TENDER DECEIT (Romantic Suspense Mystery Novel): First Love Series ~ Book 1 (22 page)

“I never mentioned that she was a ladyboy,” said Leah, her voice carrying clearly in the night air. “In fact, that information was never released to the public. So how could you have known that unless you knew her? Unless you murdered her?”

“
You bitch
!” Warne lunged for her, his hands going for her throat.

“Leah!” Toran shouted, rushing forwards.

Screams and shouts of horror came from the crowd.

The inspector jumped to intervene, but too late.

Warne grabbed Leah and the two of them toppled backwards into the pool. There was a splash and a spray of black water, soaking all those standing nearby. Toran stopped, wiping water frantically from his eyes, as he tried to see the two forms thrashing in the water. Warne still had his hands around Leah’s throat and his fingers were pressing in now, tighter and tighter, as Leah gasped and floundered and choked. She beat him weakly, barely able to fight as he tried to push her under.

“
Leah!
” Toran’s heart seemed to explode in his chest. He dived into the pool. He hit the water and everything went black for a moment, chlorine burning his eyes, gurgling filling his ears, then he fought his way to the surface. He looked around and spotted them. Kicking frantically, he swam over and grabbed Warne’s arms, breaking the grip on Leah’s neck. She sank backwards in the water, gasping and coughing. Toran was terrified that she might choke and drown, but she managed to push away and paddle weakly until she reached the side of the pool, where several arms reached down to help her.

Toran barely had time to feel relief wash over him before he realised that he was fighting for his own life now. Warne was acting like a cornered animal, lashing out wildly, trying to hurt anything within reach. Toran hunched over as he felt a punch to his solar plexus, coughing as the breath stopped in his chest and pain radiated out over his abdomen. He tried to push away from Warne, but the heavier man twisted in the water, throwing Toran against the far side of the pool. Faintly, Toran heard screams as he was slammed against the tiled wall. Footsteps
came running. More splashes as others jumped in the pool.

Warne was on him again. Toran grunted and managed to get a punch in, but the drag of the water slowed his movements, robbing the punch of its impact. Warne reeled back slightly, then lunged towards him again. Toran gasped as a sharp pain stabbed his side, his vision going dark for a moment, then he returned with a jab that sent Warne floundering backwards. Water surged between them and Toran leaned back against the wall, panting, as other figures splashed through the water and grabbed Warne.

“Mr James?” Inspector Ravi left Warne’s side and moved towards Toran. “Are you—”

“I… I’m fine,” said Toran, breathing heavily. He was aware, though, of a deep, throbbing pain that was beginning to consume his body.

He staggered slightly, gripping the slippery wall behind him for support. He looked down. A dark stain was spreading slowly through the water around him.
Blood
. Toran suddenly felt cold. His vision began to blur. Somewhere he heard Leah’s voice screaming his name.

Then the darkness swallowed him.

Leah jerked awake and shifted in the hard plastic seat. She rubbed her eyes and looked blearily around. The waiting area was empty, except for a lone man slumped in one of the seats opposite her, his head lolling to one side, his mouth open and snoring. She stretched stiffly. Her still-damp hair clung to her neck, making her wince. She had changed to dry clothes, but the smell of chlorine from the pool water was still strong. She didn’t know if it was better or worse than the strong antiseptic odour that pervaded the hospital.

Leah looked anxiously up the corridor, but aside from a nurse poring over some charts, she could see nobody. The clock on the wall showed that it was nearly 6 a.m. She gripped her hands together, trying not to let the fear overwhelm her again. Toran had been in surgery for over five hours now.
What was happening? Would he make it?

A wave of panic surged up into her throat and threatened to choke her. Leah jumped up from the seat and began to pace, unable to keep still. Her movements roused the man in the other chair and he gave her a bloodshot glare, but she ignored him. She began walking towards the nurse, then slowed and hesitated. She knew what they would say. What they had been saying to her every hour, every time she had gone up asking for news. They would let her know as soon as Toran was safely out of surgery.

Leah wheeled around and walked back to her seat, sitting down with a sigh. The plastic bag next to her rustled and she remembered Julia’s words. Her friend had sat with her for a while, but had finally gone home a few hours ago. She had left a bag of snacks and water, insisting that they be finished. Inspector Ravi had echoed Julia’s instructions when he had come by to see how Toran was doing, reminding Leah that it was important for her to keep her energy up.

Leah looked in the bag. Her stomach shrank at the sight of the cellophane-wrapped, honey sponge cake, but she took out the bottle of water and dutifully took a couple of sips.

Capping the bottle, Leah leaned back and shut her eyes. They felt gritty from lack of sleep and her head was spinning slightly. She took a deep breath, trying to ease the tension in her shoulders, trying not to think of Toran lying still and waxen, like her father on the cold morgue slab…

“Miss Fisher?”

Leah opened her eyes and jumped up. “Yes?”

