by Holly Bell
‘Yeah, I know. I had to wait before I had another go. After all, it should have been a … floorless plan!’ She laughed merrily. ‘Get it?’
‘Hilarious.’
‘But, you know what? Killing her will do. It was her fault. And now she’s left him like he left our mum. Now he’s all alone; that’s his punishment,’ she adjudicated with satisfaction.
‘But he isn’t sad, Donna,’ said Amanda.
‘Yes, he is!’
‘I talked to him, and he said he isn’t.’
‘You’re lying.’ Donna threw down a glass. It shattered and threw up more dust. She hurled down another and another. Amanda's airways were swelling. Trelawney took off his tie, waistcoat and shirt.
‘What are you doing?’ whispered Amanda.
‘Here,’ he replied, and tied the shirt over her nose and mouth. Acid suddenly sloshed through the gap over where they were standing. Trelawney quickly got them both out of the way of the deadly waterfall.
There were plenty of gaps now in the floor above them, through which to look up and see the roof. A blast of hailstone suddenly seemed to hit one particular spot. As if in slow motion, a beam detached itself, frayed and splintered and descended towards the floor. Trelawney pulled Amanda away and shielded her with his body, as it smashed through the joists above them and down into their bear trap. The dust mushroomed.
The hail, now turning to rain, was pouring in.
‘See what you’ve done,’ said Donna, wearily.
‘Me?’ called back Amanda, between short breaths. ‘Those beams must be rotten. If anyone’s to blame, it’s your grandfather and his friend.’
‘Oh, been doing some reading, haven’t we?’
‘This whole place is going to come down, Donna. At least, get yourself out. You can leave us in here.’
‘And let you get out like mice? Besides, I don’t leave people.’
‘You can leave us,’ said Amanda encouragingly. A brief coughing fit followed. ‘Really, we won’t mind a bit.’ She turned to Trelawney remarking quietly, ‘Serious abandonment issues, here, wouldn’t you say?’
‘Yes, but I’m not sure if this is the moment for a discussion about it!’ he replied, putting his waistcoat back on.
‘Let me think about it,’ said Donna. She sloshed more acid toward them. This time Amanda felt a splash on her hand.
Trelawney hastily tore off his waistcoat again, and wiped the liquid off her skin, but she didn’t feel it burn.
Amanda looked up. ‘It’s OK,’ she whispered. ‘It’s rain! The rain’s coming through.’
‘We have to get out,’ said Trelawney, ‘The floor will be gone soon! We can’t dodge the acid forever and we’re running out of places where we can safely tread.’
‘Donna!’ It was a voice from outside. ‘Donna! Donna, it’s Leo!’
‘Go away! I’m busy,’ she replied in a scolding tone.
‘What are you doing in there? Let me in!’
‘No.’
‘Leo, she’s got acid,’ Amanda called back to him. ‘She’s throwing it around!’
‘Donna, open the door. Let’s talk,’ Leo entreated.
‘No more talk,’ stated his sister.
‘Then listen. I’ve been Skyping with Mum.’
The splashing paused.
‘You’ve got it all wrong, Donna. About Vic. He wasn’t your dad. He didn’t leave you; he left me. He was my father.
‘You’re lying,’ she shouted back.
‘Let me bring in the phone; you can talk to Mum. I’ve got her, right here. She can tell you. Doug was your father.’
‘No! She lied,’ stated Donna.
‘Trust issues too,’ Amanda murmured.
‘Let her tell you,’ Leo pleaded.
‘Go away. I’m busy. Go back to the salon. You’ve got appointments.’
‘I think she’s completely batty,’ Amanda whispered to Trelawney.
The inspector crept to the door of the cellar and tried it again, put his own keys to the lock, put his shoulder to the panel, and, finally, looked around for something, anything to smash it open. Donna, hearing his manoeuvres, tossed some more lethal liquid his way, chasing him back towards the main entrance end of the cellar and Amanda’s side. He looked up toward the front doors and shouted, ‘Leo! Call the police!’
‘Now that’s not nice,’ said Donna between gritted teeth. There was just one spot near the door to the stairs that was covered now, but open joists between them and it. Donna was walking along a spit of remaining floorboard, struggling under the weight of a full can of acid.
