The Italian Affair (19 page)

‘Let me see it.’

She took it out and handed it to him. He checked it, making sure the battery was charged.

‘Good.’ He handed it back to her. ‘Promise me, you’ll keep it close by you.’

She nodded.

He grabbed the car keys and gave her a hug which suddenly made her want to say, ‘Don’t leave me,’ but, of course, she couldn’t do that. His sister and her children needed him more right now.

‘Make sure you lock the door behind me.’

She nodded.

After he left, she noticed how empty the place was. It unnerved her. To take her mind off things, she set about making an evening meal. Before long she had meatballs simmering which she would serve with spaghetti. Elena’s children would love them. They were always a favourite with families. She settled down to read a magazine for a while, but she couldn’t concentrate. Her thoughts
returned to what had happened between them earlier in the day. How could she have been so stupid? She had made a complete mess of things.

It hit her. She was hopelessly in love with Rick whether she liked it or not. Only she was too damned scared to tell him. He wouldn’t have offered marriage if he didn’t love her, she justified. He had been testing her, waiting for her to meet him halfway. And she’d backtracked.

Her thoughts were disturbed by a noise at the window. She looked up, realizing she hadn’t pulled the curtains closed. She hurried over to the window. Only now, the noise sounded like someone tapping on the front door. She turned.

She hadn’t locked the door. Rick had told her to after he’d left, but she’d been distracted and forgot. She hadn’t heard a car drive up, so what could it be? The handle started to turn. Someone was coming in. She rushed forward intending to slip the latch. Too late. The door swung open with a crash. Gina screamed. A dripping wet dark figure stood in front of her.

Oh God, it couldn’t be. When she finally found her voice it was hardly more than a whisper.

‘Jason, it’s you. I … I thought you were dead?’

When she saw the firm set of his jaw and the violence in his face she knew she was in trouble.

‘Not dead. But very, very angry with you, Gina.’

Gina felt the familiar fear grip her tightly. She had thought she’d never have to face him or his temper again, but here he was standing right in front of her and she was all alone.

Telling herself not to panic, she took a deep breath, and tried to keep her voice calm. ‘What is it you want?’

He gave a low laugh. ‘You Gina. It’s you.’

When the first blow came, it caught her on the side of her face, stunning her. She heard herself cry out as she lost her balance and fell to the floor. He took her arm and hauled her up again. Then, he slapped her across the face again, making her eyes water.

‘Did you think I wouldn’t see you with lover boy?’

‘You’ve no right to do this.’ She tried to twist away, lashing out at him but he held on to her in a vice-like grip. Desperation gave her sudden strength so she kicked him hard on his shins. He grunted with surprise. Then he laughed out loud and Gina knew then he had gone completely over the edge. He made a move to grab her again but she fought hard, raking her nails over his face. Her movement incensed him. He grabbed her hair and yanked it, making her cry out loud.

‘You’re not going to get away from me this time,’ he said harshly.

Gina let her body go limp. If she could fool him into thinking he had won, he might loosen his grip on her and when he did, she’d make a dash for the door. Maybe if she kept him talking it would even buy her some time.

‘Why?’ she managed to say through a haze of pain.

He smiled, making her shiver. ‘Because you deserted me.’

‘I didn’t. I tried to help you. Please … let me go and we can forget this ever happened.’

‘You think I would do that?’ He released the pressure on her arm slightly while he was talking. ‘Your boyfriend can’t help you this time.’

‘How did you find me?’ she asked.

‘Anthony’s secretary.’

While he was talking, Gina’s gaze slid over to her mobile phone sitting on the table. If only she could reach it in time.

He let her go while he bent to retrieve the rope he’d dropped at the doorway. Gina saw her chance. She grabbed her mobile phone and sprinted into the bedroom, slamming the door shut behind her. With a sinking heart she realized there was no lock on the door. She put her back up against it, digging her heels in and bracing herself.

Quickly punching in the number of the emergency department, she said, ‘Help me, please….’

The pressure behind the door increased as he rattled the door handle.

‘Let me in, Gina. You can’t escape,’ he growled.

It was only a matter of seconds before his strength would get the better of hers and the door would finally be forced open. An unexpected heave from behind the door jolted her. She dropped the phone. It clattered onto the floor, just out of reach. If she bent forward to retrieve it, he’d be able to push the door inwards. She turned quickly and, with both hands, pressed hard against the door with all her strength. But it was no good. The door was inching open slowly, until finally Gallagher stuck his foot in the doorway, jamming it open. It was then Gina knew she had lost. She let the door go suddenly and made a grab for the phone lying on the floor. Her fingers had only just curled around the plastic casing when she felt him jerk her head back by her hair. He plucked the phone from her fingers and threw it against the wall where it shattered.

