***
Alex Crennell and Mary Broderick stood outside the front of Saint Bernadette’s Church on Leeton Lane, both wearing backpacks.
“What time are Gary and Shark supposed to be here for again?” Asked Mary, with impatience in her voice.
“Nine o’clock.” Replied Alex, who felt like shit. Having eight pints last night, followed by a large, deep pan Mexican pizza with extra Jalapeños was a really, really bad idea, reflected Alex, especially with a thirty fucking mile walk, that I know I’m going to struggle with, ahead of me. Mary looked at her watch.
“Well, where are they? It’s nearly ten past.” She said. At that very moment, two strange-looking figures appeared at the bottom of Leeton Lane; one was sporting a bright-blue mohican, whilst the other, a female, dressed in military-style garb, wore a high, bleached blonde flat-top, together with multiple facial piercings.
“Looks like they’re on their way.” Pointed out Alex, nodding towards Gary Ackley and Shark, as they made their way up the road.
“About time, too.” Said Mary. Gary waved at the pair. Alex waved back, but Mary kept her hands in her pockets, still angry with his and Shark’s bad time-keeping.
Gary and Shark walked up to Alex and Mary.
“How’s it going, guys?” Asked Gary. “It’s a nice morning for it!” He added, referring to the blue sky overhead.
“Yeah, we’re cool.” Replied Alex.
“Hello Gary. Shark.” Said Mary. Shark nodded back at her.
“Looks like the weather’s gonna be good for the next few days. Cold, but clear, sunny.” Shark informed the others. She smiled excitedly. “I can’t believe that I’m finally getting to walk the Black Pathway Trail. I’ve been planning on doing it ever since I moved here, three years ago.” Said Shark.
“Oh, were you not born in Coldsleet then?” Asked Mary. Shark shook her head.
“No. I’m from Blackpool. Me and my ex-boyfriend, we moved up here when he got a job in Elman. Then we split up, and I found myself sort of stuck in Coldsleet. Not that I mind. I really like it here.” Shark informed Mary, before grunting up some saliva from the back of her throat, and spitting it out onto the pavement. Charming, thought Mary, but she didn’t say anything. Meanwhile, Gary had put his arm around Alex, and gently led him away a little from the two women.
“Look man, are you sure that you wanna go through with this? It’s not going to be easy, Alex.” Whispered Gary.
“Yeah, yeah. I’m fine. Seriously.” Replied Alex.
“Are you sure? Coz you don’t look it. You look ill.” Pointed out his friend.
“Too many beers last night, that’s all. I’ll be okay though.” Assured Alex.
“Alright then.” Said Gary. He turned to Mary and Shark. “Right girls, are you ready to walk the Black Pathway?” He asked them.
“Yep!” Smiled Shark.
“Ready!” Said Mary Broderick.
“Let’s go then.” Grinned Gary. He turned to Alex again. “You can do this, mate.” He said, with encouragement. Alex took a deep breath and nodded.
“I hope so.” He responded. The two young men joined Mary and Shark, and they walked towards the church car-park, and the kissing-gate that marked the beginning of the Black Pathway Trail. Somewhere nearby, Howard Trenton was watching them…
PART TWO - ON THE PATHWAY
Chapter Seventeen
The very last time that I saw my cousin, Howard, was on the Saturday morning, just after Mary and Alex Crennell had left the house in order to walk the Black Pathway Trail. I was surprised to see Howard come walking through the back door, as I had naturally assumed that he was already home, and still in bed. This would have been at around eight thirty in the morning. He looked dishevelled, and a little tired.
“Have you been out all night, Howard?” I asked him. He nodded, but didn’t offer any further information to me on where he had stayed. Howard was almost nineteen, a man, and it wasn’t really my place to pry too much into his private affairs. All I said was,
“A woman?” To which Howard replied,
“Yes, a woman.” He gave me one of his strange little smiles, and then disappeared upstairs. Howard came back down, about ten minutes later, and walking into the kitchen. By this time, Kay was with me at the kitchen table, and we were eating breakfast.
Howard stood in the doorway of the kitchen, looking at me and Kay.
“What are you eating nice?” He asked.
