The Soft Whisper of Dreams (17 page)

‘I’ll come with you. Foster, will you let Alex know, please?’

‘Yep, right away.’

‘And don’t let anyone drive the car if they get it out of here. The brakes are broken.’

‘Damn it all, Foster! We’re dealing with a lunatic here.’ Alex slammed his fist onto Wes’s desk in frustration when he was told the news. ‘He must be lurking around the grounds if he has gained access to the cars now. God, he’ll be in the house before we know it.’

‘Yes, it sure looks that way.’ Foster was serious. ‘I haven’t seen anyone, but this is a big place and it would be easy to sneak in. Theft and robbery is one thing. I can understand that, even if I don’t want to be part of it myself any more, but cold-blooded murder, now that’s something else! What are we going to do?’

Alex ran a hand through his hair and sighed. ‘I don’t know. I suppose the first thing is to check the other cars. Do you know anything about engines? I’m only familiar with the basics.’

‘No problem, I’ll check them for you. I know what to look for.’

‘Great, thanks. I don’t know what I would have done without you these last few weeks. I’m so glad you came.’ He smiled at his friend.

‘Not half as glad as I am, although I hadn’t expected quite this much excitement.’ Foster started for the door. ‘Let me know what you decide.’

‘I will.’ Alex slumped back into the chair. There was a sick feeling in his stomach as he thought about this third attempt on Maddie’s life. He had to make her tell him who was responsible. She’d admitted she knew, or guessed, and he couldn’t for the life of him understand why she refused to name her attacker. It didn’t make sense, unless she was protecting someone? A previous boyfriend perhaps? A lover?

Alex went cold all over. Was there a former boyfriend stalking her who had taken exception to their outings? It was possible, but then why wouldn’t she say so? The only reason he could think of was that she still loved this person. That thought made him even more miserable than before. In fact, it was totally unbearable.

Chapter Sixteen

‘Right then, Ms Browne. We’ll step up our search for this Blake-Jones character and provide you with a guard tomorrow. He’ll go with you wherever you go, so you mustn’t worry. At night, I’ll have someone patrol the grounds with a dog and you’ll be safe inside the house. I assume there’s a burglar alarm?’

‘Yes, of course. It’s switched on every night. There are quite a few precious pieces of furniture and other antiques in the house.’ There was one alarm circuit outside the house which could be switched on when the occupants were at home and another indoors which Maddie knew was always turned on when they were out.

‘Good. Make sure you don’t forget.’

‘I won’t. Thank you for your help, officer.’

‘Not at all. I just hope we catch this madman before he goes completely crazy.’

Maddie didn’t know how Blake-Jones could possibly become any more deranged than he already was, but she didn’t say anything, just nodded to the policeman and left.

Annie was being kept overnight for observation and had been sedated to lessen the effects of the shock. Her husband Ben had arrived to sit with her and he told Maddie not to worry, so she gratefully accepted a lift home in a police car. The officers waited until she was safely inside the house before driving off. Alex came rushing out of the sitting room with an anxious expression on his face.

‘Maddie, are you all right? How’s Annie?’

‘We’re both fine. I’m just a bit bruised, but I think Annie hit her head so they’re keeping her until tomorrow at least. Can you put the burglar alarm on, please? I won’t feel comfortable until I know it’s on.’

‘Sure, I’ll do it right away. Have you eaten?’ She shook her head. ‘Well, come and have a cup of tea and a sandwich. I’ll make it for you.’

‘Thanks, but I’m not very hungry.’

‘Just one. It will do you good.’ Maddie let herself be persuaded and soon she was curled up on one of the plush sofas in the small sitting room with her supper. She discovered that she was hungry after all and devoured her meal quickly.

‘Thank you. That was lovely.’

‘Even though I didn’t cut the bread straight?’ Alex teased.

‘Yes, even so. Thank you.’

‘You’re welcome.’ Alex fidgeted on the opposite sofa. ‘Maddie, I ... oh, hell, I know I have no right to pry, but won’t you please tell me who is behind all this? I really want to protect you and I can’t fight the unknown.’ His eyes pleaded with her and she felt herself weaken. She trusted him. Surely it wouldn’t harm Ruth if she confided in Alex? After all, the police already knew who they were looking for. It was only a matter of time before everyone found out.

