The Magpie Society One for Sorrow

by Amy McCulloch

  [she starts to cry]

  I wish I’d made sure we came to the party together, like we always did. It seemed like bad luck to break with tradition. We shouldn’t have done it.

  CLOVER

  You can’t blame yourself … No one knew what was about to happen.

  JESSICA

  [through sobs]

  I just can’t understand it. She had plans. Dreams. She wouldn’t have done this. I know it.

  CLOVER

  But do you think someone would want her dead?

  JESSICA

  [long pause]

  Of course not. But she was so wild and carefree, you know? She was a light. A beacon. But lights attract bad things as well as good. And she loved danger. But she also loved cutesy things, like shells. She had this pair of shell earrings that she wore all the time. I asked the family if I could have them as a kind of … memory of her. They were a matching set, you know? I have the necklace. We found them in this cute charity shop in Brighton.

  CLOVER

  Oh, that’s so cool. Did you get to keep them?

  JESSICA

  They never found them. They weren’t among her belongings. Maybe she was wearing them when she died. They’ll be at the bottom of the sea now.

  I suppose that’s where they belong. The shells, I mean. Not Lola.

  [Interval] Music plays.

  CLOVER

  As soon as I finished this interview, I knew I had to work harder to figure out who this ‘older man’ was. Was it a consensual relationship, a crush gone wrong, or something more sinister?

  Let me tell you, friends, I’m close to figuring it out. But, worse than that, I really think that this person might not be finished.

  How far will they go to keep the truth covered up? And with another Illumen Hall party on the horizon – the Samhain gathering – who knows what could happen?

  [Interlude] Ominous music plays.

  In the next episode of WHO KILLED LOLA? I’ll reveal exactly what I’ve found out about this ‘older man’. And the shocking truth is that he’s still out there …

  [End] The music slowly grows louder, before fading out.

  36

  Audrey

  The house is even bigger than I remember it. I’d still been in a daze during that first viewing, at the beginning of August. Or maybe it’s because I’m seeing it through Ivy’s eyes. When we arrived in England, I didn’t realize how ostentatious it is to approach a house through a road lined with trees that leads to a vast circular drive with three cars sitting out front. The house itself is an ultra-modern, glass-and-sandstone monstrosity, not classy-looking like Illumen Hall, or some of the other beautiful period homes I’d seen around the coast. No, my parents just had to go with something brash.

  In typical American style, it’s also completely dressed for Halloween, with pumpkins and cobwebs everywhere. That would have been my mom’s doing before they went away. It’s like she can’t function without her little traditions, which include changing the sofa cushions and decor every season without fail, even if there are no visitors to appreciate it. I used to like the changes, thinking that it helped to mark the time. It seems so gaudy now.

  I’m glad I won’t have to introduce her to Ivy. It might ruin all the goodwill between us.

  Ivy stares out the car window, not really looking at the house. She seems a bit lost in her own world, which I guess isn’t surprising after we listened to the latest podcast episode in the cab. I hope it wasn’t a mistake bringing her here. She probably thinks it’s over the top.

  When we get to the house, I type the code into the pad by the front door and it clicks open. ‘Hello?’ I ask. My voice echoes up into the vaulted space. There’s no answer. I turn back to Ivy. ‘Yup, we’re alone.’

  ‘Great,’ she says, shifting her bag further up her shoulder. ‘Wow, this place is something else. Lucky you’re so far back from the road – you wouldn’t get any privacy with all that glass.’

  ‘I know. Not exactly my taste, but …’ I shrug.

  ‘It’s amazing. I could never imagine living in a place like this. I can see now why you didn’t mind leaving the States!’

  ‘Oh, this is nothing like our house in Georgia. Now that was really something.’

  ‘What does your dad do again?’

  ‘He’s in property investment. Not like flipping houses, but big developments and stuff. He jets off around the world, spends months away, and then comes back home with lots of money. He doesn’t really talk about what he does.’

  ‘Or maybe you’re not that interested.’

  I shoot her a look. ‘Hey.’

  ‘Well?’