An Asian doctor in surgeon’s scrubs stood before her. “
I’m Dr. Marvin Chen. Are you Toran James’s family?”

“I’m his…” Leah hesitated. “I’m a close family friend. His parents have passed away. How is he? Is he going to be all right?”

“It was a difficult surgery. He lost a fair amount of blood, but we’ve stopped the bleeding and replaced the lost volume. There was a considerable amount of soft tissue injury from the dagger, but fortunately there wasn’t any vital organ damage. He’s stable now and will be able to come straight to the ward once he’s a bit more awake—he won’t need to go to Intensive Care.”

Leah sagged in relief. “So he’s going to be okay?” she asked eagerly.

“He’ll need a few days, but yes, he should make a complete recovery.” The surgeon gave her a weary smile. “You should go home and get some sleep. He won’t be brought to the ward for another hour and then he’ll still be under the influence of the anaesthetic for a while, so he won’t be fully awake. I’ll be in to check on him later.”

“I want to be here when Toran wakes up,” said Leah stubbornly.

He shook his head gently. “The best thing you can do for him is to get some rest. I promise you he is fine now. Why don’t you come back later this afternoon to see him?” He smiled again. “I’ll tell him that you were here waiting and I sent you home, but that you’ll be back later.”

Leah nodded, suddenly too exhausted to argue. She thanked the doctor and made her way slowly out of the hospital. The sky was already beginning to be shot through with streaks of orange and pink as the sun slowly rose over the horizon. Birds chirped faintly in the distance, but Leah barely heard them as she got into a taxi and gave the driver Julia’s home address. Arriving back at the maisonette, Leah let herself in with the spare key that Julia had given her and made her way quietly through the house to her bedroom. Hardly stopping to undress, she fell against the pillows and sank into a fretful, exhausted sleep.

When she opened her eyes again, Leah could hear movement and sounds coming from other parts of the house. She stretched and grimaced, feeling the stickiness of the chlorine water on her skin. Staggering out of bed, she headed into the en suite bathroom and turned on the shower full blast. She shampooed her hair twice, then scrubbed herself all over, almost as if she could wash off the memory of the night before. When she finally stepped out from the shower, her body was pink and glowing. She looked up and caught sight of herself in the partially steamed up mirror. Ugly dark bruises were beginning to show on the sides of her neck, where Warne had tried to throttle her. She shuddered and turned away.

Wrapping herself in a thick towelling robe, Leah dried her hair, then went out of her room. She found Julia in the kitchen, sitting at the bar counter with a bowl of cold sesame noodles and a glossy magazine.

“You’re awake!” Julia slid off the bar stool and came towards her. “I thought I heard you come back. How’s Toran?”

“He’s… he’s fine,” Leah said with a gulp that sounded suspiciously close to a sob. She took a deep breath. “He came out of surgery fine and was stable when I left the hospital. The doctor said he should make a full recovery.”

Julia gave her a quick hug. “Good! What about you? How are you feeling?”

Leah’s stomach suddenly rumbled and she gave a weak smile. “Hungry.”

“I’ve got some more noodles.” Julia waved her hand towards the fridge.

“No,” said Leah. “No, i
f I could just have some toast and maybe some strong tea?”

“Coming right up,” said Julia, heading over to the gleaming kettle in the corner of the kitchen.

Leah felt better once she had had a few slices of toast and gulped down a mug of hot, sweet tea. “I must go and see Toran,” she said, jumping up.

“Whoa… he’s not going anywhere,” said Julia, putting a restraining hand on her arm. “You better take it easy, Leah. Don’t forget that you’ve had a shock too.”

Leah remembered those ugly, purple marks on her throat and shuddered again. She straightened her shoulders. “I’m fine,” she said. “I need to see him.”

“Do you want me to come with you?” Julia asked hesitantly.

Leah smiled and shook her head. “Thanks, but I think it’s best if I go alone.”

The hospital was a lot busier when Leah arrived at the ward. She was stopped by the Ward Sister, a battleaxe of a woman with steely grey hair pulled back into a bun, whose face softened when Leah mentioned Toran and gave her own name.

“You’re Leah?” She smiled. “He’s been asking for you.” She led the way around the corridor to a room with the door slightly ajar. She nodded at Leah. “Go on. But ten minutes, no more. He still needs rest.”

The room was dim, the curtains drawn halfway against the afternoon sun. Leah moved slowly towards the bed, her heart turning over as she saw Toran lying against the pale blue sheets. He had pushed the blanket down in his sleep and his chest was bare, a dressing around his waist. The white was startling against his tanned skin, cutting sharply against the smooth plane of his muscles. His head was turned to one side, resting against the pillows, and he was sleeping, his eyelashes faint shadows against his cheeks. Leah raised a hand towards his forehead, where the dark hair tumbled forwards, then dropped it back to her side. Her movement must have roused him, though, because he stirred and those eyelashes fluttered.

