Sacrifice (Absent Shadows Trilogy Book 2) (8 page)

Claire wasn’t as surprised as I thought she’d be when I rang to tell her. She sounded a bit miffed that it was happening so quickly, but her anger only lasted about twenty seconds before her excitement about getting to see Tom took over. I think she was beginning to find Gerald very boring. Although she made no promises, I knew she’d do her best to get here for the wedding.

Mom was both excited and disappointed. I knew one side of her would be relieved at how fast it was happening, as it took the pressure off her having to get on the plane to come over. There was no way she could get the time off work with such short notice, so it simply wasn’t an option. But she said she’d had a feeling something was up when I asked all those questions about how she and Dad had met. So, she agreed to forgive me if I promised to bring my husband over to meet her very soon. I said we’d try to come over just after New Year’s, and she was satisfied with that.

Everything would work out just fine. We’d have the wedding on Saturday. Then my glorious husband was going to take me away for an extended honeymoon all around Australia: Sydney, Cairns and the Kuranda Rainforest, and then across to Kakadu. After a few days in Kakadu, we’d go to Darwin, then down to Alice Springs and Uluru. After that we’d go across to Broome to swim with the dolphins and finally to Perth for a trip along the Margaret River. If it worked out, we might even take the train back across the Nullarbor, depending on availability. That was the story anyway. But what we were actually going to do was probably a lot less than all that. But we’d do what we could for as long as I was comfortable, and then we’d make our way to Mladen’s school for the birth.

But before we would do any of that, I had to meet with Mr Shaw’s lawyers. I’d nearly forgotten about the appointment with all the excitement of the wedding. I was to meet him Thursday morning.

~ Chapter Seven ~

Mr Cameron, the defence lawyer, was well dressed with grey hair and glasses—probably about the same age as Ian. He wasn’t nearly as intimidating as I’d feared he might be, but I was still nervous.

The room was sterile. A large table surrounded by six chairs took up most of the room, with a smaller side table at the back. There was one lonely print on the wall that I faced. In the middle of the table sat a pitcher of iced water and some glasses, and a bowl of mints. Mr Cameron poured himself a glass of water and offered me one. He thanked me for coming to see him, then waited until I’d taken a sip of water to ask his first question.

‘So, Ms McIntyre, tell me exactly what you saw—in this
vision
you had,’ he said, his voice calm. I was certain he was trying to make me feel relaxed, but it wasn’t really working.

‘Well, like I told the police, I saw this young girl being shot,’ I replied. The high pitch of my voice was a dead giveaway as to how nervous I felt.

‘It’s alright, Ms McIntyre. Try to relax. I just want to understand exactly what you saw. Shall we go on?’

I nodded in agreement, and clenched my teeth.

‘So, you saw this young girl being shot. And did you see who it was that shot her?’ he asked, his voice still very calm.

I thought hard about what I’d said to the police, not wanting to mix up my story. ‘No. I only saw her.’

He frowned, and rubbed his hand on his chin for a moment before asking the next question. ‘So, you didn’t actually see a man pointing a gun at her?’

I’d already answered that, hadn’t I? I returned his frown. ‘No, I saw her and I heard the gun go off.’

‘I see. And you said you saw the man burying the gun, is that right?’ His voice was no longer quite so calm. Now he sounded more like the lawyers I’d seen on television.

‘Yes.’ I remembered Claire’s advice about not admitting anything, but I couldn’t exactly change my story now. Maybe I should have taken her up on her offer to have her stepfather come with me, for moral support if nothing else.

‘And if you had to, do you think you could pick that man from a line-up?’

His question caught me by surprise, and I’m sure my eyes gave that away. The police hadn’t even suggested anything like that. They’d only asked if I could describe him, and I hadn’t been able to.

‘Well, maybe. No … I mean … I didn’t see him that clearly. He was bent over … and he was in the shade of the tree. So, I don’t think I could.’

