She managed to steady herself and felt around the tree, using it as cover to look back. Her heart punched her aching throat and, momentarily, it was all she could hear. Then Rena discerned footfalls.
A torch glinted through the gaps in the birches some distance away. It zigzagged towards her. She wasn’t brave enough to double back so decided she should keep going, even though she had no idea what lay the other side of the forest.
But now she was seeing two lights. Rena observed them jinking identically as her view of the woods tilted. Her oxygen-starved brain was playing catch-up. She pressed her fingernails into the crumbling bark. She couldn’t lose consciousness, not now.
There was a patch of solid blackness below the tree to her right. Peering at it, Rena realised it was a hollow in the roots. She crept over, extended her free hand to the hole and waved it in the interior. It didn’t connect with the sides so there was obviously a considerable recess. Big enough for her? Rena bent and thrust her arm inside until she made contact with the moist rear of the cavity.
The hiss of leaves was getting louder.
Pulling her shoulders in tight she crammed herself through the damp opening, the strong aroma of mildew immediately overpowering. Her knees sank and squelched into its soggy floor, and dense roots scraped her shins as she slipped awkwardly inside.
The chilled interior closed around Rena and she balled herself to fit, sliding in the machete and gripping the handle with both hands in front of her. As she waited and attempted to gulp air through her bruised windpipe, her short breaths bounced off the humid wall half an inch from her face.
The swishing boots were almost adjacent with the tree. Rena stopped breathing but was sure the confined space was amplifying the noise of her chattering teeth. Her stomach quaked, and she put her hand over her mouth to prevent any sound escaping. If she were found now, there would be no way of defending herself. Her weapon was useless if she was assaulted from behind.
She anticipated fingers against her exposed back or around her ankle. But the feet kept moving.
Their zigzagging meant it took some time for them to fade altogether but, when Rena was sure they’d gone, she emerged from her hiding place.
Rena saw the light vanish through the trees a hundred or so yards ahead and was once more in darkness. She returned the way she’d come, taking care not to tread too heavily and looking back every now and then to see if the torch had reappeared. There was no sign of it. She would try to find the pond. From there she could pick up the track to Fun Central and raise the alarm.
Her wrist still pulsed from striking Keeler’s head.
Choke on it, loser.
Rena remembered what she’d contributed to the WhatsApp discussion. She used her left hand to feel for branches, the other she crossed over her breasts so the blade was at her side. Now her panic had partially subsided, she was suddenly aware of how freezing it was. Her hair was still soaking, and the low breeze scalded the icy droplets on her skin.
She halted and looked behind her again, wondering how long it would take her attacker to realise they’d missed her. There was a good stretch between them now though so she moved faster.
But Rena was suddenly out of ground. She’d wandered to the edge of a deep ditch and couldn’t prevent herself from falling.
She had the presence of mind not to scream, however, and waited for her body to make contact with the earth again. It did, four gut-jolting times, before she came to a standstill.
Rena looked up at the stars but felt like she was still rolling. She’d struck her head against something and the pain buzzed in the already swollen left side of her face.
Do not black out was the last thought Rena had before she did.
70
Hazel didn’t sleep and knew no one else would have either. She’d made a list of what they could still feasibly shoot but when she examined their remaining options she wanted to re-interview three key people. Soles clearly concealed a deeper involvement with Meredith. After her dialogue with Bennett, however, she was positive getting the officer in front of the camera wouldn’t be easy. First though, she was going to visit the Hickmans.
Had the detective been deliberately baiting her? Whatever his motives, Hazel wanted to take her crew to the turkey farm. Plus, even though the Hickmans had left Fun Central long after Jacob Huber, was there a chance they’d run into each other? After Wade and Jacob’s confrontation, she imagined what would have happened if they had.
Ironically, it was Wade who had said the answer to Meredith’s murder lay closer to home. But where did that leave the lone tourist theory? Meredith Hickman, Denise Needham, and Caleb Huber – all three deaths were connected to what they’d tweeted.
Who had she heard in the forest? The two voices were definitely male. Was one Jacob Huber? It was his phone they found. And was it really possible Henrik could be trying to dupe them by setting fire to the shrine as well as his own clothes? Or were the arson and her attack in the forest because she was getting closer to the motive behind Meredith’s death?
Maybe Sweeting was right to be as uneasy as he was. But Hazel wasn’t going to leave until she had answers to the questions that seemed to stack higher the longer they stayed in Fun Central. She’d call the Hickmans first thing.
Lucas still hadn’t come to bed. Hazel decided she might as well shower and head back to the production office. Rising, she slipped on jeans and sweatshirts and grabbed her washbag. She stumbled along the corridor and yelled as she butted into someone.
They yelled louder.
‘Lucas?’
‘Weiss.’
Her hand scrabbled for the light switch and found his there. The strip bulbs flickered on.
Hazel picked up the washbag. ‘Still up?’
Weiss was fully clothed but wasn’t wearing his spectacles. ‘We’re nearly on the clock so I thought I’d hit the shower.’
Leaning down had reactivated her throbbing bruises. ‘Have you seen Lucas?’
