Cold Deception (26 page)

They put her two out with the dark-haired woman from the holding cell. Karen, although she called herself Jax. Julia wondered what was so wrong with her that she ended up in the MPU. She’d looked okay in reception. After an hour or so she found out. Jax was mad. She’d learnt to cover it well but, as the night wore on, she became more and more agitated.

Since she knew she wouldn’t be getting any sleep that night anyway, mad cellmate or not, Julia threw back the thin blanket she was expected to keep warm with on this winter night, swung her legs down from the thin mattress covering a concrete block she was supposed to sleep on, slipped her feet into the Dunlop volleys they gave her at reception, and sat on her bed.

She still had on every stitch of the prison greens they’d given her at reception. Tatty trackpants and cotton top, thinning sweatshirt. She wrapped the blanket around her and called softly to the woman opposite.

“Jax. You awake?”

Jax had been muttering through her tossing and turning, talking to the voices that occupied her head. She stilled when she heard Julia’s voice, then turned over to face her.

“Yeah. What’s up?”

“Can’t sleep. Sounds like you can’t either.”

“Why? Why do you say that?” she said sullenly. “I wasn’t bothering you.”

“No, no,” Julia said quickly, knowing she had to placate her. “You weren’t doing anything. I never sleep in here. Especially on the first night. I can’t believe how cold it is. Guess I got used to it the last time I was inside.”

A loud wail pierced the night.

“That’s Lizzie,” Jax said. “She came in with me. Coming off the stuff. Didn’t get dosed before they locked her up.” They sat and listened to the shuffle of feet and the jingle of keys as an officer went to see what was going on.

“Stop it, Lizzie,” he said. “You’re not dying.”

“But I need something. I wasn’t dosed. I haven’t had anything for nearly a day.”

“Well, I can’t do anything about it now.”

Lizzie wailed again.

“He better do something about it,” Jax muttered. “This could go on all night.”

“Look,” the PO said, “I’ll call the clinic and see if they could send someone down. No guarantees they’ll be able to do anything. Just quieten down.”

Lizzie subsided into sobbing while the PO got on the phone.

“I’d forgotten,” Julia murmured, more to herself. “I’d forgotten what it was like.”

Jax grunted. “You’ve only been through this once before. I’m used to it.”

Julia stared at the other woman. “I’ve never met you before. Thought I knew most people coming in and out of here.”

Jax shrugged. “You were mostly out at Dillwynia and Emu Plains. They keep me here.”

I’ll bet they do, Julia thought. Jax was better when she was talking, less twitchy, but she was hearing voices, Julia was certain of that. She’d seen it too often in other women. That distracted look, the half turn of the head, listening to what only she could hear. Occasionally, she’d swat her hand past her head as if shooing away flies.

“Where do they put you normally?”

Jax shrugged again. “I stay here for a while but then they usually put me in the mental health unit with all the mad girls.” She laughed and started rolling a ciggie. “Mad Jax, they say. Mad, bad Jax.” She laughed out loud, a raucous, wild sound. She started jiggling her legs then stood and started pacing.

She was bad all right. Sick and not getting any treatment. She started muttering again.

“Talk to me, Jax. Sit down and talk to me. What’s going on?”

“Nuthin’, nuthin,” she said, but sat down. She lit her cigarette and inhaled deeply, then blew out. She scrapped her face with her free hand and stared at the bars of cell door. “I was born here you know.”

“Yeah?”

She nodded. “Me ma was in on shoplifting. They called the ambulance but she was too quick. Had me on the floor of the clinic. I met her for the first time when I got locked up as an adult.” She laughed again. “When she found out who I was, she marched up to me and whacked me across the chops. ‘What the fuck are you doing here?’ she said. Like mother, like daughter I said. She didn’t like that. Necked herself that night.”

She stood again and started pacing. Cold dread started to slide up Julia’s spine. She’d come across plenty of women with mental illness throughout her time in jail, but Jax was in a bad way. God knows when she’d last had any medication.

“Lizzie Curtis, will you shut the fuck up!” she roared. There was a sound of shuffling from the officer’s post, but no one appeared to quieten Jax down. Strange. She started pacing again.

