6.0 - The Face Behind The Mask

by Helen Phifer

  Adele waited for him to lead the way and then followed him inside. The paramedic was right; Will had never seen anything like it in his life and he’d seen some strange stuff. The scrawny guy was lying straight out on the sofa dressed in a black and white satin clown suit, which was indeed covered in what looked like bloodstains. He would need Matt to confirm this, though; for all he knew it could be tomato sauce. The stains were dried and not fresh.

  Over his head was a clear polythene bag that had been fastened with a black tie wrap – the sort he had a garage full of back home. He stepped closer and took out the miniature tablet. The only thing he used his for was to take photographs. Once he’d remembered his password and opened the damn thing up he took a couple of snaps. He wanted to show Annie. Hadn’t she said something about a clown being at Pauline Cook’s house?

  Adele, who hadn’t spoken up until now, looked at Will. ‘Is there a circus in town?’

  He shrugged. ‘I wouldn’t have a bloody clue.’ Tucking the tablet back in his pocket he noted the bruises on the man’s face, but he couldn’t see any other injuries. Stepping away from the body he turned to look around the flat. He couldn’t see anything of any value; in fact it was a shithole. There were no signs of any forced entry. The victim could have left his front door open, hoping that someone would come along and find him, save his life. He wanted so much to say that it wasn’t suspicious, but he couldn’t. It didn’t sit right; it was all out of sync.

  ‘Come on, let’s wait outside for Matt. I need to know who phoned it in. I can’t say that it’s suicide; as much as I would love to, it’s not right. There’s something strange about this and I have alarm bells ringing in the back of my mind.’

  Adele smiled at him grimly. ‘I agree; it’s odd.’

  They walked out, leaving the man where they’d found him. Will suddenly remembered his name: Walter Lacey. While they waited for Matt to arrive they began to knock on doors to see when the last time was his neighbours had seen or spoken to him.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  All the way home Annie couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched, which she put down to the ghost of the young man in her house. She felt gutted that she’d found out no information whatsoever about that clown suit to pass on to Will. She was going to go home and try her best to help the man in her house to move over to the light. She didn’t want any spirits hanging around and upsetting Alfie, who could probably sense him just as much as she could. Her phone began to ring and she pressed the button on the steering wheel, allowing her to talk.

  ‘Annnie, please don’t come get this precious baby yet. My friend is on her way from Manchester and she hasn’t seen him yet.’

  Annie laughed. ‘Well, I’ve finished now and was on my way, but I can go home and get sorted out. Actually that would be perfect; thank you, Lily.’

  ‘My pleasure. See you later.’

  She ended the call and Annie wondered if Lily had a sixth sense she didn’t even know about. Most people had it. They just never tapped into it. She always seemed to know when Annie needed some space and time to get things done – either that or she was just very perceptive.

  Parking outside her house, Annie looked up at her bedroom window. It was a habit she couldn’t break after her close encounter with Betsy Baker. No matter how many times she did it, the thought that someone would be staring back down at her was always at the back of her mind. She got out of the car and walked across to the garage that doubled up as a storage shed. There was a large box full of candles, and next to it one full of light bulbs. She hated the dark and living out in the middle of nowhere if there was a power cut wasn’t the most fun thing to endure on your own.

  After pulling out four white church candles she took them to the house. She would roll the rug up and light the candles in the lounge, then tell him he needed to go to the light. It wasn’t something she’d had to do before, but she’d watched it being done on the television so it couldn’t be that hard, could it?

  As she moved Alfie’s baby bouncer and toys off the plush rug and rolled it up, she wondered if she should phone Derek to get his advice. She wasn’t scared of the spirit who had somehow found his way here, but she did find it unsettling that he couldn’t speak to her. She bent down to get a box of matches from the side of the wood burner and began to light each candle. As she lit the fourth one her mobile began to ring. She glanced at the coffee table to see who it was and didn’t recognise the number. As much as she wanted to ignore it, she was unable to. She snatched it up and answered.

