The Phoenix Project

by Chrissie Loveday

  “GIVE UP NOW

  GO BACK WHERE YOU CAME FROM

  LEAVE US IN PIECE.”

  It was crudely written in capital letters and clearly the writer was ignorant enough to spell ‘peace’ incorrectly. She started to screw it up and toss it into the bin, but thought again. Maybe she should show it to the police? She replaced it in the cheap envelope, intending to ask Drew’s advice. She realised she was relying on him for rather too many answers lately. She decided she would phone the police.

  ‘Morning,’ Drew said cheerfully as he arrived, carrying breakfast.

  ‘I went to the shop before I came so there are croissants today. What’s up?’ he asked, seeing her crestfallen expression.

  ‘There was a break-in. Wood and all sorts of other bits were taken. I know… I should have heard but I didn’t. I was so tired; I simply closed my eyes and slept through the lot.’

  ‘OK. We’ll call the police again, once we know what’s been taken.’

  ‘There’s something else.’

  She handed him the note that had been attached to the door.

  ‘Heavens,’ he said, once he had read it.

  ‘It looks as if it’s someone not liking what we’re doing here. Certainly looks like they have a reason for wanting us to leave this place.’

  ‘I’ll call the police then.’

  ‘I think you’d better. And you’re sure you heard nothing?’

  ‘Nothing at all. I … well, I did have my iPod on. I fell asleep wearing it.’

  ‘You wouldn’t have heard much, in that case.’

  ‘I’m sorry. It was stupid of me. You know, I was thinking … someone called a while back and made an offer for the site. On behalf of a Mr Wilbury. Do you think he could be behind these break-ins?’

  ‘Mr Wilbury? Never heard of him. He must be a developer or something.’

  ‘Just thought I’d mention it.’

  ‘This is becoming a habit,’ said the officer who had visited them previously. ‘You want to explain it all to me?’

  Rosie did so, including why they thought it necessary to sleep there overnight.

  ‘I see. And it was your turn to be there last night?’ the other officer asked.

  ‘I was so tired from the night before, I fell into a deep sleep and heard nothing. They left me a message too.’

  She handed it to the officer who read it, re-folded it and put it back into the envelope.

  ‘We’ll need your fingerprints and anyone else who touched it. Pity you did touch it really, but I expect you were intrigued.’

  ‘Well, yes, of course I was. I don’t suppose there will be any other prints on it – oh, apart from Drew’s. I doubt they’d be so careless.’

  ‘Unless they didn’t think about it. So what has gone? What did they take?’

  ‘It was one person. It looked the same shape as on the previous occasion we had someone recorded.’

  ‘Can I see it please?’

  Rosie replayed the tape with the ‘shape’ hovering round the site. She had wondered if it might have been Martha but, seeing so many things had been removed from the site, she didn’t think it could have been her. In any case, what would she have done with such stuff, even if she was still around the area?

  ‘There’s wood missing and various tools,’ Drew told him. ‘Whoever it was, they would need some sort of vehicle to remove it all.’

  ‘Could it be the travellers?’ the officer asked. ‘Not that I want to blame them, of course, but it does seem a bit too well-organised. I’ll maybe go round there and see what’s going on.’

  ‘It might be them but I’d hate to throw any accusations their way.’

  Rosie was troubled at the suggestion but it did need checking out.

  ‘I’ll let you know what happens.’

  The two of them got into the car and drove away. The building crew all watched as they left.

  ‘So, what do we do now?’ Tom asked. ‘I was about to use the wood to carry on making the frame.’

  ‘Obviously, you can’t do that. We can clad some of the rest of the panels with the weatherproof stuff. I’ll have to order more timber, I’m afraid, Rosie.’

  ‘You’re right, it has to be done. And I’m going to look at getting some fencing. We really do have to be able to secure the site at night.’

  ‘Thought one of you two were staying over?’ said Bill.

  ‘We did. But it didn’t work out last night. Just one of those things.’

