Journeyman

by Heather Atkinson

  “It’s a hotel,” said Damon. “Looks a real posh gaff. Dad would love it.”

  Raven hit the indicator. “Then let’s try there first.”

  They drove up the winding road leading to the hotel, leaving the car on the gravelled car park and heading inside. The reception area was warm and welcoming, a log fire roaring in the grate beside the reception desk, oak panelling lining the walls.

  “Good evening,” greeted the receptionist, a stately, elegant woman, glasses perched on the end of her slender nose, dazzling green eyes peering at them over the top of the frames. The name badge pinned to the front of her grey blouse announced her name was Margery. “How can I help you?”

  “We’re looking for our dad,” said Raven, holding out her phone, getting tired of repeating the same information. She’d expected Margery to shout and yell at them but instead she blushed.

  “Nik.”

  “You know him?” pressed Raven.

  “He left three days ago.”

  Raven glanced at Damon, seeing the excitement she felt reflected in his eyes. They were getting closer. “Where is he now?” she said.

  “He did mention heading to the Kyle of Lochalsh.”

  “Did he say why?”

  “He was interested in the Norse history of the area. Loch Alsh has connections to some Norwegian King. Nik also mentioned something to do with a Norwegian Princess and a fort that used to be there. She was known as Saucy Mary, I remember that much. He found her story very entertaining. There’s a cairn there dedicated to her memory and Nik wanted to see it.”

  “I take it you got on well?” said Raven with a conspiratorial smile.

  Margery blushed. “Yes, we did. So you’re his children?”

  Raven nodded. “He’s gone missing.”

  “Missing?” she gasped. “Oh no.”

  “So, as you can understand, we’re very anxious to track him down.”

  “Then you’re best trying the Kyle of Lochalsh. He told me that was where he was headed to next, although he did come across as a man who could change his mind and go wandering off somewhere else.”

  “You’re not wrong there,” said Damon.

  “I do hope you find him, he’s a most remarkable, vigorous man,” she breathed before lapsing into some very pleasant reminiscences.

  “How long did he stay here?” said Raven.

  “Three days. He climbed Ben Wyvis.”

  “Who’s he?” said Damon.

  Margery frowned at him, uncertain whether he was joking or not. “That’s the great big mountain you must have noticed on your way up here.”

  “Only kidding,” he smiled, although Raven knew he’d been entirely serious.

  “That’s no mean feat,” continued Margery. “It’s a tough mountain, although Nik didn’t go all the way to the top because the weather wasn’t very good. He was pleased, he said it had been on his list of places he wanted to climb for a while.”

  “When he was here did he mention any altercations with anyone?” said Raven. “Was he worried about anything?”

  Her smile fell. “Do you think someone’s hurt him?”

  “We really don’t know. We’re just trying to find out as much as we can.”

  “Yes, of course. You must be so worried.”

  “We are.”

  Margery gazed into her serious dark eyes and nodded. “He never said anything to me outright but there was one thing I remember…oh it was probably nothing. I’ve always had an overactive imagination.”

  “Please tell us. You never know, it might help.”

  “Okay. It was the night before he left. He was sat in the lounge through there,” she said, gesturing to a door to the right that led off the reception area. “It was eight o’clock in the evening. I’d got changed after finishing my shift, we were going out for dinner. It was dark outside but the gardens are illuminated at night, so you can see quite well. As he was talking he glanced outside. Whatever he saw was enough to make him go silent. He stared out of the window for a good ten seconds before sighing and leaning back in his chair. I asked him what was wrong but he just said he thought he’d seen an owl. I thought there might have been more to it but I couldn’t think what. I noticed when we went out for dinner he was tense, continually looking out of the restaurant window. He always seemed so laid back that I found the change rather startling. When we returned to the hotel on the short walk from the taxi to the door he wrapped an arm around me and we practically ran inside. To be honest, it made me a little nervous. And here’s the weird part.” She looked around before continuing but they were the only ones in reception. “When I looked out into the gardens to see what had made him so nervous I thought I saw this really huge shadow, like a giant.” She stared at them seriously before breaking into a smile. “There’s that overactive imagination of mine again, the shadows can become so distorted at night. It was probably just a guest returning to the hotel.”