Amanda now knew she would have to use a spell to get the doors open. But they would have to get to them first. She took her IKEA pencil from her pocket and pulled out the tiny wand.
More roof timbers were falling. Donna shook off the fragments that were landing on her and gathered the can ready to swing it. ‘Bath time!’ she sang out.
Amanda had no choice. There was, in fact, no normal way out of this. Only magic would save them. Magic against the human running amok above them. And yet, one more spell and the Flamgoynes would know, know that the epicentre of the power they were tracking was Sunken Madley. Amanda was ready to die for her village, but Trelawney… she could not sacrifice him. He was not part of this … She just had to buy them a few seconds to get to the door …. If only there was some other way … But she knew of none. Her time and her options had run out.
Amanda flicked the wand up and spoke the word: ‘Understeppith.’
At once, Donna’s legs seemed to wobble under her, sending her off-balance. As she struggled to regain it, Tempest, lurking unseen by the wall, took a flying leap from behind, onto her head, his weight dragging her back and down toward the floor. He leapt away as she fell, spilling the can of noxious liquid over herself and the support below her. Her scream was cut off as a beam plummeted down from above, and silenced her.
Amanda felt the tell-tall magical blast sweep outwards. ‘Come on!’ she shouted over the wind and rain and falling timbers.
She grabbed Trelawney’s arm, and, running for the door, called out, ‘Agertyn!’ It flew open. The roof was collapsing, as she, wheezing, tugged him up the stairs. ‘Agertyn!’ Amanda shouted at the next door. They rammed their way out into the tiny gap before the hall side door, wood, plaster and masonry cascading like rain. ‘Agertyn,’ she choked out to the final side door as the building collapsed. Amanda buckled, coughing, starved of oxygen and Trelawney pulling her free, tumbling, stumbling, falling amongst the gravestones. Amidst the crashing and thundering, the sound of sirens was heard. Two police cars and an ambulance flew into view. Leo was on his knees before the wreck, calling his sister’s name, in vain.
Trelawney supported Amanda as she lay on the grass, and removed his shirt from her face. The paramedics ran up bearing a stretcher, got a mask on her, and lifted her up and away to the ambulance. Baker hurried to the inspector’s side. He looked at Trelawney’s shoulder where acid was burning away his t-shirt.
‘Go with Miss Cadabra,’ said Baker. ‘There’s nothing you can do here. Go on, sir!’
Trelawney ran and jumped into the ambulance just before the door was shut and it whisked through Sunken Madley High Street. ‘Better take that off, sir,’ said one of the paramedics, seeing the cloth’s capillary action spreading the acid.
The last thing Amanda saw was Trelawney’s final layer of clothing being removed, before she passed into oblivion.
Chapter 49
Back from the Deep
The sea was warm and soothingly dark. Amanda let herself drift down. The further down she floated, the warmer and darker it was. So nice, so gentle, so cradling.
‘Amanda.’
The voice was faint.
‘Amanda.’
Who was that? Oh ….
Amanda was five years old. Doctor Tahami was calling her. It must be the doctor calling her now. Oh dear, it was so comfortable down here, so restful, and yet, she had promised. If only she hadn’t promised, but
a promise was a promise.
‘Miss Cadabra.’
What had she promised?
‘Amanda. Please.’
Oh yes; to swim.
‘Amanda, come back.’
The voice was pleading.
Swim where?
‘Please, Amanda, come back.’
Oh yes. Up.
‘Amanda!’
Up as fast as she could. And with all her might. She began to swim. It was so hard. She was so tired. But she had promised.
‘Oh please. Please… Amanda…’
It didn’t sound like the doctor … but she had promised. Up. Swim. Up.
Suddenly she broke the surface.
Amanda opened her eyes. There was the inspector. He looked so intense, so … tender? And he was holding her hand … He was looking at her eyes, and suddenly his face was relaxed and professional. He seemed to let out a sigh. He spoke calmly:
‘Miss Cadabra. Well done.’ He patted her hand in a perfunctory manner and released it. ‘I’ll just let the nurse know that you’re awake.’ He left the bedside.
