In Safe Keeping (28 page)

Laila was close enough now. Raising her arm, she deposited a cloud of capsicum spray directly in the other woman’s face.

A shot went off, exploding around them like a bomb.

Birds fluttered from the trees, animals scurried from the undergrowth.

The gun dropped to the ground.

Evan swooped.

Ears ringing from the blast, Laila watched Scarlett stagger to and fro, hands covering her eyes, mouth open in a murderous howl before she finally collapsed on the ground.

Laila turned and clutched at Evan, felt his arms come around her, though she couldn’t hear anything he was saying.

Body trembling with shock, she pressed a hand to his chest, felt the vibrations of his heart throbbing beneath her fingertips.

And then Dickson Cross was running towards them, a dark silhouette against the flashing blue lights of three patrol cars.

11:30 p.m. Saturday

The medical staff at St Vincent’s Hospital were on the frontline of Sydney’s Saturday-night war zone, and traumatized eardrums came way down the list after king hits and methamphetamine overdoses. Subsequently, it was past eleven when Laila arrived at Sydney Police Headquarters to find Dickson Cross waiting in his office.

‘Come in.’ He thanked the female policewoman who’d accompanied Laila to the hospital, and closed the door. ‘How’d you go?’

Laila nodded. ‘It’s not too bad. It improved while I was waiting. They said it should settle in about a week. The left ear’s worse than the right.’

Dickson looked her up and down. ‘You look pretty good considering what you’ve been through. So does Evan. He’s here somewhere. With another officer and Duncan Peyton.’

Laila breathed a sigh of relief. She was grateful just to be in the same building as Evan. And it was no surprise Duncan was here too.

Dickson went behind his desk and Laila pulled a chair closer. Other than being tired, she felt fine. The policewoman had given her hot tea and two paracetamol, and after watching the procession of car accident victims, stroke patients and drug overdoses brought in by the paramedics, she started to feel as if she’d escaped lightly.

‘I’ve been dying to know, how did you find us?’ she asked, as soon as Dickson sat down. She hadn’t been able to hear a thing following the incident — and then they’d whisked her off to hospital in a separate car.

‘We picked up Holt when he went home. Bikies are notorious for not talking, but I had him on CCTV from your office, and I convinced him you and Moulder would have no trouble picking him out of a line-up. I promised him leniency on the charges of importing illegal firearms. He talked, in the end. Said Scarlett had hired him to take you out first, and then Evan. Apparently, she wanted to see him suffer.’

An icy shiver ran up Laila’s spine, and she closed her eyes and pressed a hand to her mouth. She’d had her reservations about Scarlett, but never in her wildest dreams would she have imagined the woman capable of this.

When she opened her eyes, Dickson was watching her, the flash of anger in his blue eyes the only outward sign of emotion.

‘Where’d you get the capsicum spray? It’s illegal in New South Wales.’

‘I know.’ Laila clasped her hands in her lap. ‘I bought it when Will was stationed in Western Australia. He was deployed a lot back then. I never threw it out. For years, it lived in the back of the bathroom cupboard. After the attack in the park, I put it in my handbag.’

Dickson shook his head. ‘It won’t be a problem.’

Laila sighed with relief. ‘I’m sorry. I’m still getting my head around everything.’

‘Me too. Until Holt confessed, Scarlett wasn’t even on our radar. Then we couldn’t find her. In the end we got onto Duncan. She’d been over there, crying and carrying on because you told her to pick up her file. He believes that was the catalyst. She thought all contact with you would cease as of Monday. And then she took off in his car.’

‘How’s he taking it?’ Laila asked.

Dickson leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs. ‘He’s shaken up, but mostly relieved for you and Evan. I think he’s known his wife’s been unstable for some time, and he’s thankful she’s in hospital getting the help she needs. He’s been worried about the children but, like everyone, he didn’t know the extent of her problems.’

‘It’s unbelievable. Who would have guessed?’

‘Well, Evan would have been our best hope, but he missed it entirely.’

He had. He’d never picked up on the signals.

Laila frowned. ‘I can’t work out how she knew I was at Scruffy Murphy’s?’

