Riley’s Billionaire (18 page)

He was ready to promise her anything if she’d return to Cadigal Valley and have a much-needed conversation with no holds barred, no defences from either of them, and a rational meeting of the minds. He was willing to tear up the contract if she liked. Jack didn’t care if she was dirt poor or rich as sin. That part of their vows — richer or poorer — he was eager to embrace.

And all the other lines he’d had to say. Sickness, health, fidelity, everything implied and spelled out. His greatest fear was that he’d already driven her away and that if he hadn’t, his interference today would top it all off, would make her throw up her hands in disgust and want to be rid of him.

His cabbie broke the silence. ‘Next block, mate. We’re almost at the address you gave.’

Jack took a deep breath and let the air slowly escape his lips. His thoughts raced. What if she wasn’t there? What if she was?’

He tapped the seat in front of him. ‘Wait here?’

‘Sure. The meter’s running, but it’s your money.’

Stiff from so many hours flying or riding, Jack unfolded his frame from the back seat of the taxi and ambled up to the front door. He rang the doorbell, still wondering what he’d say.

A voice from next door shouted. ‘Hey! Lex isn’t home. Can I help you?’

Relief and anxiety both assaulted him. ‘Know where she went or how long ago?’

The woman looked to be in her mid-thirties, and she balanced a small child on her hip as she opened her car door.

‘Don’t know where she went, but she left about ten minutes ago.’

Jack nodded. ‘Was anyone with her?’

‘Yeah. Her friend from Sydney. Nice lady. Met her last night.’

Damn.
‘Thanks.’ Jack headed back for his taxi.

‘Where to now, mate?’ The driver waited for Jack to fasten his seat belt then backed out of the driveway.

‘Know the way to the prison near Maryborough?’

‘Yep.’

‘Know any shortcuts?’

The driver gave him a stare that clearly inferred Jack was nuts. ‘This isn’t a boat or a plane, mate, but I’ll do the best I can. Might have to detour over the Maryborough River.’

‘Is there a problem with that?’ Jack asked.

‘Only if you mind a crocodile about fifteen feet long.’

Jack blinked. ‘You’re joking.’

‘Nope.’ The driver chuckled and shook his head. ‘Don’t you read the news? They’ve been trying to catch him for years. He’s become a legend.’

Great.
Jack closed his eyes, counting to ten lest he explode. He’d crossed two continents to find her. He wasn’t keen on playing
Crocodile Dundee,
but he’d be damned if he’d let anything keep him from Riley.

‘Thank you for stopping. This was a great idea.’ Riley took a sip of coffee.

‘You wouldn’t let me feed you breakfast, but it hasn’t been so long that I’ve forgotten how cranky you are without your caffeine.’ Lex smiled. ‘We’ll still get there in plenty of time. The inmates have certain hours they can receive visitors, but the most you’ll lose is maybe fifteen minutes.’

‘Good.’

‘Are you nervous?’

‘Terrified. But I have to do this.’

‘Sure.’ Lex indicated a traffic sign ahead. ‘I can’t read that — what does it say?’

Riley squinted. ‘Right turn ahead.’ She checked the map they’d printed off. ‘We’re almost there.’

‘I still think we might have waited another day, given this more thought.’ Lex drummed her fingers on the steering wheel. ‘I could’ve taken you to the Hog’s Breath — they serve great burgers.’

Riley’s skin crawled from anxiety. ‘You’re probably right.’

‘It’s not too late.’ Lex’s voice held hope.

‘Rain check? Tomorrow maybe?’

Lex made the turn. ‘Okay. Just remember we can leave at any time. If the guy creeps you out or you don’t feel safe...’

Riley patted her friend’s thigh. ‘You’ll be with me. I’ll be fine.’

‘Yeah,’ Lex muttered. ‘I’m so big and brawny. You realise both our husbands will kill us once they find out.’

Soon a sign bearing the words Maryborough Correctional Centre greeted them, soon afterward the car pulled into the parking lot. Riley wanted to wring her hands.
I should have asked Jack to accompany me. I should have at least told him I was doing this, despite his demand I didn’t. I should’ve done a lot of things.

A tidal wave of dull silver rose before them, ominous coils of wire, massive walls of metal, high buildings, what looked like a guard shack, warning signs, an environment that cried out it was soulless. Just looking at the place was disheartening.

Lex touched her arm. ‘If the place is still on lock-down, we won’t be admitted.’