‘Well, hello,’ said a cheerful voice. A friendly face framed in black curls came into view. ‘Glad you decided to rejoin us. I‘ll tell the doctor.’
Trelawney took the nurse’s place.
‘Where have I been?’ Amanda asked him.
‘You passed out.’
‘The hall … oh!’ she breathed, remembering. ‘Donna!’
‘She didn’t make it,’ Trelawney answered levelly.
‘Leo?’
‘He’s fine.’
‘You called me … I thought it was the doctor.’
‘Yes,’ said Trelawney matter-of-factly, ‘the staff seemed to think it might help you to regain consciousness, if a familiar voice encouraged you to do so.’
But, thought Amanda, he had sounded … quite unlike the inspector ... but then she had been delirious; no doubt his voice had been distorted.
‘Well, thank you,’ she said.
‘How do you feel?’
‘Sleepy.’
The nurse returned, checked Amanda’s vital signs and conferred with the medic who had just turned up.
The doctor came to the bed.
‘Hello, Miss Cadabra. I see you’ve been a guest here several times in the past. Not for quite a while though, I’m glad to say, at the risk of sounding inhospitable.’ He chuckled. ‘Sorry. Medical humour.’
Amanda managed a wan smile.
‘That’s the way,’ he continued. ‘You’re going to be fine. I’m sure you know the ropes. A few days rest. We’ve called your listed next of kin, who will be here in about an hour. In the meantime, just get some rest.’ Nurse and doctor departed.
‘Well, thank you, Inspector, for getting me out of the hall.’
‘No, Miss Cadabra,’ he said seriously. ‘Thank you. You saved us both. You saved my life.’
Amanda closed her eyes. The spell. She had done the one thing she had been warned not to do on any account. She had cast against a human.
Never mind. She was alive. The inspector was alive. She would face the music when the time came.
And there was the other matter: he had seen her do it, seen her wand, seen her use it, heard her use the spellwords.
Amanda opened her eyes.
‘You’re welcome.’
‘We don’t have to talk about how you did it,’ he said gently.
‘But we shall. If only to stop it being the elephant in the room!’
He smiled. ‘When you’re ready.’
‘You always suspected, didn’t you?’
Trelawney shook his head. ‘No. Not at all. It was a possibility that I was entirely unable to contemplate, I assure you.’
‘And now?’
‘I seem to have travelled an inordinately long way since then,’ he admitted ruefully.
Amanda grinned weakly. ‘You’re dealing with the culture shock surprisingly well.’
‘Thank you.’
‘I expect you have to be getting back. Your mother … your station.’
‘No,’ Trelawney replied firmly. ‘I’ll stay with you until your next of kin arrives. I’ve let my mother know I’m safe, and I have the Christmas holidays covered.’
‘Thank you,’ she said drowsily and sank into sleep.
And there he was, still there, when Amanda awoke some 45 minutes later, pulled herself into a half-sitting position and stretched her arms.
‘How long was I out?’
‘Well … it’s Christmas Day now. Happy Christmas, Miss Cadabra.’
She smiled. ‘Happy Christmas, Inspector. What time is it?’ She saw a faint light through the window. ‘It’s dawn.’
Trelawney checked his watch. ‘Yes, it’s ten past eight.’
‘You must be exhausted!’ said Amanda, concerned. ‘You’ve been up all night.’
‘I slept in the chair a little.’
‘Any news?’
‘Just that Baker’s team searched the Weathersbys’ flat and found the Recket papers.’
‘Where were they, as a matter of interest?’
‘Stuffed into a sleeve of a coat in Donna’s wardrobe.’
‘Ah.’ She’d moved them then, thought Amanda. ‘What about you? You’re not going to get into trouble over all of this, are you?’
‘No. Actually I wrote my report while you were asleep and sent it to Ross. Of course, I may have to produce it as a written statement,’ Trelawney said. ‘But he says that Maxwell says there’ll be no question of any poor reflection on either of us.’
‘I’m glad.’ Amanda leaned her head back on the pillow and sighed. ‘You know, it’s just occurred to me, no wonder Donna only came to the classes after Majolica had kicked the bucket and Vic was too distraught to make an appearance. She couldn’t afford to be recognised by either of them, especially Vic. And once she’d sprung her trap and caught the wrong rabbit, it was too risky to try again, at least straight away, as she said. And in the meantime she was going quietly round the bend.’
