Outback Blaze (41 page)

‘Jonas said you were stupid.' She shook her head. ‘Once I'd ruined you, I'd kill you too.'

Her words were so simple, so matter-of-fact but Ruby couldn't believe Saskia capable of this violence. Her body began to shake as it finally did sink in that she needed to get away – and fast.
Please Faith, call the police. Get Drew
. She had to believe that somehow they would guess from her message she was still at Adam's and in danger.

‘I don't believe you,' she whispered, looking up at Saskia.

‘What, that I could kill you?'

Ruby nodded.

Saskia grinned and glanced towards the little bottles on the table. ‘I was going to make it look like suicide.' She laughed. ‘I could still do that. I'm staying here under an assumed name and your stupid boyfriend hasn't connected me to all this crime on his turf yet. I'll get rid of you the way I got rid of Riley and leave a note saying you killed him too.'

Ruby opened her mouth to say that no one would ever believe it but found her throat had gone so dry she couldn't speak. She now knew without a doubt that those bottles on the table contained Nembutal. Did Saskia think she was just going to stand by and let her inject her?

Like hell!
The time to delay was gone. She needed to garner the courage to risk the knife and fight for her life.

‘Drew, I think I've got something.'

He looked up from his desk at Mike's words. ‘What is it?'

‘I've just been on the phone to Adam Burton. He said no one called Saskia Vanderbrek had stayed at his cottage across either of the dates we're interested in, but someone matching her description checked in this morning. She paid cash and said her name was Lisa Foster. It was a last-minute booking.'

‘It has to be her.' Drew got that rush of adrenalin he always got when he felt he was closing in on a criminal. He hated that he'd missed the signs earlier but knew they were back on the right track. ‘If only we could predict her next move. We could approach her now but that might scare her off before we get the evidence we need for an arrest.'

He sighed, rested his chin in the palm of his hand and contemplated their next move. Whatever they did, one thing was certain. They needed to warn Ruby. Standing up, he said to Mike, ‘I'm going to go talk to Ruby Jones. Ask her to be careful. I think it's best if she isn't alone until we've got this woman.'

Mike nodded. ‘I'll keep following these leads.'

So far they had someone matching her description staying at a motel in Geraldton on the night of the fire and were still looking for the time of Riley's death. Drew grabbed the patrol car keys, nodded to O'Leary on his way back from lunch and headed for the café. He didn't see Ruby's four-wheel drive but maybe she'd walked or Faith had picked her up.

As he opened the door of Frankie's café, he ran into Simone and Faith on their way out.

He tipped his head, said, ‘Ladies,' but looked past them searching for Ruby.

‘We were just coming to the station,' they told him.

‘Where's Ruby? Isn't she supposed to be having tea or something with you?'

‘That's just it. She didn't turn up so I tried to call her and she sent this weird message back.' Faith held the phone in front of Drew's nose.

He read it. Frowned. ‘What's weird about that?'

Simone and Faith exchanged a look. ‘Auntie Esther doesn't leave the farm,' Simone explained. ‘She most definitely would not go shopping in Geraldton so I called her at home and sure enough she answered the phone. Adam and Uncle Ron are in Geraldton seeing the accountant. She said Ruby was out riding on the farm.'

‘And if that was true,' Faith interrupted, ‘Ruby would have said. She doesn't play games. I'm worried about her, Constable Noble. Something's not right.'

His scalp prickled. He tried to tell himself that maybe Ruby just wanted some time alone but Faith was right, Ruby had never once played games with him. And now she was in the vicinity of where Saskia had just checked in. He dug his phone out of his pocket, hit Ruby in his recent calls list and cursed when it went straight to message bank.

‘Something's wrong, isn't it?' Faith touched his arm, panic swimming in her eyes.

‘I don't know. But I'm going to find her. Call me if you hear from her, okay?'

They nodded as Drew turned to leave. He sprinted towards the patrol car, terror coiling round his heart at the thought of something happening to Ruby. It looked like Saskia had burned down a building and killed a horse. There was no telling what else she might be capable of. He ignored the nausea building in his gut and he tried to tame his rapid breathing. No point in him falling apart when she needed him most. Although it would take less than a minute to get to the station, Drew called on speakerphone as he drove.

