The Truth Healer: A Riveting Spiritual Psychic Thriller

by J Gabriel-Smith

  It left Chloe confused, as Tatiana had informed her that the clown would be a significant link in the chain, so why did Lucy look like it hadn’t led to anything?

  ‘Hi, it’s me.’ Chloe said, ringing Tatiana bemused.

  ‘Hi Chloe, is everything ok?’

  ‘Well, I thought I had made progress, after I instigated a meeting with Lucy and the clown, but it hasn’t seemed to have amounted to anything. What should I do now?’

  ‘I didn’t say it was going to be that straight forward. Rosie was enticed over by a clown, but I didn’t say it was exactly the same one that is there now. Lucy will have to look into that further. Just sit tight and wait.’ Tatiana replied reassuringly.

  ‘Ok, will do.’ Chloe said reluctantly. ‘Speak later then.’

  Chloe could see Lucy’s brain working as she looked around the fairground, and she watched her pause at the bumper car rides where two men had come on duty. They both had dark hair and olive skin. One had shorter dark hair and the other had longer dark hair in a ponytail. They were talking amongst themselves, and didn’t seem to be taking an interest in the children around them.

  Chloe remembered back in the days when she use to go to funfairs and admittedly the workers there weren’t all smiles, but these two men seemed different somehow. There was an uncomfortable aura around them and Chloe had an overwhelming feeling that these two men may have been part of the gang that kidnapped Rosie. Lucy was now staring at them and something seemed to be registering with her.

  Lucy then appeared to look at her watch, before getting up and walking back to her car. Chloe quickly followed her, making sure she was far enough away, as she had concerns Lucy might recognise her from Cornwall.

  She followed her car back to Shanklin, and parked up outside a restaurant called McCullens. Lucy seemed to be meeting someone….an older plumper lady in her fifties. Chloe peered through the window and noticed how deep in conversation they were. The older lady was laying a reassuring hand on Lucy’s arm, and was listening intently to what she was saying. After an hour and a half, Chloe watched them both get up to leave and drive back to Bernie’s.

  They both then went into the main reception and after forty-five minutes, they came out and walked over to the fairground of the park. The older lady went over to chat to one of the workers, before they both went back to Lucy’s car and drove off.

  Chloe rushed to follow them again. She had no idea where they were going. It was only as she followed them through Parkhurst and Northwood, that she realised they were heading for Cowes. Bingo!…Lucy was working it out. Tatiana had said the abductors had boarded the boat from Cowes, and thankfully Lucy was starting to piece it all together with the clues.

  Chloe cowered behind the other walking tourists as she followed Lucy and the older lady along the port. They seemed to be nodding a lot and then headed back to their cars, where she heard Lucy say ‘Thank you Brenda, I will be in touch.’ Chloe then finally followed her back to the ferry port.

  As she sat waiting to board the ferry, Chloe reflected on this stage of her mission. Tatiana was right, Lucy had worked it out, and as far as she was concerned, it had been a success. Chloe had found it mentally and emotionally exhausting, especially after going to Cornwall two weeks previously, but things had definitely started to happen. She knew though, she still had a long way to go.

  When she arrived home, Josh was already in bed, exhausted from his trip to Leeds.

  ‘Hi honey….you’re back! I’ve missed you.’ Josh greeted her sleepily, reaching out for a kiss.

  ‘Yes sorry darling, I had a late client. How was your trip?’ Chloe whispered.

  ‘Stressful….but we think we now have sufficient evidence to nail our main suspect now.’

  ‘That’s great sweetheart.’ she said, leaning in to kiss him goodnight. ‘Now I’ll let you go back to sleep.’

  Josh smiled and fell sound asleep again in minutes. Chloe looked at him and could empathise with him now at how stressful working on these cases must be. She felt anxious but at least she knew she was going to find out the truth in the end. Josh and his department never knew that for sure. That must have been how they felt about the Rosie Parker case.

