The Secrets of the Shadows (The Annie Graham series - Book 2)

by Helen Phifer

  He went back downstairs to watch out of his living room window, pulling the curtain to one side to see if anyone was around. The small cul-de-sac was quiet; he had a small black book with a record of all his neighbours’ comings and goings. He knew that Bob at number eight went to the pub every Thursday, Friday and Saturday leaving the house at seven and not coming back until midnight at the earliest. Mrs Wallace from number twelve never went out of the house after five pm, the latest he had ever seen her come home had been ten to five one night when a taxi pulled up outside her house and she had scurried inside, shutting and bolting her door. She would then go into each room and close the curtains. She never had any visitors and she never opened the door – ever. The problem was number fifteen; he didn’t know what the young couple who lived there were called but they came in at all hours and were very unpredictable. They both worked shifts at McDonald’s, he knew this because of the distinctive olive green polo shirts and khaki trousers the staff at the drive-through wore. When they weren’t working they were out drinking and sometimes brought friends back to play extremely loud music and party. He was glad that he lived a short distance away from them otherwise he might have gone in there and smashed their music system or whatever it was they used to play the damn music on. However it was a pretty safe bet that they didn’t come home between the hours of eight and nine pm. They were the only ones left in the street; the other houses had been bought by the council and boarded up. There had been talk about regeneration and knocking the houses down to build an urban park but that was over two years ago now. The council had run out of money and now the last few residents were making the best of what they had until a better opportunity came along.

  He looked at his watch; it was almost eight – time to put his plan into action. His truck was on the small drive directly in front of the house, he had made a point of taking things on and off the back of the truck to avoid arousing suspicion when he actually had more than some planks of wood or bits of old furniture. He slipped on his thick, black leather gloves and opened his front door. It was a dry night which was all part of the planning; he wouldn’t be able to do this in the rain. He unlatched the tailgate of the truck and let it drop down. He moved some of the old bits of wood around and took the folded up plastic sheeting he had in the cab into the house. He began to wrap the plastic around his sleeping angel, tucking it around her and rolling her from side to side to make sure she was completely covered, then he took the roll of duct tape he had left on the table and began to secure the plastic, being careful not to use too much – he didn’t want to make it harder than it was already going to be when he got her to the church. He bent down to pick her up, it was quite a struggle and much harder than he’d imagined. The plastic sheeting made it difficult to grip and even though she was a tiny little thing she was a dead weight – he smiled to himself at the pun. With everything he had, he threw her over his shoulder and made his move. He walked out of the house and placed her in the back of his truck. He didn’t look around to see if anyone was watching because he never did, he relied on his senses to alert him. Slamming the tailgate shut he went back inside his house and shut his front door. Give the neighbours time to come over and investigate if they thought he had put anything untoward on the back of the truck. He left the hall light on and the front door unlocked. He was breathing heavily from the exertion but he was buzzing with excitement. He went into the darkened living room to sit down and wait in the chair, giving the police a chance to arrive in case anyone had called them. He couldn’t go around suffocating girls in public places; it had to be done in private. He couldn’t abide mess and it would have been too risky killing her at her house so it had to be here.

  Ten minutes passed with no police cars flying into the street with blue lights and sirens wailing. Perfect, he just hoped he could manage to get her out of the truck at the church without anyone noticing. He had been a busy boy this last month because he had a red book with every activity and service that was held in the church. Thursday nights were quiet, no tap-dancing teenagers in the church hall or flower-arranging pensioners in the church. Thursday was an unpopular night in St Mary’s Church social calendar, which suited his needs just fine. He left the driveway and drove the short distance to the church. Recently he had done a few odd jobs in the area so his truck was a regular sight parked near to the church. If he said so himself he was a very organised person.