‘Why?’ He sounded defensive.
‘He’s not in his bed.’
Sweeting came through the door at the end of the corridor, wearing his parka. His skin looked raw. ‘Who’s yelling?’
Weiss turned. ‘Where have you come from?’
‘Roof.’ His teeth chattered. ‘I’ve been keeping watch but I fell asleep.’
Hazel could see a half-empty spirit bottle in his fist. ‘You could have frozen to death.’
‘Feel safer up there than in my room. Thought I heard a shout from the pond so I went up to listen.’
‘When was this?’ she asked.
‘Hours ago. Just as I was turning in. Didn’t hear anything after though.’
‘We should take a look anyway. Where’s Lucas?’ She fixed Weiss again.
‘Last time I saw him, he was in the burger place,’ he offered reluctantly.
Their recreational drug use was no secret to her. Why was he being so cagey? ‘Let’s head to the pond. If none of us are sleeping, we might as well be shooting.’ She hurried towards her room. ‘Somebody get Rena up.’
Weiss called after her. ‘OK if I pee first?’
71
Hazel walked onto the concourse and headed for District Burger, but halted as Lucas emerged from the ball pit. Seemingly deep in thought, he stopped dead when he saw her.
‘Did you hear any shouts from the pond?’ It was the second question she wanted to ask but figured she’d give him the chance to explain what he’d been doing there.
He tightened his lips and shook his head.
‘Have you just been with Weiss?’
Lucas seemed to consider denying it. ‘Just hanging out.’
Didn’t answer her question. What the hell was he hiding? ‘Look, whatever the two of you were doing down here is none of my business… ’
Lucas nodded and wiped invisible dirt from the palms of his hands. His gaze shifted to the door as Weiss and Sweeting came through it, and he seemed grateful for the distraction.
At
that moment, Hazel didn’t want to press him further. ‘Anyway, we’re going over to the pond to check it out. Thought we’d take the camera with us.’
‘Sure.’ He agreed a little too readily and trotted off to Neptune’s where they’d stashed the equipment.
Hazel had anticipated refusal and knew Lucas’s willingness was to excuse him from being probed further. ‘Rena not with you?’ she asked Weiss.
‘Not in her room.’
Sweeting zipped up his parka. ‘I saw her slipping out just after dinner.’
‘Did she say where she was going?’ But Hazel had a pretty good idea.
‘No. I assumed she might be running an errand for you.’
Weiss was alarmed. ‘I didn’t know she’d left when I locked the entrance.’
‘Keeler was staying an extra night. Maybe she’s at a motel with him.’ Hazel fumbled in her pocket for her phone.
‘I’ll call her.’ Weiss took out his and speed-dialled. He listened for a moment. ‘Straight to message.’ He spoke into the mouthpiece. ‘Rena, Weiss, look it’s… ’ he glanced at his watch, ‘just after six a.m. Give us a call when you get this, OK?’ He hung up.
‘Don’t panic. Rena had a key so she could let herself back in.’ Hazel rang Keeler and listened to his answering service while she observed Lucas emerge from Neptune’s with his Lumix. ‘Keeler, Hazel. Just want to make sure Rena’s OK. Let us know if she’s with you.’
‘We lost Rena as well?’ Lucas said drily.
She acknowledged how quickly he’d composed himself. ‘I think she’s with Keeler. We’ll wait for them to get back to us.’
Sweeting squinted through the main entrance at the forest. ‘So you want us to go in there again, even though we might run into Jacob Huber?’
‘You’re the one who heard the noise. But stay put, if you want. Lucas?’
‘I’d rather we all go. Strength in numbers.’
‘Have we got anything heavy we can defend ourselves with?’ Weiss looked about them.
‘Shame I didn’t bring the Emmy. Would have been good for something,’ Hazel quipped but nobody laughed.
Sweeting was still peering outside. ‘It’s getting light now anyway.’
Hazel used her key to unlock the sliding doors. They rattled and squealed as she pushed them apart.
‘Let’s do this then,’ Sweeting said grudgingly.
The four of them stepped into the parking zone, and Hazel pulled the doors back in place and secured them. There was a ground frost and the sunbeams spiking the grey clouds had just started gilding the white trunks of the birches. They couldn’t help but briefly take them in.
‘Perfect lighting.’ Lucas shouldered the camera.
Hazel touched his elbow. ‘Start running.’
72
Dogs barking far away frightened April. Whether she was outside or safely tucked up in her bedroom, she always pictured how ferocious they looked and them bounding in her direction.
Early morning light fractured the grubby sky and, as April shivered and padded cautiously home, she wished it were only the far-off dog she could hear that was hunting her. A hundred barking dogs even, instead of the grown-up. There were so many trunks that could conceal them.
Had they given up chasing her? Their circling of the tree had stopped just before sunrise.
April wondered if she should have stayed up there until she’d been found. When the search party had given up in the park they’d obviously start looking for her in other places.
Even though it was day again, did it mean she was any safer? She just had to keep on walking until she reached her house. If she spotted the grown-up, she would flee and not stop running until she was at her front door. But she knew they could move faster than her, scoop April up and drag her back into the forest.
