by Anita Waller
Olivia didn’t need to tell her. Lauren, closely followed by Pilot, was at the door, a look of terror etched on her face.
‘It’s okay, Lauren,’ Jess said calmly. ‘I think you and I and our beautiful Grace need to have a little talk. She’s a little bit scared and we need to put things right.’
Pilot took in the scene and turned to head back downstairs.
‘Call me if you three ladies need me. Olivia, you come with me. Is Noah asleep?’
Jess nodded. ‘He’s fine.’
Relief flowed palpably through Lauren. She turned a questioning face towards Jess and Jess began to tell her about the problematic afternoon. She included Grace in the telling and Grace once more apologised, this time to her mother. Lauren felt sick that her child should be so distraught about something she hadn’t realised was wrong.
Lauren listened through to the end and said quietly
‘Thank you, Jess.’
She pulled Grace towards her and held her tightly. ‘Grace, my love, I promise you that no child in this house will ever be smacked for anything. There will be no naughty smacks and if you make mistakes, as you did with the bad words you used, then we will just tell you. We won’t shout, won’t tell you off; we will just explain why it is wrong. We love you so much, little girl, and we need you to know that. Now, I want you to go downstairs, find Papa and tell him everything is okay. I’ll be down in a minute.’
Grace climbed off the bed and headed for the door. She closed it behind her and Lauren turned to Jess.
‘Naughty smacks? Naughty smacks? I need to find this man and I’ll bloody show him what naughty smacks are like. God, Jess, it’s going to take years to guide her through this, and it’s such a minefield. Thank you for your input today. What we’ve found out from her clearly needed to come out and you’ve been a massive help. And for goodness sake, take your day off!’
Jess laughed. ’I will. I’ve got a good book planned for after our meal and an early night to follow.’
When Lauren went back into the lounge, all eyes turned towards her.
‘She’s absolutely fine,’ she said and looked towards Josh. ‘Absolutely fine.’
Christmas was becoming problematical. Pilot and Lauren needed to go Christmas shopping but this involved leaving the children at home. In the end, and after discussions with Mark’s men and the police officers who still guarded their property, they decided to take all three to Pat’s for the day where they would be under the protection designated for Moorgate. Pilot and Lauren would take the full day to do everything that was required for Christmas but they had to be accompanied at all times by one of the Carter associates. They decided to head for Truro and hope for the best.
And so it happened. It was a shopping expedition like no other with every available space in the car they had borrowed from Ken and Brenda filled with goodies. They knew they wouldn’t be able to organise another day like this and so they had to make the most of it.
They did quite a bit of the shopping in the big department store, particularly in the toy department. Pilot was looking at a flashing ball for Noah and Lauren nudged him.
‘Look,’ she said and pointed to Father Christmas’ grotto. ‘There’s one in Padstow in one of the shops on the quayside. Do you think...?’
Pilot grinned.
‘I promise you we’ll take all three of them but answer me honestly. Is this for you or them? Do you just want to sit on his knee and tickle his beard?’
‘You’ve seen through my cunning plan.’
Pilot looked thoughtful. ‘Grace won’t really know what’s going on, will she? She’s never had a Christmas. We have to give her the full experience this year, so we’ll sort it out with the security and take them down. Now come on, let’s go and decide on the books for the girls.’
Sam helped them back to the car with the last of their purchases and then checked underneath the car before he allowed them to get in it.
‘Right,’ he said, ‘You’re okay. Stick to speed limits all the way, make sure I am always behind you and don’t do anything stupid. We’re going straight home, Mr. Farmer, we aren’t stopping anywhere for anything. Guy is escorting the children and Jess back home as soon as you ring Moorgate. You’ll need some time to put this lot away.’
His own car was full to bursting and he grinned to himself as he followed the borrowed Range Rover. The Farmer kids were going to have a hell of a Christmas. Pilot drove carefully and they arrived back at Hillside without incident. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and they hid everything in a wardrobe that had been left in the garage. The wrapping would come later.
