by Ruby Loren
It was Darren who answered.
"What happened? Zara threw me her phone and then ran off, yelling at security to lock the place down. Now the police have arrived and no one knows what’s going on! Is this some kind of a joke?”
“I need a favour. Please grab whoever is in charge and tell them that the lions are back in their enclosure.” I hesitated. “I guess it's too late to stop the evacuation. I’m sorry,” I said, knowing it would be a blow to the zoo’s recovery. It had been a great night up until now.
“Okay, I'll do it,” Darren said and hung up.
I rested the back of my head against the outer fence and took a deep breath in and then out.
“I guess it’s one way to get a good workout,” I muttered, trying not to contemplate what might have happened if anything had gone wrong.
It wasn't long before the police made their way round to the lion enclosure.
“What’s happening? The lions are back inside?” Maynard said, a frown already etched on her face.
“If they were ever out at all. They don’t exactly look very lively,” Detective Toyne commented.
I shot him a withering look.
“They were out. Do you think I run around with a machete and a rope around my waist for fun?” I wasn’t really in the mood for being polite.
“We’ve got CCTV all over the zoo. It’s one of the first things we added. How about we go and watch it back?” Rebecca Johnson said, looking suspiciously cheerful about the prospect. I sensed she was just dying to actually have a use for the cameras.
“Is there some way we can guarantee the footage doesn’t go anywhere?” I asked through gritted teeth. I did not want to be the next YouTube sensation.
“Sorry, this is a police investigation. We’ll need that footage,” Detective Maynard said.
I shut my eyes and wondered if my career was over.
There was the sound of high heels clip-clopping across concrete. I kept my eyes shut with visions of the video going viral playing through my head like a living nightmare. Perhaps with the outfit and the makeup on I could claim it wasn't me. Unfortunately, there weren’t many adults of my small stature who also worked at zoos.
“Detective Maynard, I’m glad I found you. I have some inquiries to make,” the newcomer said.
I frowned, wondering why she sounded so familiar.
“And who are you?” Maynard asked.
“Ms Borel, MI5.”
10
The Cover Up
"What is she doing here, Lowell?” I said once I was home and had explained just how badly the night had gone.
He sighed and looked away, which hardly did much to reassure me. “We’re just looking into some possibilities.”
I waited.
Nothing happened.
“You’re not going to tell me any more than that?”
“I can’t!” he protested, but I’d had enough.
“I refuse to be with someone who I can’t trust. Have a think about what you really want, Lowell. Until then, I don’t want to know,” I said, blinking back tears of frustration. How could he do this after everything we’d been through?
“I’m going to bed,” I said, throwing him one last hurt-filled look before gathering Lucky up off the sofa and walking up the stairs.
Half of me hoped I wouldn’t have to face him again in the morning.
It was inevitable that I’d have to pick up the pieces with the PR team the next day. I was summoned by text message to meet with Zara and the Johnsons in the main office. To say I wasn’t looking forward to the meeting was putting it mildly.
I walked into the office at the designated time to find that both Zara and Darren were already instated in chairs opposite the desk. I tried not to gulp too obviously at what felt suspiciously like a meeting where I got fired.
Last night, I’d endured the embarrassment of having to watch my own actions captured on CCTV. It had made my hair stand on end when I realised just how close the pride had been during our little chase. Watching it back, I could see that I’d underestimated what the big cats were capable of - damaged though they were. I supposed I should be pleased that they'd come on so far since I'd been working at the zoo, but it was hard to think that way when you watched the video.
I looked like someone who’d lost her mind.
My fear of what would happen if that video got out (and I didn’t exactly trust the confidentiality of the police force) was very real.
“Morning," I said, not even brave enough to risk the use of the word ‘good’.
“How are you doing after last night? Any aches or pains?” Mrs Johnson asked, sympathetically.
I tried not to betray too much surprise. “It certainly beats the treadmill,” I said with a weak smile.
The zoo owners motioned for me to sit down in a seat by the side of the desk, so we’d be forming a sort of triangle between us. I didn’t fail to notice that it was me vs. two couples. This probably wouldn’t be much fun.
“First of all, I need to reprimand you for putting yourself and potentially others in danger last night. As an animal professional, you should have known better,” Mr Johnson said.
I lowered my head and nodded. I wasn’t about to argue with that.
“But then, on a personal level, I’d like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for what you did. If you hadn’t acted so selflessly and bravely, I know that the outcome would have been very different. We’d probably have lost all of the lions, people might have been injured - or worse, and the last nail would have gone into the coffin at Pendalay Zoo.”
I jerked my head up in surprise. Both couples were smiling at me.
“I thought that this meeting would be the end..." I said, not knowing how else to say it.
“It might have been had you not acted so heroically,” Mrs Johnson cut in.
“Didn’t it ruin the night? The event was going so well,” I said, still feeling sorry for the PR team's wasted efforts.
