Spoilt (30 page)

“
Hey, you ok partner?” she asked him.

“
Yeah, I just need a minute.”

“
She’s still alive, Lucas. You found her.”

“
Yes but did you see what he did to her?”

“
Yes I did and also what we can’t see.”

“
You think I’m worried about whether he ... touched
her?”

“
Well, yeah, maybe.”

“
If he did, I can deal with it and so will she.”

“
Then what’s the problem? I thought you’d be tailing that
bus.”

“
I came so close to losing her and I don’t ever want to feel
like that again.”

“
Well hopefully you won’t have to.”

“
Exactly, if I’m not with her, then I won’t if anything
does.”

“
Are you saying you’re going to walk away now, after
everything she’s just been through? I can’t believe it. She makes
you so happy.”

“
I can’t go through this again.”

“
She’s not your parents, Lucas. She isn’t dead.”

“
Yes but what if something else happens to her? I’ve had a
taste of what that would be like and I don’t think I could take it.
I lost my head when she was gone. I have not been doing my job
properly since I met her. I lost focus. I should have been at the
house when he turned up and took her. If I’d shown her the sketch
we may have been able to identify who Chad Wilson was and we could
have prevented this from happening. And we still don’t know where
Wesley Robinson is, because that wasn’t him.”

“
I don’t think Wesley had anything to do with this. I think
Chad Wilson was working alone.”

“
Why? What could the motive be?”

“
We’ll have to wait and ask Chelsea about that when she is
recovered enough to talk to us, if she even knows. Are you in love
with her?”

“
Totally and unconditionally but she’ll be better off without
me. I didn’t protect her. I’d rather try and get over her now than
have to do it later, when it will be that much harder.”

She shrugged. “It’s your happiness. Good luck with that.” She
shook her head and walked off.

* * *

At the hospital, a nurse came into Charlotte’s room to inform
them that Chelsea was alive and being treated.

“
Oh thank heavens,” Sarah murmured. “Please let us know when
we can see her.”

“
Is Lucas Hudson here?” Charlotte asked.

“
Yes, I believe so. He’s in the waiting room.”

“
Can you ask him to come and see me please?”

“
Sure, I’ll go get him for you.”

“
Thanks.”

A few minutes later a tired and drained looking Lucas trundled
into the room.

“
Lucas,” Charlotte said. “Come here.”

He ambled over and perched uncomfortably on the edge of her
bed. She sat up awkwardly and gave him the biggest hug she could
manage with an arm in a sling.

“
Thank you for finding my sister.”

“
You’re welcome,” he said.

His expression was blank and unreadable.

Charlotte introduced him to the rest of the family, who each
in turn, showed him their gratitude.

“
Is she ok?” Sarah asked him.

“
She’s a little banged up but she’ll be alright.”

“
Did he …. do anything
else to her besides ...?”

“
Um, I don’t know.” He cleared his throat. “I’m sorry but I
have to go to the station and fill out some paperwork. I just came
to see if you were both ok.”

“
Who was he?”
Sarah asked.

“
Chad Wilson.”

“
Who is he and why would he have done such a
thing?”

“
We are hoping Chelsea will be able to tell us
that.”

“
She’ll want to see you, Lucas,” Charlotte said.

“
I’ll come back later.”

He stood up abruptly, said his goodbyes and strode
out.

“
Something’s not right with him,” said Charlotte. “I thought
he would be happy and relieved, but he looks almost sad. I thought
he’d be anxiously pacing the hallways, not going into
work.”

“
Maybe he’s just tired or in shock. It has been a long couple
of days,” Bradley assured her.

“
Hmm, I just hope he’s not running away,” she replied with a
grim expression. “Chelsea will need him more than ever
now.”

* * *

Alone in the room Chelsea attempted to block out the
recurring horrors. The screams and pleas of the other poor girl
filled her mind as she tried to rest. Chelsea gave up on sleep. Her
thoughts switched to Andrew and her confusion over his complete
hatred for her. What had she done that was so terrible? Ignored him
because she didn’t know him at school? Become engaged to his cousin
and unknowingly shattered their relationship? These were very
unstable and flimsy reasons to take the lives of five young girls.
She couldn’t comprehend it. And he had murdered Wes too. She
couldn’t believe Wes was dead. When the reality hit, she choked
back a sob. He hadn’t walked out on her – he had been murdered.
What possible actions on her part could have provoked such a cruel
plan? Was she really the spoilt snob she’d been dubbed most of her
life? Was she responsible for Wes’ death? Guilty tears streamed
down her face.
Lucas, where are you? I need you.
This only prompted fresh tears and
agonising sobs.

Chapter 33

Case Closed

Sunday

Consumed by guilt and sorrow, Chelsea tossed in her sleep.
When she woke the next morning her entire body throbbed. Although
the morphine was dulling her physical pain, it could not alleviate
her emotional scars.

The previous night, when the doctor came to see her, she
buried her troubles and put on her bravest façade. He advised her
she would have to spend several days in the hospital, to rest and
recover. She’d listened numbly as he ran through her
injuries.

The wound at her throat required twelve stitches and her chest
more than twenty per wound. The injuries to her face, though nearly
as painful, were much less serious. Her eye and cheek were bruised
and her x-rays revealed no breaks. A small laceration on her left
eyebrow also required stitches and her nose was fractured. He told
her it would heal straight but it didn’t matter to her, she was far
to numb to care. As she’d lost blood and was dehydrated they were
replacing her fluids via an IV drip. The doctor, concerned about
infection, was also giving her medication to starve it
off.