Jason’s face contorted with fury. ‘So you thought you could get away from me, did you?’

Fear slid up and down Gina’s spine completely immobilizing her. He was going to kill her, she was sure of it. He slipped the ropes over her wrists and bound them tightly.

‘Jason …’ she pleaded again, this time sobbing. ‘Please don’t do this … please.’

He didn’t answer her. Suddenly she leapt forward, surprising him, but he was fast and bolted after her. He caught her by the arm and whirled her around so quickly, she thought she had dislocated her shoulder. She jarred her back against the wooden dresser, knocking off a large vase of flowers. It smashed on to the floor with a loud crash, water spilling everywhere. She didn’t see the blow coming to the side of her head and in the encroaching darkness sank slowly down to the ground, knowing there was no escape.

Rick drove in some of the worst road conditions he’d seen in years. The rain pelted down. Twice he had to pull over to the side of the road until it eased.

Large slips of brown mud and rocks had rolled down from the hillside, landing on the main highway. The road maintenance crew were clearing it and putting up large yellow warning signs for the traffic. Rick focused on the road ahead, the car radio a low murmur in between the rhythmic sound of the windscreen wipers. Thunder growled and flashes of lightning in the distance brightened the grey sky.

Rick glanced at the rear-view mirror noticing the long trail of traffic behind him. When the road curved around the corner, he saw the queue of cars stretched just as equally in front. It was going to take him longer than he thought to reach Elena. He grimaced.

The mobile phone rang unexpectedly. He flicked on the answer button. The voice came through the loudspeaker. It was Dave Brougham. ‘Gina’s mobile phone number has registered at the emergency services. The caller asked for the police and then the line went dead. Any idea what’s going on?’

Rick tried to control the alarm that shot through him. ‘No, but something must be wrong. I’ve just left her at my beach house.’ He was in two minds whether to turn around and head back.

‘Do you want us to send a patrol car?’ offered Brougham. ‘We can
check things out.’

‘No. I’m closer.’ But what was he going to do about his sister and the children? He explained the position.

‘We’ll arrange for a patrol car to pick Elena up. We’ll drop them off at your place.’

‘Thanks, I’d appreciate that.’

‘Rick, there’s something else.’

‘Yeah. What?’

‘Recovery brought up Gallagher’s car. They can’t find the body. It’s possible he was thrown from the car. We don’t know yet. Divers have been searching the area, but with the storm hitting we’ve had to call the search off until conditions improve.’

Could that mean Gallagher’s alive, thought Rick? His heart slammed against his chest.

‘Maybe he was never in the car. The suicide note might have been a ruse.’

‘That had occurred to me too. I’ll keep you informed if anything turns up.’

Rick glanced again in his rear-view mirror. A big logging truck with a full load was travelling behind him, too close for his liking, so he signalled in plenty of time, indicating he was pulling in to the side of the road. He waited until there was a gap in the traffic and did a U-turn. His foot pressed down hard on the accelerator, picking up speed quickly. He knew he was taking a chance ignoring the speed warning signs especially with the wet, slippery road but he knew he had no choice. He had to reach Gina. Fast.

He’d only driven a few kilometres when he realized the cars ahead of him were slowing down. He braked. Ahead there had been a landslide. The road was blocked. He swore under his breath.

There was nothing he could do. He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, thinking furiously. What if Gallagher had tracked Gina down? He dialled Gina’s number. No answer. Only a disconnected tone. He swore again.

He threw the door open and climbed out. With quick strides, he
started walking towards the road block. The rain had eased off slightly but there was a thin drizzle forming a mist around the hills. Cars were lined up behind each other on the main highway. A few horns honked impatiently. When he reached the road maintenance crew, he asked how long it would take to clear the road. The man dressed in yellow oilskins scratched his head and looked vague.

‘Can’t say. Maybe an hour at the most.’

Rick grimaced. ‘That’s an hour too long for me.’ He was trying to keep calm but couldn’t help the panic beginning to grip him. If he could get by the landslide, he could reach Gina faster than any patrol car. He saw a motorcyclist, dressed in black leather gear, parked nearby and headed over to speak with him.

‘I need to borrow your motorbike,’ Rick said quietly. ‘I don’t have time to explain now … but I need to reach someone who’s in danger.’

The black leather figure removed his helmet. Rick was surprised to see it was a woman, and an attractive one at that. She had
copper-coloured
hair and green eyes.

