Miranda Jones, Book 4. Aftermath

By B C Austen

As Lavender hands Miranda back the keys to her refurbished home she’s on cloud nine. The spectre of Oliver has gone and she’s ready for a new beginning with Joel, but he isn’t enjoying the same idyll as Miranda. He’s hit rock bottom with his life and is looking for a new stimulus. Without consulting Miranda he’s gone ahead and taken on a perilous assignment. When he tells her, the ensuing arguments almost bring them undone. Reluctantly she agrees and gives him her support.
Her new friendship with Clover takes a dramatic turn. Clover has unwittingly unleashed a demonic spirit in her house and the two women almost lose everything trying to banish it.
Miranda’s first love, Peter, is never far away. He regrets losing her to Joel and with Joel away he can’t resist her and Miranda hasn’t the will to discourage him.
Will Joel get back in time to save her?

• Language: English
• Publisher: B C Austen
• Release date: Mar 19, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370294541

B C Austen

Barbara is a retired medical receptionist and a learner blogger. She is a native of Western Australian country towns, but has now joined the city rat race. Among her hobbies she has a small but fascinating collection of weird and wonderful teapots.She has been learning creative writing for a few years now and her first novel has just hit the ebook market.Her family is her life, but movies and coffee with friends are all important.

Book preview

Miranda Jones

Book 4

Aftermath

B C Austen

Miranda Jones

Book 4

Aftermath

by B C Austen

Copyright 2017 B C Austen

Smashwords Edition

Smashwords License Statement

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each reader. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favourite retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Cover - Vector image attributed to artist

Teni/Shutterstock.com

Cover designed by the author.

I would love to hear your thoughts on the book, good or not so good.

I would be most appreciative if you could provide a review.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Writing the Miranda Jones books has taken me on an interesting odyssey. I've learned to believe in myself and that you are never to old to learn. I set myself a challenge to publish a book after taking some writing classes. One book became two, then three, and now a fourth.

It wouldn't have been possible without all the following wonderful people at my side.

My beta readers have been invaluable. A personal thanks to Val, Laurel, Jo, and Pam, for providing new eyes to the manuscript and adding your queries and suggestions and advice, too numerous to mention. You have been a constant source of strength.

A special thanks to my many family members for their contributions. I would not have been able to get this far without your continued love. I encountered many trials along the way and at times they felt like enormous mountains, but were all nullified thanks to just being able to talk to someone. You all made it possible in your own unobtrusive way to getting the books published.

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty One

Chapter Twenty Two

Chapter Twenty Three

EPILOGUE

About the Author

PROLOGUE

Miranda stood in the kitchen of Joel's apartment enjoying the latte she'd bought from the coffee truck outside in the street. Theo, the owner, had been parking in the vicinity twice a week, after finding an enclave of coffee loving customers, Miranda being amongst them. She'd got to know him quite well. He was an Afghan refugee with a large family, and had been in Australia for five years, doing really well with the coffee selling business. Miranda admired his ingenuity and that he was now a proud Aussie, and he made the best coffee by far.

Spread out before her were all the boxes holding their belongings, packed and sealed in readiness for the move back to her house. There wasn't that much left to take, as all her old linen and kitchenware was being replaced to match the new modern decor. Joel was intending to hire a small van to take care of transporting it over, although she wanted to take her most precious personal items in her own car. That was, if he got back in time from his latest police assignment.

Miranda was desperate to get back to normality, and that required the all important renovation. Lavender French, who was contracted to do the interior design when the Warthog was being rebuilt was the perfect person to be in charge of it. Miranda's instructions were to modernise, but not to lose the house's character.

She was meeting Lavender in the late afternoon to receive the keys. She'd found Lavender trustworthy and liked her style and was happy to let her get on with it. Wanting to be surprised at the handover Miranda had stayed away for the last few months and was now eager to see the end result.

But, before that she was to meet two old friends in the city, Mabel and Fran. She checked her watch and saw there was still ample time to get there.

