Missing

by Cathy MacPhail

  Well, if someone was going to listen at last ... she was going to talk!

  Her voice trembled as she began. She talked about the day Derek had gone. How she felt as the days passed and there was no word of him. And then the weeks, and the months. Watching the pain of her parents as they tried everything to trace him. Finally, she talked about finding out that Derek was dead.

  ‘I know how much it hurt Mum and Dad when Derek went away. I know how terrible it must have been to find out he was dead. But what I don’t understand is ...’ She drew in a deep breath, determined not to cry. She had to say it all, now that she had started. ‘Why did that stop them loving me?’

  Her father gasped. Her mother clutched at his hand. Dr Rice gestured to them to be quiet. ‘What makes you think they stopped loving you, Maxine?’

  ‘I was pushed out. They looked for Derek and I was sent to stay with anyone who would have me. They talked about Derek. He was all they thought about. Everything was Derek. No matter what I did, they didn’t notice I was there. Derek was all they cared about. We’ve never really known why Derek ran away. But I’ve always had the feeling ... they think it was my fault.’

  ‘Oh no, Maxine!’ Mum was beginning to cry, but Dr Rice still wouldn’t let her speak.

  ‘Go on, Maxine,’ she urged.

  ‘I used to wish Derek was dead!’ Now Maxine could feel the tears spilling over. ‘I know that’s a terrible thing to say. But I thought if he was dead, they’d start to care about me again. And then he was, and I thought that was all my fault too. And then I realised it didn’t matter anyway, because even though he was dead, he was still all they cared about, all they talked about. Derek. Derek. Derek!’

  ‘Oh no, Maxine! You couldn’t be more wrong. My poor wee girl!’ Her father leaned across to her and pulled her close.

  ‘Can I say something now?’ Her mother’s voice was soft, yet somehow stronger than Maxine had heard it in months. She was holding her tears in check.

  ‘You think we blamed you? But I’ve always thought it was my fault. He wanted to talk to me that morning. He had something he had to tell me. I jumped down his throat, sure he’d got into more trouble at school. Done something else wrong. I gave him such a row. He’d been behaving so badly for so long. He started yelling. He couldn’t talk to me, he said. I never listened. I realise now that was probably true. And I’ve always wondered what it was he wanted to tell me. And if I’d listened ... would he have run away?’

  ‘I’m just as guilty,’ Dad said quietly. ‘Not listening, when he needed to talk. All that time he was being bullied I felt I did nothing to help. I felt so useless. Going up to the school didn’t seem to do any good at all. So I just told him to fight back ... and then when he did, I was angry. Felt he’d become a bully himself. Now, I think maybe he was trying to get our attention, just the way you did, Maxine. And I’m so afraid I’m making the same mistakes with you ... and I’d die if you ever left us. Do you realise that, Maxine? I don’t think I could go on if you left too.’

  Mum buried her face in her hands. ‘Never think we don’t love you. If anything were to happen to you ...’ She began to sob.

  Dad went on, his voice soft. ‘I know Derek took over our lives, Maxine. It was the not knowing was the worst. Not knowing why he’d left. Where he was. If he was safe or in danger. And I was watching your mum, she was falling apart with the worry of it. Her life was finding Derek, so I had to be with her.’ He stopped for a moment. Then he continued in an even softer voice. ‘I’ve never confessed this to anyone. But when we heard Derek was dead ... I was relieved. I’m so ashamed to say that. Relieved.’

  Her mum let out a sob then, but she said nothing. Maxine almost cried too. Relieved. Her dad had felt the same as she did, and she hadn’t known.

  ‘I thought at last things could get back to normal. We knew the worst.’ Dad gripped his wife’s hand in his, hugged Maxine close to him. ‘But it didn’t get back to normal. It only seemed to make things worse. And we were so wrapped up in ourselves, we forgot the most important person. You, Maxine.’

  They loved her. Everything was going to be all right. Mum was going to be all right. Maxine knew it would take time, but they would get there. As long as she knew they really did love her. And suddenly, like a great dark cloud hiding the sun, she remembered the boy in the cemetery. If only she could tell them now about him! About all the things that had been happening to her. But if today was a new beginning for them, she knew she could never tell them that. Mum might never get over it. She wasn’t going to take that risk. Never.

