The Marriage Betrayal

by Shalini Boland

  ‘Oh. Right. Okay.’ My head swims at the seriousness of everything. At the thought of all the people who will be called into action to search for my family.

  DS Nash frowns. ‘My greatest concern is that there are only a few hours of daylight left, so we need to act quickly. It’ll be far easier to locate them in the light. Okay. Can you wait here while I go and make a few calls?’ She gets to her feet. ‘I’ll be ten minutes or so. There’s a vending machine and some loos out the front in case you need anything.’

  ‘Thanks,’ Tom replies.

  DS Nash leaves the room, taking an air of security and calm with her. Now she’s gone I feel untethered. My mind skitters across all the possibilities of what will happen. Will the helicopter find them? Is Dylan all right, or is he anxious… scared even? Will everything be okay? Or is my life about to come crashing down like a landslide?

  Fourteen

  Then

  Jake takes a sip of his warm beer and shifts his position on the rock so he can edge a little closer to Rose. She smells amazing – like strawberries and cream – and her hair hangs straight down like a red-gold curtain shining in the moonlight.

  Tonight is almost perfect. The only minor worry is Lainy. Mark is keeping an eye on her, but Jake has seen Owen Pearson eyeing her up. Every time Jake looks at the twat, he’s staring at his sister and it’s getting on his nerves. He’d better not try anything on with Lainy. Jake toys with the idea of going over to his sister and warning her not to speak to Owen. Of telling Mark to keep Lainy away from him. Owen thinks he’s all that, just because he’s in a band and plays the guitar. Jake knows it’s all an act just so he can get the girls’ attention. It’s obvious what the guy’s about.

  Jake has despised Owen ever since Year Nine, when he moved to Swanage and slotted into their school with such ease, making friends and getting all the top grades. Walking around with that irritating swagger. Owen didn’t grow up here, so why should he act like he owns the place? It’s so annoying. And he’s always so condescending and arrogant.

  ‘You okay, Jake?’ Rose asks, her voice pure and concerned.

  ‘Yeah.’ Jake’s voice cracks, so he clears his throat and speaks again, trying to make his voice as deep as he can. ‘Yeah, just keeping an eye on my sister.’

  ‘Aw, you’re so sweet. There’s not many boys in our year who’d be so thoughtful. Most of them are really immature. It’s nice talking to you.’

  Jake feels his cheeks warm under the compliment. He gazes down at the sand, wondering when he should make his move. He really thinks he might actually get to kiss Rose tonight. If he does, he won’t hang around, he’ll ask her to be his girlfriend straight away. He doesn’t want to come across as too keen, but he’s wanted this to happen for the past two years. And now it looks like he’s actually got a real shot.

  Rose takes a swig from her bottle of beer and gazes at him from under her lashes, her green eyes flashing with promise. Jake swallows and pictures himself taking the bottle from her hand and leaning in to kiss her soft, pink lips. But he’s nervous. He’s never fancied anyone this much before. It’s like a physical ache in his gut. He doesn’t want to mess it up.

  He tells himself not to be such a coward. It’s just a kiss. What can go wrong?

  Fifteen

  Now

  After a few more questions and promises from DS Nash that she’ll do everything she can to help locate Jake and Dylan, Tom and I leave the police station and return to the house. Lainy pounces on us as soon as we walk through the door.

  ‘Hey.’ Tom kisses Lainy and tucks a loose strand of her hair behind an ear. A tender gesture which almost finishes me. ‘Have you been cooking?’ he asks.

  The smell of bubbling tomato sauce and garlic sets my stomach growling as well as heaving. I have to breathe through my mouth for a moment to stop myself from throwing up.

  ‘I couldn’t just wait around doing nothing, so I made spag bol. Thought you guys might be hungry.’ She turns to me, her eyes wide with concern. ‘How did you get on?’

  I shake my head. We’ve been updating her with texts, but she naturally wants the full details now we’re back.

  ‘Come and sit down.’ She’s babbling, out of breath. Her emotions on the surface. ‘Tell me everything. Supper’s ready, I just have to grate some cheese. The girls have already had theirs. I put them to bed early so we could talk.’

  ‘Thanks, Lainy. Let me just go and wash my face.’ I walk over to the staircase and take a breath, gripping the bannister.

