December (23 page)

I could hear Winter yelling in the background, trying to wrench Rafe off me. Then I felt
something
thud hard on my legs. I looked down and saw what Winter had been trying to warn me about. A huge beam of timber had fallen across my ankles, trapping me. I couldn’t move.

Through my dazed vision, I saw Rafe jump up and pick up a huge rock. Winter tried to tackle him down, but he shoved her away, hard,
sending
her flying. I spotted Boges starting to charge him, but Rafe shoved him away, too, with
unbelieveable
strength.

My uncle stood above me, the crushing rock held high above him, the evil grin twisted into a snarl of demonic fury.

I tried to get up, but my legs were jammed under the timber. I was stuck.

Rafe was about to smash the rock down on my head.

Any second now, I’d be dead.

Goodbye Ormond Singularity. Goodbye
everything
. It would all be over in seconds.

A roaring sound caused Rafe to hesitate. He turned to look up as the massive second tower of Cragkill Keep finally caved and came crashing down in a thunderous avalanche. The huge stone carving we’d noticed earlier, broke free from the crumbling tower, falling and swooping down towards us. All I could do was flinch as it bore down … then landed … right on top of Rafe. The rock he was wielding flew out of his hands and skittered away as the oddly-shaped stone from the sky obliterated him and saved my life.

Winter and Boges rushed over to free me, lifting the beam from my ankles. As they helped me up, Rafe lay motionless under the massive stone formation that had fallen on him, missing me by just centimetres. Beyond him, the bulldozer
churned away, uselessly turning in a slow circle, jammed up against the pile of stones that once had been part of the walls of Cragkill Keep.

‘Can you walk?’ Boges asked me, helping me to my feet.

‘Not sure yet,’ I said, trying. I looked down to see blood seeping through my jeans. I tried to walk, but almost fell.

‘Dude, don’t try to move. Just take it easy for a moment.’

‘You might have broken something,’ said Winter, kneeling beside me.

‘What about Rafe?’ I asked, alerted by a
groaning
noise and looking over at the outstretched figure under the massive stone.

He was alive. Just. Half of his face was pulped and almost unrecognisable. He made a sound—a hoarse, harsh noise in his throat.

‘Cal,’ he was trying to say. ‘Help me.’

‘I want the truth,’ I replied, still trying to stand up.

My uncle groaned again.

‘Film this, Boges,’ I said. ‘I want a full
confession
.’

Boges whipped out his mobile and selected the video function. ‘Start now, dude.’

‘Tell me everything,’ I ordered. ‘You killed my
dad. You tried to kill me. Tell me everything. It’ll go better for you in court.’

‘I don’t think he’s going to make it to court,’ Winter admitted, looking at his flattened body.

‘Admit it
was
you who sabotaged the fishing boat that night out on Treachery Bay. It
was
you who sabotaged my life jacket.’

‘I did,’ he murmured. Boges leaned closer, making sure his words were captured on the recording.

‘So that you could swim to shore safely with a story about how you’d tried to save me but I’d tragically drowned,’ I continued.

Again, Rafe tried to nod and say yes.

‘But you didn’t take the storm into account. Then you set me up by attacking Gabbi and inflicting injuries on yourself. Making it look like I’d shot you. Admit it!’

‘Yes,’ came the weak response. ‘Sharkey helped me. Please. Call an ambulance.’

‘Sharkey helped set it up?’ murmured Winter, still in disbelief.

‘And long before any of that, you hired
Toecutter
,’ I accused him, sick at the thought. I recalled the blueprints I’d found in his house, with an ‘X’ marking one of the bedrooms. ‘It was you who organised for me and Samuel to be kidnapped, wasn’t it?’

I could hear the sound of sirens coming our way. Had someone else alerted the police?

‘Is that true?’ I shouted at him.

‘Yes,’ came the hoarse voice.

‘What about my mum?’ I asked him. ‘What really happened to start that fight the other day? Tell me!’

Rafe’s eyes blinked. His chest barely moved up and down. His breath came in long, slow heaves. ‘She discovered that—’

‘That what?’

‘That I’d been replacing her herbal teas with—something else.’ His voice was so weak, I strained to listen. ‘Something that made her more
obedient
… made it easier for me to—’

‘—to control her!’ I finished for him. ‘You were poisoning her!’ My face twisted in disgust. This man had been drugging my mum with one of his botanical toxins! No wonder she’d turned against me. ‘Is that all? There was something else she discovered, wasn’t there?’