  The following morning, she was woken up early by Josh whistling in the shower room.

  ‘So are you going in later today then?’ he called through, hearing Chloe stirring

  ‘Yes, Tatiana gave me the morning off as I had to work late last night.’ she replied, astounded at how easy the lies were rolling off her tongue now.

  ‘That was nice of her.’ Josh replied, buttoning up his shirt. ‘So what are you up to this morning then?’

  ‘Think I’ll stay around the house…I’ve got some reading to catch up with.’

  ‘Ok darling…I’ve got to dash so I’ll see you later.’ Josh said, blowing her a kiss.

  ‘Ok see you later…text me.’ she called out, as Josh walked out of the front door.

  Once Josh was gone, Chloe, still in her pyjamas, reached for her tablet and started searching for all the countries that the Hungarian workers could have viably taken Rosie to. Her mind had been working overtime during the night, and she had so many pressing questions she needed answers to.

  She knew Tatiana would eventually tell her, but she liked Chloe to come to her own conclusions first, to demonstrate she was developing her own sense of intuition.

  From Cowes they obviously must have gone over to France but then where? If they were travelling back to Hungary they could have gone through Germany, Austria and then onto Hungary, or they could have gone through Switzerland and Italy. It was so vast, no wonder the police investigation failed to find her. Also Chloe had read that child trafficking was not only common in Hungary, but it was also prevalent in Romania, France, Austria, and basically worldwide.

  It had been two years since Rosie had gone missing, and even if by the slightest of chance, she did get found alive, she would not be the same young innocent girl she was before. She would have been through a harrowing ordeal, so mentally she would never be the same again.

  Chloe turned off the tablet and closed her eyes for a few moments. She was shattered but she couldn’t go back to bed as Tatiana was expecting her back at Headquarters that afternoon. She was, though, desperate to know herself what happened to Rosie next, so despite her tiredness, she forced herself up the stairs, into the shower, and out of the house.

  *****

  Chloe arrived to a warm welcome from Tatiana.

  ‘It sounds like you made good progress Chloe.’ Tatiana praised, sitting opposite Chloe at her desk.

  ‘Yes, after a slow start, it all seemed to escalate and Lucy seemed to run with all of the clues.’

  ‘So what are your thoughts as to where Rosie was taken?’

  ‘Well, after studying the map, if they were going back to Hungary, they would most likely have gone to France, then through Germany and Austria. There have been several incidences of child trafficking in these countries…either as a destination or transit.’

  Tatiana nodded impressively. ‘I am glad you are being proactive.’

  ‘I have figured out that you like me to use my own initiative first, so I am trying.’ Chloe replied smirking.

  Tatiana grinned. ‘Yes, you are correct, and you are doing very well at it…..so I think it is time to find out what happened next. Truth Master Benedict asked me to come and see him as soon as you arrived, so I will be back shortly.’

  Chloe waiting patiently for the next instalment. After twenty minutes, Tatiana returned.

  ‘Ready?’

  ‘Yes ready.’ Chloe agreed, afraid of what was coming.

  ‘So I can tell you that Rosie was taken initially to France, where her captors stayed at a small campsite called Beaux Arbres, in a village called Saint-Hilizer. They were driving a campervan and stayed one night.’

  ‘Right….ok…..so did the police not know about this campsite?’ Chloe asked, slowing writing down the details.

  ‘No, they neve
r found this campsite. They only investigated where there had been possible sightings, but none came from here.’

  ‘The captors must have kept them well hidden away.’

  ‘Yes they did unfortunately.’

  Chloe paused…‘That reminds me, you haven’t mentioned the missing girl Katrina that was written about in the papers…..was she with Rosie?’ Chloe asked, curious as to why nobody seemed to be looking for her.

  ‘I am afraid we haven’t been privy to this information. I also asked about this, but The Higher Power Commission have only agreed to divulge details about Rosie, as it is her parents that have been affected at this time.’