  Drew wasn’t going to let on which of them had failed to act effectively as guard. He also wondered how Bill knew one of them was staying over. He’d thought they’d kept it a secret.

  They went about their business, while Rosie spent much of the morning looking at rental fencing. It seemed fiendishly expensive but they couldn’t go on taking losses the way they had been doing. She booked a load and they promised to deliver it later in the day.

  ‘Honestly,’ she moaned, ‘it really comes to something doesn’t it? It’s going to cost a fortune to keep it here for any length of time. But then, it’ll cost me a fortune to keep replacing stuff that goes missing. Can’t win, can I?’

  ‘It’s a temporary blip. I’m sure they’ll catch the criminals. Maybe even now, they’ve found some of our stuff with the travellers.’

  Drew was doing his best to lift her mood, even though he was feeling pretty fed up himself. At least they could both stay at his house that night. With all this new fencing, he’d certainly rest easier about leaving the place. He really felt for Rosie, wanting to take her in his arms and hold her tightly. He shook his head, knowing his idea was pure fantasy. They had never had any sort of physical relationship … so far.

  ‘What’s up?’ Rosie asked him.

  ‘Nothing. I was just thinking about these bastardswretches. They’re going to bump up the costs like crazy.’

  ‘Yes. It really makes me fume. But, it has to be done.’

  ‘I’ll go and keep us moving as far as we can without the wood we really need.’

  She watched him leaving. He was so very nice and she was becoming very fond of him. He seemed dependable and always willing to help and do whatever she asked. But – and here was the big BUT – she knew she mustn’t get involved with him romantically. It would spoil their relationship from the working point of view. She sighed wistfully and got on with her research.

  The fencing arrived during the afternoon. It was fairly easy to erect and easy to leave an opening to allow workers to enter and exit the site. Large secure locks for the ‘gate’ made it impossible for anyone to get in without a key. She would sleep more soundly with all this in place, she decided. It should be good, she thought, ruefully counting the cost of it all.

  They both slept really well that night. The following morning, there was another message left on Drew’s door.

  “STOP THE WORK NOW OR YOU’LL REGRET IT.”

  ‘Does some idiot really think I’m going to abandon everything this late into the project?’ Rosie spluttered. ‘Honestly, who on earth would think that?’

  ‘Some poor deluded fool. Don’t worry about it.’

  Drew was determined she shouldn’t fret.

  ‘But someone is definitely trying to put us off. Why? Think about it. My caravan burnt to the ground and then stuff going missing all the time. It’s ludicrous!’

  ‘And every time, you’ve come up trumps with something else to stop them in their tracks.’

  ‘That’s all very well, but it’s still worrying. Maybe I should give up and go back to … well, anywhere really.’

  ‘I don’t want you to do that. Not this far into the project. And if you even think of folding, I’ll buy everything off you, and carry on myself.’

  ‘I do appreciate your support but don’t worry. I doubt I really would ever give up. Anyway, how could you afford to buy me out?’

  ‘Not sure really. I’d find a way.’

  She grinned as they left the house and went up the hill towards the site.

  The p
olice came back during the morning.

  ‘We went to the travellers’ site yesterday. They claimed it was nothing to do with them but, you know, I’m really not sure. Without a warrant to search thoroughly, there wasn’t much we could do. I’m sorry.’

  ‘Damn them!’ Rosie exploded. ‘I could kill them. They’ve set us back by several moredays. The suppliers won’t deliver anything till tomorrow. I’m going to have to send my workers home.’

  ‘Well, we’ve done all we can.’

  ‘Oh, I did get another threatening letter today. Not exactly a big threat, but unpleasant all the same.’

  ‘You’d better give it to us. We’ll put it in your file.’

  ‘Any more news about the murder?’ she asked.

  ‘None at all. We did wonder if we’d seen Martha at the travellers’ camp. I tried to see more clearly, but the woman I thought might be her hid herself away in one of the caravans.’

