Deadly Dozen: 12 Mysteries/Thrillers (100 page)

They waited for the gloating group to leave the courtroom before they attempted to go back to their cars. Again, they watched from the stone steps outside as the bustling press pack jostled Gibson’s group. Lorne urged the girls to hurry while the press were distracted. Lorne and Katy saw the girls back to their vehicle and waved them off.

“I’m afraid I won’t be able to make it tomorrow, Lorne,” Katy said as they went up a level in the car park to where both their cars were parked.

“I understand, Katy. I appreciate you coming here today. The girls did, too. Let’s hope Ami has the courage to turn up tomorrow; I have my doubts.”

Katy searched in her bag for her keys and unlocked her car. “She does look extremely fragile. Good luck with helping her keep it all together. I’ll give you a ring tomorrow evening, about seven?”

“Thanks, Katy. Speak soon.” Lorne watched Katy drive away before she sought out her own car, deep in thought.

Something pointed that felt like a gun was placed at the base of her spine. “Turn round, and you’re dead, lady.”

Lorne swallowed hard. Crap, you let your guard down. The gunman jabbed her, forcing her to move forward. Before long, they had reached the edge of the car park and the three-foot high wall. Her heart pounded as the voice told her to get up on the wall. She tried to turn, but the gun jabbed her hard in the spine. She cried out in pain.

“I said, get up on the wall,” the man repeated angrily.

Lorne dropped her handbag on the floor beside her and attempted to climb the wall. She huffed and puffed, making out that she was struggling to reach it.

“Stop playing with me, Simpkins. Put some effort in, or I’ll shoot you on the spot.”

Think, girl. Think. She attempted a second time and tumbled back, wincing as the gun caught her in the kidney. “I can’t do it.”

She heard the gunman release a frustrated breath. “Hitch your fucking skirt up around your arse if you have to. Lost the ability to think properly since you left the Met, have you?”

Lorne knew she wouldn’t be able to stall for time much longer. She hitched up her skirt and attempted to clamber on to the wall. She glanced over the edge and almost lost her stomach; a fifty-foot drop had the ability to affect a person like that.

With the gun no longer pressed in her back, her brain started to function better. She groaned with exertion as she pulled herself onto the wall. The man laughed behind her.

She took the opportunity to fall back against him. The gun clattered to the ground.

“What the fuck—”

Lorne kicked the gun under a nearby car, out of his reach, and flew at the masked man, her arms flailing in all directions.

He was slow to react, obviously lost without his gun to hide behind. A few karate chops landed on either side of his head. He cried out in pain and ran off.

“Come back here, you cowardly piece of shit,” she screamed at his retreating back as he ran through the door that led to the stairwell. Getting down on all fours, she took a handkerchief from her bag and reached under the car to retrieve the gun.

She rang Katy. “Katy, it’s me. Can you come back to the car park? Someone just tried to kill me,” she said breathlessly from her exertions.

“What? I’m on my way.”

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Lorne flinched when Katy’s car screeched to a halt beside her. She raised her hand. “Calm down. I’m fine, honestly. I managed to disarm him. He ran off. No point chasing him; he’ll be long gone by now.”

“Jesus! Did you get a good look at him, Lorne?”

“Nope. He had a balaclava on. I have my suspicions, though.” Lorne handed the wrapped gun to Katy.

Katy pulled back the handkerchief and had a peek at it. Shaking her head, she said, “Someone meant business. Who do you think it was?”

“Are you kidding me? Gibson, of course. It has to be.”

Katy’s face was full of uncertainty. “You think? The last we saw of him, he was walking away with his parents.”

Lorne felt like pummelling the side of Katy’s head. “Think about it, Katy—the threatening email and phone call. All right, I get your point, but it needn’t have necessarily been him. He could’ve paid someone to attack me.”

“I’m not so sure. Did the attacker say anything to make you think that? It might have just been an attempted mugging.”

Lorne bit the inside of her cheek, trying to suppress her anger. “He used my name. He knew I used to work with the Met. I was definitely his intended target.”