  ‘But I don’t understand why Katrina’s parents have never come forward.’

  ‘There are a lot of unanswered questions about Katrina, but for now, our focus is on Rosie.’

  ‘I suppose if we find out what happened to Rosie, we will find out about Katrina?’ Chloe questioned searchingly.

  ‘Yes maybe, but it can not be guaranteed unfortunately.’

  ‘Ok then, so what do I need to do now?’ Chloe asked.

  ‘You need to get Lucy to Beaux Arbres campsite in France…there she will find out more information.’

  ‘France?…and then what?’

  ‘That is all you need to do for now…..you will find out more along the way.’

  ‘But how am I going to get her to go to that campsite in particular?’

  ‘You will find a way.’

  ‘You don’t give me much to go on do you!’ Chloe remarked, with a hint of sarcasm.

  ‘Well that is your role as a Truth Healer… you have to lay down genuine clues that have been researched organically. Otherwise Lucy and Tom, will not be able to provide factual research to the police when they need to.’

  Chloe nodded. ‘So will I need to go to France? I am not sure if I am confident enough to go that far alone. Cornwall and The Isle of Wight were different as they were close to home.’

  ‘Yes, Truth Master Benedict and I have discussed that. We are going to assign Diana to accompany you on your first foreign trip. She can give you some tips and make you feel more comfortable with what you have to do.’

  ‘Ok great…I would feel so much better about it if she did. So how long will I be staying in France, to let Josh know.’ Chloe asked, now worrying about how she was going to get away on yet another ‘Reiki convention’.

  ‘It should only be for a few days.’

  ‘Another few days of stressful fabrication!’ Chloe sighed, her fingers now circulating her temples to ease her mounting tension.

  ‘He will be fine….he’s been ok so far hasn’t he, and he’s very supportive of your new career.’

  ‘Yes I suppose so. Ok I’ll go and have a think about how I can get Lucy to France and let you know what I come up with. See you tomorrow.’ Chloe said, with her usual sparkling eyes now slightly dulled with worry.

  As Chloe walked home, she thought back to how uncomplicated her old job was now. Not just because it was less scary but also because she was getting more and more uneasy about the deceit and lies she was now having to get involved with. She loved Josh so much and didn’t want anything ruining their relationship, but she had an obligation to Rosie and her parents now, so she couldn’t back down now. She would just have to toughen up and get on with the job at hand. This was her mission now…..her truth, and one that would structure the rest of her life.

  Chapter 13

  When Lucy arrived back from the Isle of Wight, frantic thoughts had taken over her usual rational mind. Going back to the police wasn’t an option at this stage, as she knew they would disregard her research. They would dismiss it as having been covered already, but Lucy was certain they couldn’t have done, as the information she had discovered was far too significant. She was so thankful to Brenda for being there for her, as the thought of doing it alone would have been petrifying.

  Tom didn’t suspect a thing, as since Rosie’s disappearance, he seemed to be spending more and more time at work. It had been two years but it somehow was harder now, as they were faced with the possibility that they may never find her. It was Tom’s way of escaping and Lucy understood that.

  She herself was due back at work in a few weeks. The thought of it terrified her since returning from Cornwall, as she couldn’t even focus on her everyday life at the moment, let alone teach any pupils. She decided she would have to tell Tom she wasn’t up to working again as the trip had set her back.

  He had always been a very kind and supportive husband, which is why she felt such guilt continuing to explore Rosie’s abduction without his knowledge. She knew she would need to tell him the truth soon, as the betrayal would only get worse the longer she left it.

  With the search for Rosie now continually on her mind, Lucy was starting to feel guilty that she was neglecting Sam. He never seemed to want to discuss Rosie, but she had to be sure he wasn’t holding any guilt inside of him. She decided she needed a mother and son bonding day out, so she arranged to take him to the zoo and then off to see a film he was desperate to see at the cinema.