He nodded again, thoughtfully. He made some notes on his pad and when he finished writing, he tapped his pencil on the pad as if undecided about how to continue. He put the pencil down and sighed. When he looked up at me again it was with a smile on his face.

‘Okay then. So, what about the girl you saw—what can you tell me about her?’

I described her as I’d seen her. That was easy. I could almost visualize her standing in front of me now—red shorts and white top, long dark hair and tanned skin. She would be out of place in this room.

‘And how did you know her name? Did she speak to you, in this
vision
?’

‘Yes. Well, no, I mean, not exactly. But somehow, I just knew her name. It was as if she shouted it to me, I suppose.’ I was certain the police hadn’t asked so many questions. They were more interested in the gun than in how I’d come to find it. But then again, they dealt with facts and evidence. Perhaps, to them at least, my vision was neither.

‘I see.’ He said the words slowly, then just sat looking thoughtful as he gazed out the window. Was he waiting for me to say something more? If so, he’d be waiting a while. I had no intention of saying any more than I had to. When he finally spoke, his voice was calm and mesmerising once again.

‘Would you agree to meet my client, Richard Shaw?’

‘Meet him?’ I’d started to relax, thinking this was nearly over, but his question sent a rush of adrenaline through my veins and my heart started pounding.

‘Yes. He has asked to see you, if you would be so kind. Of course, you’re under no obligation to do so, Ms McIntyre. And whether you will see him or not, we truly appreciate your co-operation thus far. Not everyone would come all this way to talk to us—that was very generous of you, taking the time to do so.’

‘Yes, well, that’s okay.’ I was glad for the change of subject. Maybe I could get out of here without actually answering that last question.

‘You do understand that he’s in jail, don’t you? That he’s been charged with murder?’

‘Murder?’

‘Yes. His fingerprints are on the gun—the unregistered gun that was used to kill the girl, her sister and their mother. And although your
vision
may not be admissible in court, it did point the police back to him for further questioning.’

‘Because of the fingerprints?’

‘Yes, because of the fingerprints. The fact that you knew the girl’s name and that you were able to describe her exactly as she was dressed the day she died, made it easier for the police to identify the case. But they’d have found him anyway, because of the fingerprints. That’s what really threw a spanner in the works—that and the fact that my client doesn’t deny burying it.’

~ Chapter Eight ~

The woman in the full-length mirror looked more like a fairy-tale princess than the girl who usually gazed back at me with tousled hair and running shoes. Could this really be me? Or were the lights in the bedroom playing some sort of trick on me?

The dress was simple, but it suited me perfectly. Made from heavy cream-coloured silk, it was form fitting down to my waist, with a large flowing skirt that just missed the ground by less than an inch. It had a square cut front and a deep V at the back. There were little bead-like buttons on the long tight sleeves, and a few down the back. My hair was also done simply. Left long, it hung down just below my elbows, but the front was pulled back away from my face into a single soft braid. I wore a flower garland on my head, made from tiny cream-coloured roses.

As I stared at my reflection, I couldn’t believe how fabulous I felt. I mean, weren’t brides meant to be nervous? In less than an hour I’d be standing next to Sam, and we’d become man and wife. Well, technically vampire and wife, but it wouldn’t be appropriate for the celebrant to say that now, would it? But surprisingly there were no butterflies today, none at all. And as for being pregnant, I’d never felt better. Maybe I was one of the lucky ones, because here I was one-sixth of the way through my pregnancy, and I felt wonderful.

Debs stood beside me, her eyes glistening as she admired what she’d helped to create.

‘I know that every bride is beautiful on her wedding day, but you, well, you are truly stunning. What luck to find a dress that suited you so perfectly—and with so little time? And your hair—wearing it any other way just wouldn’t be you. I must say, I’ve never seen such a beautiful bride. Here, let me take some photos of you, right now, before the wind has a chance to muss up your hair, and before you have smiled so much that your face looks unnatural. Your mother will want to see you just as I see you, right now.’

