Dear Readers...Merry Christmas! Many days spent last week in bed with the flu, so I'm very glad to be better and post this next chapter. Enjoy! xx
Chapter 29
The flashing lights and heavy thump of the music symbolized one thing, and one thing only. The party at the Chez-Chez bar was in full swing. The walls vibrated with the beat as the revelers drank and gyrated happily.
Behind the desk in his office, Brendan sat sullen, slowing rocking in his leather chair. He fingered his phone, twirling it in his fingers. He stared off into space, the corner of his mouth twisted, as many brooding thoughts circled through his mind.
A reckless man, is a dangerous man.
Why would that scum, come here, knowing full well he could be recognized, and possibly caught? Why wouldn't he have left town already? How would he have been able to avoid the Cops this long?
He had looked totally different from when he last saw him. Now light blond and a goatee, and a different name. What was it again? Richard...Richard Bast? How appropriate, Richard the Bastard. Who would have thought. What the fuck was taking the Cops so long to catch him? Brendan fumed to himself. Where's the Law when you need them?
A reckless man, is a desperate man.
A threat. He's avoided the law this long, he obviously has skills the Cops underestimated. Military maybe? Some sort of psycho agenda...?
He pondered a moment on what Cheryl and Lynsey had said earlier at dinner...What if? What if a bastard like that hurt his family? He was definitely a threat now. Brendan's eyes wandered to the thick walking cane he had lying just behind his cabinet across the room. Might have to beef-up security. Brady-style.
He took a deep seething breath, and as he exhaled, hidden by the noise of the thumping music, his chest rumbled as he growled.
...
Jen stirred as her room bloomed brightly with morning light, made more colourful by the bright bouquets spread everywhere.
She stretched and yawned as a blissful smile played on her lips. She rolled over and squeezed her eyes shut. Not ready to wake just yet, she mused.
What an intense night! Constable Rory was an absolute star for being so helpful. She would have to thank him again later when she saw him.
Once silently ushered back to her room, she had slept soundly. No nightmares. No disturbances. Just short of heavenly, considering she was still in hospital. She saw Tilly in her mind's eye, raspy throated and rash-infested, yet her joy, her energy, her beauty, so palpable. She cradled her arms into her chest, holding close the deep heartfelt moments with Tilly. Their vulnerability brought them closer together. Their unique but terrifying ordeals had truly tipped them between the Here and Now. Jen was so grateful that they had been able to comfort each other. She snuggled under her blanket, her arms aching to hold her.
Lynsey came bouncing in pulling her reluctantly out of her reverie. She let her know the Doctor would be in to assess her later, and that most likely she would be released later that day.
"Wow! That bruise is healing really fast! And that stitch can probably come out today." She remarked as she checked Jen over.
"I actually feel a lot better today, besides the arm. Still a bit achy." It was truly a miracle, Jen thought. She smiled secretly to herself. Tilly and her remarkable loving care. Jen felt herself inadvertently blush. She hadn't expected Tilly to be so, energetic, having only recovered from her fever the day before.
She dearly hoped she'd be able to see her before she left.
...
In a foul and cantankerous mood, Ally woke to the noise of his Police scanner as it crackled loudly. He eased himself up off the hard floor of the shack, and leaned against the wall.
He was barely visible behind the arm-chair and sofa in the corner, where he had barricaded himself. He held his sore head in his hands and groaned. His head throbbed from his hangover.
Angry as ever, his trousers clung damply to his legs, still wet from wading in the river to throw any police dogs off his scent. His tumbler of cayenne pepper empty from covering his tracks. Avoiding Police Men was no problem, but dogs, a whole other trick was required for that.
His frustration and rage bit at him having been so dismally unsuccessful in finding Jen.
What were the odds? He raged, of her not being in her room? His ego burned deeply with his hatred at having been thwarted again.
After having the sweet victory of revenge ripped from his grasp, his rage had made him reckless and overconfident. Foolish it may have been, but he didn't want to come back to the stinking shack sober. How could no one at the hospital notice him, yet he was certain that twitchy Mother of a bar owner recognized him. He hadn't stuck around long enough to find out. He swore under his breath.
He lifted his booted foot and pushed against the back of the sofa, shoving it away from him. He eased himself off the floor and grabbed his Police Scanner on the way up, adjusting the signal. He listened a moment. A sadistic smirk crept across his face.
All Police units were being called to the hospital.
At least she's enjoying the little surprise I left her...
...
...
Jen adjusted the pillows behind her back and was about to reach for her phone when Constable Rory knocked on her door and came in.
They couldn't help but grin widely at each other.
"Miss, I'm about to go off shift, and just wanted to leave you with my card." He reached over and placed it on her tray table. She took his hand and shook it.
