Fraser tried to call Claudia to warn her to stay away. He needed time to work something out. She was unavailable, so he assumed that she was driving. They hadn’t parted well today, and he felt the need to make his peace with her.
‘The migraine will be very debilitating,’ Irena said. ‘Mrs Hamilton amiltonhas done a lot of travelling over a short time, and now she faces all the inconveniences of another long journey.’
‘My heart bleeds for her,’ Fraser scoffed.
‘It is unfortunate for her,’ Irena agreed, ‘but good news for Claudia.’
‘You’re up to something, Irena,’ Tony said. ‘I can tell by the way you’re delivering clues instead of information. What’s on your mind?’
‘I realise that it is against your policy to use the plane for only one passenger, but this is an emergency, is it not? If Mrs Hamilton could make the return trip in the comfort and privacy of a private plane, then she could be persuaded to leave immediately. We could get her airborne while she is still feeling unwell and more likely to be persuaded. When Claudia returns from her trip, her mother will be somewhere over the ocean.’
‘A tempting idea,’ Tony said. ‘She thinks we’re co-operating, so she might agree to it.’
Fraser thought of Claudia, and all the years she had lived with this woman. How was a child to deal with such a parent? What could she do to protect herself from the web of control around her where her mother was intent on draining every last drop from her, like a venomous spider would drain a fly? He was angry, not just with her but with himself for failing to understand Claudia’s fears. But it was futile to think that there was a way to stop Elsa Hamilton. It was inevitable that the diaries would be hers eventually. He was sickened by the thought. He looked at Irena and said, ‘Get that despotic bitch the hell out of here.’
Despite the cloudy sky, Elsa Hamilton wore dark glasses and a wide brimmed hat, but it was clear to see that she was unwell. They arrived at the small, local airfield where the plane waited. Irena escorted her up the steps while Tony and Fraser looked on.
‘I feel as though I’ve just been sucked into a spy game,’ Tony said. ‘We have all the elements, a Ukrainian agent, a dangerous woman in a big hat and a giant chauffeur waiting for us in a black limo.’
They laughed, as much from relief as good humour.
‘I wish it really was funny,’ Fraser said. ‘I feel like hell. I can’t stand to think of what Claudia’s been through. I just didn’t grasp the degree of danger she was in.’
‘You’ve got time to put that right. Talk to her when she gets back.’
Irena returned, Fraser thanked her.
‘That is a very dangerous woman. I will do all I can to help Claudia.’
‘If you get a chance to help her, whatever it is, don’t wait for permission, just go ahead and do it.’
They watched as the plane taxied along the runway, picked up speed and then rose into the sky. It was soon out of sight.
Chapter Eighteen
Claudia found herself driving along miles of hill roads, thankful for the loan of Tony’s vehicle, as it was definitely more robust than her own. As a child, she was accustomed to travelling in style, chauffeur-driven cars, first-class flights, five-star hotels… But that was the business, the public image created by Elsa Hamilton, and totally wasted on a feisty little tearaway. If Claudia accepted Fraser’s proposal, these things would be part of her life again. There would be no need to consider every commission on offer, she could just choose the best ones, spend more time with Justin, write Alyona’s story without having to think of bills and expenses. Then she reasoned that she didn’t need to be Fraser’s wife to enjoy more security, she could probably have all that anyway simply by being Justin’s mother.
‘Stop it, Claudia,’ she said aloud. ‘You need to focus. You’re miles away from Rowmont. Then you’ve got to find Ridge Farm. That sounds a lot more remote than Heather Brow and certainly a lot higher up.’
She pulled over and parked by a farm gateway. The journey was taking much longer than she expected, and she needed to call Fraser. There was no signal. In her frustration, she tossed the phone onto the passenger seat and moved on again.
The wind whipped at the trees, and the rain beat down onto the car roof. Claudia pressed on, took wrong turns, backtracked to find the right ones. Small, white signposts, impossible to read until she’d gone past them, pointed to other places, but none directed her to Rowmont, whichever way it was spelt.
There was an oncoming car, so she made for the pull-in, just ahead, to allow it to pass.
The driver lowered her window and called out, ‘Keep your eyes open, there’s a lot of debris from the trees.’
