Riding the Storm (14 page)

‘Yess!’ he cried, punching the air. ‘She loves me and I want the whole world to hear and celebrate with me.’

‘The world won’t want to celebrate at all, I can assure you,’ she said with a wry smile.

‘Then we shan’t tell them. We don’t have to go public or even get married. We’ll just be together in secret. Like this.’ And slowly, still expecting resistance, he put his arm around her, drawing her close. He kissed her gently, experimentally until, sensing her relaxing into the kiss, he deepened it. Chrissie could only think how good it felt as she gave herself up to it with a small sigh. A long time later, flushed and breathless, they had to come up for air.

‘Ryan, wait. I don’t want to hide in corners, pretending this isn’t happening. But if we do marry, it’s only natural for us to want children. And as we’re so closely related, there could be health issues. Wouldn’t it ruin everything if we had to watch a child go through life with a major disability, knowing it was our fault?’

‘You’re imagining the worst possibility – looking on the darkest side. Why not look on the brighter side? We’re healthy – all our parents were healthy.’ He closed his eyes briefly, trying to blot out the memory of his mother and the illness
that haunted her final days. He gave a small sigh. ‘I can’t do it, Chrissie. I can’t imagine my life without you. Not now.’

‘We need to think about this a lot more. I’ll talk to my doctor and see what she says concerning the risks.’

‘Then you are willing to consider a future with me?’

‘I’m making no promises, Ryan. You have to be patient.’

And with that, he had to be content.

Seeing no reason to hurry home only to be bombarded with still more questions from Robert, they found a seafood restaurant willing to serve them an early meal. Chrissie used Ryan’s phone to text Val, telling her of their plans so she wouldn’t think they had wrapped her car around a tree. It was only when the food was put in front of them that they realized they were starving. Like lovers in a comedy romance, they fed each other oysters with lemon and chilli sauce. Chrissie said she’d never been able to enjoy them before. They sat talking for hours, only now learning how much they had in common; their love of animals, especially horses. Chrissie was a dedicated film buff and loved old black and white movies; she promised to show him some of her favourites. They ate a dessert of chocolate mousse, discovering a shared addiction to chocolate, too. Only after they had lingered over coffee and thin chocolate mints did they reluctantly decide to go home.

Once again, they stopped on the way to indulge their desire for closeness. And this time their lovemaking might have reached a conclusion but for the restrictions of a small car. Time passed without their realizing it and it was well into the evening before they finally arrived home.

E
ARLIER, ON REACHING
home, Val knew she must confront her husband and raise the various issues that troubled her. Margie was somewhere in the house, wielding the vacuum cleaner for a last go round before she went home, but otherwise they were alone.

In a previous life she would have hesitated, daunted by her husband’s size as well as his uncertain temper, but since his accident, he was far less intimidating. He seemed to sense that she had something to say as he headed for the lift as soon as he was back in his chair, hoping to escape to his study before she followed him there.

‘What do you want, Val? I’m too busy to talk to you now.’ He scowled as she pushed herself into the narrow lift beside him. ‘I’ve wasted enough time today already and need to catch up on my paperwork.’

‘What paperwork? Nothing that can’t wait, I’m sure,’ she said, wanting to remind him that she herself dealt with most of the business of the stables these days. Robert had become so inattentive and careless of late that several owners had lost faith in the Lanigan stables and taken their horses away. Val had to work hard to convince other clients not to follow suit
and it was only her heartfelt promises and the memory of her father’s good reputation that persuaded them to stay. Blissfully unaware of this close call, Robert thought it was business as usual. He had no idea that the success of the stables now depended largely on Ryan and Tommy. Exasperated by his high-handed attitude she felt bound to tell him so.

‘You have no idea, have you, how hard we all work to keep things going here. You don’t appreciate anything Ryan does.’

Robert gave a derisive snort. ‘He has a roof over his head. What more does he want? And you let him live here in the house instead of bunking in with the other hands.’

‘He has every right. He’s your brother’s child.’

‘As if you’d let me forget.’

‘I don’t understand you, sometimes. You seem to grudge the time we spent going to the aid of a young man who put himself in mortal danger to rescue our daughter. It’s only luck that it’s the kidnapper who was killed. It could just as easily have been Ryan.’

‘Well, it wasn’t, was it?’ he snapped.

‘Now why do I think you sound disappointed?’ Val followed him into the office and positioned herself in front of him, leaning back on his desk and blocking his view of the computer. ‘I think you know a lot more about this than you’re saying. And there’s one thing that’s been puzzling me for some time. How did you know the kidnapper’s name was Harry?’

His eyes widened and she saw the question had shocked him. ‘I dunno.’ He looked away, avoiding her penetrating gaze. ‘Somebody must’ve—’

‘No, they didn’t. Nobody mentioned his name until you did. I remember it clearly. You said “Ryan shot Harry.”’ And she
folded her arms, relishing the fact that she was making him squirm. ‘I’d say you’ve known this man for some time and had dealings with him before—’

‘Will you leave it, woman? I don’t have time to listen to your scatty theories.’

