Even Pretty Things Rot: A dark, heart-pounding psychic thriller

by Farah Ali

  Chapter Five

  Lila slipped into the back of her uncle’s farmhouse glancing down to make sure she had remembered to wear shoes. Uncle George hated it when she walked around barefoot and his words from the last time still clanged in her ears:

  ‘For God’s sake Lila, you’re twenty-three, why can’t you behave like a lady? Your parents would be ashamed.’ He had grimaced at her dusty feet and looked away, annoyed by the slack mouth peeping out through her wild, stringy hair. Shaking his shaggy head he returned to the engine he was fixing.

  She liked walking barefoot, liked feeling moist grass between her toes, liked the sharp jabs of stone in her heels, enjoyed the cool pavement against her soles. The sensations grounded her, anchoring her to the present moment.

  But when she tried to explain her words fled and she stood there in the dirt twisting her fingers, her mouth opening and closing like a dying fish. She craved George’s love and approval—he was the closest thing she had to a father, but he was always so remote and disapproving.

  Blinking back tears Lila stood in the middle of the cluttered, messy kitchen, chewing on a strand of hair. He doesn’t love me because I remind him of what Papa did to Mama and Maura. He looks at me and sees his dead sister and niece. But I’m his niece too. Why can’t he love me?

  There was an exaggerated yawn and light footsteps down the hallway. Lila rubbed her eyes and opened the fridge.

  ‘Oh, it’s you. I thought I heard someone scuttling about. Come to raid the fridge again have you?’

  Daisy, braless in an over-sized t-shirt with last night’s mascara smudged beneath her eyes, flipped long blonde hair over her shoulder and perched on a stool. Lila took out a carton of eggs, the milk and a handful of mushrooms.

  ‘I’m making an omelette. Want some?’

  Daisy yawned again exposing a strand of pearl-like teeth. ‘Sure. Why not. Seen Dad?’

  ‘No. But it’s Tuesday so he’ll have gone to help Old Benjamin muck out the stables.’

  Daisy wrinkled her pert nose. ‘Ew.’ She frowned, looking around her. ‘God, I hate living on a farm. I don’t know why I came back to Deerleap. Must be crazy.’

  Lila said nothing as she cracked the eggs into the bowl, added a dollop of milk then whisked. Daisy always complained. Her cousin had left to work for a popular hairdressing chain faraway, but hated it, returning to Deerleap within a year to work in a beauty parlour.

  With her sexy good looks, engaging dimples and penchant for gossip she was excellent at her job and a great advertisement for Beauty Queen’s services.

  Though Lila was only one year older the cousins weren’t close. After the deaths of her family and after recovering from a severe head injury, George sent Lila away to another town on the other side of the country. Lila grew up in foster care, shunted from one family to another as they struggled to cope with her epilepsy and visions, never fitting in, never feeling loved.

  The head injury she sustained during the attack had scrambled her mind. She couldn’t remember what happened that night and had no recollection of her Uncle George and cousin Daisy until George wrote her a letter.

  Angry that nobody had bothered to tell her about them, but thrilled at the news she had living relatives and the possibility of a real family life, Lila packed her meagre possessions and returned to Deerleap the day she turned eighteen with a little money saved from menial jobs. Expecting lots of hugs and a joyful reunion with her long-lost uncle and cousin her reception fell flat. What she got was an uncomfortable handshake from her grim, sunburnt uncle and unimpressed scrutiny from her catty cousin who had a startling physical resemblance to Lila’s mother and sister.

  George, rubbing the back of his neck and avoiding her eyes, had cleared his throat.

  ‘It’s lovely to see you, Lila. You look just like your father. Real lovely to see you. Of course it is. But when I wrote I didn’t mean for you to move here. Just to visit. I mean, you can stay of course. But maybe it would be better if you found a place of your own.’

  Disappointed and hurt, but lacking pride and desperate for any scrap of affection and kinship, Lila stayed in Deerleap. She rented a weather-beaten old house growing her own vegetables and scratching a living by selling homemade jewellery, candles, soap, collecting antlers and painting them, and whatever else she could come up with.

  Psychic readings bolstered her meagre income. Already viewed with pity and the sort of obligatory respect given to those tainted by a horrific event, when rumours of her Gift spread she was regarded with awe by those who believed and a deep distrust by those who did not.

