Hooker (31 page)

‘She was the love of my life,’ he says. The sadness in his voice tugs at my heart. ‘Her name was Beth. We were high school sweethearts.’

Covering his hand with mine, I give it a comforting squeeze. ‘It must be hard for you. What about your daughter?’

‘I
lost her too. Twelve years ago.’

‘What?’ I gasp. ‘How?’

‘She went missing.’

‘And you’ve had no contact with her since?’ His shoulders slump as he lets out a sigh.

‘She would’ve contacted me if she was still alive. Her bank account hasn’t been touched since she went missing.’

‘You think she’s dead?’ I whisper, squeezing his hand. ‘Have you tried to find her?’ Pulling his wallet away from my chest, I look down at the picture again. I know I’ve seen that face before.

‘Yes. I’ve spent the last twelve years searching. That’s how I came to work for M. After my wife died, I fell into a deep depression. I started drinking heavily. I wasn’t there for my daughter when she needed me most. I was so wrapped up in my own grief that I didn’t even stop to think that she was going through the same thing.’

‘Oh Rupert.’ I don’t know what else to say.

‘She ended up getting involved with the wrong crowd, and started taking drugs. It was her coping mechanism. I’ll never forgive myself for not being there. If I was, maybe she’d still be alive. She was only sixteen when her mother passed.’

I see him wipe a tear from his eye and a lump rises to my throat.

‘She was such a good girl. A straight-A student, until our family fell apart. She never gave us any trouble. The day before she went missing, she came to me. She told me about the drug addiction and how M had cleaned her up and given her a job. Can you believe, in that moment I felt gratitude towards that woman for helping my daughter. I was so misguided.’ He shakes his head as he speaks.

‘Your
daughter worked for M?’ I ask in disbelief. That’s why she looks so familiar. I must’ve seen her at the house.

‘Yes. The night she came to see me, she told me she wanted out. She’d met a young man and they were in love.’

Knowing M as well as I do, I know that wouldn’t have gone down well. ‘Do you think M had something to do with her disappearance?’

‘I know she did. That’s why I started working for her. I thought being on the inside, I’d be able to find out more. That’s how I came to know about the hidden room. The one I found you in. I’d gotten hold of the plans of her house, hoping it would give me a clue. Anything.’

‘Jesus. Did you find anything?’

‘Nothing. Not a damn thing.’

‘What was her name?’

‘Sasha … Sasha Taylor.’

Oh. My. God. The moment he says her name, memories of that night, and M’s voice, flash through my mind. It’s a name that has haunted me for years. ‘
Nobody walks away from me, Sasha. Nobody!
’ M had screamed into the girl’s face. ‘
Do you understand me?
’ I’ve tried to block out memories of that night for the past twelve years, but no matter how hard I try, the dreams and flashback still come. I look at the picture again. She’s a lot younger in this photo, but there’s no doubt in my mind that it’s her.

Dread fills me. ‘Sasha was your daughter?’ I ask.

‘You remember her?’ His face lights up and he groans, clasping at his shoulder, as he tries to sit up.

‘Oh Rupert.’ Tears are freely falling down my face. I’ll never forget what happened. ‘I remember the night she came to the house. I’d only been living with M for a few weeks.
I was woken by the sounds of screaming. It frightened me. It was coming from downstairs. Sneaking out of my bedroom, I went to the staircase. Sasha and M were arguing in the foyer. I wanted to run back to the safety of my room, but I didn’t. I squatted down and watched through the bannister.’

‘Do you remember what happened? What they were saying?’

‘Yes,’ I whisper. ‘You’re not going to like it.’

‘I need to know … please.’

I look at my lap—I don’t want to see his reaction to my news. ‘Sasha was crying, and M was screaming at her.’ Sighing, I close my eyes I transport myself back to that night. ‘She said she’d met a man and they were in love and were planning to get married. M was furious and told her she couldn’t leave, and then—then …’ My hands cover my face, just like they did that night. ‘M grabbed her around the throat. She was choking her, Rupert.’

When I hear a sob escape him, I look up. He’s crying, and I feel awful.

‘I’m so sorry.’

‘Don’t be,’ he replies, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. ‘I’ve been searching for answers for the last twelve years. It’s ironic that we’ve been working together for all this time, and you’ve had them all along. It’s the not knowing that’s been the hardest thing to live with. I accepted her death years ago—I didn’t have a choice. In my heart I knew she was never coming back.’

