To Betray A Brother (12 page)

Tim Tam jumped up onto the table and nuzzled against her face. "Oh, Tim Tam, are you the only creature I can trust in the world?" Tim Tam purred in response. “Sorry, I don't expect you to answer. God, I wish you could." She paused before continuing. "First Justin makes a move. It had been so long since a man had paid any attention to me, I’m flattered, excited at the prospect. All of a sudden the one solid rock in my life, Mick, gets beaten badly for no apparent reason. He is unable to work any longer, and Justin comes flying in as a knight in shining armour. I came so close to taking up his offer. His bright blue eyes and big smile with his flashy life and BMW tempted me more than I’d like to admit. I was this close to falling for him." She held up her hand to the camera, thumb and fore finger half an inch apart. “Could I really be that shallow?”

She pushed herself away from the table. "Look at yourself. You're a mess." Penny could hear the self-loathing in her voice. "Get a hold of yourself. You need to shower and sleep. You need to get back to running your business." She stood and walked away from the table, running her hands though her hair as she spoke. Blended grit and oil and rubbed off into her palms. "Why did I ask Bryce back into my life? Hell! How did I let myself fall for him after everything I knew or thought I knew about him?

"I really believed he was different. Maybe he hasn’t changed at all.” She stopped and looked at her trophy sitting in a place pride on her mantel piece. “Yet, he made me believe in the possibility of greatness. Christ, without Bryce I would never have achieved my first podium finish. I’ve never ridden so well, and it’s all down to him. Damn it! Right up until this moment my life has never been better. I can't believe, don't want to believe, he has committed the crimes they accused him of."

Her chest heaved as the sobs came. Tears ran over her cheeks soaking her T-shirt. "I didn't want to believe he had something to do with Justin’s beating at the restaurant. I knew they despised each other, but I have no idea why. We all grew up together for Christ’s sake. What happened to everyone? I know what happened. The war happened." The newspaper sat crumpled, dishevelled, mocking her with its world shattering headlines. Images of Bryce smashing an iron bar into Justin's ribs invaded her memory. "I saw the hatred burning in their eyes, both of them. They would have killed each other given half a chance. Their anger, hatred of each other frightened me." She shivered at the recollection.

Penny crossed back to the table, grabbed the paper, and sat down read the editorial.

What are the links between a war hero and a small time gangster? Bryce Huntington and Justin Byrne grew up together. They played on the same football teams through school and college. Both men joined the Army a few months apart ended up posted to the reconnaissance platoon of 3rd Royal Australian Regiment. What happened to cause Huntington to murder his childhood mate?

Both men left Australia in Feb of 2005 for Byrne's one and only tour of Afghanistan, while Huntington went on to complete three more. The orders for this first mission were to conduct a three day patrol into an area controlled by the Taliban.

Penny threw the paper across the table and pushed herself away. Grit rasped against her eyes. She stood, leaned forward, and looked into the camera lens fitted to the laptop. The red light flashed indicating she was still recording, shaking her head. “Girl, you are a right mess." She watched as a smile crossed her face, albeit a brief one. In the moment, she caught a glimpse of the woman beneath the grime and tears. Her hand hovered over the mouse pad. "Goodnight," With the last ounce of her will, she powered the laptop down.

She turned on the shower and stepped out of her clothes, leaving them piled in a heap on the tiles. Steam billowed from the water. Penny stretched out her leg and tested the water temperature with her foot. Satisfied, she stepped under the stream, bent forward, and let the hot water splash covering her, stinging as the droplets left red marks on her skin. She had no idea how long she stood there. After some time, she scrubbed herself with the loofa until her skin glowed from the combination of the hot water and scrubbing.

Penny turned off the water and stepped from the shower. She massaged herself dry with slow, deliberate movements using a soft thick fluffy towel. The mirror reflected back as she passed by, and she paused, her brown, wet hair sprouted everywhere like an exotic wild woman. Bright pink skin glowed back at her. Bloodshot eyes shone, stared back at her from the black rings circling them. "You are exhausted girl. You have no idea what you are going to do, do you?"

She wrapped herself in the towel and stepped closer to the mirror, "Are you going to do as Stitch wants and compromise your values by lying for them, lying for him? Is any man worth such a cost? Is he worth that much to you?" She threw the towel into the corner and slid into bed. Tim Tam was already asleep as she snuggled into him and shut her eyes, her questions unanswered.

* * * *

Penny woke to a desperately mewing Tim Tam. She ruffled his fur, looked at the clock. "Four thirty. No wonder you’re hungry." Her own stomach growled in concert. "God! I must have slept for about fourteen hours."

