by Ruby Loren
I bit my lip to keep from making some comment about him changing phone providers if his connection was weak.
“Okay, I’ll be there in ten,” I said. I was half resigned and half curious about this man and his strange religion. Perhaps I was about to be dragged into a cult.
Perhaps I was taking an even bigger risk.
To be honest, I wasn’t sure. I hadn't been able to read him very well over the phone, which was part of the reason I wanted to meet him. At least the venue he’d suggested was a very public cafe and I was certain that there’d be other people around. It was a lot more public than the community hall, anyway.
All the same, I sent Lowell a text letting him know exactly who I was with and where I’d gone. It never hurt to be careful.
There was a definite bite in the air when I stepped out of the cottage and began my walk into the heart of the very small town of Pendalay. Despite its size, Pendalay was in the heart of tourist country, and I felt fairly sure that Teagan’s husband would have a hard time pinning me up on a wall without anyone spotting him. Anyway, the more I thought about it, the more I agreed that this was something to do with Zara. Even Jayne herself had looked remarkably…
I broke off my train of thought when I rounded the corner of the street and saw the man sitting in the café. He was wearing a wide brimmed, black hat and was dressed from head to toe in the same shade of midnight. I couldn't see much of his face below the hat but there was something both compelling and concerning about him. Around his neck hung a large silver talisman, bearing a symbol I didn’t recognise. There was no doubt in my mind at all that this was Parson Green. However, I was still trying to reconcile his startling image with that of his rather neurotic wife’s.
I walked into Maisy’s and sat down in front of the stranger. His own eyes never flinched from my face and I wondered what he saw there. It was probably best not to ask.
“I’m Madi," I said, when he didn’t speak.
“I guessed that much,” he said.
I immediately noticed that all traces of his ‘friendly' act he'd tried to use on the phone had disappeared. What I was seeing in front of me was the real deal. That said, I still wasn’t sure what to think.
"What can I help you with?” I said, eager to get this impromptu meeting over and done with, so I could go home and get back to working on my webcomic orders.
“I am concerned that Teagan is being led astray,” he began, speaking slowly. "I wanted to discuss it with you because you’re not a part of it, are you? You’re not one of them.”
“It’s nice that you worry about her. I’m afraid I can’t speak too much for the company Teagan works for. I really don’t know anyone well at all,” I said, already getting the heebie-jeebies.
“Teagan said you were there when it happened. You saw the satanic sacrifice, committed on the behalf of that devil woman.”
And with that single sentence, Parson Green jumped from being a little officious to downright nutty. His eyes were so dark they were almost black, I noticed, making my observations a little more carefully now I was starting to get his measure. I had to admit, given the man’s ominous appearance, I was surprised to find he was dead against acts of evil.
“I don’t think it was a satanic sacrifice. Teagan may or may not already know this, but Zara’s had trouble with a nasty stalker in her past. Before now, they sent her threatening letters and killed small animals. It was nasty, but the police think this stalker may have graduated onto more extreme measures,” I said, hoping I’d glossed over his assertion.
“She was pinned in a mockery of the crucifixion, was she not?” he continued, undeterred by my little speech.
I thought back to the cable tie-aided suspension act and the stake hammered through her chest. “I don’t think that was their intention. The only reason the poor woman’s hands were stretched out was because the person who did it to her needed help keeping the body in place while he hammered the stake in.”
That made me think it through all over again and I found myself wondering what she’d actually died from. I sincerely hoped poor Jayne Fairfax had not been alive when that stake had gone in.
The man on the opposite side of the table from me shook his head. “It’s for her, not targeted at her. She’s the leader of a satanic cult, and I think she’s set her sights on Teagan. It would be quite a jewel in her crown if she could corrupt the wife of the founder of Illyrism.”
“Are you talking about Zara?” I double-checked.
It was so bizarre that this man could think she was capable of anything as, well… interesting, as what he’d just suggested. Zara was just your classic close to middle-aged office worker, who happened to be running her own business.
“How else do you explain their business’ success?” Parson Green said.
Worryingly, I found myself on the verge of giggles. This was such a bizarre conversation to be having. “Well, they do specialise in PR, so being good at PR might have had something to do with it.”
“This whole Halloween event has the stench of her nefarious evil ways. Why force Teagan to organise such an unholy thing? It’s a trick to get them to worship the devil and follow… the Dark Path.” He said the last phrase in a whisper, as though saying it too loudly might draw people to it.
This guy should offer his act for weddings, christenings and bar mitzvahs, I thought.
“I’m sure Teagan’s just trying to do her job. Not everyone likes Halloween, but it can be a great way of getting more customers to the zoo and encouraging them to experience some of the ‘spookier’ animals,” I said, launching into my own PR mode.
“Can I count on your help, foiling the witch’s plot?” he pressed.
I suddenly found the entertainment value had worn off. I fixed Parson Green with a stern look through my autumnal orange-rimmed glasses. “I know you’ve got your own reputation to uphold, but if you care about Teagan, you should worry less about the devil leading her astray and more about the potential for her to wind up as collateral damage in this psycho’s campaign against Zara.”
