Home Truths (13 page)

‘Goodness, is everything all right, dear?' Connie asked.

Jennifer forced herself to pull back and wiped her tears away. She thanked Connie and Shirley for making the day easier for her, Sofie and Claudia.

Connie's gaze flicked between Jennifer and Calum, and her smile widened. ‘We loved Bob and this day was our tribute to a wonderful, caring man.' She scanned Jennifer's face. ‘Is everything all right? Is there anything I can do?'

‘I hope so. Is Veronica here somewhere?' Jennifer asked.

‘Oh dear.' Connie blushed,
and
looked sad. ‘What a pity you missed her. She was at St Mary's, but unfortunately she couldn't make it here.'

‘Shirl, got any, you know?' Calum asked, eyebrows raised.

‘How…?' she started.

‘Gran told me.' Calum reached for an empty teacup and held it out.

Jennifer had no idea what was going on, but was thankful Calum had put his arm around her again and tucked her into his side.

Shirley opened her enormous bag, pulled out a silver flask; she unscrewed the top and poured a large amount into the cup.

Calum handed it to Jennifer. ‘Drink,' he said, gazing at her with soft eyes.

Jennifer nodded, sniffed the contents, which made her eyes water and took a gulp. Through coughing, she managed to squeak, ‘Whiskey.'

Before Jennifer could ask any more questions, a couple of friends occupied Connie and Shirley's attention.

‘Take another sip,' Calum whispered in her ear, his warm breath and deep voice sending a delicious tingle through her. She brought the cup to her trembling mouth and drank.

Calum didn't leave her side all afternoon. How was she going to shake him off so she and Sofie could get home and take the wretched call?

By early evening, Jennifer began to worry that people thought she had an obsessive-compulsive disorder about time and watches. She felt relieved when guests started moving off and she could stand by the door next to Sofie, shaking hands, thanking everyone as they passed.

‘Sergeant Stewart, thanks for coming.' Fearing he wanted to chat, Jennifer had to restrain the urge to hurry him along.

‘Evening, ma'am. Some of us are going to the pub. Would you like to join us?'

‘Sounds like a lovely idea,' Sofie bubbled with enthusiasm, gazing up at Brock.

Jennifer blinked at Sofie. Could this be a way out, a way not to burden Sofie any more than she had to?

‘That's a lovely idea, Brock,' Jennifer said, charm in top gear, ‘Um…I tell you what, Sofe, you go ahead with Brock and everyone. I'll walk up to the pub as soon as I've had a chat with Connie and Shirley.' God, she hoped her sister wouldn't ask awkward questions.

‘But didn't I see you talking to them earlier?'

Bugger!
‘Um…yes but then we um, friends distracted them. It's all right, Sofe,' Jennifer urged, ‘I'll be right behind you.'

‘Okay.' Sofie agreed, but gave her a suspicious look. Then, eyes dancing between Jennifer and Calum, she gave them a knowing smile, wiggled her fingers, she said, ‘See you in a few minutes…or not.'

Jennifer gave her sister a wide-eyed teeth-gnashing smile, which she took no notice of.

‘Hold on, Sofie,' Calum said. ‘My sister Michelle's going to the movies; she wants to know if Claudia would like to join her.'

Michelle stood to one side, clear blue-grey eyes smiling over a small nose with a smattering of freckles and full pink lips. Her glossy, auburn hair hung loose to her shoulders. She wore a short, dark skirt and T-shirt with the word
Lost?
written across her chest in sparkling silver.

‘What a great idea. Thank you, Michelle. Claudia's leaning on our car, go ask her, I'm sure she'd enjoy the distraction.'

‘Cool. See you.' With a cheery wave, Michelle jogged towards Claudia.

Jennifer watched her sister and niece leave, and sighed with relief that she could spare them this terrifying drama.

Once out of sight, Calum curled a hand around her neck and turned her to face him, head dipped, concerned hazel eyes locked onto hers, he said, ‘There isn't anything further you want to say to Gran, is there?' She shook her head. ‘You don't want to go to the pub do you?' She shook her head again. ‘I'm taking you home,' was his final, and definite, statement.