Soon Julia heard the sound of a door being unlocked and realized a nurse was being let in to the unit. There was a low murmuring between the officer and the nurse, then a raised female voice telling Lizzie she could give her something to help the cramps.

“But I need more,” Lizzie wailed. “Why can’t I have my dose?”

“Because we don’t have a script for you. They haven’t sent it through.”

“But you know me. I only got released last week. You know I’m on the ’done.”

“I can’t give you any methadone without a script, Lizzie. Here, take this.”

Julia closed her eyes and wished herself away. It would be so easy just to fall into that black hole again, that land where medication was handed out to numb and sedate the despair and rage.

She couldn’t afford to drift away. Opening her eyes, she saw Jax standing still, staring at her.

“Who do you think you are?” she muttered. “It’s your fault I’m back here, locked up again. You did this.”

Julia braced herself and screamed just as Jax leapt for her, catching her around the throat, pulling her up only to slam her against the wall. She grabbed at the hand around her throat, desperately trying to pull her away. Then Jax punched her in the stomach. What little oxygen she had whooshed out. She started to lose consciousness as Jax squeezed her tighter and tighter.

Then she distantly heard shouting, the jangle of keys, and the pressure on her throat suddenly gone. She collapsed on the dirty floor curled into a fetal position, coughing and weeping.

“Come on now, Jax. Come on. None of that.” Two voices and a struggle with the now yelling woman.

“You bitch! It was her I tell ya! She set me up! She’s the reason I’m back here! I’ll kill you! Let me go!”

Julia sensed rather than saw the prison officers drag Jax out of the cell. An alarm sounded throughout the unit and after a few seconds another officer and the nurse crouched down beside her.

“Come on, honey,” the nurse said. “Come on, roll over let me see the damage.”

Julia still couldn’t speak as she tried to get oxygen into her lungs. Her stomach was on fire.

“You’ll need to call an ambulance now,” the nurse said to the PO. “She could have internal injuries.”

“Fuck,” the PO said, then stood with his hands on his hips.

“Now,” the nurse said more insistently.

“Yeah, yeah,” he said and stepped out of the cell.

Julia concentrated on breathing. In and out, in and out.

“Can you sit up for me?” the nurse asked.

Julia nodded and, with her help, sat against the wall.

“You should never have been in here with Jax,” she muttered. “What were they thinking? There’s a standing order she’s never to share a cell with anyone else.”

A coil of curiosity inched its way into her brain along with the terror and pain. “Is that so?” she said in a raspy voice.

“Yeah,” the nurse said, frowning. “How are you feeling? Can you sit up on the bed?”

Julia nodded. The nurse held onto her arm as she gingerly stood, then flopped onto the bed. More officers were pouring into the unit. A two pipper came into the cell.

“How is she? The ambulance is on its way.”

“She’s been assaulted by Jax Kelly. How do you think she’d be?” the nurse said in a fury.

“Outside,” the prison officer said.

They stepped out of the cell but not so far away that Julia couldn’t hear some of what they said. She closed her eyes and leant back, trying to hear.

“The unit’s not that crowded tonight. How the hell did they let Jax in with another woman? She should’ve been transferred to the mental health unit as soon as she got through reception. What the hell’s going on?”

She heard the low rumble of the officer’s voice.

“That’s not good enough and you know it. I have to report this, and if I were you, I would too. Someone’s stuffed up and the way this place works, they’ll try and dump it on you.”

Another rumble from the officer, then more voices as the ambulance arrived. Julia could breathe now, but every breath in and out was like a knife slicing into her chest.

Two ambos came into her cell and crouched down beside her.

“Hey Julia. I’m Rob and this is Dave. Looks like you’ve been through the wars.”

Julia smiled, then winced as the pain just above her abdomen pierced her again.

“Let’s have a look. Where does it hurt?”

“Just under my ribs.”

“Mm. That voice doesn’t sound good,” Dave said, peering at her throat, while Rob gently pulled up her clothes. “The bruising’s coming out already.”