  Lila didn’t charge—somehow it seemed wrong, but her clients usually tipped her with money, food or goods. She found the readings exhausting and occasionally so intense they triggered seizures. After every episode she swore to stop, but she couldn’t control her ability, needed an outlet for her thoughts, and at least she could offer some sort of help and comfort to others.

  Nevertheless, life was hard for Lila and she often resorted to visiting her uncle’s kitchen when she ran out of food.

  ‘It’s burning.’

  With a start Lila blinked rapidly and flipped the overcooked omelette over. Slicing it down the middle she plated up handing Daisy a fork.

  ‘Thanks. Do you want coffee?’

  Nodding, Lila perched on a stool, swallowing her medication before tucking into her breakfast, relishing the protein.

  Daisy made a face as she poked at her plate. ‘Have you seen the new Inspector? I saw him walk past Beauty Queen. One of the old biddies pointed him out. Not bad looking, I suppose, not handsome, but he has an interesting face. An improvement over iceberg Ash at any rate.’

  Daisy had a preference for sneering, tattooed men in leather jackets who rode around on motorcycles trailing noise and mayhem behind them.

  ‘No, I haven’t seen him.’ As always, Lila felt a stab of aversion and guilt when she thought about Deerleap Hollow’s previous Inspector.

  She closed her eyes mid-mouthful and grimaced. Daisy was angry about something. Was angry...with her? Yes. With her. It was like a dark storm cloud hovering over her shoulder and she braced herself.

  The cousins ate in silence until Daisy shoved her plate aside and inspected her long scarlet nails.

  ‘So, guess what? I was talking to Jeff yesterday. He said he looked out of his kitchen window a few nights ago and saw you running down the road. Naked.’

  Lila wiped her mouth on a tissue. A slow flush crept over her cheeks but she forced herself to meet Daisy’s blue, aggrieved eyes.

  ‘It wasn’t me.’

  Daisy clicked her tongue. ‘Yeah. Sure. Because there are so many women in Deerleap who charge around the streets at night like a raving lunatic.’

  Lila bit her lip. ‘I wasn’t naked. I...I just forgot to put my top on. And my shoes.’

  Profanities streamed from Daisy’s mouth and Lila flinched as if she were being pelted with stones.

  ‘It’s really embarrassing, Lila. It’s bad enough that the whackos in Deerleap think you’re clairvoyant. You just love being special don’t you? Don’t you feel ashamed for using your family’s tragedy like this?’

  Lila glowered. ‘That’s not true, I’m not—‘

  ‘Oh shush,’ snapped Daisy. ‘Of course you are. Look at me, I’m Lila, I was kicked in the head by a horse. Now I have epilepsy and psychic visions, give me money,’ she mimicked in an ugly falsetto.

  ‘I don’t charge,’ Lila muttered, knowing it was pointless in trying to defend herself. She was painfully aware of what an embarrassment she was to her uncle and cousin.

  ‘I mean, where do you even run to at that time of night?’

  Lila ducked her head. ‘The graveyard. To see their graves. It makes me feel safe.’

  The redness in Daisy’s cheeks faded and she exhaled. ‘The graveyard? God, Lila. Look. I don’t mean to be a bitch. You’re lucky Dad doesn’t know about this episode. I mean, I know you have...problems, but seriously, come on. Jeff’s my e
x-boyfriend—he’s probably laughing about my crazy cousin with Blair—that’s the little slut he’s dating now.’ She hesitated and tapped her head dramatically. ‘Dad thinks you should get help.’

  Ashamed, Lila crossed her arms over her chest defensively. ‘It’s not my fault. And a psychiatrist won’t help. They’ll just dope me up like when I was a kid. Which didn’t help at all.’ Her fork clattered onto the plate. ‘You don’t know what it’s like, or how scared I get. Since I moved back to Deerleap my nightmares are so much worse and my visions are stronger.’ She shrugged, lowering her eyes. ‘I’ve been reading about ley lines and the magic in the Hollow. Maybe it’s because of that.’

  Ever since she stepped foot in Deerleap Lila sensed the power vibrating through the town. It reminded her of the time she hovered her palm over a static energy ball at a science museum on a school trip. Deerleap made her brain tingle—not unpleasant perhaps, but it amplified her nightmares and her abilities.

