I realised Thomas must have had the boxes stacked and ready to bring down when he returned only a few minutes later and dropped them on the floor. “Now,” he said, rubbing his hands together excitedly. “Let’s put these decorations up and make a Christmas to be proud of. I’ll tell you what, I’ll even promise to get a little tipsy Christmas day and burn dinner if it will make you feel any better.”
I laughed and shook my head. Thomas and alcohol, that would be a sight to see. “In that case,” I said. “We should invite your parents around. Your dad thinks you’re far too much of a puritan. He’d think Christmas had come twice over if he saw you drinking.”
Thomas shuddered. “Now, that certainly will make Christmas a day to remember. Dad moaning about how much mum spent on presents. Mum moaning about Dad falling asleep in front of the TV after dinner. We’d be in for a right treat.”
“That’s settled, then,” I said. “Sounds perfect.”
“Seriously.”
“Yes, seriously. You should call them. We can set them up in one of the spare rooms for the night and make a real day of it.”
“You’re sure?”
“Of course, I’m sure. This cottage could do with a little jovial banter for the day.”
“But they would have already bought food.”
“They can have it another day, or better yet, tell them to bring it round and we’ll cook it here.” I made a shooing motion with my hands. “Now, go phone them while I see what’s in these boxes. We can get a tree from the forest when you’ve finished your call.”
Thomas shuddered again. “That’s the one part of Christmas that freaks me out. Most of your magic I can handle, no problem, but watching you talk to a tree and then witnessing it unplant itself always makes me think of The Day of the Triffids.”
“Those were aliens, not true plants,” I said. “Why don’t you try to picture them as more like the wise Ents of Middle Earth instead?”
“I’m not sure that’s any better, and Saruman would agree. Just look what they did to Isengard.”
Chapter Nine
A few hours later, I stood back and looked at our tree draped in tinsel and with warm red and gold baubles hanging from nearly every branch.
“You look magical,” I said to the bushy spruce, and then slumped in the chair, hugging a red velvet cushion complete with Rudolf and an LED light-up nose. I could almost smell cinnamon in the air and taste a delicious sweet and spicy Christmas pudding covered in custard.
“You were right,” I said to Thomas.
“Always am,” Thomas said absentmindedly as he pinned holly around the fireplace. “What about this time?”
“We should have put the decorations up earlier. I already feel a million times better.”
Thomas stepped back to check his handiwork, and I rose and turned the main light off so we could admire the soft twinkle from the tree-lights as they reflected on the walls and other decorations.
“It’s starting to feel a lot like Christmas,” Thomas said, linking his arm in mine.
“It’s also starting to get late,” I said, noting the almost pitch blackness outside. “What time is it?”
Thomas walked over to the fireplace and picked up his phone. “Coming up for nine. We’d better get going.”
“We had,” I agreed. “Though, it might be an idea to change first.”
“If you’re getting naked, I can think of something else we need to do that won’t take very long.” Thomas pumped his eyebrows at me and I giggled.
“Oh, really,” I said.
“Really.”
I laughed as Thomas chased me out the room and up the stairs.
*
Seventy minutes later, we were finally on the road to Cardiff. The Gem Room was located in Cardiff Bay. We parked in The Red Dragon Centre carpark and moved towards the club. Night had well and truly fallen, and as you’d expect for the late hour, most families who use the centre’s facilities to dine out, go bowling, or watch a movie had long since left. Given the time of year, however, the venues were packed to brimming with coworkers and friends out for a night of celebration on the town. Add to the mix that today was the last Friday before Christmas and it will give you a sense of how claustrophobic I felt on the streets: people scurried about like demented cockroaches, while the constant hum of voices, musical vibrations, and revving of engines sent the noise levels off the charts, and my comfort levels back to the Dark Ages. I’d lived in the city a large portion of my life, and I can stand my ground in most places — I even met Thomas in a nightclub — but that didn’t mean I liked being surrounded by people. Not swarms of them, anyway.
“You think Lee could have found trouble in there?” I asked, noting the casino a short walk from the club.
“Could be,” Thomas agreed.
We were off to a late start. I’d hoped we’d be able to gain entry to the club before the crowds picked up, but that was definitely off the cards. I smiled. Thomas’s attention had been worth being late for.
A queue of around eighty people lined up outside the entrance. Half the women might well have been naked for all the protection their clothing gave them from the biting wind, and the men didn’t fare much better, wearing only the lightest of jackets over their shirts.
“The line’s not moving,” Thomas said as he gripped my hand and led me past the queue, straight up to the steps towards the bouncers. We waited patiently while the doorman talked to a couple of guys in front of us. I couldn’t hear what was said as the loud music thrummed through the door, but they were chatting and smiling like pals. The bouncer clapped one of the men on the back and then reached forwards to shake his hand. Almost imperceptibly, during the handshake, something was exchanged, before the bouncer nodded and the two men moved inside the club.
We stepped forwards, but as soon as we did, the bouncer reached out his hand and pointed to the back of the queue. “There’s a line,” he said. “We’re at capacity. You’ll have to wait with the rest until enough people come out.”
