Bad Things Happen: when a child goes missing

by K Leitch

  He was just dozing off when the dogs outside started barking loudly, Duncan put his pillow over his head, he could hear Gabe shouting to the dogs, ‘Shut the fuck up…shut up…hey!…Who’s there!...Duncan!... Duncan…’

  Duncan flew out of his bed and out of the van, pulling on his tracky bottoms as he went.

  ‘What is it? What’s happening Gabe?’ he shouted as he saw Gabe speeding off apparently chasing someone. Duncan followed him as best he could in bare feet; he soon spotted Gabe leaning up against a tree trying to get his breath back.

  ‘Fucking ‘ell ‘e was much too fast for me,’ he gasped when Duncan finally reached him, ‘I need a fucking fag,’ he pulled away from the tree and the two men started walking back to the camp.

  ‘Who the hell was that?’ asked Duncan.

  ‘I don’t fucking know do I? Saw ‘im sneaking round Poppy’s van. When the dogs began to bark I looked out me window and there ‘e was, sneaking round ‘er van. So I lets out a shout and ‘e took off didn’t ‘e…fucking ‘ell he could run fast ‘un all. I never stood a chance of catching ‘im.’

  ‘I wonder what he wanted with Poppy’s van?’ Duncan said taking out a cigarette and handing one to Gabe

  ‘Oh ‘e was just chancing ‘is luck weren’t ‘e,’ said Gabe lighting up and taking a deep drag, ‘e‘d probably ‘eard Poppy’s boys ‘ave gone, thought ‘e’d break in while she’s vulnerable like…fucking bastard. ‘e better not come back I’m telling you, I’ll fucking ‘ave ‘im.’

  Gabe went off to his own van muttering under his breath, while Duncan checked in on his grandma and Poppy, who had stayed with Martha in her van for the night. They were both fast asleep, blissfully unaware of the drama that had taken place only a few yards away.

  The events of the evening only served to make Duncan more determined that he was going to get Martha out of her van and into a proper house. He finally fell asleep as the sun began to rise; with thoughts of estate agents and mortgages running round his head.

  CHAPTER 48 - CARLA

  Much to James’s disgust, Carla point blank refused to cancel this week’s cauldron meeting with her friends. The only concession she would make was that she would have it here, in her home, rather than go out to the pub. James was not happy; but he supposed as long as she didn’t move about too much, and certainly didn’t drink any alcohol then it couldn’t do any harm. In fact it might do her a lot of good to get together with her friends, and try and get a bit of normality back after her ordeal in the woods.

  Luckily none of her injuries were serious; her ribs were badly bruised, not broken, as was her jaw. The bump to her head looked a lot worse than it was, and the only thing that had worried the hospital team was the threat of concussion. But two days had passed with no ill effects, so she had been told to take it easy and had been given some painkillers.

  She felt awful; every bone in her body was aching and her head was still pounding, but she knew how lucky she was to be alive. If it had been mid-winter she would have died, if he had produced a knife instead of an old lump of wood, she would be dead now. Ted had drummed these facts into her; he was furious with her for chasing after a known murderer into thick, secluded woodland on her own. She had been well and truly told off, and not just by him, Chief Inspector Drew had given her a right bollocking too.

  ‘What sort of example is that to set the rest of the team Carla,’ she had said in her no nonsense way, ‘you know not to tackle a dangerous criminal alone don’t you? Apart from anything else you are a good police woman and we need you alive…so don’t bloody well do anything as stupid again ok?’

  Carla had listened to them all and knew they were right, but she was itching to get back out there. Craig O’Bruin was still at liberty and he was apparently getting more and more desperate. Ted had got straight on the phone to Carla when he had heard about Helen’s break-in.

  ‘I am convinced it’s him Carla,’ he had said excitedly, ‘tall man, Irish accent apparently only interested in cash…pretty nasty and violent too by the sounds of it. Only thing that’s troubling me slightly is how he knew there was money in the house; I mean if he was your average run of the mill house breaker then there was a whole houseful of interesting items to steal. Bloody hell Helen even offered the man her jewellery; most thieves would have taken the jewels and legged it, but he just kept on insisting that she give him the money.’

