After the Fire (18 page)

“Is it safe to go there?” Freddie pulled the seat forward and adjusted the driving mirror.

“I wouldn’t do this if I didn’t think it was. Besides Vic insisted, and he’s a hard man to say no to.”

“Just like someone else I know,” Freddie said as she started the car.

“Oh yeah? Who might that be?”

She laughed, not answering as she pulled away from the guest house.

18

By the time Freddie reached Penarth, she was used to the way the car handled.

Jason had dozed, and hissed in pain every time she went over a bump.

Pulling into a parking lot, she turned to wake him. “Jace, I need directions.”

Jason opened his eyes and blinked twice, taking longer to focus than she liked.

“Are you all right?”

“Yeah, yeah I’m fine.” He pushed up in the seat. “Where are we?”

“Penarth…we’ve just past the town boundary. I’m not sure where to go next.”

“Ummm, have we gone past the Black Cat pub yet?”

“We’re in the car park.”

“In that case, turn left out of the car park.”

Freddie followed his directions and within ten minutes was pulling up outside the manse. She popped the boot and went to pull out the cases. She left the holdall there and locked the car.

“Can you manage those?”

“Sure. Go and tell them we’re here.” She followed Jason up the path to the front door.

He rang the bell, leaning heavily against the porch wall.

Debs opened the door, shock written on her face as she looked at her brother. “Jason, you didn’t say you were hurt.” She wrapped her arms around him.

“I’m fine, really.” Jason hugged her back.

“You don’t look it.” She touched his face. “You should see a doctor.”

“I’m looking at one, right now.” Jason winced, pain shooting as he pulled her hand away from his cheek.

Freddie joined them. “I told him he should go, but he’s stubborn as they come and won’t.” She paused. “Hi, Debs.”

“It’s nice to see you again, Freddie.” Debs smiled and Freddie smiled back.

“And you. Just a shame it’s under these circumstances.”

“How are you? Jason said you’d been in the hospital.”

“For a couple of nights. I’m fine now. It’s him I’m worried about.”

“It’s a fuss over nothing. You should see the other guy.”

“It’s not nothing.” Why did the man have to be so exasperating all the time? “You’re in a lot of pain and could barely keep your eyes open in the car. You probably have a concussion.”

“Then you come and sit down. Now.” Debs took Jason’s arm and hustled him inside.

Freddie stood there awkwardly. She looked at Vic. The last time she’d seen him, she’d stormed past him and then had a fight with Jason on the steps of his church. She hoped he wouldn’t mention it.

“Hello, Pastor Taylor,” she said.

“Please, call me Vic. Go on through with Debs. I’ll make some tea and take your bags upstairs.”

Freddie followed the others into the other room.

“Are you sure it’s no bother putting us up?” Jason sat down stiffly, doing a poor job of stifling the hiss of pain. “I know how busy you both are, especially with a new baby.”

“Of course we’re sure. You’re family, Jace. Now, let me look at this.” Debs came over with her first aid kit.

Freddie perched on the edge of the sofa next to Jason, as Debs patched up her brother and lectured him on the evils of fighting. Freddie glanced around the room. A family portrait hung over the fireplace, a wedding photo hung on another wall, and texts stood in prominent places.

“There. Now it’s time for you to finally meet your niece.” Debs snapped the first aid kit shut. She crossed to the basket in the corner of the room and came back, the baby cradled in her arms. “This is Rachel. Rach, this is your Uncle Jason. He’s not normally this scary looking.”

“Thanks, sis.” Jason looked distinctly uncomfortable.

“Here, you want to hold her?”

Jason took the baby, all fingers and thumbs.

“It looks good on you.”

“It’s a bit late for me to start a family, now.” Jason kept his eyes fixed on the baby.

“You’re not that old. Men can still have kids in their seventies.”

“That maybe true, but being unmarried and all...” He shook his head, and then winced as Debs playfully hit his arm. “What was that for?”

“Your “unmarried” comment.” Debs glared at him, and looked at Freddie. “Please excuse my brother. Tact never was one of his strong points.”

“It’s all right. I’ve forgiven him for leaving me.”

Jason’s head shot up. “Since when? When we left the office on Thursday, you made it clear you still hated me for it. For that matter you still hated me on Sunday.”