‘Thank you. Am I going the right way for Rowmont?’
‘Oh yes, but it’s a bit rugged. You should be fine in that vehicle, but don’t hang about. Storms up here don’t take any prisoners.’ The car moved on.
Claudia felt nervous in this isolated place where the trees thrashed about, and the wind dashed against the side of the car. Even though it was early evening, the sky was dark, and it looked more like night time. A flash of lightening took her by surprise. She gasped and gripped the steering wheel tightly as a clap of thunder followed.
‘Give me a break!’ she called out loud. ‘I just want to find this farm. Is that too much to ask?’ Then, as if her cry had been answered, she spotted a sign, marked Ridge Farm. Visibility was bad, but she could just see the turn. Once committed, there was no chance of turning between the dry-stone walls that flanked the track.
Rain began to pelt so fast that it made one constant roaring sound. The wipers were on the fastest setting, even then she could only see for a second at a time, as the rhythmic beats of the blades afforded her precious glimpses of what seemed like a dark tunnel ahead. Small, yellow lights glimmered in the distance. Claudia sighed with relief. ‘Please be a house,’ she appealed. Another flash of lightening lit up the hillside, and she had a split-second snapshot of a property. ‘Please let this be Ridge Farm.’ She braced herself for the next clap of thunder. Then she followed the lights that guided her towards the house. It stood stout, square, grey and fearless against the aggressive elements. It seemed to look down with its yellow, window eyes and arched gable brows.
As she parked, Claudia could see a silhouette of a person in the porch. It was such a welcome sight. She turned off the ignition and grabbed her bag. As she opened the car door, the wind seized it from her hand and jerked it violently back onto her shoulder. She cried out with both pain and frustration, but there was no time to dwell on it, so she grasped it with both hands and lunged at it stubbornly until it closed. There seemed no point in locking it for who would take it from this remote place?
As Claudia made a dash to the sanctuary of the porch, the figure called out to her, ‘Come on in.’ Once inside, the woman turned her back on the heavy, latched door and forced it closed, shutting out the roar of the storm. She laughed and said, ‘I think Mother Nature always intended me to live up here, that’s why she gave me a big backside to shut this door. Let’s get you dried off a bit. I’ll get you a towel.’
‘Thank you. I’m Claudia. I’m sorry I’m so late.’
‘Don’t worry yourself about that.’ She handed a towel to Claudia and smiled. ‘I’m Sandy.’ She was tall, with long, thick, wavy hair, tied back with a coloured chain of wool. ‘You chose a fine day to come. We’re very exposed. Storms hit hard here.’
Claudia rubbed her hair and then shook her head; her curls began to spring up. ‘Do you have a land line?’ she said anxiously. ‘I can’t get a signal, and I need to make a call. I’m really late getting back.’
‘No problem. I’ve put it down somewhere…’ Just as she located the phone, it rang. ‘It’s my husband. I won’t be long.’ Sandy talked for a short while and then told him to stay in his studio until after the storm. She handed the phone to Claudia and said, ‘You got here just in time, this is a mean one and it’s not finished yet.’
‘Well, I’m safe now, but I’d feel better if I could call my…call home.’ No sooner had she spoken, there was a loud bang as the next thunderbolt hit the house, took out the lights and plunged the place into darkness.
‘It’s all right, just stand still,’ Sandy said. ‘The emergency power will come on in a second.’ Just as predicted, the lights came back on, dim at first and then brightened up. ‘We’re well prepared for this kind of weather.’
Claudia was glad of the emergency lighting, but the phone was dead.
*****
Fraser was at Heather Brow cottage, with Justin, who was fretful, and didn’t understand this break in routine. He was accustomed to being with other people during the daytime, but this was evening, and he seemed to expect Mummy to be there. What’s more he seemed to think it was his daddy’s fault and demonstrated his frustration by throwing things on the floor. This was the first time Fraser had been in sole charge of his son at this time of the evening, it seemed to have a greater concentration of rules. Supper was a battle, but a tactical choosing of Justin’s favourite things helped get over the problem. At least the child was fed. Bath-time was easier, warm water, bubbles and squeaky dolphins had a soothing effect, and Justin’s mood improved. Bedtime meant favourite books―no problem―but the goodnight song was not so straightforward. Fraser knew it was a Russian translation of Brother Jack, but neither the English nor the French version would do. Nor would incy wincy spider, winding bobbins or wheels on the bus.
