28. July 2024
28
July 2024
V aughn glanced at his ringing phone, then dropped his pen when he saw MH lit up on the screen. He answered straight away. ‘Willow?’
‘Hi.’ Her voice sounded small, and he could hear traffic noise in the background.
‘What’s going on?’
‘I just… um…’ She sounded close to tears.
‘Willow.’
She cleared her throat. ‘Can you stay on the phone with me for a bit? Please?’
He rose from behind his desk and made his way out into the hall, where Finn was lounging, reading the paper. The driver looked up, then, seeing Vaughn’s face, tossed the paper aside and fetched the car keys.
‘Of course I can,’ Vaughn told her. ‘Where are you?’
Finn walked ahead to the car parked out front.
‘I’m on my way home. Cecil Street, about ten minutes away.’
Vaughn muted the call and said to Finn, ‘Willow’s apartment.’ Then he unmuted it and asked, ‘Are you on foot?’
No reply.
‘Willow?’
‘Sorry, what?’
He got into the back seat of the car. ‘I asked if you’re on foot.’
‘Yes.’
‘Alone?’
‘Uh-huh.’
Something was definitely wrong. He could feel her fear coming through the phone. ‘Are you hurt?’
She hesitated. ‘No.’
The pause turned Vaughn’s stomach.
‘Are you still there?’ she asked.
‘Of course.’ He could hear how fast she was walking.
‘Can you keep talking to me until I get home?’
His eyes sank shut. ‘I’ll stay on the line as long as you need.’
She exhaled into the phone, sounding relieved. ‘Tell me about your day. What did you do?’
He tried to think past his worry. ‘I went rowing this morning.’
‘You did?’
That seemed to bring some life back to her voice. He’d been rowing a lot of late. It was becoming the best part of his week. ‘Yeah. I’ve been a few times, actually.’ He watched the street signs flash by. ‘How did the performance go tonight?’
‘Amazing, actually. I think it was our best night yet.’
That was the best thing he’d heard all week. ‘That’s great.’ So what had happened afterwards that had driven her to call him? ‘Did you go out? Celebrate?’
‘Dinner.’ There was a long pause before she added, ‘A Turkish place.’
His eyebrows came together. ‘With who?’
‘With Harrison.’
Fucking Harry . And there was his answer to what was wrong.
He took a moment to compose himself. ‘What happened at the dinner?’
More hesitation. ‘I left early.’
Vaughn tried to relax his jaw. ‘Why?’
The silence on the other end of the line was so loud. ‘You were right about him.’
Her apartment building came into view. By his calculations, she would arrive a minute after him. ‘What did he do?’
‘It was more the things he said.’ She sniffed. ‘I just wanted to leave, and he wouldn’t move?—’
Vaughn opened and closed his hand. ‘He wouldn’t let you leave?’
‘He took credit for everything,’ she said. ‘Apparently he’s the reason an average dancer like me even has a career.’
Average? Harrison was going to have an average ability to walk by the time Vaughn was finished with him. ‘You’re extraordinary, and he knows it,’ he told her. ‘Anyone who says differently is either blind or lying out their arse.’
‘What happened to art being subjective?’
He exited the car and looked around for her. ‘Well, some opinions and interpretations are more valid than others.’
‘Like yours?’
‘Like mine.’ There was still no sign of her. ‘Where are you now?’
‘Almost home.’
He continued to watch the street. ‘Good.’
Finally, she came into sight, phone pressed to her ear while hugging herself against the cold. She stopped in her tracks when she caught sight of his car, then him. She looked so small beneath the streetlight.
‘You’re here,’ she breathed.
He took a few slow steps in her direction. ‘Of course I am. Where else would I be?’
She ended the call and resumed walking. Vaughn put his phone away also and watched her approach. Her pace quickened the closer she got, until she was practically jogging. He thought she would slow down once she reached him, but she didn’t. She ran at him.
He managed to get his hands from his pockets in time to catch her. Then she was wrapped around him, her face buried in his neck. Her familiar scent hit him hard, her warmth enveloping him. He held on to her without saying a word. She was shaking, so he held her until she wasn’t, until her grip on him loosened and her feet returned to the ground.
‘You’re here,’ she said again.
He nodded.
She brushed a tear from her cheek, seemingly embarrassed by it. ‘You really didn’t have to drive all this way.’
‘Let’s agree to disagree on that one.’ He looked her over, searching for any physical evidence of harm. ‘What do you need?’