‘Bunyip Bay Police Station,' answered Mike.

‘I think Saskia might already have Ruby. We don't know what kind of weapons she might have on her so let's prepare for all possibilities.' He was already turning into the station. ‘Grab O'Leary, the bullet-proof vests and meet me out the front.'

As he leapt from the vehicle, he braced himself for an argument from O'Leary, but credit to the old guy, in the two minutes he allowed himself to brief the others, Sarge didn't grimace or roll his eyes. And when Drew told them he was taking his bike, Sergeant O'Leary simply nodded.

Drew could get there faster on two wheels and was prepared to break speed limits and road rules to get to her. As he tore down the main street, turned on to the highway, towards the road that led to Annadale, all he could think about was Ruby. Images of their brief time together flashed before his eyes, terrifyingly like people described their moments before death. His whole body trembled as he imagined the unthinkable, imagined how he would feel if Sarge, Mike and he arrived too late.

If that crazy bitch had even laid a hand on her he'd kill her. And it wouldn't be anything about being in the line of duty, it would simply be about taking revenge on the person who had taken from him the only person who meant anything to him.

Because she did. Oh dammit, she did.

His heart punched his rib cage. He didn't know if it was love – three weeks seemed like a ridiculous time for someone who didn't even want a relationship to lose their heart – but the pressure in his chest was like nothing he'd ever felt before. When he almost came a cropper on the Burtons' gravel drive, he forced himself to push these thoughts aside and focus.

Not wanting to alert Saskia to his arrival, he slowed the bike and stopped about five hundred metres from the cottage. He glanced back down the drive, but there was no sign of the patrol car yet. They couldn't be far behind but he wasn't waiting. If he was right and Saskia Vanderbrek was mentally unhinged, he didn't want to waste time watching the grass grow. His hand automatically went to his gun and although he hoped he didn't have to use it, it offered a certain comfort. He was glad the police in Australia were armed.

Careful not to make a noise, Drew trod slowly across the uneven terrain, his heart picking up speed with each step closer to the cottage. He saw Roxie tied to a post out front the same moment she saw him. Closing his eyes, he ducked slightly but she tugged against her constraints and neighed in his direction.

‘What was that?' Saskia spun round to glare out the kitchen window and the paddocks beyond.

‘It's just Roxie.' Ruby shifted her legs slightly and placed her palms against the cold checked floor tiles, bracing herself to jump up. ‘She's probably getting impatient and telling me to hurry up.'

Without replying, Saskia took a step towards the window trying to get a better look. Her knuckles had gone white again as if her fingers were glued around the knife – Ruby wasn't sure if Saskia had the guts to use it but she pushed that thought aside and used the seconds she looked away to make a dash. Almost slipping on the tiles, she made it a couple of steps before Saskia whirled around.

Her face turned red, her eyes narrowed and she lifted the knife. ‘Where the hell do you think you're going?'

Ruby didn't hang around to answer. She yanked open the kitchen door and fled down the hallway wishing she hadn't closed the damn front door. Saskia's high-heeled boots stabbed at the floorboards behind her. Ruby didn't look back as she leapt down the porch steps and charged towards Roxie still waiting by the front fence. Should she run or mount the horse? She'd left her mobile inside, unable to grab it back without alerting Saskia so she couldn't call anyone for assistance. But if she left Roxie there, would Saskia give up on chasing Ruby and follow through on her threat?

Unable to risk that possibility, Ruby's decision was made. She might lose time mounting Roxie but the mare could outrun Saskia without even trying.
Thank God Saskia doesn't have a gun
. At least Ruby didn't think she did.
Oh shit, what if she does?
Her pulse raced even more at the thought.

‘Come back here, bitch!' Saskia cried.

Ruby flinched at the voice behind her, imagining Saskia catching her and the damage she could do with the knife if in a rage. Yet, just metres away from Roxie, she heard another voice.

‘Police! Don't move!'

