The Italian Affair (21 page)

Her hands were tied in front, so at least she didn’t have the indignity of asking him to remove her clothes. He didn’t give her
long before he came in again and hauled her out by the arm. This time she did lose her balance and fell forward against the wall. Determined to say nothing in case a beating ensued, she righted herself as quick as she could. Then she shuffled back to the room, where she sat down on the bed while he retied the ropes around her feet.

‘I’m so thirsty. I need a drink,’ she said, pleading. ‘Please….’

For a moment, she thought he was going to ignore her, but when he finished what he was doing he left the room. Gina let the small piece of glass fall under her body to hide it when he tied her hands to the top of the bed. He brought in a bottle of water and let her drink through a straw. When she had enough, her head fell backwards onto the bed and she closed her eyes, pretending to be too weak to do anything else.

Jason checked the ropes were secure and then went out the room locking the door behind him.

Gina had intended using the shard of glass straight away, but she felt as if she was going to black out. She must have drifted off to sleep and wasn’t sure what time it was when she finally woke. Her back was sticky with sweat and her limbs were stiff. She glanced upwards at the shutters across the windows and realized it must be early evening from the light filtering into the room. A bell bird sang nearby in a tree outside the window, and she listened for a few seconds to its haunting bell-like sound which unexpectedly soothed her. As the light faded, her hopes did as well. They would never find her, she realized, dully. There were hundreds of kilometres of native bush all around them and no one would think to look in an abandoned shack in the middle of nowhere.

She pulled her arms towards her abdomen, stretching the rope. The glass shard was lodged near her back. She twisted around but couldn’t reach it. She tried repeatedly. Frustrated at her efforts, tears ran down her cheeks as she realized how helpless she was. Then she had a thought. Maybe if she was to bounce on the bed it might move the shard to where she could reach it. After a couple of movements,
all she succeeded in doing was making a thumping noise as the ancient bed springs protested at her weight. She hoped Jason couldn’t hear her although she wondered if he had possibly gone out. He could have come back while she had been asleep and she hadn’t heard him. But there was nothing to lose, she thought. She had to try.

For another half-hour, the glass shard bounced around the bed until finally it fell off the bed on to the floor. Gina sobbed. When no tears were left, anger shot through her. He wasn’t going to get away with this. She wouldn’t let him. She wrenched the ropes really hard, again and again, knowing what she was doing would have no effect at all. Her arms ached. She cried again. Then gave one last heave. To her surprise, there was a cracking sound and the post at the top of the bed came away. Gina couldn’t believe it. The thin post had split in two. For a few seconds, she stared at it, knowing that if Jason came in and found what had happened, he’d be furious.

Although her hands were still tied, she was now free to sit up, but her legs were tied to the bottom post. Leaning over the bed, she reached out for the glass. With one swoop it was in her hands and she began sawing. Half an hour later she had her hands free and then she started on the ropes on her feet.

The sound of a car again made her start. It was Jason. He had returned. He’d find her any minute. Hurriedly, she unwound the rope, dropped it from her ankles and stood up. Her legs were stiff. Moving to the window quickly, she tried to unbolt the shutters. The bolts were rusty and difficult to slide back. She beat at them with her hands but they refused to budge. She needed a lever. But there was nothing in the room apart from the broken bed post, so she picked it up. Using all her strength, she started to beat at the bolts, forcing them to slide along. All of a sudden, one of the shutters swung open into the night and crashed against the outside wooden wall. Fresh air hit her face. The sweet fragrance of the native forest at night overwhelmed her. The moon was high in the sky, its brilliant white glow bathing her in light. She climbed up to the window ledge. It
wasn’t too far to jump. She tensed. Then she heard the door swing open in the room. Her heart catapaulted. She glanced over her shoulder briefly at Jason’s surprised face and with one leap was sailing through the air. She fell to the ground heavily. Winded, she lost valuable seconds. When she heard Jason climbing out of the window after her, fear gave her extra strength and she pushed herself up and started to run.