She looked past him to her apartment. ‘Well, I left before the food came, so…’
‘Let’s get you fed.’
For some reason that made her tear up again.
‘What’s the matter?’ he asked, trying to gauge the extent of the damage done.
She covered her mouth as she fought off some internal demon. ‘I just want some bread.’ The words came out all choked.
Harrison had really done a number on her. ‘Do you have any?’
She nodded. ‘I keep a loaf in the freezer.’
‘Want me to make you some toast? Pour you a glass of that bacteria drink?’
Her eyes creased at the corners. ‘Okay.’
No one had the right to deny Willow anything. If she wanted it, it should be hers—end of story. Taking her hand, he led her towards her building.
Lucky for Harrison, Vaughn’s first priority was Willow. Under different circumstances, he would have immediately hunted the man down and broken every bone in his pretty face. Instead, he took Willow to her apartment, made her toast, poured her kombucha, then made a cup of the sleep tea he found beside the kettle.
‘More toast?’ he asked when she finished the first lot in record time.
‘I really shouldn’t.’
He made more.
Only once she’d eaten most of the carbs in her freezer, and yawned, did Vaughn prepare to leave.
‘You’re going?’ she asked, sitting up on the lounge.
He put his jacket back on. ‘I am. You need to sleep, and I have some things to take care of.’ He pointed at the door. ‘I want to hear that lock behind me.’
‘Okay.’
Vaughn frowned in the direction of the axolotl, wishing she had a better pet, like a Rottweiler who hated men in skinny jeans. ‘I’ll call you tomorrow and check in.’
She rose and walked over to him. ‘There’s no adequate way to thank you for tonight.’
‘I don’t need to be thanked.’ He just needed her safe.
‘Given how we left things, I wouldn’t have blamed you for ignoring the call.’
He didn’t have that kind of strength in him.
Watching her for a moment, he suddenly had the urge to say something he never thought he would say. ‘Listen. About what you saw at The Black Swan that night.’ Then he crossed a line he’d told himself he never would. ‘The man stole some money from my father.’
She looked confused for a moment, but then her expression softened as she realised what he was talking about. ‘Oh.’
‘And now he won’t do it again,’ he added.
Her eyes moved over his face as she found a reply. ‘Okay.’ That was all she said.
He opened the door. ‘Get some sleep.’
She nodded. ‘I will. Goodnight.’
Pulling the door closed behind him, he paused and listened for the sound of the lock. It clicked, and he headed for the lift.
The further away he got from the light, the darker his thoughts turned. Harrison had crossed a line, and Vaughn needed to make sure it didn’t happen again. No one would harm Willow in any way while he was alive to stop them.
Finn turned in his seat when Vaughn climbed into the car. ‘Is she all right?’
He nodded. ‘We’re going to pay Harrison Walsh a visit. I think a little chat’s in order. You have an address?’
‘I sure do.’
Fifteen minutes later, they pulled up outside a narrow townhouse with a rendered facade. Finn popped the boot and went around to the back of the car, putting on a baseball cap and grabbing two empty pizza boxes. Vaughn exited the car and waited out of sight of the door camera while Finn made his delivery. He listened as they argued through the speaker, Harrison insisting that he didn’t order the pizzas before finally opening the door.
‘I’m telling you, you have the wrong address,’ Harrison said. Then his face slackened when he recognised Finn. ‘You.’
‘Me,’ Finn replied, jamming his foot in the door.
Vaughn jogged up the steps as the door slammed shut on Finn’s boot. He pushed his way inside and looked around the bland entryway.
‘You can’t just show up at my house uninvited,’ Harrison said.
Finn closed the front door and leaned against it.
‘You paid $1.84 million for this?’ Vaughn asked.
Harrison crossed his arms. ‘I see you’ve been doing some research.’
Vaughn continued to look around. ‘Yes. I know everything about you. Every boring detail.’ He met Harrison’s glare. ‘Every bad thing you’ve ever done.’
Harrison tried to appear unfazed. ‘Why don’t we skip the cliché mafia tactics and you tell me what you’re doing here.’
‘Just having a friendly chat with the big man from Vic Ballet.’ The corners of Vaughn’s mouth lifted. ‘You like being the big man, don’t you, Harry?’
Harrison’s face hardened. ‘You better make your point quickly, because I’m moments away from calling the police.’
