by Cross, Amy
“Nice try,” she replied. “If you've finished eating, you may be excused. Go do your homework.”
“But Mum -”
“Homework,” she said firmly, pointing toward the front room. “Now!”
Sighing, Stuart took his plate and set it on the counter, before making his way through.
“You too,” Jane told Oliver.
“I don't have any homework,” he replied.
“Then go and bug your brother.” Sighing, she swirled some more pasta onto her fork and waited while Oliver left the room.
“Okay,” Jack said a moment later, “they're gone. Now you can fill me in on a the details.”
She shook her head.
“Jane!”
She turned and scowled at him.
“There's something to be said,” he continued, “for an open and honest police force that actually informs the public about what's going on. Stu's right, you're going to be feeding the rumor mill if you don't set the facts out. It's already started with the kids, next it'll be the whole town.”
“And this has nothing to do with you wanting more salacious detail to fill the pages of the paper tomorrow? You're not eying the stat-counter on the website and wondering if you could get even more hits?”
“Not at all. I'm asking as your husband, not as the Morning Herald's editor. We're both public servants, in a way.”
She rolled her eyes.
“We have a duty to the community,” he continued.
“I can't tell you anything that hasn't already been announced,” she replied. “Jack, please, I have to let Alex control the flow of information.”
“Is there going to be a second autopsy?”
Ignoring him, she continued eating.
“Did you get into her email, social media and phone records yet?”
No reply.
He sighed. “Do you have anything to link it with other incidents?”
Again, Jane remained silent and focused on her food.
“So it's not true that the wounds on Mel's body match the wounds on Caitlin's from all those years ago?”
Finally, she turned to him. “What?”
“There's a rumor going around.”
“Spread by who?”
He shrugged. “I can't comment on the source of the rumor.”
“Come on, Jack,” she replied, “you always said you'd never try to leverage our marriage to get stories for your paper. I'd really appreciate it if you'd stick to that agreement right now.”
“Okay,” he replied, “here's a deal. I'll just throw some ideas out, and if they're wrong, you tell me, but if they're right -”
“I'm full,” she said suddenly, leaving half her plate full as she got to her feet and headed to the door. “I should help the kids with their homework.”
“Jane -”
“It's not a game,” she replied, stopping and turning to him. “None of it is. You said you wanted to pop back to the office after dinner, so... Just go do that, okay? You might as well set your final copy, because you won't be getting any more info from me. Not unless it's released officially through the office, so just stop trying, seriously. You won't manage to wear me down, you'll just piss me off.”
He opened his mouth to reply, but she was already gone, and a moment later he heard her talking to the children. Her tone had switched in an instant, and now she sounded happy and playful.
Spotting Jane's bag on the counter, Jack reached over, figuring that he could take a quick look at her phone. At the last moment, however, he held back, telling himself that he couldn't go that far. Not yet, anyway.
***
“No, Bob,” Tom Lanegan said, leaning back in his chair as he used the rubber-end of a pencil to clean out his ears. “Don't worry about it. She won't come again, and if she does, I'll do the same as last time. It's cool and -”
Hearing a beep on his phone, he checked the screen.
“Gotta go, Bob,” he continued. “Incoming.”
He tapped the screen, and immediately moved the phone away from his ear as he heard a burst of static.
“Jesus fucking Christ, man,” he said once the static was over, “you need to fix your communication system. I can't make out a goddamn word you ever say.”
He waited, hearing nothing but another burst of static.
“I'm assuming this is about the new girl,” he continued. “I have no complaints. If there's something you wanna talk about in more detail, you'll have to go direct to Mr. Crutchlow.”
Sighing, he listened to another howling swarm of static from the phone. Although no words could be made out, the tone of the static seemed more intense this time, and a little urgent.
“You're supposed to be running a professional set-up over there,” Tom continued. “Get this damn thing fixed, okay? And I haven't heard a word you've said, so if it's something important, text me or send an email.”
Muttering a few more expletives, he cut the call and set his phone down, only for a text message to arrive a moment later. Grabbing the phone again, he sighed as he saw that, sure enough, the message was from Simon. Opening it up, he found that it contained nothing but a seemingly random series of symbols, as if the original text had somehow become distorted.
“Bloody idiot,” he sighed, sliding the phone across his desk and then leaning back further so he could concentrate on cleaning his ears.
***
“The cameras haven't worked in about six years,” Greg muttered, sitting on a stool at the bar next to Jack. “Turns out, half the cameras in this whole goddamn town are just empty boxes. We'll be lucky if anything was caught at all.”
“So what did Alex say to you?” Jack asked, trying to sound casual even though he was meticulously digging for dirt. “Do you know where they're focusing the investigation right now?”
“Did you talk to him?”
“Um... Kind of. A little. He seemed very busy, though, so I don't think he managed to tell me everything he wanted to tell me. Jane's the same, they're running around like crazy.”