  Mum smiled through her tears. ‘We’re all going to try harder, aren’t we?’ she said. ‘A day at a time?’

  They had a chance. If it wasn’t for the boy in the cemetery. Whoever he was, he could ruin everything. Her fears must have shown on her face, for Dr Rice asked her, ‘Are you feeling OK, Maxine?’

  ‘There’s something she’s not telling us.’ Her father saw that right away. ‘Maxine, what is it? Now’s the time to be honest with each other.’

  But what could she tell them? That someone was pretending to be Derek, and that she was meant to be meeting him today? She glanced at the clock on the wall. She had to meet him. Tell him to get out of their lives for ever. She wanted it to be finished. Finished for good. She might just make it to the cemetery in time.

  ‘I ... have to go!’ she said, jumping from her chair. ‘I promised I’d meet Cam.’

  There was alarm in her mother’s face. Maxine kissed her quickly and smiled. ‘I’m so happy, Mum. And I’ll be home soon, I promise. And then everything will be fine.’

  And then she was off, with her father calling after her.

  Mum would be fine. She knew that now. She would begin to accept Derek’s death.

  As long as she never heard anything of this business.

  Well, she never would. Maxine would make sure of it. It was over. She headed for the cemetery and Cam. Together they would confront this boy. Threaten him with the police, with anything, get him to leave and never come back. She might still just be in time to catch them together.

  The great, green gates of the cemetery lay open. Twilight was beginning to descend on an already dark day.

  This was it. Maxine took a deep breath and hurried inside.

  c

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  Had there ever been a darker, more gloomy afternoon? The black clouds hung heavy, almost touching the tops of the monkey-puzzle trees, and an eerie mist weaved its way through the branches. Darkness was already falling.

  Maxine hurried up the long, narrow paths that led to Derek’s grave, listening intently for the least sound. What would she find? Anything? All she knew was that she wanted it finished. Now, when she could see light at the end of the tunnel, she wanted nothing more of this ‘Derek’. Derek was dead.

  She heard a faint cry in the distance and stopped. The hooting of a bird? But no, it was something else. There it was again. And this time she recognised it. A cry of pain. Someone was being hurt. She began to run.

  She should never have let Cam come up here on his own. Whoever was doing this was wicked, wicked enough to do anything. The trees were thicker here as she moved deeper into the cemetery and the afternoon grew even darker.

  She turned onto the path where Derek’s grave was and gasped at what she saw.

  Cam. And he was being held down and kicked by Sweeney and two of his cronies, Stew and McCabe. Cam was already bruised and bleeding. His shirt was torn, his arm twisted painfully up his back.

  So, after all, it had been Sweeney all the time. Nasty, vengeful Sweeney playing his tricks on her. Hadn’t she suspected it all the time? She’d always known deep down he was involved. No one else could be that cruel.

  ‘I’ll show you a karate kick, pal!’ Sweeney sniggered and lifted his foot to strike at Cam’s side. Cam tensed r
eady for the blow.

  Maxine screamed, and the kick didn’t come. Instead, Sweeney turned quickly and saw her. His snigger became a grin. ‘It’s wee Moody, come to your rescue, China boy.’

  ‘You let him go, moron!’ Maxine yelled at him.

  ‘Maxine, get out of here! Run!’ Cam could hardly get his breath, it had been kicked out of him.

  Sweeney found her threat funny. ‘The size of you telling me what to do? Going to do something about it, titch?’

  She made a run at him. ‘If I’ve got to!’

  She took him by surprise. He stumbled back and almost fell. Cam took the opportunity to roll away from him, but he was grabbed and kept down by the other two, Stew and McCabe.

  ‘Keep a hold of him!’ Sweeney ordered, getting his balance again. Angry now, angry that she had almost made him fall, he grabbed her by the hair and yanked.

  Maxine let out another yell.

  ‘At least you’ve got some spirit, hen. Not like that wimp of a brother of yours.’

  She struggled to free herself, but it was no good. ‘Don’t you call my brother a wimp! He was better than you any day!’

  She kicked out then furiously and connected with his shins. He threw her from him and she fell.

