Beyond the Dark Waters Trilogy

by Graham West

  “My nan knew nothing about Amelia, of course—not until she gave up her home and went to live at Crest Hill. That’s when she started seeing her, the girl in the bloodstained nightgown.”

  “I’m surprised anyone would want to live there if they knew the history of the place.”

  Maddy laughed. “Nothing freaked my nan. I think the place fascinated her, to be honest. She was a very clever woman with a very open mind.”

  Alex grinned. “Are you having a dig?”

  Maddy patted his arm. “Maybe. But if you have any theories as to what Liam saw in that cottage then I’m listening.” A knock sounded at the door. “Or maybe we should open another bottle and stuff our faces with pizza.”

  That sounded good to Alex. He didn’t have any theories anyway.

  Chapter Fifty-Three

  Laura Nelson picked up after three rings. She sounded bright enough, and Jenny was relieved to hear Cody playing in the background. The little boy had been on her mind, but it was the dream that prompted the call. Amelia had been standing by a window while Cody sat with a sketchpad on his knee. Neither of them had been aware of her presence.

  “Make me look pretty,” Amelia said, turning towards the window.

  “But you are pretty!” Cody insisted, his hand moving quickly as an image began to form on the page. Jenny knew it was just a regular dream, but she still wanted to be sure the kid was okay.

  Laura Nelson seemed relieved to hear from Jenny too. “Thanks for calling,” she said in little more than a whisper. “I’m okay, but Cody is drawing some pretty weird stuff. We’ve got him booked in to see a child psychologist.”

  Jenny wondered if he really had come up with a picture of Amelia. “What kind of drawings?”

  There was a pause and then Jenny heard Laura close a door. “Sorry, I don’t want Cody to hear me. Peter and I are so worried. Some of the faces are really scary. And they aren’t his drawings, if you get what I mean.”

  “You’re talking about the spirit things?”

  “Well, yeah. We think he’s autistic in some way, but that doesn’t explain a lot of other things.”

  “You won’t find a rational explanation,” Jenny said, “because there isn’t one. I’m not saying that a psychologist would do any harm, but the things he’s seeing are not in his head.”

  Laura sighed. “As much as it pains me to say it, I agree. But what are we supposed to do? These pictures, they’re scaring Cody as well.”

  “Exactly who is he drawing?” Jenny asked. “Can you be a little more specific?”

  “Yeah. We found one the other day. It was meant to be the forest, but amongst the trees there were crosses sticking out of the ground.”

  “Like graves?”

  “That’s right,” Laura Nelson replied. “Twelve of them.”

  ***

  Rob took the call from Gordon Huxley at three minutes past ten. He had just checked the time on his mobile when it rang.

  “Robert?” Huxley’s tone instantly put him on edge.

  “Hi, Gordon. How’s things?”

  “Well, they ain’t good, but I’m guessing you know that already.”

  “I presume this is about Jenny and Jake?” Rob asked, trying to sound as if it wasn’t such a big deal.

  “Yes, it sure is. I wanna know what the hell’s going on. This girl—Kayla? Didn’t I meet her at the wedding?”

  “Yeah. You would have done.”

  “And she’s your biological daughter?”

  Rob’s hackles rose. “Look, Gordon, could you please just say what you’ve got to say and be done with it?”

  Huxley sighed. “Okay, I will. You’re a father to both of those girls, and this has happened right under your nose—on your watch!”

  “Meaning?”

  “Meaning you should be dealing with it. They’re sisters, for Christ’s sake!”

  Rob was aware that Josie was close by; he had to keep a lid on his temper. “Look, Gordon, you’re right. I am their father, and yes—” Gordon started to say something, Rob wasn’t going to let him interrupt his flow. “I like to think of them as sisters, but they’re not blood related. You know that.”

  “Why has Jenny got feelings for the girl? Have you spoken to her?”

  “Yes, I have. And I’ve told them both exactly what you would have told them.”

