A Certain Malice (29 page)

“Yes. The bomb was never meant for you. I’d been following you for weeks. I knew your Saturday routine, I knew you’d be at netball and I knew the bikies would be blamed.”

He paused, not sure if he could believe his ears. “It was you who killed Elizabeth and Joe, not the bikies?”

She gave him a satisfied smile. “Yes, me all along.”

He made a pathetic attempt to flail out, but she pushed him back to the ground with the flat of one hand. His breath came out in gasping sobs. “Why?”

Ruth settled by his side. Her fingers slowly moved across his chest. “Why, Cam? Think hard and you’ll know why.”

Like a spider, her hand crawled to the opening of his collar. Twisting a tuft of chest hair around a red-tipped finger, she began to tug.“You made a fool out of me, Cam. I wasted years of my life over you.”

“I don’t understand.” He cringed from her, willing himself further into the gravel.

“We loved each other, Cam, but you chose to forget all about it.”

Her hand left his chest. Cold fingers brushed his parched lips. Her touch sent shivers through him, worse than any amount of snake venom.

“You seem to have conveniently forgotten about that day at pony club, all those years ago,” she said. “My pony got a fright in the arena and bolted off with me into the bush. You jumped on a horse and chased after me, grabbing hold of the reins and stopping us. When we dismounted, you took me in your arms and I knew then that you loved me, I knew then that we were meant to be together.”

An image flashed into Cam’s mind: a terrified pony, a frightened girl. That was all there was to it. He’d not given the incident another thought since the day it happened.

“I tried to forget about you, Cam, I really did. I even got married.”

Cam drew a laboured breath. “You killed him.”

“I got my Master’s degree, he served his purpose. You see, I couldn’t stop thinking of you, you poor little orphan of the empire. I decided to instigate a little psychological experiment. I was pretty sure when tragedy struck you’d come running back to the only home you’ve ever had, and I planned on being here, waiting for you when you came. You’ve always craved security – why else would you join the police? You traded one secure institution for another. You really are a very simple, predictable man, Cam. Unfortunately for you though, you hung on longer than I anticipated, arriving just a bit too late. My passion for you had finally burned itself out. I realised then that your presence would be nothing but a liability.”

It was all beginning to make sense. “You got involved with Cliff, the drugs.”

She laughed. “Wrong. I got involved with a real man, Cam, someone who does more for me than you ever could.”

“He’s going to jail for a very long time; the case against him is almost there. They’ll still get him, even if they can’t get you.”

Ruth laughed. “Cliff? That’s the whole idea. That’s how it’s meant to be. Cliff can rot in jail for all I care. I used him just as I used my husband.”

Cam’s mind became a coloured whirl of pain and confusion. “You set him up? He’s a patsy? Then who?”

“My lover, Eric Matthews.” She tweaked his nose. “You probably know him better as Chainsaw, the president of the SS motorcycle club.”

“Over there!” Ruby said, pointing with the rolled note they’d found at the school. “It’s Dad’s ute.”

“Oh shit,” Cecelia said, “it looks like Ruth’s there, too. Can you see your dad anywhere?”

Ruby covered up her mouth with her hand. “God, he’s lying down, she’s bending over him!”

Ruth stood up when she saw Cecelia’s car crunch into the siding.

“Now, Ruby, you have to be calm. We have to play this right and you have to think clearly.” Cecelia squeezed her hand. Ruby nodded back, trying to be brave. But when she saw her father lying so still, she couldn’t help herself. Cecelia’s cry of warning came too late. Ruby sprang from the car and raced to her father’s side.

Cecelia followed with all the caution of a tightrope walker. Ruth met her eyes and shrugged her shoulders in a what-the-heck manner. Cecelia switched her focus to Cam and stepped closer. His eyes were closed, his breathing tortured, his uniform black with sweat. Tears pooled in Ruby’s eyes as she leaned over him to stroke his face.

His eyes fluttered open. “Ruby, be careful,” Cecelia heard him whisper.“You have to try and get away, she’s a killer…”

Ruby turned to face Ruth. Cecelia sensed what the girl was about to do. She cried out. “Ruby, stay where you are, she has a gun!”

But Cecelia’s warning was lost. “What have you done to my father, you fucking bitch?” Ruby yelled, and launched herself at the other woman.