I pushed myself to my feet, ignoring the tantalisingly sweet aroma of fudge for once in my life. “For the record, you should probably keep your views about Zara being the queen of darkness under your hat. The police are looking for suspects and… they might not be so understanding,” I said.
I heard the words come out of my mouth but inside I wondered why I was being polite to this man.
“I’m above reproach. I’m working for the light,” he said.
I shrugged. “Have fun convincing the police of that."
I walked out of Maisy’s without bothering to say goodbye. As far as I was concerned, my civil duty to Teagan's husband was well and truly done.
Once I was back at the cottage, I made some headway into making enquiries about getting print versions of my comic made. There were a few suppliers local to Cornwall, but I wasn’t sure if their turnaround time for such a large order would be quick enough for me to still be local when it was ready. I also wasn’t sure about sending out a thousand or so copies using the local post office. The people behind me in the queue would probably form a lynch mob.
I decided to take a break from decision making and called Tiff back.
“So, what’s up?” I said, once we’d got the usual greeting sequence out of the way.
I heard Tiff hesitate. “Nothing’s up really. I don’t know if you’ve got the same cold snap of weather down where you are, but it’s made Mr Avery’s health take another dive." She sighed. “I don’t think it will be long now.”
“I’m sorry to hear it,” I said, despite knowing that it had always been a case of months, rather than years left on the clock for Mr Avery Senior. “How’s Auryn holding up?”
“He’s okay. He was at his lowest right after the heart attack happened. I think now he’s had time to come to terms with his grandad’s situation and the running of the zoo, it’s not as bad.”
“Everything seemed great when I was there,” I said.
Then I waited.
I'd known Tiff had something she wanted to discuss with me, but what it turned out to be wasn’t what I’d expected.
“Listen, I was thinking about maybe asking Auryn out,” she said, breaking the silence.
“Madi? Are you okay?” she said, when I didn’t reply.
“Yeah, that’s a great idea!” The moment I said it, I realised Tiff would see straight through my false cheeriness. She was my best friend after all. “Sorry, you took me by surprise a bit.” I sucked air in through my mouth. “I just didn’t realise you were interested in Auryn.”
“I wasn’t until recently. To be honest, I didn’t know him that well. You know he was always more interested in the animals than the business side of the zoo. He was your friend, not mine. But since he’s taken over, everyone’s more involved with the different aspects of running the zoo. I've got to know him a lot better and he’s a really nice guy,” Tiff said.
I managed a smile. “He’s definitely one of the nicest you’ll ever meet,” I agreed.
“Look, I know he has a thing for you, but you and Lowell make such a great couple together and everything seems to be going well, right? If you don’t mind, I’d like to ask him to see what he says.”
My relationship with Auryn actually went a little deeper than the friendship Tiff knew existed between us. When I’d been working at Avery Zoo, he’d kissed me and had tried to convince me to choose him over Lowell.
I'd been very tempted.
Auryn was younger than me but was mature for his age. Now more than ever, he was working to reach the potential I’d always suspected he had in him.
He was also drop-dead gorgeous.
“You should go for it,” I told her, deciding that once and for all, I had to let Auryn go. I'd chosen my life’s path and it didn’t currently match up with staying put in one place, which is what I’d have had to accept if I dated Auryn. I wanted to make a difference to as many animals in need as I could, and I’d known that meant I couldn’t give him the time to make a relationship fair.
Lowell was different. He was older and had a strong independent streak. I knew he was used to existing on his own, as was I. We enjoyed our time together, but we didn’t absolutely require each other’s company all the time. I had a strong feeling that that was exactly what Auryn both needed and deserved.
“Anyway, he might say no,” Tiff said.
I snorted disbelievingly. My best friend was both stunningly beautiful and genuinely kind. “No way will he say no. Call me when you’ve asked him and let me know what happened. I really hope it goes well,” I said, and this time I knew I meant it.
Tiff had surprised me with her out of the blue announcement, but I really did want her to be happy. I’d witnessed the train wrecks of Tiff’s past relationships and knew that Auryn was an infinitely better choice than just about every past boyfriend I could think of. Tiff had a habit of falling for waifs and strays - both animal and human. She’d found out to her cost that while wayward animals were eventually rehabilitated, the same could not be said for the men.
4
Northbound
The next morning, I was minding my own business, trying to figure out why the lemurs were behaving aggressively towards their keepers, when Detective Toyne rounded the corner. We made eye contact and he locked his course for me.
I hadn’t much liked the detective when we’d met at the crime scene, and I had a feeling that my view wasn't about to change.
“You didn't return my call,” he said, as an alternative to a greeting.
“I was busy," I replied.
He looked surprised by my lack of apology but recovered himself. “I need to establish your background and what qualifies you to work at this zoo.”
I pressed my lips together to keep from biting his head off. “My wealth of past experience qualifies me for working here," I began, pleased by how offhand I sounded.
