Turned (16 page)

Jodie came in with the phone. “It's for you.”

“Me? Is it your dad?”

“No. Some man, asked for you by name.”

“Oh.” The blood in her veins turned to ice, and she fought the desire to close her eyes. Whoever could it be? No one knew she was here. She wasn't on the electoral register and all her ID was fake. “Did he say who he was?”

“Nope. I'm figuring someone from church or something.”

She took the phone. Perhaps Jodie was right. A nice simple explanation. “Hello?”

Silence. A long silence. Was that breathing? Surely the calls weren't going to start up again. She hung up and tugged down her red jumper.

She wandered across to the window to close the curtains. A car pulled up and parked opposite. A tall figure dressed as the grim reaper got out and leaned against the car, staring at her. The door of the house across the road opened and a woman dressed as a cat stood outlined against the light, complete with ears and a long tail. There must be a party.

The phone rang again almost immediately. “Hello?”

Heavy breathing echoed in her ear. Then a deep husky voice, “Red suits you.”

Amy screamed, dropping the phone, and pulling the curtains so fast, the pole came down narrowly missing her. It hit a vase, sending it smashing to the floor, glass spraying everywhere almost in slow motion.

She dropped to her knees amongst the broken glass shards. She struggled for breath, tears running down her face as panic flooded her.

He found me. How? I've been so careful.

 

 

 

 

11

 

Dane raced through the dark streets, driving as fast as he legally could. What could have happened? Jodie's phone message was garbled to say the least, panic spilling into her voice. Something about Amy crying and being far too upset to even move off the floor. The curtains were broken and a vase, and there was blood, too. He'd told Jodie to ring Pastor Jack and get him and Cassie to come over early and that he'd be home as soon as he could. He'd texted Nate, asking him to go straight to his place when he and Adeline left the hospital.

Dane swung onto the drive, relieved to see Pastor Jack's car parked there. Lights shone from all the windows. Pastor Jack stood in the lounge window, sweater sleeves pulled up to his elbows as he held something above his head. It looked as if he were fixing the curtains. Nodding a greeting to him, Dane ran up the path, pulling out his keys.

The door opened as he got to it. Pastor Jack stood there. “Hi.”

“Pastor, thanks for coming. Where is she? Is she OK? What about the girls? Are they all right?”

“Amy's in the lounge with Cassie. The girls are fine. Jodie has them all decorating biscuits in the kitchen. I'm keeping half an eye on them and fixing your curtain pole, which is back up on the wall, now. Just need to rehang the curtains. I also re-bandaged Amy's wrist. She cut it again on the broken glass from the vase. Jodie's got a good head on those shoulders. When we got here, she'd wrapped a towel around Amy's wrist and had gotten Vianne in the kitchen keeping Vicky occupied. They were singing in sign language.”

“Thank you.” Dane stripped off his coat. “Did she say what happened? Jodie's call didn't make much sense.”

“Amy hasn't said anything. She's really too upset to do anything other than sit there, right now. I'll be in the kitchen if you need anything—let you talk to Amy alone.”

Dane nodded and headed into the lounge.

Cassie got up. “I'll go help Jack with the girls.”

“Thanks.” He moved over to Amy and sat on the floor beside her. “Amy?”

She turned, almost throwing herself into his arms and clinging to him tightly, the same way Vicky did.

Taken aback, he held her fast as she sobbed. He didn't move, other than to comfort her, knowing that right now she needed his physical presence more than anything he could say. It had been a long time since he'd held a woman in his arms, yet his body stirred. He shook himself. Now wasn't the time for his long dormant emotions to wake. She needed him focused. But what could possibly have upset her so? Because something had scared her. And if that some
thing
turned out to be a some
one
, they weren't going to get away with it.

Finally the tears subsided, and the shaking stopped.

He reached into his pocket and gave her his hanky. “Here. What happened? Jodie was really worried. She said a man rang and you got really upset.”

“Sorry,” she managed, wiping her eyes.

“Don't be sorry. Has something happened to your friend? Did her husband call?”

