It was now December and getting close to Christmas time. Vic thought about Jane’s request to know her parents. He also remembered her mother’s plea to see her daughter again and meet her grandchildren. It seemed time to do something, though he was not sure what that was.
His occasional talks to Buck and Anne had not revealed any new threats, but he was still nervous about disclosing their location to other people. For now interest in Susan was fading. But he knew it would not stay that way for a minute if there was real information to go on. So he kept on being really careful. He did not use a credit card or go to banks, he got paid in cash for work, he mostly rang others on a public phone; all to reduce the risk.
He hated to think what effect it might have on Jane if she was tied to Susan and her past life. Jane had made no more requests for information about her parents and seemed to have no desire to know about other parts of her past life and, since the night of them becoming lovers, he felt they had made a pact not to try and reopen the past.
But yet, for the sake of Jane and for her parents he wanted to allow this connection with them to happen. He did not know whether it may trigger old memories but he felt it was time.
The challenge was to work out how to do it without this becoming a way to trace him or her. In the end he rang Anne to ask her, as she seemed to have the best ideas about this. She was also a logical link to Jane’s parents, the childhood friend who was keeping in touch with them.
Anne said at once, “How about a Christmas reunion? David and I are going to his family property for Christmas. It is over the Blue Mountains at the back of Sydney. His parents know Susan’s parents well as a result of the engagement and the trial. They have stayed in touch. Plus there are other cousins in Sydney who Susan’s parents may want to visit. So, I am almost sure that if we invited them to come out for a visit, they would.
“I talked to both Susan’s parents on the phone last week. I try to ring once a fortnight. They both said how much they wished to see their daughter and their grandchildren before they grow up too much. They did not seem to have anything important planned for Christmas.
“Perhaps, while we at the farm over Christmas-New Year, David could arrange for you to visit us, he would tell the farm staff that you are a friend we met in the NT and say you are bringing your girlfriend and her two children to all come and stay for a few days. At the same time David’s parents could invite out Susan’s Mum and Dad, and her brother Tim too. They can stay at the main house; there are plenty of spare rooms.
“There is an empty cottage about two hundred yards from the main house where you could all stay. It is down near the creek and surrounded by bush, so it is very private.
“That way, when you come to visit as our friends they will be there too, but there will be no obvious connection for the workers to notice, not that I don’t trust them, but it is still best if they do not know.
“As it is a property in the country there will be no snooping journalists or other people who will gossip. It will just be a visit of my good friend Vic and his girlfriend, Jane, and children, staying in a cottage on the farm, while Susan’s parents are there as guests of David’s parents. No one will know they are really Jane’s parents. I think that will work.
“For your travel, it is best if you drive down; assuming that old banger of a car that Buck bought you is still reliable, because, if you fly your movements are readily traceable. If you drive, stay in cheap motels or caravan parks along the way and don’t use a credit card, then I think there should be very little risk of anyone working out who you are.
“Perhaps, to be even safer Jane should dye her hair a different colour, strawberry blonde would look good with her blue eyes; that would make it even harder to for anyone to guess her identity.
“So let’s make it happen. I know her parents will jump at the chance to see her and meet their grandkids and I can’t wait to see my friend again, even if she does not remember me.
“Ring back next week once I have had a chance to get it organized.”
That night, when they were in bed together, he asked Jane, “Remember how you said you wanted to know your parents. Would you like to meet them at Christmas time?”
Jane hugged him extra tight and said, “I would love that.”
Next morning she had a pensive look on her face so Vic asked, “What is the matter?”
“I feel scared I won’t know who they are when I see them. Or what if they don’t want to see me?”
Vic said, “I promise they do really want to see you and also to meet David and Anne who they have never met, their first grandchildren. I will ask them to post a photo of themselves so you know what they look like.”
With that it was agreed. Next day they told David and Anne they were going to a place near Sydney to visit their grandparents and they were wild with excitement too.
Slowly the days ticked over, coming ever closer towards Christmas. Vic had his car serviced. He told the mechanic to give it an extra careful check to ensure that everything was good and safe for a long trip.
Sometimes he saw Jane looking pensive again and would ask her why.
She always smiled brightly and said, “It’s nothing really, I am just scared about whether I want any of my old life back. I am so happy here. I could not bear for anything to spoil what we have now.”
A week before Christmas a photo arrived in the mail with an English address. It was a picture of Jane’s parents and her brother Tim. On the back was written. “We all can’t wait to see you again.”
Jane looked at it hard for a minute before she put it down, saying. “I wish I could remember them but I can’t. I do think I want to meet them. But I am so very scared lest our good life comes apart. It is as if there is a bad monster hiding in the shadows, wanting to break loose and smash all we have.”