  “Oh, I doubt that,” Huxley snapped. “I’ve got nothing against gays or lesbians, but this is getting out of hand. Every time you turn on the TV, there’s girls snogging girls! It’s no wonder kids are getting so screwed up! Jake is in bits, Robert. He’s not eating or sleeping, and as for work, well, he might as well not turn in, for all the good he is.”

  Rob had heard enough, Josie or no Josie. “What? You think TV is turning straight people gay? That’s bullshit! Jenny is with Isaac at Mosswood. It should have been a family thing, but Jake wouldn’t go. He spat his dummy out and ran home to Daddy!” Rob paused for a second to catch his breath. “Nothing will ever happen between Jenny and Kayla because Jenny loves Jake, and if he can’t trust her then, as far as I’m concerned, he doesn’t deserve to be with my daughter.”

  He killed the call and tossed the phone onto the couch. Josie was standing in the doorway, grinning.

  “Nice one, hun. I just wish Jenny could have heard all that.”

  ***

  Penny Blakely had asked Alex to spend the day with Alison Stone, weeding the borders. The regular gardener had found a new job with Tabwell Council and had left abruptly, leading Mrs. Blakely to remark that if she’d had a rifle, his arse would be full of buckshot.

  Alex didn’t mind pottering around the grounds as long as they didn’t ask him to go anywhere near that forest. Maddy had given him plenty to think about, although he still wondered why certain folk in Tabwell had been so anxious to keep the sins of their fathers such a secret. Everyone knew how crazy they were in the Middle Ages. It wasn’t as if there was going to be a police investigation.

  But Liam had encountered the spirit of at least one of those women, and it bothered Alex. Hotel guests sometimes reported witnessing things moving on their own; then there was Bailey: a troubled teenager who had gone ape shit and sent a pushchair flying across the café. Had she generated some kind of energy? Alex vaguely remembered reading about something like that at school.

  Thankfully, Alison wasn’t a talker and that suited him. The forty-five-year-old had been employed to watch over the toddlers in the role of an onsite nanny figure. She had one of those friendly faces and a manner that put everyone at ease. Maybe he had that faraway look in his eyes because she seemed to be giving him some space.

  He stood for a moment, wondering if it would be okay to message Maddy to see if she was okay but quickly realised the need for contact might take a hold again. Alex had read all about obsessive behaviour and come to the conclusion he was suffering from some kind of borderline personality disorder. It was okay to obsess over a project or a job, but girls? No, they usually ended up walking out and leaving you with a broken heart.

  ***

  The thunder crack made Blakely jump. Tabwell had not had any rain for nearly five weeks, and the lawns and verges were turning brown. There was a humid, almost tropical feel in the air as he made his way to the house. Alex and Alison knelt next to a flower border, gazing skywards.

  “You’re doing a good job guys,” he yelled. “You should probably pack up for the day.”

  “Thanks, Dennis,” Alison called back and picked up a green plastic bag full of weeds.

  “Go and get yourselves a coffee.” There was another crack of thunder followed by a flash. Blakely broke into a jog as the first spots of rain fell, reaching the house as the heavens opened. He turned and watched from the cover of the entrance, his thoughts drowned by the steady roar of rainfall.

  It had been a long time since he’d seen anything like this—America, September 1998, if his memory served him well. His father had pulled off the highway because the windscreen wipers on the hired car couldn’
t cope. They’d sat and waited, watching the other vehicles crawling by with lights flashing and horns blowing. Both of them felt vulnerable, caught in the middle of a monsoon in a foreign country, but now, in the safety of his house—his hotel—he simply watched on in awe of Mother Nature’s ferocious temper.

  At the sound of footsteps behind him, he turned and found Penny staring out across the grounds. She smiled, shaking her head. “If only this had happened on the night of the fire.”

  Blakely nodded, but something inside told him nothing would have stopped those flames. There was an energy of some kind—an energy he could feel. The fire had purged the landscape, and much of the wildlife would have perished, but whatever existed deep within that forest was still there. This was not the end. It was waiting—they were waiting. Mosswood, his dream, would have to stay on hold for a little longer.

