Chapter 19
Jude
I took Amy back to my apartment and lay her in my bed. She was still shivering, from fear and the cold and everything that had happened, everything she'd been through.
I hugged her for a long time, warming her and calming her. She held on tight, unwilling to let go, for what seemed like hours. But she was safe now, safe from his clutches, able to live her life as she wanted without him interfering, without his shadow looming over her.
But there was one thing remaining, one thing I needed to do for her.
It wasn't until the cover of darkness came that I returned to the hills surrounding O'Brien's mansion. This time I wasn't alone. I had Zig with me.
The woods at the foot of the cliff near the viewpoint were thick, too thick for walkers and hikers. We drove to the nearest side road and off into the woods, going as far as we could before the trees blocked our path. From there we moved on foot, moving quickly towards the root of the mountain where the cliff began.
Within half an hour we were there, touching the rock amid the thick trees and bushes. I looked up, through a gap, to see the point where O'Brien had fallen only hours previously.
“Search left,” I told Zig, before moving off to the right.
I clambered through the undergrowth, searching the ground and the trees above with my flashlight. It didn't take long for me to see a leg, awkwardly positioned, sticking up against a tree. I crept forward and then I saw him, his body badly mangled, among the roots of a heavy fir tree. His body was broken, and badly cut from the fall through the branches above.
I looked away at the sight and took out my whistle to signal Zig.
After a moment he came clattering through the woods, his heavy frame ducking over and under branches. I watched as even his face morphed at the sight of the body.
After a few deep breaths we both set to work, putting the body into a bodybag and moving back through the woods to the car. Zig held the bag, slung over his shoulder, his bulky body finding the going easy, even with such a weight on his back.
We set the body into the trunk and drove out of town, deep into the mountains beyond. By the time we'd found a suitable spot, dug the grave, and buried him, the night was once again getting on.
But I needed to do it. At the foot of the cliff, the body might be found, linking Amy to the death. Here, out in the wilderness, there would be no chance of that. I needed to put her, us, in the clear, so that we could both move on with our lives once and for all.
No more Conor O'Brien. The world would be a better place without him.
….
Amy
I still couldn't sleep at night, especially now.
I didn't know where Jude had gone, but I'd been here, in his apartment, alone, all night. It was the first time I'd been here. Despite everything, I'd never even been to Jude's apartment.
My mind rushed with thoughts of the previous night, the previous day. My father was dead, and I'd shot him. I felt numb at the thought, the sight of him coming at me forever ingrained into my mind.
Did I feel guilty? Was I sad, upset, that he was dead? I didn't know right now. I couldn't feel anything.
I knew, in time, my feelings would reveal themselves. After everything he'd done, after keeping me locked in that house, in that room, for months, I was happy to be free, happy to be away from him. Now, he could never touch me again, never control me, never meddle in my life. He was gone forever.
The door clicked open and I saw Jude walk in. He was dirty and looked exhausted as he crept towards me on the bed. My eyes scanned over his body, and I knew immediately where he'd been.
“I buried your father,” he said quietly to me. I nodded. I already knew.
“It's over Amy,” he spoke again. “Now you're free....now, we're free.”
His eyes were tired and full of emotion. I leaned up in his bed and wrapped my arms around him again. He was cold, his body dirty, but I didn't care.
We hugged for a long time, my body warming his as we sat in silence in the dark of the room. Eventually, Jude spoke again, his words soft.
“What you said?” he asked, “up there on the cliff. Did you mean it?”
I could feel a slight smile building in the corner of my mouth.
I still hugged him, my chin over his shoulder.
“Every word,” I said.