  “Probably,” said Raven with her most reassuring smile, despite the unease rising inside her. “Did he leave a phone number with you or a forwarding address?”

  “No, sorry. I’ve no illusions about what we shared. I know I’ll probably never see him again. I recently went through a very nasty divorce. The short time I spent with Nik gave me a new lease of life and he left me with some very pleasant memories. I do hope you find him, he’s a very special man.”

  “He certainly is,” said Raven, liking this woman. “Thank you so much, you’ve been such a big help.”

  “When you do find him, and I’ve no doubt you will, tell him Margery says hi.”

  “We will,” smiled Raven.

  Margery looked to Damon. “So you’re his son?”

  “I am,” he replied in his deep timbre.

  “I can see the resemblance,” she smiled.

  “Come on,” sighed Raven, taking his arm, having to drag him away from the reception desk when he returned Margery’s smile.

  “You and One Eye are as bad as each other,” said Raven as they headed outside.

  “Why not? You only live once.”

  “Do you think that shadow she described could be Silas?”

  “Yes I do,” he glowered. “He’s bloody massive. Where the hell did he come from?”

  “Perhaps he’s been tracking One Eye on his travels? If he hopped over to Norway then came back to Scotland Silas could have tracked him from there,” said Raven, finally giving voice to her fears.

  “Shit, what if he caught up with Dad and that’s why he needs help?”

  “That’s looking more and more likely,” she said, troubled.

  They peered around the darkened car park, wondering if Silas had followed One Eye to wherever he’d gone or if he was still here.

  “Let’s get in the car,” said Damon.

  “Good idea,” said Raven, yanking open the driver’s door.

  They returned to the hotel in Inverness, which was only half an hour away from Strathpeffer. Damon was all for packing up their things and heading over to the Kyle of Lochalsh straightaway but Raven was reluctant to drive on unfamiliar, winding country roads in the dark, especially as the rain was now hammering down. She managed to soothe his impatience by telling him they couldn’t start knocking on people’s doors and asking if they’d seen One Eye so late at night.

  Back at the hotel they decided to head into the bar for a drink, taking a seat by the open fire, the warmth dissolving the evening chill from their bones. Raven found the bright, cosy atmosphere soothing, especially now they thought it was almost one hundred percent certain Silas was in the area, the only person her family was wary of.

  “We need to come up with a plan,” she said. “If this is down to Silas how do we handle it?”

  “Simple,” replied Damon, taking an aggressive swig of lager. “We kill him.”

  Raven glanced around to make sure they weren’t being overheard but fortunately no one was sat near them. “We tried that before and it didn’t work.”

  “This time we mak
e it work.”

  “We don’t know for certain that he is here. Margery could have seen anything out of that window or she could be prone to making things up or exaggeration.”

  “Or she’s not and that sneaky bastard’s behind it.”

  “There is that too,” she sighed.

  “I don’t like hanging around here. It feels like we’re wasting time. For all we know Silas could have Dad and be doing horrible things to him.”

  “We can’t do anything until tomorrow and we’ll be no use to him if we end up in a car accident. We get some rest then start fresh in the morning.”

  “Suppose,” he muttered.

  Damon’s spirits lifted when he saw the receptionist who’d booked them into their rooms take a seat at the bar. She’d changed out of her uniform and wore a pretty knee length lilac dress, the low cut top revealing plenty of cleavage. After ordering her drink she glanced around the room, eyes settling on Damon. Her lips curled into a smile. “Join me for a drink?” she called to him.

  Damon looked to Raven, not wanting to break rule number four again.

