The nose of a white sedan was buried in the driver’s door of a red sports car, its busted radiator shooting steam into the air. The drivers of both cars had to be in a bad way.

As they drew nearer, the car inching along slowly, dread churned in Kelly’s belly. Hoping against hope she was wrong, Kelly strained her eyes trying to read the licence plate. The letter’s P A U 1 A confirmed her worst fears.

A vice wrapped around her heart and squeezed. Despite having entertained thoughts of doing Paula bodily harm if she hadn’t backed off at Te Papa, in the bright light of day, Kelly never wanted to see her come to physical harm.

“Fuck. That’s Paula’s car,” Lucy said, her voice a strangled whisper.

“Yay.” Kelly nodded. “Pullover.”

Chapter 27

The minute the car came to a stop, they jumped out, shot each other a ‘this could be bad’ look, and took off running.

A gurney disappeared into the back of the ambulance before Kelly could get a look at the face, or body. A medic stood with her arm draped across a woman’s shoulders, body trembling, posture stooped.

The mid-thigh showy dress Kelly had glimpsed only hours ago, left no room for doubt as to the identity of the sobbing woman.

In the midst of disaster, any ill feelings Kelly harboured for Colette vanished. A potent cocktail of adrenaline, despair, and compassion flooded every cell of Kelly’s being as she closed in on the macabre scene.

A traffic officer stood in the middle of the road, directing traffic around the crash site. Rubberneckers hung their heads out of windows trying to get a closer look. A perfectly normal reaction that angered Kelly nonetheless.

She wanted to hold up a curtain and tell them to stop gawking. Or better yet, to come closer and get a puncture when they ran over all the shattered glass. That’d teach them.

“Slow down.” Lucy tugged on Kelly’s hand.

“What if she’s….” Kelly trailed off, a pain tearing through her chest. “I never wanted her dead. You have to believe me.”

Lucy gave her a sad smile. “I know, hun. I know.”

Not willing to step up to the rear of the ambulance, Kelly approached Colette. “Hey,” she said softly, trying not to spook her.

“Kelly? Oh, thank goodness you’re here.”

Before Kelly could process if she’d heard right, Colette was in her arms, holding onto Kelly as if her life depended on it.

Behind Colette, Lucy stood talking to the medic. Kelly could make out the tone, bleak, but not the words. Lucy scrunched up her brow, nodded, glanced at the ambulance, pursed her lips and shook her head.