  There were no houses which overlooked the church, just the presbytery a short distance away. He noted that the blinds were closed. The front of the church was illuminated but the rear was in darkness. He parked at the side as close to the gate as possible. There wasn’t anyone in the area but he got out and had a stroll around to make sure. Reassured, he unlatched the back of the truck and dragged her out, throwing her over one shoulder. He had to duck as he went through the gate to make sure he didn’t catch her on the low branches which hung over the entrance, not wanting to get her caught in them, dangling like a life-size puppet. His hands began to sweat inside his gloves, making it harder to grip her but a few more paces and he would be at the grave he had chosen. It was in the perfect position, it couldn’t be seen from the street because of its close proximity to the wall and it was sheltered by a huge oak tree. Panting now, he bent and tried to put her down without dropping her but she slid from his grasp and he grunted as her body hit the gravel. Pulling the knife from his pocket he sliced open the plastic. Working fast, he pulled it off and screwed it up – tossing it to one side. He undressed her, taking every item of clothing off, then he laid her on her side, taking the time to position one hand under her face, palm upwards, her other arm across her chest, so they were as close together as he could make them without fastening them together. He then set about picking up leaves, branches and twigs to cover some of her nudity, wanting her to look tasteful. Posed in death as if she was a sculpture, this had taken him a lot longer than he had anticipated but when he finally finished and stepped back to admire his work he felt like applauding. She looked truly beautiful in death; he pulled his gloves off and took his phone out of his pocket, snapping a couple of photos. He didn’t think he would see her again but he wanted to remember everything about his first angel. Dragging himself away he turned and began picking up her clothes and the plastic sheeting, they smelled of her and he would keep them hanging up in his office in the wardrobe he had bought specially. He lifted the blouse to his nose and inhaled her perfume, unsure what it was but knowing it was something expensive. He knew every time he smelled it on a woman he would be reminded of these precious memories. His heart pounding with excitement and exertion, he forced himself to walk away from her. As he reached the gate he turned to steal one last glance and blew her a kiss. Then he climbed into his truck and drove away. He was pumped full of adrenalin, nothing could destroy how he felt at that moment. Gloating but not stupid, he drove around the empty streets aimlessly for the next twenty minutes – he didn’t pass one police car, which didn’t surprise him. When he was ready he began to drive home and back to his mundane life

  Chapter 3

  The Black Dog was quiet. Will went to the bar and bought himself a double vodka and drank it neat. Then he ordered two pints of lager, a large glass of wine and three bags of salt and vinegar crisps. There were two men playing pool in the corner and them, that was it. At least it saved time at the bar – he wanted to get drunk and forget that tonight had ever happened. In a couple of weeks he might see the funny side of it but he doubted it, he might even throw a sickie tomorrow so he wouldn’t have to face the eight hours of piss taking. He carried the drinks over and went back for the crisps. Laura was telling Stu about some festival she was going to in a couple of weeks with a minibus full of mates. Stu asked who was headlining and Will downed his pint before they had had a chance to sip their drinks. He got up and went to the bar for another shot of double vodka and a pint. He swallowed the vodka at the bar and knew that they would be whispering about him; he never usually drank more than a couple o
f pints on shift nights out, preferring to stay sober and not be the cause of any gossip. He took out his phone and called Annie, even though he was mad with her he’d still rather be with her than stewing in the pub getting pissed. This was the first time they’d really fallen out and he didn’t like it. If she answered he’d get a taxi home and leave Laura and Stu to it He let her phone ring and ring until it went to voicemail. He didn’t leave a message because he wasn’t sure what to say, ‘Stop being stubborn and come home’? He tried again, still no answer, so he rang Jake who didn’t answer either. Now Will felt even more angry off than before and ordered another shot of vodka, downing it he turned and stumbled back towards the table to join the others. He caught the look which Laura gave to Stu but ignored it and began talking about any old crap that came into his head.

  After twenty minutes Stu looked at his watch. ‘I really should get going, Debs will kill me if I’m really late.’

  Will nodded. ‘You’re a lightweight Stu, what’s that on your forehead? Hang on it’s beak marks – henpecked is what you are.’