Joel had been away for the past three days, a longer amount of time than was intended. Miranda was certain he wasn't being honest with her about his foray back to the force. She tried to be patient and understanding, but for how much longer, she wasn't sure.

Reflecting on the passing year, she had to smile when she felt she could finally put all the shattering events since Oliver's arrival behind her and move on. Friedrich Nietzsche's saying that What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger certainly attested to that. Oliver's presence had taken it's toll, but his hold on Miranda was finally over. His life ended as brutally as it had started, in an institution. He'd left his foot print on her soul, but she had conquered him and now a new, fresh era awaited. After her marriage to Joel fourteen months ago, her life was finally coming together.

Oliver's confession letter from the prison left Miranda perplexed. She'd read it a few more times since Peter had given it to her and she was left in no doubt as to the depth of his dark psychotic soul. He could never have been rehabilitated. He'd enjoyed his killing spree and even admitted to ending Lucy's life, merely because it suited his new purpose - moving to Australia and riding on Miranda's coat tails. When Miranda learned the extent to which Lucy was involved in their crimes she wondered if it was a case of kill or be killed. Did their mother teach her son to solve his dilemmas by killing people?

She still had trouble reconciling that Lucy was her natural mother, leaving her to wonder if she herself shared any of Lucy's bad genes. Of particular concern was whether there would ever come a time when a desperate situation would cause her to carry out punishments in the same way.

Oliver's death was investigated and it was concluded that he had instigated his own demise. After the discovery of his hidden cache of evidence in Clover's shed, he knew it was all over. He'd provoked inmates in the prison to inflict a dreadful beating on him, which ultimately led to his death. Adding to his misery was the realisation that Miranda had turned her back on him and the fact that he'd failed to kill Joel, left him with nothing to live for. He knew Peter didn't believe his story, that his heart wasn't in defending him at the trial.

He left his estate to Miranda and asked to be cremated and his ashes to be left in an undisclosed location. Peter and Father Brian were the only mourners.

Miranda's personal fortune, from the sale of the old orphanage and clever investments, was growing, but she was reluctant to use any of it. Oliver was part of that windfall, and to her it felt as though it was blood money. Initially she'd asked Peter to give Oliver's bequest to a charity. She felt she would inherit some of his guilt if she accepted it, but as time went on she softened her stance. She knew of some deserving non-profit organisations that would benefit from the money, and give her a sense of cleansing her soul.

Peter was still a huge problem for Miranda. From being in her thoughts constantly she now despised him. She'd been infatuated and somewhat obsessed by him since their first meeting, but she couldn't bring herself to let him know. When he chose to defend Oliver at his trial, she felt betrayed. That thin line between love and hate had been crossed. Her anger towards him gnawed at her, but despite that she couldn't get him out of her head.

The sight of seeing him in a passionate embrace with another woman festered in her brain. If not for that her entire future could have been completely different. That kiss had turned everything sour. It was the catalyst that sent her into the arms of Joel, which Peter was to forever regret, because he was secretly in love with her too.

She often wondered how their lives would have evolved if Joel hadn't come along.

At their last meeting they had agreed to put their differences behind them. Peter had extended the hand of friendship and if Joel was prepared to put the past to rest then Miranda had to give it a chance. It was a new beginning for all three.

For Devon and Gail it was love at first sight and a bright future beckoned. Their relationship delighted Miranda, although it was clear from the outset that Gail was going to wear the pants. Devon needed someone strong-willed to push him along, and while it suited him to be elevated to the position of temporary manager at the Warthog, a change was coming that he wouldn't be able to cope with. Miranda and Joel are torn as to the future of the Warthog. They are planning to sell it, but how to tell Devon.

Miranda's decision to return to her old neighbourhood was a direct result of the blossoming friendship with her neighbour, Clover, but Miranda will soon discover that she isn't the sweet, demure, person she initially thought. Her elegant appearance is hiding a dark secret, and she wants to bring Miranda into her unconventional world. Both women have reached out to the other for female support, especially Miranda, who looks on Clover as a confidante. When Joel drops his bombshell, Miranda has an ally to fall back on.

