to distract him. Besides, it wouldn’t take long to quickly grab the plates from the storeroom and she could see him in the playground through the windows of the café.
‘K.’ Liam scampered across the verandah to the play area.
Fen unhitched the safety gate and he slipped through the gap. She hitched it closed again, waiting for the click to make sure the gate had hinged closed. ‘Wait here for me, okay?’
‘K, Fen.’ He disappeared up the tube to the slide and she could hear the rattle of the plastic tumblers on the noughts and crosses board as he stopped to play with them, happily chatting away to Lucky.
She hesitated a moment longer. Perhaps she should just take him with her. No, he’d be fine there. Pushing down the growing sense of unease, she crossed into the café kitchen, ducked into the storeroom and hauled out the box of extra plates. After the events of the last few months, paranoia was clearly getting the better of her. She could still see the fear in Liv’s eyes and the blade at her throat when she closed her eyes.
Fen sorted through the plates, setting aside the ones that were chipped or scratched. She made a note to shop around for new crockery, perhaps consider having The Cranky Lizard logo put on them. Plates sorted, she made her way back into the kitchen and washed them off under the lukewarm water and reached for the cloth to dry them.
Beyond the window, between the bare vines, Kieran and the hands loaded the diggers onto trucks. She couldn’t wait to see new leaves budding in each of the rows come spring, even though winter brought its own beauty to the valley.
Fen dropped the cloth onto the bench, made her way back onto the verandah and finished the table settings. Now to get Liam and find him a place between the ladies where he’d be safe while she prepped the morning tea.
Wiping her hands on her apron, she made her way to the playground. Her heart lodged in her throat at the sight of the open gate. Damn it, she’d latched it, hadn’t she?
‘Liam?’ Deathly silence met her call. The unease in her stomach churned. ‘Come on, mate. The ladies are on their way. No time to play hide and seek now.’
Nothing. She looked up the tube to the slide. Empty. The open gate. Please, no. Please don’t let Liam have found a way to open the gate. She ran the length of the play area, looking over the fences to make sure he hadn’t climbed them and fallen over. Nothing. The unease turned to panic that gripped her chest in a vice as she turned to find Lucky’s enclosure empty, the door ajar. She looked over the top of the structure. Beyond the fencing lay the pond. On the surface, Liam’s red puffer jacket billowed above the water.
‘Oh, Jesus, no! Liam!’
Fen climbed the fence and vaulted over, the shock of her boots hitting the hard ground reverberating up her spine. She ignored the jolt and ran down the slope to the pond. The ice-cold water robbed her of her breath as she waded in knee-deep, grabbed hold of the jacket and hauled the boy into her arms. The ache of dread and holding back tears closed her throat. She couldn’t bear to look at his face. Not yet.
‘Kieran!’ She screamed so loudly it echoed down the valley, only to be drowned out by the truck’s engine as it kicked into gear. Laying Liam’s limp body down onto the grass, she had no choice but to look at him. His lips were blue, his skin holding a grey hue. No, this couldn’t be happening. She loved him too much to lose him. She checked his pulse, her fingers icy cold. Or perhaps it was Liam’s skin that was cold, she didn’t know.
‘Help!’ she called out again, but the noise from the vineyard combined with the bus coming up the drive carried her voice away again.
Desperate, she began resuscitation, counting the compressions between breaths. It felt like ages as the hollow inside her grew, but eventually Liam coughed and threw up pond water. Heavy footfalls reached her ears, but she concentrated on Liam, placing him on his side, soothing the curls on his head until his stomach was empty. Then she swept him into her arms, held him to her chest, buried her head in his curls and cried as she rocked him back and forth.
His silence terrified her, his skin clammy. She wished she’d worn a jacket, something to cover him, to warm his little body.
‘Kieran!’ she called, but her voice came out on a sob, cold stealing over them as the wind turned the water soaked into her damp jeans to ice.
‘You take something from me, I take something from you. That’s fair, isn’t it, Fenella?’
The voice, no longer gentle as it had once been, chilled the blood in her veins. ‘Luke.’
‘I hate it when people don’t listen. So you have to pay.’
She held Liam closer, willing her body to warm him. ‘And you think hurting an innocent child and murdering social workers is the way to make me pay? You’re the criminal here, Luke.’
‘It wasn’t my fault.’ Luke shrugged. ‘He fell in the pond. Happened while he was chasing that nasty little pet of yours.’
‘He’s afraid of water. He wouldn’t be near the pond if you hadn’t lured him here.’
His laugh was harsh, ugly. ‘You think you have all the answers, don’t you? It would be so easy to pin this one on you. A mentally unbalanced woman who self-harms, driven over the edge to murder her boyfriend’s brat. What would your new man think then, Fenella? Or do you prefer Rosa?’
‘It’s over, Luke. The police are closing in on you. Right now, there are security cameras everywhere taping this with a live feed to Riggs’ office.’ She crossed her fingers that Riggs had set it up to be so and tried to keep calm. ‘The footage will show the truth of what happened here. No-one will believe I did this. Please, I need to call an ambulance for him.’
His grip on her arm would bruise later. ‘Get up! Do you think I care if the brat dies? I’m going to finish what Roach started, because I don’t like loose ends either.’
He hauled her to her feet with Liam in her arms. She lost her balance and fell against him, their combined weight unexpected on the slope of the lawn, making him stagger back, his nails grazing her arm as he lost his foothold on the dewy grass.