Re-Runners First Life: A Time Travel Suspense Series (11 page)

Chapter 25

2006

The only time Kate’s parents had seen their granddaughter was in the hospital when she was born. Eric had found Kate’s growing girth repugnant, too repugnant to come near her, so it was with relief and an injury free body that Kate welcomed her family to the hospital to meet their newest member. But if her parents and Cynthia and John thought this was the beginning of a new and closer relationship with Kate, they were wrong. She was determined to return home to her husband.

Although in the end, Eric decided for them. A few days following Mia’s birth, he packed a bag and left without a word. When Kate returned home a few days later and found him gone, she phoned her sister and agreed to meet at a small cafe near the housing commission apartment they lived in.

‘This is wonderful Kate,’ Cynthia said as she cuddled her niece. ‘You can come home.’

Kate just shook her head, ‘No. I’ll have to be here when he comes back.’

‘But I don’t understand, why?’ Cynthia began.

‘I know you don’t, but don’t push this Cyn. If you do, I won’t meet you again and you won’t see Mia.’

Cynthia and John hadn’t been able to have children of their own and Mia’s arrival had filled Cyn with joy. She didn’t want to risk not being able to see Kate and Mia, but the old disappointment of being unable to do anything about this situation left her feeling impotent.

ooooo

Eric came home just before Mia turned three months old. He walked in, dumped his gear, grabbed a beer from the fridge and turned on the TV. Kate had kept a plentiful supply of his favorite brew, so that first afternoon he wiped himself out and spent the night snoring in the armchair. It was as though he had never left.

Eric had changed, for the worse. Before there were periods of relative peace, now he was angry all the time.

He didn’t lash out at Kate every day, but when he did, it was brutal. She tried to tend to her injuries herself, but a broken arm forced her to go to Emergency one night with Mia in the pram. When questioned by hospital staff she insisted she had fallen, that it was an accident. She was worried Social Services would take Mia from her.

Eric didn’t touch Mia, he ignored her completely. His rage was only directed at Kate and she welcomed it, as long as her daughter was safe.

But all that changed one morning some months later. Kate woke early to find Eric’s side of the bed empty. The house was silent. Something was wrong; Kate couldn’t wipe the feeling of foreboding. She quickly threw on her housedress and ran to Mia’s room.

Eric stood silent and steady near the baby’s cot. Mia was awake watching him and quietly returning his gaze. Usually mornings were her brightest time. She would gurgle, sing and talk in her own baby language and play with her toys, but this morning she was silent. As though she knew she had to be.

‘Eric?’ Kate moved around to face him and was dismayed at the mask of hatred that colored his face. His fists were clenched at the end of his still and unyielding arms. His whole body was stiff with palpable resentment. She put herself between Eric and the cot and spoke again, louder this time, ‘Eric.’

He blinked once, twice and shook himself out of the trance he was in. He’d already been drinking; she could smell it on him. Kate’s heart was pounding. She could see it in his eyes. He hated Mia. Something snapped inside Kate at that moment. She knew she had to get Mia away from him, but she was afraid of his power. He always said she could never leave him; that he would find her and hurt them both. Kate believed that with every fiber of her being. There must be another way.

While her mind furiously thought of what she must do protect her daughter, she smiled gently at Eric and took his hand. ‘Why don’t I cook you breakfast, darling? Bacon, eggs and sausages, all your favorite things.’

The angry red of his face quickly receded and he stretched, ‘Yea good. I’m hungry.’ Then he turned and left the room.

Kate sucked in a deep, shaking breath, gave Mia a kiss and followed her husband.

That afternoon Kate dressed Mia and settled her in the pram. Eric was at his usual place in front of the TV.

‘I’m just going out to get something for dinner,’ she let Eric know.

He grunted and continued to watch the screen.

She left the flat and closed the door before reaching under Mia’s blanket to bring out the money she had saved from supermarket change over a period of months. She always knew it would come in handy for something. It was difficult to hide money from Eric, but during those two months he had been away, she managed to secret away a small stash. Mini recorders weren’t too expensive. She would have just enough.