‘Come on,’ she drawled. ‘You don’t expect me to believe that, do you?’

Rick flashed his private investigator licence but knew perfectly well it didn’t give him any more rights than an ordinary citizen.

‘A private eye, huh?’ she remarked, tossing back her head. Interest entered her eyes. ‘Funny that, I’m married to a cop.’

‘I was a cop too.’

‘Then you might know my husband. McKenna’s his name.’

‘Mike McKenna?’ asked Rick, surprised. When she nodded, he added, ‘Yeah, we worked together a few times. He’s based on the West Coast. A detective in the drugs squad, isn’t he?’

She inclined her head, her face thoughtful. ‘That’s right. Seems like you might have just convinced me.’

Her voice was unmistakably Scottish, Rick realized. Then he remembered hearing that McKenna had married an undercover agent from Scotland. He’d also heard that they had a couple of kids.
While he would have been pleased to chat to her, he knew he was running out of time.

‘Look, I really do need to borrow your motorbike,’ he repeated urgently. He was ready to use force if necessary and be willing to face the consequences later. ‘You can use my wagon over there.’ He pointed to his vehicle sitting behind a line of cars. ‘Here’s my keys.’

She gave him a wide smile. ‘My name is Kelly Anderson. Just you make sure you look after my motorbike. I want it back in one piece,’ she told him, her hands on her hips. ‘If you drop it off at the police station in Nelson, I’ll collect it there later.’

‘You’re doing someone a favour,’ he replied gratefully. ‘I owe you.’

‘I guess she must be someone special,’ she answered, her teardrop greenstone ear-ring jangling against her cheek as she handed him the helmet.

It was Rick’s turn to smile. ‘Yeah, she is.’

He climbed on to the Triumph Tiger motorbike and revved it hard. It had been a while since he’d ridden a motorbike but he hadn’t forgotten how. When he took off, he immediately headed along the white centre lane and whenever he saw debris, skirted round it. A large mound of mud and stones ahead posed a bigger problem but increasing speed he flew past the maintenance crew ignoring their shouts of warning. For a few seconds, when he peaked on the landfall, he thought he wasn’t going to make it. The tyres were wheeling deeper as they slid backwards in the mud. He gripped the throttle hard and put his feet on the ground to keep his balance. Suddenly, the bike broke free with a lurch, the tyres gripping on some rocks. Before he knew it, he was zooming down the other side. When he glanced in the rear-view mirror, he saw the maintenance men shaking their heads at him, so he gave them a wave. He rolled back the throttle tight, the bike screaming as it sped along. Adrenaline shot through him. If he hadn’t been so worried about Gina, he would have enjoyed the ride. A sharp corner loomed up. He leaned left, easing his speed. Before he knew it, he had
reached the turning to Kokorua.

It took him half the time to reach the house than it would have done in a car. He pulled up outside. Something was wrong. The door was open, swinging back and forth with the wind. He switched off the engine and took the steps two at a time, drawing his Glock. When he entered the living room, his jaw dropped. A table had been overturned. The vase of wild flowers which Gina had so carefully picked that morning, were lying strewn on the tiled floor in a soggy mess. It was obvious there had been a scuffle.

‘Gina, are you there?’ he called out, even though he knew with a sinking heart she wouldn’t be.

He approached the bedroom door carefully. When he stepped into the room he saw the shattered mobile phone lying on the bedroom floor. He bent down and, without touching it, peered at it closely. He froze when he saw the smear of blood on the back of the door. Was Gina hurt? She would have put up a good fight, he knew that instinctively. Was she lying hurt outside somewhere? If anything happened to her, he’d never forgive himself. His hands trembled at the thought. He had to keep calm and think. There wasn’t much time. He had to find her.

An hour later, a patrol car pulled up outside. Rick went forward to meet it. Dave Brougham climbed out a grim look on his face.

‘There’s no sign of her,’ said Rick. The words came out oddly like he had trouble saying them. Rick swallowed again carefully. He had to get a grip on himself if he was going to be of any use.

Once inside the beach house, Brougham took a look around. He gave instructions to the police officer standing next to him. ‘Get a forensic team out. Make it urgent.’

Rick knew all about procedure. Seize, cordon and contain the scene. When the forensic team arrived they’d look for blood, fibres, hair, and fingerprints.

Rick started to make his way to the door. ‘Did you touch anything?’ asked Brougham.

Rick turned. ‘No.’

Brougham caught his arm as he moved past. ‘Where are you going?’