“We’re not here as patrons,” Thomas said. “We need to speak to the manager. Any chance you could call him down for us?”
“Nah, not possible, mate. Like I said, you’ll have to queue.”
“It’s regarding a murdered employee,” I said.
“Yeah, right. End of the line.” The doorman shoved Thomas in the shoulder to make him move.
“Nah, mate,” said Thomas in a good imitation of the bouncer’s drawl. “You’re gonna let us see your boss before we get the police down here.”
“That so?” The bouncer squared his shoulders and puffed his chest out, but Thomas wasn’t one to be intimidated by bulk.
“I’m sure they’d be very interested to hear that you’re dealing drugs as well as guarding doors.”
I’d suspected as much as soon as he’d exchange something with the two guys in front. Although, why there would be any doubt, when in my experience, half the staff in a nightclub were dealing and the other half were as high as a satellite, and just about orbiting the same planet.
“I’m not sure you’re in a position to be threatening me, mate,” the bouncer said.
“I’m not threatening anyone... Mate. Just stating facts. You sure you want to make trouble with me tonight?” Thomas stared into the man’s eyes, neither blinking nor backing down. “You let us in and we’ll forget we saw anything.”
“Oi, Pete, watch the door for a few minutes” the bouncer called over his shoulder.
“No problem, Gary,” Pete replied.
Gary turned to face us. “You two follow me,” he said, before leading us through a doorway to the side of the entrance marked ‘staff’.
“Is the manager’s office down here?” I asked.
“Sure is,” Gary answered, but there was a stiffness to his demeanour and I wasn’t the only one to notice it.
Thomas moved me slowly behind him. Sure, I could take care of myself, but Thomas knew I wouldn’t want to risk using my magic around humans. Not after
Joe’s warning.
The bouncer tried to act nonchalant, but when he opened another door and nodded to an office along the corridor, his face was flushed, and his muscles were straining against his skin.
As Thomas stepped through the doorway, Gary reached forwards to grab his shoulders and slam him against the wall, but Thomas had been waiting for him to act. He deftly plucked Gary’s hands from his shoulders, grabbed his thumbs in the process and twisted them away from his body. He followed this with a swift kick to the groin, which saw Gary fall to the grey carpet in agony.
“You’re gonna regret that, mate,” Gary muttered between groans.
“I doubt it.”
Thomas led me through the hallway until we reached the door Gary had indicated as the manager’s. I knocked once before entering, and then cleared my throat to draw the attention of the short balding man sitting behind a desk. He was stacking notes and coins with large-knuckled hands that looked more suited to boxing than counting money.
“You shouldn’t be down here,” he said as soon as he looked up.
“Don’t worry. We’re not here to rob you.” Thomas ushered me into the room and pulled out a chair for me to sit. “Gary showed us through.”
“That right?” He eyed us suspiciously as Thomas took the seat next to mine.
“We’re here about Lee Page,” I said. “I’m sure you may have heard that he’s been murdered.”
“I have, and I’ve already spoken to the police about the matter.”
“We’re not with the police.”
“I already guessed that, love,” he fixed me with a stern look. “So, who do you work for?”
“No-one, as it happens. We’re looking into the case for Lee’s mum.”
He narrowed his eyes at me as though looking for some unseen angle I was playing. He was about to say something when Gary and a couple of other guys barged through the door and shouted at us to get out.
The manager stood and looked from us to Gary and the other bouncers.
“We’re not looking for trouble,” I said, standing and placing myself between Gary and the still seated Thomas.
Gary stepped up as though to intimidate me, but I stood my ground and shot him a glare that promised hell on Earth if he so much as breathed on me, but Gary wasn’t the smartest sheep in the flock and simply glared back, while a vein pulsed in his neck.
“You really need to watch your blood pressure,” I told him.
“And you really need to watch who you’re talking to,” he replied.
“I wouldn’t push her too far if I were you, mate,” Thomas said from the chair.
“What you gonna do about it?”
“It’s not me you have to worry about.” Thomas sighed and turned to the manager. “Do we have to play these games all night? We just need to ask you a few questions about Lee Page.”
The manager thought for a moment, took a deep breath, and although he looked unhappy about it, he instructed Gary and the others to leave, saying it wasn’t worth the hassle, which, I think, surprised me and Thomas as much as it did Gary and the other bouncers.
“As I told the police, Lee Page hasn’t worked at the club for over two months,” the manager said, retaking his seat as I retook mine when Gary and the others left.
“Do you know where he was working? Did his new employer ask for a reference?”
“All I know is that he was due to come in for a shift one night and didn’t show. End of story. He was out of my life. Understand?”
“Did you call to find out why he’d missed his shift?”
“Look, he wasn’t exactly the best worker. Most of the people who work here are kids in their first job. They have no real responsibilities.” He shrugged and leaned back in his chair. “They show up. They don’t show up. There’s plenty of people waiting to replace them. Let’s just say we have a high turnover of staff.”
“Maybe if you cared more about them, that wouldn’t be the case,” I said, annoyed with his attitude.