Calum took her by the hand and a flutter erupted low in her belly. She couldn't remember when she'd last felt a hand like his, big, strong, and callused from hard work. He made her feel safe. He led her straight to his Range Rover, popped the doors, and helped her in. In a daze, she watched him move around the bonnet and angle in behind the wheel. He paused to look across his shoulder at her. When she didn't move, he leant over, grabbed her seatbelt, and, God help her, he was right there, his face barely inches from hers. She breathed in his masculine scent mixed with fresh pine and wanted to bury her face in his neck and forget about everything.

‘You gotta buckle up,' he murmured and clicked the belt into place.

He shifted back into his seat, strapped himself in, turned on the ignition, and swung the car into Grey Street. He'd rolled his white shirt up to just below his elbow and the relaxed, manly way he handled the wheel sent a quiver through Jennifer. Calum was in control, and she like that…a lot.

Without a word, he stopped at the pub's bottle shop, jackknifed out, strode in, and came back with bottles of wine wrapped in paper bags. He slid behind the wheel, twisted around and sat the bottles on the back floor, and headed for her uncle's place.

* * *

Calum wasn't going to beat around the bush; he wanted to know why a phone call from her brother would send Jennifer into a spin.

‘You want to talk about why you were shaking like a leaf after your brother's phone call?'

He could almost feel her body stiffen. ‘Bret's always been a worry, seems nothing's changed.'

‘You can talk to me. I won't tell anyone, not Sofie, not anyone. I promise. But I think you need to tell someone what's going on.' He glanced her way. ‘Come on, it can't be that bad.'

From the corner of his eye, he could see she was studying him.

‘How can I believe you? People make promises and never keep them. I'm sorry, but what makes you so spe…any different?'

‘You'll have to trust me. I won't tell a soul.' He shrugged and hoped that would cut it.

‘He's-been-kidnapped-by-some-dude-who-sounds-as-if-he's-escaped-from-maximum-security,' she blurted out in a rush. ‘I don't know, but I think they want either five or ten thousand.'

‘Shit…that's heavy! Why didn't you say something to Brock? He was right there.'

‘They said, involve the cops and we can kiss Bret's arse goodbye.'

Fuck!
He hadn't expected that kind of problem.

‘I'm really scared,' Jennifer muttered. “My brother's constantly getting himself into strife, but never anything as bad as this. And I don't know whether to involve Sofie. She's been through so much already, and she's far worse at worrying than I am. I'll get the money together somehow.'

‘What about your parents?'

‘I'm the fool he called, not Mother and Father. Honestly, I don't know what their reaction would be. Not even sure they would believe me.' She shook her head. ‘I'm not setting myself up for disappointment by ringing them to find out.'

‘I see. I suppose that ties in with the fact Bob banned them from attending the funeral?'

‘Pretty much,' she mumbled.

But Calum got the distinct impression that was as far as Jennifer was going to go. ‘I gather the kidnappers will get in touch again, tell you when and how?'

‘Yes, tonight sometime. Typical. I think they've been watching too many gangster movies, the idiots,' Jennifer muttered, twisting and untwisting her hands.

Calum reached over, clasped her right hand with his left, and laid it on his lap; holding it there, he rubbed it back and forth, trying to ease her tension. Neither said anything for a while, and the silence grew heavy inside the confines of his car.

He had to take his hand away from hers to indicate and manoeuvre the car through a roundabout. To his astonishment, and immense pleasure, she didn't move her hand from his thigh.

‘I won't ditch our little pain-in-the-arse brother. But he's involved with who knows what sort of miscreants, and I'm —' she clenched her fists, ‘— furious. I mean, shit, they know my phone number! What else do they know about me?'

‘I'm sure your brother wouldn't have handed his phone over without a fight, Jen.'

‘Huh! You don't know him. And now I don't know him anymore either.' She paused. ‘No, you're right, it wouldn't be difficult to wrestle him for his phone.' He saw her shudder. ‘But why choose me?'

Although he wanted to haul her across and hold her tight, he couldn't prevent the soft chuckle deep in his chest. ‘Keep venting, Jen, it's good for your health.' Calum patted her hand, still resting on his thigh.

‘Yeah, but I'm terrified.' Calum felt her fingers flex and glanced across to see her staring out the windscreen transfixed. Focused on inner demons, unaware she'd squeezed his thigh.

