Déjà Vu

by Stephen Edger

  ‘He says I’m making progress,’ Megan replied, not wanting to share too much about her on-going troubles. If Wanda knew what Megan had been looking at on her phone earlier, she would never leave her alone again.

  ‘Oh that’s good,’ she said, her naturally high-pitched voice returning. ‘Bill reckons I should speak to someone about everything I’ve got going on at the moment. He says he doesn’t know how I cope!’

  Megan choked down a chuckle, as the kettle boiled.

  Wanda placed the mugs down on the coffee table a moment later and handed Megan a plate with a slice of cake and a fork. ‘Ah, now isn’t this nice? Just us girls talking.’

  Megan used the fork to break off a piece of the cake, and put it in her mouth.

  ‘Delicious cake, isn’t it?’ Wanda said between mouthfuls.

  Megan nodded her agreement as she ate a second piece.

  ‘Such a moist sponge,’ Wanda said. ‘I wish I knew how they managed to make it so springy.’

  Megan lowered her fork to the plate. Small talk wasn’t Wanda’s strength, and she could usually talk the hind legs off a small donkey, so the fact that she was struggling to say more than two words, meant she was hiding something or stalling for time.

  ‘What’s the real reason you called by, Wanda? It’s lovely to see you, and I appreciate you bringing cake, but what’s really going on?’

  Wanda’s mouth dropped, revealing the mashed up brown sponge inside. She swallowed and took a sip of tea, before resting her plate on the coffee table.

  ‘You always were so sharp, Megan. And you’re right, of course, I do have an ulterior motive for calling on you.’ She reached down and picked up her navy leather shoulder bag, which perfectly complemented her overall outfit. She reached inside before pausing and offering a look of concern towards Megan. ‘I really should have done this sooner, but I’ve been putting it off. It isn’t that I don’t love you, or think you deserved to know, but I wasn’t sure how you’d react.’

  Megan didn’t like surprises, and a feeling of dread was slowly starting to permeate her body.

  ‘What do you remember about the night of the fire?’ Wanda asked, her hand still hidden inside the bag.

  Megan wasn’t even sure where to begin answering that question in a way that wouldn’t send Wanda running for the hills. ‘What’s this about, Wanda?’

  ‘Rob was late home that night, wasn’t he? Do you remember that?’

  Megan recalled his late return was what had started the silly argument they’d had that night. She nodded, fighting against the tears threatening to spill.

  Wanda’s eyes sunk further as the anxiety took over her face. ‘He had to call in at my house on his way home from work. The thing is...’ Wanda grew quiet, as she hunted for the words. ‘He called round to collect something; something I had picked up from town for him.’

  Wanda’s own eyes were starting to water, and she glanced up at the ceiling, blinking against the onslaught. She slowly removed her hand, the fingers curled around something cubed. Taking a deep breath, she uncoiled the fingers and extended her arm towards Megan.

  ‘Take it,’ she said with a sniff. ‘He would have wanted you to have it.’

  The small box wobbled, as Wanda’s hand trembled with the enormity of what it contained.

  Megan stared at the box, as it went in and out of focus, and she felt the warm trickle on her cheek. ‘Is that...?’

  Wanda nodded, causing two of her own tears to break free of their defences. ‘Please, just take it.’

  Megan swallowed hard, forcing her hand forwards until her fingers had gripped the side of the small box. Pulling it closer, her heart was racing, as she prised the lid open, and gasped at the sparkling ring squashed in the small cushion inside’

  ‘He was going to propose,’ Wanda managed to say as her cheeks moistened further. ‘That was what he planned, but an accident on the way back delayed him further and I don’t think he got the chance to ask you.’

  Megan’s eyes hadn’t left the beautiful stone, set in a ring of six smaller gems, and held in place by a platinum band.

  ‘Bill found it in Rob’s car when we went to collect it from the flat. I’ve been holding onto it ever since. I’m so sorry I didn’t call around sooner.’