‘Okay then.’ She put down her cup and plate on a nearby table. ‘I think the person who is trying to kill me is a man called Saul Blake-Jones. Do you know him?’

‘No.’ Alex frowned. ‘Should I? Is he your ex-boyfriend?’

Maddie snorted. ‘You couldn’t be more wrong. Whatever gave you that idea?’

‘Well, you seemed to be protecting his identity. I assumed it was someone you were attached to or had loyalties to somehow.’

‘Oh, I see. No, no, it’s like this ...’ She took a deep breath and started at the beginning, recounting the whole sorry tale, including the attack on her mother and sister. The only thing she left out was their present whereabouts. The fewer people who knew about that, the better.

At some stage during the story Alex came over and sat down next to her, and he took her hand and caressed it gently. ‘Blimey, Maddie, it doesn’t just rain on you, it pours, doesn’t it?’

‘You can say that again.’ Somehow his kindness released a catch deep inside her mind and Maddie felt tears of helplessness, sadness and years of frustration and bitterness well up. Unable to halt yet another flood, her body shook with the force of it and she gave herself up to the storm of weeping. Alex gathered her close and rocked her like a child, patting her back and murmuring soothing words. It felt wonderful. She wanted to stay in his arms forever. She was safe there.

When some time later her sobs turned into the occasional hiccup, it seemed natural that he should kiss away her tears. She didn’t have the willpower left to resist the attraction between them and simply closed her eyes in surrender. His mouth moved on to her lips, nibbling, licking, teasing, until she simply had to increase the contact or she was sure she would die. With a passion she had never before experienced, she kissed him hungrily, revelling in the taste and feel of him. He returned the kiss with equal need.

She scraped her fingers over his stubbled jaw and he shivered. He reciprocated by caressing the outline of her breasts through the thin material of her T-shirt and it was her turn to tremble.

‘You’re not wearing a bra again,’ he groaned. ‘It drives me insane, do you know that?’ His whisper was husky, sending more tremors down her back.

‘Don’t need one,’ she murmured. ‘I’m too small, sorry.’

‘No! You’re perfect, just perfect.’ He pushed his hands under the edge of the shirt and his rough fingers on her heated skin was pure delight. His palms cupping her breasts were an exact fit. ‘See?’ he whispered and let his thumbs graze her nipples.

Maddie squirmed and clung to him as his fingers continued their exploration lower down, her own hands travelling over his broad shoulders and down to his backside. She raked her fingernails over the taut material of his jeans and he drew in a sharp breath. ‘Maddie …’

The fire they ignited could only have one conclusion and it was lucky they were the only occupants of the house that night. Oblivious to the rest of the world, they shed their clothes, ripping quite a few in their haste to bare heated skin, in their desire to touch, feel and explore fully. It seemed neither could wait too long and Maddie never even considered stopping him for a moment.

An army could have tramped through the sitting room and Maddie wouldn’t have cared one iota. She wanted only to be joined with this man, here and now, and nothing else mattered. The sensations were incredibly intense, almost unbearable, and as the world shattered into a thousand tiny fragments of pleasure, she cried out. She couldn’t help herself.

Soon after she heard Alex join her in this heaven on earth and when their heartbeats eventually returned to normal she fell asleep, cradled in his arms, utterly exhausted, both mentally and physically.

Sometime during the night Maddie woke up and stumbled to her feet. There was sufficient light from the moon for her to be able to gather up her articles of clothing and, this done, she left the room, closing the door softly behind her.

Alex was awake, but had feigned sleep in order to see what she would do. As he heard the soft click of the door, however, he turned over and buried his face in his arms.

‘Oh hell, what have I done?’

She obviously regretted what had happened between them to such an extent she couldn’t even face waking up next to him in the morning. He knew he shouldn’t have taken advantage of her vulnerable state when she returned from the hospital, but she’d just been too tempting. When she nestled close to him he’d lost all reason; rational thought fled out the window. The smell of her was intoxicating and he had been drunk – drunk with love and wanting. The love-making had been inevitable.

Still, he knew he shouldn’t have done it. Will she hate me now? Or will she act as if nothing happened? He groaned.

‘Damn it all.’ He wanted her again, now and for always, but she had to want it too. He’d wait and see how she reacted in the morning.

‘Auntie Maddie, I can’t believe you’re still in bed! Do you ever do anything except sleep?’

The sound of Nell’s voice woke Maddie from a sleep so heavy she felt drugged. With great reluctance her eyelids parted and she squinted at the little girl.