  ‘I guess that might be true.’ There’s a crash from somewhere in the house, and I open my eyes in alarm. Then I hear a loud voice I definitely recognize. ‘Uh, maybe we’re not alone. I’ll go see what’s up. Make yourself comfortable. Kitchen’s through there if you want something to drink.’

  ‘Sure, thanks.’

  I’d know that angry tone anywhere. My dad. He’s in one of his rages, so I can only imagine that something really terrible has happened at work.

  Sometimes, back in Georgia, I’d wished that Dad would show some of that same passion for us – just to prove that he cared – rather than the cool detachment with which he normally looked at us.

  ‘Look, I don’t give a damn that they’ve got investment coming in “a few months”. We’ve given them months to get themselves together, and they haven’t budged. Besides, I’ve had a direct report that conflicts with what they’ve been telling us about the safety of the building …’

  ‘Dad?’ I would knock, but there’s no door. His office is in an all-glass wing at the far end of the house, looking out over a vast expanse of green fields. I wonder if Dad even looks at them, or if he’s constantly staring at his computer or yelling at people on the phone.

  He seems to have bulked up a bit since moving to the UK – which is ironic, since all Brits seem to say about Americans is that we have giant portion sizes. But he barely used to eat at home. Maybe leaving Georgia and its ghosts behind was good for the whole family – not just me. Or maybe not having me around all the time really has been good for his health.

  He’s tall, like me – it’s where I get it from – with silvering hair that somehow suits him. I’m used to women – young, old, single, married – swooning all over him, and he doesn’t do much to discourage that. I’ve long suspected he isn’t loyal to my mom, especially with all the business trips and months away onsite.

  I don’t look up to either of them as role models for my life. Still, of my two parents, I get more warmth from my dad than my mom. He waves me in. ‘Look, I can’t talk right now. My daughter just came home, and I’d rather talk to her than listen to more of this bullshit. Just get it done.’

  And then he clicks off the call and turns to me with his charismatic smile. ‘Deedee, honey! You’re back! I thought you were gonna stay at the school over your fall break.’

  ‘They call it half-term here, Dad.’

  ‘Well, come on over and give your old man a hug. I haven’t seen you in weeks.’

  I’m so surprised that I do walk over and give him a hug. He wraps me in his arms and I see they have a sheen of bronze from the Spanish sun. I look up at him. ‘I brought a friend back, if that’s OK?’

  ‘Of course, honey.’

  ‘Business not going well? What happened to Ibiza?’

  ‘Nothing to worry about at all, just had to cut my trip a little short. Duty calls. But how about you? Tell me more about life at that school of yours. The place still falling to pieces?’

  I shrug. Typical of Dad to be more worried about the state of the building than my schoolwork. ‘I’m settling in OK, I guess. Got some mock exams coming up soon.’

  ‘You’ve brought a friend back though, so things must be going better than last time I spoke to you!’

  ‘Yeah …’

  ‘Aren’t you glad you didn’t quit now?’

&nbs
p; I shrug.

  ‘Had any thoughts about where you might wanna go to college?’

  ‘God, no!’ I reply instantly.

  He chuckles. ‘Good to know you haven’t changed too much. I actually had a shock looking at my bank account this month – I have money in there now you’re not asking for it every week!’

  ‘Whatever, Dad,’ I say. But it’s true. Illumen Hall has pretty much cured my shopping addiction. Cold turkey. The place is virtually impossible to get packages delivered to. ‘How about you tell me a bit more about the project you’re working on?’

  ‘What’s with the sudden interest in my work? You’ll find it dull.’ As he speaks, he moves me by the shoulders out of his office. ‘But a man’s gotta do it to pay for his daughter’s pricey school fees. Now we didn’t have that in Georgia.’

  I open my mouth, but nothing comes out. My parents still treat me like I’m the fragile human I was back home, but my time at Illumen Hall is changing me. I can feel it. Standing up to those bullies. My growing friendship with Ivy. I’m stronger and I like it.

  But, rather than bite back, I take a deep breath. It’s no surprise that my parents don’t confide in me. I’ll just have to show them that I’m not the girl I used to be.