If only she could reach the bush, she could hide. Sharp branches scraped her face as she fought her way through the thick foliage. Finally the bush cleared a little. She increased speed, not knowing in what direction to head. It was only when she stopped, her chest heaving from the exertion, she realized she was completely lost. But at least she was safe and away from Jason. Her legs finally gave way and she sank to the ground amongst the ferns and the soft leaves. And she thanked God she was alive.

At first light, on the second day, the Iroquois helicopter hovered at points along the coast, the pilot pointing out various abandoned dwellings dotted below. Rick peered out the window. He could see trackers and search dogs. He adjusted the headphones and microphone before he spoke. ‘What do you think, Dave?’

‘We need to find out who owns all this coastal property on this stretch of the coast. The City Council should have that information.’

Rick pointed to the map. ‘It’s possible he could have hidden for a while in the bush, then doubled back to any one of these deserted dwellings.’

‘We have to consider every possibility. This guy knows what he is doing.’

Brougham talked through the radio. Then he hung up, and turned to Rick. ‘Sounds like someone rented out an old shack to a guy who fits Gallagher’s description. It’s further up the coast. About here.’ He pointed to an area on the map, quite a distance away from Rick’s beach house. ‘Let’s check it out.’

It didn’t take long for them to reach the place by helicopter. The pilot managed to land in a clearing though it was tight. Rick made a quick check of the shed. Brougham came up behind him. ‘Any luck?’

‘A car. No number plates. Probably stolen,’ Rick remarked.

Brougham went to have a look. ‘We’ll get the tyres checked. See if they match the ones in your driveway.’

Both men made their way to the shack nearby. Brougham ordered two men to watch the front of the place while Rick offered to check out the back.

‘I’m going inside,’ Rick informed Brougham.

‘No. We’ll wait for more men to arrive,’ Brougham said firmly. ‘We’ll surround the place. It would be safer.’

‘Forget it, we haven’t got time. Chances are high he heard the chopper overhead.’ Rick pulled out his Glock, a determined look on his face and continued to make his way around the corner of the wooden building. An opened shutter banged against the wall. Ducking underneath, he crept around to the back door, noticing it was wide open. Entering quietly, his feet making no noise on the wooden floorboards, he crept down the hallway.

In the kitchen he found a camping stove and tins of food sitting on a table. Obviously someone had been living here. He swung the torch light around. No sign of movement. His heart hammered in his chest as he approached another room, just off the hallway. Pushing the door open slowly with his foot, he peered inside. It had no furnishings apart from a bed. Ropes were tied to the bed. One part had broken off and was lying on the floor. His chest tightened at the implications.

A silver
cornicello
lay on the bed, the chain broken. He picked it up, and studied it in the palm of his hand. It was the amulet her grandmother had given her. So Gina had been here, after all. He slipped it into his pocket. With quick strides, he crossed the room to the open window and looked out. Had she jumped out in a bid to escape, he wondered? Without a moment to lose, he sprinted
outside to find Brougham. The Armed Offender Squad had just arrived. Two vanloads of officers were parked nearby and weapons were being allocated. Rick briefly told Brougham what he’d found.

‘She’s been here but she’s gone now. No sign of Gallagher anywhere. If she did get away, he might have gone after her. His car is still here so that tells us something.’

Rick knew realistically the search was going to take some time. If Gina had managed to escape she was out there in the bush somewhere. And the question was, would they find her before Gallagher did?

His heart heavy, Rick walked over to join the briefing.

Gina nestled amongst some leaves and fallen branches, listening carefully. The events of the past few hours came hurtling back, almost paralysing her. She knew Jason would be searching for her and he wouldn’t give up.

Daylight started to filter through the branches of the palm tree high above, the warm rays of the sun caressing her face as if offering some comfort. Hope shot through her. She was free and she had to stay that way. She was just about to move when she heard a twig crack. Her breathing shallowed.

He was there. Somewhere near. Gina could sense it. She had to do something and quickly. Her hand curved around a small stone and she threw it, as far away as she could, in the opposite direction. Her suspicions were soon confirmed when she caught a glimpse of Jason’s blue T-shirt as he stepped out from behind a tree. With slow movements, she started to crawl away through the undergrowth. Behind her, she could hear him swearing profusely.

‘Gina, I know you’re around here,’ he said in menacing tones.