Grace and Olivia burst into the house chattering away excitedly. Nan Pat had told them all about Christmas, about the magic of Father Christmas and Olivia had tried her best to explain to her big sister about all the presents that appeared under the tree. At first, Grace hadn’t understood; Nan Pat brought out photographs from the previous year and then watched in amazement as Grace’s face lit up. It was going to be a good Christmas.
At the weekend, they took the children into Padstow and parked on the quay. Sam and Guy came with them and parked their car next to the Range Rover, once again borrowed because of the size of it. This time they needed it to transport a Christmas tree.
Grace’s eyes were like shining stars; she saw the Father Christmas grotto in one of the craft shops that closed for the winter and squeaked with excitement.
‘Is he in there?’ she asked.
‘He certainly is, my love, do you want to meet him? And he might have a little gift for you.’
She nodded, now unable to speak.
They bought three tickets and went to stand in the queue. They didn’t have long to wait and they wheeled a sleeping Noah in the pushchair up to the red suited man. He smiled at the baby, stroked his head and handed over a present from the shelf that was designated boys 0 – 2 years.
‘I’ll not wake him,’ he whispered quietly.
Olivia went next and he asked her how old she was.
‘I’m four and a half, Father Christmas,’ she said and smiled. He turned to the shelf marked girls 3 – 5 and handed her a gift that was rectangular; impossible to guess the contents.
‘And what do you want me to bring you on Christmas Eve,’ he whispered, obviously still aware of the sleeping Noah.
She shrugged.
‘Nothing really,’ she said, ‘but will you bring Grace lots of good things because she should have them.’
Tears pricked Lauren’s eyes. It was clear that Olivia, even at such a young age, had picked up on adult discussions.
‘Well, little one, I’m sure we can still manage to get the elves to make something special for you,’ he whispered once again. ‘And is this Grace?’
Olivia nodded. ‘Yes, she’s my sister.’
Grace stepped forward, her head down. She was finding it hard to reign in her excitement.
‘Hello.’
‘Hello, Father Christmas, I’m nearly eight.’ She hiccoughed. The anticipation was threatening to overwhelm her.
‘Then we need to find a special present for you.’ She had to lean forward to hear what he was saying; he pressed her gift into her hand. And then she did squeal.
‘I’ve got a Christmas present!’ She turned to face her parents and they were overcome themselves at the sight of her face. She was glowing.
She swung round to Father Christmas and lifted his hand. ‘Thank you,’ she said. ‘Can I open it now?’
‘Best wait until you’re home and your Mummy can help.’ He continued to whisper, watching baby Noah. ‘And don’t wake your little brother. Have a lovely Christmas and I’ll see you all on Christmas Eve.’
They left the grotto with Grace and Olivia chatting excitedly. Sam and Guy moved forward and escorted them to their car. Once again, it was checked for explosives but Guy had remained outside the grotto all the time they were inside; he was sure no one had approached the car.
The two cars pulled into a massive yard that
was filled with Christmas trees of all shapes and sizes and they spent the next half hour choosing just the right one. It was loaded onto the Range Rover roof rack with some difficulty and fastened securely. Grace and Olivia were bursting with excitement; Mummy had promised them they could spend the next day sorting out tree ornaments and putting up the tree in the lounge.
The girls hugged their gifts all the way home and tumbled out of the car as soon as their seatbelts were released. They couldn’t wait to get in the house to see what Father Christmas had bought them.
Olivia climbed on to the rocking chair and began very carefully to remove the wrapping paper. Grace waited patiently; almost afraid to do something she had never done before. Inside the parcel were two books, one about dinosaurs and one about fairies. Underneath the reading books was a sticker book that she immediately began to flick through.
‘Look, Grace, look what I got. It’s stickers.’ The excitement in her voice was infectious and Grace began to laugh at her younger sister. ‘You are crazy, Olivia Farmer. Let me open mine and then I’ll come and sticker with you.’