“Hate’s not a very nice word. Besides, a lot can happen in a week or a few days. Things change. People change. I understand why you left. If things had been reversed, I would have done exactly the same thing.” She leaned over and kissed his cheek gently. “So, yeah, you’re forgiven. Just promise me you won’t do it again.”

“Thank you and I won’t. I promise.”

Debs got to her feet. “I think now would be a good time for me to go and make the tea. Vic will be down in a few.”

Freddie turned her attention back to Jason. He was engrossed in the baby, counting fingers and toes and talking to her. As she leaned back into the sofa, the baby started to cry. Jason moved her to his shoulder, trying to calm her. After a minute he looked at Freddie, sheer helplessness written on his face.

She raised both hands. “Don’t look at me.”

“You’re a woman.”

“That doesn’t mean I know what to do with babies.”

“Please. Maybe I’m scaring her.” He fluttered his one open eye at her.

“All right. Hand her over.” Freddie agreed reluctantly.
This is a bad idea. I really don’t want to do this.
She took Rachel and held her gently, stroking her cheek. “Shhh, little one. Don’t cry. Mummy will be back in a minute.”

Jason looked at Freddie as the baby calmed. “See, you’re a natural.”

“Far from it.”

“Do you want kids one day?”

Freddie swallowed hard. What did she say? Answering with “no” would be a lie, but “yes” wasn’t exactly truthful either. “It’s not going to happen.”

“You’re not that old. You’re younger than I am.”

She sighed with relief as Debs came back in with a tray of tea.

“Did I hear Rach fussing?”

“Only a little.” Jason took one of the cups. “Freddie calmed her.”

“That’s impressive,” Debs said as she put the tray down. “Not even Vic can calm her. You’ve got the knack, Freddie.”

“That’s what I told her. She’ll make a great mum one day.”

“I don’t think so.” Freddie shifted, feeling sick at the way the conversation was going.

“Why not? Aside from not being married.”

“Jason, drop it, please.” Freddie looked down at the baby, her heart breaking, and her eyes stinging with unshed tears.

Vic came in with a pile of bedding. “Freddie, I’ve made up the spare room for you. Jace, you get the sofa, is that all right?”

Jason nodded. “Sure, thanks. So long as I can lie down and close my eyes, I’m not fussed as to where.”

Freddie offered the baby back to Debs, wanting out of there before she broke down completely. “I might turn in. I’m really tired all of a sudden. And it’s getting late.”

Debs nodded, settling the baby on her shoulder. “Sure. Vic will show you up.”

“Thanks. Goodnight.” She picked up her tea and followed Vic upstairs. Thanking him again, she shut the door. She moved over to the bed and set the tea on the bedside table. She wrapped her arms around her stomach, tears pouring down her cheeks. Her mind filled with images of the truck screeching to a halt, metal poles from its load flying inexorably and unstoppably towards her.

****

Next morning, Freddie sat quietly in the kitchen while Vic made tea and breakfast. Debs sat with the baby tucked discreetly inside her shirt as she fed her. Jason sat next to Freddie and smiled. She managed a faint smile back.

“I’m sorry if I upset you last night.” Jason looked at her. “I shouldn’t have pushed it.”

“It’s all right. I should be able to cope with it, it’s just sometimes the memories come and get you when you least expect it.”

“Cope with what?”

She ignored him as Vic sat down and said grace. Then she started eating, hoping Jason would drop the subject.

“Cope with what?”

Freddie took a deep breath. “I can’t have children. They had to do a hysterectomy eight years ago as a result of injuries I received on the job.”

Jason put down his spoon and took hold of her hand. “What happened?” he asked gently.

“Dan Willis and I were working a big case. To cut a long story short, the bloke we were tailing hit a patch of black ice and skidded into a tree. Dan managed to bring our car to a halt and once I knew he was all right, I went to check on the other driver. I remember hearing brakes screeching, a clanking, and vibrating sound. I glanced around and saw this truck coming towards me, unable to stop. It hit Dan’s car, shedding its load of metal scaffolding poles. Dan died instantly. I remember seeing the poles coming at me and then being pinned against a tree with several firefighters there with cutting equipment.”

