Page 61 of The Boathouse by the Loch (The Scottish Highlands #4)

Joe shut the door and swiftly turned around. ‘David – what the hell …?’

David wasn’t looking at Joe, but staring at Bonnie. ‘You were outside my house with Logan?’

She wasn’t surprised in the least by his reaction.

‘I swear I didn’t know what we were doing at the boathouse – I still don’t, apart from him collecting money off you.’

Duncan was now on his feet. ‘David, I want to know why you handed over that money to Logan right now!’

Bonnie caught David glancing Annie’s way before he said, ‘I can’t tell you.’

‘What do you mean – you can’t tell me? You mean you won’t,’ Duncan shouted at him.

Bonnie was staring at Annie when suddenly she knew what Logan meant when he’d said, I’m collecting what I’m owed.

Logan had been there when his brother had been shot.

Had he seen who had pulled the trigger? If he had, why hadn’t he told the police?

Because he’d hatched a plan instead to blackmail David, who had taken the fall for Annie. David had paid for Logan’s silence.

But Joe didn’t know. He was a police officer. That was his job. Neither David nor Annie wanted him to know that it was Annie who had pulled the trigger and shot Logan’s brother. Ultimately, they were both protecting Joe from the truth.

And so was Bonnie, when she said, ‘Isn’t it obvious?’

David shot her a look.

She continued, ‘Logan had read in the paper about David being arrested for shooting his brother. He wanted payback for that. He wanted what he felt was owed to him – compensation for losing his brother.’

It was a load of rubbish what she’d just said. Logan and his brother hadn’t got along. He had just used the situation to blackmail David.

Joe looked at David. ‘Is this true?’

Before he had a chance to answer, Duncan said, ‘Why pay him? Why didn’t you go straight to Joe and tell him what was going on? Logan would have been arrested again.’

Bonnie saw David steal another glance at Annie before looking at Joe. ‘He lost a brother. I felt guilty.’

‘But it wasn’t your fault,’ said Joe in exasperation. ‘They attempted to burgle Dad’s store, and brought a gun. Logan had to live with the consequences.’

Bonnie stepped in again. ‘Well, he handed over the money, so it’s all water under the bridge now, isn’t it?’

Duncan sat down. ‘I suppose that’s true.’

Bonnie sighed in relief until she caught Melissa staring at David, her expression suggesting she might have guessed there was more to it than that.

Bonnie thought, please, please don’t start thinking of digging around, Melissa.

She’d already told Melissa she didn’t want her looking into what had happened with David and his knee injury any further.

Now she wished she hadn’t called her from the police station.

‘Besides, he knew where I lived,’ David explained. ‘I was … I was afraid of what might happen if I didn’t hand over the money. I didn’t know what he was capable of.’

Joe looked at his brother. ‘All right, so we’ve cleared that up.’ His attention turned to Bonnie. ‘So what happened to the money?’

All eyes fixed on Bonnie. She knew exactly what had happened to the money in that rucksack. It was all gone. At least she could now replace it with the money she was earning. But that wasn’t the point. She’d taken the money, the stolen money, with every intention of keeping it for herself.

‘I’m sorry to interrupt,’ said Judith. ‘I’m a little confused. You were with Logan in his car outside the boathouse when he collected the money.’

Bonnie nodded. ‘That’s right.’

‘So, can you tell me, Bonnie, how you came to be in Robyn’s car that very same day?’ She paused. ‘Can you tell me what happened to Robyn, where she is?’

All eyes were on Bonnie.

Suddenly she didn’t know where to start. She hesitated.

Gayle leaned forward in her chair. ‘Take your time. Why don’t you just talk us through what happened when Logan returned to the car with the money?’

Bonnie began. ‘When he got back in the car with the rucksack, he said he could take care of me now … me and the—’ Bonnie stopped short.

Gayle sat back in her chair. ‘You don’t have to talk about that.’

Bonnie and Gayle’s eyes locked. Aside from Dr Jamieson and Bonnie, Gayle had been the only person who knew, until Bonnie had got her memories back and remembered telling the two women she’d met in Wilbur’s Bookstore on Christmas Day – Robyn and Eleanor.

Bonnie knew she didn’t have to tell David, and she didn’t have to tell him there, but what was the point of keeping it a secret? She wanted him to know, even though she guessed it was over between them.

‘I was pregnant with Logan’s child.’

She thought she’d hear gasps from everyone in the room, shocked by that revelation – especially David. She was surprised by the lack of reaction.

Gayle said, ‘Honey, you mentioned the pregnancy in the session.’

‘Oh, did I?’ Bonnie avoided David’s gaze. ‘I lost the baby in the car accident.’

‘Oh, Bonnie,’ said Judith, ‘I am so sorry.’

‘I found out in the hospital. Dr Jamieson told me. At least I know who the father was now.’ She quickly moved on. ‘I want to tell you, Judith, about Robyn, and how I came to be in her car a short time later.’

Bonnie continued. ‘We’d returned to the main road and were headed for Aviemore.

It had started snowing. I was so relieved that Logan had been telling the truth and that he’d turned up just to collect some money.

I was still worried that he hadn’t told me everything, but I tried to put it to the back of my mind.

I was cold and hungry. I was looking forward to turning up at the hotel, having a hot shower, and changing for Christmas dinner. ’

The memory of that Christmas Day came flooding back …

‘Oh, it’s such a magical place, isn’t it Logan?

’ She’d never visited Aviemore before. She was surprised he’d decided to stay there, in that town, on Christmas Day.

