Spiral (The Salzburg Saga Book One) (12 page)

“Neen said she’d drop the twins off at their friend’s house then drive over to see my play. I doubt she’d even eaten because she would’ve had to collect the twins straight after her law class. We made her our parents without realizing it because it was what we needed, what we knew. We were too young to know any different.”

“She would have been what…twenty-two?”

“Twenty-three.” Hazel moved back to her desk and sat down on the cushioned wooden chair. “I remember being on stage and not seeing her.” She met Becky’s eyes. “I remember wondering where she was. I saw an audience full of faces but not Neen’s. My teachers were there, my next-door neighbor whose daughter was in my class was there, but not Neen.”

“When you’re a kid, you always want the people who mean the most to you to be there.” Becky nodded in understanding.

“Exactly.” And Neen would have known that, which was why she’d done everything she could to make the play. “The last part of the play was coming to an end, and I remember seeing two men in dark uniforms appear at the back of the room. They were talking to two of my teachers. I realized the men were the police.” Hazel paused, trying to conjure up the image again. It was always at this part that her memory shut off as if aiding her to forget the pain. She’d never decided if that was good or bad. “The teachers looked horrified. They kept looking in my direction. When the play finished, I avoided them.” Her eyes filled with shame.

Sadness had filled Becky’s eyes. “You were a kid. A kid who had lost her parents a few years earlier. It makes sense that you’d be frightened.”

Hazel’s fingers twisted in her lap. “Maybe. But I hid. I hid until someone found me a little while later under the large curtains of the theater hall. The policewoman asked me to come with them. I didn’t know what was going on, but I knew it wasn’t good because the police had been at our house when my parents died.”

“Oh, Haze…”

“The police had sad faces. Just like after my parents died. I didn’t want to be asked to sit down again as I had been asked back them. I didn’t want to be told to leave the room as I had back then, and I didn’t want to have my head patted like I was a good little dog.”

“That’s understandable,” Becky whispered. Blinking back tears, she reached out and gently squeezed Hazel’s chilly hand. “You were a baby. That’s a perfectly normal reaction for a baby. Jeez, even for an adult, it’s a normal reaction.”

Hazel’s thoughts had turned inward even as her struggles swam very clearly to the surface. She took a deep breath and expelled it on a long shudder. “In the end, I was taken to the hospital where Neen was. I can’t remember all of it, my memory’s hazy, but I remember someone telling me that the twins had been told and were going to stay at their friend’s house for a few extra days until Neen was stronger. Neen had been able to drop them off without any problems. It was when she rushing to see my play that she got into the accident.”

“What happened?”

Hazel paused for a moment before finally answering. “She fell asleep at the wheel.” She had to force the words out through reluctant lips. “She crashed into another car.”

“Oh, my God.”

“Yeah.” Removing her hand from underneath Becky’s, Hazel scrubbed them over her face. “The man in one car was rushed to the hospital. He was okay, though. He was released three days later.”

“They were lucky.”

“I know.” Hazel could barely breathe now, the effort of retelling the story taxing her of all her energy. “They had both been wearing a seat belt so the damage wasn’t extensive. That’s what the doctor said anyway. “

“How long did Nina take to recover?”

“Just over three weeks. She was shaken for a long time afterward. Wouldn’t drive for a while. The twins and I took time off school and helped keep the house clean.” She gave a lopsided smile. “We wanted Neen to be happy, and not worry about the housework and things.” She looked at Becky beseechingly. “Do you know what I mean?”

“Of course.”

“I never pressured her to make another silly school play again.”

“You’ve carried a lot of guilt about it. I’m sure Nina wouldn’t want that. Besides, when are your brothers back from New Zealand?”

Hazel smiled, relaxing for the first time. “Next month. Alistair sent an e-postcard last week; frothing at the mouth about how much fun he and Seb were having. They actually enjoy backpacking out in the middle of nowhere.” She shuddered.

Becky laughed.

“Hey, you guys.” Paula appeared in the doorway. Tall like Becky but with dark chocolate skin and an afro, which her boyfriend loved to sink his hands into, she tucked her slender hands into the pockets of her jeans. “What are you guys having for dinner? Katie’s got pizza with lots of cell-clogging cheese, but…” She made a face.

Now they both laughed.