‘Oh, Rupert.’

‘I need to find my baby and give her the proper burial she deserves. That’s all I’ve ever wanted. I won’t be able to find
peace until I do. I want to bring her home and lay her to rest beside her mother.’

I lean over the bed and wrap him in my arms as we both cry. My heart is truly breaking for him. I hate that he’s suffered for so long.

We stay like this for the longest time, comforting each other, until I pull away. To my knowledge, M has no idea I witnessed what happened. That night changed me—in my heart I knew I was no longer safe living under her roof, and that’s what unknowingly gave her the power to control my future. Fear.

A brief conversation M had on the phone immediately after the murder replays in my mind: ‘
Bring something heavy to weigh down the body
.’

Dear God.

‘I think I know where her body is, Rupert.’

BROCK

‘He
was a selfish prick right to end,’ Josh says shaking his head in disgust.

‘How so?’ I ask, fastening my seatbelt and turning the key in the ignition of my Lamborghini so we can head back to our mother’s house.

‘You heard the coroner. He was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm three fucking years ago. Why is this the first time we’re hearing about it? I bet you anything Mum doesn’t even know.’

I look at Josh, sighing heavily as my eyes meet his. ‘Just before he died I told him I despised him,’ I confess. ‘I said I was ashamed to be his son. I thought I was the reason for his death, now I know better.’

‘You know as well as I do that it would take more than words to kill that man. He was a ticking time bomb. It was just bad timing on your part.’

‘I know, but I still regret what I said, even if I meant every word.’ I just didn’t think it would be the last thing I ever said to him.

‘I’m
sorry,’ Josh says, placing his hand briefly on my knee. ‘Is that why you took his death so hard?’

‘Yes. I felt responsible.’

‘You should have talked to me.’

‘I know.’

‘He’s said a lot worse to us over the years. Well, to me he has. Karma finally caught up with him.’

‘I guess.’ Even so, that day will still haunt me.

Josh was right, my mother knew nothing of the aneurysm. She’s just as shocked as we were when we tell her. I shouldn’t be surprised, keeping secrets from her was my father’s speciality. I leave Josh with Mum, so I can head back to the hospital to collect Jade. I’m itching to see her. Being with her last night wasn’t enough—we have a whole week of missed time to catch up on. Although I was absent, I made sure the boys were looking after her. I was in no place to care for her myself, but at the same time I wouldn’t have been able to cope not knowing if she was okay.

My heart rate accelerates as I travel in the lift to Rupert’s ward. These feelings Jade ignites in me still freak me out, but at the same time I love them. She’s my drug.

I find myself smiling as I approach Rupert’s room. I feel lighter than I have in days. I know it’s because of her. Sure, I still have misgivings about what happened in the moments before my father’s death, but I’m relieved to know I wasn’t the cause of it. Like the coroner said, he was a ticking time bomb. He was surprised my father lived as long as he did, given the size of the aneurysm.

My excitement turns to confusion when I step into the room and find Jade and Rupert crying. What the fuck? ‘Jesus, Jade,’ I say, crossing the room.

‘Oh
Brock,’ she cries, wrapping her arms around my waist. ‘I’m so glad you’re here.’

‘What’s happened?’ I frown as I look at Rupert. He looks just as devastated as Jade, if not more.

‘You’d better sit down,’ she says, wiping her eyes.

Fuck. I’m not sure if I can take any more bad news. Things were just starting to get normal for me again. Once I’ve taken a seat next to the bed, I pull Jade onto my lap. I hate seeing her upset.

‘Is someone going to tell me what the hell is going on?’ I ask, when nobody speaks.

She looks at Rupert. ‘We think M killed Rupert’s daughter.’

‘What? Hold on—what?’ I didn’t even know Rupert had a daughter.

‘Rupert’s been working for M because he was trying to find his missing daughter. Her name is Sasha. I remember her, Brock. I remember what happened. It was not long after I came to live with M.’

*

It’s two in the morning by the time we arrive back at Jade’s apartment. It was after midnight when detectives finally left the hospital. Jade insisted that we stayed with Rupert until he was settled. My heart went out to them both. Especially Rupert. Poor guy. I had no idea he’d been through so much. It also explained a lot about Jade and M’s relationship. No wonder she was so frightened of her.