Praise the Lord
. She glanced back briefly to see Drew appearing round the side of the porch. He must have been waiting at the side of the house ready to make his move. A lightness filled Ruby but she didn't stop running. She didn't want to risk Saskia closing in on her, even with the police presence.

‘I said stop!' Drew's angry voice was heard again and his heavy footsteps sounded behind Saskia's. ‘For fuck's sake, Saskia, I've got a gun.'

As Ruby reached Roxie, she took a chance to look behind and let out a breath of relief – Saskia had leapt over the picket fence and was heading in the opposite direction, down the gravel road.

Drew cursed as he watched her go, but made his way to Ruby. ‘Are you okay?' He pulled her against him.

Her body melted into him, nothing had ever felt so good, so safe. ‘Yes,' she gasped, her heart racing more from the adrenalin than the run.

‘Thank God,' he breathed into her hair.

‘The fire. It was her. It was all her.'

‘I know.' Drew pulled back slightly and glanced in the direction she'd gone. They could still see her hurtling down the drive towards the Burtons' homestead, but she was getting away. ‘I've got to go after her. Stay here, stay safe.'

He pressed a quick kiss against her mouth and then tore off, dirt kicking up behind him. Ruby watched, her heart kicking over in happiness at the sight of the patrol car coming up the drive. She didn't want Drew to face Saskia alone. The other woman must have noticed the arrival of back-up because she turned abruptly, leapt over a fence and started charging across a paddock of half-grown wheat. Obviously all that time she'd spent at her posh Claremont gym had come in handy.

Ruby's hands absentmindedly caressed Roxie as she leaned against the horse, watching as the patrol car skidded to a stop just near where Saskia had jumped the fence. Mike and O'Leary leapt out, leaving both doors open as they charged after her. Ruby had never seen the sergeant move at more than snail's pace before, but he surprised her now. Granted Mike was in front and Drew was rapidly catching up, but O'Leary's tubby arms pumped at his side as he gave his best effort in pursuit.

Ruby stood there, her hand against her chest as she tried to catch her breath and silently prayed that they would catch Saskia. It was hard to believe what had just happened and the lengths that Jonas's sister had gone to destroy her.

Drew had never given chase like this in his life. On the one hand he wanted to catch Saskia more than he'd ever wanted to catch anyone but he also ached to get back to Ruby. His legs burned as he ran to catch up to the others, to catch her. All he could think of was that knife she'd had in her hand as she'd charged out of the cottage after Ruby. He swore he'd almost had a heart attack right there on the spot. He'd stumbled on the porch a moment, giving her the chance to get further away from him and closer to Ruby.

It had been like one of those bad dreams where you needed to run but couldn't. And then something had snapped inside of him. He'd lifted his gun, aimed and almost fired. It was only the sight of Roxie and Ruby that stopped him – the thought that Roxie might bolt and hurt herself in reaction to the loud noise and the fact he didn't want Ruby to see him take another life.

But maybe he should have taken a shot anyway because Saskia was a damn good runner. If she got away now, if she continued to be a threat to Ruby he'd never forgive himself. As he caught up to O'Leary he looked sideways and heard the older man puffing and saw that his bright red face looked set to explode.

‘Go back to the car,' Drew ordered. ‘Circulate Saskia's description and get everyone to keep an eye out just in case Mike and I can't catch her.'

‘Gotcha.' Drawing to a halt, O'Leary placed his hands against his knees and tried to catch his breath. Drew hoped he wasn't about to have a heart attack – in the end the old guy had impressed him with his drive and stamina – but he couldn't stick around to make sure. Pushing his legs harder than he ever had before, he sprinted ahead. Mike was about twenty metres in front, and Saskia not much further. Drew had never been the best runner but then again he'd never had such motivation before.

Somehow he pushed past the pain in his legs and the feeling of asphyxiation at his throat and found himself closing in on Mike. He called out again, ‘Police. Freeze,' and then lifted his gun and fired a shot into the air. Both Mike and Saskia startled. As he'd hoped she made the fatal error of glancing behind her. Mike lunged towards her, flying through the air like a football star diving for the ball. He landed on top of her and she shrieked, thrashing wildly beneath him, screaming obscenities as Drew closed in on them.