“Alex still thinks it's someone who was just drifting through,” Greg replied, taking a sip of beer. “I don't know about that, man. I can't shake the feeling that...” He paused, before glancing at the window and seeing the darkness outside. “Do you ever feel like there's something in this town? Something that's kinda lurking out there, and most of us don't see it, but it's, like, waiting and...” Another pause. “Damn it, I don't even know what I'm trying to say. Secrets, I guess. Shadows in the shadows.”
“I think everyone feels like this about the place where they live,” Jack told him. “There's nothing special about Bowley.”
“You really don't think so?”
“I've been running the paper for the past five years,” he replied, “and my family's lived here since before I was born. I'm pretty sure I'd know if there was anything to worry about. This is just a normal, clean-living town with maybe one or two slightly odd things, but nothing worth mentioning.” He took a sip of beer. “I honestly can't think of a single person who'd either want to kill Mel, or who'd be capable of doing it.”
“So you don't buy into the serial killer angle?”
“I don't think serial killers leave the best part of a decade between each victim.”
“Are there any similarities between the way Mel was killed and the way the other girls died?”
“Jane won't say,” Jack replied. “I've got a strange feeling about it, though.”
“The way she was just dumped in the trash,” Greg continued, “was like... I mean, how can you disrespect another human being so much that you toss her away like that? Mel was a good person, you know? Everyone who came in here said she livened the place up. She was always smiling, but not in that annoying, fake kind of way. She just always seemed optimistic and happy. She made me feel optimistic and happy.”
“Do you know of any problems she'd been having lately?”
Greg shook his head.
“What about a boyfriend? Girlfriend?
Anything at all?”
“She was very private,” he continued. “She'd only been in town for about two years, remember? I always got the impression she'd specifically sought out a small, quiet place to live, and that she was totally happy here. She wasn't one of those girls who wanted to rule the world, you know? She was more like... Well, I guess like Jane, or like your sister Beth. Happy to stick around here and live a quieter life. Good girls.”
“To good girls,” Jack replied, raising his glass and clinking it against Greg's. “God knows, there seem to be less of them about these days. Most of them want to head to the big city and become reality TV stars or models, crap like that. They're not happy in a wholesome, family-friendly place like Bowley.”
“Man,” Greg continued, “I'm glad you showed up tonight. No-one's been in, I guess 'cause of what happened to Mel. I was sitting here going out of my mind. Hell, I was thinking about closing early, but then I figured that'd be, like, letting the killer win.” He frowned. “If that makes sense.”
“I'm just sorry I've got to go,” Jack said, finishing his beer and getting to his feet. “Deadlines loom.”
“You won't stay for one more? On the house?”
“Can't. Thanks for the chat, though. I appreciate it.” Patting Greg on the back, he turned and made his way to the door, finally stepping out into the cold night air and taking a long, deep breath. He felt bad for lying to Greg about a deadline, but he didn't much fancy sitting around drinking any longer, listening to the man prattle on, and he wanted to get home and make sure Jane had simmered down a little.
Heading along the street, he turned the corner and finally reached his car, only to put his hands in his pocket and realize his keys were gone. After a moment, he sighed as he realized he'd left them in the bar.
***
“You serving?” the stranger asked as he pushed the door open and made his way over to the bar.
“Sure are,” Greg replied, grabbing a clean pint glass from the pile. “What's your poison?”
“I'll just take whatever's closest,” the stranger muttered, setting himself down on a stool before tapping one of the beer pumps. “This'll do.” He watched for a moment as Greg poured, and then he looked around at the empty booths for a moment before craning his neck and trying to see through to the back room. Finally, he turned back to Greg and paused for a few seconds. “I've got a question, buddy. Mind if I ask it?”
“Uh. Sure.”
“It's just... Where's the woman who was working here last night? I got the impression she was working most of the time, and...” He paused, before letting his smile grow a little. “Truth be told, I liked her. I thought maybe she liked me too. I'm probably embarrassing myself like a complete idiot, but I didn't see a ring on her finger and I figure I'd...” He laughed. “Jesus, I don't know what I figured. She must be at least ten years younger than me. I'm a complete letch.”
“Well -” Pausing for a moment, Greg clearly wasn't quite sure how to respond. “Um, no, she's not here tonight. There was a bit of a... Something happened.”
“Something bad?”
Setting the glass down in front of the stranger, Greg paused. “You're not from around here, are you?”
“Well, yes and no. I arrived yesterday morning.”
“What's your business in Bowley?”
“Complicated,” the stranger replied. “You're starting to worry me, though. What happened to the woman from last night? Mel's her name, isn't it? Is she okay?”
“Well, to be honest, she -”
Before he could finish, Greg heard the door opening, and he looked over to see that Jack had returned. Reaching under the bar, he grabbed the keys he'd found a moment ago and held them out for him.
“Cheers, man,” Jack said, taking the keys and then heading to the door, only to stop suddenly. He paused for a moment, feeling a faint cold shiver dancing across his skin, before slowly turning back to look at the stranger, who was sipping from a pint glass.
Above them, the fairy lights blinked on and off.
“Hello, brother,” the stranger finally, not turning around as a smile slowly spread across his face. He waited, grinning as he stared into his glass. “Fancy bumping into you in a place like this.”
