by Graham West
“And this Jacob what’s-his-name?”
“Jacob Root. He was Amelia’s father. She mentions him frequently in the diaries we found in the attic.”
Laura took a sip of wine, and Jenny couldn’t help noticing her hand was trembling. “I’m guessing you heard about the pushchair?”
Jenny nodded.
“I’m scared. Cody made friends with that girl on the first day. Her name’s Bailey, and personally, I think there’s always been something wrong with her head, but she’s been behaving really strangely since she got lost in those woods. Her mum is frantic.”
“Did you see the pushchair?”
“Yes. Not where it came from, but no one could have pushed it that hard. It was like a bullet.”
“Do you think it was something to do with the girl?”
Laura shrugged. “I don’t know what to think. I just want to get Cody away from this place. At least he doesn’t go wandering around in the middle of the night when he’s at home.”
Jenny could still hear the screams, the whispers and cries of anguish. “Just make sure he doesn’t go back into those woods.”
Laura took another sip of wine. “Don’t worry, we’re keeping a close eye on him in future. He can go and play in the pool and I think his dad’s going to book the archery tomorrow—he’ll love that.” She paused and then added, “I guess Peter and I are going to have to start rethinking all this spirit stuff, but in all honesty, I’d rather Cody had something we could treat with drugs.”
Jenny felt a presence so powerful that she was afraid to turn for fear of what might be there. The smell of burning was unmistakable, and at first she wondered if it might have been smoke from a barbecue. “Can you smell that?” she asked.
Laura sniffed the air. “Smell what?”
In her mind’s eye, Jenny saw flames licking the branches of the trees, yet it wasn’t the scent of burning wood. The answer—the knowledge—came quite suddenly from somewhere in the recesses of her consciousness. No, it wasn’t wood; it was the acrid smell of burning flesh. Human flesh.
***
The smell remained with Jenny for the rest of the day. Not even the fan, working on its maximum speed, could dispel the pungent aroma. She fell asleep dreaming of the cottage and the fresh country air. There were only two days left: Thursday and Friday. On Saturday, they would be packing up the car and heading home, and Jenny was counting the hours.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Thursday was usually quiet on reception. The visitors had settled in and were making the most of their time at the park. The woman in navy blue uniform looked flustered; she stared down at the voucher for a moment and then looked up. “I’m sorry, sir. We don’t do these anymore.”
Kevin Taylor wasn’t a morning person, and to make it worse, he hated anyone in a uniform, especially women. “What do you mean? I got that legit. What’s the problem?”
“I’m not suggesting it isn’t legitimate.” The woman forced a smile. Taylor spotted the small gold name tag on her lapel. Sarah Evans. “But we stopped these six months ago. They were just a promotional thing.
“So what the fuck am I supposed to do with this, then?” Taylor growled.
Sarah Evans’ eyes widened, and that was when Taylor remembered he’d entered a different world. These were the kind of people who thought it was wrong to swear in front of kids and sat down together to watch Disney movies—the ones that didn’t end up with Snow White getting gang-banged by the seven dwarfs.
“Sorry,” he grunted, “but what am I supposed to do now?”
It wasn’t easy being polite to the snotty bitch who would have gotten a good slap if she’d lived on the Kirkland Estate. But if he wanted to get past her, he’d have to behave.
“I’m sorry,” she repeated, “we would only let you in on a day pass if you were a guest of someone who’s staying here for more than three days. Do you know anyone who could sign you in?”
Taylor wasn’t listening. One of the kids had been riding the mechanical rocking horse in the corner of the reception and had dropped her plastic wristband. He needed to get to it before the little brat realised.
He flashed Sarah Evans a smile. “It’s cool, don’t worry ’bout it.”
He sauntered across towards the door. Next to the rocking horse was a stand with things to do leaflets. He glanced over them, feigning interest, picking up a leaflet and dropping it on the floor. No one seemed to notice as he bent down and slipped the band onto his wrist. It was all too easy.