Gina’s heart pounded so frantically, she thought he would hear her. She stopped, waited for what seemed like an eternity, then when she peeped out from behind the fallen log, she realized he had disappeared. He must have gone the other way. Her gaze slowly skimmed the thick forest around her but there was no trace of him.
She had to keep moving. There wasn’t a minute to lose. Keeping her body low, she again crawled forward on her hands and knees as quietly as she could. When she was sure she was far enough away to be safe, she stood up in a small clearing and leaned against the tree to catch her breath. Suddenly, an arm came swiftly from behind, grabbing her. Her scream came out as a muffled cry as a hand clamped over her mouth. She struggled furiously, kicking and scratching, but he was too strong. He grabbed her by the throat and slammed her up against the tree, winding her. The cold steel of a knife pressed hard into her neck as his face leered into hers.

This time she knew she was going to pay heavily. Her mouth trembled as her legs threatened to buckle. Gina screamed as loudly as she could.

‘Did you hear that?’ said Rick.

The search and rescue team had been battling their way through the bush for hours. Brougham finally called a halt. ‘It’s getting too dark. The last thing we need is to get lost ourselves.’

Rick shook his head. ‘Just a few more minutes.’ He pointed to a grove of palm trees and continued walking. When he reached the grove he stood and listened. His radio came on. It was Brougham requesting the search and rescue squad return to base. He knew Brougham would consider searching in darkness using night vision goggles and a heat-sensing camera.

Rick sighed with frustration. Damn it. Another day had gone. Rick was just about to turn around and head back the way he came when he thought he heard something again.

He swopped glances with Brougham. ‘That was no seagull.’

Then they both heard it. It sounded like a loud, high-pitched scream, true and distinct.

Gun in hand, Rick started running in the direction he thought the scream came from.

When he burst through to a clearing, he saw them. Gallagher was towering over Gina. She was fighting him off. Rick ran forward and tried to grapple him, but Jason swung round, a knife in his hand. The blade caught Rick, slicing him across the chest. Pain shot through him. Gallagher lunged again and Rick jumped back,
avoiding the knife by centimeters. He raised the Glock but Gallagher moved behind Gina.

‘Put the knife down. You’re surrounded,’ growled Rick. Jason glared insolently. ‘No chance,’ he said, lifting the knife so it rested against Gina’s throat.

A shot rang out from behind Rick. The bullet missed him but slammed into Gallagher’s shoulder. He gave a grunt and staggered backwards away from Gina. Then he whirled around and charged into dense bush. Rick chased after him. He tackled him from behind. Both men fell, landing heavily. Rick’s head slammed against a tree trunk, stunning him. With desperate strength, Gallagher shoved Rick off and rolled away. He scrambled to his feet, knife raised.

Another shot pierced the air, missing Gallagher and hitting a tree. Rick pulled himself up and retrieved the Glock from the ground. He sat slightly dazed as several officers yelled at him to keep down as they sprinted past.

A barrage of shots rang out.

Rick was tempted to go after Gallagher as well, but he heard Gina call out. He turned, saw her huddled against a tree, ashen-faced. He had to go to her. He holstered his gun, got slowly to his feet and went to her. Gently, he helped her up and hugged her.

‘He was going to kill me …’ she muttered.

Rick held her tightly. ‘You’re safe now. You’re going to be just fine.’ He wiped the tears from her face with his hand, noting the yellow bruised cheekbone and the bleak look in her eyes.

‘We’ll find him. I promise. He won’t get away,’ said Rick. He wasn’t sure if she really had heard him, so he added softly, ‘Come on, let’s get you out of here. We’ll have plenty of time to talk later, OK?’

She nodded.

The Iroquois flew them straight to Nelson Hospital. Medical personnel were waiting near the landing pad and they moved forward as soon as Gina stepped out of the helicopter escorted by a
crew member. Rick helped her towards the gurney.

‘Don’t leave me,’ she whispered, holding his hand.

‘I won’t. I’m right here.’

Rick waited in the corridor in the Emergency Department. A nurse brought him a chair.