  Daisy snorted. ‘I don’t believe in any of that mystical rubbish. Neither does Dad, even if he does hang the antlers up. It’s kind of a law around here.’ She drained her mug. ‘I mean spirits of the slaughtered Ayal living in the deer? It’s romantic nonsense designed to encourage visitors to Deerleap and spook the children.’ Her laugh was bitter. ‘If someone murdered me my ghost definitely wouldn’t stay in this dead-end place. Actually, sometimes I get so depressed I think about fetching Dad’s shotgun and doing myself a favour.’

  She met Lila’s steady stare and covered her mouth. ‘Shit. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean...oh shit.’

  Lila sighed. ‘It’s all right. I know you’re joking.’ She frowned looking down at her hands.

  Daisy silently chided herself for her careless words. Her own mother had died when she was a baby so she had never suffered the pain of loss. She’d been too young to remember playing with Maura and Lila as children, and couldn’t remember her Uncle Noah and Aunt Amelia either so had never mourned them. But what would it be like to lose George, her father, whom she loved with all her heart? She shuddered.

  Wanting to make amends she covered Lila’s stiff fingers with her hand.

  ‘Hey. Don’t think about it. I’m an ass.’

  ‘I can’t stop thinking about it.’ Lila’s fingers traced the indentation in the side of her skull. ‘I wish I could stop thinking about it, but I keep having the same dream. I’m back there that night and in my dream it doesn’t feel like Papa did it. I feel like they’re trying to tell me something. I know what the police thought and what everyone around here thinks, but something in here...’ She tapped her chest. ‘Says that it’s wrong. If only I could remember. It’s so frustrating.’

  Daisy rested her chin on her hand. ‘I don’t blame you for not wanting to believe your dad killed your mum and sister, and tried to kill you, but that’s what happened, honey. You won’t be able to move on if you don’t accept it. Probably why Dad didn’t want you to stay in Deerleap when you turned up. It’s not healthy for you.’

  Lila shook her head in frustration. ‘It just doesn’t feel right. I’ve seen family photos. Papa loved us, he—’

  A fist slamming against the counter made them both jump. George, returning from Old Benjamin’s farm, had entered from the back and overheard, his handsome face twisted in pain and anger.

  ‘Your Dad loved you all. But that didn’t stop him from bashing in Amelia and Maura’s heads with a hammer. Mark my words Lila he would have gotten you too if he could have. And then faced with what he’d done the pathetic coward shot himself in the head.’

  Daisy gasped. ‘Daddy...’

  He held a finger up. ‘No. She has to hear it. I lost my little sister because Noah Cassandra couldn’t cope with the amount of debt he was in and the failure of his farm. Everybody knows it. I don’t want to hear anymore about it, you hear? It’s painful enough to live with without you raking up the past. This is my house and if you expect to be welcomed here then you better stop this nonsense.’

  Lila thrust out her chin in defiance. It trembled and sunk down to her chest. George stomped back out slamming the door behind him. Daisy cleared the dishes taking care to avoid her cousin’s eyes before going upstairs to change.

  Lila sat alone in the kitchen, staring at nothing, listening to the steady rhythm of the kitchen clock. Her nostrils flared and she winced. Flowers. No longer fresh and fragrant, but cloying and rotten. She gagged, running to the tap, letting the water stream directly over her tongue.

  Something bad is about to happen.

  And then like an echo in the darkest part of her mind: Tick, tick, tick.

  With a violent shake of her head Lila roused and headed for home, her feet dragging and her shoulders slumped.

  Chapter Six

  Bianca Hayle admired her lingerie-clad body in the full length mirror. Pouting, she turned to the side and thrust her breasts out bending the knee of one leg a little and pointing her toes. The camera flashed. She studied the image. Satisfied, she tossed the phone onto the bed. Pointless to own a mobile in Deerleap with its magnetic iron yet every young person had one. Silly, when you thought about it, but then again you needed it when you travelled outside the Hollow.

  Bianca watched her full lips curve. She would upload the photo later and email it to Daniel. He’d been bugging her for a sexy picture for ages, even more so now she’d decided to lose her virginity to him. Most of her friends couldn’t quite believe eighteen-year-old Bianca was still a virgin, but it was true. Sure, she had dated a lot of boys, but she was a self-aware, intelligent, confident girl. She knew what she was worth.