‘Din, din, din,’ the child whined, it was what he called the song. Until that moment, Fraser had fooled himself that he’d learned how to care for his son. However, it was clear that there were other aspects he had yet to conquer. He also knew the cry was not just for the little song but for his mother to be there to sing it. Fraser gave up on bedtime, took Justin back downstairs and sat him on his lap to watch kid’s TV. It was against the rules, but the normal routine wasn’t working.
Once Justin was asleep, Fraser took him upstairs to his cot. Downstairs, the house felt so empty. It made Fraser restless and anxious for word of Claudia, she was running late, but he felt sure she hadn’t intended to be this long, probably hadn’t realised how much those narrow, hill roads can slow you down. The weather was still windy and dark, but the track up to the cottage was visible through the sitting room window, it was deserted. His male logic told him that he was worrying unnecessarily, that Claudia’s journey would take a long time, and she was bound to be late. Signal bars could be fickle, so phone calls couldn’t always be made. Yet, his doubts told him that she wouldn’t let these hours go by without calling. It just didn’t fit, and he pivoted on that perilous edge between logic and suspicion.
A phone call to Larchwood yielded nothing except Tony’s reassurance. ‘Claudia’s not accustomed to those hill roads,’ he said. ‘And if she’s driving, she won’t use the phone. She knows you’re here for Justin. Elsa Hamilton has put us all on edge today. Try and relax.’
Fraser noted that Tony’s male logic mechanism was still in place, so he made an attempt to take his cousin’s advice. He sat in an easy chair with the baby alarm clutched in his hands and tried to make sense of this strange, eventful day. He would have to tell Claudia about it. But perhaps they’d have a glass of wine and talk it over quietly. He smiled at the thought, leaned his head back and closed his eyes.
*****
Claudia looked at the brightly coloured, chunky, woollen jacket, one of Sandy’s products. ‘Can I buy this too? I have to work in some draughty places sometimes, so I’d be glad of it.’ She put it on and hugged it around her.
‘That’s what it’s for…you won’t feel the cold in that.’
‘And I’m looking forward to trying this black wool. It’s already the right shade and texture. I won’t have to dye it.’
She looked at her watch and sighed. ‘I don’t know what I was thinking, trying to pack so much in one day. I should have been home long ago.’
‘Try not to worry, I’ll make some tea.’
The kitchen was vast, and a large, round, oak table stood on the slate floor. Two fireside chairs, dressed in patchwork throws, were placed by an old, well-used, solid fuel cooking range set in an inglenook fireplace. Sandy approached it, ducked under the skeins of wool that hung from the low ceiling, and set the kettle on the hot plate. It clunked and the water that ran down the sides spat and sizzled beneath it. A golden Labrador slept against the oven door, alongside a lop-eared rabbit and a cat. Sandy didn’t seem to notice them but moved her moccasin-shod feet around them without looking down, as if she had some kind of domestic radar.
Claudia sat down and smiled at the diversity of the bedfellows curled up together. The cat and rabbit were oblivious of the storm, but the dog wasn’t too sure. He looked up now and then but settled to Sandy’s calming voice. Claudia had never been in a kitchen like this. It served as a workplace as well as a living space. A range of pots was displayed on a shelf, bunches of aromatic herbs and dried flowers hung from the iron hooks in the beams. This was the home of people who knew what they wanted from life.
The kettle began to sing and very soon made a rumbling sound. Then it coughed and gurgled as the boiling water was poured into the pot. Before long, Sandy handed Claudia her tea in a chunky, hand-thrown mug, along with a wedge of fruitcake. She took a bite, it was wonderful.
Claudia’s granny used to say that there were some people with such good souls that you couldn’t help but tell them your whole life story on the first meeting. Claudia now knew that her grandmother was right. She didn’t tell Sandy much, just the part that concerned Justin and Fraser.
Sandy listened attentively and then said, ‘So are you going to marry him?’
‘No.’
‘What’s the problem, you’re good friends, he respects you, and you’ve got a child to raise?’ She regarded Claudia, sympathetically, ‘You’re afraid he’ll break your heart, is that it?’