‘Quite,’ agreed Trelawney. ‘Just a moment.’ He disappeared and presently returned with cups of tea.
‘Oh thank you, how kind.’ Amanda took a sip. ‘You know, Vic was right all along. He said it was Recket and Bogia, and, sure enough, it was a Bogia descendant that was responsible for his wife’s demise.’
‘Shrewd man,’ Trelawney observed.
A familiar voice was heard at the entrance to the ward. ‘Thank you, nurse.’ A lady with a dark wavy chestnut bob, and wearing long sweeping dark red velvet gown under a matching coat, was sailing towards them.
‘Aunt Amelia!’ said two voices simultaneously.
Amanda and Trelawney looked at one another in confusion.
‘Aunt Amelia?’ they both asked.
‘What do you mean, “Aunt Amelia”?’ asked Amanda, taking umbrage.
‘She’s my Aunt Amelia,’ he explained mildly.
‘She can’t be your Aunt Amelia. She’s my Aunt Amelia. You can’t have her,’ insisted Amanda.
‘Peace, my sweeties,’ said the lady in question, intervening diplomatically. ‘I can be both. Ammy, I am Thomas’s father’s sister. And Thomas, Ammy is my de facto adopted niece.’
‘But … but…,’ stammered Amanda. ‘Why didn’t you tell me he was your nephew?’
‘Because I didn’t know, my love.’
‘Didn’t you ever mention me?’ asked Thomas, a little put out.
‘Yes, but …’
‘Amanda never mentioned you by name,’ explained Amelia. ‘She only ever called you “the inspector”.’
‘But you must have told her that you had a nephew who was a police detective,’ persisted her nephew.
‘Thomas dear, immensely proud of you though I am, I am not so far gone that I assumed you were the only inspector on the Devon and Cornwall police force,’ said Amelia gently, with a gleam in her eyes.
‘But didn’t you gather it from what Miss Cadabra told you about me?’ he pursued.
‘Amanda told me very little. She said that your conversations were in confidence, and she kept yours.’
Trelawney was touched and impressed. He turned from his aunt to Amanda. ‘Thank you, Miss Cadabra.’
‘Not at all, Inspector.’
‘Listen to you too!’ exclaimed Amelia. ‘You sound like you’re trapped in a Victorian time warp!’
‘I know the inspector only in his professional capacity,’ explained Amanda firmly. ‘He is investigating the —’
‘Ah yes,’ Amelia acknowledged.
‘Miss Cadabra,’ added her nephew, ‘is the sole remaining witness.’
‘All right,’ Amelia conceded, ‘I understand. As long as you don’t start calling me “Ms Reading”. Well, you can be off now, Thomas, to your mother. You can’t hang around collapsing buildings in a hailstorm and not expect the local press to get hold of it, followed immediately by your mother.’
‘I have called her.’
‘She’ll have been waiting up then. Best go home now. And I must get Ammy home too.’
Trelawney held out a hand to Amanda. ‘Thank you again, Miss Cadabra.’
‘You’re welcome, Inspector. Glad to see that you’ve got your clothes on again,’ she said playfully. ‘It’s not every day someone gives me the shirt off their back.’
‘You are also welcome. I’ll call you tomorrow.’
Amelia regarded her nephew thoughtfully as he left the ward. She turned to her niece.
‘Well now. I went to the cottage and got you something to wear. Let’s get you dressed.’ Amanda had become aware of a warm mound under her knees.’ I think,’ added Amelia, ‘that that leg pillow is probably getting short of air, too.’ She drew the curtains around the bed as a small nose, and two livid yellow eyes appeared out from under the bed covers.
Chapter 50
An Apologetic Visitor, and the Rector’s New Plot
Amanda rested. After a couple of days, Amelia went home. The rector dropped in. Constable Nikolaides came by for her statement. Baker came to see how she was. Perran and Senara were always nearby.
Trelawney phoned to check on her and said he was looking forward to seeing her at the New Year’s Eve Ball and had requested a particular song for them to waltz to.