***
Darren picked up the message from Mendez at midday. It was short and to the point.
I’m in the woods. Came straight here cos the light is perfect at the mo. Could you meet me here by the gate with the NO ACCESS sign? Could do with another pair of hands.
Darren read the message twice. He had little interest in photographing trees or wildlife but a short break wouldn’t be such a bad idea. Plus, it would take his mind off Danni. He threw a jacket over his shoulder and set off, sending a brief message to Jenny to explain where he was going.
Owen Mendez sounded like a bit of a loner who was looking for some company. There was bound to be something odd about him; most lads his age had plenty of mates, and if he looked anything like his profile picture, he’d have a few girls hanging around him too. Mendez had fifteen friends on his list. That wasn’t many, but maybe he just didn’t use social media that much.
Darren stopped at the gate. It was padlocked. NO ACCESS BEYOND THIS POINT. No sign of Mendez, but then his phone vibrated. It was another message.
Hey Darren. Sorry—I found this little cottage—just taking some pictures. Walk in a straight line from the gate. You’ll see it.
This was a bad idea. The lad was already getting on his nerves and they hadn’t even met up. Darren climbed up onto the fence and swung a leg over, perching on the top for a second before jumping down. Walking in a straight line in this place was almost impossible; the guy was a prick.
For a moment, he thought about turning back. The place was eerie. While it didn’t freak him out the way it had freaked Rob, he was beginning to wonder why Mendez hadn’t met him by the gate. He’d not been late, so why had the bastard been so impatient? Now he was thinking clearly, it just didn’t make sense. There were plenty of places to go taking photographs of forests and wildlife. Why go to all this trouble? Maybe he was right about Mendez in the first place, but there were enough photos of Danni on Darren’s profile to suggest he wasn’t interested in anything more than friendship. Or maybe he’s one of those online stalkers that you see on those late-night murder documentaries.
Darren reached the edge of a clearing and stopped, listening to the sound of his own heartbeat above the call of a single bird, chattering away in the distance. He thought it strange it wasn’t part of chorus he’d woken to the past few days. Before he got any further in wondering why, his thoughts were interrupted by the crack of a branch. He turned instinctively and stared in horror. Kevin Taylor stood motionless with his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his jeans.
“Nice to see you, Pascoe,” he said with a snarl. “Just like old times, eh?”
***
Alex had seen the whole baby-buggy incident and was still trying to work out how the hell a pushchair could travel at that speed. He’d told Mr. Blakely exactly what had happened and had been asked, politely but firmly, to keep the whole thing to himself. They didn’t want any of the visitors contacting those sensationalist weekly glossies that would be only too pleased to run a story about poltergeists operating around an adventure park.
Maybe now would be a good time to ask for a pay rise or a promotion, but the company operated a minimum-wage policy and, as far as Alex knew, there weren’t any positions higher than head barman anyway. He might have a smart green shirt with the words Adventure Park Ranger emblazoned on the back, he might even have a decent pair of hiking boots and combat-style trousers, but this was a dead-end job, and if he left, the clothes stayed at the park.
Several couples waited with their kids while the girl at the front of the queue stood with a phone glued to her ear. His heart skipped a beat when he saw an older woman in a short white skirt looking through the leaflets in the corner. She glanced over and gave him a casual smile. Maybe, just maybe, he was taking the first steps on the road to recovery. Perhaps there was someone out there who would help mend his broken heart.
Alex had thought about signing up to one of those dating sites. There was no point sitting around. He fished in his pocket for the keys and placed them on the desk. That was when he realised who the girl at the front of the queue with her phone to her ear was. Danni. Alex’s legs buckled as their eyes locked and he saw only horror, or was it contempt? His heart felt as if it had plummeted into his bowels.
“It’s you,” she muttered, almost inaudibly.
Alex just nodded, wishing he could think of something to say. A sarcastic comment, a put-down—anything.