‘Thanks,’ he murmured, and sat down. Half an hour later, the doctor came out. ‘We’d like to keep Ms Rosselini in for a few days. Take a few x-rays, just in case.’

Rick nodded.

‘You’d best get those wounds seen to,’ the doctor added. ‘You’ve taken a nasty blow to the head.’

Rick followed the nurse to another room where he took a seat on the bed. After removing his shirt, the nurse bathed his cuts and bandaged his chest and arm and cleansed around the heavy bruise on his forehead. He didn’t need stitches.

‘You’re lucky it wasn’t worse,’ she commented.

‘Don’t I know it?’ replied Rick drily.

The nurse slipped him a couple of strong painkillers swilled down with a strong cup of coffee.

‘They should help,’ she said sympathetically. ‘Just take it easy, or that wound on your chest will open up again. Any sign of delayed concussion come straight back here. OK?’

‘OK. Thanks!’

Rick returned to see Gina who had already been taken up to the medical unit. Her mind and body had taken a battering and it was going to take some time before she’d be well again. She’d been through so much, he thought. It wrenched his gut to think what Gallagher had done to her. Meanwhile, his resolve hardened. He had to find Gallagher. He knew Gina would never know any peace until he did.

Morning came. Rick woke, feeling stiff and sore. The painkillers had worn off. He’d slept in the soft chair beside Gina even though
he’d been offered a room next door. He sat up, and looked over at her. Her face was as white as the sheets which covered her. He hated to leave her but he’d be back, he promised, and he told her that even though she was fast asleep, under sedation. He’d make sure she’d never have to worry about Gallagher again.

Outside the room, two police officers stood guard at each side of the door and Rick acknowledged them as he passed. ‘I’m heading out to see Brougham. If Gina happens to wake, call me. The doctor said she’d be out for a while.’

The officers nodded.

Twenty minutes later he was at the station sitting in front of his former boss.

‘Didn’t think I’d see you so soon,’ said Brougham. ‘How are you feeling?’

Rick winced. ‘Sore but I’ll live.’

‘And Gina?’

‘Battered and bruised and upset. But she’ll be OK. She just needs to rest.’

‘We’ll need to interview her again. As soon as she’s awake.’ Brougham got to his feet. ‘Need a coffee?’

‘Thanks. Make it strong. One sugar.’ Brougham came back within a few minutes carrying two mugs of steaming liquid. He handed one to Rick.

‘Have you eaten?’ asked the detective.

Rick shook his head. ‘Haven’t had time. Figured I’d better get down here and see what’s happening.’

Brougham opened a plastic box of sandwiches and shoved it across the table. ‘Here. Help yourself.’

Rick gave a grin. ‘Looks like your wife’s still looking after you.’

‘How did you guess?’

‘No male I know cuts sandwiches that cute.’ He bit into one and chewed. ‘Hmm … tuna. Not bad.’ He swallowed. ‘Any word on Gallagher?’

‘Not a damned thing. We were that close….’ The Detective
swore softly. ‘We’ve put out road blocks, the airport is covered heavily and we’ve got our helicopters searching the area constantly. It’s just a matter of time before we pick him up.’

‘You won’t find him. We’re going to have to wait for him to come to us. He’s determined to get Gina. I think he’ll make another attempt.’

Brougham scoffed. ‘He wouldn’t dare. We’ve got cops swarming all over the hospital.’

Rick leaned forward. ‘All the same, I’m going to be staying there to keep a close eye on things.’

Brougham looked thoughtful. ‘Don’t forget he’s wounded, so he’s not going to be able to move very far.’ He leaned back tiredly. ‘It’s been a hectic few days. Let’s hope we get this wrapped up soon.’

‘I wouldn’t count on it. Gallagher will come when he’s ready. Not before.’

Rick wolfed down another couple of sandwiches and drained his coffee cup. He glanced at his watch, then stood up. ‘Time to get back to the hospital. Keep me posted, will you?’

Brougham nodded as he picked up the phone. ‘I’ll do just that. But remember what I said: don’t take the law into your own hands. If you see Gallagher, or anything suspicious, call me.’

‘I’ll do what I have to,’ Rick replied firmly, as he left Brougham staring after him with a frown on his face.

