The Air You Breathe (HEARTFIRE Book 3)

by Jave Kavfi

  "Is it? Mummy didn't say. She wouldn't send me to a school with bullies. She says it's a nice school."

  "Oh, it is. I think they only do it with people who are too different. If they say strange things. But you don't, so I'm worried about nothing. I'm like that – I worry too much. About your mother too. Her health."

  Kenzie's eyes widen. "Mummy's health? She's not ill, is she?"

  "No, but it's just that stress can be dangerous for a woman's health. Pip's mummy was stressed and, well you know what happened to her. Don't say things that could cause your mother stress, will you?"

  Kenzie is shaking her head. "Oh no, I won't. Ever."

  "And you know how Pip says things. It's just because he's been ill. You know that illness affected his brain. So it's best not to bother your mother about them, don't you think?"

  "I won't." She bites her lip. "I did a little bit before you came in. That won't give her stress, will it?"

  "No! As long as you don't do it again." He pats her cheek and stands up. "Now, try to guess what I found in one of the boxes? Go on – guess."

  "Um..."

  "Only your game console and a load of your games! How about you grab yourself a couple of those biscuits and go set us up for a bit of gaming? Can you do that?"

  She stands up. "Yes, yes."

  "You get started and I'll join you later. Just got a few things to do outside. Won't be long."

  Chapter 29

  Caden throws another load of stone on the back of the lorry, wipes his hands on his jeans and takes out his phone. "Just doing a quick check everything is all right there. You're good?"

  "Fine. Don't be so paranoid," Ana tells him "The shop's busy – I'm not on my own. What you doing?"

  "Dismantling the maze. It seems a waste. The whole outside is covered in elaborate carvings. It's falling apart and won't be to everyone's taste, but artwork all the same. In fact, I'm going to have a closer look at the structure – I'm due a break anyway. Watch out for any dodgy characters, and if it looks like you're going to be on your own, give me a call and I'll get right back. I feel bad leaving you."

  "Told you – it's busy. You need to be earning. Gotta go. Customer."

  Now he's up close, he realises the maze is a lot higher than he thought. At least nine foot and the walls are a foot in depth. All the elaborate carvings and inscriptions are on the outside – the stone inside is smooth, as slippery as marble and slants slightly outwards, making it impossible to climb from inside. Intentional, obviously, so that anyone inside can't scale the walls and find their way out.

  He's taking a closer look at the carvings. All very well done, but highly bizarre and pretty disturbing. Figures with a human appearance, but with animal parts – beaks, tails, wings, horns and hooves. Most have grotesque expressions, like they're in torment –these are totally different from the sculptures scattered around the grounds. Why would Curtis Mortimer do this; what kind of mind did he have?

  "This thing is as freaky as fuck." Tyler has appeared with an empty wheelbarrow. "That guy was probably some type of crackpot. You know there was a rumour going around way back that there are actual skeletons inside some of his statues? There won't be, but that's what my old granny told me. She was a bit doolally, though, according to my ma." He looks over Caden's back. "Would you look at that one – what I'd like to do to her."

  Lucinda is walking up the path towards then, looking, Caden has to admit, pretty damn hot. "You'd have about the same chance as I'd have and that's a dead zero. Stop gawping and get back to work."

  "How are you doing here?" Lucinda says with a smile, as Tyler lumbers off.

  "Great, soon have it done," he tells her. "Just taking a quick look at the carvings – they're fascinating. I hate to do us out of a job, but are you sure you want to take this down? It seems like a mass of work went into it and it could be repaired."

  "No, I want rid of it. I wasn't sure at first, but I am now."

  "Okay. You want we should keep some of the pieces for you to–"

  "No. I said. If you don't want to do it, I'll get someone else in."

  "We will. No problem."

  "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so sharp. But I've always hated it. It was an ongoing project of my fathers for many years. I was lost and trapped inside it on a few occasions."

  "He had help?"

  "What?"

  "There is an initial carved into the stone in a few places. At least I think that's what it is – the letter V."