‘He already did that before Justin was born. I’ve spent all that time trying to get over him. I thought I could do it.’ She drew a long, tense breath. ‘I should be over the moon, shouldn’t I? It’s just that he’s being a gentleman, doing the right thing. I don’t need that. I can take care of my son, earn my own keep, so why would I accept a proposal that’s just an honourable gesture?’
‘Life’s a bit of a bitch up here on the ridge. We’ve got our bit of land, the pottery studio and the grazing rights on the hills.’ She shook her head. ‘Not much time for moonlight and roses. But we know we’re in it for the whole journey, and that’s romance enough for us.’ She listened for a moment and then said, ‘The storm’s moving on. It’s about time too.’
‘Thank goodness, I can get going soon. It’s getting so late.’
‘The weather’s still bad, but at least the thunder will stop.’
Chapter Nineteen
Fraser woke up, he was still in the armchair. He checked the monitor and then realised that it was his phone that woke him.
Tony’s voice was low but brisk. ‘Fraser, you need to come, right away.’
Fraser’s heart pounded, and his fingers clamped tightly around the phone. ‘What is it?’
‘We don’t know. The police won’t say over the phone.’
‘Police?’
‘Just come, Fraser…now.’
Fraser had never known such fear and dread, his whole body felt weak, and he could hardly control his voice when he phoned Molly. She came straight away. It was clear she was distressed. But she said nothing other than to reassure him she would stay with Justin.
At Larchwood, Fraser found Tony and Lizzy in the small lounge. Lizzy stood by the window, she was pale and extremely tense. Two detectives had just arrived. One was a fairly short man in late middle age, he wore a tweed jacket. With him was a tall, attractive woman, wearing jeans and a black jacket over her shirt.
A loud, pulsating sound beat in Fraser’s ears, as if his blood was rushing to his brain and had nowhere else to go. He became aware of Elio
t, who stood close to him. The fact that they were all together was grave.
The man introduced himself. ‘DCI Brent…and this is DS Grant. We’re already known to Tony and Lizzy, but we haven’t met before, Mr Gallier.’
‘Fraser,’ he corrected automatically. ‘What…what’s happened?’ His voice jerked from his throat.
‘A vehicle, registered to Tony, has been found in Rowmont,’ DCI Brent explained.
‘Found?’ Fraser queried, his taut throat almost blocked out the sound.
‘The car was loaned to Claudia,’ Tony continued. ‘Claudia Hamilton, she’s working here, but she’s also―’
‘My fiancée,’ Fraser interjected instinctively as a moment of clarity helped him stake a claim to the role as Claudia’s next of kin. He pulled his thoughts into shape. ‘We have a baby boy,’ he added. Even in his state of shock, he thought it might add weight to his claim. ‘So where was it found?’
‘In the valley below Rowmont Ridge.’
Then Fraser’s mind struggled to comprehend what the detective was saying. It was like a fog filling his head. He fought his way through it. Whatever this was all about, he needed to hold it together. ‘Are you saying it went over the ridge?’
‘But it doesn’t appear to have rolled,’ DS Grant was quick to reassure him.
DCI Brent continued to explain. ‘A farmer and his son were walking the valley to check on their sheep after the storm. By then, visibility wasn’t good, but they saw the lights from the vehicle. Said the engine was still warm, but they couldn’t find a driver. The local police are searching the area, and I believe they have a team of volunteer hill-walkers out there. But you can appreciate that Rowmont is moorland, it stretches for miles in every direction. They haven’t been able to find her yet.’
Fraser then felt numb, stunned as if he’d received a heavy physical blow, and he couldn’t regain his breath. ‘Dear God!’ he gasped and stepped back to steady his balance. Eliot gripped his upper arm to support him.
DS Grant spoke up again. ‘It seems that the car door was open, but there was no evidence of injury inside the vehicle. The windscreen is intact, the steering wheel undamaged, and there’s no blood. Also, Claudia’s personal things seemed to be untouched. Items from a craft shop, skeins of natural wool, handbag containing a small notebook and a wallet with cards and cash in it. The phone was loose in the car.’
Alyona's Voice Page 16