Chapter 26

2007

The young officer walked into the squad room of detectives, ignoring the large whiteboard that covered most of one wall. That board, displaying the victims of
le Segador,
had been a fixture there for so many years he no longer saw it.

Other cases came and went, most the successful apprehension of a killer, some not; but the wall of
le Segador
stayed as a reminder of their never-ending determination to keep searching for the murderer of Pam Perez and so many others, and also of their failure. It was a bitter pill, but no-one wanted the wall to come down.

Marc Perez’ head was bent over paperwork. In the last twelve months he had aged ten years. The search for the killer of his wife had become an obsession, but not to the point of madness. Only his daughters kept him from that, and the strong friendship of his partner Pete Sutton.

As the young officer approached the twin desks butted together as Brodie and Rogers had done many years before, he hesitated with a note in his hand.

Pete Sutton looked up expectedly, ‘What is it, Johnson?’

Johnson held out the piece of paper and answered, ‘There’s a woman here to see you. It’s about
le Segador,
sir.’

Pete sighed, ‘Another one.’

Johnson placed the paper down purposefully on the blotter in front of the detective, ‘I know we’ve had a lot of crazy’s sir, but this one is different. I think you should talk to her.’

Sutton raised an eyebrow and glanced at Marc who was listening to the conversation, ‘That’s your professional opinion is it, Johnson?’ he said with a tired smile.

Officer Johnson straightened and looked hard at Perez and Sutton, ‘Yes sir, it is.’

Pete shrugged, ‘OK, bring her in.’

As Johnson retraced his steps, Marc asked, ‘What name?’

Pete had a thoughtful look on his face, ‘Dr Sally Watkins.’

‘Sally Watkins? Expert witness Sally Watkins?’ Marc was surprised.

‘One and the same,’ answered Pete. ‘Interesting.’

Chapter 27

2007

LAPD

Because of Dr Sally Watkins’ reputation and the respect they had for her, Marc and Pete led her to a private interview room and closed the door.

Sally Watkins was elegantly dressed and softly spoken, as she shook the hands of both detectives. ‘You and I have met before Detective Sutton. In one courtroom or another.’ Pete nodded in agreement as she turned to Marc Perez, ‘My condolences Detective Perez ...,’ her voice faulted for a moment and her hand trembled in his, as her control suddenly broke.

Pete helped her to a chair, surprised to see this woman, usually so cool and calm under the harshest cross-examination, crumple in tears.

He pushed a box of Kleenex towards her and both men waited until had she collected herself.

Finally, her tears dried and with a steady voice, Sally Watkins lifted her eyes to them, ‘Before I begin, I want to apologize to you both, especially you Detective Perez. I only wish I’d understood earlier. If I had, I may have saved your wife.’

Marc shuffled uncomfortably in his chair, ‘What do you mean, Dr Watkins?’

She looked beseechingly at Perez and the tears began again, ‘I love him, you see. I’ve loved him all my life and when I started to suspect, I didn’t want to believe it. In my heart I think I knew he was capable of doing these terrible things.’ She pushed the soggy Kleenex to her eyes again.

‘I’m sorry Dr Watkins,’ Perez began, ‘I can see you’re upset, but you’re not making a lot of sense.’

Sally took a deep breath, ‘I apologize detective. What I’m trying to tell you is I know the identity of
le Segador
.’

Perez and Sutton looked at each other. They’d heard this before over the years, many times, but for both of them suddenly there was a
knowing
, a knowing that this was it. This was finally the beginning of the end.

Chapter 28

“I'm not afraid of death; I just don't want to be there when it happens.”
―
Woody Allen

July 2007

Suicide – Brisbane Australia - 9.32pm (12.32 Greenwich Mean Time)

Heart Attack – Sydney Australia - 9.32pm (12.32 Greenwich Mean Time)

Gunned Down – Los Angeles US - 4.32am (12.32 Greenwich Mean Time)

In a moment in time

DEATH comes in threes

Chapter 29

Then LIFE begins again ....................