  “Go on then,” she said, thinking how he could do with letting off some steam. “Just don’t end up with everyone calling you all the bastards like One Eye.”

  “I won’t,” he said before shooting out of his chair. Not wanting to look over-eager he strolled over to the receptionist, who pushed out the stool beside her for him to sit down.

  A sense of loneliness washed over Raven as she watched the two of them together, hand going to the ring she wore on a chain around her neck. Her husband Aidan was training mercenaries somewhere in Eastern Europe, just one of many dubious activities he was involved in. They loved each other deeply but they could only spend limited amounts of time together as the chemistry between them was so wild it led them to do crazy, reckless things. After disappearing for a year and worrying her sick, the last time he’d come back Aidan had promised he would always let her know where he was and come home more regularly. In the year since he’d made that promise he’d stuck to his word, calling her every couple of days. He’d even been home to visit three times. Each time they both hoped that this was it, their relationship was finally going to settle down and they could live together permanently but each time it had been ruined. During his last visit they’d ended up getting into a fight with four men outside a pub and had narrowly avoided being arrested. Raven was incredibly cool and calm, she prided herself on it but when Aidan was around that went right out the window and she found herself taking risks she would never normally consider, which wasn’t good for someone in her profession. Keeping a low profile kept her out of prison and kept her alive.

  Sometimes the loneliness and frustration ate away at her. All she wanted was a normal marriage, to see her husband every day, to wake up with him in the morning and fall asleep with him at night. But then again, she could only ever enjoy marriage with a man like Aidan. Any other man would run away screaming when he discovered what she did for a living. Neither would they tolerate an armoury under their house. So many times she’d considered filing for divorce but she hadn’t the heart. Despite everything, she loved her husband fiercely.

  A loud laugh filled the air, dragging her out of her thoughts. The receptionist was giggling like a schoolgirl as Damon whispered in her ear. He’d certainly inherited his father’s silver tongue. He rested his hand on the woman’s knee, making her cheeks bloom with colour.

  Raven drained her glass, got to her feet and headed back to her room, the sight of their courtship making her nauseous. It was the last thing she needed when her heart ached for Aidan.

  CHAPTER 6

  Raven had just finished dressing the next morning when there was a knock at her door. She opened it to reveal Damon looking refreshed and a lot happier.

  “I thought I’d have to drag you out of that receptionist’s bed,” she said as he stepped inside, closing the door behind him.

  “She had to start work at seven.”

  “Did you enjoy your evening?” she asked, running a brush through her hair.

  “Bloody hell yeah. She’s a proper goer.”

  “How classy,” she said, crinkling up her nose.

  “What’s wrong with that? It’s a compliment. One lass I went with just lay there like a corpse. It was horrible.”

  “Please stop talking,” she said. “Let’s get some breakfast and stuff your mouth up with food.”

  “Great idea, I’m starving. I worked up a hell of an appetite.”

  After enjoying a hearty breakfast they left the hotel to resume the search for One Eye. Damon winked at the receptionist on the way out, who grinned back at him, unable to speak to him as she was on the phone.

  Two hours later they drove into the village of the Kyle of Lochalsh.

  “So do we start with the hotels again?” said Damon.

  “Yeah, I think so,” replied Raven. “Brace yourself for more tales of him shagging all the local women,” she added, making him chuckle.

  They began with The Kyle Hotel, which was a large inn, Raven reluctantly holding out the image of One Eye, expecting the landlord to go into a rage. But he stared at the photo blankly before saying he’d never seen him before.

  “Shit,” said Damon as they exited the hotel. “What if he didn’t come here?”

  “Let’s not give up yet. There’s plenty of other hotels.”

  Next they tried a lodge and a bed and breakfast but no joy there either.

  “Don’t look so down,” Raven told Damon when his good mood started to slip. “We’ve still got one more hotel to try.”

  This hotel was much more One Eye’s sort of place - grand and imposing and sat on the water’s edge.