  For Bianca was very pretty. Even without makeup. With makeup, she was beautiful. Facing the mirror again she gazed at her reflection critically. Symmetrical features, clear skin and bee-stung lips. Eyes a little on the small side, but that problem could be fixed with ample mascara and strategic eyeliner. Thick, wavy golden hair brushing a taut stomach, a long torso with perfectly formed limbs and curvy buttocks that devastated in a bikini.

  She peeled off the black lacy bra and cupped her breasts, enjoying the weight, shivering slightly as she imagined Daniel running his rough thumbs over them and taking her nipples in his mouth.

  Yes, Bianca knew what she was worth and she certainly wasn’t going to squander herself on one of the sweaty-palmed, fumbling boys she’d grown up with. Daniel was different. He wasn’t a little boy, but a sophisticated man with a sports-toned body, his own house and a sleek car. Unlike her he hadn’t been brought up in Deerleap. He had travelled the world and seen things she could only dream of. But that would change. She had secured an internship with a prestigious bank far away from Deerleap with the opportunity for further training in their headquarters in Tokyo.

  In four months time she would say goodbye to her birthplace, goodbye to her bratty little brother, goodbye to her kind but boring parents, and goodbye to her sweet yet unimaginative friends. Another young woman might have been nervous. But not Bianca.

  Tokyo! It was almost too good to be true. But it was her reward for all that studying and she deserved to succeed. And succeed she would. She’d make sure of it.

  Humming, Bianca selected a little black dress, sliding it over her head carefully to ensure the silky material didn’t brush against her makeup. Slipping into a pair of heels and grabbing her handbag she gave her reflection a final satisfied smile and headed downstairs.

  Her father was in the living room watching a wildlife documentary. She pecked him on the cheek then followed the trail of delicious smells to the kitchen. Mrs Hayle was rolling pastry, her thick forearms freckled and red. She lifted her plain face and beamed.

  ‘You look lovely. Out with Lucy tonight?’

  ‘No, it’s Thursday so I’m seeing Daniel. We’re having dinner and then going to see a movie. I shouldn’t be home too late.’

  A mixture of emotions passed over Mrs Hayle’s face. Bianca leaned forward and tenderly wiped a smear of flour from her mother’s cheek.

  ‘What’s wrong?’ />
  ‘Nothing, darling.’

  Bianca threw her head back and laughed her yellow hair almost radiant in the homely kitchen. It was how her mother would always remember her—free and happy and full of life and light.

  ‘You’re a terrible liar. I know you’re worried about me seeing a man older than I am. But ten years isn’t that much older, not really. And you’ve met him. He’s a great guy isn’t he?’

  ‘Yes. He is a nice man. It’s just...you’re young...and I worry. I can’t help it. Especially now that I know you’re leaving Deerleap.’ Mrs Hayle sighed, tears springing to her eyes.

  Bianca smiled. ‘Please don’t worry. Everything will be all right. I’ll always be your daughter and you’ll always be my best friend.’

  Mrs Hayle gazed at her sleek, confident daughter, her love, as always, tinged with wonder. It never ceased to amaze her how she and Bianca’s father could have produced such beauty. Mrs Hayle was short and round (dumpy was how she described herself) while Mr Hayle was a thin, chinless man. And yet somehow they had created Bianca. Nature was a funny thing, she mused.

  ‘Love you Mummy. See you later.’ Bianca planted a soft kiss on top of her mother’s head and disappeared leaving a cloud of perfume and scented shampoo in her wake.

  It was the last time Belinda Hayle saw her daughter alive.

  ***

  Jack smiled when Maggie, resplendent in a rainbow print smock, poked her head around the door, one eyebrow lifted. A week had passed and he had solved the mystery of the lost chickens, reprimanded a seven-year-old for breaking a window and arbitrated in a parking dispute. For the first time in a long time he felt calm and in control.

  ‘Sorry to interrupt Inspector, but Belinda Hayle is here. She wants to talk to you. She’s a little upset. Apparently Bianca, her daughter, didn’t come home last night.’

  ‘How old is Bianca?’

  ‘Eighteen.’

  Jack chuckled. ‘That’s teenagers for you. It hasn’t even been twenty-four hours.’