Nothing was happening. Why wasn’t anybody coming out? The wait was unbearable.
A chorus of sirens arrived together, three ambulances and two more cop cars. I paced back and forth across the footpath, while a small crowd of gawkers gathered to watch the spectacle.
I watched in horror as four stretchers were ushered through the door by a parade of ambulance officers. Minutes later, the first one emerged with the blonde woman strapped to it. Veronica walked by her side, holding Ruby.
I moaned as my arms fell to my side. She’s okay. They’re okay.
“Veronica!” I bolted past the cops, their shouts following behind me.
She seemed startled when I reached her side, before a mask of determination set her face. “Take Ruby to the emergency vet. I fell on her, and she was kicked and knocked unconscious for more than five minutes.”
Oh shit. As I collected the warm ball of fur in my arms, she licked my face in greeting. The lump in my throat shrank away.
“Okay, but are you all right? Where are you going?”
“I’m going to the hospital with Felicity.”
“Sir, you need to step back behind the tape.” The officer tapped me on the arm.
I searched those beautiful, brown eyes, ignoring the officer’s request. “The Felicity from the diary?”
“Yes. And my ex-flatmate.”
Turning away, she climbed into the back of the ambulance with the stretcher. The doors slammed shut, and moments later, she was gone. Taking my heart with her.
“Sir, please step away from the crime scene.” I snapped my gaze to him before dropping my eyes to Ruby, her whines breaking through my daze. Concern got my feet jogging back to the car.
I was going to look after my girl. One of them, at least.
Ronnie
Felicity asked me to stay with her while she recovered from her physical injuries. She was lucky to get away with broken ribs, lacerations, and a concussion. The mental scars were too many to list. I didn’t hesitate in saying yes. I felt a new bond with her. I hadn’t understood why Lindstrom had tried to kill her when she’d known what he’d been doing for some time, and hadn’t dobbed him in. It all became clear when she told me she’d stolen the video files from his computer, intending to send copies to the media so the police couldn’t make them disappear. She had the balls to try and take him down, and in the end, she did it with a pocket knife and irrefutable evidence of the corruption that festered within high places. Every one of those sick bastards was going to rot in jail, or hell.
I guess if you experienced something like that with someone, it broke down all sorts of barriers. She spent a lot of time in bed or on the couch … who could blame her? It was a different experience this time, actually sharing the same space as her. Her face hadn’t seen a drop of make-up since before the incident, and her designer labels were gathering dust in the wardrobe. I was worried, but she was seeing a psychologist, and I made sure she took her medications every morning.
She moved around the room, putting up photos of her loved ones. Adding splashes of colour to the greyscale room. I grabbed a couple out of the box to help.
“You want these on the bookshelf?”
“That’s fine.”
Placing a photo of her and an older woman on the shelf, I did a double take, picking it up again. Tiny, blonde, and wearing togs, Felicity beamed at the camera while pointing to a sand castle. A woman kneeled beside her, smiling from under a wide brimmed hat.
“This is you and your mum?”
She threw a glance at the frame. “Mm. On the Gold Coast.”
It was her. The woman from the nightmare. Candace.
“Was her name Candace?”
“Yes … You said ‘was’.”
“Mm hmm. I know she’s gone. She visited me a few times. She was there that day under the tree. Did Lindstrom …”
“No. My father killed her. She was becoming a liability. My father did all the killing under Lindstrom’s instruction. That was what they were blackmailing him for. At first, Lindstrom threatened to expose my father for tampering with evidence to get his clients off the hook. He made him do horrible things, but I think my father liked it. He tortured me. They’re both insane.”
“That’s FUBAR. I’m so sorry.” I walked over to spread my arms around her frail frame, feeling awkward about my attempt at friendly affection. She let me hug her, but didn’t return it. Shards of dark pain lanced through my chest at the contact, and I quickly broke free, smothering a gasp.
Felicity checked the peephole when we heard a knock. The last few days were filled with a stream of journalists, and police bombarding us with questions. The sound of knocking set us both on alert.
“It’s your boyfriend.”
“Don’t let him in.” Not budging from my position on the couch, I ignored the stab of pain through my heart. Brad was on the other side of that door, but in reality, so out of my reach. I heard the locks click open. I twisted my head in annoyance, but at the same time, I anticipated the sight of him.
“Felicity … I’m Brad, Letitia’s brother … You were her friend.”
“Don’t get too excited. I was the reason she met Matt. You don’t want to thank me for being her friend.” She stepped back, opening the door wider. “She’s on the couch.” Felicity quickly made herself scarce, disappearing to her room.
I sat forward, joy rushing through me as a fuzzy