  "Oh, that was probably the woman who helped him out in the latter stages. A fellow sculptor. No idea of her name. No, I would rather it all went. I don't want to set eyes on any of it ever again. Make sure it's all taken away."

  "Will do. A day or so should do it."

  "Wonderful." She walks away, but turns back. "I almost forgot the reason I came over. The other night – the dog. Thank you for protecting my daughter."

  "No problem. What's happening with the dog?"

  "My husband's taken care of the situation. Told the owner he can't keep it on our land. Oh, here she comes."

  The two kids are running towards them. Something is happening. Everything is gone and Caden is standing looking over the lake. It's black, chilly and stormy, but silent. In the middle is a body, floating face down. No white dress, not Evangeline. Younger – a small child. Hands and legs spread out like a starfish. He knows the child is dead. As fast as it happens, it's gone. He's looking at the little group with ice running through his veins.

  "Are you all right?" Lucinda is saying. "You seem..."

  He gives himself a shake. "Yes. Just thinking I need to get on with this."

  "Of course." She begins to walk away with the children, but turns back to him with a smile. "Oh, looks like you have a visitor."

  Holly? What the hell is she doing here? What happened – what was it he saw? He has shivers going through him. Was it one of those kids? Very small – the boy?

  "I'm not going to interrupt their work," Holly shouts to Lucinda. "Just doing my good deed for the day and bringing them coffee and doughnuts to keep up their strength." Lucinda gives her a backwards wave.

  "How pleased are you to see me!" Holly puts the coffee and food on the grass and nearly knocks him off his feet with a hug.

  "What are you doing here? I'm working."

  "Don't be like that. I thought you'd be happy to see me. We could go for a walk."

  The men are coming over, eyes popping. Holly is on her tiptoes, with her arms wrapped around his neck. She's wearing a very short skirt and a tiny fitted top. He narrows his eyes at Tyler, who reluctantly unpeels his eyeballs from Holly's legs – or possibly her underwear.

  "Come over here for a second," Caden says, leading her away by an arm. Once out of earshot he says, "Don't just turn up like this – I'm here to work."

  She gives a pout. "Most men would be happy to see me – your workmates were. They're still staring." She giggles and gives them a wave.

  "You'll have to go. And you're meant to be at the shop with Ana. She's not on her own, is she?"

  "No, there are loads of people there. Sometimes I think you care more about her than me." Another pout.

  "It's not that – and thanks for the coffee. It's just ... with her being pregnant and having gone through a bad time recently."

  "She's had a bad time? What about me? The cottage burned down and George was such an old moan."

  "Sorry about the cottage, but the situation doesn't compare," he says. She doesn't know the half of it, and even the parts she's been told about, she doesn't believe. And he's still reeling from what just happened. Was that some type of precognition? Is this a new thing that's going to happen with his messed-up brain? The dreams of the dead stop, now he's getting flashes of ... what? The last thing he needs right now is Holly here, but she looks disappointed, so he says, "Look – how about we grab ourselves a coffee and sit down on those tree stumps and–"

  "Or we could go for a quick 'walk' in the woods." She's giving him a big open-mo
uthed smile.

  "As tempting as that is, we'll need to give it a miss."

  "I've just remembered," Holly says, when Caden is about to return to work. "About what Ana was asking. Why my uncle Denny didn't like this place or the family. Seeing the maze reminded me. He said he heard crying coming from it one day. Like a child. But they didn't answer when he shouted, but kept crying, so he went in to look. He couldn't find who it was but still heard the crying. And he nearly got lost and it took him ages to find his way out again. He was stuck with the crying and it was getting dark. When he finally got out, he went to tell the owner, but the man laughed so much he had tears running down is face. Said it would be the girls playing tricks on him and they liked to do that.