‘Then why are you getting upset? What am I saying that makes you so uncomfortable? You knew exactly how dangerous that man could be but you let Ryan go after him anyway, knowing full well that he might be killed.’

Robert had gone very red in the face. Panting, he leaned forward, clutching his chest. ‘Quick, Val. Get me a drink of water. I think I’m having a heart attack,’ he croaked.

‘Water won’t help if you are.’ Val was unmoved, quick to see this was an attempt to divert her. ‘I knew you were hiding something when you made up that cock-and-bull story about buying drugs for the horses. Did you really think I’d be fool enough to believe it?’

‘OK. I admit it was stupid but I needed time to think.’

‘What for? To invent a more plausible lie? But never mind that now. I want you to tell me about Harry Green – the hired killer at the centre of this tale.’ She went on before he could interrupt, ‘And don’t bother to lie because you’re no good at hiding your feelings. I’ve been watching you, Rob, and when you heard the kidnapper had been shot, you weren’t just relieved, you were almost elated.’ She paused for a moment, allowing her words to sink in. ‘Because it meant there was nobody left to point the finger at you.’

‘Christ, woman, you have a good imagination. You should write a book.’

She continued, ignoring his feeble attempt to laugh it off.
‘So – back to Harry Green. Who did you want him to kill and how did it all go so wrong?’

‘I dunno what you mean.’

‘I won’t be fobbed off. Not this time. We’ve been married a long time, Rob, and nobody knows you better than I do. No one can hold a grudge longer than you and I think this resentment of yours is long-term, going all the way back to Joanne and Peter. They went as far away as they could to get away from you but it wasn’t far enough. You still couldn’t draw a line and leave them in peace.’

‘I’d have left them in peace.’ He shrugged, looking sullen. ‘It was Peter who stirred things up. He took that beautiful, big grey horse that was earmarked for me.’

‘That’s not so. Hunter’s Moon was up for sale to the highest bidder. And that person turned out not to be you.’

‘No. It was bloody Peter again, standing in my light. Somehow he’s always there, isn’t he? Depriving me of whatever I want the most.’

‘Including Joanne, I suppose.’ Val sighed. ‘Poor old Rob. Did you really love her that much?’

‘Is that what you think?’ He laughed shortly. ‘No. I had a lucky escape there. You wouldn’t have recognized her as I saw her last – aged before her time, twisted with grief.’

‘Don’t be cruel, Rob. The poor woman’s dead.’

He made a dismissive gesture. ‘Ah, she was a loser just like my brother. Why should I care about them?’

‘You cared, all right. You cared enough to drive halfway across the country to Peter’s funeral. I thought it was odd at the time. But the funeral was just an excuse, wasn’t it? Come hell or high water, you had to have that horse.’

‘And I got him, didn’t I? Give it a rest, Val.’

‘I’ll give it a rest when I get to the bottom of it. You still haven’t told me why you needed Harry Green. And why you didn’t pay him when the job was done. You must have known a man like that wouldn’t take it lying down.’

‘Christ, woman, you’re like a terrier worrying a bone,’ Rob snarled, all pretence of good temper gone. ‘Let it alone, I say. Or you won’t like what you hear.’

‘I’ve lived with disappointment for most of our married life. There’s not much you can say that would hurt me now.’ She sighed yet again. ‘After all, it isn’t as if you ever loved me.’

‘Love!’ he said, mocking her. ‘Does anyone really know what that is? It was a marriage of convenience for both of us as you very well know. It was common knowledge that your father was terminally ill and you, as his only heir, would inherit the lot. And you were in a tight enough corner yourself, expecting a child out of wedlock.’

‘Yes. Thanks to you.’

‘I’ve always wondered about that girl. I see little of myself in her. And when you had that affair with the bloke from England, I started to wonder just how long it had been going on.’

‘D’you honestly think he’d have gone back to England without me if Chrissie were his? She’s yours, Robert, like it or not, although there have been times when I wish she wasn’t.’

‘Oho, now the truth is coming out. I was a fool, wasn’t I? I thought if you had one child already, you’d be able to give me a son. But you couldn’t even do that for me, could you?’

‘God knows, Robert, I tried.’ She straightened her shoulders and folded her arms. ‘But you’re dodging the issue as
usual. I want to know about Harry Green and why you needed to hire such a dangerous man. Your resentment against Peter and his family has had a long time to fester. Or why would you be so upset when I brought the lad here?’

‘I’m warning you, woman. Let it go. You’re not going to like what you find.’

‘I can’t. Not now I’m getting so close. It all started with Hunter’s Moon. I know how much you hate to lose and you lost the race you expected to give you the means to buy him. Then, to add insult to injury, you had to stand there and watch your despised younger brother pay over the odds to defeat you.’

‘That horse is a champion. He’d never have reached his potential with Peter. They would have been racing him in the sticks against country nags.’

‘While they were training him, yes. But Peter had much more ambition than you give him credit for. Didn’t he bring a mare to Sydney to win an important race? That’s how he made enough money to buy Hunter’s Moon.’

‘The horse that was meant to be mine.’