“Full English, Kay’s treat. Do you want some, Howard? There’s plenty to go around.” I replied. Howard shook his head.
“No thanks… has Mary gone off on her walk?” He wanted to know.
“Yeah, she left not long ago.” Answered Kay. I noticed the clothes that Howard had changed into; a thick black jumper, baggy jeans, hiking boots, a long grey overcoat, and a scarf.
“You look like you’re going off for a walk yourself.” I pointed out.
“I am.” Confirmed Howard. “Though I’m not dumb enough to go up on the Black Pathway.” He went on, having a not-so-subtle dig at Mary and Alex. “I’m going to take a drive out, up to Ruthley, do a short walk up on the Breardon Hills. I should be back at around tea-time.” Howard informed us.
“Oh, okay.” I replied. “It’s a nice day for it.” I said, referring to the clear blue sky outside. I expected Howard to leave the kitchen at that point; instead, he loitered awkwardly in the doorway.
I looked up at Howard.
“Is everything okay?” I asked him.
“Yeah. Sure. Everything’s fine. It’s just that… I want to thank you, Lucas.” Howard said to me. I stared at him, bemused.
“Thank me for what?” I replied.
“You know… for taking me in, after my mom had passed away. For putting a roof over my head, and looking out for me. I appreciate it, and I don't think I’ve ever thanked you properly for that.” Said Howard.
“It’s a pleasure having you around, Howard. It always has been.” I informed him. “There’s no need to thank me. We’re family. I’d do exactly the same for any of my cousins.” I pointed out.
“Well, you’re a good man, Lucas.” Howard turned to Kay. “And you’re a good woman, too. I’ll always be indebted to the pair of you. Again, thanks for everything.” He smiled, and then he left the kitchen. A few moments later, I heard the front door close, and, just after that, the sound of Howard’s car struggling, but eventually succeeding, to start up… he was always having trouble starting that bloody car up, when it was cold. I kept telling Howard that it needed a new battery… anyway, that was the last time that I ever saw my cousin.
After Howard had left, Kay turned to me, looking troubled.
“What was all that about? Do you think Howard’s okay?” She asked.
“I don’t know.” Came my reply. Howard certainly hadn’t seemed himself. “Maybe he’s just a bit love-struck.” I suggested to Kay.
“What do you mean?” She wanted to know.
“Howard has been out all night. He said that he was with a woman.” I told Kay. She raised an eyebrow.
“Really? Do you know who?” She asked. I shook my head.
“I didn’t ask. It’s not really any of my business.” I replied.
“Looks like he’s got over his little crush on my sister then.” Kay smiled. I nodded, slowly.
“Yeah, it looks like he has.” I agreed. After that, we began to talk about other stuff whilst finishing off our breakfast. Once that was done, I did the washing up, whilst Kay wandered off into the living room. Not long after, I heard the front door-bell ring, and voices at the door.
“Lucas. Could you come here a minute?” Shouted Kay. I left the washing up and walked through the hallway to the front door, and that’s when our world really began to fall apart.
Stood at the front door was Detective Tom Grogan, together with another policeman who I’d not seen before. I nodded to them. Kay had a concerned look on her face.
“Is everything okay?” I asked her.
“We n
eed to speak to your cousin, Howard.” Said Tom Grogan, before Kay had a chance to answer my question.
“What about?” I asked.
“It’s to do with Mister Whitehouse.” Said Kay. “They think…”
“Is Howard at home?” Interrupted the detective, with impatience in his voice.
“No, he’s not. He headed off out, about fifteen minutes ago… look, do you mind telling me what this is all about?” I repeated my question.
“I’m sorry to tell you this, Mister Trenton, but we’re here to arrest Howard on suspicion of the murder of Alfred Whitehouse.” Said Tom Grogan.
“You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me?” I responded.
“Unfortunately not, sir. Now, would you mind telling me where Howard has gone?” The detective requested.
“You’ve got it wrong. Howard’s not a killer. You’ve met him. He’s not violent, or dangerous… he’s a good kid. I’m telling you, you’re barking up the wrong tree.” I argued. Tom Grogan ignored my defence of Howard.