She slowed, glanced back and saw the figure there.
They were in the distance, briefly illuminated by the sunshine as they passed under a gap in the canopy.
April cast her eyes frantically around for somewhere to take cover, but she couldn’t find a tree that had as many leaves as the previous one. She stepped up onto the roots of the nearest but there wasn’t a knot to get her foot into, and the lowest bough was way out of reach.
She raced to the next. Grasping a jagged branch stump, April hoisted herself up between the ‘v’ of the trunk.
Had they seen her? They were getting near. April hastily climbed through the sparse foliage, going as high as she dared.
73
Walking onto the bank of the pond, the crew’s reflections in the black litter-strewn water shimmered as a keen breeze disturbed the surface. Nobody said a word as Lucas silently panned the Lumix around. They all assembled in front of the jetty and listened. The wind sizzled the leaves overhead and eddied the dead ones around their feet.
‘You heard a shout?’ Hazel whispered to Sweeting.
‘Hours ago.’ But he nervously scanned the trees.
‘Well, there’s nobody here now.’ Lucas stopped recording and lowered the lens.
‘Let’s all do a circuit. See if we can find anything. Meet back here in five.’ Hazel began skirting the right bank, but turned back to Lucas. ‘Shoot anything that moves.’
Lucas nodded.
Hazel’s eyes were drawn to the junk floating in the middle of the pond. The day before, it had all been gathered at the far end. Must have been a strong wind to shift it from where it had been lodged in the thick scum. Weaving her way through the trunks to her right, she examined the ground for any sign of footprints.
This looked like a waste of time but breakfast was imminent, which always improved everyone’s mood. That was when she’d tell them about the new schedule. It would keep them busy while they waited to hear about Henrik and Jacob.
Her phone vibrated. It was a text from Keeler.
Rena with me.
A small nagging worry had been allayed. Hazel responded.
Ask her to grab bagels for the crew on her way back.
She couldn’t lecture her again. Not having taken her down a peg the night before. In fact, Hazel couldn’t afford to rub anyone up the wrong way today. If someone walked, it was likely to have a domino effect. Besides, it was still early. Rena was probably hoping to sneak back so nobody would notice she’d left.
Her phone buzzed again.
She’s hung-over.
Hazel sighed.
Tell her she needs to rally.
Keeler’s reply was swift.
Will use cattle prod.
Hazel smiled and quickly typed.
We need her at location as soon as possible, you dirty dog.
She was about to finish her lap when another message arrived.
I’m right on her ass.
74
Rena’s prostrate body was concealed beneath an overhang of mud so it was impossible for her to calculate how far she’d fallen. Her throat was nearly closed up and she could barely swallow let alone scream for help. And she figured she shouldn’t even attempt that if her attacker was still looking for her.
The back of her head was against a rock, and she couldn’t get any of her limbs to respond. Was she permanently paralysed? Over hours she’d cried tear channels through the dirt on her cheeks and begun to soberly resign herself to the fact that perhaps nobody would find her.
Rena wasn’t sure if her right hand was still holding the machete or if it had been dislodged in the fall. Even if she still had it, she was unable to turn her face in its direction let alone grip with her fingers.
She couldn’t feel the cold any more, only the occasional currents of air goosing her numb flesh and sending a fuzzy reminder of its presence up to her brain. And she was terrified to move. When she had she’d heard a creaking sound from her vertebrae and assumed she’d fractured it or something worse.
Was she going to die here? She’d been surprised to still be alive to see the daylight breaking.
When she didn’t turn up at Fun Central, however, Hazel would try to conta
ct her. But she’d dropped her phone at the pond. Rena considered the texts she’d exchanged. She’d been effortlessly lured there.
But she knew, sooner or later, she had to budge. Despite what might happen when she did, Rena had to warn the others about who killed Keeler.
She delicately tensed her neck muscles again but the crunch inside her head was deafening. Was it only the pressure of the rock behind Rena holding her skull together, and should she risk exerting herself any more if help might arrive?
75
‘Still no reply.’ Hazel dumped her phone on the cracked plastic table in District Burger.
Weiss was chewing on the last cereal bar. ‘Rena? I thought you said she’s picking up breakfast.’
‘I’m trying to get hold of the Hickmans.’
‘You interviewing them first?’ Lucas drained his coffee and grimaced. ‘Jesus, this instant’s rank.’
‘Detective Bennett gave me some food for thought. Maybe they even know where Jacob is.’
Lucas ditched the cup. ‘You think he and Wade might have come to blows?’
‘They had unfinished business after their little face-off. Wade and Tamara drove back after he left. Maybe they bumped into him on the way home.’
‘And you mean “bumped into him”.’ Weiss sucked granola out of his teeth.
‘They live near. I think we should swing by.’
Sweeting had returned from the bathroom. ‘We wasting more stock?’ He straddled a chair backwards. ‘Christ only knows what goes on at that turkey farm.’
Be My Killer: A completely UNPUTDOWNABLE crime thriller with nail-biting mystery and suspense Page 17