The fog of the previous days had lifted from her mind. Somewhere during her marathon sleep she’d made a decision. She just needed to be brave enough to act.

Sliding from bed, she tossed on an oversize T-shirt, and headed out into the kitchen. As she passed the mirror she noted the shirt she had slipped on belonged to Bryce. "A sign, I wonder?"

Penny fed Tim Tam, grabbed a fresh coffee, and sat down to a breakfast of bacon and scrambled eggs. She powered up the laptop.

"Good morning. How are you today?" She spoke into the camera as the recording rolled. "You look a hell of a lot better than the last time you were here. A good sleep will do wonders for the body and soul."

She took a mouthful of coffee and continued. "Let's review this. The Police have accused my boyfriend of murdering Justin. There you have said it. My boyfriend."

She slumped in the chair at the public acknowledgment. Her shoulders lifted, as if a great weight released, freeing her.

"They arrest him, charge him with murder, and hold him in custody. I find out two days later after somebody points it out in the newspaper to me. I don’t understand why the police have not even spoken with me. Then to top it all off the Dogs, no Stitch—and I’ve not heard another thing from him since his visit—wants me to go to the police and tell them Bryce and I were together the entire night, not that he slipped out on club business several days ago, and I haven’t seen him since."

The newspaper sat on the table where she left it the night before. Penny reached over and dragged the paper toward her, continuing she read aloud.

Recon Platoon's second mission was to penetrate deeper into Taliban territory. Their mission was to follow up on intelligence received that locals recently saw a wanted Taliban leader in the province. Halfway through the second day of the patrol, the platoon came under enemy fire as they crossed an open piece of grassland to search village ruins. Heavy fire came at them from several directions.

Post contact reports state no weapons fire came from the recon platoon machine gun. Without an operating machine gun, the platoon had no ability to bring concentrated heavy weapon return fire to bear on enemy positions. The lack of machine gun fire reduced their ability to extract themselves or launch a counter attack. After several minutes of contact, five men lay wounded in the open grassland and exposed to more enemy fire. The remainder of the platoon had taken shelter in a depression, and securing their position, they called for close air support.

The reports state one soldier crawled, on his stomach, to the closest of the wounded men. Somehow he managed to drag the soldier back into the protection of the ditch. He then returned into the open field, exposing himself to enemy fire another four times to drag wounded men back to safety.

At the completion of the mission, seven men were air evacuated. The five wounded during the initial contact, the soldier who risked his life to rescue the wounded men, and the machine gunner.

The Commander’s report states, “We found the machine gunner curled up in the foetal position with his weapon lying unfired beside him. His number two was one those soldiers wounded in the initial attack.”

The names of those two men are Justin Byrne and Bryce Huntington. The soldier whose job it was to man the machine gun was Justin Byrne.

The post-operative investigation revealed not only had Bryce Huntington risked his own life numerous times to save his colleagues, but after being wounded by, he continued to go back into no man's land, not once but twice more to bring two more soldiers back to safety.

The military charged Justin Byrne with cowardice under fire. Bryce Huntington received the Star of Gallantry award for bravery under fire by the Governor General.

Penny pushed the newspaper away from her, unable to fully comprehend what she had just read. "Wow. I guess there’s the answer. I now know why those two despise each other so much. One is constantly reminded of his shortcomings and weaknesses. The other sees somebody who, in their eyes at least, is a coward. Someone who let a lot of people down and almost got them all killed in the process."

She emptied her coffee mug. With a full mug, she returned from the kitchen, continuing. "Now I know what those photos of Bryce and the PM are all about. They’re from the award ceremony. The question is what are you going to do?" She pointed her index finger at her image on the computer screen.

Tim Tam mewed and jumped up onto the table. He nuzzled his face into hers. She scratched his ears. "Yes, okay. Hang on, I just fed you." The recollection dawned on her as she got up from the chair. She glanced again at the article. Her face reflected back at her through the laptop screen. "Both you and Bryce are up to your necks in it, aren't you?" A wry smile crossed her face as she spoke. "Well, nothing will happen by sitting here." Penny powered down the laptop and headed into the bedroom to get dressed.

"Detective Inspector Mark Horan, please."

The young officer in a sharply pressed dark blue uniform looked up from his work as Penny stood at the counter. The young man stood as he spoke. "Who shall I say is a asking for him?"

"Penny MacIntyre."

"About?"

"The Justin Byrne murder."

The officer's brow lifted. "Please, take a seat." He indicated several plastic chairs which lined the wall as he walked off.

Penny remained standing, putting her hands into the pockets of her jeans, least their trembling give her away. She looked around. One of the boards on the wall contained shift information. Several wanted posters of criminals adorned the pale green walls. She moved closer to examine one of the pictures. While she couldn't be sure one of the men looked remarkably like one of the people Bryce had been speaking with at the Dog's clubhouse the night of Stitch's party.