  She comes over and hugs me. ‘It’ll be okay, I’m sure it will,’ she says with an extra squeeze, which I return. But the tone of her voice suggests it will be far from okay.

  I don’t trust myself to reply, so I nod and take myself upstairs. Up on the landing I hear the low murmur of their voices – snatches of words relating to how I’m feeling and what happened at the station. As I go into the dank and dated bathroom, I wonder how on earth I’m going to get through this. How I’m not going to fall apart. I turn on the tap. It squeaks, and the pipes judder before a stream of cold water finally rushes out. I wash my hands with the small bar of complementary soap and then splash running water onto my face. I keep splashing and splashing and splashing. Trying to turn my brain off for a moment. To let everything go blank.

  An insistent banging rises above the gush of the water. I turn off the tap and straighten up. Someone’s knocking at the bathroom door.

  ‘Faye?’ It’s Lainy. ‘Are you okay?’

  I wipe my face with the hand towel and open the door.

  ‘Just wanted to see how you’re doing.’ She gives me a piercing look, but if I start talking about my feelings, I’ll crumble.

  ‘Just freshening up.’ I cut off her concern. ‘Shall we go and eat? It smells lovely.’

  ‘Faye, you must be going out of your mind with worry. I know I am—’

  ‘Please, Lainy. Can we not talk about how I feel? I’ve been interviewed by the police for the past hour and I feel like the only way I can keep it together is to be practical and logical rather than dwell on my emotions. Do you know what I mean? Focus on what we’re going to do next…’

  ‘Yes, sure. Of course. Sorry.’

  ‘No, don’t apologise. Look, Jake’s your brother. You must be freaking out too. But let’s just eat, and then we can talk about what we’re going to do next, okay?’

  ‘Yeah, you’re right. Of course you’re right. It’ll be okay.’

  We go back downstairs, and I try to force a few mouthfuls of supper down as Tom tells Lainy exactly what happened at the police station in fine detail. I don’t contribute much. It’s as though my mind has gone into lockdown, refusing to process anything more. My gaze flits from Tom to Lainy, their features distorting and reforming. Am I losing my mind? Perhaps I’m in shock. Outside dusk is falling and the night is encroaching. Dylan is out there without me. Is he all right? Is he scared? What was I thinking, booking this trip?

  ‘Faye… Faye?’ Tom is speaking.

  I lay my fork back down and push my virtually untouched food away.

  ‘Maybe you should have an early night,’ he suggests. ‘You look exhausted. I’ll wake you if the police get in contact. I’m sure they’ll call any minute with good news.’

  He’s crazy if he thinks I’m going to get any sleep at all tonight. Vivid images keep popping into my mind – of my husband lying dead and my son terrified and sobbing. My palms itch and the skin on my face feel like it’s on fire. I suppose it could be mild sunburn, but whenever I’m stressed, I get this tingling, burning sensation on my skin. I’m guessing this must be stress-related, so I tell myself not to worry about it. It’s a symptom, that’s all.

  ‘Faye?’ he persists.

  ‘I’m fine.’

  They’re both staring at me as though I’ve turned into an alien.

  ‘Honestly, I’m fine. I just think I need to do something. Actually, do you know what, I’m going to head into town and see if anyone’s seen them.’

&nbs
p; ‘What do you mean?’ Lainy asks, raising her eyebrows.

  ‘You know… I’m going to show their photos to people. Like Tom and I did earlier up on the clifftop.’

  ‘But aren’t the police out looking for them? It might be upsetting for you, speaking to strangers.’

  ‘Not as upsetting as sitting around doing nothing and waiting for news that might never come.’

  ‘Okay, that’s actually a good idea,’ Tom says. ‘I’ll come with you.’

  ‘Tom,’ Lainy says, ‘would you mind if I went with Faye instead? I feel like I need to do something too. I’ve been at home all afternoon with the girls and I’m going a bit stir crazy.’

  Tom looks taken aback. ‘Uh, yeah, sure.’

  ‘Thanks.’

  ‘Be careful, though. It’s Friday night and you’ll be talking to strangers. Stay in public spaces.’

  Lainy huffs. ‘I have been out on my own before.’

  ‘I know, I know, I’m just being concerned, that’s all. I’m allowed to worry about you both, aren’t I?’