  "Uncle Denny already knew that – about them and their tricks, because they did them on the staff and they told him about it. Locking people in cupboards or the cellar and things like that. Putting horrible things in people's food or pills in their drinks – not to kill them, but to cause embarrassing effects. Telling lies and getting people into trouble. Oh ... something else I've just remembered. He said one time he had to stay the night – can't remember why now. Anyway, he woke up and his feet were damp and sticky. When he moved them he felt a solid lump. He swung his legs over and tried to put the lamp on but the bulb was gone. He got his lighter out and saw he had blood all over his feet and when he pulled the covers back there was a dead hare in his bed with its head hanging off. Isn't that terrible? I love animals – that made me so sad. But I did good, didn't I? To remember?"

  He feels flooded with guilt, for reasons he can't fully work out. That she's so trusting and kind of innocent in her own way and that he's often irritated by her and sometimes avoids her, apart from when there's something in it for him?

  "You did real good," he says, giving her a kiss. A roar and exaggerated kissing sounds goes up from the men, who have probably been watching them all the time.

  He walks her to her car – not the old Beetle she inherited from her uncle, or a wreck like his, but a smart and newish model provided by her boss and ex-boyfriend, George. That's another thing – she's back and forward to him as soon as he flashes a decent amount of cash. But that is the last of his worries. The premonition, if it was one, has made his blood run cold.

  Chapter 30

  "Why did you have to buy me these stupid sandals? No-one wears these kind. I'll look like a ... a social reject wearing these. Everyone will laugh at me and–"

  "Stop whining, Kenzie – they're just for the summer. You'll be getting others for school. That kind of shop doesn't have a big selection and they are rather old fashioned, but they'll do for now. I wish you would stop complaining, I'm stressed enough as it is."

  Kenzie stops walking.

  "Come on – what's wrong?" her mother says.

  The girl grabs her mother into a hug. "I'm sorry, Mummy. I didn't mean to do it. I'll stop now and never do it again. Are you feeling sick? Did the stress make you sick?" She's almost in tears.

  Lucinda takes her daughter's face between her hands. "Whatever is wrong? I'm not at all sick – what made you say that?"

  "Stress can make you ill and I'm giving you stress and–"

  "Silly girl. I'm not ill or even that stressed. It's just that a house move is rather stressful, but not enough to make me ill. How about a treat? You know the old home movies you found in that cupboard? We can cuddle up on the sofa and watch them if you like. With cookies!"

  "Yes, yes, can we?" Kenzie is beaming. "And I won't whine even one single time."

  "Good girl. There's a cake stall here somewhere... Oh what is Pip doing?"

  "They're called magic lantern slides," Maggie is saying to the solemn little boy, who is holding a strip of painted glass up to the light. She gives him another one. "That one's a circus – see the lion tamer? How cool is that?" She turns to Lucinda. "He's a quiet one. And long-time no see – heard you were back."

  "I'm just trying to think..." Lucinda says, tapping a finger to her bottom lip.

  "Don't strain your brain. Maggie O'Rourke – we didn't exactly move in the same circles. Heard you moved away to the States."

  "That's right. Not far off twenty years ago now. Maggie O'Rourke. So sorry, I'm not good at names or faces, for that matter." She gives a nervous laugh. "Come on Kenzie, put those down," she says to her daughter, who is rummaging through a box of new goods and trying on plastic bangles.

  "Well, I'm a good few years older than you," Maggie says. "And let's just say – if I had got an invite out to Ryden, I wouldn't be breaking my neck to get there. Weird though – you marrying a local boy."

  "No, my husband is American. My first one too, Kenzie's father."

  "Yeah, but from Larksbury originally. Small world, eh?"

  "No, you're mistaken. Jonny's from Seattle – this is his first time here."

  Maggie hands one of the bangles to Kenzie. "Here – free of charge." She leans her forearms across the counter, picks up a tin soldier and gives it to Pip. "He's a drummer boy and over one hundred years old. Missing a few bits, but he'll watch over you and bring you luck."

  Lucinda is going into her purse, but Maggie holds up a hand. "As I said, free of charge. Yeah, I got told that, but she might have been mistaken. Thought he was someone she knew from way back."

  "No, this is my husband's first visit. Your friend must have been confused."

