Hurst by Robin Crumby (the reading list book TXT) 📖

can trust you, Terra. For a start, you’re a woman. Never trust a woman. That’s what my mum used to say, God bless her. Every woman I’ve ever known has lied or cheated on me.”

He stood up and leaned across the table, over the fruit bowl that had been placed between them. He picked up a ripe peach, biting down to the stone and tearing away its flesh, allowing the juice to dribble down his chin. He wiped the liquid away with his sleeve and grinned lasciviously at Terra.

“Of course, if you could prove to me that I could trust you, that would be different. But right now, my head is full of questions about you, Terra. Questions, questions. You’re going to have to earn my trust. Do we understand each other?”

Terra swallowed involuntarily, her mouth and throat suddenly dry. She knew exactly what he meant. She was beginning to ask herself what she was going to have to do to keep Hurst safe and her enemies close. She had started down a very dangerous path and it was already too late to turn back without consequences. The only way was forward, deeper and deeper into the maze, and one wrong turn could prove terminal.

Chapter Fifty-three

Riley reversed the Land Rover Defender up to the main entrance to the Chewton Glen hotel and opened the boot for Mila to load the rest of their gear. Other than minor burns and watery blisters on her fingers and forearm, Riley had nothing more to show for her suicidal dash through a burning building than some singed hair and scorch marks on her trousers.

She hurried back into the lobby area and helped Zed to his feet, levering him up from a large leather sofa where he had been playing cards with Adele. One of the guards kept watch on the Hurst group as they manhandled Zed across the gravel driveway to the Defender’s front passenger seat. He swung his legs up over the sill and slumped back against the headrest, beads of sweat already forming on his brow. He was slowly getting his strength back, but the strain was clear for all to see. He masked his pain well, but Riley knew him better than to be fooled so easily. It would be a while yet before he was back to his normal world-weary laconic self.

With Joe gone and Zed on the road to recovery, there was nothing left for them here. Riley was desperate now to get back to Hurst. Despite the efforts of the whole group to persuade her otherwise, Stella was adamant that she was staying put at the hotel.

Riley gave Stella a long farewell hug before stepping back to look into her eyes. They were already welling with tears. She held her shoulders at arm’s length.

“Are you sure this is what you want, Stella? I know these are your friends. I get that. But living here in this convent…” Her voice trailed off. “You know you don’t have to live like this, right?”

The sun appeared from behind a cloud, blinding the group with brilliant sunshine. Stella squinted back, irradiated by the light. To Riley, she looked almost angelic, her flawless skin seemed to shimmer. Through her tears, Stella’s passion and conviction was clear.

“I can’t explain it. I just feel like I belong here. You have to see beyond the Sisterhood with all their rules and religion. The way of life they are espousing is pure. It’s what I want, Riley. I think all of us secretly crave that simplicity, don’t we? A life with purpose and structure.”

“Sometimes, it’s not that simple. But listen, if you tell me that this is what you really want, then I won’t try and dissuade you.”

“I do, Riley. I really do.” She paused, looking at her shoes and then back at the hotel and the trees beyond, composing her thoughts, choosing her words carefully. “I know you think that this whole place is false, that it’s not sustainable. That we’re all burying our heads in the sand and ignoring what’s going on in the real world out there, but I’ve made my choice. Please respect that. I don’t want to go back out there. I’m safe here now. I don’t have to wake up and worry about where my next meal is coming from. I’m tired of living in fear, of watching my back all the time. Life here is pure and simple, free of violence and struggle. I like that.”

“But is survival enough? It’s up to us all to help rebuild what’s out there,” she said, pointing beyond the wall. “Don’t you want to be part of that, to play your part?”

“Honestly…?” Stella scrunched up her face. “No. I’d prefer to live out my life right here.” She patted her belly, which was just beginning to show signs of swelling. Though anyone who didn’t know she was pregnant would have a hard time spotting it. “I’ve got another life to think about now. I need a safe environment to bring up my baby, and the sisters can give me that. It’s not much, maybe, but it’s enough for me.”

Riley smiled and hugged her again. “I’m happy for you, really I am. I’ll come back and see you as soon as I can. We all will.”

As they were talking, the nurse appeared in the doorway holding Adele’s hand. The little girl let go of the nurse’s hand and ran towards them, a small rucksack bouncing on her back. She attached herself to Stella and Riley, hugging them both, before heading towards the Land Rover with a dismissive wave over her shoulder. She slammed the car door and pressed her face to the window, looking back at Stella, her hot little breaths misting up the glass.