  ‘Yes, but we’re quite capable of looking after ourselves without a big, strong man.’ She flashes him a brief smile to let him know she’s not cross with him. But Tom’s jaw tightens briefly before giving a tense smile back. The situation is getting to all of us.

  ‘Okay. Text me to let me know how you get on,’ he says.

  Lainy and I both start clearing the dishes from the table.

  ‘Leave it.’ Tom waves us away. ‘I’ll do that when you’ve gone.’

  ‘You sure?’ Lainy asks.

  ‘Yeah. Go.’

  * * *

  Lainy and I walk down the hill, frantically stopping people as we go and showing them images of Jake and Dylan on our phones. Everyone we meet is tanned and dressed up for a fun evening out, but they’re friendly, shocked and sympathetic when we tell them about our family. I can almost hear their thoughts – thanking God it isn’t their loved ones who have gone missing. I feel like such a harbinger of doom, ruining their carefree night out with our shocking news.

  Although it’s after seven, most of the independent shops are still open, making the most of tourist season before the lull of autumn arrives. Lainy takes one side of the high street and I take the other, but we agree that we’ll go into the pubs and bars together once we’ve tried the shops. Forty minutes later and neither of us has had any joy in the shops. I’ve been met with blank-eyed stares from young shop assistants, hurried excuses from people who think I’m trying to sell them something, or sympathy from families and couples who are in town for a relaxed evening out. No one has seen Jake or Dylan. Or if they have, they can’t remember.

  I meet up with Lainy at the quieter end of the street as the shops peter out, making way for terraced houses and flats.

  ‘I need a quick drink,’ Lainy declares. ‘Let’s go in there.’ She points to a stone-fronted pub we passed a few moments ago. The blackboard outside advertises Curry Night and Sky Sports. It doesn’t look like the mellowest of places, but I’m not in any frame of mind to be picky.

  Inside, it’s brighter than I expected. A semi-circular bar dominates the lounge area, with stools ranged around and a few tables and chairs all angled towards the mega-sized flatscreen on the wall, blaring out an ad for a bookmaker. The place is a little under half full, but we don’t draw any attention as we head across the sticky, patterned carpet to the bar.

  ‘Evening, ladies,’ the skinny barman says, trying to sound older than he looks, which, by the way, is about twelve years old.

  ‘Hello,’ Lainy says.

  ‘You here to watch the big one?’ he asks.

  ‘No. Football’s not really our thing,’ Lainy says. ‘Can we have two vodka tonics with lime?’

  ‘Not football. Boxing. It’s the big fight tonight at nine.’

  ‘No. We just need a couple of drinks, please.’

  ‘No problem.’ I can tell he’s put out by Lainy’s abruptness and unwillingness to engage in conversation, but I can’t worry about that.

  ‘Have you seen either of these people?’ I ask, holding my phone screen out. ‘My husband and son. They’re missing.’

  ‘Let’s have a look.’ He takes my phone and stares hard at the image before shaking his head and handing it back. ‘Sorry, no. How long they been missing?’

  ‘Since this morning.’

  ‘Ah, that’s not long. My old man’s been known to do a disappearing act for days at a time.’

  ‘Well, this is a seven-year-old boy we’re talking about,’ Lainy snaps.

  ‘Oh, well, yeah. Sorry, I haven’t seen them. You local?’

  ‘No, we’re here on holiday,’ I say. ‘But my husband grew up here.’

  ‘Lainy!’

  We both look up at the same time to see a thick-set woman who’s just walked out of a door marked ‘private’ behind the bar. She’s wearing blue overalls and carrying a crate of fresh glasses.

  ‘It is you, isn’t it?’ She squints hard.

  I look at Lainy, but she’s showing no sign of recognition on her face. Instead, she grips the counter top and presses her lips together.

  ‘It’s me – Cath. From school? I haven’t seen you for years, but you look exactly the same – like a scared little mouse.’ The woman laughs, a loud, raucous chuckle, dumps the crate a little too hard on the bar and comes around to give Lainy a huge bear hug.

  ‘Cath?’ Lainy says, stepping out of her arms. ‘Cath Lawrenson?’

  ‘One and the same. You didn’t recognise me, did you? Not surprised. I’ve got three kids now and one divorce under my belt. Got fat and old, haven’t I?’