“Yeah,” Rob said. “Think you might have a busted rib or two. Let’s get you on the trolley and out of here,” he said.

Julia nodded. O’Reardon’s reach hopefully stopped at the jail’s gates.

Nessa lay on the long wide couch in O’Reardon’s office wrapped in a bathrobe, listening to him tap on his computer and trying to calm the rising panic in her chest.

She had to get out of there.

Julia was right; staying anywhere near O’Reardon was madness. Not imagined madness, not now. The sharp claws of need pursued her every minute, battering her defences and her hard won resolve.

She’d successfully avoided the pills, the heroin, even the alcohol, but couldn’t find any way to avoid taking the cocaine. Not much, just a line or two, enough to not raise any suspicion, but she knew it was only a matter of time before she was right back into everything.

She had to get away as soon as possible.

Despair as well as need swirled in her head, a lethal combination for any junkie. She’d thought she was so clever, putting on an act, being the same old out-of-it Nessa. Although, she had to admit, even in the few short days she’d been staying with Angus she’d heard and seen a lot about what he was up to. Deals everywhere. Pushing out west, trying to be the sole supplier to the furthest towns in country New South Wales.

Well, he could have it. She wanted to destroy him, but if she didn’t leave soon, he’d destroy her. She’d looked in all the obvious places for the DVD and couldn’t find it, so assumed it was in the one place she couldn’t access. The safe under the floorboards in this office.

She’d tell Julia where it was. That’s all she could do.

Stretching, she yawned and swung her legs onto the floor.

“Good sleep?” he said, still tapping on his computer.

“Yeah,” she said.

“You were pretty wired last night.”

She controlled a shudder, conscious of what they’d done, what she was like when she had cocaine in her system. Her body ached from drugs and sex: sex that was rougher and more desperate. That’s what Angus liked. That’s what he’d always liked from his girls.

“First time I’ve had coke for a long time.” She scrubbed her face with her hands and pushed back her hair. Smiling at him, she stood and made herself wobble. “I need a shower.”

He grunted and focused on his computer. Excellent. She could get herself together and get out.

She shuffled out of his office, then all but ran to her room. Gathering all her stuff together, including a substantial amount of the money he’d given her, she hesitated. She really did need a shower. The stink of him was still on her, a stink she had to get out of her life.

She peeled off the bathrobe and threw herself into the shower. Just for a few seconds she let the water soothe and warm her. But not for long.

Get out. Get out. Get out.

She dried herself quickly then dressed in the new clothes she’d bought with Angus’s money. Good jeans, warm sweater and even some sensible shoes for the cold weather. Smiling wryly, she had to acknowledge to herself her new found sobriety, despite last night’s slip up, had made her more practical. In years gone by any money left over from buying drugs went on cheap glitz and crap that fell apart after one wash.

She eyed the black dress and stilettos she’d bought, wondering if she could somehow get them out without rousing suspicion.

Idiot. You’re fighting for your life, not going to a fashion show.

Taking a deep breath, she crammed everything she could into her shoulder bag then made her way back to the office. She’d tell him she needed to go to the supermarket for something or other and then disappear.

“What?”

He was talking on the phone and didn’t sound happy.

“Fuck. When?”

He listened for a few seconds. “Thanks, Norm. I owe you.”

The phone slammed down. He stood up and saw her. “Get ready. We’re leaving. Going away for a few days.”

“What? What do you mean?” Terror sliced into her chest making her breathless.

He made for the safe under the floorboards and quickly opened it. Through her panic she saw she was right. As well as a packet of documents, a huge pile of cash, and a gun, there was a DVD case.

“There’s a bag in my bedroom in the closet. Get it,” he barked at her.

She fled back down the corridor to his room. Maybe she could just duck out the back. But the DVD was just there in his hand. This could be her chance.

She found the bag and made her way back to the office. He was rifling through his desk, scooping up papers. When he saw her with the bag, he grabbed it and threw everything from the safe into it as well as the papers from his desk and a laptop. Grabbing her arm, he pulled her with him to the front door of the apartment and out into the covered car park of the Chadbourne.