"Miss MacIntyre."

A deep voice came from behind her. She turned to see powerfully built man of a similar height to her own. A shock of red hair contrasted against his blue business shirt and black tie. "I believe you wanted to see me." He held out his hand and held her hand momentarily in a firm grip. "Shall we go somewhere a little more private?"

Penny saw immediately this man who expected people to do exactly as he asked them to. “Yes, please. I think somewhere less open would be appropriate." Her voice sounded more confident than she felt.

"Please?" He gestured for her to follow him. They walked down a short hallway lined with several doors. Some were clearly offices while the others had signs on them indicating if the interview room availability. He stopped at an open door, flicked the sign to "In use" and indicated for Penny to enter. A table and four chairs furnished the small room. A single tinted window overlooked a tiny concrete compound. "Can I offer you something to drink? Water, perhaps?"

Penny nodded. "Thank you. That would be nice." He left the room, pulling the door shut behind him. She remained standing, her hands clutched together in front of her. They trembled as she held them. Her heart raced. She concentrated on her breathing, focussing to bring her heart rate down. What was she thinking? Just as she started to second guess herself, the door opened, and the detective inspector returned with a jug and two glasses.

"Please, sit." He pulled out a chair, moved to the other side of the table, poured two glasses, and handed one to Penny.

She took a sip, taking her time as the cold water ran down her throat, settling her. "Thank you."

Green eyes regarded her carefully. A shrewd intellect reflected deep in them. "The desk officer tells me you have information regarding the Byrne murder case."

Penny looked at him, certain he could hear her heart threatening to jump from her chest. "You’ve got the wrong man in custody." Her hands trembled as she clasped them in her lap.

He leant forward slightly. “Really? Please tell me how it is that you come to know that.”

She straightened in her seat, took another sip of water. Then with as much confidence as she could muster said, "Well it could not possibly have been Bryce who murdered Justin. You see, we were together all night. Apart from when you arrested him about a week ago, we have slept together every night for the past month or so. The only times we have been apart is during the day while we’ve been working."

He sat back in his seat. His green eyes lanced through her as if weighing her soul before judgment. He sat, watching, not speaking. After a long moment, he cleared his throat. "Let me get this right. You’re telling me," he cocked his head sideways, "not only are you and Bryce Huntington lovers, but you and he were together on the night of the twelfth when Justin Byrne was murdered." He rocked back into his seat, folded his arms, and closed his eyes. For the briefest moment Penny glimpsed the immense pressure he must be under. "And you swear this is true?"

Penny nodded her head, not trusting herself to say anything.

"How did you two meet?"

"We went to school together."

"What exactly is your connection with Huntington?" His tone had changed, no longer as friendly as when she had first entered. Ice dripped from his voice, insinuating she was now a criminal being interrogated.

Penny paused, took a sip of water, fearing she would drop the glass from her sweaty hands. His eyes never left her, measuring her, assessing, looking for a crack in her façade. "As I said we are a couple."

"How long have you been a couple for?"

“We started sleeping together about three months ago."

"What about before then?"

"I'm unsure what that has to do with anything." Her confidence returned. DI Mark Horan started to be annoying.

He smiled, cold, flicked his head back ever so slightly. "Humour me for a moment."

"We race together."

He inclined his head, indicating for her to continue.

"Earlier this season, Mick, my mechanic got beaten up. I asked Bryce if he would help me at the track. He agreed, and we’ve been spending a lot of time together since. One thing led to another and..." She left the sentence unfinished.

“You are aware of the bad blood between them, and that Justin Byrne identified Huntington as the man who attacked and beat him?”

“Just as I’m aware there was no evidence to substantiate the charge given we were together at the time having dinner, or Bryce would have been arrested there on the spot.”

A knock sounded at the door. Both of them looked up. Penny breathed deeply, glad for the break from his scrutiny.

"Yes," said the inspector, loud enough to be heard on the other side could hear.

The young officer from the front desk stuck his head in. "Huntington's lawyer is here, demanding to see you and the release of his client. Something about new evidence." He looked directly at Penny.

The detective inspector turned, regarded Penny with a piercing look. "Have him sign in. I will be with him in a moment. Oh, and send the detective sergeant in, please."

The door closed, the young officer disappearing. Nobody spoke. The detective inspector watched Penny, unblinking as they sat. She took another sip of water. Her hands trembled. She placed them back on her lap, interlocking her fingers. She imagined he could see every beat as blood pulsed though her veins. After what seemed to be forever, the door opened and another plainclothes officer entered.