She took a deep breath, looking down at the hand covering hers. She didn’t look up, not wanting to see the expression on Jason’s face. She knew from experience what it would be.

“I spent three months in hospital, another three in rehab. I don’t think about it much, except when something triggers it. I haven’t worked with a partner since. So, in answer to your question, no, children aren’t part of my life plan. Not anymore.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. It’s in the past. I’m alive. I’m not stuck in a wheelchair or on crutches. It doesn’t stop me doing my job or anything. Just put me off having a partner.” Freddie managed a small smile, changing the subject. “Anyway, that’s enough about me. How are you doing this morning?”

“I can open my eye and breathing is a little easier this morning.” He smiled lopsided at her. “You think this bruise is good, you should see the ones under my shirt. Who needs a coat of many colors?”

“Not at the breakfast table, thank you.”

“Spoilsport. Anyway, I strained a couple of muscles. It’s been a while since I got in a fight. I’m out of practice.”

“You’re just old and unfit, aren’t you?” Freddie shot him a wry smile.

Jason laughed, holding her gaze as he pressed a hand to his side. “Ohhh, don’t make me laugh. It hurts. Old I may be, but I’m getting younger by the minute.”

Debs coughed. “Would you two like to be alone?”

Freddie blushed, looking down at her breakfast.

“And kick you guys out of your kitchen?” Jason asked. “I don’t think so.”

Debs exchanged smiles with Vic before she winked at her brother. “Is there something I should know?”

“No. We’ll let you know if there is.”

Freddie ate a few mouthfuls, and then glanced at Jason. “Are you feeling up to working today?”

“Where did you want to go?”

“We need to check into those accounts in more detail. I also want to go out to Jueve Island at some point.”

“And why is that? Don’t give me the need to know again, we’re in too deep for secrets now.” Jason paused, the spoon part way to his mouth.

“I know, but it’s just a feeling, hunch or whatever you want to call it.”

“Freddie, your gut instinct is famed at work. Spill.”

“I was thinking.” She took a mouthful of cereal and chewed for a moment. “What if those tunnels go all the way out to the island? What better way to smuggle the gems into the country? We already know you don’t get five or six different types of gems from one mine, never mind a tin mine. So they have to be coming in from outside somewhere. Land them on the island. Either storing them there or in the tunnels—”

“And bring them up one box at a time with your newly handpicked team of miners.” Jason nodded. “Makes sense, but why stop at gems? You could get anything into the country that way.”

“Like what?”

“Drugs. It would explain the funds in the accounts”

“Yes, but then why not pay your taxes and be done with it?” She stirred her cereal, taking another bite, her mind running rampant. “If it were drugs, I’d pay the company taxes, so no one would suspect I was doing something illegal.”

“But we’re not talking about you.”

“Just thinking aloud.” She looked at her spoon.
People smuggling? Risky, but with all those miners going up and down, dirty, hats, overalls, new staff all the time... So long as the same number comes up as goes down, no one would suspect. The rest could come off the island by boat or plane or even live there
. She shook her head. That sounded ridiculous even to her.

She finished her cereal and put down the spoon. “How big is Jueve Island?”

“I don’t know. Vic, any idea?” Jason looked at his brother-in-law.

“It’s got a port and a small landing strip. There’s a village, but that was abandoned five years ago after a toxic spill made the whole area unsafe.”

“Five years?” Jason and Freddie chorused in unison,

“Yes, why?”

“It’s not the first time that time frame has come up.” Freddie drummed her fingers on the table. “You sure you don’t want to go to the island, Jace?”

“We’ll need a boat.”

“It’s got a landing strip. You’re a pilot.”

“And they’d see us coming a mile off. With a boat we can go around the blind side.”

“I don’t sail.”

“I do.”

“Is there no end to your talents?” She teased him.

He winked at her. “I was a Boy Scout.”

“That explains it. So, we find a boat, and you show off your sailing skills.”

“You can borrow our boat,” Vic said. “She’s moored at the marina. There are charts and so on in the cabin.”

“Thank you. I promise we’ll take good care of her.”

“You’d better, Jace. Catalina’s my baby.” Debs winked at him. “But you can’t have her today.”

“I’m sorry?” Jason raised an eyebrow.

“You aren’t going anywhere today, bro. Doctor’s orders.”