‘But you couldn’t just accept it and walk away. Oh, no. You had to give fate a little push. You couldn’t wait to take a horsebox onto the highway, the moment you heard your brother was dead.’ Her eyes widened as she realized she had stumbled on a very unpleasant truth. ‘That’s the connection, isn’t it? Please don’t tell me you hired that man to kill Peter in revenge for taking the horse?’

‘Listen to yourself. What kind of monster d’you think I am?’

‘A very vengeful one.’

‘Peter’s death was an accident. Everyone says so, including the girl who was on the beach with him. The coroner’s verdict
was quite clear: accidental death.’

‘Coroners like tidy conclusions with no loose ends. It’s all too easy to turn in a verdict of accidental death – case closed.’

‘Let it go, Val. You’re looking for sinister motives where there are none.’

‘Am I? And what about Tony Raymond? Chrissie saw him that very day at the races less than an hour before he was knocked down in the street. Are you trying to tell me his death was an accident, too?’

‘Of course it was!’ Robert was finally losing his temper and yelling. ‘All right – if you must know, I’ll tell you! Harry made a mistake and killed the wrong guy. And that’s the reason I wouldn’t pay.’

Realizing he’d already said too much, he tried to push himself backwards to get away from her. Val was staring at him, horrified by this latest confession. ‘Now you know everything. I hope you’re satisfied. Not that you can do much about it. It’s all speculation, anyway. And a wife can’t give evidence against her husband, can she? I think that rule still applies.’

Val was speechless for a moment, struggling to come to terms with what she’d just heard. ‘You hired that man to kill Ryan and make it look like an accident?’ she whispered. ‘Then he made a mistake and killed Tony instead.’

‘There you have it.’ Robert applauded softly. ‘Doesn’t matter. Tony Raymond’s no loss to the world.’

‘Only to his mother,’ Val said. ‘And it was the killer I saw that day at the hospital, wasn’t it? When I came to collect you from rehab. You said he was just another patient, passing the time of day – but I thought it was odd at the time. You both
seemed so intense and it preyed on my mind.’

‘Well, it’s too late to worry about that now. Pete’s gone, Joanne’s gone and now Harry’s dead, too. No one left to punish, is there?’

‘Only you.’

‘Really? I’m in jail already; a poor old cripple in a wheelchair.’

Val sighed. ‘But Robert, so many people have died and what for? So you could scramble over their bodies to get Hunter’s Moon.’ And she shivered, suddenly chilled.

Robert’s eyes glittered. ‘It’ll be worth it, you’ll see. I’ll make a champion of him yet.’

Val folded her arms and smiled, shaking her head. ‘But after all your plotting and planning, Tommy still isn’t yours. Oh, he’s physically here in your stables and you think you own him but really he doesn’t belong to you. He’s bonded with Ryan, Peter’s son.’

‘Sentimental nonsense!’ Robert was speaking through clenched teeth. ‘That animal’s only as good as the prize money he can win and he hasn’t won anything for me yet. D’you honestly think I care if he likes me or not?’ He started rummaging in a side drawer in his desk and Val realized he was searching for the revolver he kept there. He picked it up and checked it quickly to make sure it was loaded. ‘I’ll show you who’s in charge here. I’ll go down to the stables right now and put a bullet between his eyes.’

‘And what good will that do?’ Val felt the first stirring of panic, realizing she had said too much and pushed him too far. ‘You won’t have your champion then and you’ll break Ryan’s heart.’

‘An added bonus.’ Robert’s face was a mask of fury, his smile a grimace. Anger provided him with speed as he turned the wheelchair and started moving towards the lift. Val hurried after him, grabbing the back of the chair and fighting to move it aside as her husband twisted around, threatening her with the gun. She knocked it out of his hand before he could fire it and it spun away across the polished floor. But their struggle caused the chair to spin away from her in another direction, flying backwards towards the wide flight of stairs. She lunged forward, trying to catch it, and missed, falling heavily on her knees.

Realizing his plight, Robert screamed. He felt for the brake but panic was making him fumble. The chair was gathering momentum and couldn’t be stopped as it continued its backwards journey towards the stairs. With its helpless occupant still aboard, it bounced down the first flight before tossing him out when it reached the landing halfway. He rolled the rest of the way down to the hall, unable to stop. Val got unsteadily to her feet and looked over the bannister to see what had happened to him. He was lying motionless on the floor, the broken chair beside him, one wheel still spinning. It was impossible to tell if he was dead or alive.

She had to think quickly. Questions would be asked if a loaded revolver were to be found at the scene, so she seized it and wiped it off on her cardigan before returning it to its usual place in his desk. Fortunately, it hadn’t been fired. The vacuum cleaner had long since ceased its roar and she knew Margie would have heard the commotion and come to see what had happened.

She did. Hands to her mouth, she stared at Robert, lying
there motionless, and then up at Val, looking down on them from the floor above.

‘I heard raised voices and then a scream,’ Margie said. ‘What happened, Val? Are you all right?’

‘Robert lost control of his chair and fell down the stairs. D’you think he’s dead?’