  ‘Now, how long are you and your friend staying? Because I have some business associates coming over …’

  ‘Oh, we’ll leave in a bit. I just wanted to show Ivy the house. Did Mom come home too?’

  ‘Oh no, she decided to extend her yoga retreat a bit longer. Apparently, she’s loving it out there.’

  I’m sure she is, I think bitterly.

  ‘And Jason has met some new surfing buddies so he’s just gonna hang out for a few more weeks.’

  ‘Some life.’

  ‘Now, now, your brother has been through a lot too. He’ll go back to school when he’s ready.’

  ‘Sure, Dad.’

  ‘Now, I’d like to meet this friend of yours!’

  Ivy is busying herself making tea. I cough loudly to signal our arrival and, when she looks up, her eyes widen in surprise.

  ‘Dad, this is Ivy. She’s my room-mate at Illumen.’

  ‘Good to meet you,’ he says, stepping forward and pulling her into a big hug. The look of confusion on her face makes me burst out laughing. ‘Hope our Deedee hasn’t been too difficult to live with. I know she can be a slob.’

  ‘Dad!’

  Ivy laughs. ‘No, she’s fine.’

  ‘Must be picking up those good habits from you then. Right, girls, I must get back to business. Take your time, but be outta here by –’

  ‘Don’t worry, we won’t be long.’ I cut him off quickly.

  ‘Good.’ He kisses the top of my head, then strolls back towards his office.

  ‘So … that’s the famous Mr Wagner.’

  ‘I don’t know about famous …’

  Ivy shrugs. ‘He doesn’t seem so bad.’

  I take a sip of my tea and don’t respond. We drink in companionable silence. She doesn’t ask me anything more about my dad, and I’m grateful. She’s one of the first friends I’ve ever had who doesn’t feel the need to fill every second with conversation. Once upon a time, I would’ve hated that. Now I appreciate it.

  I breathe out a long sigh. ‘So, tell me a bit more about this party next Saturday?’

  Ivy’s eyes light up. ‘Oh, it’s a great event – one of our annual traditions.’ Then she looks pensive. ‘And … the first big party since Lola – you know. That’ll probably make it even more important. Araminta’s organizing it. That girl better not do a bad job.’

  ‘What is Samhain though?’ I cringe as I totally mangle the pronunciation. ‘Never heard of it until I got to Illumen.’

  ‘It’s “Sah-wen”, not “Sam-Hayne”. It’s an ancient celebration of the turning of the seasons – I think it can trace its origin back to the time of the Druids. It’s now often associated with the Wiccan religion – and because it falls so close to Halloween they’re often confused, but one has nothing really to do with the other.’

  ‘Oh,’ I say, slightly disappointed. ‘So no dressing up in costume?’

  ‘Did I say that?’ she says with a wicked grin. ‘Not costumes per se, but definitely nice clothes. It doesn’t have any religious significance for us at Illumen these days, but it definitely does around the world.’

  I reach over and grab Ivy’s hand. ‘I’ve just had the best idea. Come with me!’

  37

  Ivy

  Audrey leads me to her bedroom and I crane my neck, taking in the stark white walls. It feels cold, almost sterile. It’s clear she’s spent hardly any time in it, and I’m guessing she didn’t choose the interior design or furniture. It’s everything I don’t assume her to be. There’s no Audrey here. Not like our room back at Illumen, with her yellow duvet cover and the wall behind her bed covered in old vinyl covers and clippings from magazines. Her usual Audrey mess isn’t scattered on the desk space – there’s no sense of her here at all.

  The bed is a king-size, sheets perfectly ironed and tucked in neatly. A beautiful white velvet blanket is draped artfully over one corner. A glass wardrobe spans an entire wall and a quote on one of the doors reads ‘Live, Love, Laugh’ in elaborate cursive writing. It makes me die a little inside. Audrey opens one of the wardrobe doors by pressing the side of the glass and it slides open to reveal her colour-coordinated library of clothes. It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before and I feel a pang of jealousy. None of them are my style, but I wonder what it would be like to live a life like this. Audrey must never have to worry about anything.