Katy gave an embarrassed shrug. “Oh! Will you be okay to get home? I better get this off to the lab to see if we can get any prints from it.”

“I’ll be fine. Any chance you can rush things through? We need to get this idiot locked up ASAP.”

Katy opened her passenger door and deposited the gun on the seat. “I’ll see what I can do. I can’t make any promises, though. Be in touch soon,” she added as she jumped in the driver’s side. She waited until Lorne was settled in her own car before she drove off.

Lorne made the journey home on autopilot while her mind raced about what Gibson had done, if indeed the attacker had been him.

Lorne entered the lounge, gave Tony a quick kiss on the forehead, and collapsed on the sofa next to him.

“What’s wrong?”

Lorne debated long and hard whether she should tell him about the incident in the car park or not before she answered. “Long day, that’s all.”

“I know when you’re lying, hon. I may be under the weather, but my stupidity level hasn’t risen. Besides, you promised to bring in a take-away, and I can’t smell any food.”

Lorne leapt out of the chair. “Damn! I knew I’d forgotten something.”

Tony reached up and grabbed her hand. “Lorne, you’re worrying me. I don’t care about dinner. What’s wrong?”

She knew it would be pointless keeping the truth from him. Because of his training, her husband was the type who resembled a dog digging for a damn bone if they didn’t get the answer they were looking for. “After we came out of court, I said goodbye to the others, and…”

He tugged her back down next to him. “And?”

“I let my guard down, and someone attacked me from behind.”

“What? Who?”

“Don’t go getting worked up, Tony. I don’t know who. He had a gun and tried to force me up on to the wall of the car park. I think his intention was to make me jump.”

“Shit!” He threw the quilt back and staggered to his feet.

“What are you doing?” Lorne asked.

“I’m getting dressed. Then I’m going to drive over to that coward Gibson’s house and see what he has to say for himself.”

Lorne wasn’t surprised that Tony had come to the same conclusion as she had. She stood up and gripped the top of his arms. “And what good will that do? I have no proof it was him. The attacker wore a balaclava, Tony. Katy’s taken the gun back to dust for prints. Let’s see what the results are first, huh?”

She touched the side of his face; his skin still felt clammy. “My hero. Always keen to jump to my defence, even if you’re at death’s door.”

He leaned forward, and they shared a lingering kiss before he came up gasping for breath. “You know I’d never let anyone hurt you, love.”

“I know that, sweetie. I’ll just go see how Dad is, and then I’ll nip out again for the fish and chips.” She turned to walk out the door.

“If anything happened to you… I’d be finished.”

She stopped and smiled reassuringly. “I doubt that. Besides, nothing is going to happen to me, so stop fretting.”

“Forget the take-away, too. An omelette will suffice for me.”

“I’ll see how Dad is and then decide.”

She went down the hallway to her father’s room. His eyes were firmly closed, and his bare arms were outside the quilt, resting on the bed beside him. His pyjama jacket had been taken off and was lying on the floor next to the bed.

She didn’t like the look of him. Perspiration dotted his forehead, and his skin was ashen. “Dad?” She approached the bed.

When her father didn’t respond, she shook him gently. He groaned, but his eyes didn’t open.

“Dad,” she repeated, more loudly. He didn’t respond.

She went to the hallway and called the doctor on her mobile. “Please hurry, Doctor. I’m deeply concerned about him.”

“Settle down, Lorne. I’m sure it’s nothing, Sam’s heart is strong. I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

Tony came out of the lounge. “Shit! He was fine about half an hour ago, Lorne.”

“I’m not blaming you, Tony. He looks really rough. The doc’s on his way. I want him to take a look at you while he’s here too; no arguments. We don’t know what we’re dealing with here.”

“I can see where you’re coming from. Maybe we should have had some kind of shots before we started up this place.”

“You think he—you’ve both—picked up a disease from the dogs?” Lorne asked devastated. If that was the case she’d put her whole family at an unnecessary risk.