  ‘Yes I see what you mean Ted,’ said Carla perplexed, ‘but don’t forget that Helen said that the money had been banked the day before, so there really was no money was there?’

  ‘No not then no, but maybe he was told about the money before it was banked. Maybe he was just a day too late.’ Ted finished doggedly.

  ‘Ok, so let’s go with your theory for a moment, who do you think told him about the money?’

  ‘Well there’s only one candidate as far as I can see…it has to be that Maya,’ he held up his hand as he saw that Carla was about to protest. ‘No Carla, think about it; who else would have known. And let’s not forget that Maya knew Mary, what’s to say that she doesn’t know Craig as well. And when you get down to it, how long has Helen known Maya, what does she know about her really?’

  Carla thought anxiously for a minute. ‘Ah yes but Maya knew the money wouldn’t be there, she banked it herself yesterday, she even had the paying in book. Why would she tell him about money that she knew wasn’t actually there anymore…it doesn’t make any sense Ted.’

  Ted looked fed up, ‘Yes well I haven’t worked that bit out yet, but mark my words Carla she’s mixed up in this somehow and I think you should have a word with Helen, warn her off I mean. If I’m honest I think Helen should get rid of her, I mean just because she’s a fantastic cleaner doesn’t mean that she isn’t a criminal as well. She could have been playing Helen all this time just to get her hands on her money. Craig O’Bruin and Maya might be in this together…she might even have been involved in Mary’s death. We just don’t know, but I’m telling you right now I am going to find out all I can about Miss Dronski.’

  ‘Well unfortunately I think things with Helen and Maya have got bit more complicated than that Ted,’ Carla said worriedly, ‘I think Helen will fight tooth and nail before giving up Maya.’

  Ted looked at Carla in confusion for a moment until the penny dropped, and he turned bright red.

  ‘Yes…well…whatever…I’ll leave it to you to have a word Carla, but whatever the situation, Helen needs to be warned ok?’

  So, Carla had the unenviable job of speaking to Helen later at the cauldron meeting, about the prospects of her, lover (for want of a better word) being a charlatan…great, just what she needed.

  Tracy was the first to arrive, full of beans but shocked to the core at Carla’s appearance.

  ‘Oh my god sweetheart, you look dreadful. Are they any closer to finding this guy, he must be an absolute maniac to leave you out there like that?’

  ‘Well we know he is still in the area,’ she said, and went on to tell Tracy all about Helen’s break-in. ‘What worries me the most,’ she said filing the kettle with water and switching it on, ‘is that he seems to be getting more and more desperate, and I don’t know why he’s still here. I mean he must know by now that we are after him. All I can assume is that either there must be something that he still has to do, or he is waiting for something to happen. But at the moment we haven’t got a clue. There does seem to be a woman involved though, we’ve got CCTV footage of him arguing with some woman outside Sainsbury’s in Redbank…so we need to find out who she is…oh anyway Trace enough of this, how are you?’

  Tracy smiled contentedly, ‘I’m absolutely fine Carla; Lisa seems to have turned over a new leaf, she has been looking into going back to college which will thrill mum and dad. And Simon is so thrilled about the baby now that he has got his head round it. In fact,’ she held out her left hand to Carla, showing off a beautiful diamond solitaire on her third finger.

  Carla screamed with delight and hugged her friend, �
��Oh that is wonderful love, I can’t believe you didn’t tell me the minute you walked through the door…oooh let’s have another look at that ring, blimey Tracy that must have cost him a fortune, it’s bloody gorgeous. I am so pleased for you honey.’

  ‘Pleased about what?’ said Maggie coming in through the back door, ‘not more secrets I hope.’ She broke off as she noticed Carla’s bruised and battered face, ‘Oh sweetheart I didn’t expect you to look this bad…should you be up? You look as if you should still be in bed, come on sit down…no I’ll make tea, stop arguing. Who’s having bloody tea anyway? You look like you could use a stiff drink darling,’ she produced a bottle of gin from her bag and went to look for glasses.