  ‘Really?’ Rosie was surprised. ‘I thought she’d gone well away.’

  ‘Maybe something’s keeping her here.’

  ‘It would make some sort of sense with the clips we got on the security cameras. I always wondered if it might have been her.’

  ‘Possible, I suppose. Let us know if anything else turns up.’

  ‘No worries. I’ll be on the phone right away.’

  The next couple of weeks saw some good progress. The roof trusses arrived and were installed. It was beginning to look like a proper house and Rosie was delighted. Soon, the roofers arrived and the place was becoming watertight.

  ‘I’ll be able to get rid of the fencing soon,’ she said happily.

  ‘Not too soon,’ Drew told her. ‘There’s still a long way to go before we can feel properly safe.’

  ‘It’s been good for a while now. Still, I’ll take your advice and carry on paying out for the fencing. At least the traveller camp seems to have been quiet recently. I wonder if Martha was really there?’

  ‘Maybe we’ll never know.’

  ‘But it would explain how she disappeared so suddenly. Maybe she knew them from way back. They said she appeared after the chap was murdered … the one we found down the mine shaft. Maybe he was her boyfriend and she was seeking someone else. It would all fit.’

  ‘I think you’re letting you imagination run away with you. It’s a theory, admittedly, but I think it is only that. Anyway, the travellers that are here now may not be the ones there originally.’

  ‘Go on, spoil it for me!’ she said with a laugh. ‘I like my theory and I’ll continue to work on it.’

  The farm next door was sold, and very quickly. It fetched a remarkably high price, making the whole family quite delighted with the proceeds. There were of course, a number of debts to be paid but, even so, they came out of it with a sizeable profit. Nobody knew the purchasers, but they all expected some sort of a rebuild would be starting soon. Rosie wondered how Martha would feel about that, assuming she was still living nearby. It seemed sad in a way to think of the old place being changed but, as in life, it was all in the name of ‘progress’.

  Later, the same policeman came to the site.

  ‘We’ve taken Martha into custody,’ he told Rosie. ‘She was indeed living with the travellers. We went round again and saw her disappearing into one of the vans. But if they did take anything from here, it’s long gone now, I’m afraid.’

  ‘So what has she been charged with?’ Rosie asked.

  ‘She’s helping with enquiries at present. I think she’ll be charged with the murder of her husband, or rather ‘her man’, I suppose, to be more accurate.’

  ‘Really? Do you seriously think she did it?’

  ‘We’re fairly confident. It’s a tricky one, actually. She seems … well, as I think you put it, a bit ‘simple’. She says the body we found in the old mineshaft is her ex. She suggested the people who lived here once were guilty.’

  ‘Who do you mean? Grace and Harry? They’ve been dead for years.’

  ‘We know. It’s one of those mysteries for which we’ll probably never get a complete answer.’

  ‘It does sort of explain things, though. All the same, I can’t help feeling rather sorry for her. Martha, I mean. She never had much of a life, did she?’

  ‘She seemed all right about it. Relieved in a way. I think she was staying with the travellers because she didn’t know where else to go. It was the easiest thing for her to do. I think she may even have been related to some of the travellers. Anyway, I thought I’d let you know the current situation. So, how’s it all going here?’

  ‘Quite well, really. Never quite fast enough for me but since when did a customer ever feel things were moving fast enough?’

  ‘I’m sure you’re right. I’d better be on my way now.’

  He drove off and Drew came to see what he’d said.

  ‘You were right all along. They’ve arrested Martha for killing ‘her man’. I still find it difficult to understand how and why she did it. And the body we found, it seems it was probably her previous boyfriend. She told the police Grace and Harry must have killed him. I bet he was robbing them, actually. Probably they fought him off and somehow, managed to kill him. Let’s hope it does all stop now. It would be wonderful if we can get on with the work and stop worrying.’

  Drew went back to his tasks and Rosie sat at her computer. She felt a little relieved but still felt a nagging uncertainty. She gave a sigh and went ahead to book the plumbers and electricians for the next stage in her build.