“Who knows? We take in strays; half the time we don’t know what they’ve been exposed to.”

Lorne shook her head. “I don’t think so, Tony. The vet always gives them a clean bill of health, remember? No, I’m sure the dogs aren’t connected with this. Before we jump to conclusions, let’s see what the doc has to say, eh?” She went through to the kitchen to make a coffee while they waited for the doctor to arrive.

His ten minutes turned out to be almost twenty. Lorne paced the kitchen floor, running a frantic hand through her hair.

She heard the doctor’s car crunch its way up the gravel driveway and yanked the kitchen door open. “Oh, thank heavens.”

“Sorry, there was an accident up the road. A lorry had spilt its load, and I had to take a detour,” Doctor Darwin apologised, rushing into the house with his medical bag in his right hand. The doctor followed Lorne through to her father’s room.

“Both Tony and Dad have been bad the last few days. I’ve been in court all day. I had every intention of ringing you, but something came up, and it completely went out of my mind. When I got home, I checked on Dad, and he seemed a lot worse,” she explained, watching as the doctor checked her father’s blood pressure and pulse.

“Sam. Can you hear me?” the doctor asked as he placed a hand on her father’s forehead. Her father let out a moan.

With his examination over, the doctor motioned for Lorne to join him out in the hallway. Tony who had been lingering by the door backed up a little to give them room.

“What is it?” Lorne asked anxiously.

“I don’t want to worry you, but your father has a rash. I hope I’m wrong, but I think we could be looking at a case of meningitis, Lorne.”

“Oh my God.” All her strength seemed to have been sapped out of her, and she collapsed against the wall.

Tony rushed to her side. “What does that mean exactly, Doc?”

“There are several different types of meningitis. Let’s get him to hospital and see which type we’re dealing with. I’ll ring for an ambulance. Can you gather a few things for him? You know, the usual for a few days’ stay.” The doctor turned, and with his mobile attached to his ear, he walked through the kitchen and out to his car to finish the call.

“Lorne, now don’t start panicking. Sam’s in safe hands.”

“Easier said than done. I should’ve thought about calling the doc earlier. I’ve been so distracted lately.” She smashed her clenched fists against her thighs.

Tony held out his arms, and she walked into them. He smoothed a hand down her hair and kissed her forehead with gentle kisses. How had she ever managed without him?

The doctor reappeared and walked past them to check on her father. “The ambulance is on its way. Can you tell me what Sam’s symptoms have been over the past few days?”

“He’s been a bit sniffly, off his food, complaining of a headache. I just thought it was a slight cold or some bug he’d caught. We even thought of the possibility that he’d picked up something from the dogs.”

The doctor shook his head briskly. “Highly unlikely that would be the case. Treated with caution, meningitis isn’t contagious, but close contact should be avoided at all times. It’s doubtful either of you will catch it. That’s why we need to get him into hospital.”

She looked over her shoulder, at Tony resting against the doorframe. “That’s reassuring, because Tony has been feeling a bit rough for a day or two also.”

“I think I’ll check you out all the same, Tony. Any problems with the leg? An infection, maybe?” The doctor motioned for Tony to sit in her father’s easy chair next to the bed.

He took Tony’s blood pressure and checked his pulse, and he didn’t look particularly disturbed by his findings. Then he knelt on the floor and rolled up Tony’s pyjama trousers and studied his injured leg. Tony winced when the doctor felt his stump.

“Yep, I think it’s a little infected. I’ll give you a course of antibiotics; that should clear it up in no time at all.”

“Well, that’s a relief.” Lorne ruffled Tony’s hair. “Sorry, I mean it’s bad enough, but at least it’s not something more serious.” Her gaze drifted over to her father, and she blinked away the mistiness that briefly clouded her vision.

She heard a siren in the distance and sprinted around the room, gathering her father’s essentials together. She searched the bottom of his wardrobe, pulled out his overnight bag, and shoved everything in it.