The detective inspector stood. "Detective Sergeant, this is Penny MacIntyre. She has…" he paused a moment. "…an interesting story to tell. Be sure you take all of the details down please." He turned to Penny. “Miss MacIntyre, thank you for your time today. It has, shall we say, been convenient and most informative." He left and closed the door behind him leaving her with the Detective Sergeant.

* * * *

Bryce blinked as he walked into the sunshine. He’d been in solitary confinement for three days before being moved into a communal cell. Until the move, the only people he’d contact with were the detectives, shift police, and his lawyer. Nobody had been allowed to see him, nor had he been allowed to speak with anybody else. He shielded his eyes, scanning the street as he did. A black pickup,
Leather and Lace
painted on the doors, came around the corner and stopped in front of him. He opened the door and slipped in. He leaned over to give Penny a kiss when her hand went up, palm outward. She didn't say a word. He sat back into his seat and buckled the belt. His voice was deliberately sarcastic as he spoke. "I'm glad to see you too."

She looked across as him. Her eyes blazed. "Bryce, do not speak to me!"

Her words cut straight through his chest and ripped out his heart, discarding it still beating onto the sidewalk as if no more than a piece of meat.

Checking the mirror, she pulled out into the street. He watched as she drove. The fire in her eyes, the set of her body told him everything he needed to know. If he knew what was good for him, he would stay quiet.

During the drive home, Bryce watched Penny out of the corner of his eye. What the hell had gotten into her? His shoulders drooped as he watched their relationship disappear in front of him. Penny had made him come to realise a great many things were missing from his life. He didn’t want to lose her. He breathed deeply and wiped his hands on his jeans. “Penny, it’s not what you think. There are things going on here I can’t tell you about.” She looked across at him, fire blazed in her eyes as she shook her head. “I needed to keep you safe. If you know the truth...”

She held out her hand, cutting him off mid-sentence.

Before long the car pulled to stop outside of Bryce's converted barn. Without even looking across at him, she said, "Get out. You have used me. I will not be party to your lies again."

He opened the door, slid from the seat. He turned to speak. Before he had a chance to close the door or say anything, Penny took off back up the driveway and out onto the street. He shook his head and went inside.

Bryce climbed the stairs. He noted the empty coffee cup on the table. Clearly Penny had been here in his absence. Exhausted, without even bothering to shower, he stepped out of his clothes, tossed them to the floor, and climbed into bed.

Sleep would not come. Anger gripped him with his mind tumultuous turning things over and over. The last few days just didn’t make sense. He hadn’t slept for three days after being put into a communal cell instead of being held by himself, separated from everybody else. Something was definitely amiss. The Descendants must have an informant on the inside, one who worked for the police.

Penny refused to return his calls and wouldn’t even talk to him. Clearly his alibi had cost her a lot, more perhaps than he would ever know. He hadn’t asked her to, so who had? Either way, if he really did want her, he needed to act and act fast.

* * * *

Hands slippery with sweat, she gripped the steering wheel as she rounded the corner. The vein pulsed at the base of her neck. She’d wanted to stop the pickup, get out and yell and scream at him. Tell him how selfish he had been. How she hated herself for lying so he could walk free. Instead she stopped the car and told him to get out. Out of the corner of her eye she had seen him pause and turn, about to speak. She drove off not wanting to give him the opportunity, scared she would weaken. Part of her yearned to touch him, feel the strength of his arms around her, and the beat of his heart against hers. She pulled the car over and slid the transmission into park. Without warning her chest heaved and great sobs overcame her, tears flowing down her face. The tension of talking to the police, and then seeing Bryce, while not knowing the truth, overwhelmed her. Penny tried, struggled to focus. Everything crashed back in on her as she sat beside the road.

She didn't know how long she had been there, but the trees cast long shadows, and she’d picked Bryce up at about two o'clock in the afternoon. She punched the start button, the engine rumbled to life, and she slid out onto the road, headed for home, only to sit in her driveway staring through the windscreen. Dried tears crusted on her skin. She started the engine and began to back from the driveway, stopping as the rear wheels touched the road.

“What are you doing? What is the point on going back and giving him a piece of your mind? You’ll feel good for about two minutes.”

She eased forward and parked. Killing the engine, she opened the door and went inside.

Meow
Tim Tam raced to the door, entangling himself around her feet. She picked him up and he nuzzled her face with his.

“Hey, buddy. How are you? Are you the only man left in the world I can trust?”

The cat looked at her and jumped down to sit next to his empty food bowl. She feed Tim Tam, and slung a couple of bones into the yard for the dogs as they jumped about competing for her attention. With the animals fed, Penny changed into running clothes and headed out the door to try and clear her head.