  “Hello, can I help you?” said the man on reception.

  “Yes,” replied Raven, once again showing him the photo on her phone. “We’re looking for our dad, he’s gone missing.”

  Damon was rather alarmed when the man’s eyebrows went up and he blushed.

  “Have you seen him?” pressed Raven.

  “Yes, he was a guest here for a couple of nights. He left the day before yesterday.”

  Her heart skipped a beat. So close. “Do you know where he went?”

  “No, sorry.”

  As Raven frowned at him the man’s blush deepened. He was hiding something. “Is there something else you want to tell us?” she said.

  “Me? No. He kept himself to himself while he was here, he didn’t interact with anyone. He paid and left.” He forced a smile. “I’m sorry, I can’t give you any more information.”

  “That’s funny,” said Damon, glowering at the man. “Because our dad doesn’t keep himself to himself. He likes interacting with people, he’s really comfortable chatting with strangers, he likes hearing their stories. So it’s weird that you say he kept himself to himself. That’s not our dad meaning something’s wrong…or you’re lying.”

  The man swallowed hard. “I don’t know what to tell you, I don’t know him. He did keep himself to himself then quietly left, end of story. I’m very sorry to hear he’s disappeared and I do hope you find him.” He appeared delighted when the phone burst into life. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to work.” He snatched up the handset and turned his back on them.

  “Don’t,” said Raven, catching Damon’s arm when he raised his fist to punch the berk in the back of the head. “That’s not the way.”

  Swallowing down his rage, Damon followed her outside. “Why didn’t you let me drag the little ferret over the fucking desk?” he exploded once they were through the door.

  “Oh yes, what a good idea. Get us arrested before we’ve found One Eye, that’ll help.”

  “That wanker’s hiding something.”

  “Yes he is and we’ll find out what it is but attacking him in the middle of a hotel with guests and staff milling about isn’t the way to do it. You’re about to get another lesson in patience and subtlety.”

  “Jesus,” he sighed, rolling his eyes.
<
br />   Waiting in the car with Damon outside the hotel for the ferret to come out was like being caged with a restless tiger. He huffed and puffed, continually shifting in his seat and complaining.

  “Oh for God’s sake,” said Raven after two hours of it. He was trying even her limitless patience. “Go and walk off some of that energy.”

  “I’m not going anywhere. What if he comes out while I’m gone?”

  “Then all the better for him.”

  “Dad’s missing with some nutcase chasing him and we’re sitting here like a couple of planks.”

  “We’re doing what’s necessary to find him. Now please settle down or bugger off for a walk.”

  As she spoke the heavens opened, rain bouncing ferociously off the car roof.

  “Marvellous,” she sighed.

  “Hey, look,” said Damon, sitting bolt upright in his seat. “It’s the ferret.”

  They watched the hotel receptionist race across the car park to a small red Fiat. He jumped into the car, shaking raindrops from his hair before starting the engine and driving out of the car park.

  Raven set off after him, careful to keep well back. It was easy to track him because the village was quiet and the red car stood out. They drove through the village to the inn they’d tried earlier and the red car pulled up outside it. The ferret got out and hurried inside, looking up and down the street.

  “Dodgy little bastard, isn’t he?” said Damon.

  “You’re not wrong there,” said Raven as she parked the car further down the street.

  It was still pouring down, so they ran inside the inn. As it was a Friday night the bar was relatively busy.

  “There he is,” said Damon, pointing out the ferret, who was frantically talking with the man they knew to be the landlord they’d questioned earlier standing behind the bar. “Enough fucking about. That pair are up to something.”

  Raven decided to let him take the lead on this, it would make him feel like he was really doing something to find his dad. Plus there was nothing like a bit of terror to make someone tell what they knew.

  The ferret was the first to spot Damon steamrolling his way towards them but not soon enough to make his escape and he found himself cornered by the red-headed leviathan.