She sniffed back a tear, then grabbed a camera and started snapping photos—a few caught me as well as my reflection.

‘It’s time. Are you ready?’ she asked, when she finally stopped snapping photos.

‘Yes, but just one thing, Debs. In case I forget to say it later, thank you, for everything—for helping make this day so special; for being here for me; for taking Sam into your heart so quickly. And especially for agreeing to give me away, since my father can’t be here to do it. I really appreciate everything you’ve done. Now I’m ready. Let’s go.’

When the lift doors opened to the foyer, I could see a carriage waiting out front. It was drawn by two perfectly matched white horses with big bows tied onto their harnesses. Another big bow took up most of the back of the carriage. I looked at Debs, and she smiled and winked.

‘Well, we couldn’t have you arrive in anything other than style, now could we? Come, Cinderella, it is time for you to meet your Prince Charming.’

I struggled to get into the carriage, so I hiked the dress up and climbed up the steps in a rather un-ladylike fashion, laughing the whole time. It was a good thing I wasn’t a celebrity as the paparazzi would have had a field day with this.

It was a short trip up the hill, along the same route that I’d run so many times before. But in the carriage, caught behind a bit of traffic, it seemed to take a very long time. When we finally arrived the carriage dropped us at the corner of King Street, and Debs walked beside me as we climbed the gentle slope up to the top of the hill.

The gardens were very different from when I’d first seen them. The trees which were bare throughout July and August were now in full leaf. The garden beds were full of fragrant roses, and birds were singing. As we approached the small crowd, the string quartet started playing the traditional bridal song, and everyone turned to watch us walk toward them.

My breath caught when I spotted Sam standing in front of the celebrant, waiting for me. His tuxedo was dark grey, with a silver vest and tie. He was so handsome, I couldn’t believe I was actually about to marry this man. Even from a distance I could see his gorgeous blue eyes twinkling.

As we approached I made an effort to take it all in. I wanted to remember this moment forever. The small group had formed a sort of avenue, and the first one I noticed was Claire, standing next to Tom. She’d made it after all. And she looked more beautiful than I’d ever seen her—clearly in heaven standing with Tom’s arm around her shoulders. Tom, standing beside her, beamed proudly. Erranase, looking quite the sophisticated gentleman, stood on the other side of Tom.

Crystal was across from Claire, and looked stunning as she always did. She wore a golden sari, perhaps the one she wore at her anniversary party. Michael held her hand and whispered something in her ear as we approached, and they both smiled at me. Ian stood on Crystal’s other side, and he too was very handsome in his suit and tie.

Elizabeth was just behind Crystal, standing next to Henry who appeared to be crying. I hadn’t realised ghosts could cry, but Elizabeth had said they pretty much did whatever they did when they were alive, so I suppose he must have always been sentimental.

As we stopped in front of the celebrant Debs handed me over to Sam, and I saw her wipe a few tears from her eyes as she went to stand beside Ian.

The ceremony was short and sweet—a rather non-traditional one that the celebrant had suggested when we said we didn’t want anything religious or conventional. There was no obeying required in this marriage, although we did promise to love each other and be true to each other ‘throughout eternity’. I liked the idea of being his until time stood still. But this was something we’d sort out later, not today.

Fifteen minutes after it began, the formal part of the wedding was over and I was Mrs Samuel Benjamin Todd.

Claire ran up to me and gave me a big hug. ‘I can’t believe you kept this a secret from me. I mean, I knew you and Sam had something sort of special going on, but this?’

‘Oh, Claire, I’m so glad you made it. I’m sorry for the short notice. It was … unavoidable.’

‘Unavoidable? What an odd way of saying that you’re knocked up and wanted to have the wedding before you started to show. I mean, really. All that stuff about having to come back to talk to the police. I did think that all sounded pretty far-fetched,’ she said with a teasing tone in her voice, but I wondered if she had any idea how right she actually was. ‘I wasn’t going to ask my father for the money, but in the end I figured I didn’t want to miss your wedding because of pride, so I rang him, and I started to cry … so he had his secretary book me a ticket on the next plane. I got to fly business class. How’s that eh?’