There was a shot. It was the loudest sound Cecelia had ever heard and went on blasting in her head long after the bullet had left the barrel. Ruby went rigid, staring at the swirling dust where the bullet had hit the ground, unable, it seemed, to take her eyes from it.

Cecelia moved to pull the frozen girl into her arms. As the shock wore off Ruby began to shake, to suck in mouthfuls of air.

Cecelia whispered in her ear.“Sssh, take some slow deep breaths. It’s going to be OK – remember?”

Ruby nodded, trying to steady her breathing.

“That was a warning shot,” Ruth said. “You won’t be so lucky next time.” Her voice was firm, as controlled as the hand on the gun.

Cecelia was a lot less composed. “How could you do this, Ruth? I thought we were friends?”

“Your naiveté always appealed to me, Cecelia. Your willingness to see the good in people before the bad.” The gun was pointing at her now. “Yes, I always did consider you my friend. I never planned on getting you involved in any of this. It was unfortunate that you happened to be in the prefab when I threw the bomb. When I saw him enter, well, I couldn’t believe my luck, so I locked the door. All I’d expected was to destroy a few photos.” She shrugged. “I’m an opportunist, Cecelia; you’d have been a necessary casualty, I’m afraid.”

Cecelia swallowed. Still clasping Ruby to her, she said, “Are you planning on killing us now?”

“Unfortunately yes, as soon as my assistant arrives. I’ll need him to help me clear up. We’ll have to think up a way to dispose of your bodies. I’m not going to risk burning again, it’s too unreliable.” She glanced towards Cam’s still form. “I’ll leave Cam’s body where it is. We’ll clear away any evidence and no one will know we were even here. A snake bite, what a terrible tragedy.”

“Let the girl have some last words with her father then,” Cecelia said.

Ruth thought for a moment, looked at Ruby then indicated to Cam with a flick of the gun. “You go with her, that way I can keep the gun on both of you.”

Encouraged by Cecelia, Ruby moved back to her father’s side. The tears rolled down her face as she took his hand. He attempted to speak even though Ruby told him not to. It seemed he had something he needed to say.

“Ruby,” he whispered, his face creased with agony. “I hope you know how much I’ve always loved you. I’ve never been very good at saying stuff like that. But I hope you’ve always known that I do. I haven’t been a good dad; I get preoccupied with my job. I should never have stayed on as a cop after…”

“Sssh…” Ruby wiped at the tears coursing through the dust on his face.“We have a plan. We’re all going to get out of here. And then, when you’re better, you can buy me a pony and…” She couldn’t say any more. She laid her head on his chest and whispered into his shirt, “I’m sorry too, Dad.”

The sound of a car engine drew Cecelia’s attention away from Cam and Ruby to a white ute pulling up next to her VW. She put her hand on the girl’s shoulder. “Ruby, someone’s arrived.”

Ruby jerked in a breath, her eyes suddenly wide with hope.

“Angelo!” she screamed.

But he walked over to Ruth, staring straight through the girl, as if she was already a ghost.

“You took your time,” Ruth said to him.

Ruby jerked in her breath. Cecelia pulled her close.

“I had trouble finding the place,” Angelo said in a conversational tone.

Ruth clucked her tongue.“Never mind, you’re here now, you’ve done well. Eric will be pleased.”

Angelo smiled. “I reckon I’ve more than earned my colours now.”

“There’s just one more thing.”

“What’s that?”

“Kill them.”

The smile fell from his face. “What?”

“You heard me.”

“Ruth, this was never – Jesus, I’ve done everything else, I’ve done more than enough!”

“I told Eric you were too young. Now you’ve proved it.”

Angelo’s dark eyes flicked around for a moment. Finally he swallowed and put his hand out for the gun.

“Good boy, you won’t regret this,” Ruth smiled.

Ruby mouthed him a plea then buried her face in Cecelia’s shoulder.

Seconds passed. Cecelia waited for her whole life to pass before her eyes.

But all she saw was an empty black void.

Her throat began to twist. She was losing control. She had to stay strong, for Ruby.

And then the gun began to shake in the boy’s hand. He couldn’t do it. He was looking at Ruby as if she was a pet dog he had to put down but was unable to pull the trigger himself. Ruth’s face twisted. As she snatched the gun from Angelo’s hand, a shot cracked through the stillness of the bush, uncorking a flock of screeching cockatoos. Cecelia pushed Ruby to the ground. She saw the arch of Ruth’s back, the startled look as she fell.

