Joe Lake's Novel, Fear Of The Dark

So far: Robert and Julie came in their Winnebago from Sydney with the aim of settling in Tasmania. They were parked on Cooee beach when they took a walk in Burnie Park. A blonde woman in a rubber mask was stalking them. Robert chased her and ripped off the mask when the woman ran away. When they got back to the Winnebago the van was rocked by someone. Robert got his shotgun, stumbled and the gun went off into the ceiling. Robert hit his head as he fell backwards and became unconscious. Julie called the police and ambulance.
“No, I won’t come in the ambulance. There’s a scooter attached. I’ll lock up the van and drive up to the hospital. It’s on top of the hill, isn’t it?”
“That’s right. We’ll see you up there.”
The ambulance left with Robert inside. He was still unconscious.
Julie turned to the policemen, “Can I lock up the van?”
One of the policemen said, “Better not.”
Julie unhooked the scooter, swung it out on it’s little crane and set it onto the ground where it immediately started. She put it onto its stand. She went back inside the van, where a police officer was taking photographs.
“Will you be all right by yourselves until I come back?”
“Fine,” said the officer.
Julie jumped onto the scooter, pushed it off its stand, put it into first gear and let the brake-like clutch go. She switched on the lights, turned the hand grip that was the throttle and drove off. She always felt as if she were flying. The small wheels gave that impression. When fifteen minutes later she arrived at the emergency entrance to the hospital, she parked the scooter and went straight to the counter.
“I’m Julie Jones. My husband was taken up here by ambulance only a few minutes ago. Can I see him, please?”
The lady at the counter looked at a woman in a nurse’s uniform at a desk in the back. The nurse shrugged her shoulders. The woman at the counter said, “Not here.”
“But he fell, in the Winnebago, and hit his head and then the gun went off.”
“I’m sorry,” said the nurse at the desk. No ambulance arrived here in the last hour.”
“Then where would it have gone?” Julie’s blood drained from her head. She began to panic.
“Maybe they went to Latrobe?”
“That’s between here and Devonport?”
“Yes.”
“Can you find out?”
“Yes.”
The nurse picked up a telephone and conversed for a few minutes seemingly being re-connected again and again. Finally she said to Julie. “No ambulance went anywhere in the last hour.”
“I’d better get back to the van. The police would know.” With this she turned and forgot to say thanks. She ran to the scooter, started it and a few minutes later she was back at the spot where the van was supposed to be. It had gone. There was no sign of anyone.
“Julie kept the scooter idling with the lights full on. She stared. Her body froze, then she burst into an insane laugh. What would she do now? She still had the mobile phone. She’d have to find the police station but first she’d ring 000. (To be continued)