“No. It wasn't Ray who rang.”

“Do you know who it was?”

She shook her head slowly.

Dane frowned, puzzled. He'd been sure Jodie said the caller asked for Amy by name. Maybe he'd misheard her, but he had to make sure. “Jodie said he asked for you by name.”

“I don't know him.” She waved her hands. “Just an ‘unpleasant' call.”

“What did he say?” Dane's copper's instincts came on full alert. He knew all too well what those calls usually consisted of. He kept close hold of her, realizing his heart was beating in perfect time with hers.

“Heavy breathing. Told me I looked good in red,” she whispered.

He closed his eyes, hiding his automatic reaction and swallowed down the surge of rage. “I'll get a trace put on the line in case he calls again.”

“Please, don't. Just change the number.”

He grimaced. “And if he does this to someone else?”

“Please, change the number.”

“I can't just drop this.” Every ounce of copper's blood in him told him what he had to do.

“Yes, you can. What if it's Jodie next time?” She looked up at him, her normally pale face red and blotchy. “Please, Dane, I beg you, just change the number.”

Jodie stuck her head around the door. “I was thinking. Perhaps it's James.”

Dane looked at her. “Who's James?”

“He's this really creepy nerd from my science class. He's also in my form. Ginger hair, freckles, glasses. He keeps going on and on about Amy and how she's hot.” Jodie scrunched up her nose. “Not that you're not pretty, Amy, but you're old enough to be his mother. That's just ewwww. He must have gotten the landline number from my phone when he borrowed it to play a game a couple of days ago.”

Dane raised an eyebrow. “James who?”

“He's just a numpty. He'll get over it.”

“Jodie? Where did you get to?” Pastor Jack's voice echoed from the kitchen.

“Coming…” Jodie vanished again.

“See,” Amy whispered. “Please, just change the number.”

“OK.” And he'd go ex-directory as well. And block the number so no one could find it by dialing 1-4-7-1.

“Thank you.”

He hugged her. With all the cult activity going on up at Maranatha Farm, was it possible it was happening here in town as well? “Do you want me to cancel tonight?”

“No. The girls are looking forward to it. They've spent all day on the decorations.” She glanced around. “Where are they?”

“Pastor Jack's had them busy in the kitchen icing biscuits. That's when he wasn't fixing your wrist and putting the curtain pole back up.”

“I broke it. I'm sorry.”

“Stop apologizing.”

“OK. Pastor Jack is a man of many talents. God certainly blessed the church when He sent him as pastor.”

Dane smiled. “That He did.”

Amy took a deep breath. “I probably look a sight.”

Dane took in her blotchy, swollen face and shook his head. “You're fine.”

“Liar.”

He paused, then nodded. “Not a very good one, I'm afraid.” He rubbed the pad of his thumb over her lips. What would it be like to kiss her? His eyes searched hers. “Just as long as you're all right.”

Amy held his gaze. She moved closer, her lips now a fraction away from his. “I think so.”

He moved closer, his nose brushing against hers. “Amy…” He kissed her gently, his hand sliding around her neck, catching her earlobe.

She shuddered as she wrapped her arms around him, kissing him back.

He pulled her close, shutting his eyes as he kissed her again. She was responsive, her body soft against his. His nerve endings tingled and came alive, his heart pounding. Every fiber of his being reacted as if she were the first woman he'd ever kissed.

The door opened. Nate's voice shattered the moment. “Dane, is everything—” He broke off.

Dane pulled back, not letting go of Amy, who had gone a very attractive shade of bright red. “Everything's fine.”

“I'll, uh, I'll be in the kitchen.” Nate backed through the door, closing it behind him.

Dane grinned. “That is the first time I have ever seen him lost for words.” He tilted his head, running his finger down Amy's jaw line and across her lips. “Have I kissed you senseless?”

She nodded, not taking her gaze from his face.

“Can I do it again?”

She nodded.

Dane closed his eyes, losing himself in kissing her.