  ‘Is this Annie Graham?’

  ‘Yes, speaking.’

  ‘It’s Mrs Brown from the vicarage. I’m afraid I have some bad news.’

  Annie felt her knees go weak and sat down onto the sofa.

  ‘It’s Father Trelmain; he collapsed and has been rushed to the hospital. They think he’s had a heart attack.’

  ‘Is he alive?’

  Annie was biting her lip and had her fingers crossed. She was terrified of what the elderly woman on the other end of the phone was going to tell her.

  ‘Yes, but he’s in a bad way.’

  ‘Which hospital?’

  ‘Westmorland, I think. It was all a bit of a blur to tell the truth. He gave me such a shock. He was rushing out of the rectory towards the church and there was such a clatter. I ran outside and he was on the floor. Some of the workmen from the church had already phoned for an ambulance and had put him in the recovery position. It was so awful. He looked grey and he grabbed my hand and whispered: Annie.’

  ‘Thank you for letting me know, Mrs Brown.’

  She ended the call and ran out of the house to her car. She loved Father John. He was like the dad she’d never known. She felt terrible; he hadn’t looked well when she’d called in to talk to him a few days ago and all she’d done was go on about her life. She should have insisted he went to the doctor’s then. She should have taken him herself.

  Before she set off she rang Will, who didn’t pick up, which made her so mad with him she didn’t leave a message. She didn’t even know for sure which hospital they’d taken Father John to. She rang Westmorland, who told her they had a limited A&E running and he was more than likely to have been taken to Furness General Hospital in Barrow.

  Annie set off driving, hoping that Will could get back to her before she reached the outskirts of Barrow. It didn’t matter that she’d promised him she wouldn’t set foot anywhere near Barrow. What mattered was that she was there for John when he needed her.

  __________________________

  Teatime at Meadow Field residential home was always manic. Nurse Andrea Wallis, who was dishing up the medication, looked to the table that Colin usually sat at to give him his tablets. She was surprised to see his seat vacant. She caught hold of the arm of the auxiliary who was walking past.

  ‘Emma, please can you take this down to Colin – is he not feeling well?’

  Emma shrugged. ‘I don’t know. I’m on the other side of the corridor. Jenny is doing Colin’s side.’

  Andrea looked around for Jenny and couldn’t see her. ‘Please, just go down and check on him for me. I’d go, but I can’t leave the medicine trolley.’

  Emma took the small plastic pill pot from her, went out of the doors and walked towards Colin’s room. She knocked, waiting for him to call her in. He didn’t. She knocked again and opened his door a little.

  ‘Colin, it’s teatime. What’s the matter? Not like you to miss a meal.’

  She was greeted by silence. Opening the door wider she stepped inside. His room was empty. She checked the small en suite, which was also empty, and turned around and went back to the dining room.

  ‘He’s not in his room.’

  Andrea frowned. ‘Where is he then?’

  ‘If I knew that I wouldn’t be working here, would I? I’d have known which six numbers to pick on the Euro.’

  ‘Mind the trolley.’ Andrea rushed out to the reception area. ‘Have you seen Colin?’

  ‘He
went out just before dinner time; said he was going to Ulverston for a stroll. He promised he’d be back before you started your shift. Is he not here?’

  ‘No, he bloody well isn’t. Why didn’t you tell me this before at the handover?’

  ‘I didn’t think. He goes out all the time. He’s probably missed the train, that’s all. He’ll be here soon.’

  ‘When does he ever miss the train? I’ll tell you when: never. Was he okay when he left? Did he seem himself?’

  ‘I think so; he didn’t look any different.’

  ‘Has anything happened that I should know about?’

  ‘He had a visitor this morning – some woman who said she was a distant relation visiting the area.’

  The nurse’s face paled. ‘Who was she? What did she want?’