In truth, I was fed up with being questioned and suspected of wrongdoing. The detective may have the right to question me with regard to Jayne Fairfax’s murder, but I didn't see why I had to allow him to conduct a job interview for a job I already had.
“So, what exactly is it you do?” the detective tried again, already getting huffy.
I explained my job to him as succinctly as possible, pleased that I’d got him to actually ask me a reasonable question. I might have been mistaken, but I thought Detective Toyne looked quite impressed when I’d finished.
“What’s your past history with Zara Banks?” he asked.
“I only met her a little over a week ago when I started working at the zoo. During our first ever meeting, she received the phone call I already told you about. She told me it was a scam call, but I guess it wasn’t.” The detective shook his head and I carried on. “You know about the rat too. Lowell and I just happened to be passing by the hamlet when we heard someone scream and found it was Zara. I spoke to Darren and he told me that they'd been through this in the past, which is why they’ve moved around so much. From what he told me, I figured someone's stalking her.”
“Why didn't you go to the police with that?” Detective Toyne asked.
I looked at him in surprise. “It wasn’t my business to. Darren and Zara told us they’d call the police once they’d calmed down. We thought it was their decision to make. I’m not the only person who knew she was being stalked, Zara knows it full well herself. I don’t go poking into other peoples’ lives,” I said, bending the truth a little. After all, wasn’t it exactly that habit which had landed me in hot water so many times recently? Perhaps it was time to make a change.
“Anyway, there was a police officer right there, so I’m sure you knew all about it,” I continued.
“A police officer?” Detective Toyne looked curious, and I realised I'd told him something he didn’t already know.
“It was an off-duty police officer. He said he lived next door to Zara and Darren.” I racked my brain for his name. “I think he was called Tom.”
Something like suspicion flared on Detective Toyne’s face but was just as quickly covered by his deadpan expression. I had a shrewd idea that the detective knew who the off-duty officer had been and also had a better idea than I did of why he hadn't reported what he’d seen.
“Why do you think Jayne Fairfax was targeted?” the detective asked, surprising me.
“It could be for several reasons, but my first thought was that she looked just like Zara. They were the same age, both wore glasses, and had a bob haircut. Perhaps the killer made a mistake and murdered the wrong woman, but I'm not so sure. If they've been watching Zara all this time, they know who she is. I think they wanted to send her a message.”
“Are you aware that there have been threats made against anyone who works at Pendalay Zoo?” the detective asked.
“I wasn’t aware. What exactly do you mean?”
He shifted from foot to foot and looked away from me. “They’re calling themselves animal rights activists but most of them have criminal records. They’re not permitted to protest anywhere near zoos, but we found the threat on social media and have done our best to make sure everyone at the zoo is aware.”
"What's being done about it?” I asked, bemused that I might be up against another bunch of ‘activists'.
“We don't have a very large police force, so at the moment, your own discretion is advised.”
I sighed, not caring that it was rude. “Could someone tell them that everyone here is doing their best to save a group of badly abused animals? We’re not being cruel. The damage has already been done.”
I knew how it looked to the few visitors the zoo received. The animals were still ragged and bony and none of them looked full of life. Healing them would take time, but for whatever reason, these activists didn’t see that.
I made a mental note to speak to the Johnsons about this problem. We could transform the enclosures as much as we liked, but the animals’ appearances and recovery would take time. I was n
ow certain that there needed to be some visible acknowledgement of the abuse they’d been through.
I thought about those viral internet videos, where an animal is rescued in a horrible state by a kind-hearted soul. I thought a few before and after videos could do the zoo a lot of favours. I just needed to make sure that the animals made it to the ‘after’ state.
“Your boyfriend is a private detective, isn’t he?”
I snapped out of my inner reverie.
“Yes, he’s in Cornwall to investigate a spate of thefts,” I said, not wanting to reveal too much.
I hadn't revised my earlier opinion of Detective Toyne. He wasn't someone I felt comfortable trusting.
“That’s a bit below his pay grade, isn’t it?”
I looked at the detective. “Oh, do you know him?” I said, temper well and truly frayed.
"I looked into his background. He’s been involved in a lot of serious cases. Sometimes after a while, that has an impact on people. It can change them,” he said, ever so unsubtly.
“You’re investigating my boyfriend? He wasn't anywhere near the meeting! Why would he have anything to do with this?”
“I’m just trying to establish the facts,” the detective said, placidly, but I knew he was enjoying this.
“I need to get back to my work,” I told him.
“I still have some more questions."
I fixed him with a withering look. “Then maybe you should have asked those first instead of trying to accuse me of hiding things from the police and insinuating that my boyfriend might be responsible for the death of that poor woman.”
I saw something glint in Detective Toyne's eyes when I said the last part, like he’d won a small victory, but I was tired of playing games.
I gave him a curt nod and walked off in the other direction, determined to get as far away from him as I could.
It turned out to be a day of disturbances. I was on my way to check on the lions when I saw Darren Banks walk into the staffroom. Curiosity got the better of me and I went over to say hello.