  ‘Run, Maxine!’ Cam yelled.

  But Maxine didn’t get the chance. As she tried to get to her feet, Sweeney pushed her down again. ‘I think it’s time you knew about that brother of yours.’ He spat out the words, and Maxine shrank back. ‘You want to know why he really ran away? ’Cause of me!’ He said it as if he’d done something wonderful. ‘I hated that wee wimp. Always getting his mummy and daddy up to see the headmaster.’ Sweeney gave a shrug. ‘So what! I’d be suspended, but see, when I’d come back ...’ His laugh then was full of maliciousness. ‘I’d make his life even more of a misery. It was so funny! He even thought if he was as tough as me, starting picking on people, I’d leave him alone. Some hope! He was never good at it.’ Sweeney was enjoying taunting her, standing there almost on Derek’s grave.

  ‘I know he wasn’t. He was better than you! He had too many brains to be a bully,’ she screamed at him, and jumped to her feet.

  ‘I didn’t stop giving him hassle. I think he realised then, the wimp, that I don’t give up until I’m finished with somebody. I wasn’t finished with your brother, not by a long way.’

  Now Maxine couldn’t have run if she’d wanted to. She had to hear this out.

  ‘The day before he ran away, I told him I had “something really special” lined up for him. Next day, when he came into the school, he was for it. And it would be something he wouldn’t forget. So ... what does he do? The wimp’s too scared to even come to school the next day. He runs. And he’s never seen again.’ Sweeney’s laugh seemed to echo up into the trees. ‘He ran because of me! I scared the living daylights out of him!’

  So that was what Derek had wanted to tell his mother. What he had needed to talk about, and no one – no one! – had listened. Oh, Derek! In that moment, she was apologising. I’m so sorry, Derek.

  ‘I’ll tell everybody!’ she yelled at him. ‘You’re evil!’

  ‘Oh, come on, wee Maxine. I’ve been at this since I came into school. Remember?’ He put on a pitiful voice. ‘I’m a deprived child. They have to make allowances for me.’ Sweeney continued, ‘I’m still here ... but your wimp of a brother isn’t. He’s ...’ He pointed down, under the earth. ‘He’s down there.’ And then he was laughing again.

  Maxine was almost crying. ‘It’s been you all along! Pretending he’d come back. Frightening me! I might have known! Pig!’

  She screamed at him and ran again to where he stood. But this time he gripped her by the shoulders and spoke so close to her face that she could feel his spit splash against her cheeks.

  ‘You’ve got more spirit than your brother, hen. But I’ll soon knock that out of you. Because I’ve picked you as the next one. And see, from now on ... I’m going to make your life a misery as well. Day in and day out.’

  She saw it all then. This was what he had done to Derek. Day in and day out, fear, fear of going to school. So he didn’t go. Not getting anyone to listen, or when they did, Sweeney was only reprimanded or suspended. And then he would be back at school, and the terrorising would begin again. Only worse. Until finally, Sweeney had planned ‘something special’ just for Derek. Her brother’s imagination would have made that ‘something special’ so much worse. How he must have felt that last night, knowing that school next day was going to bring the worst kind of hell! Thinking of how to escape to get away. Feeling everyone had deserted him already. He’d tried to talk to his mother and she had pushed him aside. Not wanting to listen. No one had wanted to listen or help.

  No wonder he had run away, Maxine thought. She would have done.

  And now Sweeney had chosen Maxine as his next victim. Now, when things could be better for her mum and dad and the family, she saw her life stretch ahead of her filled with fear. Fear of Sweeney.

  Sweeney was laughing now. Watching her reaction as if he could read her mind. ‘Scary, eh?’ he sniggered.

  ‘I won’t let you!’ she screamed. ‘I won’t let you ruin my life like you did my brother’s!’

  ‘You’re not going to have any choice,’ Sweeney said maliciously.

  ‘Ssssweeeney ...’

  Sweeney swung round. ‘What was that?’

  Maxine had heard it too, but it was only a rustle in the trees, the wind whistling softly, eerily through the undergrowth.

  ‘SSssswe-eeney ...’

  And this time, no mistake, a soft, silky, ghostly voice coming from nowhere.