  ‘Hey Sam look at those giraffes…look at their long funny necks.’ Lucy pointed out, hoisting him up onto the fence to get a better view.

  ‘I know.’ he acknowledged them laughing. ‘The baby ones are taller than me!’

  ‘Come on, the bunny rabbits are through there, you can pick them up and have a cuddle.’ she added, lifting him off the fence and leading him towards a nearby wooden hut.

  Sam lent over the bunnies to stroke them. ‘Rosie wanted a bunny rabbit.’

  Lucy paused …‘Yes…you are right she did didn’t she….we were planning to get her ……’ Lucy couldn’t finish her sentence for fear of crying.

  ‘It’s ok mum, she knew you were planning on getting her one, so that made her happy.’

  Lucy pulled Sam in towards her, kissing the top of his head. ‘You are such a lovely gorgeous boy, how have you grown up so level headed?… we are very lucky to have you.’

  Sam smiled. ‘I miss her too mum. I know I don’t say it often, as it is too painful to constantly think about Rosie. I loved her very much though…she was my little sister, and I often wonder if she is still alive, and if so, is she scared and frightened out there.’

  ‘Oh Sam, I am so glad you are talking about this. I am always thinking about Rosie, and I will keep searching for her until we find the truth…. we can then eventually have closure, whatever the outcome may be. Anyway, come along you, let’s get off to the cinema and treat ourselves to hot dogs and popcorn.’ she said, ruffling his strawberry blond fringe.

  Lucy was so glad she had spent the day with Sam. They both ended the day on the high note and it had brought them closer together again.

  The following day, Sam went off to see his friends, so Lucy had the day to herself again. She made herself a coffee, slumped down onto the sofa and stared at her newly painted living room walls blankly. What shall I do now? she thought. After deliberating for a few moments, she reached for the telephone.

  ‘Hi Brenda, it’s me Lucy.’

  ‘Oh hello sweetheart, how are you?’ Brenda replied warmly.

  ‘I’m ok, but thoughts have been spinning around in my head since I came to see you last week, and now I am at a loss as to what to do next.’

  ‘Oh lovey… I was going to ring you today anyway as I have found out some rather interesting information?’ Brenda divulged, looking around to see if anyone was listening.

  ‘Oh really…what?’ Lucy responded, shifting forward on the sofa.

  ‘I decided to hold some appraisals of the camp staff to get to know them a bit better, in light of our discoveries. First on my list were the Hungarian workers in question.’

  ‘Really?!..what did they say? Did they give anything away? Did you feel nervous?’ Lucy asked, desperate to find out anything new.

  ‘Well yes, I did a bit, especially now that we suspect they had something to do with Rosie going missing.’

  ‘
So what did they say?’

  ‘They were very brief in their answers, but when I asked them if they were enjoying their job, they of course said yes, but they were not very overly enthusiastic like a lot of the other workers. They just seemed odd. I am not sure how they got the job in the first place. They must have come across differently then.’

  ‘So what else did they say?’

  ‘Well I double confirmed they were both from Hungary, and asked them what they both did previously for work before coming here. One said he worked in his father’s shop, while the other was a builder.’

  ‘So why did they come here?’

  ‘For better money basically…….I suggested that working in a children’s fun fair is a lot different from what they were doing, and asked how they got on with the children. They were quite dismissive of them saying ‘They are ok, children are children…noisy and just like bumping into one another in the cars’. I was quite taken aback that they were not more positive, especially as they were in an appraisal. There is definitely something strange about them.’

  ‘So did you ask them how long they planned to stay here.’

  ‘Yes, they just said maybe for another year or so, but that they may move onto another fun fair to explore the country….Well not if I have anything to do with it! They made me feel very uneasy, so I may have words with management.’

  ‘Yes, I think you should but not just yet, as we need them to stay at Bernie’s for the time being so we can follow their movements.’

  ‘Yes, you are right, I will wait then.’