The Defendant (30 page)

His grin widened and her heart flooded with gratitude. She was so thankful to see him smiling—even if it was only over a lame joke about her dad’s car. It was a start and she hoped she’d helped to take his mind off the fact that the judge’s decision was being handed down the next day.

Jason was already waiting for her just inside the primary school’s front gate. He gave a ghost of a smile when he spotted them and Josie waved. She got out of the Mustang and flipped the seat forward so that he could climb into the back then tossed his school bag in after him.

“Would you like to go for an ice cream? We could go to McDonalds.”

“Okay,” Jason murmured from the back seat.

Josie glanced toward Daniel beside her. “How about you, Daniel? Would you like to go to McDonalds?”

He shrugged. “I guess so.”

Josie noted their reluctance but forced a smile. “Good. McDonalds it is then.”

While the boys were enjoying ice creams, Josie called Chase and quietly brought him up to speed.

“Thanks for letting me know. I actually called the hospital earlier. I wanted to find out the likelihood of Trevor Logan being discharged in time to be at the court house with Daniel tomorrow. I think Daniel would appreciate having his father there. Thankfully, the doctors are pleased with his progress. He should be discharged in the morning.”

Josie nodded and swallowed the lump that had lodged itself in her throat. “You’re a good man, Chase Barrington. Don’t ever let anyone tell you different.”

He muttered a response that Josie didn’t hear, but she could tell that he was pleased. He promised to stop by later. She ended the call with a soft smile on her face and then called out to the boys.

“There’s something I want to tell you both. It’s about your dad.”

Their faces immediately sobered and she hastened to reassure them that everything was all right.

“In fact, your dad’s doing great. The doctor’s hoping he’ll be well enough to come home tomorrow. That will be great, won’t it?”

Both boys nodded solemnly and then Jason broke out in a grin. It had been so long since she’d seen him smile, she was a little taken aback.

“Dad’s coming home? Is it true?” he asked with more life in his eyes than she’d seen all afternoon.

Josie nodded. “Yes, hopefully he’ll be discharged from the hospital in the morning.”

“I have to be back in court in the morning,” Daniel stated flatly.

“Yes,” Josie said carefully. “And Detective Barrington and I are hoping your dad will be there with you.”

A tiny light of hope glinted deep within Daniel’s eyes. “Dad will be there? At the court house? He’ll be there when the judge makes his decision?”

“Yes, sweetheart, I believe he will.”

“So, he’s all better? He’s well enough to come home?”

Josie’s heart filled with sadness at the anguish and hope that warred on Daniel’s young face. He’d been through more than most adults and he was only twelve years old.

“Yes, darling. I believe the doctors have agreed that he’s well enough to come home. I’m sure he’s eager to see you again.”

Daniel nodded and bit his lip and Josie could see he was trying hard to hold back tears. Unable to help herself, she stood and put her arms around both boys and hugged them close. Daniel sniffed and then the tears began to fall: big, quiet tears that slid soundlessly down his cheeks. Jason buried his face in her clothes and clung to her.

After a little while, both boys pulled away. Daniel swiped at his eyes with the back of his hand. Jason’s expression remained sober. Josie almost wished the younger boy would break down, too. Bottling up his emotions wasn’t healthy. She made a mental note to speak with his school counselor about it.

“Let’s go home,” she suggested softly and was rewarded with nods from both of them. Gathering her handbag and keys, they left the restaurant and headed toward the car.

* * *

Scott Jones floored the accelerator pedal. The cheap second-hand car fishtailed down the highway and he shouted with jubilation. He was finally free of the shithole that had taken six years of his life. The guards had processed him early and he was making good time. He calculated he’d arrive in Watervale late in the afternoon, with plenty of time to scope out the town and locate Doctor Josie Munro.

He’d been fortunate the photographs of her in the newspapers had been of good quality. Her image was seared into his brain. He was sure someone would know her and would tell him where he could find her, particularly when he told them he was a friend of the family and needed to contact her urgently. The ruse had worked for him in the past. There was no reason to suspect it wouldn’t work again.

Most people only saw what they wanted to see. He’d tidied himself up a bit; bought some cheap, new clothes. No one would ever know that less than twelve hours earlier he’d been an inmate in Sydney’s notorious Long Bay jail. No one would connect him with Neil. From what he’d been able to gather from the newspaper articles, Neil had been murdered before he’d even entered the town limits.

Scott licked his dry lips and scrubbed a scarred hand over his stubbled chin. What he wouldn’t give for a shot of whiskey—or even a cheap bottle of gin. It had been six long years since he’d tasted alcohol and the thought of being able to pull into a bar and order a drink had him salivating.

He spied the indistinct shapes of the houses of another town a little bit up ahead and thought longingly of doing just that, but then he remembered the reason he was driving like a man possessed, straight through the middle of nowhere, and he bit down hard on the urge. He was on a mission to avenge the only man who’d ever shown him kindness.

Over the course of Scott’s twenty-five years, he’d spent more time in prison than out. His latest stint had been drug-related—just like the majority of prisoners doing time. He’d barely been nineteen when he’d been convicted and sentenced to a non-parole period of six years.

He’d been stunned at the severity of the sentence.
Fuck, it had only been marijuana.
So what if he’d been growing his own crop? So what if he’d been supplying towns up and down the coast? It wasn’t like he was dealing in cocaine or crystal meth. They were the hard-core drugs.

His first night in Long Bay had been a nightmare. He’d been bashed while taking a shower. It was kind of a traditional way of saying hello to the newcomers, so he learned later. The pricks would probably have raped him too, if it hadn’t been for Neil.

At the time, he had no idea why Neil Whitcomb befriended him. He only found out months later that he reminded Neil of his brother. The truth of it was, Scott didn’t give a fuck about the reason: Neil Whitcomb had been his savior.