  ‘For Christ’s sake what is this – the Spanish inquisition? He’s a grown man in case it escaped your notice. I think he’s bloody well mature enough to decide if he wants to speak to long-lost relations or to go out of this sodding place and get some fresh air. He’s probably in the pub pissed as a fart.’

  ‘Because that’s where I would be if I had to live in this mausoleum day in day out, waiting to die,’ she muttered under her breath. Andrea didn’t take any notice of her. She was too busy dialling the police to report him missing.

  __________________________

  Jake was sitting at his desk staring at the attachment he’d just opened that had come from Will. It was a photograph of a dead man lying on his sofa in a clown costume and was one of the weirdest things he’d seen in a while. He replied to Will’s email, asking him what was going on.

  The whole time he was playing with the huge salad in front of him while waiting for his reply. He’d eaten all the chicken and a minute portion of coleslaw. He’d never been fond of rabbit food. He was also bloody starving and cursing Alex for not chucking in a couple of doorsteps of bread. The rest of the station was empty. A car accident on the A590 by Newby Bridge had meant all the staff except him had been deployed to it. He heard Cathy laugh behind him.

  ‘Jesus, that’s a sorry excuse for your dinner. It’s almost as bad as mine.’

  ‘Why, what you got?’

  ‘I did have a wholemeal salad wrap that tasted like shite with no butter or mayo on it. Are Kav and Alex in cahoots about what to feed us? Because I can’t take much more of this. I need stodgy, greasy, fatty food to keep me going in this shithole.’

  Jake laughed. He felt better about the state of his lunch. If Kav had Cathy on a healthy eating kick, things must be bad.

  ‘What do you say that me and you go down to the pie shop and get a couple of pies and cream cakes? I won’t tell Alex if you don’t tell Kav.’

  Jake stood up. ‘I’d say that was a fucking brilliant idea, boss.’

  She nodded her head. ‘Me too; come on, I’m foaming at the mouth.’ They left the station and got into the van that Jake was driving. The pie shop was only a few minutes down the road, but neither of them wanted the pleasure of foot patrolling through busy Bowness. It was too full of tourists and Jake didn’t think Cathy would cope if they got stopped every thirty seconds to get asked for directions, boat sailing times or to have their photographs taken.

  He stuck his hazard lights on and parked on the double yellow lines outside the delicatessen that also sold pies and cakes. He even made it to the door before his radio crackled into life. He listened as the control room asked him to go to Meadow Field in Grange as he was the only available patrol.

  ‘Is it urgent?’

  ‘It’s a grade two. There’s a missing patient who hasn’t been seen for several hours. The nurse sounded pretty upset so I’d suggest you get there sooner rather than later.’

  ‘Roger.’

  He quickly asked for an assortment of pies and cakes then rushed out to the van.

  Cathy looked at him. ‘If you’d have come out of that shop empty-handed I’d have eaten you.’

  ‘Steady on, boss; you know I’m a married man.’

  Cathy stared at him, waiting for him to put the pies on the dashboard, then she punched him in the arm.

  ‘Filth, Officer Simpson. Pure filth.’

  Jake began laughing. ‘Did you hear that shout?’

  ‘I did and, seeing as how I’m bored, I’ll go with you to keep you company. I haven’t been to Grange for ages. It will be a nice run out and that way I can eat my pie and cake before you do.’

  He set off driving along the busy road, not having to blue-light it because it wasn’t a grade one job, but going faster than he normally would.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  When Annie finally arrived at the hospital she parked on double yellow lines, abandoning her car and not caring if she got a ticket. She needed to see John. He had a sister who had died last year. Annie was the closest thing to family he had. She rushed into the emergency department and asked for him.

  ‘Who are you?’

  ‘I’m his daughter.’

  She felt terrible. That was three blatant lies in the space of one day, but they would never let her in if she told them she was his friend and she couldn’t do that. She couldn’t go home without seeing how bad he was for herself. She gave John’s details to the receptionist so they could book him in and then she gave her own details. The nice man smiled, not even raising an eyebrow when she gave John’s address as the rectory. He pointed to the hard blue plastic chairs.