The gleaming silver four-wheel drive she’d seen Randle and Julia in was parked in the gloom.

“Quickly,” he said. “Get in.”

“Where are we going?” she asked as she climbed in. He gunned the accelerator and with a screech of rubber made his way out of the car park, down the drive, and out onto Katoomba Street. They turned left, past the railway station then over the bridge until they were on the highway heading west.

“I’ve got a house in the Megalong Valley. Time for a few days away from the hustle and bustle. Just the two of us. We’ve had a good time over the last few days haven’t we? We can have some more.”

There was an undercurrent of panic in his voice that Nessa didn’t like the sound of. She’d never seen Angus out of control.

“What’s happened? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” he snarled. “Not a thing. That cunt Andrews thinks he’s got something on me but he’s wrong. There’s nothing for him to find. I’m not some dumb fuck who doesn’t look after his business properly.” He gripped the wheel and stared at the road, encased in rage.

Fear swirled in Nessa’s gut in greasy waves. Angus in this state was far more dangerous than Angus when he was on top of the world. She turned away from him and stared out the window, her mind desperately trying to come up with something, anything to get her out of this situation.

The gray-green bush slid past as they made their way to Blackheath, where he turned left over the railway crossing then down to the road to the Megalong Valley.

She was fucked. One road in, one road out. A long, winding road, full of hairpin turns, patches of mountain rainforest and at dusk, leaping kangaroos. At the bottom was flat farm land. A lot less houses than the mountains. The cliffs reared up as they sped on, making Nessa want to cower in her seat, fighting claustrophobia. She couldn’t disappear here, couldn’t tell Angus she was going out for some milk and just disappear. There was nowhere to go without a car.

They passed the Megalong Tea Rooms and the Community Hall and kept going further and further out. Finally, he turned into a driveway with a chained gate.

“It’s not locked. Get out and open it, then close it when I go through.”

His voice was cold and distant and she scrambled to do his bidding. Why on earth had she put herself in this situation? She’d had her chance, she could’ve escaped before they’d headed off, but no, she still had some stupid idea of making him pay. Now she was stuck with him alone, in the middle of nowhere.

She fumbled with the chain on the gate, finally releasing it to push back the gate. He drove in then waited for her to close the gate and re-chain it. She scrambled back in and he took off, driving down a dirt track for a few kilometres. Further and further away from escape.

In the back of her mind, away from the constant terror slicing into her brain, she could see the land they were traveling through was beautiful. Undulating gentle hills, fields and the odd cow or horse. She could hear over the sound of the car engine the mournful cry of some black cockatoos. Peering up, she could see them flying in a graceful arc overhead. Three of them. Always three. Funeral birds they were called, because of the piercing, sad lament in their cry. She shuddered, hoping they didn’t linger for other reasons.

Overhanging the whole valley was the escarpment they’d come from, ancient and indomitable. That’s where she had to get back to.

She glanced at Angus who still gripped the steering wheel like it was his lifeline. He was silent and seemed to have forgotten she was there.

After what seemed an interminable time, they turned behind a grove of eucalypts into a clearing where a cottage stood. Nessa gawped. Of all the places she thought Angus could establish his bolt hole, she’d never pictured this.

A rose-covered cottage straight out of some country lifestyle magazine. In a daze, she climbed out of the car and slowly walked to the front door while Angus grabbed his bags. White rose petals drifted down onto Nessa as she stood staring up at the winding canes of some ancient rose. She reached up and touched a flower then quickly pulled back her hand when a thorn caught her. Blood welled on her finger. She sucked on it and turned when Angus came up behind her.

“Everyone does that. Reaches for what they want and gets stung in the process.” He laughed. “I keep it there as a lesson.”

He pushed past Nessa to unlock the door. Fury caught her in a sudden, blasting gulp as she noticed the canes of the old rose were densely covered in thorns. So typical of the man.

The sharp pain from the thorn cleared her mind. She had to stop being paralyzed by fear and start making plans to get away. Preferably with the DVD.

Inside, the lounge room looked comfortable but was cold. Angus switched on the lights and headed for the kitchen.