‘Nell? Are you back already?’

‘What do you mean already? You knew we were coming today, Kayla told you.’ Nell was sitting on the end of Maddie’s bed, bouncing up and down to release her pent-up energy.

Maddie ran a hand through her hair and tried to swallow. Her mind didn’t seem to work properly and she couldn’t quite grasp Nell’s words. She attempted to sit up.

‘Auntie Maddie, you haven’t got your PJs on!’ Nell squealed gleefully and Maddie pulled up the sheet in embarrassment. She’d completely forgotten her naked state.

‘Er, it was, um, a bit hot last night,’ she mumbled.

‘Kayla’s downstairs, but she’ll be up to see you soon I think so you’d better get dressed.’ Nell giggled.

‘Right. Okay. I’ll, er ... I guess I’ll have a shower then. You run along.’

‘Oh, Auntie Maddie, where’s Annie?’

‘Annie?’ The memories came flooding back into Maddie’s fuzzy brain and her eyes opened fully at last. ‘Annie! I’m afraid she’s in hospital. We had a little accident yesterday, but she’ll be fine. I think she might come home today. You’d better tell Kayla she has to cook breakfast herself.’

‘Breakfast? It’s nearly lunchtime.’ With another giggle Nell skipped out of the room.

Despite a long, hot shower, Maddie still felt completely drained when, half an hour later, she made her way downstairs. She found everyone in the kitchen, including Alex, whose gaze she couldn’t quite meet. A warm sensation shot through her at the thought of what they’d done the night before, but she pulled in a deep breath to calm herself. No doubt he wouldn’t expect her to make a big deal out of it. Perhaps it hadn’t meant anything to him? He hadn’t actually said he loved her or anything, but then they hadn’t really talked much at all … She took a deep breath. Probably best to just play it cool for now.

‘Good morning.’ Kayla jumped up to greet her with a hug and Maddie turned to make herself a cup of tea to hide the blush which she knew was creeping up on her. How she wished she could stop that childish habit, but it seemed impossible, especially around Alex.

She sat down at the table and listened to the general conversation which naturally centred on all that had been happening at Marcombe in Wes and Kayla’s absence.

‘I can’t believe it,’ Kayla was saying. ‘We only go away for two weeks, and this quiet backwater goes crazy. Nothing ever happens here normally.’

‘Believe me, we would have preferred to live without such excitement,’ Alex put in. ‘I’m sure Maddie agrees with me.’ He looked across the table at her.

‘Definitely.’ She nodded for emphasis. ‘I’m totally shattered by everything that’s happened. I think I need a holiday now. Oh, wait a minute, I am on holiday, right?’

The others laughed, but soon grew serious.

‘What are the police doing about it?’ Wes asked.

Maddie told him about the arrangements she’d made with the officer the day before and he nodded. ‘I don’t think I’ll be going out much, though. Somehow I feel safer in here,’ she added.

‘Yes. You mustn’t go anywhere alone and we’ll make sure the cars are checked regularly.’

‘My friend Foster’s already taken care of that,’ Alex said. ‘He’s, um, quite good at that sort of thing.’

‘Foster? Who’s he?’ Kayla looked confused.

‘Oh, he’s a friend who’s working for me. I’ll introduce you later.’ Alex glanced at Maddie as if he wondered whether she would tell the others that Foster was an ex-criminal, but she remained silent. Foster seemed a nice enough guy to her and she wouldn’t judge him on what he had done previously, whatever Alex thought. He’d certainly been very helpful the day before and it had been a wonderful coincidence that he’d happened to be coming down the road at the same time. No, Maddie wouldn’t criticise Foster.

She suddenly felt extremely weary. ‘I’m sorry, but I think I’ll go back to bed if you don’t mind. I’m still a bit shaken up from yesterday and the day before.’

‘Of course, do that. I’ll bring you a cup of tea a bit later on and we can have a chat,’ Kayla said. Maddie thanked her and headed for the stairs. It was all too much. She needed time on her own.

By the time her friend arrived with the promised cup of tea, Maddie had recovered enough to retell her story to Kayla, who couldn’t contain her excitement.

‘Oh Maddie, that’s brilliant. So you found your mother at last. I’m so pleased for you.’ She hugged her. ‘Mrs Blake-Jones, who would’ve believed it?’