  Chapter Fifty-Four

  Jenny woke to find two missed calls on her phone, both from Laura Nelson. Her heart sank. This wasn’t going to be good. Cody saw spirits as friends. It was no big deal to the kid, and although she’d done her best to reassure his mother, Jenny couldn’t help wondering how she’d feel if Isaac started talking to dead people.

  Laura answered immediately and a little breathlessly. “Jenny! I’m sorry to bother you.”

  “It’s fine, Laura. Is everything okay?”

  “I’m not sure…” She hesitated. “It’s… Well, Cody said something really odd this morning. I mean, more odd than usual.” Laura lowered her voice. “I haven’t told Peter. We’d just end up arguing.” There was a kids’ TV programme running in the background. “We were having breakfast, and he said, out of the blue, that he was worried about Bailey.”

  Jenny froze. Did the Nelsons even know what had happened to Bailey?

  Laura continued. “He said he saw her last night, like he sees dead people. But that can’t be right, can it? Bailey isn’t dead.”

  Jenny took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, but I’ve got some really bad news—”

  “Oh my god!” Laura cried. “Please, no…”

  “I only found out the other day,” Jenny said softly. “I didn’t want to trouble you.”

  “What happened? Did she have an accident?”

  “She was a very disturbed young teen, Mrs. Nelson. I think she had always had problems.” Jenny heard the muffled sobs on the end of the line.

  “She took her own life, didn’t she? That’s what you’re going to tell me.”

  “Like I said, she was a troubled girl. She jumped under a train. We’re all in shock.”

  “It was that bloody forest, wasn’t it? It’s all down to that place!”

  Jenny didn’t reply.

  Laura Nelson let out a howl of anguish that was like a knife slicing into Jenny’s chest. “I can’t tell Cody. I just can’t. I’m scared. I’m terrified. Where’s all this going to end?”

  Jenny felt Isaac tugging on her sleeve. “I’m sorry. The baby’s woken up. I’ll have to go.” She ended the call abruptly and slid the phone into her pocket. She glanced down and ruffled Isaac’s hair. “I think you saved me there, little man. Sometimes people ask questions—awkward questions—and you can’t answer them.”

  The little boy smiled warily. It was a smile that faded quickly, replaced by a look of confusion. “Where’s Daddy?” He pointed at the door.

  Jenny shrugged. She couldn’t answer that one either.

  ***

  Maddy was defiant. “You need to tell your boss to listen to Matthew. Build a wall or a fence. It doesn’t matter what it is as long as it stops kids getting over it!”

  Alex mopped up the pool of tomato ketchup with what remained of his burger. “I can’t go dictating. I’m already on reduced hours. That’s why I’m here with you.”

  Maddy frowned. Something was bothering her. She’d barely started her chicken and fries.

  “That stuff about the witches,” he said. “Are you sorry you told me?”

  “Kind of.”

  Alex suppressed his disappointment. It felt like a weight in his stomach. “You can trust me. Honestly.”

  “But what if you’re out with some of your mates from the park and everyone gets a bit chatty after a few drinks?”

  Alex shrugged. “I’d never risk losing you, no matter how wrecked I got.”

  Maddy seemed to relax. He’d said the right thing at the right time. This girl was bringing out the best in him.

  She reached across and took his hand. “I’m glad I met you. You’re a cool guy, and there’s not many of them left. Not in Tabwell.”

  Sometimes Alex wondered if Maddy had been born old. She certainly wasn’t a typical teenager. Sure, she’d glance at her phone occasionally, but she showed little interest in what her friends were up to on social media. He looked around the room. Nearly everyone in the place had their phones next to their food, checking the screen every few seconds. Some looked like couples, some just friends. There were parents with kids, older customers with their grandkids, but no one wanted to be more than a couple of feet from that little window to the cyber world. Alex looked back at Maddy, who was studying him closely.

  “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” she asked.

  “I don’t know. What are you thinking?”

  “The phones,” she said with a wry grin.

  Alex didn’t think he’d been that obvious. It was quite normal to take a look around when you were eating. Everyone did a bit of people-watching now and again. “How the hell did you know that?”