“We need to know where your cousin has gone to. Now.” The detective ordered. I had no choice but to tell him, not realising that Howard hadn’t gone to Ruthley and the Breardon Hills at all. Instead, he’d abandoned his car down at a car-park near to the beach, and then walked back up into the residential area of Coldsleet, following Alex, Mary, Gary and Shark, up onto the Black Pathway Trail. In order to kill them.
***
Gary Ackley looked back down the Black Pathway Trail, towards the town of Coldsleet. Beyond the town was the ocean. Gary’s eyes scanned along the coastline, to the north, and the Baylin Peninsula. The four of us will have to go there, in the summer, thought Gary, there’s some brilliant stretches of beach over on Baylin… damn it, summer… it feels so fucking far away at the moment… Gary turned his attention back to Alex, Mary and Shark, who were walking up the first part of the trail, towards him.
“Come on, you bunch of slow-coaches!” Gary teased. Alex Crennell flicked him the middle finger.
“Fuck you, Gary.” He said. “We’re not rushing ourselves.”
“I can see that.” Replied Gary, sarcastically. The three others caught up with Gary, who was concerned to notice that Alex was already beginning to break out in a sweat.
“Okay, shall we take a break for a few minutes, look out at the view?” Suggested Gary, pointing back down the trail, towards Coldsleet, and the Irish sea. “I was just thinking that, in the summer, we should take a trip out to the Baylin Peninsula, visit the beaches there.” He suggested. “You can see the Peninsula from here. Look.” Said Gary, and he pointed past the town below, over to the horizon. None of his friends seemed interested in what he was saying. Alex took a bottle of water from out of his backpack and began drinking from it. Mary stood next to him, holding his hand. Shark wandered off the pathway, over to a thin, twisting brook that was running parallel to the trail. She stood on the edge of the stream, then knelt down and put her hands into the icy water.
Shark cupped some of the water in her hands, bringing it up to her mouth. She tasted the liquid.
“Fresh mountain water. Can’t beat it.” Said Shark. Gary Ackley came walking over to her.
“This is Sleet River. Well, it’s not quite a river here, obviously, but if you were to follow it back down the hill, and to the south for ten, eleven miles, this opens out into the Hingley Estuary. That’s another place worth visiting. There’s a nature reserve there, loads of wildlife to see, rare species, that sort of thing… do you enjoy stuff like that, Shark?” Asked Gary. Shark nodded her head.
“Yeah, love it. I grew up in a city, but I’d always been fascinated by the countryside, nature… that’s one of the things that appealed to me when I moved up here with Mike… Coldsleet was right on the edge of all that type of stuff. Problem is, I haven’t really had much of a chance to explore what’s outside Coldsleet, so far.” Said Shark. Gary smiled.
“Well, we’ll soon change all of that.” He told her.
Mary and Alex wandered over to the stream.
“Are you two ready to push on?” Asked Gary. Mary and Alex nodded their heads.
“Okay. Well, the good news is that, once we reach the brow of the hill up ahead, it’s all flatland for the next few miles, until we hit Coldsleet Moor, but even that isn’t anything too strenuous. The really hard work will come tomorrow, when we have to ascend Knighton Mountain.” Gary said, giving a knowing glance to Alex Crennell. Just the mention of Knighton Mountain sent a shudder down Alex’s spine, as he recalled how the climb, and subsequent descent, of the peak, felt, at the time, like it was slowly killing him. No beer tonight, thought Alex, no beer tonight at all, coz I’m not walking up that fucking thing tomorrow with a hangover. “Okay, lads and lasses. Shall we carry on?” Gary asked, in an upbeat voice.
“Let’s go.” Replied Alex, with fake enthusiasm. Shark and Gary took the lead, walking away from the River Sleet, and back towards the Black Pathway, with Alex and Mary following on behind. The four re-joined the trail, continuing their trek up Leeton Hill. Not far behind them, hidden behind a tree, was Howard Trenton.
After a short hike, the four walkers reached the top of Leeton Hill. Ahead of them, was a sharp bend in the Black Pathway, and just beyond that was an aged, stone, hump-back bridge. Gary, Shark, Alex and Mary followed the bend in the trail. Below them, was Sleet River, which had widened considerably.