  Sweeney swung round again. His eyes were darting everywhere. ‘Who’s that? Who’s there?’

  ‘It’s me ... Ssssweeney ... Derek ... and I’ve come to get you ...’

  c

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  Maxine began to shiver. The hairs on the back of her neck rose. Even Cam was silent. She could hear Sweeney’s quick breathing.

  ‘Ssssweeeeeney ... Sssswee-eney.’ An eerie whispered call.

  ‘Who’s that?’ he demanded.

  ‘You woke me up, Ssssweeney.’ The name was spoken like the hiss of a cobra.

  ‘Whoever you are, I’ll make you sorry.’ Sweeney’s voice was full of bravado, but it trembled all the same.

  The cemetery grew even darker. The wind rustled and a twig cracked somewhere nearby.

  Sweeney swirled round at the sound. ‘I’ll get you for this!’

  ‘No, Ssssweeney. I’ve come to get you. It’s lonely in my grave without you, Ssssweeney. Come and join me ...’

  ‘Who the hell is that, Sweeney?’ Stew shouted. He was shaking, looking all around him, looking for something human, something alive.

  ‘It sounded like ...’ McCabe didn’t want to finish. Couldn’t believe it.

  ‘It sounded like Derek,’ Maxine finished for him, her voice flat.

  And it did, the voice on the phone, the murmured whisper in the church. A ghost after all ... yet she wasn’t afraid now. Derek wouldn’t hurt her.

  ‘I told you he’d come back one day and get you, Sweeney,’ she told him.

  ‘Here I am, Sssweeney ... here. Can’t you feel me?’

  Stew suddenly let go of Cam. ‘I’m out of here, Sweeney. It’s you he wants.’

  And he was off, running, looking after him, terrified that whatever it was would stop his escape.

  ‘Wait for me!’ And McCabe was sprinting after him.

  ‘Now, Ssssweeney ... it’s just you and me ...’

  Sweeney jumped around. The voice now came from somewhere behind him. ‘You can’t ever get away from me now, Ssssweeney ...’

  Sweeeney yelled at the top of his voice, ‘Where the hell are you? Come out and fight like a man!�
��

  The laugh that came then was mingled with the wind. It might have been the wind. ‘You’ve never fought like a man in your life. Now you’re mine, for eternity, in hell, Ssssweeney. And I’ve got ... something special ... lined up for you.’

  Sweeney let out a yell. The words he’d used to terrify Derek came back to haunt him. ‘Something special’ held a new terror now.

  Sweeney jumped back, lost his footing and tumbled onto Derek’s grave. He lay there, too terrified to move, glancing in fear all around him. Not knowing which way to look, which way to turn.

  ‘You’re coming with me, Ssssweeney ... I’m reaching up for you. Can you feel me? Any second now my hand will come thrusting through the earth!’ The voice rose and Sweeney screamed. ‘You’re mine, SSSSSweeney ... Come to me!’

  Still Sweeney screamed. He believed it. He looked all around the grave, waiting for Derek’s hand to come pushing up through the earth, to grab him and drag him down, down, down beside Derek. Even Maxine imagined it: the hand rising, fingers spaced wide, clutching on to a terrified Sweeney and pulling him down to hell, where he belonged.

  Sweeney couldn’t move. He was too terrified to move.

  ‘I’m sorry. I’m sorry! I won’t touch your sister. I promise.’

  Silence was his answer. And the cemetery grew darker.

  The voice when it came was softer and more ghostly than ever. ‘I’m taking you anyway, Ssssweeney.’

  The clouds darkened, the low-hanging branches of the trees shifted in the wind and the name DEREK MOODY seemed to move with the shadows on the gravestone. Sweeney saw it too. His voice rose in terror. ‘I won’t touch her!’ he screamed, almost in tears now. ‘I won’t ever touch anybody. EVER!’

  He rolled off the grave and jumped to his feet. Maxine had never seen anyone so terrified, and yet she felt nothing. No sympathy. Sweeney had terrified too many others in his time. Maybe now he never would again.

  He was in a panic, brushing imaginary fingers from his trousers, his jacket. His eyes were darting all round him. He started to back away, his eyes never leaving the trees and thick bushes that surrounded the graves.