“Leah?”

“I’m here.” She went closer, reaching out to lay her hand over his.

His fingers clenched around hers. “Leah. I thought—”

“Shh,” she said softly. “Don’t worry. Everything is fine now.”

He sighed and shut his eyes for a moment before opening them again. They were slightly glazed, a murky hazel instead of his usual intense green. “Bentley Warne—”

“—is going to jail for a very long time,” said Leah, her expression hardening. “Even if he could somehow wriggle out of the murder charge, there were dozens of wit
nesses who saw him assault me and his attempt to kill you.” She smiled. “You’ve got him this time.”

Toran blinked at her and, for a moment, she wondered if he had taken it all in. Then he gave her a fai
nt smile in return. “We got him together.” He shut his eyes again, then murmured. “No need to hide… anymore… proper dinner together…”

“Toran…” Leah hesitated. “I… I have to go back to London. My father’s funeral is tomorrow and my flight is booked for the next day.”

His eyes flew open and his fingers tightened on hers. “Don’t go. Stay… with me.”

Leah stared at him. What was he saying? She tried to search his eyes for an answer, but they were clouded and distant. She swallowed. Did Toran really know what he was saying? Or was it just the drugs talking?

Someone cleared their throat behind them. Leah turned around to see the Ward Sister standing in the doorway, tapping her watch meaningfully.

Leah turned back to Toran. “I have to go. But I’ll come back to see you tomorrow.”

She tried to pull her hands from his and, for a second, his fingers tightened even more, then he released her. His eyes were shutting; he was drifting away again. Leah hesitated, then bent down and pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead before turning and leaving the room.

The funeral was a quiet affair. For once, Leah
was grateful for Julia’s bossy tendencies as her friend stepped in and organised everything. David Fisher was cremated at a simple service attended by many of his work friends and associates. Leah hardly knew any of her father’s business contacts and she went through the motions of accepting condolences mechanically, hoping somehow that she was making the right replies.

At Julia’s insistence, the service was followed by refreshments at her house, where people gathered, talking in sombre tones. Leah knew that her father’s involvement in Bentley Warne’s criminal activities could not be kept secret, but she was grateful that people took pains to avoid the subject. As the afternoon wore on, however, she began to feel the strain and she was relieved when the last guest left with the last murmur of condolences.

Leaving Julia to a date with her favourite TV soap, Leah went back to her bedroom and changed out of the black dress she had brought with her from London. As she hung it up, she reflected wryly that her flatmate, Aimee, could have had no idea when she recommended it, how different the situations would be for wearing it.

Julia had insisted on Leah staying with her and had personally supervised the transfer of Leah’s things from the hotel, so now Leah searched through her own suitcase gratefully. It was nice to wear her own clothes again, she thought, slipping into a simple, yellow sundress. Brushing her hair until it gleamed, she reapplied lip gloss and looked at herself critically in the mirror.

For God’s sake, it’s not as if you’re going on a date!
She made a face at herself. Still, she couldn’t quite stop her heart beating faster at the thought of seeing Toran again. She allowed herself a small smile and went out to bid goodbye to Julia.

Arriving back at the hospital, Leah paused by the florist on the ground floor. She knew it was silly, but a part of her felt light, happy, for the first time in days. She hovered over the different bouquets, then finally settled on a single, long-stemmed rose, the petals dark-red and still tightly closed in bud. A twin of the one left on her school desk so many years ago.

She hurried upstairs and found herself met by the same Ward Sister again. The woman’s eyes crinkled in a smile. “You’re late. He’s got company.”

“Company?” Leah faltered.

The Ward Sister nodded down the corridor. “First the police came to question him and now I think half the journalists and editors in Singapore are here to see him. I don’t know if they came to see their friend or get an exclusive!” She laughed, shaking her head. “Tell them if they get any louder, I’m going to have to kick them out.”

Leah went slowly down the corridor. She could hear the talking and laughter coming from Toran’s room even before she reached the door. It was slightly ajar, like yesterday, and through the opening, she glimpsed a room full of people. Mostly men, they were perched on various seats and surfaces around the room, joking and laughing with each other. Toran himself was sitting up, propped against the pillows, looking much more like his old self. His eyes were bright, his face open and relaxed as he chuckled at something one of the other men said.

Sitting next to his bed, with her back to the door, was a young woman, her long brown hair streaming down her back. She had something in her hands. As the other girl shifted, Leah saw that she was peeling an apple. Carefully, the girl cut a piece and handed it to Toran, who took it from her with a warm smile in his green eyes.

Leah drew back sharply. She barely heard one of the men teasing Toran about his personal bedside assistant and the raucous laughter that followed. Leah backed away. She couldn’t go in. She didn’t belong here. This was Toran’s
real
life and it was obvious that he was doing fine without her. Besides, that girl…