She slipped her phone into her jeans’ back pocket and walked over to him. “I’m trying to get in touch with Darren,” she said, now avoiding eye contact, “but he’s not answering.”
Alex always hoped if he ever bumped into Danni again, he’d find she had developed a face full of spots, but no; she was still perfect. Perfect, with minimal make-up. Perfect in her bright-yellow charity-shop T-shirt.
“How come you’re here?” he asked. His face was burning.
“I wanted to surprise him. Why do you want to know?”
Alex felt the anger and frustration rising inside. “You’re not still with him, are you? Not after what he did!”
Danni glared at him. “It’s none of your business. My life has been none of your business since we broke up.”
“Well, I thought you should know who you’re sleeping with,” Alex retorted.
“Yeah, I bet you did! But Darren would have told me eventually. I don’t need you interfering. You’re not my dad.”
“You believe what you want, Danni. He’s a waster and you fucking know it.”
“And you’re not?”
Her words were a punch in the gut. “Why? I haven’t killed anyone. I’ve not been in jail, I’ve always worked hard and—”
“And what?”
Alex felt his eyes filling. “And I loved you, Danni. I loved you more than life. I still do.” For a second, he thought he saw a spark of compassion in her eyes. Maybe the embers of their love still smouldered. “Look, I’m going for lunch. Come with me?”
Danni looked confused. “With you?”
“No strings. My treat. Then I’ll help you find Darren myself.”
Alex slid the keys across the desk and walked towards the door, holding it open and watching the love of his life pass within kissing distance. Her faint perfume filled his senses, and the smell of her hair brought the memories flooding back. The pain was almost unbearable. This was not a good idea; he’d probably regret the next hour for days, maybe months.
An awkward silence hung between them until they reached the restaurant. Alex found a table in the corner overlooking the lawns. The air-conditioning units whirred quietly, cooling the conservatory as the midday sun flooded the room.
“This is nice,” Danni murmured, pulling out a chair.
Alex watched her. “You want a drink?” he asked, trying to keep everything civil. He had plenty to say and under an hour in which to say it, but it was best to be polite.
Danni shook her head. “No alcohol. Just a fruit juice or something.”
Alex no longer had an appetite, despite having looked forward to his chicken and fries for the past two hours. Danni ordered the salmon, and after the young waiter had bought their drinks, she leaned forward. There was a coldness in her eyes.
“How did you find out about Darren?”
“I was serving their table and you flashed up on his phone.”
Danni rolled her eyes. “Oh, come on, Alex! That’s a bit of a coincidence, isn’t it? You really expect me to believe that?”
“It’s true! Okay, I knew you were seeing someone. I saw your profile picture.”
“You’ve been checking out my page?”
Alex shrugged. “I just wanted to see what you were up to.”
“For God’s sake!” Danni snapped. “Get a life, Alex!”
“I’m sorry.”
“For what? Trying to screw up my relationship? Just cos you can’t have me, no one can? Is that it?”
“No!” Alex protested. “I just don’t know what I did wrong. I thought we were getting on really well.”
Danni sighed. “You were too intense. I felt overwhelmed.”
“But that’s what I can’t get my head around. If you’re crazy about someone, you want them to be just as crazy about you as well. If you’d been messaging me all the time…well, I’d have loved it.”
Danni shrugged. “Maybe I didn’t feel quite the same way.”
There. She’d said it. The words he hadn’t wanted to hear. His father had been right. She’d never loved him, not the way he loved her.
All the pain fuelled his frustration. “No, you obviously didn’t, because you’re just a typical woman. You don’t want a decent bloke.”
Danni glared as if she wanted to slap him.
“I don’t do all that macho shit, Danni. It’s not me. But that doesn’t make me any less of a man. You women spend years trying to domesticate your blokes, and then you go and walk out on them cos they’re fucking boring! Well, if it’s excitement and danger you want, fine. You go right out there and look for it. But I’ll tell you now, there are refuge centres all over the country full of battered women who wish they’d settled for a boring man!”