  Martha was in prison, awaiting trial. She had been charged with murdering Dennis, though Rosie could never quite believe her guilty. Martha settled into the routine of prison life surprisingly happily. It was somewhere she could stay and be told what to do and when, and she didn’t even have to organise food. That in itself was a huge benefit to her.

  ‘Don’t believe them as say prison’s bad. I quite like it,’ she told her cell mate.

  Chapter 6

  As the weeks went on, all seemed to be quiet on the building site. The revitalised house was getting closer to being finished and Rosie was thrilled with it all.

  ‘When are we getting the photo-electric panels delivered?’ she asked.

  ‘Photo-voltaic panels. They should be here in the next few days. The company providing them are going to install them. But you know that. And the solar hot water panel comes from the same people.’

  ‘Brilliant. I’m so pleased we went for the underfloor heating too. Can’t wait for that to be operating.’

  ‘Have to leave it for some time. Otherwise it might crack the floor base. I’m glad you decided on floor tiles, too. I know they’re expensive and will take ages to fit, but it’ll be worth it in the end. Besides, you won’t need carpets, will you?’

  ‘Hope it’ll be warm enough without carpets.’

  ‘Of course it will. You’ll be very cosy. And there’s the heat reclamation system you’ve had installed. First one of them I’ve done, actually.’

  ‘I turned it up in my research. We did a module on eco-builds when I was at Uni. Heat reclamation was mentioned briefly but nothing more than that.’

  ‘We need to get the kitchen organised next,’ Drew told her. ‘I see you’ve looked at some websites so presumably you have it all planned?’

  ‘Oh yes. I know exactly what I want. It’s just a matter of ordering the stuff.’

  ‘You’d better do it soon. It’s highly unlikely they’ll have it in stock.’

  ‘Right. I’ll do that tomorrow. The windows are looking nice aren’t they?’

  ‘I’m pleased with them. It was right to get the manufacturers to put them in. I know it was more expensive, but they did a good job.’

  ‘Let’s hope all is now well. There haven’t been any more strange letters or anything taken.’

  ‘Let’s hope it was indeed Martha who was behind all of that. Strange little soul.’

  ‘I still can’t really believe it was her who killed Dennis, you know. But I’m sure it was her looki
ng round the site. Don’t know whether I should hate her or not. Somehow, I can’t seem to.’

  The rental fencing had been returned to the company, with the house now considered to be safe and waterproof. All the equipment was left safely locked inside each evening and they had all felt secure in leaving it behind them.

  It was, therefore, a total shock when Drew and Rosie arrived one morning to find the digger missing.

  ‘How on earth …?’ Drew snapped. ‘Where’s it gone? The digger, I mean.’

  ‘Oh no. Not again. Please don’t say it’s been stolen.’

  They walked round the site and to their combined horror, they found it, embedded deeply into the rear walls of the house. Part of the building had been totally demolished. The windows nearest the abandoned machine were smashed and damaged beyond repair. Rosie stared, unable to comprehend the destruction in front of her.

  ‘Who on earth could have done this?’ she murmured, stunned. ‘Don’t tell me this was Martha. She’s in prison.’

  ‘This is outright malicious damage. Nothing accidental about it. Are you going to call them or shall I?’

  ‘The police, you mean? It’s all right, I’ll do it. You’d better go inside and see how things are looking. I can’t get over this. It’s really scary to think someone would actually go so far.’ She felt positively sick.

  ‘I’m so sorry, love. It’s such a backward step. Call the police and I’ll see what I can see inside.’

  He went round to the front door and let himself in. At first glance, everything looked fine. The hallway and kitchen were good. But the rear of the place was a total mess. The room where Rosie had planned to house her office was completely wrecked. All he could see was the digger arms with broken masonry, plaster and broken glass lying all over the floors. He closed his eyes, wondering if he was going to be able to fix it without pulling down part, or even all, of the roof. He turned away and went to where their tools were stored.