  Megan couldn’t stop staring at the treasure. She’d never seen a more beautiful ring, and it was so typical of Rob to choose the perfect engagement ring. But she didn’t dare lift it out of the box. It didn’t feel right that she should place it on her own finger. No matter what his intentions that night, he hadn’t asked her. Either because he had changed his mind, or because she hadn’t given him the chance as they’d argued. But now she would never know whether he would have gone through with proposing if the fire hadn’t stolen him from her.

  Wanda was on her feet, lurching towards Megan’s armchair, and as the flowery yellow arms wrapped themselves around Megan’s neck, she couldn’t help but bury her face in the material and sob.

  NINETEEN

  Jake slowed his approach, as he drew nearer to the wooden platform stretching out ten or so feet into the lake. He didn’t want to disturb any potential evidence, and circled wider around the track immediately behind the platform, scanning the ground, looking for similar tracks to the ones the SOCOs had already marked out on the original approach to the lake. There were no obvious tracks coming from the other platform.

  Hopping from one flat, undisturbed piece of track to the next, he managed to make his way onto the edge of the wooden pontoon. The lack of safety barriers around the perimeter of the platform, was clearly not part of the intended design. Tentatively leaning over the right-hand edge, he was able to trace stumps of wood, dispersed every six feet, where pillars had once stood. But now in their place, the stumps were splintered shards. And although the cuts didn’t look fresh, they couldn’t have been more than a couple of days old.

  Jake continued to edge slowly towards the foot of the pontoon, careful to watch his footing. And as he moved, something in the water caught his eye. Bobbing beneath the platform, a green strut, with an equally-splintered edge, seemed to be caught. Dropping to his knees, Jake gripped the edge of the pontoon, and leaned over. His first two attempts to grasp the strut failed, but then his fingers did catch it, but the strut quickly slipped away, covered in slimy algae. Taking several deep breaths, Jake stretched his arm under as far as it would go. This time his grip was strong, and pulling on the strut, he managed to get it out from under the platform, but it stuck in the water as something from beneath the surface clung on just as tight. It had to be caught on something, but even though he couldn’t quite see what he had hold of, in his heart he knew it was part of the snapped safety barrier. The question was: how long had it been in the water?

  Ensuring his grip on the platform would keep him from tumbling into the water, Jake wiggled the strut backwards and forwards, until the strut broke free of its captor. Heaving with all his might, Jake dragged the strut out from under the plinth and carried it back to the shore. The soft wood beam was attached to another running perpendicular, which in turn was attached to another, forming an unconventional ‘U’ shape. It had to have been the safety barrier, but it was so covered in the green algae that it was impossible to assess how long it had been in the water by the naked eye alone.

  Jake returned to the pontoon, unable to locate any more such struts, but noting similar stumps along the left-hand side of the platform too. Something had ripped them from the platform, something travelling at great speed or large in mass: an unstoppable force. If Inspector Carlton wanted to know what had smashed up the gate and where it had gone, Jake’s money was on the answer being in the lake. But it was only a theory. If a car had crashed through the front gate, headed through the forest and then driven across the pontoon and into the lake, where was it now? There was no sign that anything as large as a car had broken through the thick green algae and moss on the surface of the water.

  From the shore, Jake located a couple of large rocks and
lobbed them towards the water, watching as they sunk without trace, out of sight forever. Jogging back through the forest, he was pleased to find Inspector Carlton still at the outer perimeter, barking something at PC Harry Venables.

  ‘Inspector Carlton,’ Jake said breathlessly. ‘I think I know what happened to the car that smashed up the gate.’

  She looked dismissively at him, annoyed by the interruption. ‘I’m listening.’

  Jake rested his hands on his thighs, sucking in air. ‘In the lake. And,’ another pause for breath. ‘I don’t think it used the route through the trees like you suggested.’ He paused again, turning to point the route he’d just taken to make it back to the gate. I saw tyre tracks up this way too...they lead to a fishing post that’s...also been damaged.’

  Inspector Carlton narrowed her eyes, still not a bead of sweat on her face, despite the dark uniform attracting the sun’s heat. ‘You think someone drove a car into the lake?’