Pilot lifted his camera to get the best position for a picture. This was their daughter’s first Christmas present ever and he wanted a picture of the moment she opened it.
She slowly took off the paper, clearly savouring every moment. Like her sister’s package, there were two books suitable for her age. Underneath was a photo frame. She looked up at her father as she registered the flash of the camera, a puzzled expression crossing her face.
The picture in the frame was the one being distributed around Devon and Cornwall of Treverick.
Chapter 28
By the time the police reached the grotto it had been abandoned and the small crowd outside were only too happy to tell the police about Father Christmas disappearing round the back of the shops that lined the quayside. They wanted their money back for tickets already purchased and Dunbar had to deal with angry parents and crying children. The elf that had taken the money and handed out tickets was looking quite distressed and scared. Having only met Santa the day before and been offered the job she thought it would give her a little spending money towards Christmas presents; no, she said, I didn’t know him.
The area was cleared, names and addresses were taken for follow up interviews and Dunbar left uniformed officers to deal with searching the locality. He knew Treverick was long gone and he guessed that the man had tried this tactic more in hope than certainty that the Farmers would visit Santa.
The detective needed to speak with Grace to see if she had recognised anything at all but deep down he knew she couldn’t have. She would have completely freaked out if she had thought Treverick was sitting down next to her.
Dunbar arrived at Hillside where calm had been restored. Pilot and Lauren had managed to convince Grace that the photo frame had been put into the parcel by mistake and the two books were her real present. She had departed for her bedroom where she was currently reading the books.
Lauren was scathing.
‘How the bloody hell could this have happened, Jake? How did he get permission for a grotto without a police check being involved? This is contact with children and he’s a fucking paedophile!’ Her voice rose as anger and panic threatened to overwhelm her.
‘I have no idea yet,’ he replied, ‘no idea at all. He would have needed council permission for a start, never mind a police check. But by tomorrow, I will have some answers.’
Pilot cradled Lauren in his arms as she sobbed. He normally had anger to deal with but this was something else. It was almost as though she was admitting defeat; he didn’t know how to handle her except by holding and soothing her. Sleep wasn’t going to be easy.
He had no words. No words that would help. He was rapidly coming to the conclusion that the police were never going to catch him and they would be living in fear until the day Treverick died. Lauren’s sobs began to quieten and after half an hour, he felt comfortable that she had lapsed into sleep. He carefully pulled back the duvet and got out of bed. She stirred and he paused, waiting until she had settled once more.
He went downstairs and into the kitchen. Their overnight protection was a new addition to the team, Iain Dunne, a bear of a man with a height of 6’ 7” that would intimidate anyone who came across him on a dark night; a man who had knelt on the floor to play in a dolls house at Olivia’s insistence with an apologetic glance at the adults who had all laughed at his plight.
‘Iain,’ Pilot said, with a nod in the big man’s direction.
‘Everything okay, sir?’
Pilot shook his head. ‘I wish.’
‘The police will get him eventually, you know.’
‘Will that be before or after he kills us all?’ was Pilot’s dry response.
‘Trust Dunbar. He’s a good man.’
‘We’ve been trusting Dunbar for almost eight years and it’s not helped.’
‘Does he keep you fully informed?’
‘No idea. I certainly don’t feel fully informed. How the hell did Treverick manage to get that shop? Who granted him a licence to open it as a grotto?’
Iain moved across to the window and looked outside. Pilot had been careful not to turn on the kitchen light so that the backlit kitchen would not compromise Iain’s view into the outside darkness. The anxious young father moved across to look outside with him.
Soon there would be Christmas tree lights on the tree they grew just outside Ken and Brenda’s new lounge, but he felt a sense of dread about the whole idea of Christmas now.
He remembered Treverick’s last words to them – see you all on Christmas Eve – and he was scared. Their protection would peak on that night.
