Prologue
Darwin - Casuarina Shopping Centre
‘Mum? What are you looking at?’ Ellie McLaren tried to keep the impatience from her voice as she stared at her mother. At the same time, she attempted to prevent James, her eighteen-month-old son from smearing ice-cream on her cargo pants.
Honestly, it was easier to control a helicopter in a dive than get a determined toddler to do what he was supposed to do.
‘James, stop it. This instant!’ Ellie snapped as her mother ignored her question, and her son squirmed on her lap, his sticky hands smearing ice-cream over her navy-blue cargos.
‘Give him to me, Ellie, and go and get some paper towel from the restroom.’ Mum’s voice was patient as always, and Ellie wished for the thousandth time she had that same patience.
Rolling her eyes, she passed James across. ‘What were you looking at then, Mum?’
A head shake. ‘Um. Nothing.’ Her mother’s voice held a slight tremble. ‘No one. Go and get the towel for Mr Sticky Fingers here.’ Mum dropped a light kiss on James’s upturned face.
‘More ice-cream, Nanny?’
Ellie smiled at her son as she stood and headed towards the restroom at the shopping centre. She had to queue to get inside; it was a week before Christmas and the crowds at the Casuarina shopping plaza were large, noisy and impatient. By the time she got back to her mother and James, her little boy had a clean face and was resting his head on her mother’s shoulder, his thumb in his mouth.
Ellie’s heart melted as he looked up at her with an angelic smile. ‘Mumma.’ He held his arms out to her.
‘Clean hands first, little man.’ She gently wiped his sticky hands with the damp towel. ‘Now, come here.’ Ellie nuzzled her face into her son’s sweet-smelling neck and breathed in that wonderful smell. As she always did, she found it hard to believe that she and Kane had created this perfect child.
‘More ice-cream, Mumma?’ James insisted.
‘No, it’s time to go home. I don’t know about you, Mum, but I’ve had enough of crowds for the day.’
‘Oh my God! Not again, dear God, not again.’ Her mother’s cry was almost a scream.
Ellie’s head flew around and she caught her breath as she looked at her mother. Jagged fear sliced through her and as she gripped James tightly, he let out a cry. Mum’s cheeks had lost all colour, her eyes were wide, and her bottom lip was trembling. It had been over three years since Ellie had seen that terrified expression on her mother’s face.
‘Mum, what’s wrong?’ She kept her voice even and soft as she stood, hitched James onto her hip and reached out to touch her mother’s clenched hand. ‘Talk to me. Please.’
‘It’s happened again.’ Mum’s eyes were bleak, and her fingers relaxed and trembled beneath Ellie’s touch. ‘I saw him again.’
‘What has? Who?’
‘Peter. Your father.’ Mum’s voice hitched on a sob. ‘I keep seeing him. Everywhere I go.’ She lifted her shaking hand and pointed to the games shop across the concourse. ‘He just went into that shop. It was him. I think I’m going crazy. Again.’
‘What do you mean? You can’t see Dad. You know you can’t.’ Ellie tried to swallow her fear. Since Dad’s death and the discovery of the truth of his murder, her mother’s mental health had improved and for the last year, it had seemed as though her recovery was finally complete. Knowing that her husband hadn’t committed suicide had been the catalyst for Mum’s recovery. The grieving had started, and Ellie and her sisters, Emma and Dru had made sure that one of them was always with Mum as she worked through her grief. Dru lived in Darwin with Connor, and Emma and Jeremy were still in the Daintree, but they had all been there to support Sandra.
When James had arrived, Mum had eased back into her old self; she was so good with him, Ellie had gone back to casual relief work on the helicopters out of Makowa Lodge where she and Kane had met, while Kane looked after their mango farm.
Thank God, Emma and Jeremy are coming over to the Territory for Christmas. Ellie was no good at this psychological crap. With Emma and her husband both being doctors, Ellie had ready access to good advice on how to deal with Mum on her bad days.
Now Mum’s hand gripped Ellie’s fingers. ‘I’m sorry, love.’ Her eyes were awash with tears as she lifted her head. ‘Of course, I know that. But I’ve seen him a few times. And it scares me. I know Peter is dead. I miss him so much I must be hallucinating.’
‘The man went into EB Games, you said?’
Mum nodded. ‘Just ignore me. I’ll go back to the doctor and get some more medication. Or I’ll wait and see Emma. She’ll be here in a few days.’
‘Here, take James.’ Ellie pushed her son into her mother’s arms. ‘I’ll go to the shop and take a look around. That should ease your mind. What was he wearing?’
‘Jeans and a black T-shirt.’
Without a backward glance Ellie strode over to the EB Games shop and walked through the door. There was a crowd inside, and she stood and scanned the group at the counter waiting to be served. They were mainly young guys, but a taller man in a dark T-shirt at the other side of the display shelves caught her attention as he walked past them towards the door.
Ellie blinked and then stared. He was the same height as Dad had been, and his hair was longer and a lighter blond, but it was the guy’s walk that held her attention. The same loose-shouldered swagger like Dad’s. As she stared, he lifted his hand and smoothed his hair back with his right hand; the same gesture that Dad had used when he was nervous.
Before Ellie could step forward, he walked out of the shop and disappeared into the milling Christmas shopping crowd.
Would you like to ensure you read Hidden Valley
Hidden Valley -signed print copy (next week delivery) is available in print below : credit card and Paypal preorders accepted
https://www.annieseaton.net/store.html#!/Hidden-Valley-Print-Preorder-March-2021/p/221185404/category=0
All eBook sites are here: books2read.com/u/3GdzwP
26 March release
Darwin - Casuarina Shopping Centre
‘Mum? What are you looking at?’ Ellie McLaren tried to keep the impatience from her voice as she stared at her mother. At the same time, she attempted to prevent James, her eighteen-month-old son from smearing ice-cream on her cargo pants.