“There’s a heater over there. Turn it on. We might have a fire later.”

She did his bidding again, but kept a close eye on where the bag containing the DVD was. He’d thrown it on the couch and was talking to someone on his cell phone.

“You don’t need to know, Gary. Just hold them off for a few hours. Then come down here. You can babysit for a few days.” He snapped off the phone and came out to her.

“Something’s really spooked you,” she said. “I don’t like this. What’s going on?”

“That cop thinks he’s got something on me. He doesn’t. I made sure of that. I want you to stay down here for a few days. Have some time to yourself.”

“What? Why? I can’t stay here. What the hell are you thinking?”

“I can’t risk you talking to him. You know too much. I can’t risk you blathering to him.”

“But if he wants to talk to me, he will eventually. You can’t keep me down here forever.”

A gleam in Angus’s eyes made Nessa think that’s exactly what he wanted. Her trapped and dependent miles from anywhere. He smiled and started walking toward her. She backed away and skirted around the room, looking for any way to escape.

“Don’t be stupid, Nessa. Just cooperate and I won’t have to hurt you.”

“Hurt me? What are you going to do? Tie me up? Leave me here for days?” Her eyes scanned the room looking for anything to protect herself with. There was a poker near the fireplace but it was on the other side of the room.

They kept circling each other, with Nessa making sure there was furniture between her and Angus. If she could just make a dash for the door. And then what? He’d thrown the car keys onto the couch next to the bag.

The bag. She continued circling away from Angus while he laughed and shook his head.

“Come on, Nessa. Stop it. It’ll be only for a few days. Gary’ll come down and stay with you. Then we can go to Sydney. I’ve got a flat there too. You can stay there and Andrews won’t know anything about it. We could have a good life, you know. There was always something special about you.”

She was behind the couch now, inching her way to the doorway.

“Special? How was I special? Aren’t I just another junkie you can use and chuck away just like you do with all the others?”

His eyes darkened with some strong emotion she couldn’t read. “You were never like that. I don’t know why, but the first time you came back to me, I knew you were different to the others.”

“Yeah,” she said bitterly. “They had more sense to beg you for pills after you’d raped them.”

In a smooth movement, she scooped up the bag and kept moving. He leapt for her but she ducked out of the way, unzipped the bag and fumbled for the gun. With a roar of rage he came for her again, using his bulk to tackle her to the floor.

She fought then, fought with everything she had, kicking, biting, screaming while one hand was still in the bag, searching for cold metal. He punched her hard in the gut. All the breath left her lungs and black dots clouded her vision. But she held onto the bag. He hauled her up and grabbed the bag, pulling it away from her. She pulled back and flinched, even as her hand closed around the gun and his arm rose to hit her.

She threw herself against him so he lost his balance, then was deafened by the shot. He screamed and fell, a gush of crimson spurting from his hip.

“You bitch!” he gasped. “Fuck!”

She stood staring down at him as he writhed on the floor. In a daze she grabbed the bag and backed away from him.

“Come back here you cunt,” he yelled. “I’ll kill you!”

She stood uncertain, then pulled the now hot gun from the bag. She could finish him off. This is what she wanted. What she’d always wanted.

He stared up at her with fear in his eyes as it finally dawned on him what she could do. Then the old Angus emerged as he sneered at her.

“You won’t do it. You don’t have it in you. Never had. You just want what I can give you. What will happen to you if I’m gone? Every time you got out of jail, I was your lifeline. Even your pathetic attempt to stay clean only lasted a few hours. You can’t survive on the outside without me.”

His words cleared her mind after the shock of the gun and the blood. She smiled at him and pulled the DVD out of the bag.

“Let’s see how you go surviving on the inside. Ex-cops generally have a pretty hard time.” She darted forward and grabbed the keys from the couch. “I’ll tell the cops to send down an ambulance.”

“No!” he roared as she backed out the doorway. She left him as he crawled toward the couch, trying to get himself up off the floor.

Nessa ran to the four-wheel drive, leapt in and floored the accelerator. She’d done it. Now she had to get to Julia and Dylan as soon as possible.