Jack stared at him, before taking a step forward. “Ben?”
“Cheers,” Ben replied, raising his glass before taking another sip. “Will you join me for a swift one?”
“What -” Jack paused again. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“Didn't Mum tell you I was coming to town?”
“On Monday,” Jack replied, his mind racing as he tried to work out what was happening. “She told me you were coming on Monday. Not today, not this week. Monday.”
“Does it matter?”
Jack stared.
“I mean,” Ben continued, still smiling as he stared into his glass, “does it really, really matter what particular day I arrived in town?”
Jack opened his mouth to reply, but no words came out.
“Ah, well...” Ben chuckled at some silent thought. “I guess I... Don't take this the wrong way, but the truth is, I wanted to get here a few days early and just keep my head down for a while. You know what it's gonna be like once I'm officially back, everyone'll want a piece of me, it'll be chat after chat, most of 'em going over all the same stuff, and it's not that I don't appreciate the attention, I just... Anyway, I thought I'd check into a motel for a day or two and just chill a little before making my grand return. You can understand that, can't you?”
Jack stepped over to him, still shocked to see his brother again after nine long years.
“You've been here for several days already?” he asked finally.
Ben nodded, still not looking at him.
“Just... Hanging around?”
“Just hanging around.”
“Without telling any of us?”
“I guess.”
Jack paused. “Huh.”
“Yep,” Ben muttered, still smiling. “Huh.”
Again, Jack opened his mouth to ask something, but again he stayed silent.
“What's the big deal?” Ben asked finally, nudging his brother's arm. “Come on, lighten up. The family stuff can be kinda suffocating, can't it? Don't you ever wanna take some time alone? Then again, maybe you're better at putting on a brave face and suppressing your need to get away from it all.” He paused again. “Well, Jesus, I thought you'd be a little more pleased to see me after nine years, Jack. Even if I did roll into town sooner than you expected.” Finally, he turned to his brother. “I'm only a few days early. No big deal, right?”
“Yeah,” Jack replied, “I'm glad to see you, but...” He stared for a moment longer. “So you were here last night?”
Ben nodded. “Actually, I was in this very bar for a couple of hours, on this very stool. I figured it was safe, 'cause you wouldn't be here, being a happily married family man who doesn't frequent such places, and I knew Beth wouldn't be here either, so I wasn't really worried about bumping into either of you. But now you're here, I guess my cover's blown and we might as well catch up.” Reaching over, he patted the next stool along. “Plant yourself, bro. After nine years, I'm sure we've got a lot to talk about, especially since... Well, I'm willing to take my share of the blame for how things were left last time.” He pointed to the top of his head. “See? Natural color again. No more bad dye jobs.”
“Huh,” Jack replied. “I don't... Sorry, I'm just surprised. I really, really thought you weren't in town last night. Beth and I both did.”
“Does it really matter?” Ben asked.
“It...” Jack's voice trailed off for a moment.
“What's going on?” Ben continued. “Jesus, bro, you're looking kinda shocked. Is something wrong?” He paused, still smiling, as he saw Jack's extreme discomfort. “Does it really matter if I was here last night or not? I'm here now, and I guess the family stuff can start a day or two early, huh?” He patted the stool again. “Sit down! Get a beer! Let's
talk!”
“I... I have to get home,” Jack replied. “Jane's helping the kids with their homework.”
“Jane? Oh, man, how's Jane doing? Still smart, hot and fun? How'd you end up with a girl like her, anyway? And how are my little nephews?”
“They're good,” Jack said, taking a step back. “They're great.”
“I can't wait to see them again! And to meet my new niece. What's her name? Lucy?”
“Sure, that... That sounds good.”
“I'll pop over tomorrow,” Ben added. “I mean, now you know I'm here, there's no point slinking about, is there? Might as well dive right back into the family.” He sighed, before taking a swig of beer. “I'm sure it'll be fun.”
“I guess.” Jack paused, clearly feeling even more uncomfortable, before looking down at his keys. “Well, I really should get home.” Turning, he headed to the door, before glancing back at Ben. “It's, uh, good to see you again.”
“Right back at you,” Ben replied with a smile, giving him a thumbs-up. He waited, watching as Jack headed outside, before looking back down at his drink.
“That's your brother?” Greg asked after a moment, clearly surprised. “Sorry, dude, I had no idea.”
“It's cool. I haven't been around for a while.”
“I think Jack's mentioned you once or twice.”
“He has? Well, that's very nice of him. It's good to know I wasn't completely forgotten while I was...” He paused, struggling to find the right words. “While I was out there, traveling the world.”
“So what were Jack and Beth like as kids?” Greg asked with a grin. “I bet you've got some stories, huh?”
Ben nodded.
“Then again,” Greg continued, “families are pretty screwy, aren't they? You never really know what's going on, not from the outside.” Turning, he picked up a tray of glasses and carried them through to the back room.
“Man,” Ben muttered, unable to keep from smiling, “you have no idea.” He took another swig of beer. “You have no idea,” he said again, more quietly this time.