‘Evan’s phone had spyware, plus she’s admitted to stalking him on social media. If you’re linked to him, she’s probably been stalking you too. But we’re not certain about tonight. For all we know she could have been watching your house and physically followed you to the hotel.’

Laila rubbed her forehead with her fingertips. ‘So, how did you find us in the park?’

‘The CCTV’s central control room picked up the car without any problem. From then on, we were following you in real time. We lost you when you entered the park, but then we spotted your lights. You and Evan did extremely well. You would have made it, even if we hadn’t arrived when we did.’

She must have looked unconvinced because he went on before she could say anything else.

‘Do yourself a favour Laila. Don’t re-think the possibilities of what
might
have been if things had turned out differently. You two had a win. Focus on that.’

She guessed it made sense. Might be easier said than done though. ‘I’ll try, detective. So, what happens now?’

Dickson tipped his head in the direction of the door. ‘I need a detailed statement from you, and then we’ll run you home. Would you like to see Evan first?’

Laila’s heart began to thump, though whether through nerves or excitement she couldn’t be sure. ‘Yes.’

‘He’s already made a statement. He feels terrible your life was put in danger because of him.’

That made two of them. She felt terrible for accusing him of manipulating her, when it turned out Scarlett was behind everything.

Would he forgive her?

He’d come to Scruffy Murphy’s to talk before Scarlett had ambushed him. That was a good sign. And in the car, he’d pleaded for her release.

Dickson stopped, hand on the door handle that led back into the general office. ‘I did stress to him that men and women commit crimes very differently. When men murder, it’s usually over very quickly. There’s a fit of rage, a temporary loss of control, and it’s normally very messy. It’s pretty clear to us what’s happened. With women, the crimes are
always
personal, and well planned. They’re harder to apprehend, because months, sometimes years go into the planning.’

Dickson gave her a sympathetic smile. ‘Scarlett got messy because you did the unexpected and dumped her as a client, right after Evan had had a falling out with the family. To her, it must have seemed everything was spiralling out of control. It forced her to act.’

Evan had had a falling out with the Peytons?

Was that what he’d come to tell her at the pub?

Dickson opened the door. ‘Come on. We’ll go find him. At this rate, you won’t be home until three in the morning.’

They passed through a central area where the phones rang incessantly, and then Dickson was knocking on the door of what looked to be a small interview room. There was the sound of a chair scraping back, and the murmur of low voices, and then the door opened and Evan was standing there, worry clouding his eyes, jaw and neck covered in dark bristles.

‘Laila!’

The worry vanished and he stepped into the corridor and pulled the door closed behind him.

Dickson checked his watch. ‘I’ll grab a coffee. Be back in five.’

As Dickson left, Evan took her hand and led her along the hallway until they came to a water cooler set into a small alcove. There, he took hold of her shoulders and looked her up and down, as if making sure she was all in one piece.

‘Can you hear me?’

She nodded. ‘There’s a bit of a hum, that’s all.’

‘Thank god.’ His eyes searched her face, hands massaging her shoulders and sending a delightful shiver rolling down her spine. ‘I’m so sorry. How can you ever forgive me?’

She smiled a little. ‘It’s not your fault. It’s me who should be asking for forgiveness. I blamed you, accused you…’

‘Shh. Don’t worry about that. Any level-headed person would have reached the same conclusion. All the evidence pointed to me.’

He drew her gently to him, and she went willingly, slipping her arms around his waist and laying her head on his shoulder. ‘I didn’t trust you, Evan. I wanted to, but I wouldn’t let myself.’

She closed her eyes, drew in a deep breath and listened to the rapid beat of his heart, happy for the moment to be right where she was.

He stroked a gentle hand over her hair. ‘Trust has to be earned Laila, and I hadn’t earned it. I didn’t tell you who I was or even take you out in public. I let you stumble on those facts yourself, only showing you half the person I am. Why on earth would you trust me?’

She leaned back and looked into his eyes, took another deep breath — took a gamble. ‘My instinct was to trust you, and I was a fool not to listen. That night, in your apartment, you said my parents tried to shrink my world, and you were right. But
you
never did that. You were happy for me when I got the Peyton case, you said it would be a boon for my practice. You
want
me to do well, I can see that. And you did all you could to help me with the military matter. I have to stop expecting the worst of people. Not everyone behaves like my parents.’