When Riley looked at her, Lex shrugged. ‘A man was beaten to death a few days ago. The entire complex was a crime scene.’

When Riley still remained silent, Lex continued. ‘I phoned to make sure we could enter yesterday, but things happen. They could resume the lock-down or start a new one without notice. We won’t know until we try getting inside.’

‘Then let’s go before I lose my nerve.’ Riley unbuckled her seatbelt and reached for her purse.

Lex stopped her. ‘You can’t take that inside. And you might be strip-searched; it’s at their discretion. Are you
sure
you want to do this?’

Riley nodded.

They made their way to the place where they had to press a button and announce themselves. Riley tried not to think, to concentrate on her mission, not their destination per se.

Thankfully, they didn’t have to wait long before a buzzer sounded.

The first guard who met them was surly, burly, with beady brown eyes and bad breath. If he’d been any more wound up he’d have been a Timex watch. It was as if he expected them to produce a weapon and attempt taking over the prison. Instead of frisking or strip-searching them, he had Riley and Lex walk through a metal detector then gruffly told them they’d been expected and pointed toward a seating area.

Riley clutched the tissues she’d kept in her jacket pocket. She’d have them shredded before she met Gerald Frost, but the soft, pliable substance in her hand somehow took the edge off her surroundings.

Lex found a couple of seats near a window, but Riley couldn’t sit. She wanted to hurl the coffee she’d had. What a miserable environment. She was about to take Lex’s suggestion and sit, but a deep baritone behind her startled her.

‘Riley, what the hell do you think you’re doing?’

Her husband’s tone was ominous, and Riley turned to face him with trepidation.

‘You followed me?’

‘All the way from France.’ Jack’s chiselled features suddenly looked like granite, absolutely immoveable, almost dangerous.

Riley gulped.
Well, hell.
‘Now what?’

‘We go in together.’ His eyes glittered with anger.

She swallowed. ‘You’re not here to stop me?’

He snorted. ‘As if I could.’

Riley jumped, remembering Lex. She made the introductions, and to her husband’s credit, he was cordial, not curt. Riley would probably face all manner of repercussions once she and Jack were alone, but for now, he was civilised, obviously unwilling to verbally annihilate her in front of Lex.

Riley remembered the trouble Lex had gone through to get her into the prison and asked Jack how he’d managed on such short notice.

He set his jaw, still stiff with displeasure. ‘Friends in low places. Now if you’re ready, we’re expected.’ He offered his arm to escort her.

‘What of Lex?’

‘She’s welcome to come along if she likes.’

Riley held out her hand, needing Lex’s reassurance, and the three of them made their way down a long corridor, through yet another check point, until they were finally shown into a fully-guarded, nondescript room with glass partitions separating visitors from inmates.

She sighed, dejected. ‘Do we have to talk to him like this?’

‘The man is in here for murder. What did you expect, that they’d escort you to his cell?’ Jack’s voice rose slightly with every syllable.

She might be on dangerous turf as it was with her husband, but Riley was in no mood to be dressed down, not now, not after the trouble she’d endured to get here. She tugged on his sleeve to get his full attention.

‘I’m sorry I disappointed you. I apologise for being responsible for your lack of sleep — don’t bother arguing...it shows. But you know how important this is to me.’

‘Yep. Enough to make you deceive those who care about you, enough to endanger yourself and drive me crazy.’

Her husband looked horrid. Weary and worried. Compassion took a back seat to Riley’s fear of an impending argument with him, and she manoeuvred into place beneath the arm she’d held.

‘Jack, I’m truly sorry, but I’m glad you showed up. I swear, if I’d thought you’d understand, I wouldn’t have come here on my own.’

Her silent plea for understanding seemed to work, because he hugged her tightly, just a quick reassuring move to let her know she could count on him for support. Then he looked past her at Lex.

‘We’re not usually this stressed with one another,’ he said.

Lex shook her head. ‘Hey — don’t mind me. Like Riley, I’m just glad you’re here.’

Jack motioned for them to sit. ‘Wait here. I’ll see what I can do.’

The two women exchanged questioning glances. Riley chewed her bottom lip. Was it possible Jack could secure a more intimate discussion with Frost?

It seemed hours, because of their surroundings, but within a few minutes, Jack re-entered the room, followed by a guard. He beckoned Riley and Lex to join him.