Joel is also struggling since Oliver's presence had dominated their lives. The mundane hairdressing life that had been his comfort zone for years no longer stimulated him. His mind is made up to sell the Warthog and without consulting Miranda he begins to investigate other options. She will be the stumbling block and he will have to play his cards carefully if his plans are to come to fruition, because they don't include her.

Chapter One

Miranda found a parking spot on the fourth level of the multi-storey car park. The radio announcer declared that it was eleven minutes before the two o'clock news. She noted the time on the car's dashboard clock was eight minutes slower. She looked for the clock's adjust buttons and pressed them a few times. Nothing happened. She tried a few different sequences causing the hours and minutes to disappear from the panel altogether. She cursed and turned the engine off, berating herself for not asking Joel to fix it. It was annoying that she had to mentally work out the proper time in a new car that was less than six months old.

She'd made good time getting into the city, enabling her to stroll leisurely to the cafe, pausing to gaze at a few shop window displays along the way. The main shopping precinct was quiet but a sharp cold wind swirling around her ankles reminded her that the summer was still some weeks away. Dried leaves and other debris blew around forming little wind eddies on the footpaths. It had rained in the early hours of the morning, which wasn't unusual weather for Sydney, but at the moment the sun was high in the sky and the day promised good things.

She was a few minutes early for her rendezvous at the Urban Coffee Bean with her former work colleagues. The cafe was situated in the upper level of the old City Library. After it had been relocated the building was converted into an upmarket shopping mall.

Looking around inside she saw it was relatively empty. The lunch crowd had been and gone, so there would be no issue with finding a table for the three of them.

The cafe was touted as being among the most popular in the city, and there was something about the aromatic aroma of coffee beans being ground that made her feel heady. The anticipation of an oversized slice of cheesecake to go with a latte never failed to make her mouth water.

She hadn't seen Mabel and Fran since she'd left her job, which felt as though it had been a lifetime ago. She wondered what they were up to of late and if there was a particular reason for wanting to meet up. As they hadn't yet arrived Miranda browsed through the cakes on display and settled on the one she fancied.

A gentle tap on her shoulder interrupted her thoughts and on turning round she was met by a beaming Mabel, waiting to give her a hug.

'Hey, Miranda. Good to see you, old girl. You're looking fantastic.' She stepped back and looked Miranda up and down. 'How you've changed. You look so posh. You've completely shed that, you know, that dowdy look you used to have when you were working.'

Miranda laughed, knowing exactly what she meant.

'Hi, Mabel. It's great to see you again too. You are looking pretty good yourself, and you've got a new hairstyle. I like it.'

'Yea, thanks.'

'Where's Fran?'

'She'll be here. I was on the phone to her as I was coming and she's definitely on her way. She hasn't been well, but I know she won't want to talk about it. Just a heads up.'

'Really? What's wrong with her?'

Mabel glanced sideways towards the entrance. When she saw no sign of Fran she turned back to Miranda and quietly whispered, 'Cancer. Breast cancer. She just found out last week.'

'Oh shit. That's horrible. Poor Fran.'

Mabel's expression changed when she noticed Fran coming off the escalator, which was not far from the cafe. She gave Miranda a warning nudge and went off to select a table.

'Hey, you guys,' called Fran as she came in. Miranda smiled back and took a few steps towards her. The two women exchanged greetings and then walked over towards Mabel, who had found them a spot near the window.

'Hi, Fran,' said Mabel.

'Hi, Mabes. Isn't this like old times.'

The two women sat so they were facing Miranda. 'We've missed you at the office,' said Fran. 'So many new people have come and gone. We barely get to know them and then off they go somewhere else. Any chance you might come back?'

'None at all, sorry,' said Miranda abruptly, causing them to spontaneously laugh.

'Bummer, but I don't blame you,' said Fran. 'What's been going on with you, Miranda. Apart from that horrible Oliver business, I mean.'

