The Secrets of the Glen (Scottish Highlands #2)

Chapter 6

Robyn watched Charlie skate off to join the others, probably to plead for a second chance. Charlie glided past the three figures on the ice, heading for the other side of the loch.

Joe and Annie were either side; David was in the centre with an arm wrapped around each of their shoulders; one foot on the ice, the other suspended awkwardly out in front of him. He cut a pathetic figure.

As they neared her, Joe spoke first, taking charge of the situation. ‘Robyn, I’m going to take David to the hospital in my car.’

Robyn nodded.

‘No hospital.’ David spoke through gritted teeth.

Robyn quickly took off her skates at the edge of the loch. With David seated on a log, she helped Joe get the skate off David’s good leg and a shoe on his foot so that he could hop along on it.

Once everyone was in their hiking boots, she fell in behind them, carrying their skates. They headed towards the car park.

‘I’m not going to any damn hos—’

‘Annie,’ Joe cut in, plainly still ignoring David, ‘you take Robyn.’

‘No, it’s okay.’ Robyn was quick to say. The last thing she needed was Annie’s cold, disapproving stare all the way to the hospital, along with another lecture about whose fault it all was.

‘I can’t take her in our car,’ said Annie.

Robyn was relieved. Obviously Annie didn’t want her company either.

‘I have to get back, home, Joe.’

Robyn noticed she was looking at her watch.

‘‘Ah, the babysitter.’ Joe slapped his forehead with his free hand. ‘I forgot. She could only spare two hours this evening. One of us has to get back.’

Robyn blurted, ‘I thought you were here to watch your child playing ice hockey.’

Joe shook his head. ‘No. I heard about the game, and decided to tag along, check the depth of the ice, make sure it was still safe to skate on. Our little one isn’t interested in the game.’

‘Thank god,’ said Annie. ‘I don’t want her on the ice.’

Robyn wondered what their little one’s dad and uncle thought about that.

Joe said, ‘Annie decided she wanted to come too, so she met me here. We’d had such a great time on the ice last night, we figured it would be a shame not to make the most of the frozen-over loch before it thawed.’

‘Isn’t anyone listening to me?’ David shouted in exasperation. ‘I said—’

‘I know what you said, David.’ Joe’s voice was calm as he interrupted his brother. ‘Your knee has given way again.’ He pointed at David’s outstretched leg. ‘So if you don’t let one of us take you to hospital, then we’re leaving you right here.’ Joe stopped abruptly in the middle of the forest car park. Robyn nearly walked into Joe’s back. She caught herself just in time.

‘You with me on this, Robyn?’ Joe glanced over his shoulder at her.

Robyn gulped. There was no way she would leave him there, especially as this was all her fault. But something in Joe’s demeanour had changed. He was no longer Annie’s big-hearted husband, or David’s little brother. That was just for appearances, or maybe that was just him on his day off. But when it was necessary, he came across as authoritative and decisive, able to quickly act, and make decisions. This was Joe, the local police officer.

She had no choice but to agree. She said, ‘Yes, of course.’

David glanced over his shoulder and glared at her.

Robyn rolled her eyes, thinking how she had succeeded in getting on the wrong side of David’s father, his sister-in-law, and now David himself.

She looked at Joe’s back, thinking that at least someone was still her friend.

They slowly made their way to the car park, where they had arrived less than an hour earlier.

Robyn looked at the cluster of cars about a hundred yards distant. ‘Shall I get the car?’ Robyn offered as Joe eased David down onto a log. She could drive it down to the track where they were.

‘No, we can make it.’ Joe added, ‘Robyn, can you give me a hand, please?’

Annie let go of David and gave her husband a peck on the cheek.

Annie placed a hand on David’s shoulder. ‘Are you going to be okay?’

Robyn watched David pat her hand reassuringly. ‘Of course, I am. You know me – I’ve come through worse.’

Robyn wondered if he was referring to the accident that had busted his knee in the first place. It was something they hadn’t talked about – exactly how it had happened. Robyn wasn’t surprised. It was a tricky topic of conversation, raising the thing that had ended his career. But now she knew it had not happened while he was skating on the ice. It was quite a revelation to discover that her assumption had been wrong all along.

For some reason, this brought to mind the trip to the local library in Aviemore she had been intending to make – without David in tow, of course. She’d wanted to find old newspaper articles about his ice hockey career, hoping it would answer her questions, although Gayle had questioned her as to why she didn’t just ask him herself. Robyn had never quite found the right time.