The sound of Claire’s laughter drew Tom’s attention, and he walked up and leaned over to kiss my cheek. ‘I’d do better than that if I thought I could get away with it, but Sam over there is watching you like a hawk. Don’t want to go making him jealous now, do we?’

Tom, in a dark suit similar to Sam’s tuxedo, was something to look at alright, and just might make Sam jealous at that. I’d always thought he looked a bit like a model, but today he was particularly handsome. Standing next to Claire they were like Helen of Troy and Paris, and I could see a war being fought over them. Hey, maybe I’d actually learned something in my mythology class after all.

Erranase also watched from where he stood at Sam’s side. He nodded when I caught his eye, and I could see him mouth the word’s ‘would you care to dance?’ as he held his arms out in an inviting gesture. I smiled and nodded agreement, not caring that the first dance was meant to be the married couple. Erranase walked up and gracefully led me onto our makeshift dance floor, and we danced a waltz. I had no idea what to do, but he was a strong leader so I simply followed and it was actually reasonably successful. Sam stood beside his tree, next to Elizabeth, and watched with a very proud look on his face.

Soon Tom and Claire were beside us, then Ian and Debs, followed by Crystal and Michael. When the song changed, Erranase happily allowed my husband to cut in, and we danced the next ones. My husband; I liked the sound of that.

Just before sunset, the musicians said their farewells, and Michael and Tom began to clear away the tables and tent. Debs mentioned her feet were killing her so Ian took her by the hand and they said goodbye and made their way down to King Street. A few moments later Erranase faded into the distance as well. Crystal kissed my cheek and excused herself to start tidying up, leaving me standing with Claire and Sam. When I sighed, Sam took my hand.

‘Are you okay?’ he asked, concern darkening his blue eyes.

‘I couldn’t be more okay. I couldn’t even image having a more wonderful day. Thank you, for everything. And Claire, I’m so glad you were able to be here. This has been the best day of my life.’

‘It has been good, but you know, you forgot one important thing,’ said Claire, her mouth scrunching up into a theatrical pout.

‘Did I? What have I missed? We cut the cake together, and we drank a toast. Oh, I suppose Tom should have done a speech, but he seemed a bit shy about it.’

‘No, that’s all good, but you were meant to carry a bouquet, and throw it. That way, all the single girls,’ she threw her hands out, palms up, and looked around as if to indicate this could only be her, ‘could queue up to catch it. The one that catches it is meant to be the next to be married!’

‘Oh, I’m sorry—I didn’t even think of that.’

‘That’s okay—you’re forgiven. Anyway, Tom might have run for the hills if I’d caught the bouquet.’ Her eyes searched for Tom, and when she found him, she smiled.

‘You think? I’m not so sure about that,’ I said, winking as I grinned at her.

‘Who knows what the future may bring,’ she giggled in reply. ‘But for now, I think your husband looks like he would like to take you home so you can start your honeymoon.’

‘You’re a mind reader, Claire. Shall we?’ Sam said, offering me his arm.

We left the others to clean up and walked home from the gardens—to our home. The evening air was just beginning to cool down, so Sam put his arm around my shoulders. I felt enormous pride as we walked, passing a few people along the way. I couldn’t help but think that they would be envious of me, obviously married to the most awesome man in the universe. I couldn’t wipe the smile from my face at the thought.

When we got to his front door Sam carried me over the threshold and up the stairs to our bedroom. When he walked through the door he turned so I could see the bed. It was covered with little cream roses, and there were candles burning on the bedside tables. Soft classical music played in the background and there was a bottle of champagne in an ice bucket, with two glasses beside it.

‘Crystal,’ we both said at the same time, and then we began laughing. And that night, my husband made love to me all night, very gently, and very thoroughly, and it was the most wonderful night of my life.