Rick called in to his office where he changed his clothes, and picked up an ordnance survey map. He estimated that Jason had gone bush. But he was injured, so he wouldn’t last long without some medical help. Rick spread the map out on the table. Rick suspected that he would head for the nearest settlement where he would force someone to help him. The residents would have been warned that Gallagher was on the loose and that he was armed and dangerous. But realistically the police couldn’t be everywhere. No matter how efficient they were.

Rick was right. Within seconds Brougham rang him. ‘We’ve had a report Gallagher broke into a doctor’s surgery and took some
drugs and needles.’

‘Once he’s patched himself up, my guess is he’ll head for the hospital.’

Brougham didn’t agree. ‘Now that he’s got away, he’s hardly going to walk back into a town where every cop knows what he looks like.’

‘He wants Gina Rosselini and I’d say he’d be prepared to die doing it,’ Rick stated firmly. ‘We’re dealing with a psychopath.’

‘That much is obvious,’ added Brougham, ‘By the way, two other rifles were taken in the sports shop burglary so we can consider he stashed them so he’s armed. So let’s not take any chances. He fooled us before with the fake suicide. So we’ll double the guard around Gina just in case.’

Rick grimaced. He didn’t tell him he was wasting his time. And he also didn’t tell him, when Gallagher came calling, he had every intention of being the one to face him. ‘Just make sure the officers are armed.’

‘They already are,’ replied Brougham.

It was early evening when Rick arrived back at the hospital. Gina had only woken briefly and had then gone back to sleep. He went into her room and sat on the chair next to the bed, and stared at her pale face. Again, he leaned forward and kissed her lightly on the forehead.

‘He’ll never touch you again. I promise.’

Her eyes fluttered open. ‘Rick….’

‘I’m right here.’

‘Are you OK?’

He smiled. ‘I’m fine. Just a few scratches. Nothing serious.’

‘Have they found him?’ she murmured.

He hated to tell her. ‘No, but they will. And when they do, he’ll be going to jail for a very long time.’

‘Will he come after me again?’

He hesitated. He didn’t want to worry her, and yet, he needed her to be on her guard, just in case.

‘He might do. But he’d have trouble getting through all the protection around you. And he’ll have trouble getting past me.’

‘I’m glad you’re there.’

His voice lowered. ‘Yeah, me too.’

As if his words comforted her, her eyes fluttered, and closed. He could see by the rising of her chest she had fallen into a deep sleep again. Maybe that was for the best, he considered. Keeping Gina in one place, with one door to the room, made protecting her a lot easier. His mind ticked over. The first thing he needed to know was the layout of the hospital. A nurse came in and he asked her for a schematic of the place.

‘It’s just a general one, marking out the different floors and departments,’ she answered. ‘We give it out to our patients. I’ll just get one for you.’

‘When does the nursing staff change around here?’ Rick enquired, following her to reception.

‘Not until eleven o’clock tonight.’ she informed him. ‘And then again at seven in the morning.’

Rick thanked her. Gina’s grandparents came in soon afterwards and Rick had a quick chat to them, and left them to sit with Gina. He waited outside, respecting their privacy. Later, when they had finished, Luigi came out to speak to him. ‘I want Gallagher dead. Name your price.’

‘A generous offer,’ replied Rick. ‘But that would be murder.’

‘You’re telling me it is murder? He killed my granddaughter Maria, and he almost killed Gina. I call that a vendetta. You’re Italian, damn you.’ He thumped his chest, right across his heart. ‘What do you feel in here?’

Rick didn’t need anyone to remind him who or what he was. ‘Point taken. But the law will deal with him.’

Luigi shook his head. ‘The law will put him away again and he’ll be released in a few years on good behaviour. Then he’ll come looking for Gina again.’ He took a deep breath, his eyes stony hard. ‘I don’t want her living in fear all the time. Kill him … it’s the only way.’

This time Rick said nothing and Luigi Rosselini, taking his silence for refusal, left. Thinking deeply about what Luigi had said, Rick settled down in the chair opposite Gina with a blanket and tried to get some sleep. Only he couldn’t still his mind. He tried to put himself in Gallagher’s place.

What would his next move be?