Charlotte stretched the bracelet.
Then took it off and tossed it into one of the bins.
Hank moved quickly, crossing the road with barely a look for traffic, before heading for the plaza. Charlotte sprinted to keep him in sight. If he saw her, she was in trouble. But if she lost him, Darcy was.
Charlotte’s mind raced. How was she going to stop this from happening. She could hardly follow the ute to Glenys’ property. Or she could find Sid.
Great options. Not.
She’d have to wing it. Call the emergency police number if it came to that.
He’d vanished. Charlotte stopped at the edge of the plaza. There was music playing again and she was relieved the crowd had dissipated and people were back around the tables.
Veronica was involved in an animated conversation with Jonas near the fountain. There was no sign of Rosie, Doug, or Esther. The book shop ladies were at the far end of a table, filling plates.
“Why are you following me?”
Charlotte froze.
“Do you think I didn’t know?” Hank was right behind her.
“Why would I follow you? You’re the one wearing masks at night and stealing Christmas trees. Aren’t you?”
Veronica had her hands on her hips, glaring across the distance at Charlotte.
“I guess this was all your girlfriend’s idea?” Charlotte said.
Hank stepped in front of her, his bulk blocking her sight of the other people. A sense of isolation swept through her.
“Guess again.” He snarled.
“Oh. Sorry. Darro’s idea? Couldn’t be yours.”
“You got a smart mouth for someone in danger. Really big danger.”
“Scary.”
Hank moved closer. He smelt almost as bad as Sid.
“See, I’m cool with tough guys.” Charlotte nodded. “I am. One tied me up in a cave once. He’s in prison now. Almost blew his hand off with a gun. Him, not me.” She smiled. “I wouldn’t have missed.”
His hands snaked up to grasp her neck.
“Let me go.”
“You think you know what’s going on in this town. You need to mind your own business.”
Charlotte’s heart pounded as his fingers tightened. Her hands pushed against his chest until he laughed.
“Not so cocky now.” Hank forced her backwards.
She had no strength to stop him. Step by step they were moving away from the party. From people. From help. He was going to kill her. Charlotte stopped pushing against him and reached for his face, seeking his eyes.
“Bitch. Don’t.”
“Help me!” Her cry came out as a whimper as he squeezed her windpipe. Her feet reached the edge of the footpath.
“You just had to interfere. Reporting us to the police. Watching us dismantle the tree in the roundabout from the shadows.”
A car was coming, she could hear it. She gripped his shirt to avoid being pushed into its path.
“I’m gonna bury you in the pine forest and add one more crime to Darcy Forest’s list. And then I’m taking all the pretty things and cash from the old bag’s house and Darro and me? We’re gonna have the best party ever.”
“You pathetic little boy!”
Thwack.
Hank’s face contorted and he released Charlotte.
Mrs Lane?
“You planned to steal from me?”
Thwack.
Hank staggered to one side, but Charlotte refused to let go of his shirt as she gasped for air. As he straightened, she dragged him toward herself with every bit of strength and kneed him in the crotch.
He screamed and collapsed to the ground, writhing around.
“I did tell you to let go.” She managed.
Glenys stood over him, her walking cane raised and her face purple with fury. “Why? Why would you and my nephew hurt this town and hurt me?”
Hank was in no condition to answer. Charlotte put an arm around Glenys’ shoulder.
“Darling, what on earth were you thinking?” Rosie refused to let go of Charlotte’s hand. “He hurt you.”
“Rosie, did you see how he hobbled away clutching his crotch?” It made Charlotte boil that despite her well-placed knee and Glenys’ whacks with her cane, Hank still got away. In the panic from milling partygoers, he’d managed to drag himself off and straight into the blue ute which screeched to the kerb a minute after he went down.
Veronica had reached them surprisingly fast in her heels, with Jonas just behind, dialling his phone as he ran. She screamed at Charlotte to move and tried to throw herself on Hank, who at that point was still squealing. He’d pushed her away, and Jonas got between them.
“Oh, for goodness sake, people, don’t let him go.” Charlotte gave up and went to find Rosie. She was sitting outside Italia with Doug, Esther, and Lewis. Her arrival caused some fuss and it was a few minutes before she’d explained enough to make any sense to them. Doug took off, phone in hand. Charlotte’s legs were shaky suddenly and she dropped onto a spare chair.
Sirens cut through the air but not past the plaza, so whether it was Sid or something else going on, Charlotte couldn’t tell.
“I’m so sorry you were at risk, Charlie. Is your neck really okay?”
“Don’t worry about me, Rosie. We need to let someone know.” Charlotte sipped on a glass of water Lewis had rushed to get. “And somebody needs to check on Glenys.”
“Someone has.” Esther nodded toward the tables where Glenys was sobbing against Marguerite. Octavia, although patting Glenys’ back, glared at Charlotte. “And…well, I don’t think you have a friend there.”
“Sorry, Rosie. I might have damaged the relationship with the book club.”
“Don’t start me on them! You are important. And after all of their little attempts to harm the shop…they can just go and—”
“Rosie Sibbritt!” Charlotte grinned. “I’m going to talk to your son about you.”
“Go right ahead! He’ll pat me on the shoulder and smile the way he does when there is nothing to say.”
True. Charlotte was familiar with Trev’s quiet ways. But he wouldn’t be happy Charlotte had been at risk. “I wish he hadn’t escaped.”
“You did well, darling. I’m just sorry you had to go through that. We were over here because I was so angry with
