Nightmares of Caitlin Lockyer

Part 32

32

In the evening, I sat in the chair beside her bed, watching some programme that Caitlin found more interesting than I did. It seemed to be about some women who agonised over their inability to have a perfect, long-term relationship with a man, in between trying men on the way they tried on clothes. It was funny, if nothing else. More than once, I saw a watery smile float to the surface of Caitlin's expression, before it sank to the hidden depths again.

I ached to see her smile properly or even laugh. I found my thoughts drifting to what I could do to lift her spirits. I could go to the gift shop downstairs and pick up some chocolate, I thought. I stood up, opening my mouth to tell her I'd be right back.

The phone rang on the bedside cabinet between us. We looked at each other, surprised, before she started to reach for it.

She's going to realise she can't pick it up, then she's going to cry, I thought. Quicker and closer, I hit the button that put the call on the phone's hands-free setting.

"Hello?" I answered quickly, before she could react.

An older man responded in a heavy accent, sounding confused. "Ah, I was looking for Caitlin Lockyer? I'm her father."

My eyes went to Caitlin, questioningly.

She nodded as she spoke up. "Hi, Dad. I'm here."

"I've only just checked my messages – we've been out of range of all but satphones for the last month. The police got a hold of me just as we left, to say they'd call me if they had any updates, but it didn't seem that they did. Your friend Jo left a message for me to say you'd been found, but you were in hospital. What happened?"

I took a step toward the door, trying to keep my voice as low as possible. "Did you want me to stay, or will you be okay if I..." I gestured toward the corridor beyond her room.

Caitlin shook her head, looking unconcerned. "Go, go," she mouthed, waving her hands as if she were pushing me out the door.

I went, smiling and nodding in what I hoped was an understanding way. As she started to tell a very abridged version of what she'd been through, I listened to her tone. Careful, as flat as she could make it, Caitlin barely sounded distressed at all as she recited, "Some men pulled me into their car, knocked me out and took me somewhere dark. They...hurt me. Someone found me, took me to hospital." Here she paused, as if she needed something to give her the impetus to carry on.

I hesitated, wondering if I should turn around and go back in.

I heard the murmur of her father's voice, but not the words, as I was too far down the corridor. I stopped and strained to hear her reply.

"...I wasn't out alone after dark. It was broad daylight – I was shopping for Jason's birthday present," she said, sounding resigned. Her voice dropped lower so I couldn't hear more.

Who was Jason that she needed to get him a birthday present?

Forgetting the chocolate, I returned to her room. I debated whether I should go back in or not and decided to do something I'm not proud of. I stood beside her open door, out of her line of sight, and listened to the whole conversation.

Her father's voice was the next I heard. "Will you be okay if I take this contract? It's a whole three months with an exploration drilling rig, but they've offered me so much money I don't want to turn it down."

Three months? She'll be alone in her house for three months and there's no one there now. I needed to get our remote surveillance guys in and out of there before she got home. I'd call them as soon as she was asleep. Work would be happy I had something to report, even if it was just intel on her house.

"Sure, Dad, I'll be fine," she murmured. "I'm still going to be in hospital for a couple of weeks and it's not like I can't cook when I get home. Take photos, okay? Something cool. You know I like to see what you're up to, even if I have to wait 'til you're home to see them."

"Bye honey – they're calling my flight, time to go again."

"Bye, Dad," she said softly. I heard the dial tone as he hung up, then her deep sigh. I ached for her.

I want to see her smile again. Now more than ever.

I skipped the lifts and ran down the stairs to the ground floor gift shop. I was going to get her the best chocolate they had. I wished I'd asked her what she liked…but everyone liked chocolate peanut brittle, surely.

If she didn't, I'd eat it and go back to get her something else.

Or should I just buy a bit of everything that looked good? I figured that could work.

I checked my wallet to make sure I had enough cash.

"That's a lot of chocolate," the woman with white curls in the gift shop said with a smile. "Are you trying to impress a lady?"

I allowed myself a proper smile. "Perhaps," I replied with a wink.

She looked a little flustered. "Well, I'd be impressed," she said defensively, looking away so she could put my purchases in a bag.

I thanked her and ran up the stairs, two at a time, back up to Caitlin's room on the second floor.

I dropped the bag of chocolate on Caitlin's bedside table with a grin, turning to see her reaction.

She was fast asleep, tears sparkling on her eyelashes in the last rays of the sun, and I didn't have the heart to wake her. The empty pill cup on her table told me she'd be out for a few hours, so maybe it was a good idea for me to try and get some sleep, too.

As I relaxed into my pillow, I wondered who had given her the pills and who had helped her drink the water to wash them down. I figured it was probably the nurse who administered them. I shrugged and slept.