With Annie gone and Joe taking a moment to call the babysitter and tell them that Annie was on her way home, Robyn knelt down in front of David.

He was leaning back on his hands, which were spread out behind him, and he was panting, even though he wouldn’t have expended that much energy crossing the ice and getting up to the car park. Joe and Annie had virtually been carrying him. Robyn guessed he was in more pain than he would have people believe.

She bent down and started to undo the other skate, not looking him in the eye, waiting for the inevitable ticking-off that she deserved.

‘No. Don’t touch it!’ said David, as she reached for the skate. She drew her hand away fast and looked up at him. ‘But the skate is quite heavy. It can’t be doing you any good holding your leg out with that skate still on.’

‘I’d much rather you do something else for me, if you don’t mind.’

She couldn’t believe he was being so nice to her after all this.

She stood up. ‘What is it?’

‘In the glove compartment of the van,’ his voice was insistent. ‘There’s a bottle of pills. Get them, will you?’

Robyn looked from David to Joe. ‘But I need to help you to the car, otherwise how will you get to the ...?’

‘You go ahead, Robyn.’ Joe came up and knelt beside David. ‘We’ll manage,’ he said as he scooped David up in his arms. David grunted and reached for his leg.

Robyn went ahead to the van. She opened the heavy passenger door and climbed in. She pressed the button, and the glove compartment lid sprang open. Robyn tentatively put her hand inside, expecting to wade through all sorts of crap, but to her surprise, it seemed empty. She felt inside, and in the right-hand corner, her hand hit a small plastic container that rattled. She scooped it up in her hand and slammed the glove compartment shut before climbing out of the van. Robyn could see Joe heading to his car.

‘Robyn!’ Joe shouted at her from across the car park.

‘Coming!’ she shouted back.

She slammed the door shut. Then, clutching the pills to her chest, she ran.

Joe was already sitting in the driver’s seat with the engine ticking over.

‘Sorry.’ She said as she opened the rear door and looked in on David who was propped up on a pile of coats.

‘Did you get them?’ David asked, his voice hoarse.

‘Yes.’ But Robyn looked at the pills, and hesitated. For some reason, she didn’t want to give them to David.

‘Give them to me!’ he demanded.

Robyn’s eyes went wide. Someone had spoken to her like that before. Some guy, she was sure of it. She froze. It was a memory – she was sure of it.

David sighed, ‘They’re painkillers – that’s all.’

‘Oh.’ Robyn looked at the bottle in her hand before she handed them over. She watched him as he unscrewed the lid and tipped the bottle toward his mouth.

‘Robyn, you ok?’ Joe turned in her direction, his arm flung over the back of the front seat he was looking at her strangely.

‘Oh, I’m fine.’ She was trying to remain calm and keep her voice from betraying her. She wasn’t fine – not at all. She’d had a memory – she was sure of it. She couldn’t picture his face right now, but it was a guy, a young guy, demanding she hand over some pills. And she somehow knew they weren’t just painkillers.

And she knew something else – if she didn’t do as she was told by this mystery guy who’d popped into her consciousness, the repercussions were never good.

‘Get in the car, Robyn,’ said Joe.

Robyn looked at the police car and hesitated. ‘Look, are you getting in the car – or what? I want to set off for the hospital now.’

Robyn looked at David, and said, ‘I’m sorry. I’ll follow in the van.’

Joe said, ‘We’ll swing by and pick up the van later.’

David misread her meaning too. ‘Oh, Robyn, you don’t have to worry about the van.’

Robyn wasn’t worried about the van. She was worried about getting into a police car, and she had no idea why.

Joe leaned across the front passenger seat, and opened the car door. ‘Get in, Robyn.’

Robyn shook her head, and backed away. ‘I’ll meet you at the hospital.’

Robyn got in the van and glanced at the police car, wondering what she was so afraid of. She thought, There must be a reason I don’t want to get into a police car. Why do I feel like I’ve done something wrong?

She switched on the ignition. Nothing happened. Robyn exclaimed, ‘Please start!’

Joe pulled up alongside the van, wound his window down, and called out, ‘Is there a problem?’

Robyn wound the window down. ‘The van won’t start.’

‘Then you’d better come with us.’