Danni looked shell-shocked. “Where did all that crap come from?”
“I just wasn’t macho enough for you, was I?” Alex snapped. “It was poor Alex. Alex the wimp.”
Danni groaned. “For fuck’s sake, that was just a comment I made when we were having an argument. I didn’t mean it.”
“Of course you did! Well, maybe I am a wimp. Or maybe I just wear my heart on my sleeve while real men act like they don’t give a shit. Like that scumbag, Pascoe.”
Danni looked as if she were about to cry. “It’s just a word! Stop being such a child!”
Alex’s heart was banging so hard it was becoming was an effort to even talk. “It’s what the word represents. It’s a word women use to describe men who care and don’t talk with their fists. You hardly ever hear a female described as a wimp, do you?”
Danni stared at him, totally bewildered. A tear ran down her cheek, but he wasn’t done.
“There was this couple on the TV this morning, talking about gender neutrals or something. Neither of them wanted to be recognised as either male or female. They said gender wasn’t about your genitals, it was how you felt, and I thought, what a load of utter bullshit. But you know what? They’ve got a point. If I hadn’t had to live up to your preconceptions of what a man was supposed to be…we might still be together.”
Danni wiped away another tear. “I’m sorry, Alex. I never wanted to hurt you, and I honestly thought you’d have moved on by now. You are a good bloke. You’ll find a girl who loves you, and I reckon she’ll be one of the luckiest girls in the world. But that girl isn’t me. You have to understand that.”
Alex felt like he was going to throw up. The words, as simple as they were, had come like a bolt out of the blue, and he realised for the first time that deep within his heart, he’d still harboured a hope that if they met again, she’d realise what she was missing. Now, the truth hit him. He’d never managed to let go because he had never accepted she’d gone.
Danni stood. “I’m sorry. There’s no point in us having lunch together. I’ve hurt you in a way I never wanted to hurt anyone, ever.” She forced a smile through the tears that streamed down her cheeks. “And you know something? Right now, I
really wish I did love you. But I don’t.”
Alex watched her turn and walk away. He waited until she was out of sight and then, in the corner of Crest Hill restaurant, he buried his head in his hands. His life was unravelling, his spirit crushed beneath an unbearable weight. It really was over. The buzz of conversation filling his ears became a murmur. People would be looking at him, watching a member of staff fall apart before their eyes. It was unprofessional, but he no longer cared. What did it matter anyway? It was best to leave, hand in his resignation and find himself a park bench, somewhere he could curl up with a bottle and die.
But then he felt a hand on his arm and looked up into the face of an elderly lady, sitting in the very seat Danni had occupied minutes earlier. She was tall and thin, with a shock of grey hair.
“My dear,” she said gently. “I’ve been watching you and the young lady.”
Alex wiped his eyes with the paper napkin she offered him.
“You are grieving for the loss of someone who lives, and believe me, that is one of the hardest things you will ever do.”
A warmth emanated from her as she touched his hand.
“She is not the girl you’re meant to be with. Your grief is overpowering, but once you let go, your heart will heal. That is when you will see the world with different eyes, and you will find your soul mate.”
“But I don’t want anyone else,” he replied.
“Of course you don’t, because you can never imagine loving anyone else the way you love her.”
Alex looked into her eyes—deep blue eyes that sparkled with a youthful energy. “I know you’re right,” he said, “but I can’t handle the pain—”
The woman held a finger to her lips. “Say no more,” she whispered, taking a scrap of paper from her purse on which she scribbled a number. She pushed it across the table, smiling warmly and revealing a set of remarkably white teeth, making the single gold one on the left particularly noticeable. “Call me whenever you need to talk.”
It was just a number; no name or any other details. When Alex looked up again, she’d left the restaurant. He sloped out after her, hoping none of the other diners had been paying him too much attention.