“This bridge up ahead is supposedly haunted.” Advised Gary, cheerfully; he loved the subject of ghosts.
“What?” Asked Mary. Gary turned to her and grinned. Alex, on the other hand, groaned inwardly. Oh God, not this bloody story again, he thought to himself.
“It’s haunted. By the ghost of James Friery.” Gary went on. Mary and Shark gave him a blank look.
“Who’s James Friery?” Asked Shark.
“James Friery was a thief and a murderer from Salegate, who broke out of Hoffen jail, back in the late nineteenth century. At the time, he was awaiting execution for the killing of a love rival called Arthur Melsey.” Informed Gary.
“How do you know all of this?” Shark was curious to find out.
“I’m fascinated by local history, Shark. I spend a lot of time reading up on Coldsleet and its surroundings. This whole area has a very interesting past to explore.” He said.
“Fucking bookworm. So very punk.” Scowled Alex.
“Hey, there’s fuck-all wrong with reading, Alex. You should try it some time, you brain-dead moron.” Gary shot back at his friend. Alex grunted, but didn’t argue back. Instead, he stopped walking, and took another swig of water from the bottle that he was carrying, whilst the other three continued towards the bridge.
Shark wanted to know more about the haunted bridge.
“So, what happened with this James Friery guy?” She asked Gary.
“Well, James was on the run, at liberty for two or three days. During that time, he’d also managed to find himself a gun. This bridge, however, is where the authorities finally caught up with James, who, understandably, wasn’t too keen on giving himself up. There was a shoot-out, right here, at this very spot. James took out one of his pursuers before getting a bullet through the head. He managed to stagger over to the edge of the bridge, and fell down to the river below, landing on the rocks next to it.” Said Gary. He grinned again. “Rumour has it that the whole, ghostly scene - the shoot-out - has been re-enacted, many times, here on this bridge, late at night. There’s also been reports of walkers claiming to have seen the ghost of James Friery, walking around this general area. A couple of people have even tried to talk to him, by all accounts, but James doesn’t respond to them. He just stares, and then carries on to wherever the fuck it is he’s going to.”
“How would they know it was James, and not just some other walker?” Shark wanted to know.
“James Friery is a bit of a local legend, Shark. Ask most people from these parts if they could describe his appearance, and they’d probably be able to… he’s like the Ned Kelly of Coldsleet.�
�� Laughed Gary. “What a fucking honour, eh?”
Gary, Shark and Mary crossed the stone bridge, with Alex close behind them. Gary turned around to check that his friend was okay.
“You alright back there, Alex?” He asked.
“Fine. I’m fine.” Replied Alex. Or I would be, if this fucking hangover would shift. Oh bollocks… I need a sodding piss now, too. “Guys, carry on ahead, I’ll catch you up… I’ve got to take a leak.” Alex shouted.
“Well, there’s plenty of places to go.” Smiled Gary, referring to the thick undergrowth and trees that lined the Black Pathway. “Are you sure that you don’t want us to hang around for you? It’s not a problem.” He continued. Alex waved his hand.
“Just carry on, man. I’ll catch up with you in a few minutes.” Replied Alex. Gary nodded. Alex’s three companions carried on with their walk, whilst he walked off the pathway, towards a large clump of bushes. Alex pushed his way inside, so that he was shielded from the rest of the group. When he’d finished taking a piss, Alex emerged from the bushes, and walked back onto the Black Pathway. He glanced back, towards the bend in the trail that they had already walked along; coming over the brow of Leeton Hill was another rambler. Alex didn’t think any more about this, and walked forwards, eager to catch up with his friends. From a distance, Howard Trenton watched his enemy move towards the other members of the group that he was with… which, of course, included Mary. Slutty little Mary, thought Howard, before vanishing off the Black Pathway, and into the adjoining undergrowth.
***
Extract from journal of Howard Trenton
If you're reading this, then you must be a fucking copper. And guess what? I don't like you. Any of you. And do you know why? Well, firstly, let me put your mind's at rest… it's nothing personal. Well, unless your name is Detective Tom Grogan. Be a good piggy, and pass on a message from me to Tom, would you?
The Black Pathway Page 17