  ‘No I’m sorry love but you will be drinking on your own tonight; I’m on painkillers, Tracy… well you know she can’t and Helen is breast feeding. That’s why I had the kettle on,’ said Carla laughing at Maggie’s disgusted expression, ‘but if you’re making it, two sugars in mine please.’

  The kitchen door opened and Helen came in carrying baby Abby in her car seat and a gigantic bag over her arm, obviously full of her tiny baby’s most urgent requirements.

  ‘Hello everyone, I hope you don’t mind me bringing her but she needs a feed in about an hour, and anyway I thought I would introduce her properly to my lovely witchy friends…’ she stopped when she saw Maggie, who had turned her back and was busying herself with making the tea.

  Carla gave her an encouraging smile, ‘Oh darling we would have been so mad with you if you hadn’t. Let’s have a proper look at you Miss Abigail Drover…oh I think she grown already Helen, don’t you think Tracy?’

  Tracy and Carla cooed over the baby for a while, covering up the awkwardness between Helen and Maggie. Until at last Helen, who could stand it no more, said, ‘Maggie darling, please forgive me…I can’t bear this distance between us. I know now how much I have hurt you by keeping my pregnancy a secret; and if I’m honest I still can’t really explain why I did. I think I felt that if I told everyone about it…I might lose it. I know that makes no sense…but let’s face it I wasn’t making much sense back then was I? I’m better now…and I’m so so sorry,’ Helen finished her voice breaking, she looked at Maggie pleadingly.

  Maggie looked at her for a moment shrugged her shoulders and let out a sigh. She came over and gave Helen one of her enormous bear hugs.

  ‘Oh I’m sorry too darling, for being such a stupid cow. After the last few weeks with Jed I should have learnt that life is just too fucking short to hold a grudge. I am so happy for you love; and not just about this gorgeous creature. I’ve seen you blossom over the last couple of months Helen, we all have, and I think we can all guess the reason…’ she looked at Helen with raised eyebrows and teasingly said, ‘who would have thought, our prim and proper Helen is a lesbo…wow now that I didn’t expect.’

  For a minute Helen just looked completely gobsmacked, like she didn’t know what to say; but then Tracy and Carla, who had gasped in shock at their friend’s brazenness, fell about laughing and she couldn’t help but join in with them.

  ‘Bloody hell Maggie,’ said Tracy eventually, when they had all finished swapping hilarious stories about their own tentative lesbian experiences, ‘You have the tact of a sledge hammer, I had thought we were going to wait until the right moment before carefully broaching the subject with Helen.’

  ‘Well,’ said Maggie unrepentantly, ‘someone had to get it out there in the open, and what better way to do that than to have a good gossip about it. Now Helen knows that she can talk openly about it with us, don’t you love? And that, to my mind, is a very good thing.’

  ‘You are quite a wise old cow aren’t you my darling,’ said Carla quietly to Maggie a bit later, while the other two were swapping pregnancy stories, ‘so now tell me how I can tactfully warn Helen to be careful of Maya, without alienating her forever. ‘Maggie gave Carla a quizzical look, but Carla just shrugged her shoulders and said she would explain later.

  The evening took its usual course; Helen’s break-in was discussed and analysed, as was Carla’s dramatic attack in the woods. Everybody ooohed and aaahed over Tracy’s engagement ring; and then quite a lively argument developed over the pro’s and con’s of getting married abroad. And of course little Abby joined in the evenings fun in true witchy fashion, with such a spectacular dirty nappy, that it took all four of them to clean her up.

  Carla took the opportunity, while Helen took the baby upstairs to try and settle her down, to talk to her friends about the Maya situation.

  ‘I see what you’re saying Carla,’ said Maggie once Carla had explained her worries, ‘but I think we have to tread carefully here. Remember what happened last year, and no matter what she says I know she is still very fragile.’

  ‘Yes but don’t you think that’s all the more reason to warn her?’ Carla interrupted, ‘I mean god forbid that I’m right, but if Maya is mixed up with Craig O’Bruin in some way, then Helen is heading for a big fall. Or even worse she could be hurt…physically I mean, he is a very dangerous man Maggs, believe me I know.’

