34. July 2024
34
July 2024
W illow performed the role of good patient for the two weeks her mother was in Melbourne. She napped, ate the food prepared for her, tolerated Harrison’s visits, and sat on the balcony in the freezing cold to get her daily dose of vitamin D. Then once her mother returned to Sydney, Willow had the freedom to skip meals, tell Harrison she was too tired for visitors, and attempt stretches she wasn’t ready for.
Lili came to visit her in the evenings. They would eat dinner, watch TV, and talk about everything except Vaughn Gallo. Each night after Lili left, Willow would lie in bed reading old text messages from the mafioso and googling his name, relieved every time she found nothing new. She tried to convince herself that no news equalled innocence, but the fact remained that DeLuca had worked on the stage prior to its collapse.
Four weeks through her recovery, when the bruises had faded and new hair was starting to cover the scar on her head, Willow decided to go to the Star. She was due to return to the studio in two weeks, albeit on a very reduced Pilates-only schedule, and wanted to get any feelings and reactions out of the way so she could focus on work when it was time.
When she arrived, she wandered to the entrance of the theatre and took a deep breath before stepping inside. The familiar scent of aged wood and lingering perfume filled her senses. She looked around the dimly lit space, her gaze narrowing on the yellow tape fixed around the area where the stage once stood. A range of emotions swirled inside her, and she couldn’t process them quick enough. Vaughn’s face flashed in her mind, eyes filled with concern. It was the closest to afraid she had ever seen him.
‘Willow, can you hear me?’
She blinked away the vision of him and made her way down the aisle towards the… construction site or crime scene? Willow didn’t know which one to call it. She came to a stop a foot from the yellow tape and stared into the empty space, which had been full of debris last time she was here. Her mind replayed the events of that night—the deafening crack, the blinding dust, the shrill screams that continued to wake her at night. Her heart raced at the memories.
‘Don’t leave,’ she had pleaded with him.
And he didn’t. Not until she was safely inside that ambulance.
The soft sound of feet padding on the carpet had her looking over her shoulder. Nigel was making his way towards her, a questioning look on his face.
‘Willow.’ His voice reverberated in the quiet theatre. ‘What are you doing here? You’re not due back for another two weeks.’
She shrugged. ‘I got tired of looking at my walls. Thought I would come and stare at these walls instead.’
He stopped next to her, looking beyond the tape. ‘I get it. It’s not easy for a dancer to sit still for long periods.’ He glanced sideways at her. ‘How are you holding up?’
‘Better than others, I imagine.’ Her expression turned serious. ‘I heard Piper was discharged.’
He nodded. ‘She has a long road of rehab still ahead of her, but she sounded somewhat brighter when I spoke to her yesterday.’
‘Good.’
‘The insurance money means she can take all the time she needs to heal and figure out what’s next.’
It was those moments, having those kinds of conversations, where Willow felt most confused. If DeLuca were to blame, then the correct response from her was anger. ‘Are they any closer to figuring out what happened?’
‘The investigation is still underway.’ He squinted straight ahead. ‘But everything points to DeLuca. It’s really just a matter of whether the police can make the allegations stick.’
She pressed her eyes closed.
‘He assured me this kind of thing would never happen,’ Nigel said quietly. ‘And I believed him. I wouldn’t have signed that contract if I thought for one moment…’
Willow reached out and squeezed his hand. ‘This isn’t on you.’
‘It is,’ he said. ‘And now I have to figure out how to live with that.’
She felt only sympathy for him, because she had also believed Vaughn. ‘For what it’s worth, you’re not the only person who trusted him.’
Nigel searched her eyes, then cleared his throat. ‘Since you’re here, instead of resting like you’re supposed to be doing right now, there’s something I need to tell you.’
She turned to him and waited for him to continue.
‘There’s going to be a board hearing. They’ve asked that you attend.’ He crossed his arms and released a heavy breath. ‘I told them it would have to wait until you’ve returned to the studio. So if they ask, you were never here.’
Willow felt hot suddenly. ‘Why do they want me there?’