“Actually, it was great,” Zara said, raising her eyebrows above her designer glasses. “The evening was coming to a close anyway, so a big finish with police shouting about escaped lions actually worked in our favour. The social media sites are all buzzing about Pendalay Zoo. Everyone's claiming they saw one of the lions but we know the truth about those claims.” She paused to give me a look. “Most people said they just thought it was part of the show until they read the press release from the police this morning. It's a cliché, but it’s true - any publicity is good publicity.”
“Really?” I said, hardly able to believe what she was saying.
“Which way did you come into the zoo to get here?” Mr Johnson asked.
I told him I'd used the staff entrance from the car park, meaning I’d bypassed all of the enclosures.
“Then you won’t know we’re having our busiest day since re-opening,” he told me.
“We've also had lots of people commenting on the pictures you put up and saying how much better the animals look now and how great it is that we're not giving up on them,” Mrs Johnson said. “You’ve done such a great job. I don't know how anyone could ask for more."
“Just be sure to fill out a risk assessment before you lead the lions on a chase again, eh?” Mr Johnson joked.
After being praised rather than punished for what I’d done, I found the meeting went rather well. Pendalay Zoo had been a challenge for me from the start. If the zoo were a mountain, I’d still only be at base camp, but a good start had been made. I couldn’t stay forever and solve all of their problems, but I would finish my review and then ask the Johnsons if they’d like to have me back in the future to re-evaluate how things were going.
If what Zara and Darren had said about last night being a success was true, I suspected Pendalay Zoo would be right here waiting for me when I came back.
“Madi, have you considered what to do in order to safeguard against something like this happening again?” Mr Johnson asked when we’d all but finished our meeting.
I nodded
. “The person who deliberately let the lions out was very determined. There were traces of meat that had obviously been used to tempt the lions out of their enclosure. Otherwise, I’m not so sure they'd have even tried to leave." Heck, it had taken enough persuasion to get them up on their brand new platforms, let alone running free around the zoo. “Anyone that determined will probably always manage to achieve their ends, as they would in any zoo,” I confessed. “However, a little visual deterrent never hurt anyone. If you can spare the budget, I suggest fitting as many of the outer gates as you can with coded locks.” I hesitated. “You should probably make sure that only a couple of keepers per animal, and yourselves, know the codes for each enclosure.”
“At least then we'll have an idea of who’s responsible if any of the animals are interfered with again.” Mr Johnson shook his head. “All of that CCTV and we didn’t ever consider how impossible it would be to identity someone wearing a Halloween mask. I’m still not sure if they knew the cameras were there or not. It makes no difference anyway. There’s no way to tell who was responsible. We've just got to be thankful that it didn’t ruin us.”
With that, the meeting was brought to a close. I couldn't help looking sideways across at Zara, wondering about everything that had been said. Perhaps it had just been a liquored-up reveller who'd let the lions out as a twisted joke, but I thought a lot of effort had gone into the execution. Lions on the loose were enough to ruin a zoo… and the PR company working for them.
Zara and I made eye contact when we both stood up to exit the room and I knew she was thinking the same thing. Letting the lions out was just another opportunity for her stalker to ruin her life.
“I’ve got to go and work on some more of the boring stuff while you focus on the action, sweetie,” Darren said to Zara once we were outside of the office.
He kissed Zara on the cheek and nodded to me before walking back down the corridor.
“So, last night really was a big success?” I asked, wanting to clarify if all that in the office had been spin or not.
“Oh, yes, big time! The day was going great even before someone let the lions out. People really did think it was part of the show and that we'd pulled out all the stops.” A faint smile danced on her lips. "It could be an idea for next year… pretend the lions have escaped and challenge people to avoid coming face to face with them, while being hunted by actors. Pretty great, right?”
“Mmm,” I said, noncommittally. The terror of nearly being caught by a pride of lions - lions who'd turned out to be surprisingly able-bodied after all - had not quite worn off.
“I’m guessing the police told you who your next-door neighbour really was,” I said, keen to change the subject.
Zara's expression turned black. “They said he was a journalist who exposes frauds. I don’t know why he was digging into our company, but according to the police, he got a little too interested in the… other stuff," she said, referring to the stalker’s heinous crimes.
I noticed she didn't seem too cut up about what had happened to Tom Riley.
“Why me, Madi? I know I'm nothing special. I just want to live a normal life, but it’s never possible and no one has been able to do a thing to help me.” She slumped down against the wall.
“I think it’s just chance. We all get to roll the dice and you got landed with a bad number.”
“Lucky me,” Zara said.
"The opposite, actually,” I replied, sitting next to her.
We stayed like it for a while. “I’m not going to give you any well-meaning-but-rubbish advice. It's up to you to decide what to do about this. I think you've done pretty well so far. You've got a great business just… with a few problems on the side." I shot her a sideways look and saw her lips move upwards. “Something like this doesn’t last forever,” I said.
Of that much, I was sure. One way or another, things would come to a head. The person responsible for two murders and several other incidents was escalating their campaign of terror against Zara. Neither of us said it, but I was certain she knew as well as I did that all of this had a very specific destination in mind. At some point, the stalker was either going to be caught, or they'd reach their climax by killing Zara.