  Maggie sighed and thought for a moment, ‘What if we just talk about what’s been happening; generally I mean, like we always do. But we try and say a few things that might start Helen thinking about it for herself, let her put two and two together…maybe that would work?’

  Tracy and Carla nodded their agreement at this idea, and then they all hastily started talking about something else completely as Helen came back in the room.

  ‘So she’s started looking at college courses,’ Tracy was saying to Maggie, ‘specifically tourism or something similar…seems she can see herself as an air hostess.’

  ‘Oh who’s this Trace, your sister?’ said Helen as she picked up the conversation. ‘I was thinking about her the other day actually. A friend of mine runs a gallery in Godstone, and he was telling me that he needed some help. Only three days a week; but I remember you saying that she was keen on art so I thought I would mention it.’

  ‘That sounds just the thing Helen; I will get Lisa to give you a call. Although I must admit being a bit worried about her travelling too far afield at the moment, what with this O’Bruin bloke on the lose, you say he’s still in the area Carla?’

  Carla almost raised her eyebrows at the obvious lead, but she controlled herself simply saying, ‘Yes… well we’ve had a few sightings of him, and I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he didn’t have something to do with your break-in Helen. He seems to be getting more and more desperate for money, and he’s tall, over six foot and Irish so it certainly sounds like him.’

  Helen looked a bit shocked, ‘But why would he break into my house…I’ve got nothing to do with him?’ she asked.

  Carla shrugged her shoulders, ‘Who knows, maybe he had heard that a single lady lived there, or maybe he got wind that sometimes there were large amounts of money in the house… whatever my money is on him being your house breaker,’ she let this sink in for a moment.

  ‘Bloody hell Helen, if Carla’s right you had better be careful…make sure you are locked up properly at night etc.’ said Maggie dramatically. ‘Does Maya have a key? Because you need to make sure that she keeps that to herself, I mean you wouldn’t want anyone else getting hold of your key would you?’ she finished pointedly.

  Helen began to look as if she was feeling a bit besieged, ‘No of course she wouldn’t let anyone else have my key, she’s not stupid. And she’s just as concerned about safety as I am, so you don’t have to worry about her,’ she finished defensively.

  Carla thought they had gone far enough and so they began to discuss other things. Helen was obviously still thinking about what had been said though; she barely joined in the conversation until she suddenly turned to Carla and said, ‘Carla, are you sure it was this Craig O’Bruin that killed that Mary girl?’

  Carla looked at her, ‘Yes pretty sure, it was his fingerprints all over the walls and his DNA under her finger nails, so he was definitely there. Of course we ca
n’t say for sure he did the actual deed, but all the evidence is pointing that way…why?’

  Helen looked a bit uncomfortable, ‘Oh nothing really I was just curious that’s all. Actually I think I will be heading off now; it’s quite late and I know I’ve only got another couple of hours before madam wakes up for another feed, so I think I’ll go home and settle her there, sorry to be a party pooper.’ And with that she started gathering up all her baby paraphernalia, strapped the sleeping Abby into her seat, kissed each of the girls goodnight, and left.

  The three girls all looked at each other guiltily; Maggie was the first to speak. ‘Well I think something went in anyway; and as long as it puts her on her guard that’s good enough isn’t it?’

  Carla looked worried, ‘It can’t hurt I suppose, actually she did say to me earlier that she was a bit concerned about Maya anyway. Apparently she has been acting very strangely for the last few days; I think I’m going to get someone to keep an eye on that young lady…you never know, Ted might just be right after all.’

  ‘Ok well… that’s enough serious stuff for the night,’ said Maggie fixing herself another G&T, ‘we are meant to be cheering you up my darling. So let me tell you how my date went with the gorgeous Thomas.’ Tracy and Carla raised their eyebrows at each other, and settled down to be amused.

  ‘Well firstly I looked amazing…I know, I know you all knew that, but it had to be said. I wore my black Donna Karen; you know the one Carla, backless with those little georgette inserts, and my new Prada boots. Thomas was completely wonderful and after a lovely meal we…er…well we went back to mine,’ she finished looking shifty.