Page 74 of Sanctuary at MacLeod's Cove
She stumbled outside to the road, and looked in the direction of the village, but there was no sign of life — no cars, no people, only unrelenting rain and low clouds. She couldn’t see anything in the rain. Nor could she run after them into the village. She wished she’d got into the car with Sam, but she knew he wouldn’t have let her go with him. She would have been a liability. He needed to be free to act.
She lifted her head to the black sky and let out a scream, giving vent to the pain and frustration and fear that filled her. Fighting the irrational urge to follow Sam, she ran back to the house, her bare feet slapping through the river of water which ran along the footpath. Once in the garden she closed the gate, and gripped it hard. She needed to feel the pain of the wood pressing into her hands, so she knew all of this was really happening. A bone-deep shiver ran through her, and she fell against the gate, as headlights flooded the road.
She opened the gate, and the car braked hard in front of her. She had a sudden thought. What if it were Alistair? But as scared of him as she was, she was more scared she’d lose Liam. She went to the driver’s side and slapped both hands on the window. The door opened, pushing her aside, and Kate appeared.
‘Jenny! What on earth are you doing?’
Kate slammed the car door shut behind her and put her arm around Jen to support her.
‘Have you seen Liam and Sam?’ Jen demanded.
‘No, why? What on earth is going on? You made little sense on the phone. And why are you standing outside in the pouring rain in the early hours of the morning?’
‘It’s Alistair. He’s back, and he’s taken Liam. Sam’s gone after him. Have you seen them?’
‘No!’ Kate cried, leading Jen back into the house. She closed the door and looked her up and down. ‘You’re soaked to the skin!’ She headed for the airing cupboard. ‘I’ll get some towels.’
‘I don’t need towels, Mum! I need Liam!’
Ignoring her, Kate grabbed some towels and put one around Jen’s shoulders while she rubbed her hair with the other one. Jen tore it from her mother’s hands and threw it to the floor, unable to stop the tears from flowing.
‘Mum! Don’t you understand?’
‘I understand that there’s nothing you can do. The police have been informed?’
Jen nodded.
‘And Sam’s gone after Alistair. So, leave it to them.’
Jen moaned and leaned against the wall, her shoulders heaving as the sobs racked her. She could feel her mother’s arms around her and her cheek pressed against her head. ‘It’ll be OK, Jenny. It’ll be OK.’
But Jen pushed Kate off and walked back to the phone. ‘We don’t know that, Mum!’ she said, brushing away her tears. ‘I’ll ring the police, find out what’s going on.’
But she couldn’t see through her tears to dial, so Kate took the phone off her and rang instead. Jen sat on the bottom stair and listened to Kate’s end of the conversation.
Kate finished the call. ‘She told us to wait. There’s a police presence at the main road junction because of the slips. We just have to let them do their job.’ She picked up the towel again. ‘Now let me dry your hair while you tell me what happened.’
Jen sucked in a deep breath, trying to push back her fears and recall the night’s events. She shook her head as the images jumbled. ‘Alistair was here. I went downstairs, and he was…’ She broke off in a sob.
‘There. And then what happened?’
‘Sam happened. There was a scuffle, and Alistair got away. He must have used next-door’s car. I thought he was alone, but when I came back inside…’ Her voice broke. ‘Liam was gone. Alistair had him in the car. And he drove off. Earlier he’d said that it was the only way he knew I’d come with him for sure.’
‘And Sam?’
‘Followed him.’ Jen rose, flung the door open again, and stood on the front porch, sheltered from the hammering rain.
‘I should have been here,’ said Kate. ‘I should never have let Lucy persuade me to go to the concert.’
‘I’m glad you weren’t here, Mum. Alistair doesn’t care what he does to anybody. And he could have hurt you.’
‘Rather me than you and Liam. We got stuck on the wrong side of the slip, and it’s only just opened. That’s why I couldn’t get here any sooner. But both roads into Wellington are still blocked, so he won’t have got far. Assuming he’s making for Wellington.’
‘He will be. He’ll be heading to the airport.’
Panic again filled her at the thought. ‘I have to find them.’
‘Jen, please,’ remonstrated Kate. ‘You’re soaked to the skin.’