“I need to speak to you."
My phone had rung almost the instant I’d said goodbye to Zara. I’d seen it was Tiff and had picked up.
“What’s up? Is everything okay?” I asked and then regretted it. Of course everything wasn’t okay. People only ever said ‘ I need to speak to you’ when things weren’t okay.
“It's about Auryn. I went round his house to do the project I told you about. It was going really well and we’d had dinner and things felt really... just right, you know? We kissed, and now he's not talking to me.”
I took a deep breath once I'd processed all of that. “Maybe it was so good you blew his mind?”
Tiff’s sigh told me she was genuinely concerned. For the first time, I understood that she wasn’t kidding around when it came to Auryn.
“Look, I’m sure it's not that bad. Have you tried texting him?”
“Yes! He's just ignoring me. I haven’t even seen him around the zoo. I think he feels too awkward. Maybe kissing someone he works with is a step too far for him,” she said.
I happened to know that wasn’t the case. I bit my lip as I remembered my own accidental kiss with Auryn. Now it was apparently his turn to react the wrong way.
“I could have a word with him? I wouldn't say you’d asked me to. I could call and ask how everything is going and you know… slip it into conversation,” I offered.
“It’s okay, Madi. I’m sure we’ll eventually just forget about it and move on. It was just a silly idea anyway,” she said, but I didn't really believe her.
“How are things going with you?” she asked, and I didn’t miss the note of trepidation in her voice.
“How long have you got?” I said, without a trace of humour.
“Not long enough,” Tiff confessed. “How about you tell me all about it when you get back. You are coming back soon, right?”
“Definitely,” I reassured her. “I don’t have any new job offers so, who knows? I may be back at Avery, begging for forgiveness.”
“Auryn will let you back in," Tiff said, with so much assurance it was a little embarrassing.
“I miss you too,” I told her and wished her goodbye.
I weighed the phone in my palm for a second or two after the call had ended. I had a lot on my mind. Normally, I’d have gone to Lowell to discuss what I’d seen and we would work on figuring it out. Unfortunately, he was currently just another problem to solve. Tiff was the next person I’d go to, but she was having a hard time herself.
I made a decision and called Auryn.
“Can I get your opinion on a few things? You’ll need to have some time free, so it doesn't have to be now…” I said, already preparing for him to say ‘no’.
“Fire away,” Auryn said, a little too sincerely for my liking. If I hadn't know what had gone on between him and Tiff, I might have overlooked it.
But I did know.
Auryn felt guilty.
I told him everything that had happened from the very start that I thought related to the stalker. He listened and only interrupted when I told him the tale of how I got the lions back into their enclosure.
“You could have been killed! I just can’t believe you did it,” he said. I knew he was concerned rather than scornful.
“There’s video footage to prove it and everything," I told him. “If I’m lucky, it will be lost to the sands of time. If not… you're looking at the next viral video sensation. ‘Tiny woman ties meat to her waist and encourages lions to chase after her’. It sounds like a Japanese gameshow,” I said, depressed.
“That’s quite a big claim to make! Viral videos don’t just happen, you know. It takes hard work and planning.”
“How about running from the lions whilst dressed as a lion-headed goddess?” I joked back.
; “That might do it. It adds a kind of weird religious angle."
I smiled, reminded of why I liked Auryn so much. We understood each other.
“Speaking of weird and religious…" I filled him in on the eccentricities of Teagan’s husband, Parson Green.
“Wow. I've visited Cornwall and none of this crazy stuff ever happened to me. Whereabouts are you? I’ll book a holiday right now.”
"I think I’m a magnet for nuts," I commented and then realised what I’d just said. I was glad Auryn couldn’t see how red my face had turned.
“Anyway, what do you think about the writer who went undercover as a police officer?" I asked, hoping an outsider’s opinion might shed a bit more light.
“I can't believe he was writing about you!”
“Well, he said I was basically an afterthought,” I told Auryn.
Little did I know, I would soon be finding out just how far from the truth that was.
“You said he was interested in the police case, right? He must have seen something. Why else would he have been killed?"
I shrugged. “Someone he wrote about in the past might have caught up with him. Or maybe his living next-door to the victim made him an easy target.”
“If it was just a one-off incident, I’d be more ready to believe that. I think he got too close to the truth. Did he write anything down? He might have said who did it.”
I smiled. “Wouldn't that be convenient? I think you’ve been watching too many detective shows. Anyway, I guess I’ll just have to wait and see. Hopefully I'll be out of here soon anyway,” I said and then bit my tongue. Hard.
“Is everything okay?” Auryn asked.
“I don’t know,” I confessed. “This whole job has been a really big challenge. I think I’ve made some great progress with the animal side of things, but everything else is not so great.”
“You mean with Lowell?”
“Yes," I replied, feeling my heart sink as I started thinking about everything that had happened between us all over again. It just felt hopeless.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Auryn asked.