They drove in silence until they stopped in front of the garage doors.

‘Thanks for dropping me off,' Jennifer said, unbuckling her seatbelt.

‘I'm not leaving you out here, open the garage please.' Okay, so she looked a little stunned, but hopped out and keyed in the code.

Calum drove into the garage. He switched the headlights off, grabbed the wine, and slid out as the roller door rumbled closed behind him.

He smiled within when Jennifer took his outstretched hand and led him to the back door.

A glow came from the upstairs kitchen window. It was too dim to be the light in that room. It had to be coming from somewhere else.

‘Did you leave a light on?' Calum asked, as they crossed the courtyard.

‘I haven't been here since this morning, and after what you said I didn't touch
anything
electrical.'

‘Get behind me,' Calum ordered and, hands around her waist, he lifted her out of the way. He took her keys, touched the door and it swung open.

‘Bloody hell,' she whispered, over his shoulder. He felt her shudder of fear against his back. ‘I locked this door after my sister left last night, and I haven't been out this way since.'

‘Stay behind me.' Calum peered through the doorway and crept in.

Hands at his waist, Jennifer followed.
Nice,
he thought, liking the feel of her warm hands.

They entered the sunroom and waited, listening. He couldn't hear anything; his gut didn't give him any vibes so he placed the bottles of wine on the floor next to the stairs.

Jennifer shivered and rubbed her arms. Calum glanced over his shoulder and brought his hand around and tugged her into his side to warm her.

‘You okay now?' She nodded. ‘Stay here,' Calum ordered. Crouching low, he took off to search the shop and its rooms. A couple of metres along, he could feel a presence behind him. Fists clenched, he turned ready to swing a punch, stopping just in time. ‘Jesus,' he hissed. Heart pounding, he relaxed his stance. ‘I nearly smacked you in the jaw. Why aren't you back at the stairs?'

Eyes wide, she whispered, ‘I'm not waiting anywhere alone until I know there's no one here.'

Still trembling, arms tight to her chest, she peered through the dark at him.

‘Come here,' he whispered, concerned. She moved forward into his side. Wrapping an arm around her shoulder, they moved forward and checked every corner.

Satisfied downstairs was clear, Calum locked the back door and said, ‘I'll go upstairs, have a look around.'

‘I'm not staying alone down here either,' Jennifer hissed.

He gave her a look, said nothing, and turned to mount the stairs.

Each tread creaked the moment Calum set a foot down. He started to take his shoes off and signalled for Jennifer to do the same. Her hands were shaking so much he worried she'd dropped one of them…and she did. Calum grimaced as it hit the floor with a loud thud.

Jennifer's worried eyes hit Calum's; on seeing her apologetic expression, he grinned.

‘Sorreee
,' Jennifer mouthed.

They reached the dark hall. Calum flattened his back against the wall. He swung an arm out towards Jennifer, and his hand landed on a breast. She let out a faint gasp and he swiftly moved his hand down to grab hers. He sidled to the living room, edged around the doorframe. She slanted around his shoulder and peered in: no one in there. They snuck along to the bedrooms and found them empty. She hadn't let go of his hand, which he thought was sweet. They moved on to the kitchen. A dim globe hanging from the centre of the high ceiling looked on the verge of dying out.

‘Maybe you didn't switch the light off last night,' Calum whispered, and brought the back of her hand to his abs.

‘You could be right,' Jennifer said, her voice barely a whisper as she stared up at the bulb. Calum smiled to himself as she subconsciously slid the back of her hand over his flat stomach, at least that's what it seemed, and he hoped he was right.

‘But that doesn't account for the unlocked back door,' he added.

Jennifer gasped. ‘No,' she answered on a soft sigh. ‘Perhaps there's a simple explanation, like it's an old lock and things happen?'

‘Nuh, that's bullshit. Anyway, there's no one here,' Calum shrugged. ‘May as well make ourselves comfortable and wait for the phone call.'

‘Huh…you're waiting with me? I'm a big girl, you don't have to,' she told him, eyes wide.

‘It's not a matter of having to. Christ, I just crept all over the shop and house with you trembling into my side and now you're okay with being alone — well I'm not.' His gaze softened and he touched her face with the back of his hand. ‘I want to stay.'