Honestly, it was easier to control a helicopter in a dive than get a determined toddler to do what he was supposed to do.
‘James, stop it. This instant!’ Ellie snapped as her mother ignored her question, and her son squirmed on her lap, his sticky hands smearing ice-cream over her navy-blue cargos.
‘Give him to me, Ellie, and go and get some paper towel from the restroom.’ Mum’s voice was patient as always, and Ellie wished for the thousandth time she had that same patience.
Rolling her eyes, she passed James across. ‘What were you looking at then, Mum?’
A head shake. ‘Um. Nothing.’ Her mother’s voice held a slight tremble. ‘No one. Go and get the towel for Mr Sticky Fingers here.’ Mum dropped a light kiss on James’s upturned face.
‘More ice-cream, Nanny?’
Ellie smiled at her son as she stood and headed towards the restroom at the shopping centre. She had to queue to get inside; it was a week before Christmas and the crowds at the Casuarina shopping plaza were large, noisy and impatient. By the time she got back to her mother and James, her little boy had a clean face and was resting his head on her mother’s shoulder, his thumb in his mouth.
Ellie’s heart melted as he looked up at her with an angelic smile. ‘Mumma.’ He held his arms out to her.
‘Clean hands first, little man.’ She gently wiped his sticky hands with the damp towel. ‘Now, come here.’ Ellie nuzzled her face into her son’s sweet-smelling neck and breathed in that wonderful smell. As she always did, she found it hard to believe that she and Kane had created this perfect child.
‘More ice-cream, Mumma?’ James insisted.
‘No, it’s time to go home. I don’t know about you, Mum, but I’ve had enough of crowds for the day.’
‘Oh my God! Not again, dear God, not again.’ Her mother’s cry was almost a scream.
Ellie’s head flew around and she caught her breath as she looked at her mother. Jagged fear sliced through her and as she gripped James tightly, he let out a cry. Mum’s cheeks had lost all colour, her eyes were wide, and her bottom lip was trembling. It had been over three years since Ellie had seen that terrified expression on her mother’s face.
‘Mum, what’s wrong?’ She kept her voice even and soft as she stood, hitched James onto her hip and reached out to touch her mother’s clenched hand. ‘Talk to me. Please.’
‘It’s happened again.’ Mum’s eyes were bleak, and her fingers relaxed and trembled beneath Ellie’s touch. ‘I saw him again.’
‘What has? Who?’
‘Peter. Your father.’ Mum’s voice hitched on a sob. ‘I keep seeing him. Everywhere I go.’ She lifted her shaking hand and pointed to the games shop across the concourse. ‘He just went into that shop. It was him. I think I’m going crazy. Again.’
‘What do you mean? You can’t see Dad. You know you can’t.’ Ellie tried to swallow her fear. Since Dad’s death and the discovery of the truth of his murder, her mother’s mental health had improved and for the last year, it had seemed as though her recovery was finally complete. Knowing that her husband hadn’t committed suicide had been the catalyst for Mum’s recovery. The grieving had started, and Ellie and her sisters, Emma and Dru had made sure that one of them was always with Mum as she worked through her grief. Dru lived in Darwin with Connor, and Emma and Jeremy were still in the Daintree, but they had all been there to support Sandra.
When James had arrived, Mum had eased back into her old self; she was so good with him, Ellie had gone back to casual relief work on the helicopters out of Makowa Lodge where she and Kane had met, while Kane looked after their mango farm.
Thank God, Emma and Jeremy are coming over to the Territory for Christmas. Ellie was no good at this psychological crap. With Emma and her husband both being doctors, Ellie had ready access to good advice on how to deal with Mum on her bad days.
Now Mum’s hand gripped Ellie’s fingers. ‘I’m sorry, love.’ Her eyes were awash with tears as she lifted her head. ‘Of course, I know that. But I’ve seen him a few times. And it scares me. I know Peter is dead. I miss him so much I must be hallucinating.’
‘The man went into EB Games, you said?’
Mum nodded. ‘Just ignore me. I’ll go back to the doctor and get some more medication. Or I’ll wait and see Emma. She’ll be here in a few days.’
‘Here, take James.’ Ellie pushed her son into her mother’s arms. ‘I’ll go to the shop and take a look around. That should ease your mind. What was he wearing?’
‘Jeans and a black T-shirt.’
Without a backward glance Ellie strode over to the EB Games shop and walked through the door. There was a crowd inside, and she stood and scanned the group at the counter waiting to be served. They were mainly young guys, but a taller man in a dark T-shirt at the other side of the display shelves caught her attention as he walked past them towards the door.
Ellie blinked and then stared. He was the same height as Dad had been, and his hair was longer and a lighter blond, but it was the guy’s walk that held her attention. The same loose-shouldered swagger like Dad’s. As she stared, he lifted his hand and smoothed his hair back with his right hand; the same gesture that Dad had used when he was nervous.
Before Ellie could step forward, he walked out of the shop and disappeared into the milling Christmas shopping crowd.
Would you like to ensure you read Hidden Valley
Hidden Valley -signed print copy (next week delivery) is available in print below : credit card and Paypal preorders accepted
https://www.annieseaton.net/store.html#!/Hidden-Valley-Print-Preorder-March-2021/p/221185404/category=0
All eBook sites are here: books2read.com/u/3GdzwP
26 March release