“Pizza with lots of extra goat’s cheese,” Katie corrected as she joined Paula at the door. Her dark brown hair was pulled back in a bun atop her head, a pencil stuck through it; she hummed and waved the large pizza box she held enticingly. She hadn’t changed into sweats yet, still wearing jeans and the gray woolen jumper she’d left in that morning. She winked at Paula. “So, you’re not game?”

“Count me out, babes.” Paula shook her head. “My aunt, who is a colonic hydro therapist, would never approve.”

Hazel chuckled; Paula was the undisputed health guru in their student house, and she had the dewy skin that went with it; ever rarely getting a pimple. Hazel rose to her feet, eyeing the pizza box warily. She only had to look at a pizza and gained five pounds. Paula and Katie never seemed to have that problem. “I’m good. I have leftover rice and salad in the fridge.” Hazel tried to sound enthusiastic about it but wasn’t sure she pulled it off. The heady smell of the hot, spicy whiff of pepperoni from the cardboard box taunted her... and then she remembered cellulite.

“Becky?” Katie cajoled. “You know you want to...”

“Oh heck, why not?” She grinned over at Hazel. “I did snack on a carrot earlier; didn’t I, Haze? That’s got to count for something, right?”

“Right,” Hazel agreed as she followed the others from her room. And Becky was right about Neen, too; there was nothing for her to worry about.

CHAPTER TWELVE

“Time to get up, Neen; we’re heading out to try and find a phone signal for you guys.”

Nina jerked awake. Disorientated, she blinked up at Angela who stood peering down at her. Nina frowned. “Where…?” Then reality hit her in a sickening wave and she groaned, lifting a hand to her aching head. “Oh, God.”

“Yeah, we’re still here,” Angela muttered. “How’re you feeling?”

How was she feeling?
Carefully, she shifted her legs to the side of the sleeping platform as she sat up and took stock. The pain in her back made itself known first, quickly and ruthlessly followed by her hips that tingled as if knives were being poked into them. She loathed acknowledging the churning of her empty stomach too, along with the throbbing of her right temple “I’m feeling okay.”

Angela snorted. “Sure you are.”

“Is everyone up?”

“Almost. Neil said that Jake has been up for a while, putting up markers outside et cetera.”

“Markers? Oh, rescue signs.” Nina tried to ease the stiffness of her shoulders by gently rotating them backward.” Nina eyed her. “How are
you
doing?”

Angela grimaced. “My scratches and back are talking to me, and I’m trying not to listen. But I’m just grateful to be alive.”

Nina yawned. “What's the time?"

“Just gone noon.”

“Noon?” Nina blinked in surprise. She’d never slept so late, but under the current circumstances, she felt no guilt. Sleeping was her only respite from her grim stark reality. She took a deep breath and rubbed her hands together; her skin dry as sandpaper. “I guess I did manage to sleep in the end.” Gingerly, she slid off the platform and put on her boots, gloves, and then searched for her sunglasses.

“Got your phone?” Angela asked her.

With a mutter of annoyance at herself, Nina pulled it from her battered handbag.

“Hugh’s awake,” Angela told her. “Fully awake.”

Nina froze for a moment before looking up to meet Ange's gaze. “He is?”

Angela’s eyes were hard. “Neil said he’s talking without any difficulty. Apparently, he surfaced early this morning. He’s been complaining about his leg.”

“He’s going to be all right.” Nina shook her head at the injustice of it. “He’s going to be all right, but Ben’s gone?”

“Where’s the justice, right? Neil said Parker’s suggested that Hugh stay back and not go out this morning.”

“Just as well.” Nina drew a steady breath. “I don’t want to see him.”

“Join the queue. I think he’s likely to stick close to Parker for self-preservation, if nothing else. This might actually bring them closer together.”

Nina gritted her teeth. “Bring them together at our expense? Great.” She took Angela’s offered arm and they slowly made their way out into the cave corridor. She looked toward the entrance of the cave. Only a beam of light shone through. Jake must have temporarily removed the snow block. “We’re going to have to bend low every time we want to get in and out of here?”

Angela grimaced in answer. “Will you be all right?”

She hoped so. Yet, she’d only taken a handful of steps and could already feel a fine sheen of sweat settling along her upper lip. “I think we should give each other a massage when we get back,” she managed. “Finally make use of the skills we learned in that health and wellbeing course last year.”