Rafe could hardly speak now. But I was merciless. ‘Tell me!’

‘She found them. Where I’d hidden them.’ He was struggling to breathe—his voice was nothing but strangled whispers. ‘The Ormond Jewel and the Riddle. Rathbone and I stole them from you. Please Cal … get help.’

‘How could you do that to us? To your own family?’

‘I just … wanted … out of the shadow …’ he said.

‘You let me think my mum hated me! That she believed I was a monster!’

‘Your mother
loves
you … you fool.’

And with that his head fell to the side, lifeless.

I stared hard at the oddly-shaped statue that we’d finally managed to roll off Rafe.

Winter was staring at it too. ‘It has wings,’ she said. ‘Look.’

She was right. It was the crumbling figure of a huge stone angel, worn by four hundred years of rain and wind.

‘The Ormond Angel,’ I whispered, looking up at Winter.

‘Came to the aid of the heir,’ she whispered, pulling me away from my uncle’s body.

‘Incredible, dude,’ Boges said, staring at the fallen angel. ‘The stories were true. The Ormond Angel saved you.’

In the distance, a village clock started
chiming
the hour. The chimes came slowly, the sweet sound of the bells echoing through the night.

One, two, three
…

I had rightfully claimed the Ormond
Singularity
, just in time, and we had proof that Rafe had been behind the crimes I’d been accused of. I could go back to my country, and there’d be no more running, no more hiding, no more watching my back.

Even going to school seemed like a great idea.

Four, five, six
…

I thought of what I could do with the treasure I’d inherited. I could buy back our house in
Richmond
and Mum would never have to worry about money ever again. I could pay back Boges for everything he’d done for me. I could give Repro some jewels to add to his collection, and maybe even help him reunite with
his
mother.

Seven, eight, nine
…

I slipped my arm around Winter’s waist as the three of us turned back towards the floodlit ruins. Winter looked up at me with sparkling eyes. I really wanted to kiss her, but before I could, she hooked an arm around my neck, moved in close and, on tiptoes, kissed
me
.

I’d make sure she would never have to think about Sligo ever again. She could go back to her family’s house in Dolphin Point, and start over. I held up her left wrist and softly kissed her bird tattoo. We could both start over. We were both finally free.

Ten, eleven
…

Boges grinned and draped his arms over our shoulders. We all smiled at each other. Battered, filthy, exhausted and proud. I had two of the best friends a guy could ever wish for.

My team. My friends.

The last chime—twelve—echoed across the marsh and then all was still and quiet. Midnight of the 31st December. We’d done it. After 365 days, we’d finally done it.

I pictured Ryan, my lost twin. Now we had the rest of our lives to look forward to, together.

I pictured Mum, back to her old, happy self, free from Rafe and his poisons. She was in front of our house, welcoming me back, Gabbi beaming widely at her side. We’d be a family again.

Lastly, I pictured my dad. He was nodding at me.

‘It’s freezing,’ I said. ‘Let’s go home.’

Epilogue
31 JANUARY

Boges, Winter and I are home. It’s January again, but a very different January from the last one.

I’ve reunited with Gab and my mum—who’s almost her old self again. We plan on buying back our Richmond house and can’t wait to settle in and start getting to know Ryan Spencer. We’re all looking forward to telling him stories about Dad and our amazing family history, and
showing
him the drawings that led me to the Ormond Singularity.

My new lawyer, Belinda Quick, is working on having all the charges laid against me
overturned
.

I’ve looked after Boges so that he, his mum and his gran, have everything they’ll ever need. Boges is keen to get stuck into his studies—specialising in biometric systems and micro
listening devices. He’s also keen to ask out Madeleine Baker, from school … but might need some tips from Winter.

Winter’s staying with us. She’s delivered evidence to the police, proving that Sligo caused the accident that killed her parents. Everything that belonged to her family will soon be returned to her. She’s relieved, but convinced someone made it out of the Inisrue Marsh bog alive …

I returned to Repro’s hideout with a
jewel-filled
pouch for him. He was speechless when he saw what was inside.

The Ormond Riddle and the Ormond Jewel are in a secure, secret location.

These days, I’m still being chased, but by people who want to know more about my life and the incredible DMO.

This is my story.