Jade said she’d covered her eyes when M started choking Sasha. A few minutes later she heard a loud thud, so she peered through her fingers. That’s when she saw Sasha lying
on the floor by M’s feet. She explained how she’d stayed on the landing, too frightened to move. That would’ve been a tough thing for a kid to see. My heart bled for the little girl she once was. I don’t even think Jade realises now just how amazingly strong and resilient she is.

She never faltered once while giving her statement, and remained composed the whole time. Despite her horrendous childhood, she never gave up. I can’t even begin to comprehend how it would feel to be all alone in this world, with not a soul to turn to. Nobody you could trust. Her strength and will to survive despite all the odds blows me away.

I knew M was a cold hearted bitch, but what shocked me more than anything was the phone call Jade told us she made to Rocco: ‘
Rocco, it’s M … I need you to come over … I don’t care that it’s the middle of the night … Shut up and listen to me, you fool … I need you to take a trip to the quarry … Yes … Sasha … Bring something heavy to weigh down the body
.’

It surprised us all that Jade could remember so much detail after all this time. I suppose those poignant moments in our lives seem to stick with us. Just like I know my father’s last minutes on this earth will stay with me forever.

I didn’t doubt anything Jade had said. Both hers and Rupert’s stories gelled together perfectly. There’s no way they were making it up. Still, the detectives said since the incident happened twelve years ago, and Jade was a minor at the time, they’d need to do some investigating before they could take the case any further. They said they were going to question M and Rocco though.

Now Jade is exhausted. All she wants is to go to bed, but I’m able to talk her into having a bath first. She needs time to wind down, otherwise she’s never going to get a restful sleep.

When
I leave the bathroom after filling the bath, I find her sitting at the foot of her bed, her head buried in her hands. Seeing her like that hurts my heart. All I want is for life to give her a damn break.

‘Hey sweetheart,’ I say softly, kneeling in front of her.

Raising her head, her watery eyes meet mine. ‘My heart is breaking for Rupert.’

‘Come here.’ I pull her into my arms. I love how caring she is towards others. With the way she’s been treated over the years, I find it very admirable. When I let her go, I stand, holding my hand out to her. ‘Your bath is ready.’

‘Will you join me?’

‘Of course.’ She didn’t need to ask me—I need her comfort just as much as she needs mine.

I help her into the bath before climbing in behind her. ‘I hope they find Sasha,’ she says as she relaxes back onto my chest. ‘Rupert deserves to know what happened to his daughter.’

‘I’ll make it happen.’ I don’t know how, but I will. I’ll place a few calls in the morning and see if I can pull some strings.

‘For years I wondered who that girl was. I presumed, like me, she had no family—that’s why nobody ever came looking for her. Now I know differently, and that breaks my heart. Poor Rupert.’

I tighten my grip around her waist when she swipes a hand across her face. ‘I hope M rots in hell for what she’s done.’

‘That so easily could’ve been me,’ Jade says.

‘I’d never let that happen.’ Guilt floods me. I almost let it happen. I’ll never forgive myself for leaving her alone that day.

‘When
I got back from New York I told her I wanted to quit, and the first thing she did was grab me around the throat.’

Jesus Christ. I didn’t think it was possible to hate that woman any more than I already do. Rage surges through me. I place a kiss on top of Jade’s head. Words elude me. I can’t even begin to imagine the horrors she’s faced over the years. She’ll never have to worry again. She’s safe with me, and I’ll make sure nobody ever hurts her.

‘At least now she won’t be able to harm anyone else,’ Jade whispers.

*

Two days later I’m standing beside a large dam at the bottom of a quarry. It took numerous calls and a lot of pulled strings to make this happen so quickly. Now we wait while the police divers scour the murky waters below. Both Jade and Rupert wanted to be here today, but I managed to talk them out of coming by offering to be present on their behalf. I can understand them wanting to come, but this is no place for either of them. A father watching as his daughter’s remains are removed from her watery grave is just unfathomable. As for Jade, she’s already been through way too much. There was no way I was letting her come here. She’s my responsibility now and I aim to protect her from here on in. I left her at the hospital with Rupert, promising to let them know as soon as I had any word.