She reached up and stroked her fingers over the course bristles on his jaw, let her eyes linger on his generous mouth only inches from her own.

‘You don’t shrink my world, Evan, you expand it, enrich it. And the really good thing is, I still only know half of you.’

He pressed his mouth against hers in the softest, sweetest of kisses, like an affirmation, like the promise of a new beginning.

Suddenly, an excitement welled inside Laila and she clung to him, only letting go when she heard Dickson coming back along the corridor.

‘If you’re done here.’ Dickson’s eyes shifted between them.

‘Of course, detective.’ Evan smiled and let go of her hand. ‘I’ll hand her back into your good care, for now.’

As Dickson turned away, Evan leaned in close and spoke quietly. ‘I have Duncan and George in the interview room. I’m not sure when I’ll get away. The children are with Duncan’s mother, but they want to go to the hospital after this.’

‘Do whatever you have to do, Evan. They’re your clients, and I understand, really. The policewoman’s driving me home after this.’

He frowned. ‘Would you like to go back to my place?’

Laila shook her head. ‘No, I want to go home. I need a shower and sleep. There’s nothing to fear now. Both Moulder and Holt are in custody, and Scarlett’s hospitalised.’

His forehead cleared and he nodded. ‘You’re right. I think I’m still in fight mode. I guess it’ll take a while to burn off all that aggression.’

She smiled, stood on tiptoes and planted a kiss on his cheek. ‘I can wait Mr Barclay. I’m good at delaying gratification.’

He made a low growling sound as they walked back towards the interview room. ‘Then you’re a better person than I am.’

11 a.m. Monday

Laila walked out the Supreme Court of New South Wales, flanked by Mike on one side and her friend Trudy on the other. A posse of press had been lying in wait since early morning. Now they gathered around the trio, sound booms looming overhead, a dozen microphones pointed towards Laila.

Today, she was pleased to speak to them. For a moment.

A young blonde woman shoved a microphone under her nose. ‘Ms Richards, is it true a class action has been lodged against the Australian military regarding aspects of the Blackhawk tragedy four years ago?’

‘Yes, that’s correct.’

‘Is it true you’re seeking to have the military’s original findings overturned?’

‘Yes. We will be trying to get to the truth of the matter.’

The next question came from an older man with grey hair, one of the most experienced court reporters in the pack. ‘Will there be compensation for the victims?’

‘If the proceedings are successful, yes. The military awarded some compensation at the time of the original enquiry, but we feel it was inadequate.’

‘Ms Richards, can you confirm your deceased husband was the pilot of the ill-fated Blackhawk?’

‘I can confirm he was one of a number of officers on board the helicopter at the time of the incident. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m having trouble hearing you all. I have a slight auditory problem at the moment.’

The press parted then, pleased at what she’d disclosed. It was enough for them to begin their research into the matter, and the more coverage they received, the better.

‘Are you having coffee?’ Trudy asked when she joined them at the top of the steps.

Laila smiled. Much as she loved Trudy, she had a much more exciting coffee date. ‘Unfortunately no, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to. Can I take a rain check?’

‘Absolutely, you can.’ Trudy folded Laila in her arms, and as always, the two women clung together. ‘Thank you. I know I’ve said this before, but I’m so proud of what you’re doing for us. We needed an advocate like you, Laila.’

‘Thanks Trude. You know I’ll do my best.’

‘We’ve had a win already,’ put in Mike. ‘The pilot has been reinstated.’

Laila nodded. ‘That is good news, but it’s early days yet guys. Who knows what will happen.’

‘Anyway, you get going.’ Mike gave her a pointed look and tipped his head in the direction of the park. ‘Let me take this good sort out for a coffee.’

After arranging to meet Mike back in the office in an hour, Laila ran down the concrete steps and headed towards the park. At the intersection, she pressed the button and waited for the walk sign, a nervous excitement blooming in her chest as she caught sight of Evan waiting for her at the entrance to the park.

She walked towards him, heart tripping in time with her feet. He was watching her through dark sunglasses, one hand resting on his hip, suit coat slung over one shoulder, shirt sleeves rolled to the elbows.