“Yeah but...jeez, I never thought I’d use them in a situation like this.”

“Me, neither.” Nina paused and took a moment to prepare her mind before preparing her body to exit the cave.

“Watch your head,” Angela warned. In front of Nina on all fours, Angela led the way out carefully. She paused to look back over her shoulder at Nina before climbing out fully. “Shout if you need help. I can get one of the guys to help pull you out.”

Nina groaned silently. How mortifying would that be? “I think I’ll be okay.”

And she was. The air was cold and crisp, a gentle howl of the wind in the air. She drew in a deep breath and tried to ready herself for the day that lay ahead.

Neil stood just outside and moved forward to help her. Digging in her pocket, she took out her sunglasses and slipped them onto her nose. The morning sun was a welcome change after the dimness of the cave, but it was also a migraine trigger.

Neil pressed a hand to her forehead like an anxious father. “Morning.” He smiled a little, and his hand, which was ungloved, was somehow warm despite the chill of the morning air. He had a night’s worth of beard stubble. “How’d you sleep?”

She gave him a light hug. “I slept eventually.” She pulled back to search his face. “How about you?” But she didn’t need to ask as the dark shadows under his eyes answered her question.

“Fits and starts,” he confirmed.

She looked over his shoulder at Shayna who sat with Emily a few feet away. Luke sat in Emily’s lap gurgling something only babies understood. Emily cradled him against her chest, but she looked blankly ahead, not appearing to see or hear anything. Jake paced up and down nearby with hooded eyes, and like Neil’s, dark rings shadowing them. He had a night’s growth of beard too, and his short dark hair stuck out in different directions. She saw no sign of the Draytons and figured they’d yet to leave the cave.

“Think you’ll find a good phone signal?” Angela asked Neil.

“Hope so.” He scrubbed his hands over his face and slumped his shoulders, signaling the situation weighing them down. “The signal here’s lousy. We also need to stretch our legs, look for a way out–” He broke off, his eyes slitting at something he saw over Nina’s shoulder.

Nina and Angela turned.

Parker had appeared with Hugh and Justin. Parker and Justin wore fresh ski gear. Hugh wore the same clothes he’d worn yesterday. He was swearing furiously. Clearly unwilling to venture out of the cave, he lingered at the entrance, arms resting on the ledge. His eyes sat sullen and sunken and his lips were tight with pain.

Even as anger rose up inside of Nina at the sight of him, she also felt a grim satisfaction to witness that his leg was clearly in pain. He looked like he’d aged ten years. She hoped his leg fell off.

No one spoke. The fraught silence stretched as everyone watched Parker and Justin leave Hugh behind and make their way toward them. With a grateful sigh, Justin sank down wearily on the snow beside Shayna.

“Morning.” Parker didn’t attempt a smile, for which Nina was grateful. Still unsteady on his feet, he slid to the ground beside Justin. He turned to look back at Hugh. “Hugh has something he wants to say to you all.”

Nina arched a brow, an action she saw mirrored by Neil when she shot a glance at him. Emily closed her eyes and held Luke closer. Jake didn’t stop pacing, she noted, his hands jammed into his pockets. Angela’s expression didn’t change as she sat and drew her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them.

Hugh shot his father a resentful look but lifted his chin and faced the rest of them. “Look,” he said loudly in order to be heard. “I don’t remember anything about what happened so...”

Disgusted, Nina looked away. So he’d developed amnesia?
How convenient.

“Hugh,” Parker snapped, “you’re here to apologize, not make excuses.”

“I’m getting to it,” Hugh ground out, “but I only have your word that I caused all this.” His angry gaze swept their bleak surroundings and carefully avoiding anyone’s gaze.

Jake stopped, and his eyes were stone cold. “Look around,” he bit out acidly. “Do you think this is merely a result of
his word? ”
He tossed his head in Parker’s direction. “Then you’re a fool. But you want to apologize? Go ahead. Give it your best shot.”

Hugh said nothing, merely looked away.

“My friend’s dead because of you.” Eyes blazed, Jake was breathing heavily. “You can fake amnesia all you want but we all know the truth. You killed Ben. That makes you a murderer.”

Hugh blanched. "Look–"

“You can fake amnesia all you want,” Jake cut in, “but we all know the truth. You killed Ben. That makes you a murderer.”