  Maddy shrugged. “I dunno, really. It was probably the look in your eyes.”

  It had just been a casual comment—a guess—but sometimes Maddy said things that suggested she knew exactly what was going on in his head. Why had she challenged him about his love life so directly, so soon after they’d first met? It was as if she’d known all about Danni.

  “You’re a freak!” he said, laughing. “You should go in for that mind-reading thing. You’d make a fortune.”

  But Maddy wasn’t laughing. Her face was set. Alex thought she was close to tears.

  “Hey! What’s up?”

  “There are things you don’t know,” she replied almost inaudibly.

  Alex leaned across the table, the steady hum of conversation and clatter of dishes seeming to fade. “I know you’re different,” he said tenderly. “I know you’re special, or at least, you are to me.”

  Maddy smiled warily. “I don’t have many friends. I don’t get invited out much.”

  “But you said you came here with your mates.”

  Maddy’s eyes filled up. “That was a lie. I’m sorry.”

  “So you don’t have any mates? None at all?”

  “Depends on how you define the word mate.”

  “But why? You’re really good fun. I thought you’d be mega popular.”

  A tear ran down Maddy’s cheek as she looked down at her plate of untouched food. Alex waited, placing his hand on hers.

  “You joked I was a freak,” she said eventually.

  “Yeah, and that’s all it was—a joke.”

  “But I am a freak. At least, my friends—the ones I had—thought so.”

  “Why?”

  Maddy sighed. “When you were looking around the room, I knew what you were thinking. It wasn’t a guess. I knew!”

  “And that’s why you have no friends?”

  Maddy nodded. “I was popular at school. But then I started blabbing stuff. At first, I thought I was guessing things, imagining what was going on in their heads, but I’d be right, and that’s when they started to freak out. No one wanted to be around a weird girl who could read their thoughts. Word spread pretty quick, and that was it.”

  Alex felt numb. “So you knew about Danni?”

  Maddy nodded. “Is that the girl you were in love with?”

  “I dunno. Was it love or obsession? I went through a really bad time.”

  Maddy pushed away her plate. “I didn’t know her name. But I knew there was someone who was
screwing you up inside.”

  A lump formed in Alex’s throat. “So why are you still with me?”

  Maddy smiled tenderly. “Because I can’t see the future. I just believed we might have one.”

  “Believed?”

  “I still believe,” she said. “But if you’re not sure, then we can say goodbye right now and never see each other again.”

  Alex grinned. “Or we can go back to my place?”

  Maddy’s tears had dried, leaving the faintest streak of mascara on her cheeks. “Yeah, I like that idea better.” She beamed. “Much better!”

  ***

  Rob sat hunched over the kitchen table with a coffee that had gone cold, gazing into the treacle-coloured liquid as he relived that Sunday morning and those final moments spent with his wife and little girl in the back garden. Elizabeth had sat watching Hanna as she played on the plastic pedal car. He could hear himself telling her to watch the flowers before turning the hose on her. He could hear her excited screeches as she rode gleefully in and out of the spray. “Do it again, Daddy!”

  Elizabeth had put some dry clothes on her ten minutes before the ice cream van arrived: ten minutes before she died.

  What if he’d discovered the letter his wife had written to Benjamin Pascoe the day after? How would they have coped with that? What if Jenny had found out about Kayla at the same time? Maybe, if there was a God, he’d gone easy on them. They’d struggled through, and now he had a good woman and a beautiful little grandson.

  There were times he’d wondered if he would ever forgive Darren, but the lad had proved himself, and Kayla was a good kid too. Yes, things seemed to have settled down, but now this. Life could be a real bitch sometimes. All Rob had ever wanted was a normal life and yet, just when the ship seemed to be sailing along quite nicely, it hit another rock.

  Josie had asked how he’d have felt if Jenny had married a girl instead of Jake. It had been a casual question, and there’d been no accusation in her tone. He’d answered honestly: yes, it might have been hard to take in at first, but there was no question he’d have been proud to walk her down the aisle. Josie flashed him a smile that suggested she approved and nothing more was said.