She would have thought that after what had happened in one of the shops there when he’d burgled the place, he’d never return in a million years.

‘There’s just one more thing I want to do in Aviemore before we arrive at our hotel.’

‘Okay. Will it take long?’

Logan glanced at her, and grinned. ‘Not at all. I’ll be in and out before you know it.’

‘Are you doing some last-minute shopping?’

‘Yeah.’

Bonnie looked out of the car window as they drove slowly through the town. ‘I don’t see any shops open. The town is deserted.’

‘That’s what I’m counting on.’

Bonnie was about to ask him what he meant when he suddenly swung the car over and stopped by the kerb. They were parked outside Gillespie’s General Store. She stared at the shop front. ‘Is this where you and your brother—’

‘Yep.’

‘What are you doing?’ Her eyes drifted to the rucksack on her lap. ‘Are you leaving some money for Mr Gillespie for Christmas?’ She knew it was the shop he’d robbed two years earlier – or had tried to when he and his brother had been caught red-handed.

Logan turned in his seat, and looked at her. ‘Why would I do that?’

‘To say sorry for what happened two years ago, breaking into his shop on Christmas Eve.’

Logan started to laugh.

Bonnie frowned. ‘What’s funny? ’

‘Sometimes I think you’re just too good for me, you know that?’

Bonnie smiled. ‘I know.’ She started to open the rucksack. ‘How much do you think would be enough to compensate Mr Gillespie for—?’

Logan closed his hand around hers. ‘Are you that stupid? I’m not here to give him money.’ He looked at the shop. ‘I’m here to finish what me and my brother started.’ He opened the car door.

Bonnie looked at him, wide-eyed. ‘You’re going to do it again – break in and … and … rob the place?’

‘Oh, yes. I’m going to take any cash that’s in the cash register. It won’t be much, hardly worth the effort. I’ve already had my payday.’ His eyes drifted to the rucksack.

‘Then why do it, Logan?’

‘Let’s call it getting even. While I’m in there, I’m going to give that Mr Gillespie a lovely surprise all right, but it won’t be a penny from that rucksack.’

Before he got out of the car, he reached over and picked up a hockey stick.

‘What’s that for?’

‘Let’s just say I’m going to take a few swings in there. By the time I’ve finished, it’s going to look like a whole hockey team has trampled through his shop, leaving a tsunami in their wake.’

Bonnie grabbed his arm. ‘Oh, Logan, please don’t do this! Not on Christmas Day.’ Not on any day. ‘I thought you were turning over a new leaf, for me … for the baby?’

‘I am, and I will.’ He leaned over her, reaching for the glove compartment. She sat there rigid when she saw what he had in his hand. ‘Oh, my god, Logan!’ she grabbed his arm.

‘Are you mad, woman? I’ve got a loaded gun in my hand. ’

Bonnie immediately let go. ‘Please, Logan. Please don’t do this. Why have you got a gun?’

‘In case anyone happens along. This time, I’ll be prepared.

Now, just sit tight. I’ll be right back.

Then we can check into our fancy hotel with even more cash.

’ He paused when he got out of the car. She thought, for a moment, that he was going to change his mind. He said, ‘Get in the driver’s seat.’

‘What – why?’ He never let her drive his car. He never even left the car keys in the ignition when he left her sitting in the car.

‘Just do it.’

Bonnie left the bag on the passenger seat and scooted over to the driver’s side. The keys were still in the ignition.

‘Now, if you see anybody – anybody at all – start the car and honk the horn.’

Bonnie thought she was going to cry. Now she was his getaway driver.

‘Bonnie! Do you understand?’

She slowly nodded her head, tears streaming down her face. What she understood in that moment was that for all the promises he’d made to her, Logan was never going to change. He wasn’t going to turn over a new leaf, settle down and get a job. When he’d spent the cash, he’d be out doing this again.

She sat in the car, staring at him as he scoped the street, checking nobody was around.

It was dark. The streetlights were on, casting a hazy white glow as the snow fell.

It was getting heavier. There wasn’t a soul around.

Why would there be ? thought Bonnie. It was four o’clock in the afternoon on Christmas Day.

She imagined everyone had eaten their Christmas dinner, and friends and families were sitting together, perhaps watching the King’s speech.

Children would be playing with their new toys, and parents would be washing up the dishes from Christmas lunch.

She looked at Logan, who was standing in front of the shop, looking through the window. ‘I deserve more than this,’ she said. She rested a hand on her stomach. ‘ You deserve more.’

She cast a glance over at Logan. He was trying the handle of the shop, trying to force the door.

She opened the rucksack and looked inside.

At the bottom were wads of cash. She stared at the money.

Enough for her and her baby to disappear, start over, as far away from Logan, and this town, as possible. She swallowed. This was her chance.

Her heart was pounding in her chest as she reached for the car key. Logan had disappeared down an alleyway between the general store and a shop next door, presumably to see if he could force a back door instead.

Bonnie took a deep breath and turned the key in the ignition.

The car didn’t start. She’d never driven Logan’s car.

Her first thought was that she was doing something wrong.

She put her foot on the clutch, this time, and then tried again.

The engine turned over a couple of times as she stared wide-eyed at the lane between the shops, thinking that Logan was going to hear the car and come running. He would assume she’d spotted someone.

Then the car engine died. ‘Oh, god! Don’t do this now!’ She tried again, but the same thing happened.

Without a second thought, Bonnie left behind her suitcase, grabbed the bag full of money, and ran.