Derailed (48 page)

“Really?”

“Yeah. She can a total bitch sometimes.”

I give an I’m-right-next-to-you cough.

Maxine wriggles her mouth as she eyes Ritchie. “Only if you suck my toes.”

“Maxine!”

“A foot rub, then?”

“Maxine, c’mon!”

“Okay, okay.” Maxine looks at me with her lips curled downward. “We didn’t. Sadly. But if he ever changes his mind, I have to tell you, Rival, my red room is always open for him.”

I have no clue how to respond to that. I suspect Ritchie doesn’t have either, because he says nothing.

“It’s the truth, Rival,” Maxine says. “But…I have to tell you, I did see his arse. It was nice, and I would have no problem riding it.”

God!

“And I did cop a good feel of his dick.”

“Maxine, c’mon!” Ritchie says, making big eyes at her.

“Felt satiny. That means he had a hard-on for
me
.”

I glare at Ritchie.

“Yes, yes, yes,” Ritchie says. “But, we didn’t do the deed. That is the main thing, right?”

I don’t answer because I think this situation is nothing short of crazy.

“Remember, you cut me badly, Rival. I was hurting, man.”

“I was hurting too, but that didn’t mean I was going to show Bradley my arse!”

“I didn’t show her my arse. She…she…”

Maxine, appearing bored, intervenes. “Hey, if you two rainbow lorikeets don’t mind, I’ve bought a great porno on Pay TV and it’s on pause. So Ritchie, give me a hug and then piss off, will you?”

Ritchie looks at me. I shrug. With a laugh, he gives Maxine a hug. She hugs him and as she does, she wraps one leg around his hip. He laughs and pushes her gently away.

I laugh too – just can’t help it.

As we drive home from Maxine’s place, Ritchie turns to me. “Marry me.”

Thrilled, I lean back to look at him. “If you want me to marry you, you have to do it the right way.”

“Oh, yeah?”

Pulling a Beyoncé on him, I sing, “If you like it, should have put a ring on it.”

“Oh yeah?” With a grin, he pulls over to the side of the road.

I look around. “Why you stopping?”

He reaches into the console of our Jeep and brings out a little red box.

“You’re kidding me!”

He opens the box and I gasp at the sight of
de Fleur
– the ring I admired so much but didn’t want to consider because of the price. “Ohmygod, Ritchie!”

“Will you marry me and make me miserable for the rest of my life?”

I laugh through my tears. “I love you and…yes! Of course. I love you!”

With a smile, he slips the ring on my finger, kisses the ring, and then kisses me.

After all that I’ve been through, it is time I got my happy ending.

“Come home,” he says. “Tonight.
Now
. Come home for good. In fact, don’t leave. We can fetch your things tomorrow.”

I nod. “But what about –”

“—Holly?”

“Yeah.”

He stares ahead for a few moments, a thoughtful look on his face. “Leave it to me.”

When we get home, he strolls over to Holly and Phoebe. “Would you guys like to sleep over tonight? Play on our waterslide late, the floating castle, the giant pool noodles...”

“We’d love to!” Holly says, to my delight. She spins around to look at me. “Can we, Mum? Can we? Oh, please say yes!”

“Guess Mum will have to sleep over too,” Ritchie says. “So she can keep an eye on Phoebe.”

“Yes, Mum, yes!” Holly says. “They have plenty of space, Mum. Besides, little Gareth,” she drops her voice, “Mum, he breaks all our toys so
you
have to watch him.”

“Okay,” I say, thrilled that everything is suddenly so easy.

Holly turns to Ritchie. “Can you help keep my photo book safe, Uncle Ritchie? Guard it so that Gareth doesn’t break my daddy’s photos? He breaks everything, you know.”

“Sure thing, sweetheart. I shall put it high up so it’s safe, okay?”

“Okay!” she chirps.

Ritchie and I smile at each other over her little head.
Easy
.

That night, I lie in Ritchie’s arms and admire the rock on my finger.

“You’ve been looking at the ring the whole time,” Ritchie says in a sleepy voice.

“And?”

“You’ve got that…that you-can’t-touch-me look.”

I smile and say, “Don’t be fooled by the rocks that I got.”

He laughs.

I turn to kiss him. “Life is good, isn’t it?”