Vaughn chuckled. ‘I don’t think so. I know they say there’s no such thing as bad PR, but a run-in with the mafia wouldn’t be good for your career, would it?’ His smile vanished. ‘I just came from Willow’s apartment.’
Nothing changed on Harrison’s face. ‘Is that why you’re here? Because Willow and I had a disagreement that’s none of your business?’
Vaughn’s eyebrows rose. ‘You think she’s no longer my business?’
‘Look,’ Harrison began, uncrossing his arms. ‘Whatever she told you?—’
‘She didn’t tell me much. I think there’s a part of her that wants to protect you. After all, you’re the one who built her career from the ground up. Isn’t that right?’
Harrison glanced nervously at Finn. ‘Clearly you’re angry?—’
‘No.’ Vaughn shook his head. ’No, we’re not doing that. This isn’t about me. This is about your actions .’ His voice was a growl. ‘You crossed a line today, Harry. You crossed a line and exposed yourself as the controlling, manipulative paedophile that you are.’
Harrison’s face fell. ‘How dare you?—’
‘You’re a patient little fuck. I’ll give you that. How old was she when you set your sights on her? Thirteen?’
‘I never?—’
‘No father in the picture. You filled the void for years . So I can only imagine how pissed off you are that things haven’t gone to plan. It must have stung to find out that she doesn’t feel the way you expected her to despite all your effort.’
‘That’s an interesting interpretation,’ Harrison said.
Vaughn looked over at Finn. ‘Remind me again what we did to the last man who couldn’t keep his hands to himself.’
‘We broke his thumbs,’ Finn said.
The colour drained from Harrison’s face. ‘If your intention is to scare me?—’
Vaughn stepped up to Harrison fast, grabbing him by the neck before he could finish the sentence. When Harrison reached up for his arm, Vaughn caught hold of his thumb and twisted it until the director’s body went rigid from the pain.
‘Stop,’ Harrison said, panic in his voice. ‘You’re going to break it.’
‘Not yet.’ Vaughn applied a fraction more pressure.
‘Stop! Please!’
He eased the pressure slightly. ‘It really would be a shame to see this delicate hand ruined.’ There was heat coming off his stare. ‘Now, I’m only going to say this once, so I want to make sure you’re listening.’ He waited a moment, and when Harrison didn’t say anything, he increased the pressure again.
‘I’m listening!’
Vaughn eased off. ‘No unprofessional behaviour towards Willow will be tolerated from this point on. You’ll continue to teach her and mentor her to the best of your ability, and you will do all that without putting your fucking hands on her, being an arsehole, or mentioning her weight . Is that clear?’
Harrison was sweating now, unable to suppress his reaction to the pain. ‘Yes.’
‘Good.’ Vaughn released Harrison’s hand but maintained eye contact. ‘Because if you break your word, I’ll break that thumb, then your legs, then your career. One word from me to the right person and you’ll never work in the arts again.’ He tilted his head. ‘You still paying attention, Harry?’
A shudder rippled through Harrison’s body. ‘Yes.’
Vaughn clapped him on the shoulder, then stepped back, observing him. There seemed to be a healthy amount of fear there. Whether it was enough to ensure professional conduct on his part remained to be seen. ‘It’s late. We should really let you get your beauty sleep.’
Harrison didn’t speak. He just stood there cradling his sore thumb.
As Vaughn made his way to the door, he pointed to the alarm. ‘You should really turn that on after we leave. You never know who’ll show up at your home at night.’
Finn opened the door, and the pair exited the house.
‘You were a lot nicer than I was expecting,’ Finn said as they got into the car.
As much as Vaughn wanted to go back inside and finish the job, the last thing he wanted to do was disrupt Vic Ballet and ultimately impact Willow. ‘He got me on a good day.’
The car pulled away, and Vaughn phoned Antonio.
‘Hey,’ Antonio said when he answered.
Vaughn looked out the window. ‘I need eyes on Willow.’
There was a long pause at the other end. ‘Okay…’
‘Make sure Harrison Walsh doesn’t go anywhere near her.’
‘What happened?’
‘Arsehole finally showed his true colours. He left Willow so shaken she phoned me .’
Antonio exhaled. ‘Yeah, I bet you hated that.’
Vaughn switched the phone to the other ear. ‘Make sure whoever’s watching her is discreet. I don’t want her any more spooked than she already is.’
‘Of course.’
The call ended, and Vaughn was able to relax knowing that Harrison would be well away from Willow outside work. Hopefully the fear instilled in him would be enough to keep him in line.
Time would tell.