 



 

Amy stood in the bathroom and rinsed her face. She looked a sight. She didn't want to believe it was Saunders. She'd been so careful. There was no contact with anyone from Filely. She had fake ID. A new phone and number. She was safe here. The time for living in fear and jumping at every shadow was over. The more she thought about it, the more she came to the conclusion that Jodie was right. It was probably that kid from the school. Perhaps he really did have a crush on her.

She allowed herself a slight smile. If need be, she'd get Dane to go do a talk on stalking to the kids in Jodie's year. Warn the boys against doing it, and tell the girls how to protect themselves and what to do if it actually happened.

Hoping the evidence of her so very public breakdown wasn't too obvious, Amy went into the kitchen. Despite her fears, she felt as if she were walking two feet off the ground. Dane's kisses had placed her very firmly on cloud nine, every part of her body singing.

Nate glanced over at her as she came into the room. “You OK?”

She nodded, hoping he hadn't said anything to the others about seeing them.

“Where's Dad?” Jodie asked.

“He's on the phone. I'm sorry about earlier. Didn't mean to panic or upset everyone.”

Pastor Jack turned to her. “It's fine. We were about ready to come over anyway. Are you really OK?”

Amy nodded. “Yeah. Dane's changing the number so we don't get any more calls like that. He originally wanted to put a trace on the line, but then decided he didn't want Jodie answering the phone to some obscene caller.”

“Good point,” Nate said. “But a trace would have been better.”

“There speaks a cop,” Adeline said. “Sometimes that's not always the best way.”

Vicky signed quickly.

Amy frowned, not sure what she'd said. “I didn't get all of that.”

Adeline translated. “She wants to know if the number's being changed so you won't get upset anymore.”

“Oh, right.” Amy nodded. “Yes, that's why.”

Nate grinned at Vicky. “So, where's this cake you've been raving on about?”

Her grin matched his as she signed a response.

“Yes, the huge fairy castle one.”

“It's in the dining room on the table, ready for tea,” Jodie said. “But Amy wants us to play games first.”

Pastor Jack smiled. “That sounds like a lot of fun.”

“We had to buy buns and apples,” Jodie said. “And some fancy glass pens.”

“I got some tea light holders for you to decorate,” Amy explained. “You need special pens to write on the glass with, as ordinary ink just rubs off.”

“Cool,” the girls chorused.

Amy nodded. “First up are buns on a string.”

Vianne looked puzzled. “What's that?”

“I have lots of buns tied onto pieces of string. And you have to eat them without using your hands.”

The girls looked at each other. “That's not possible unless they are on the table.”

“Nope. I hold the string.”

“Show us.” Jodie demanded.

Amy smirked, picking up a bun. “Then I need a volunteer.”

Dane walked in, brushing his hands against his jeans. “OK, all done.”

“Dad volunteers,” Jodie said, with a huge grin.

He looked at her. “Dad volunteers for what?”

Amy chuckled. “Kneel down and put your hands behind your back.”

Vicky signed rapidly at him.

Amy looked confused as everyone bar Dane laughed. He just rolled his eyes and poked his tongue out at his daughter.

Adeline looked at her. “She says he's under arrest.”

Amy laughed. “Just kneel,” she told him.

Dane grumbled, but knelt and put his hands behind his back. “No cuffs, Nate.”

“I left them at home,” Nate laughed. “But I can always go and get yours.”

“Don't even think about it. Now what do I have to do?” Dane asked, his gaze never once leaving Amy's face.

She grinned and dangled the bun in front of him. “Eat this without using your hands.”

“Easy,” he said. He moved his face towards it, mouth open.

Amy laughed and moved the string.

“Hey, no fair,” he complained as the girls shrieked with laughter.

“Perfectly fair,” Amy said. “Wait until you demonstrate apple bobbing.”

He shook his head. “Oh no, Nate can do that one. Just hold that string still.”

Amy laughed, swinging it. “Nope.”

Dane poked his tongue at her and tried again, missing, much to the delight of those watching. “This is impossible.”

“Bet I can do it,” Jodie said. She held one out to Nate. “Please.”

Lara looked at Pastor Jack. “Do one for me, Daddy.”