He shakes his head from side to side. “Life is
great
!”

RITCHIE

Norman refuses to implicate Scarlett. We are devastated to hear that.  

“She’s going to get away with murder if won’t rat her,” Rival complains. “
Literally
get away with murder.”

I don’t answer, neither does Vlad.

“A cold, calculating murderer who had the nation fooled is going to walk free.” 

“Guess he loves her,” Vlad says.

“That is so unfair,” Rival says. “He has a wife and three kids, and he’s not even concerned about them? That tells me he’s incapable of love.”

“Look, let’s not worry about all that,” Vlad says. “Main thing is: you’re free, Ritchie’s home, and that’s all that matters. We need to focus on securing a speedy trial for Ritchie. Before Scarlett is arrested. Once Scarlett is arrested, she may tell on Ritchie, bring up the extortion bit. Ritchie may then face a longer sentence. Anything could happen. We don’t want that, right?”

I shake my head. “No, no, no.”

“So, let’s not worry about Norman and Scarlett right now. The detectives, they know there’s something going on between the two of them. You can bet on that. This, to the most unseasoned investigator, this smells of black widow. They will turn over
every
rock in Norman’s life, and they will never let go until they find what they are looking for. Trust me. It’s just a matter of time. Us…let us fight for Ritchie’s speedy trial and close this chapter. Okay?”

Both Ritchie and I nod.

“Although, I do have those photos,” Ritchie says.

I turn to look at him. “What photos?”

RIVAL

Dressed in a demure white skirt and a simple white shirt, I make my way to meet Norman at Remington Correctional Services.

Norman shuffles into the room, his eyes darting around. He looks at me, then quickly averts his eyes. My heart races when I come face-to-face with Bradley’s killer. The man responsible for my arrest. The pathetic creature who was happy to let me, an innocent woman, spend the rest of her life in prison because of Scarlett. The despicable turd who swapped my medication and sent me to Dunhill without batting an eyelid. The selfish, self-absorbed jerk who put his mistress before his own wife and children.

But I’m on a mission, that’s why I’ve taken the trouble to visit this excuse for a human being – justice for Bradley, for my girls, for me.  

Six diaphragmatic breaths. One…two…three…four…

“Thank you for seeing me, Norman,” I say in a humble voice.

The weasel in a prison-issue uniform and a shaved head has difficulty making eye-contact with me.

“You said you had something for me?” he says in a pubescent voice, his eyes lowered.  

I nod. “Look, I have been where you are, and I know what you must be going through.”

Silence.

“We’ve both been played, we’ve both lost.”

Silence.

“You more than me. At least I have my freedom. You have no such luxury, and may never have.”

Silence.

“I know I shouldn’t feel this way, but I hope they never live happily ever after.”

His eyes fly to mine. “What do you mean?”

“Ritchie and Scarlett – I didn’t see it coming. Did you?”

A frown cracks his brow.

“You do know about that, right?”

He doesn’t answer, but I see confusion in his eyes.

“Well, I don’t blame him. She’s beautiful and smart and sexy and…everything I’m not.” My voice is laced with hurt. “Bradley left me for her. He allowed her to switch my medication. He didn’t stop her. That tells me she can get any man she –”

“They’re not a couple,” he says, speaking for the first time. 

“Oh, Norman, I wish I could agree with you, but…” I turn both palms to the sky.

His back straightens. “How do you know that? How can you say…? Like…?”

“I…I am ashamed to say this, but I was so hurt and so much in disbelief, that to be sure I…I had them tailed.”

One bushy eyebrow climbs.
I don’t believe you.

“The camera never lies.” I flash him a mirthless smile. “They’re a couple – handsome, sexy and enviable – no doubt about that. A
honeymoon
to Hawaii. Can you believe that? I mean, I don’t know if they’re getting married right
away
, but they’ve bought tickets to Hawaii.” My lips curl with bitterness.

The idiot shrugs.
So…?

“You’re gonna be here for the rest of your life while she lives it up with all the insurance money, Norman. It’s unfair to you, your kids, your wife, your parents…”

His eyes meet mine and this time, he does not look away.

“When was the last time she visited you in prison?”

He looks away. 