  Jake couldn’t blame her for the sceptical tone. When put that way it did sound ludicrous. Why would anyone consider such an act, least of all a joyrider out for fun?

  More composed, he nodded. ‘You need to get SOCO back here to examine the second track. The tread looked deeper, and there is damage to the undergrowth, suggesting that something definitely tore through it. And then you need to request divers to enter the lake and search for the vehicle.’

  She snorted in disbelief. ‘Divers? I suppose you think I should call in the Coast Guard while I’m at it? How about sniffer dogs, and the Marines?’

  Jake frowned at her sarcasm. ‘No, that’s not what -’

  But she cut him off with a raised hand. ‘Besides the damaged vegetation and platform, is there any other evidence to suggest a car has been driven in to the lake?’

  ‘That’s what I’m saying. You need to get SOCO back here to examine the site in more depth. I’m not a trained expert in the collection of forensic material.’

  Carlton sighed. ‘There isn’t budget to send divers into the lake on a hunch, DS Knight. Who’s to say the damage you observed wasn’t the result of wildlife gnawing at the platform and undergrowth? Who’s to say the damage was caused at the same time as the gate? I know such complex crimes are probably more commonplace where you’re from, but things like that don’t happen in New Milton, without someone seeing or knowing about it. If joyriders had driven a car into the lake, word would be out by now. Something like that doesn’t get ignored. It gets bragged and whispered about. My officers would have heard about it by now.’

  She looked at her watch in frustration. ‘I will request SOCO return to the scene, but it’s unlikely to occur this afternoon. I suggest you shelve your theory for now, and return with SOCO in the morning. If by some wild stretch of the imagination your theory is right, the car isn’t going anywhere overnight.’

  She turned to Harry. ‘PC Venables, your relief should be here soon. Report back to the station to check for tomorrow’s assignment before clocking off.’

  Inspector Carlton gave Jake one final cursory look, before heading away to the only remaining official police vehicle lining the road up to the outer perimeter.

  ‘Is she always so warm and cuddly?’ Jake muttered to Venables, who snickered at the question.

  ‘Do you really think a car drove into the lake?’

  Jake glanced at the stopwatch, suddenly remembering the promise he’d made to Gabby. ‘Yes, I really do, but it’s out of my hands for now. I’d best be off.’

  But Harry placed a hand on his arm. ‘I’m a qualified diver, well nearly-qualified, I’m taking lessons.’

  Jake stopped still. ‘What are you telling me?’

  Harry shrugged, uncertain whether he should say more. ‘I’m only three lessons away from my certificate. I have all the gear. If you want me to, I could go home and fetch it, and have a look and see if you’re right.’

  It was a kind offer, but there was no way Jake could allow Harry to risk his life to prove the Inspector wrong. Plus, Gabby would be finishing school soon.

  Jake patted the younger man’s arm. ‘I appreciate the offer, but SOCO should be able to back my theory tomorrow, and then Inspector Carlton will have to call in the professionals.’

  Harry looked disappointed, but nodded his understanding. ‘I’m hoping to be a detective one day. I know I need to do my time on the streets, but I think I’ve got what it takes to join CID and work major cases one day.’

  Jake shook his hand. ‘Everyone’s got to have a dream. Best of luck to you. And who knows, maybe one day the two of us will work a case together. But right now, I have to get to my daughter’s school.’

  Jake picked up the pace as he headed away from the cordon tape, knowing he would have to use the blues and twos to make it back along the A35 as rush hour traffic built. Little did he realise just how soon he would be seeing PC Harry Venables again.

  TWENTY

  The lift doors opened, the light from inside the carriage breaking through the darkness surrounding Megan’s chair. Gripping the tyres, she wheeled herself in, swivelling so she could reach the buttons, but there was no need as the button for the top floor had already been pressed, and was glowing. The doors remained open a moment longer, before whirring and closing, and then the carriage gently shook as it ascended from the basement.