  Laura stifled a giggle and held her empty glass towards Will. ‘Well I’m not in a rush, same again.’

  Stu frowned, shaking his head at her but Will stood up to go back to the bar and she rubbed her finger and thumb together and whispered, ‘You’re going to owe me a lot more than a tenner.’

  Stu shrugged. ‘I seriously doubt it, he’s going to get so tanked up you’d need a flagpole to strap to his dick.’

  She let out a loud screech which made everyone including Will turn to look at them. Stu lifted his hand and walked out of the door leaving them to it.

  ***

  Annie was sitting in Jake’s kitchen drinking the frothy cappuccino that Alex had just made. Now that she had got over the initial shock of what had happened in the cemetery it didn’t seem quite so funny. She knew she’d upset Will and embarrassed him in front of his colleagues and she felt like crap.

  Alex grabbed her hand. ‘Penny for them?’

  ‘Why do I let Jake talk me into doing such stupid stuff? I’m such an idiot and now Will’s mad with me and going into work tomorrow is going to be an absolute nightmare.’

  ‘Annie, I’ve lived with Jake for the last two years and he still talks me into doing stupid stuff and I really should know better. Last month it was having our cards read by an old dear who nearly passed out when she realised we were a couple. She’d told Jake he was going to settle down in the next three years and would have lots of children.’

  She grinned at him. ‘Poor woman. I know what he’s like and that’s why I should know better. I’m fed up with feeding the station gossips with my life.’

  Jake walked in and patted her on the head, then he went and stood close to Alex slipping his arm around his waist. ‘Have we sobered up yet Ms Graham? That was pretty hilarious though.’

  ‘It was funny at the time but I’m not so sure now. I think I should go and find Will and apologise.’

  ‘I wouldn’t if I were you, I’d let him calm down. He was pretty mad at you. Why don’t you sleep in the spare room? Give you both a chance to breathe and then you can go and see him in the morning. He’s not at work till twelve.’

  Annie thought about it. She’d have to get a taxi to Will’s house and then get one back here to come for her car tomorrow and it wasn’t payday for another week. It would be easier to stay the night and drive home first thing; she didn’t have to be in work until nine. She opened her mouth and let out a huge yawn. ‘Ooh excuse me, if you don’t mind I’ll stay here. It’s easier than messing around with taxis and stuff.’

  Alex nodded then left the kitchen. Jake lowered his voice. ‘He’s gone to turn down your bed and make sure the bogeyman isn’t hiding in the wardrobe.’

  Annie pushed Jake’s arm. ‘Don’t be so mean, he’s adorable and sometimes far too good for you and your sarcasm.’ She sipped the rest of her coffee and this time managed to get down from the stool in an elegant manner. ‘See I can be a lady when I try.’

  Jake laughed and bent down to kiss her on the cheek. ‘Goodnight my crazy, ghost-seeing friend. Sleep tight.’

  She turned to go upstairs; Alex had turned the heating on and pulled the bed covers down, placing one of Jake’s tee shirts on the bed for her. ‘Sleep tight Annie, everything will be okay. You and Will are destined to be with each other and I bet he’s tried phoning, have you checked?’

  She felt in her pocket for her phone but it wasn’t there. ‘Damn, I think I might have dropped it when I fell in the cemetery.’

  ‘I’ll send Jake to go and look for it in the morning; I’m not as brave or foolish as you two. There is no way I would go in there at this time of night. Do you want to borrow mine to ring him?’

  She shook her head, ‘No it’s late. Let him stew for a while, it may make him realise that he can’t live without me.’

  Alex hugged her. ‘I’m pretty sure he can’t.’ He left and she undressed and pulled Jake’s huge tee shirt over her head then climbed into bed. Within five minutes she was fast asleep.

  ***

  When Will couldn’t see straight he decided it was time to call it a day. He stood up and felt his legs wobble. Falling into the table he knocked the rest of Laura’s wine into her lap. She jumped up and grabbed Will’s arm. ‘Come on Will, I think it’s time to leave.’