  ‘You can wait out here, or go into the relatives’ room. It’s up to you. I’d go into the relatives’ room if I was you. The chairs are comfier and it’s more private.’

  Annie knew from experience just how hard those blue chairs were, but she’d take a chance. She didn’t want to be hidden away and forgotten about in the relatives’ room; if they took him down to intensive care or theatre she would see him go past.

  ‘Thank you, I’ll wait here. Can you tell him I’m here?’

  ‘I’ll tell the nurse.’

  Annie went and sat on the chair facing away from the exit. She pulled her phone out to see if Will had tried to ring her back and realised it was dead. Shoving it back in her pocket she decided she’d ring Will again as soon as she knew what was happening. She’d left her handbag and purse in the car and didn’t have any loose change on her for the payphone.

  After what seemed like for ever a doctor called her name and she stood up. She held the door open for her and Annie followed her through to the cubicles.

  ‘I’m afraid your dad has had a serious heart attack. We had to resuscitate him when he came into the department.’

  Annie felt hot, salty tears fill her eyes and the doctor reached out and grabbed her hand.

  ‘But we’ve managed to stabilise him. We’re going to transfer him down to intensive care shortly but in the meantime would you like to come and sit with him?’

  ‘Yes, please. Will he be okay?’

  ‘I’m afraid it’s early days yet. This was quite a severe heart attack. The next twenty-four hours will be crucial.’

  The doctor led her to a room at the end of the department. Annie could count the cubicles that she’d been a patient in. There were so many of them. She wondered how on earth Will had coped with the stress and heartbreak of it all. The doctor stepped to one side to let her in. She saw the frail figure lying on the bed, hooked up to almost every machine in the department, and burst into tears. The doctor patted her shoulder and left her to it. Annie wiped her tears on her sleeve, then walked over to the bed and bent down to kiss John’s forehead. He looked so grey. She sat on the chair next to the bed and gently clasped her fingers around his hand.

  ‘I’m here, John, and you’re going to be fine. Have a sleep and then you’ll feel much better.’

  She sat watching the rise and fall of his chest, the whole time praying to God to look after his ever so faithful servant.

  __________________________

  Cathy had eaten her pie and was just cramming the last of her jam and cream donut in her mouth as Jake arrived a
t the retirement home. He looked at her and she shrugged.

  ‘A girl has got to eat. You can have yours when you come out. If you don’t piss around in there it might still be warm.’

  ‘Are you not coming in?’

  ‘I said I’d come keep you company, not do your bloody job for you.’

  He shook his head at her and got out of the van. ‘Don’t you dare eat my cake.’

  ‘Would I do that to you?’

  Slamming the door shut he walked towards the entrance and muttered, ‘Yes, you bloody would.’

  The receptionist and a nurse greeted him at the door.

  ‘Sorry to have called you out. I’m Andrea Wallis – the nurse in charge tonight.’

  Jake looked at the clock above the reception desk. It wasn’t even half past five. If he thought his working hours were shite, hers were abysmal.

  She explained what had happened and he nodded his head as he listened.

  ‘So Colin goes out on his own and uses the trains quite frequently?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘But he’s always back by four o’clock. The trains could be running late; you know what they’re like.’

  ‘We’ve already spoken to the staff at both Grange and Ulverston stations and they’re not. They’ve been very helpful. They said they would get the CCTV footage ready for an officer to look at of the times Colin would have got the train and where he would get off.’

  Jake was impressed. That was one of his jobs ticked off his list.

  ‘Has anything happened to upset Colin? What is his mental health like at the moment?’

  ‘Well, he had a visitor this morning, which is very unusual for him because he has no family that we’re aware of and he never has anyone coming to see him.’

  ‘What was he like after they’d gone?’

  ‘Fine, he seemed his usual self. Very upbeat and happy. He’s not a depressive type of man. He doesn’t take any medication except for heart tablets and painkillers for his knees, which sometimes give him some trouble.’