After the doctor left,
her whole family, except Charlotte, came
to see her with concerned expressions.

“
I’m alright, really,” she said to them. “He didn’t do
anything to me that you can’t see.”

“
Who was he, Chelsea?” her dad asked and she explained
everything she knew and the
y commiserated Wes’ loss with mournful
expressions.

She asked after Lucas and they told her he came to see
Charlotte but had to go back to the station. They stayed with her
until she went to sleep, thoroughly exhausted. Staying asleep had
been the problem.

* * *

A nurse wheeled Charlotte in, wearing a sling and an
unreadable gaze, while Chelsea was attempting to eat her breakfast.
When the relief at seeing her safe and well washed over her, fresh
tears began to fall.

“
I’m so glad you’re ok,” Charlotte said, hugging Chelsea as
best she could. “I was freaking out, Chelsea.”

“
I’m so happy you’re ok too.” Her tears stung her lip as they
cascaded down.

“
It takes a lot more than that to stop me.” She smiled.
“Chelsea, please don’t cry, are you ok? Are you in pain? Should I
get the doctor?”

“
No, I don’t need a doctor. I’ll be alright in a minute. I’m
just really glad to see you.”

“
Me too,” she paused. “Where’s Lucas?”

“
I don’t know. I haven’t seen him. He’s probably
busy
.
I’m sure I’ll see
him later.” Hoped was more the word.

“
He’d better.”

“
Why wouldn’t he?”

“
No reason.” She shrugged and averted her eyes.

“
Charlotte?”

“
When we saw him last night, he looked kind of sad and made
excuses about why he wasn’t waiting until he could see you. He had
on his stone face detective look. He was most likely just tired and
still in shock. I’m reading into nothing.”

Chelsea didn’t say anything for a few moments trying to gather
her thoughts. “I thought he would be here after the doctor left
last night or at least this morning. I know it would be hard to see
me like this, but I still thought he’d be here.”

“
You do look pretty awful.”

“
Gee thanks, Charlotte.”

“
You know what I mean. H
e loves you. He was doing it tough when
you were missing. I’m sure he’ll be here as soon as he
can.”

Chelsea nodded but she wasn’t feeling as confident as
Charlotte appeared to be.

“
Time for you to return to your room,” said the nurse as she
walked in. “You both need to rest.”

Charlotte rolled her eyes and waved as she was wheeled
away.

By mid morning Chelsea still hadn’t seen Lucas since he put
her in the ambulance. Her despondency grew with each passing
minute.

* * *

Chelsea managed to get a couple of hours sleep before lunch
arrived. She attempted a few bites but found she couldn’t stomach
it and proceeded to push the peas and tasteless mashed potatoes
around the plate. Thoughts swirled around her mind like the marks
left by her fork in her food. She gave up and pushed it aside. Her
heavy heart filled with angst. The pain living inside her chest was
more vivid and intense than the wounds on the outside. Where was
Lucas?

It was late afternoon before she received another visitor,
however, it wasn’t from the detective she longed to see.

Maggie sat on a chair beside the bed. “Hey, are you
feeling?”

“
A bit sore but it could be worse. I’m not even going to think
about looking in the mirror for a while,” she said, trying to be
cheerful.

“
You look a little beat up but not too bad.” Maggie smiled.
“Do you mind if we run through what happened just so we can close
the case. If you’re not up to it, I can come back later or
tomorrow.”

“
No, it’s fine.” She looked down at her hands clasped together
in her lap. “Where’s Lucas?”

“
He hasn’t been to see you yet?”

Chelsea shook her head without lifting her eyes.

“
I thought he’d already been. He kind of opted out from doing
this part. It was a bit more than he wanted to hear I think. He
went home to get some rest. He didn’t sleep much the last couple of
days. He was kind of going out of his mind.”

“
Yeah, well me too and I’ve been told that already. Still
doesn’t explain his absence,” she said, still looking down. “Let’s
get this out of the way.”

“
Sure,” said Maggie warily. “I’ll ask the tough ones
first.”

Chelsea nodded her consent.

“
Can you tell me what happened?”

Chelsea began from the beginning and told Maggie the story
as she relived every moment again in her mind. She finished by
voicing her confusion and guilt. That she couldn’t understand how
he’d been driven to kill first Wes and then the girls. That it
appeared he been consumed with jealousy and anger that she didn’t
know she had caused or how. That, because of his obsession with
her, and his jealousy of Wes’ love for her, he had destroyed five
lives and families. When she reached the end of the horrific story,
guilt threatened to consume her.

“
I’m sorry about Wes.” Maggie paused and Chelsea offered a
weak smile of thanks. “The doctor has filled me in on your injuries
but he didn’t do a rape kit so I have to ask whether you were
sexually assaulted?”

“
No, he tried but I distracted him. He was interrupted again
when you and Lucas knocked the first time, thankfully.”

Maggie
could see the guilt in Chelsea’s expression and hear it in
her voice. She determined she needed to prove to Chelsea that she
didn’t do anything to incite Andrew Smyth to murder. “Chelsea, this
wasn’t in any way your fault, any of it. This man was unstable,
probably insane. You absolutely mustn’t blame yourself.”

Chelsea didn’t answer.

“
Are you ok?” Maggie waited and Chelsea offered a quick nod.
“I don’t think there is much more we need to know. We’ll do more
background work on Smyth but he is deceased and all the evidence is
in his house so we should have all we need. The rest you probably
don’t know anyway, so we can close this without going into any more
detail from you. If I do need anything else, is it ok if I come
back?”

“
Yes of course, whatever you need.”