“Yeah, the visits gets fewer and fewer. That’s the way the cookie crumbles. A gradual withdrawal. Until she just stops visiting altogether, and gives you some lame excuse about how busy she is at…
work
.”

He doesn’t answer, but his jaw sets.

“Ritchie, he’s such a disappointment. He put you in prison for one reason only – to clear the way for Scarlett and him. But I guess he’s human. Who can resist the sexy and enticing Scarlett? A woman who can fulfill your every sexual fan –”

“Show me the photos,” he suddenly snaps. “Where are they?”

Gold
.

“I’ll bring them to you tomorrow,” I say, barely able to control the excitement in my voice. “Have to clear them with prison authorities first, of course.”

“I wanna see them.”

Excited, I almost skip out of Remington to give Ritchie, who is waiting for me in the parking lot, the good news.

“He said
yes
?” Ritchie asks.

“He said,
yes
!” I grin at Ritchie. “This might work after all, baby.” I put up my palm, Ritchie slaps it.

As promised, I am at Remington at 9 a.m. to clear the photos with prison authorities. Incriminating photos of Ritchie and Scarlett in compromising positions, taken secretly by Bear. Shots of them swimming naked in the pool, of them hugging in her lounge, of them laughing and hugging during their intimate dinners. A collage of images that made me gasp in horror when I first saw them. They made me so angry that I wanted to rip off de
Fleur
from my finger. It took a while for me to simmer down and remind myself that Ritchie was playing Scarlett all along.    

Within an hour, some of my photos have been cleared by prison authorities. I’m ready to see Norman and inflict doubt in his mind.

“Sorry, ma’am, but you won’t be able to see Norman Goldstein today,” a prison official says.

“What do you mean? Why?” Has Norman had a change of heart about seeing me?

“He’s not in prison,” he says.

“Has he been released?”

“No.”

“So, where could he be?”

“He’s been transferred to the hospital.”

“Why?”

“We can’t disclose that kind of information.”

“Okay…but…but can I leave this mail for him? It’s been cleared, of course.”

“Sure.”

I leave prison really worried.

Chapter Thirty-Four

SCARLETT

I have good news and bad news. Which would you like first? Never mind your answer, I’m going to give it to you straight up, because I’m pissed off. Norman has been shanked. That’s the good news. Wonderful, fantastic! Thank you Daddy for coming to my rescue.

However…the weasel did not die. Yes, Norman, the idiot, is in critical condition in the hospital, hooked up to umpteen tubes, clinging to dear life, but in stable condition. That’s the
bad
news. Sucks, doesn’t it?

How hard can it be to shank someone? Someone like Norman – a ninety-pound weakling? In a confined space like prison, too? Seriously, the world is full of inept people. The prisons are full of bumbling, incompetent convicts.

Now when he recovers (fingers crossed he won’t), he will probably be in isolation for twenty-three hours a day (for his protection), and no one will be able to get to him. Furious. That’s what I am.

It gets worse – my daddy wants me to pay the man fifty thousand dollars like I promised.

“No friggin’ way,” I say to my daddy. “He didn’t complete the job. He needs to
finish
the job and then I will –”

“Twenty-five in the meantime, then,” my daddy urges. “You don’t want to piss off these people, Scarlett. They might turn us in.”

I glare at my father.

“Keep them happy. Pay them
something
.”

“Fine!” I snap.

I have very little money right now. Only the fifty thousand dollars Ritchie, that arsehole, gave me. Half of that is going to this incompetent shanker, leaving me with a mere twenty-five grand. I need to do something.

I turn to my daddy. “I need you to arrange bail for Norman.”

“What!”

“I need to talk to him, placate him. Keep him happy, Daddy.”

My father shakes his head. “Scarlett…” He lets out a long groan.

“Trust me, okay?”

“Where do I get the money for his bail? According to my sources, his bail is more than five hundred thousand. I’m not parting with that kind of money. No way.”

“I will get it,” I say. 

Using my father’s phone, I call Greg, my lover from Melbourne. The one whose wife is stinking rich. He’s been my part-time lover for years, so it’s time he paid for my services.

“Are you fucking nuts?” Greg asks. “Half a mill –”

“Shall I ask your wife to help me, Greg? I know she’s loaded. I’ll explain what good friends we are and how
long
we’ve been friends, huh? Show her some photographs, and…you know…”