  Megan couldn’t remember exactly where she was, but she knew she had a reason to be there, and that whomever she was to meet at the top was expecting her. The LEDs highlighted as the lift ascended past each floor.

  Two...three...four...

  Onward the lift rose, seeming to pick up speed as no other potential users called for it.

  Five...six...seven...

  But where was she? A tower block? A block of flats?

  The floor to the carriage was carpeted in corporate grey with red edging. The walls weren’t the typical stainless steel you found in large blocks of flats. This had to be an office of some kind, but where? She’d never worked in an office tower block. Why would Wanda have brought her to an office block?

  Wait, where was Wanda?

  Eight...nine...ten...

  Megan was alone in the lift, so where had Wanda gone?

  They had hugged for what felt like a lifetime, both sharing the emotional pitfalls of their love for Rob. They’d had a second slice of cake, and Wanda had encouraged her to try on the ring, and had looked at her strangely when Megan had refused. It wasn’t right to where a ring that hadn’t been given to her. If Rob had wanted her to have it he would have given it to her.

  But he didn’t.

  Eleven...twelve...

  Had the lift slowed now? In fact, it was like time had slowed. As one light slowly disappeared, the next was even slower to illuminate. It was as if she was trapped in a freeze-frame, but her hands could move freely, with no reduction in mobility.

  Wanda had stood suddenly, and told Megan that she needed to get home to make Bill’s supper. Megan had followed the yellow floral print dress and straw hat to the front door, and had locked it.

  Thirteen...fourteen...

  That explained why Wanda wasn’t here now. But if Wanda had left, and Megan had locked the door, who had brought her to the office block? And who had pressed for the lift to go to the top floor?

  Megan reached out and tried to press the alarm button as her panic increased.

  ‘Help me,’ she tried to say into the small speaker grill next to the button. ‘Hello? Can you hear me?’

  But no voice replied.

  The light for floor fifteen illuminated, and the carriage slowly ground to a halt with a bump. The doors slid open, revealing a wet floor. The wheelchair began to roll out of the lift, and a sudden gust of wind battered the side of Megan’s face. She raised her hands to shield her eyes, as the wind continued to blow, yet the wheelchair continued to roll forwards.

  She was outside.

  On the roof of whatever office block she’d been brought to, and it was high. Oh, it was so high up. Although she couldn’t see the
ground from where she was, she could see the tops of buildings familiar to the Southampton skyline. In the distance she could see the football stadium, the docks and the outline of the West Quay Shopping Centre. It was like staring at a Lego model of the city.

  But still the wheelchair rolled forwards, until it hit a concrete wall. It was three feet tall at most, but she was grateful that it had halted the rolling. As she glanced over the edge, she could see the Southampton Central train station immediately in front of her.

  But why had she come to the train station? There were only a few lights on inside and she couldn’t see any trains on the tracks.

  It was raining. Large puddles were forming on the wet floor beneath the wheelchair, yet Megan wasn’t getting wet, like some invisible shield was now around her, and even the wind’s buffeting had ceased.

  The city looked so peaceful and pretty in the darkness. The lights from the distant buildings looked like a starry scene against the black backdrop of the night sky.

  It looked pretty enough to touch.

  And before she could stop herself, Megan was standing, climbing out of the wheelchair, as if a puppeteer was pulling her strings and making her climb up onto the small ledge.

  As pretty as the horizon looked, she knew she ought to be going back inside now. It was dangerous being up so high, let alone so close to the edge. But now her knees were on the ledge, and then she was pushing her hands into the ledge to raise and straighten her body.

  She couldn’t feel her feet or legs, yet here they were supporting her frame.

  It felt so cold on the ledge, even though the wind had dissipated.

  ‘Don’t look down,’ that’s what Rob would tell her. He’d tell her to focus on a single point ahead, and avoid the temptation to look at the ground so far below her.

  But she couldn’t help herself.

  Staring into the abyss below she could see cars driving past, and one in particular caught her attention. A large car, but an old one too. Hadn’t her father driven something like that once? A saloon of some kind, yet so familiar. Hadn’t she been in that car last night?