Escorted by the armed guard, this one less intimidating than the first one they’d encountered, the trio was led to yet another locked door. Inside was a single rectangular table and four chairs.

‘How...?’ Riley studied the room, wide-eyed.

‘Again, friends in low places. I had my friend in the Tax Commission phone the powers that be and explain why we were here.’ Jack shrugged. ‘Guess he has a soft spot for family dilemmas.’

The guard who’d shown them into the room remained, and soon another guard entered, followed by a gray-haired man in prison garb with shackled feet, handcuffs, and chains connecting one end to the other. Yet another guard followed him. For Riley, it was like a scene from every prison movie she’d ever watched. He kept his eyes averted until the guard who’d been behind him chained the handcuffs to a thick ring of metal attached to the table.

Then he looked up, and his gaze fastened on Riley. ‘You’re the youngest girl. I can tell by the hair — same colour. Like spun silk made of sunshine.’

Riley wanted to throw up. How dare he get so familiar with her? Even Jack, who’d been silent and controlled jerked as if hit.

Frost’s voice was gravely and grated on Riley like a jagged rock against her skin. He gave a toothless smile. ‘I saved your life, girlie.’

Tears blinded her for a moment. All Riley could think of was how he’d destroyed her childhood, separated her from family. She tamped down on her emotions and didn’t speak until she was sure she was in control.

‘What about my brother and sister?’

He shrugged. ‘What about them?’

‘Did you — are they — ?’ She couldn’t finish her sentence, fearing how he might respond.

Frost leaned forward. ‘Tell you what — do me a couple of favours and I’ll tell you what happened to them.’

Jack made it apparent to all in the room that he was fed up with the cat and mouse game Frost attempted. He mimicked Frost’s posture by leaning in as well, only Jack seemed more menacing.

‘Ask yourself something, Frost. In all the years you’ve spent behind bars, when’s the last time you received visitors face to face?’ When Frost retreated and wasn’t in their faces any longer, Jack continued. ‘If a man can manage to finagle a meeting such as this, what else might he be able to do once he left? Do you think you’ll feel safe after I’m gone if you are...shall we say...uncooperative?’

Jack smacked his palms on the table, not loudly enough to make the three guards in the room flinch, but with enough effort to get his point across. ‘Answer whatever questions she asks you. Understand?’

Frost’s eyes held pure hatred, but he nodded. He had a stare-down with Jack, but when he saw he was out-classed and out-sassed, he shifted his gaze to Riley. ‘They were alive when I left them.’

It was as if he couldn’t resist a parting shot. ‘I should’ve killed the three of you.’

‘Why didn’t you?’ asked Riley.

‘Uh-uh. No more, not today.’ Frost tossed his mane of unruly hair. ‘I’m going back to my cell.’

‘But...’ Riley blinked. He couldn’t just leave like that, could he?

‘See,’ Frost sneered, this time looking at Jack. ‘You don’t call all the shots. I told her what she wanted to know.’

Riley pleaded with him. ‘Please — tell me where they are.’

Frost shrugged again, and it struck Riley that the man didn’t exactly have room to do anything other than that, not when he was bound by so much metal.

Jack stood, towering over the old man. ‘Answer the damn question, and be civil. Nobody is rude to my wife.’

Frost seemed to shrink into his chair. ‘I have no idea where they are.’

Riley persisted. ‘But where did you leave them?’

Frost straightened his back, and it was clear the time had come for bargaining. What could he possibly want from her?

‘It gets lonely in here,’ he said. ‘The food sucks, and I get no mail.’

Riley gasped. There was no way she was bringing him food. It was doubtful he could receive it anyway. ‘You want me to write to you?’

‘That’s the only way I’ll communicate with you from now on. Give me what I want, and I’ll write it all out for you.’

Jack rose from his chair. ‘Preposterous. Riley, let’s go.’

Frost cocked his head. ‘I thought your name was Miriam or Maryanne or something.’

Riley pulled on Jack’s sleeve, urging him to stay. She looked at Frost. ‘You knew my name? Were you friends of my family? How...I don’t understand...’

‘I couldn’t kill you because I had a daughter and a son of my own. The boy’s dead — died in a motorcycle accident when he was nineteen. But my girl lives in Tamworth. She’d be about your age. I’d like to see her.’ He thumped the table. ‘Here.’

Riley opened her mouth to speak but couldn’t for a moment. ‘I can’t force her if she doesn’t wish to speak with you.’