'Oh, goodness me, where shall I start.'

The next two hours flew by in a flash and would have gone on longer except that Miranda had to leave.

'Sorry, ladies. I'll have to go shortly, but we must do this again. It's been lovely catching up. I'm meeting a good friend over at my house later today. She's been in charge of my renovations and it's all finished now. Handover is supposed to be at five o'clock.' Miranda glanced at her watch as she said it. 'And I'm pretty excited, to put it mildly.'

'Where's that husband of yours?' asked Mabel. 'You've barely mentioned him the entire time.'

'I know. I still have lots to tell you, but when things settle down I'll invite you both round for dinner. Will you come?'

'Love to. Bring it on, Miranda.'

Giving each of them a hug Miranda hurried off. She was glad Mabel had forewarned her about Fran. Her washed out appearance and that she seemed thinner would have been a concern. Not that much thinner as to be gaunt, but it was noticeable. Her whole look seemed different from how she remembered her.

Miranda drove into her street and slowed as she approached her house. Lavender's distinctive pale blue metallic, four wheel drive car, was parked out the front. She put her foot on the brakes and gently pulled in. At first glance she wondered if she'd come to the right place. The house she was looking at through the windscreen was nothing like the old one.

Lavender, who was standing on the front verandah, had left the double garage door open for her to drive straight in. After she'd parked Miranda grabbed her handbag and hurried out to greet her.

'My god. What have you done with the place? It's so beautiful. You've made such a huge change, but you haven't taken away it's originality. How did you manage that? Everyone in the street will be envious.'

Lavender laughed. It was music to her ears.

'I didn't need to do all that much, really. Your house was so well built and laid out that it wasn't hard to make it shine, plus I enjoyed the work. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to do it.'

Miranda took a few steps backwards to take it all in. The old 1940's style home that had lost it's spark was new again. The bullnose verandah, the battered corrugated iron roof, the rustic red bricks were all revamped and totally transformed. Before her was a stunning modern home, covered in an off-white rendered exterior which made it look so much grander than before. The timber boards on the veranda had been sanded back and been given a matt finish, while still retaining it's existing colour. The wrought iron and wood balustrade surrounding it looked so much better than the old one and it all blended in nicely with the smoked glass side panels on the wooden front door.

'Watch this,' said Lavender holding out a remote control clicker. 'This isn't just for the garage door. All the outside lighting has been programmed to come on with the click of a button.' As if by magic the house took on a new vista with the brightness of the downlights including the garden bollards. Miranda was amazed at the prettiness of it.

'This is why I wanted you to see it in the early evening. Come inside, there's more.' Lavender inserted the keys in the front door and they went in.

'Gosh, it's simply gorgeous.' Miranda did a slow three sixty degree turn to look around.

'I love how you've matched and blended everything together. The colours we chose look even better in the flesh, so to speak. Where on earth did you find all these amazing pieces of artwork, and furniture, and… and everything. I'm just speechless.'

'Thank you, but you've only seen a tiny bit yet,' said Lavender as she pointed out some of the features to Miranda.

'How come you're here by yourself? I thought Joel would have been here too.'

'He will be. I told him not to be late. I'm getting fed up with all this out of hours work he's been doing lately. He's been away for nearly three days now. Not happy.' Miranda feigned an annoyed look.

She followed Lavender up the stairs to inspect the finished work up there, and as with the lower floor, it was just as nice. The bedrooms were all in similar subtle colours and again she'd somehow emphasised the hues with contrasting shades in the curtains, vases and the cushions. Each item was positioned as if in a display house. Miranda secretly hoped she could keep the appearance up, as housekeeping wasn't amongst her favourite tasks.

'You are a treasure, Lavender. You've brought it together so cleverly. I can't praise you enough.'

'Thank you. I'm glad you like it.'

'You didn't disappoint us when you fitted out the Warthog and you certainly haven't disappointed me here. I hope I can keep it looking the same once day to day living happens. Will I need a housekeeper?'