With no time for shock or thought, Cecelia instinctively lunged for the gun before Angelo could get to it first.

“Stay where you are!”

But the gun had about as much effect on Angelo as a stick of liquorice. He ran towards Ruth’s fallen body. “Oh God, Jesus!” he screamed, throwing himself over her. Blood flowed like lava from her mouth and pooled on to the gravel.

His hands ran over her bloodied face, his lips met hers as he tried to blow air into her lifeless mouth.

Cecelia thought she might throw up. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to erase the sight before her. Then, thudding feet and heavy breathing alerted her to the stumbling form of Leanne crashing through the bushes.

“You cut that bloody fine,” Cecelia said, surprised she still had the strength to talk, let alone stand upright.

Leanne gave her a tight smile. “Keep that gun on him.” She nodded to the weapon Cecelia still held in her shaking hands.

Leanne re-holstered her own gun, reached for her handcuffs and walked cautiously towards Angelo.

Not sure what to expect from the boy, Cecelia’s hand tightened until the ridges of the grip were digging into her hand. But Angelo’s bloodstained face was pale with shock; he offered Leanne no resistance. If not for the occasional convulsive sob he could have been an automaton. He allowed Leanne to cuff him to the ute.

Cecelia joined Ruby next to her father. Her throat constricted as she gazed at the girl clutching at his limp hand. Cecelia touched his cheek. He was pale and cold, his lips shiny with blood. She brushed some of the gravel from his neck and felt for his carotid pulse.

“Call the ambulance, Leanne,” she said, raising her head to find Leanne already gone.

37

They were having a picnic, all five of them, sitting in the middle of the school oval as a family. A sprinkler, like a giant insect, turned itself on with a splutter and the fine mist floated to their cheeks on a gentle breeze. The girls wore white muslin dresses and laughed when the moisture tickled its way through the thin fabric to their skin. Joe ran in tight circles, catching the drops in his plastic Darth Vader cape. Cam watched and smiled. He was wearing his old school uniform. The shirt was tight and one of his arms ached, but he felt strangely content.

The girls had been picking flowers: wattle yellow, cobalt blue, deep, waxy pink. Elizabeth had picked the biggest bunch, and handed them to Cecelia to add to her own. She smiled, took Joe by the hand and began to walk away. When Cam called out to them, Ruby shook her head.

He struggled to open his eyes; they were wet and sticky. Everything was blurry and indistinct, as if he were looking through water.

He could hear better than he could see.

“Cam, are you awake? Can you hear me?”

He heard a familiar voice, felt a hand squeezing his. He squeezed back. He wanted to reach for Cecelia’s face but there was an invisible force pressing down upon him, pushing his limbs into the mattress.

The ring tone of a mobile phone jarred into his senses. Again he heard Cecelia’s voice. “Yes he’s just woken, but still very groggy. Come in later this afternoon. I’ll see you then. Bye, Rod.”

It was all coming back to him: Ruth, the snake, Ruby.

Ruby.

“Where’s Ruby?” he whispered. “Is she all right?”

He could see more clearly now and found himself focusing on Cecelia’s soft mouth.

“She got sick of waiting for you to wake up and went downstairs to the gift shop. The doctors unhooked you from the machine a couple of hours ago, gave you an injection of something to wake you up. They had to sedate you; you were fighting the respirator. You’ve been in a medically induced coma for almost a week.” She laughed. “Let’s just hope a tiger snake doesn’t bite Mrs Bucket’s precious poodle. I think they must have used up the anti-venom from all the vets in the district.”

“There’s nothing wrong with poodles,” he heard himself say. He drew a breath and felt some of the weight lift from his limbs. He gingerly re-adjusted his position in the bed. “I’m in hospital? It’s over?” He glanced around the single room, the bank of flowers on the table, the Get Well cards trembling on the windowsill like butterflies. The white noise of the hospital buzzed in his head, making it hard to concentrate on what Cecelia was saying.

“The bad part’s over. It was touch and go for a while. They lost you for a moment in the ambulance, then you were flown down to the city from Toorrup by Flying Doctor,” she said.

Cam became aware of a dull throbbing pain in his bandaged left arm. In contrast to the white of the bandages, his fingers were a grey-blue colour, like water-immersed slugs.

He licked his dry lips. “Ruth?”

Cecelia looked away, biting at her bottom lip. “She’s dead.”