  "Yeah, she probably got mixed up. Thought he was a kid that was in her class at school for a while. Likes the"--she does a drinking gesture towards her mouth--"a bit too much. Reckon I'll be packing up now. Damn rain."

  *

  High above there will be stars in the night sky but he'll never see them again. This is how it ends. Among rubble and dead things in a gash in the earth. There can be no going up or going back. He's smashed to pieces inside. It will be finished soon and the pain like no other will end.

  He's silenced, like the rest. Not alone – but the others have gone. The one eye that has some vision can make out the crumpled shape. A leg, one stout shoe, what she was is no longer there. She's what he'll be in minutes. The other one he can't see, but knows is there. Forever quiet, to the last.

  He'll go without knowing the mystery, and really, that was all that brought him back. More important than the money, always, that puzzle. Why he waited but could wait no longer. The longing for an explanation or just one word. The ache in him – to know why and for another chance to live.

  Chapter 31

  Caden is at the shop counter, poring over the photographs taken at Ryden the summer Evangeline died.

  "What are you looking for?" Ana asks.

  "A woman covered in dust."

  "Huh?"

  "Someone who looked like they might have been working with stone. Lucinda Mortimer said her father had a woman working with him on the maze that last summer. One of her initials are etched into some of the carvings. And don't ask me why I'm interested – I do not know. A hunch ... or something. I might just be trying to place everyone who was there. I actually no longer know how my mind works."

  "What's wrong? There's something."

  "Nothing. I'm just ... tired..."

  "Holly wearing you out, is she? Sorry, I'm joking. Really – what is it?"

  "Leave it. I told you it's nothing."

  "I don't believe you. I'll get it out of you."

  "You won't. I mean, there's nothing. Where's Holly?"

  "You're the worst liar ever. Holly's gone to see one of the girls who works for George – resolving a man-crises." She grabs a pile of photographs and takes them to a table. "I'll help. Oh, how's this for speed? Look at the tall, fair-haired woman standing in front of Curtis Mortimer. They're both wearing messy working gear, and is that a chisel in her hand? Might be. And both of them are covered in dust."

  He grabs the photograph. "Ha – it's like I'm a genius..." He flips it over. "Damn – no name. The date, though, and it's the summer of Evangeline's death."

  Ana is searching through the pile. "C
rap. Looks like this is the only one of her."

  Caden is cursing loudly with the frustration of trying to use the shop computer. "Seriously, Ana – how can you stand this thing? It's like an antique and the connection is crap. First chance, I'm getting a decent phone. I'm trying to see if there's anything on a female sculptor with the initial V in her name. A massive long-shot, I'll admit."

  "Shift over. I've got the knack with this monstrosity. Why are you so obsessed by finding the woman? I don't get why you think she's significant."

  "Might not be – just a feeling. Like I said, I get hunches. And she worked closely with old Mortimer, so..."

  "That was a massive waste of time," Caden is saying as they go upstairs. "Next time I get one of my bright ideas, just slap me into next week, will ya?"

  "Will do, and I might anyway – I sometimes get a near irresistible urge. I'll hold off for a while if you tell me what's wrong. Don't say nothing, because I know there is and that you're trying to protect me by not saying. But, honestly, it makes me feel worse. Powerless. Like you're keeping a secret and it's something I should know. Because – if it's not highly personal – what affects you affects me. Just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean I have to be excluded from everything that might cause a bit of anxiety."

  He pauses on the step under her and she turns to look at him.

  "You can mind read?" he asks.

  "Thankfully not, as your brain is in your pants a good deal of the time. But tell me – we're a team, whether you like it or not."

  They're in the kitchen, across the table from each other. "That's terrifying," Ana says. "Anything like that involving a child truly horrifies me."

  "Me too, but I shouldn't have told you – I'm supposed to be protecting you from all this." He rubs his eyes and leans back in the chair.

  "Will you stop that? I want to know. You think you had a premonition? Or more like a case of precognition, because you actually saw it?"