  ‘So, what sort of vibe did you say the Samhain party was?’ She pulls out a beautiful floor-length sequined dress that catches the sunlight that’s coming through the window and bounces small specks of mottled light round her room.

  ‘Not that vibe,’ I laugh, even though she’d look absolutely incredible in that dress. ‘Do you have anything black? I think most people wear dark colours, something vampy and a bit autumnal?’ I look out of her bedroom window and see two gardeners pruning the most beautiful little flower garden below. From Mr Tavistock’s wealth of shared knowledge, I think they look like chrysanthemums, but I can’t be sure from up here.

  ‘How do you have so much … stuff?’ I say without really thinking.

  ‘Clothes, you mean?’ Audrey laughs. ‘When you have a dad who likes it better when you hang out with his credit card, you can end up with a lot of shit you don’t necessarily need.’ She laughs again, but it feels forced. She starts folding dresses haphazardly into a little suitcase. I wonder if it’s her mum who keeps her room so immaculate, or maybe they have a housekeeper? I wouldn’t be surprised.

  Audrey pulls the suitcase off the bed and claps her hands together. ‘Right, this should be enough options! I admit, I didn’t expect to be able to wear these at a stuffy English boarding school. Shall we get going? I’ll call a cab.’

  ‘Sure.’

  I let her lead the way back out of her room, following a few steps behind.

  The taxi pulls up and Audrey and I bundle into the back seat, the suitcase wedged in between us.

  Just as we exit her driveway, a red Audi TT pulls in. I catch a brief glimpse of the woman behind the wheel. Of her neatly coiffed blond bob and oversized sunglasses …

  We both turn to each other, blinking rapidly as if we can’t believe what we’ve just seen.

  Audrey breaks the silence. ‘Oh my God. Was that Mrs Abbott?’

  ‘I’m not sure I like where this plan is going,’ says Audrey as we hurry across the courtyard towards Illumen Hall’s front gates. It’s dark out now, the lights down the driveway casting strange shadows along our path.

  ‘Trust me.’

  ‘I’ve heard that one before,’ mutters Audrey, wrapping a scarf round her neck.

  We pass by a large Tudor cottage, with a red car parked out front. ‘Looks like Mrs Abbott has returned from her afternoon … adventure. Let’s move a little faster. I’d ra
ther she didn’t ask us any questions.’

  Audrey picks up her pace, and we jog to get out of view of the cottage windows. ‘I wonder why she was at my house? Maybe I’m in trouble.’

  ‘Can’t you ask your dad?’

  ‘Honestly, I think he’d rather I stay out of his business.’

  ‘Fair enough.’

  A figure steps out of the shadows. Audrey shrieks and grabs my arm. I can’t help but laugh. ‘Chill! We don’t want Mrs Abbott calling security. It’s only Teddy.’

  ‘Well, how was I to know that?’ Audrey clutches her chest, breathing deep.

  Teddy is dressed casually in a hoodie and jeans, so I admit he looks a bit menacing. But then he flashes us his trademark grin and we all relax. ‘Hey, you two,’ he says. ‘So, what’s so urgent that you dragged me off my boat at the start of half-term to come back to school?’

  I smile. ‘Since you still owe us for being a slimy, two-texting moron, we wanted to ask one more favour of you.’ I pause for dramatic effect. ‘We need you to give us full access round the school.’ I whip out both mine and Audrey’s key cards and flash my teeth at him.

  ‘Oh? What makes you think I’m capable of that?’ When he smirks, he gets this little dimple in his left cheek, which gives me the powerful urge to kiss him. I suppress it.

  ‘Come on, I’ve seen you come out from the tech rooms often enough, and only senior teachers and staff are allowed down there.’

  ‘Maybe I just happen to know the right people,’ he says.

  ‘Right. And we know you.’

  He hesitates for a moment. ‘Why do you need it?’

  Audrey opens her mouth to speak, but I stop her with a glare. ‘None of your business,’ I say to him.

  He chuckles. ‘Fine. But, if I do this, will you both please drop this whole thing?’

  ‘Maybe,’ I reply, folding my arms.