From that very first time in the shower, Scott stayed close to Neil’s side. It didn’t take him long to realize he couldn’t have found a better buddy to look out for him.

Neil was an old hand and had spent more years in prison than out. There was no one in the system who didn’t know him—inmate and guard alike. Neil had power in the prison that Scott hadn’t even known existed and it was only the very brave or stupid who took Scott’s protector on.

Occasionally, it happened and that’s when Scott got to earn his keep. He might have been young, but he was fit and strong and the years of his childhood spent living on the streets had taught him how to fight. He was only too happy to show the idiots a lesson. Anyone who threatened Neil found out the hard way that it wasn’t a good idea.

He’d put one bloke in the infirmary for the best part of a fortnight. He’d been a little stressed the asshole might die. But then, the fucker had pulled through and had returned to the cells, silent and suitably chastened.

The beatings served as a warning to others and for most of the time, he and Neil were left alone. It helped the time pass tolerably and until Neil had been paroled early, Scott’s stint in Long Bay had been done in relative ease.

And then Weasel had brought him the news. Weasel had told him that the man who’d been brother and father to him had been murdered by some stupid kid.

He shook his head again at the memory and cursed aloud at the injustice. Neil had done his time; he’d repaid his debt to society and look how he’d been treated? Shot dead with a bullet to the back of the head. The kid had been too gutless to face him. It was an ignoble end to a warrior and Scott was determined to set things right.

Or die trying.

* * *

Josie parked the Mustang outside the gate that led to the front door and climbed out. The boys had left the clothes she’d bought earlier in the week in the spare room, so there was little to bring inside, apart from their school bags. Jason had also taken the news of his grandmother’s illness with surprising calm and seemed content to spend another night or two with Josie. Once again, she worried about his resilience and vowed silently to make time to talk to him.

As soon as they got inside, Daniel disappeared down the hall and Jason asked if he could watch TV. Josie nodded and walked into the kitchen. With a little sigh, she went about gathering supplies for dinner from of the pantry. She didn’t know if Chase would stay and eat with them, but she hoped he might. Over the past few days, she’d gotten used to sharing the evening meal with him and now she made provision for him at the table.

After putting together a tossed green salad and setting out steaks to thaw, she remembered she still hadn’t called the plumber and tugged her phone out of her handbag. She scrolled through her contacts and found the number and dialed. To her relief, it was answered on the third ring.

“Pete’s Plumbing.”

“Oh, it’s Josie Munro. I had a job booked in with you earlier this week. Someone was supposed to come out and fix my blocked toilet. I’m not sure what happened, but no one arrived. I just wanted to make sure I’m still on the list.”

“You out on Whiskey Creek Road?”

“Yes, I’m staying at the cottage on the Holloway farm.”

“Yeah, I remember. Sorry, I got caught up with a broken sewer line. It took longer than I expected and by the time I was finished, I was stinking to high heaven. I wasn’t fit for company. If you’d seen me, you’d understand what I’m saying.”

“Okay, that’s fine, but when can you come out? It’s already nearly five.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that. I don’t work to a clock. Do you have a second toilet?”

“Yes, I do, but I’d really like this one fixed.”

“Oh, I’ll get it fixed for you, love. I might not get out there until dark, but I’ll do my best to get out today. How’s that sound?”

“Well, I guess if it’s the best you can do, then it will have to do.”

“Like I said, I’ll do my best. If I’m lucky, I might even get out there before six.”

Josie thanked him and ended the call. She could hear the low murmur of the television coming from the adjoining room and wandered down the hall in search of Daniel. No doubt the knowledge that the judge was handing down his decision the next day was playing on his mind. She found him lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling.

Easing down, she perched on the side of the bed. “How was school?” she asked quietly.

His only response was a half-hearted shrug.

“You’ve had a lot to deal with these past couple of months. It’s okay if you’re feeling a little overwhelmed. In fact, most people would be feeling that way. Tomorrow’s a big day. I want you to know that, no matter what happens, I’ll still be here for you.”

He nodded, the movement of his head stiff and jerky. “My lawyer said unless the judge decides I’m not old enough to know what I was doing, I’ll be going to jail.”

Josie bit her lip against the instinctive denial that rose to her lips. There was no point in giving him false hope. The reality was exactly as his lawyer had stated.

“You think I’m old enough to face up to my actions, don’t you? That’s what you told the judge.”

“Yes, Daniel, I did, but I didn’t say it because I want to see you punished. I was asked to provide my professional opinion and I did that.”

“It’s all right. You did what you had to do. You told the truth.” He drew in a ragged breath and kept his face averted. “When I saw what that man was doing to my mom, at first I froze. It took me a moment to realize what was happening. Then I just went into action. It was like a switch had been turned on inside me. All I could think of was getting to the shed, getting the gun and blowing his head off.”

Josie tried not to let his words affect her. It wasn’t as if she didn’t know how it had all gone down. Somehow, though, hearing Daniel talk about it in such a matter-of-fact way, made it all the more real.

“I made sure I loaded the clip with ten bullets—the most it could take. I wanted to make certain I did the job properly. The last thing Dad said to me before he left to go on the road was to look after my mom and my brother. And that night, my mom was being hurt. I had to make it stop.”

Josie suppressed a shiver, hating that a child had been handed that responsibility, and had such an experience, such a horrific memory—a memory he’d carry around with him for the rest of his life. She leaned toward him and held out her arms. He turned and threw himself against her and buried his head in her lap.

She expected tears, but he didn’t cry. For long moments, his body remained tense and then on a heavy sigh that sounded like the weight of the world was on his shoulders, he shuddered and went limp. A minute later, he pulled away from her and sat up with his back resting against the headboard. His expression was resolute.