‘Where do you think? To find her,’ he said. ‘She could be outside somewhere.’

‘You’ll never find her in this weather – it’s pitch black out there. Whoever took her had a car. They’ll be long gone now.’

Rick knew he was right but he had to try. Frustration consumed him. He bunched his fists together. ‘Damn it. I should have been here. I shouldn’t have left her by herself.’

Brougham’s hand fell on his shoulder sympathetically. ‘You weren’t to know.’ His face was regretful, his voice low. ‘I’m sorry.’

He didn’t admit the mistake outright, but Rick knew that was as good as an apology he would get from Brougham. The police had got it wrong. The killer was still out there, somewhere, and he had Gina. They had to work together to find her. He only hoped it wouldn’t be too late.

Gina’s hands were tied so tightly, the pain was excruciating. Her arms had gone numb and she was feeling queasy from the blow Jason had given her. But her physical condition was nothing compared to how she was feeling emotionally. She was terrified. He had gone completely crazy and he was going to kill her. She was sure of it.

She tried to move slightly but no matter which way she shifted, there was no comfortable position in the boot of the car. Two wooden boxes hemmed her in at each side, crushing her into the one position. The car finally slowed down and stopped. Jason opened the boot and shone a flashlight into her face. Her eyes closed painfully. Then he hauled her out and she half fell to her knees on the dirt track. It had stopped raining. Moonlight filtered through patchy clouds casting ominous shadows everywhere she looked. The fronds of a palm tree shivered above her.

Where was she, she wondered?

Jason led her like an unwilling animal down the track until they reached an old shack. He tied her to the veranda post. She couldn’t stop shaking.

He left her alone for a few minutes while he drove the car into a shed part way down the track. She heard the sound of the doors being dragged over the rough, stony ground. Soon he was back. A set of lights flashed somewhere in the distance and that was the last thing Gina saw as he dragged her up the steps into the shack and slammed the door shut behind them.

If Gina could have yelled, she would have but her mouth was taped firmly shut. She started to pull away, but he pushed her and she fell to the floor with a thud. The impact winded her. Her face lay against the musty floorboards. If he was going to kill her, she only hoped he’d do it quickly. She stifled a sob in the back of her throat as she thought of Rick and how much he meant to her. Would she ever see him again?

After a few minutes of Gallagher moving around in the dark, he lit a candle. ‘Get on your feet.’

She tried to stand, but her legs shook so much she had to lean against the wall.

With one quick swipe, he removed the tape across her mouth. ‘You can yell all you like, but no one will hear you.’

‘Why?’ she asked hoarsely. ‘Why are you doing this to me? Why didn’t you take the money I gave you and leave? You said you would.’

‘You cancelled the cheque,’ he accused.

‘I didn’t.’ She shook her head.

‘If it wasn’t you, who was it?’

‘I don’t know,’ she lied. ‘There must have been some mistake at the bank.’

‘It doesn’t matter now, anyway.’ He laughed, an unpleasant sound.

‘Jason, let me go. This will only get you in worse trouble.’

His face hardened. ‘Shut up. This time your family are going to
pay big time. I wonder how much you are worth to them. After all, you’re the only granddaughter left now.’

Gina’s heart sank. The realization that he’d killed Maria struck her. ‘You shot Maria, didn’t you?’

He nodded. ‘Now you know what it’s like to lose someone you love. I want you to suffer as much as I did.’ He stared at her for a few more seconds. ‘You shouldn’t have divorced me, Gina. By the time I’ve finished you’ll be begging me to love you again.’

‘You’re despicable,’ she spat out. She couldn’t believe she had once been married to this man. It was the drugs, she reminded herself. Once he’d started taking methamphetamine, his personality had started to change. He hadn’t always been like this, she thought sadly. ‘You need help.’ But deep inside, she knew she would be wasting her time.

He laughed out loud. ‘Help? That’s a big joke, Gina. This is what I need.’ He then leaned forward, his mouth drawing closer. She turned her face to the side, shuddering.

‘No … no … don’t even touch me.’

Jason pulled back, his eyes glittering. He picked up the rope and tied it to the end of the bed. When he’d finished he stood over her. ‘Let’s see if a few hours on your own might change your mind.’ He blew out the candle. The acrid smell of wax wafted over to her in the darkness, making her want to gag. ‘Watch out for the rats,’ he threw over his shoulder.

Rats? Oh God. No. She heard a scuffling noise in the corner and something running across the floor. A scream lodged in her throat. But screaming wouldn’t get her anywhere. No one would hear. She had to think. Not panic.