It was clear by Nigel’s expression that she wasn’t going to like his answer. ‘Because of your romantic involvement with Mr Gallo.’ He watched her carefully. ‘They believe it’s relevant to their investigation.’
‘ Their investigation? I thought it was a police matter.’
He nodded slowly. ‘It is, but it’s the board’s job to decide whether any disciplinary measures are required within the company.’ He swallowed. ‘If my decision to sign that contract was ethical, for example.’
Willow swallowed. ‘Of course it was. There was no personal benefit for you in signing that contract. You only had the company’s best interests at heart.’
‘I’m not sure the board sees it that way.’
Sighing, she looked around at the empty space. ‘Have you heard from him?’
Nigel knew exactly who she was enquiring about. ‘We’ve had a few conversations on the phone.’ He hesitated. ‘He offered to make an anonymous donation to help us through this period. Naturally, I had to decline.’ There was a long pause. ‘It was all for you. You know that, don’t you? The money, the help. It was all in order for you to succeed here.’
Guilt tore through her. She nodded in the direction of the stage. ‘Then I guess I’m also to blame.’
A long silence stretched out between them.
‘I told him not to go in, you know,’ Nigel said eventually. ‘I told him to wait for the emergency workers to arrive and let them do their job. But he wasn’t having it. I never thought I’d see Vaughn Gallo afraid of anything, but he was afraid that day.’
Willow dropped her gaze.
‘Anyway,’ he said, taking a step back, ‘if you could come along to the hearing and answer their questions, I’d certainly appreciate it.’
‘Of course.’ She looked up, pressing her lips together. ‘For the record, he never told me anything about… his other life. I really only got to see one version of him.’ Except for that one time she had accidentally seen another version of him. Not even Lili knew the details of that night.
Nigel nodded slowly. ‘I imagine that was very deliberate on his part. Some of the questions might be difficult for you, but we need to do things properly so we can all move forwards.’
‘I understand.’ That didn’t mean she had to like it. ‘Who else will be there?’
‘Harrison.’
Of course .
Nigel shifted his weight. ‘And Mr Gallo.’
She blinked, trying to figure out how she felt about the prospect of seeing him again, especially in a formal setting before a captive audience. ‘I’m surprised he agreed to attend.’
He angled his head and gave her a knowing look. ‘Of course he agreed. You’re going to be there.’
Willow didn’t respond.
‘You’re still at the beginning of your career,’ Nigel continued. ‘This is a good opportunity for you to clear your name. The board members simply want assurance that you’re not connected to what took place in any sinister way or withholding any information because of your history.’
She turned back to the empty space. ‘Just tell me when and where.’
Nigel gave her arm a gentle pat. ‘Cast it from your mind for now. Focus on getting better.’
Her rib would heal. Her heart would not.
‘I should head back up,’ he said. ‘Lili should be finished by now. Do you want me to let her know you’re here?’
That would save her from running into Harrison. ‘Yes, thank you.’
Nigel left, and Willow blinked back tears as she grappled with what lay ahead. She couldn’t allow her career to be completely derailed by her connection to Vaughn, no matter how deep her attachment to him. She had to speak her truth and face any consequences that came from it.
Why did the stage have to collapse? They had been so close to fixing what was broken between them. And why did the man who pulled her from the rubble have to be the one to take the blame?
‘You’re all right. Don’t let the colour scare you.’
His voice was so clear in her mind. As she stood there surrounded by the remnants of that nightmarish night, she couldn’t help but miss him.
‘Willow Elizabeth Hayes’ came Lili’s disapproving voice behind her. ‘Did you walk here?’
Willow turned. ‘I did. At a very slow and pleasant pace.’
Lili looked her up and down, then past her to the missing stage. ‘You okay?’
Willow mulled the question over for a moment. ‘I will be.’
‘I suppose I’ll have to settle for future-okay Willow.’ Lili gestured behind her to the door. ‘Come on. Let’s get out of here.’
Willow looked a final time at the cleared space beyond the yellow tape, then followed her out.