A vicious smile crossed his face. “Lee’s gone. I’m sorry the kid’s dead, but like I said, I haven’t seen him in around two months. So, whatever happened to him isn’t related to his job here. Ask around the bar staff and you’ll hear the same thing.”
“We’ll do that,” I said, rising from the chair.
“Is there anyone in particular who was close to Lee and may have an idea where he was working?” Thomas asked.
“Yeah, you could try Adam. Wiry kid, works in the cellar. If I remember correctly, they were quite pally.”
Thomas thanked the manager for his time and we walked back towards the club.
“Alright, Gary, my mate,” Thomas called as soon as he spotted the doorman at the end of the corridor.
I rolled my eyes and shook my head when Thomas proceeded to ask his friend to show him where Adam worked. Then decided to forgo their company for a short while.
“You go speak to Adam and I’ll go speak to a few of the bar staff, then catch up with you,” I said. “Stay out of trouble.” I gave Thomas and Gary a pointed look.
Thomas patted Gary on the back. “We’ll be fine,” he said. “Me and Gary are the best of mates. Isn’t that right?”
Gary merely grunted and pushed the door leading back into the club open.
As Thomas and the doorman made their way to the cellar, I pushed my way through the gyrating crowd. People milled about chatting, although, how they could hear each other over the deafening music was beyond me. Others danced under pulsating lights, as dry-ice swirled in an array of disco colours. My senses were assaulted by a flurry of bodies, thrumming music, and the scent of drugs, alcohol, and sweat, but the vibe in the air was a good one. People were happy, buzzing with pure joy and feeding off the energy and good nature of the crowd. It wasn’t like this every night. More often than not, there would be fights and unwelcome advances, but tonight, everyone was warm and glowy, filled with the feeling of Christmas.
I pushed through to the various bars dotted around the room and, one by one, questioned the staff. Some were new and had never even heard of Lee, those that had gave the same story as the club manager: Lee left about two months ago.
Deciding the best course of action was to rejoin Thomas and see if Adam had any useful information, I gained directions from one of the barmen and made my way to an employees’ only area at the back of the club.
As I went to push the door, Gary opened it from the other side. “Your boyfriend’s down there,” he said, pointing towards another doorway on the right hand side of the fluorescent lit corridor. “There’s an exit out onto the street at the far end of the cellar. Don’t come back through the club.”
Despite myself, I discreetly called the power of my Ngetal and Duir tattoos and sent Gary a healing blast of energy. He really did need to watch his blood pressure.
I left Gary and walked along the empty corridor. A light flickered through a small window in the door he’d indicated as leading to the cellar. Rusty hinges creaked in protest as I opened it and called for Thomas down the stairway.
I sighed and bit the bottom of my lip. There’s nothing I hate more than the idea of being trapped underground. My heart beat along with the muted thump of the base as it thrummed through the wall. It vibrated through my fingers when I grasped the banister and walked down the steps into the coldness of the cellar.
Cursing my stupidity when I jumped at the click of the door as it shut behind me, I made my way through the maze like tunnels, surrounded by racks and racks of stacked crates. The scent of hops followed me as I moved through the cellar. I cursed not being able to use my magic to make more light, but the risk of being caught was too great, Instead, I tried not to focus on the heavy footsteps pounding on the roof above and sounding as though they may cave in the ceiling at any moment.
A chill crept up my spine. I called forth the power of the Ailm symbol on my arm and heightened the clarity of the sounds around me. To my relief, I heard Thomas talking to someone in the far corner and made
my way to meet him.
I rounded a corner and froze, but too late, Thomas’s companion spotted me, and in the blink of an eye transformed from a gangly human into a small bird, which flew straight out the open cellar doors leading to the street.
Thomas raised an eyebrow and stepped out onto the night street. “The pwca who attacked you?” he asked when I came to stand next to him.
“Yep.”
“Are we thinking there may be supernatural involvement in Lee’s death after all?”
I sighed. “Who knows? Adam could just be a random pwca that was friends with Lee. We don’t know for definite that he had anything to do with his death.”
“I do know one thing.”
“What’s that?” I asked.
“We’ve been looking at the case completely wrong. We’ve been trying to be police and investigate this case using human methods. We’re not going to find our answers by trawling through social media and talking to Lee’s friends. Supernatural case or not, we need to get back to what we do best and use supernatural means to solve it.”
I thought for a moment. “We both saw the car in the forest. It was just a flash of blue, but maybe our minds picked up more than we realised. The first step is to find out exactly what we saw.”
“Another memory spell?” Thomas asked. “You got the supplies for that?”
I shook my head, recalling my dwindling supplies and confiscated basket, then grinned. “I haven’t, but Gwen might even have one prepared. You know how precious her memories have become since she had them stolen.”
Chapter Ten
We all store our lives within us: every sight, sound, and smell. Every accompanying emotion is encoded and stored away for future use. The slightest trigger can take us back in time. I was a small child of four when my grandfather passed, but to this day the slightest whiff of a certain smoky, leafy tobacco and memories of him and our time together flood my mind. I don’t even know the name of the tobacco. I don’t need to. I know the smell and what it means to me.
The Case of the Fairy Lord Page 6