  He felt her arm slide under his and she gripped his elbow, directing him towards the door. ‘Sorry Laura, I got you all wet.’

  He slurred his words and Laura giggled. ‘It’s okay I’ll dry out but I think I should make sure you get home okay.’

  Will turned and aimed his lips at her cheek to plant a kiss on it but she moved fast and he felt his lips connect with hers. She kissed him hard, pulling him closer and for a second he forgot about Annie and kissed her back, then his senses returned and he pulled away from her. ‘Whoa, steady on. I’m not supposed to be doing this.’ A taxi pulled up and he stepped away from her towards it and knocked on the window. ‘Who is this taxi for?’

  ‘Corkill.’

  Will nodded and opened the door. ‘That would be me then.’ He shook his head at Laura who was stifling a laugh and she climbed in after him. He gave his address and wound the window down, he’d had nothing to eat since dinner except for a packet of crisps, and he felt sick. Laura had snaked her arm through his again and was now leaning her head on his chest. It was wrong but he was so drunk he couldn’t think straight and was putting all his concentration into not puking all over the taxi floor.

  When they got out of the taxi Will struggled to get the money from his pocket to pay the driver. It was a huge effort to keep standing upright. He felt Laura’s slender fingers slip into his side pocket and begin to root around for his money. He watched her pay the man and then she took hold of his hand and dragged him up the gravel path to his front door. She had his door key in her hand and put it in the lock, opening it she stepped inside. Will stumbled in behind her and tripped on the hall mat, trying his best to keep upright, but gravity won and he lost his balance and fell to the floor. He lay there and began to laugh. Laura tried to drag him up but he was too heavy and instead she ended up falling on top of him. She kissed him again but this time he didn’t kiss back. ‘I’m sorry Laura; I can’t do this – I love Annie.’

  He watched her begin to blink back tears and he did feel bad even though he was drunk. He managed to pull himself to his knees, knocking the framed picture of himself and Annie face down onto the small table in the hall. He then wobbled his way into the living room and collapsed onto the sofa. Within sixty seconds he was snoring.

  Laura wanted Will so badly that it hurt inside her chest, she couldn’t afford a taxi home and Annie must not be home or she would have come down to see what all the commotion was. She looked at Will then bent down and tugged off his shoes, then she undid his trousers, pulled them down and dropped them on the floor next to his shoes. He had a pair of tight, black boxer shorts on and for a man much older than her he looked well decent
. It was warm in the house and she didn’t want to crease her best suit so she stripped down to her underwear and climbed on the sofa next to him. She hoped that when he woke up he would be like most men and not be able to resist her charms and the offer of some hot sex. Then the wine began to take effect and she found herself falling asleep.

  June 26th 984

  Sophie couldn’t bring herself to watch this stupid TV programme that Sean was obsessed with – as if those men could make tanks out of some metal sheets and a hairdryer. It was total rubbish but he loved it. All he ever wanted to be was B A, the one with the crazy haircut. Sophie hadn’t really spoken much since she saw the man yesterday, he had been real in one way but not in another and he smelled so bad. She didn’t know why he didn’t like her or where he had come from but she knew he would be back. He had told her to get out and she hadn’t. Where could she go, she was only nine years old? She couldn’t just leave because some horrible, stinky shadow of a man had told her to. What made everything worse was her mum thinking she had made it all up. Why had she not been able to smell him? Sophie would never lie about anything unless it was one of those white lies so she didn’t upset someone. She looked down at the picture she had been drawing to show her mum exactly what he looked like so she could be careful if she saw him too, but she couldn’t get him right. He had looked both grey and black but at the same time transparent, and she knew that if she had been brave enough to reach out her hand and touch him it would have gone straight through him. He must be a ghost and Crayola didn’t make a crayon called ‘ghost’, although she knew it would be a pretty popular one because she would bet ten black jacks she wasn’t the only child to have seen him. She shivered; she didn’t want him to come back.