'I don't think it'll be too hard, Miranda. You have so much more storage now. Everything can just get shoved away if you have to deal with unexpected visitors.'

'You've done an excellent job of getting rid of all the bad karma. I know I can confidently move back in now, without thinking about Oliver walking around everywhere. I think we should christen the place with a glass of champers. Can you stay for a bit?'

Lavender checked the time on her phone, and agreed to have a quick one.

'Yes, I think I can spare about fifteen minutes. I told Frankie I was handing over today. She wouldn't be very happy with me if I just gave you the keys and ran off.'

As they came down the stairs, the lights of Joel's Merc swung into the driveway and he pulled up sharply behind Miranda's car. Hearing the familiar sound of his squeaking brakes Miranda took out three glasses from the drinks fridge and lined them up on the bar.

'He should take that car to the mechanic. One day those brakes will fail and he'll be sorry. New house, old car, and he refuses to trade it for a newer model.'

The front door opened and Joel entered wide eyed, scanning the new living area. He smiled as he took it all in.

'Hi, Lavender. It's first class,' he said, shaking her hand.

'Just in time, Joel. We're having a quick toast to celebrate Lavender's work.'

'The outside is unbelievable, and this room looks fabulous,' said Joel. He went from room to room for a quick look throughout. He came back to Miranda and gave her a quick hug and a meaningful grin.

She handed each of them a glass of bubbly and declared a toast to their new home. 'To us, and this brilliant renovation. And a big thanks, Lavender. Cheers.'

Standing together, looking around, they sipped their drinks and talked about the project until Lavender insisted she'd better leave. She'd noticed that in the entire time he'd been home Joel hadn't taken his arm away from Miranda.

'G'night, you two. Let me know if you have any teething problems with anything and we'll get it sorted.' She put the keys on the table, and collected her bag and scarf before she made for the front door.

'By the way, I've left you one of my little signature good luck charms, or rather it's more of a little protection charm. I won't say where I put it, but you'll find it when you least expect to.'

Miranda looked at her curiously as she walked her to the door.

'It's one of my little quirks.'

'I'll keep my eye out for it. G'nite, Lavender and thanks again.'

~###~

It was a strange moment for Miranda to finally realise she was free of all the encumbrances the house held over her. Gone was the old fashioned way her parents had it and gone was the shadow of Oliver. It was comfortable, but different, and it still retained her history. She felt good about that, as though she was truly back home.

It was nearly a year since the day Oliver was arrested and taken away. His death in the prison was shocking, and his nasty parting letter was a distant memory for Miranda. She felt no sympathy for him and she tried not to dwell too much on that period of her life that he'd occupied. She was thankful she'd come out of it relatively unscathed. She still had Joel and he had very little remaining side effects from the stroke. He'd never mentioned it again once Oliver's case had been closed. A recent follow-up visit to his doctor had given him the all clear of any medical or mental impediments.

Joel took her hand and together they went through the house, checking Lavender's work in detail.

The newer, fresher smells of the renovation materials hung thick in the air, especially in the top level. Miranda went to the full length sliding doors of their bedroom, which led out onto a small balcony. She pulled them ajar to allow some fresh air to blow through. Immediately the curtains billowed out exposing the exterior views of the grounds.

Miranda looked at Joel for a reaction. 'Fabulous, isn't it,' she said. He nodded his approval.

'I didn't think it was possible to get it looking so good. I'm so glad to be rid of all those old sheds. It'll be even better when all those new plants get bigger.'

Turning round to face him Miranda drew herself up close to kiss him. She wrapped her arms around his neck. 'I've missed you so much, even though it was only a few days. Don't do this to me again. I hate it when you go off on these secret police jobs.'

He kissed her back. He knew it wouldn't take long for her to start complaining so he pulled her closer, holding her tight enough that he could feel her entire body against his.

'Shush, let's enjoy all this. You can tell me off tomorrow.'

'Don't think for a moment that I won't.'

He'd been anxious for Lavender to go as