  ‘Not at all,’ Lainy says. ‘You look great.’

  ‘Liar.’ Cath grins and runs a hand through her greasy blonde hair. ‘I can’t believe it’s you! How’s that hunky brother of yours? Jake.’ She gets a dreamy look in her eyes. ‘I had a right crush on him when I was younger. Way out of my league though. That's why I went for his best friend, Mark. More fool me.’

  ‘This is his wife, Faye.’ Lainy gives me an apologetic look.

  ‘Well, aren’t you the lucky one,’ Cath chortles, unembarrassed, and gives me a wink.

  ‘Thing is,’ Lainy starts to explain, ‘that’s kind of the reason we’re here.’

  ‘Oh?’

  ‘We’re trying to find him.’

  ‘Find him? Done a runner has he? Sounds like my ex. Useless waste of space.’

  ‘It’s a bit more than that,’ Lainy says.

  ‘Hang on,’ Cath interrupts and turns to the barman. ‘Going on my break, Si. Bring their drinks over, will you? And add on a Diet Coke for me.’

  ‘We can’t stop.’ I panic that we’re going to get delayed talking to this person. That she’s going to expect to spend the evening catching up with Lainy. ‘We’re just going to have these drinks and go.’

  ‘You can spare two minutes,’ Cath says, giving me a hurt look. ‘I haven’t seen this one for years.’

  I don’t think her version of ‘two minutes’ is going to be quite the same as mine. She guides us over to a table at the opposite end of the room, further away from the TV speakers. ‘Can’t hear myself think in here.’ She carries on talking without drawing breath. ‘Yeah, my Mark left me in the lurch a few years ago when the little ’uns were tiny. I rent a place just outside town. It’s a dump, mind, but I don’t get any maintenance, so it’s all I can afford.’

  ‘You don’t mean Mark Tamworth, do you?’ Lainy asks.

  ‘Yeah, your brother’s best mate. I think he had a soft spot for you back in the day.’

  ‘Me? No.’ Lainy’s face turns crimson. ‘Look, Cath, we really can’t stay long. We’re having a bit of a nightmare at the moment. Jake took his and Faye’s son up to Durlston this morning, but they never came back. They’re missing. We’re asking around town in case anyone’s seen them.’

  ‘Missing? Oh no. Why didn’t you say? There’s me wittering on about my problems and you’re going through a trauma. No wonder you want
to get back out there. What can I do?’

  ‘Here’s a photo of them.’ Lainy passes her phone to Cath.

  Si brings our drinks over. ‘That’s eight pounds forty-five.’

  ‘These are on me,’ Cath says.

  ‘No, no, that’s okay.’ I pull a ten-pound note out of my purse and hand it to Si. ‘Keep the change.’

  ‘Ta.’ He pockets it.

  ‘Put that change in the tips jar, Si,’ Cath says with a stern look.

  He smirks and walks off with a swagger.

  Cath takes a sip of her Coke and studies the phone screen. ‘He’s bloody gorgeous. And your kid’s a beauty too.’

  I pick up my drink and take a large gulp.

  ‘Afraid I don’t remember seeing either of them,’ she says. ‘I’m so sorry. But they’ll turn up, surely. What do you think might have happened? An accident at the cliffs?’

  At Cath’s words, a wave of nausea hits and my hand starts to tremble. I clamp it extra hard around my glass, but now my glass is shaking so I put it back on the table and shove my hands between my thighs to still them.

  ‘We don’t know what happened,’ Lainy replies. ‘The police are out looking for them now. Along with the coastguard.’

  ‘Well,’ Cath says. ‘I know me and Mark have split up and there ain’t no love lost, but if you want to know what’s going on around here, he’s the person to ask. He knows everyone and anyone. I’d go and have a word with him, if I were you. Not saying he gets up to anything dodgy –’ she rolls her eyes at this – ‘but he always keeps his ear to the ground. If anything untoward has happened, he’s bound to know about it.’

  ‘Why would he know about it?’ A seed of worry starts to bloom in my chest.

  ‘Not saying he’ll definitely know,’ Cath says, backtracking a little. ‘Just that he’s well connected locally.’

  ‘Okay,’ I reply, still uneasy. ‘So where can we find him?’

  ‘He lives up at the Grey Dolphin,’ Cath says.