There were voices behind them, footsteps crunching on the gravel. A small posse of women rounded the corner of the building, walking swiftly and purposefully towards them. Sister Theodora was at the head of the group, flanked by the two other sisters.

“You there! Yes, you.” She jabbed her finger accusingly at Riley, her voice shrill and contorted. She reminded Riley of the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz, all dressed in black. All she was missing was a green face, pointy hat and long nose. Right now, Riley wished she had a good bucket of water to throw at her.

The Mother Superior came to a halt right in front of Riley, breathing heavily. She pointed directly at Riley and bellowed, “Seize them and take her into custody.”

One of the guards grabbed Riley from behind, forcing her arm behind her back before she had time to react. Mila raced round to wrestle with the woman, ripping her hand from Riley’s arm, releasing the pressure momentarily. “Get your hands off her!” The guard pushed Mila out the way and twisted Riley’s arm back into a lock.

“It’s all right, Mila,” said Riley through clenched teeth. She stared back at the sisters defiantly, ignoring the pain for a second. “Perhaps you’d be so good as to tell me what I’m being accused of?”

“We have reason to believe that the fire was no accident.” She enunciated each syllable of the word “accident” slowly and with particular emphasis.

Riley’s mind was racing. Why would anyone have started the fire deliberately? For what possible reason? She suddenly thought of Joe and their escape. Could the two events be connected? But how? From the way the sisters were behaving, they clearly had evidence that supported this conclusion. Although she had no idea why she was implicated in all this.

“Considering you had all of us locked up when the fire broke out, I find it highly unlikely that you could think we had anything to do with it,” said Riley.

“So it was purely coincidence that your friend escapes on the same night a fire breaks out?” mocked the sister. “Rather convenient, wouldn’t you say? We only have your word that you were where you say you were when the alarm was raised. Did anyone see you? Can anyone corroborate your version of events?” She shook her head, not waiting for an answer. “I thought not.”

Riley tried to wriggle her arm free of the guard’s grasp. She had terrible pins and needles, but the guard only twisted her arm tighter to stop her fidgeting.

The sister seemed to enjoy her discomfort and continued. “There were no witnesses. You could have smashed the garden window any time that night.”

“Hold on a minute, you left us in there. Your guard locked the door. What else were we meant to do? Stay there and die of asphyxiation? Zed would have died too had we not acted when we did. Anyway, why would anyone deliberately start a fire and be responsible for the murder of so many?”

“Why indeed?” Sister Theodora let the question air for a few seconds. “Unless they were trying to help their friend. We hold you and your party fully responsible. Those deaths are squarely on Hurst’s shoulders.”

“That’s preposterous. So you’re saying that you have no other suspects? Are all the other residents accounted for?”

Sister Theodora whipped her head round at the other sisters. It seemed a reasonable question, but in her mind, there was only one plausible explanation. “You held the roll call this morning, Sister Imelda. Are all the residents accounted for?”

Sister Mel hesitated. Suddenly she looked uncomfortable, a seed of doubt germinating rapidly in her mind. “All residents were accounted for, sister. Except one.”

Sister Theodora looked irritated by this disclosure, disappointed that no one had thought to mention this detail earlier. “And you waited until now to inform me of this? Well, go on, sister. Who was it?”

“It’s one of the girls, sister. Jean Farley. She’s been taking food to the prisoners every day. It’s possible…” She looked down at the ground, afraid of the consequences of what she was about to say. “It’s possible that she could have helped the men escape.”

“Nonsense. Why would she do such a thing? No, I refuse to believe that one of our own could…” Her voice trailed off. “I have every confidence that it was the group from Hurst who are responsible for this outrage, not one of our own girls.”

Riley shook her head. “You believe what you like, but I’m telling you, my group had nothing to do with this.”

“I propose we take them all into custody until the truth can be determined.” She gestured for the two guards to tie their hands behind their backs, but Riley wriggled free. In one fluid movement, she pulled a concealed blade from under her belt buckle and held it out in front of her. There was no way they were going quietly.

Stella stepped forward and tried to intercede on behalf of the Hurst group, placing her hand lightly on the guard’s shoulder. Sensing Stella’s approach, the guard swung round wildly with her elbow, striking Stella hard across the face. The blow left a red welt that took Stella’s breath away. She gasped in pain, as the guard stuttered an apology. Sister Mel rushed to her side to comfort her.

A sharp wolf whistle from the Land Rover silenced the group and they turned as one to find Zed, index finger and thumb to his lips. In the other hand, he clutched a shotgun resting the barrel on his hip, pointing squarely at the nearest guard.

“Let’s everyone settle down, shall we.”