He spoke haltingly to Iain, telling him of the visit to Father Christmas and the threat inherent in Treverick’s words.
Iain Dunne looked at him.
‘Mr. Farmer, I will be on duty Christmas Eve here, I’ll make sure of it. And there will be at least three others here. Nobody, and I mean nobody, is going to get anywhere near your precious babies. You need have no worries about that. And I’m pretty sure we’re putting extra on at Moorgate as well. But,’ he hesitated, ‘let’s hope he comes, yes?’
‘Oh yes.’ Pilot’s tone was icy. ‘You can bet your life I’ll be staying up to catch Father Christmas making his deliveries this year.’
‘Me too.’
Both men turned to see Josh standing in the doorway.
‘Josh, you can’t get involved...’
‘I am.’ There was finality in the words.
Pilot hesitated marginally before speaking.
‘Okay. Then we need to talk.’
He wished Iain goodnight and they left him to continue his surveillance. They moved into the lounge and switched on the lamps. Josh spoke first.
‘We need a gun.’
Pilot grinned at him. ‘Spoken like a true American. Guns aren’t in every store here, you know.’
‘I know, but we need one.’
‘I have one.’
Josh stared at his brother in law. ‘You have one?’
He nodded. ‘My children are my priority, Josh. Treverick doesn’t care whom he kills but he’s not taking out my children while I am still breathing. So, I acquired a gun.’
‘How?’
‘Does it matter?’
‘Can you shoot?’
Pilot shrugged. ‘Sort of. But if it’s aimed at Treverick then the answer is simple: too right I can bloody shoot!’
‘Where do you keep it?’
‘Out of the children’s way but available if I need it. On Christmas Eve, it will be in my hands.’
‘You really think he’ll come here?’
‘He said so, didn’t he? He’s coming for Grace. I have no doubt of that. Josh, if I end up locked away for the rest of my life, that man will not survive if he comes for her.’
‘And we can’t even come up with a plan! We can’t second guess him, can’t begin to imagine how he intends getting her.’
‘I have a plan of sorts.’ Pilot spoke quietly. ‘I intend waiting until Grace is asleep and then spending the night in her room. The gun will be loaded and in my hand.’
‘Then I’ll join you. At least if you feel as though you’re nodding off – and that’s the biggest danger really – I’ll be there to either cover for you while you nap or I can keep you awake. But it does need two of us, Pilot.’
‘Thank you. I thought of asking Iain but that’s not fair. The only stipulation I make is that if he comes and if I kill him, you must get out of that room. I’m going to need you to be with Lauren and to help her bring our children up. You can’t do that from a prison cell. You can be first on the scene because you heard the shot but you can’t tell anyone you were in the room. You have to leave immediately before Grace wakes and realises you’re there. Okay?’
They climbed the stairs to their rooms, both deep in thought. It was a plan based on what-ifs and perhapses, but it was all they had.
Dunbar had some answers.
He arrived at Hillside after their evening meal the following day. Over-excited, the two girls were by the Christmas tree in the lounge; they had helped Mummy put on the decorations and Grace had climbed a stepladder to install the fairy on the top.
‘Isn’t it beautiful, Jake?’ she said, her eyes wide.
Lauren opened her mouth to say “It’s Mr. Dunbar”, but the detective held up a finger and mouthed a no. Grace had called him Jake during her hospitalisation and he didn’t want her to stop now.
‘It certainly is,’ he said. ‘And did my two favourite girls do all of this?’ he waved his hand around the room encompassing all the decorations. It was clear the Farmers had pulled out all the stops, this year.
Grace nodded. ‘Yes, and we’ve got another tree outside that’s got lights all over it.’
‘I saw. Father Christmas will certainly know where to find all of you this year.’
Grace and Olivia giggled and Lauren looked towards Jess.
‘Hey girls,’ Jess said. ‘Let’s go upstairs and get these Christmas cards coloured. We’ve a lot to do.’