"Rory, I just want to say what a star you've been..I can't thank you enough for helping me last night. I can't tell you enough how important it was for me to see Miss Evans."
He blushed as his cheeks bloomed with his crush. He cleared his throat, "Miss, I want to thank you, this has been the most, um, interesting security assignment to say the least. In case you ever need anything, please call me. And I mean that."
"Thank you so much!" Jen said as she tilted her head, "Can I ask you a personal question?" She asked playfully.
He hesitated, "Yes, I suppose..."
"Do you have a Girlfriend? Boyfriend?" Jen asked mischievously.
"Um, Girlfriend, yes, Miss?" he looked at her quizzically. Jen reached beside her for a large, bright bouquet. "Well, I have way too many of these and would love you to have one to give to her and tell her what a star I think she has," she grinned as she pushed the bouquet into his surprised hands.
"Oh!" She said lightly. She reached for a small card that fluttered off the bouquet and fell into her lap. She picked it up and read the scratchy hand written note.
Jen,
Sorry I missed you this evening...
Glinting, razor-sharp shards flew violently over the floor as the bouquet's vase shattered. Constable Rory had dropped it as Jen's panic filled shriek hit him full force.
With shaking hands, his head ringing, he almost fell onto the bed as he picked up the note from where Jen had thrown it in terror. She pulled at him, gripping his arm frantically as she screamed, "How? How was he here last night? When? Oh My Dear God! What about Tilly!"
Constable Rory's head spun as he read the horrific, cryptic note.
Jen,
Sorry I missed you this evening. No worries.
I know where you live.
Yours until the end,
AG
...
...
As Police and their sniffer dogs swarmed and searched the hospital, Tilly stirred uncomfortably. Her fever had returned and spiked suddenly that morning.
"Expected," the Doctor said, as her immune system worked overtime with the antibiotics to fight the viruses and ensuing bacterial infection.
Tilly's Mum, Marjory, dipped her cloth in the cool basin of water and carefully wiped her hot forehead. Despite the Doctor's blasé explanation, she couldn't stop the worry that flipped in her stomach.
"Mum," Tilly asked weakly. "What, darling?" Marjory replied gently. "What's all the noise? It's hurting my head," she complained.
"I'm not sure love, just try to ignore it. Something with security, I think the Police are looking for someone. You're all right, that's all that matters." She watched Tilly drop off for a moment, and then twitch awake.
"Mum," she asked again. "What, darling?" she replied patiently. Marjory looked at her as the most blissful expression swept over her face, "Can you ask Jen to come visit again?" Tilly looked up at her, her eyes swimming with her fever, yet her face lit up as she smiled, delight streamed from her.
Marjory studied her face, surprised, unsure how to reply.
She stuttered, "I'd love to darling...who is she?" Tilly stared up at her, as realization trickled through her fevered brain. Her joyful look dissolved as fear crossed her face, "Oh," Tilly said, suddenly very lucid, she swung her head away, "Never mind. I..I don't know what I'm talking about..."
Who is this Jen? It was a maddening puzzle. Marjory wanted to shake Tilly's shoulders and insist she tell her where to find this Jen, but instead, continued holding the cool cloth to her face and neck. Marjory ran through her mind the names of Tilly's friends. There's never been any mention of a Jen. Who do I know whose name is Jen? And when did she ever visit?
...
...
It was a long, chaotic and stressful day. Finally, satisfied that they had followed and explored every room, option and trail, D.I. Beckett broke the news to Jen. The concentrated search for her attacker, Ally Gorman, was now ended. Even with dogs, and as much man power in the community they could muster, he had vanished. With County Police resources strained, they were needed elsewhere. The greater Authorities assumed he had changed his identity and left town. The note, most likely a cruel prank.
Jen was beside herself with concern. She argued haplessly with D.I. Beckett who agreed with her concerns, but was herself, bound by her Commissioner and his decisions.
"The case is not closed Miss Gilmore, the Department has moved resources elsewhere. If he's here, we would have found him, believe me Miss Gilmore!" Beckett insisted emphatically.
Jen's mood descended into darkness and dread. She grew dizzy and faint, as her whole body ached and her stomach grew tight and sickly. Her Doctor ordered one more night's stay, Jen's condition aggravated by stress.
The medication the Nurse fed her, took hold more quickly than she anticipated. She held her phone in her hand, confused, she stared at it. The phone's brightly lit face was a blur. The world phased into slow motion as it slipped out of her hand onto the bed. She couldn't remember how to use it. Tilly, forgive me, she murmured, the powerful anesthesia took hold, tumbling her helplessly into blackness.
