She's Gone (A psychological thriller)

by M A Comley

  “I know…” He waved a hand. “Just ignore me, foolish words circulating my head, that’s all. We’ve had a long trip today, I suppose it has taken its toll on all of us, in one way or another.”

  “It has. It’s always better to look on the positive side in such situations.”

  He pulled her close again and rested his chin on the top of her head, inhaling the essence of the tropical shampoo she loved to use. “It’s just… after not seeing her in months, I feel like she’s forgotten my role in her life.”

  “Give her time to adjust. Let’s be fair, we don’t really know what her mother has been saying about you. You know how vindictive exes can be.”

  “You think she’d do that? Debs always used to have a vicious tongue in her head, but to purposefully set out to destroy my good name as a father, in my own daughter’s eyes, even for her, that would be below the belt.”

  “Let’s keep a close eye on the situation and make sure it doesn’t get out of hand. Maybe she’ll be entirely different in the morning. Give her a chance to get used to having Matilda and Jake around. That’s four new people she needs to find her feet with, imagine being in her shoes.”

  “That’s why I love you so much. Because your heart is large enough to care about everyone and their needs.”

  Louise angled her head up to his. He planted a kiss on her lips that went on for a few minutes, dousing the concerns rattling around in his head. After they parted, he threw the rug aside, stood and held out a hand for her to take.

  “Let’s go and see how comfortable the bed is, shall we?”

  Louise slipped her hand into his, brushed her lips across his cheek and said, “Lead the way, I’m all yours.”

  2

  “Right, kids, let’s go! Time is running out fast on this holiday. I don’t want to waste another minute in this cottage when we can be out there exploring. Who’s with me?” Martin shouted from the bottom of the stairs the next morning. He glanced at the clock on the kitchen wall—it was nine-thirty already.

  The children had all been dressed for hours; Matilda and Jake were used to rising early anyway, but Adele had surprised him when she ran down the stairs behind them, eager for breakfast.

  They’d all tucked into a bowl of Shreddies, followed by a mountain of toast between them while Martin and Louise settled on a bacon sandwich.

  After bolting down their breakfast, the kids had chased each other back up the stairs again. Martin watched the miraculous change in his daughter with a light heart.

  Louise slipped her arms around his waist. “Didn’t I tell you that you were worrying about nothing?”

  “You did. Shall we both get them dressed or how do you want to play it?”

  “They should be capable of dressing themselves, washing or showering is a different matter though. I’ll go and organise them.”

  “Anything specific you want me to do?”

  “I brought a bunch of picnic stuff with us, you can have a root around in the fridge and decide what to take on our trip today. I would avoid making any sandwiches as we’ve had bread for breakfast.”

  He sipped at his drink. “Too many carbs, right? See, I’m learning fast, living with you.”

  “It’s better to start them off early in this life. Adapting to change once they’ve been used to stodge will only be more difficult further down the line.”

  “You’re such a wonderful mother and I’m a very lucky person to have you in my life.”

  “You are.” She chuckled. “I’m off. I know you’re eager to get out there.”

  “It’s our holiday as well as theirs and I intend to enjoy every waking moment of it.”

  Louise left him to it. He wandered back into the kitchen, tidied away the breakfast dishes that Louise had already washed up and opened the fridge door to examine the contents. It was loaded with delicious goodies, most of them healthy options, but he spotted there were a few stray items in there as well. He grinned when he spied the Melton Mowbray pork pies, his personal favourite brand. She was such a thoughtful person.

  He gathered the collection of salad vegetables from the crisper and set about washing it all and chopping it up into bite-sized pieces. Hmm… all I need now is a container to put it all in. He searched the few cupboards in the small kitchen, but couldn’t find a Tupperware box or anything that would possibly fit the bill. In the end, he resorted to using a roll of plastic bags for each of the individual ingredients. “It’ll have to do.”

  By the time he’d shoved all the prepared food into a spare carrier bag, the rest of the family were ready. He added a bottle of lemonade and packed the plates, cutlery and plastic glasses he’d spotted at the back of one of the cupboards into another bag, and then they all piled into the car.

  “Where are we going, Daddy?” Adele asked as Martin buckled her into the back seat.

  He kissed the tip of her cute nose and winked. “You’ll find out soon enough. We’re going on an adventure.”

  “Yay, I love adventures,” Jake shouted eagerly.

  Martin smiled at the lad. “I know you do, we’ve had a few over the past few months, haven’t we?”

  “I loved it when we went down the zip wires the best. Can we do that again soon, Martin?”

  “Of course we can.” He remembered the experience well; it had been a crucial moment in cementing their relationship.

  “Daddy, why does he call you Martin?” Adele asked quietly.

  “Because as much as I love Jake, I’m not his real daddy. I only have one child and that’s you, honey. Do you understand?”

  Her mouth twisted and her brow creased into a frown. “I think so. So Matilda and Jake aren’t allowed to call you Daddy, like I am.”

  “That’s right, sort of. They have a daddy of their own; it might get a little confusing for them if we start changing that, right, guys?” He looked across the seat at Matilda and Jake, who were both nodding.

  Jake, who was sitting between the two girls, nudged Adele. “Hey, your dad is cool, much cooler than our dad. We rarely see our dad, do we, Mum?”

  “No, love. That’s unfortunate it has to be that way. But we’re thankful Martin came into our lives, aren’t we?”

  Matilda and Jake both nodded. Adele turned to look at them. Martin observed her reaction. At first his daughter smiled at the other two children but, as though a swith had flicked, the smile turned into a scowl. Matilda and Jake, who had been looking at Adele, suddenly turned to face ahead of them.

  Martin was unsure whether to react or not. Instead, he decided to let the matter lie. He fastened his daughter’s seatbelt and then ran around the other side of the car to check Jake and Matilda were both secured as well, before hopping into the driver’s seat. He checked a postcode on his phone and entered it into the satnav.

  “Are we ready for what awaits us, kids?”

  “Yes, yes!” Jake and Matilda called back.

  He looked in his mirror and saw Adele’s eyes narrowed into small slits.

  “Adele, honey, is there something wrong?”

  A smile quickly slotted into place, and she looked him in the eye. “No, Daddy, everything is good, but thank you for asking.”

  Louise squeezed his thigh. “Hey, even I’m excited to see where you’re taking us.”

  “Good. Enjoy the ride. It’s not too far away, I promise, I wouldn’t want you guys getting bored now, would I?”

  “No chance of ever being bored with you around,” Louise whispered and winked.

  Martin smiled, his erection growing at the sight of her beautiful face. He shoved his selfish feelings aside, put the car into drive and set off. His hard-on thankfully subsided after a few minutes had passed.

  “What if we play this CD on the way? It’s got a few kids’ stories on it. It’ll help keep them occupied for a while,” Louise suggested.

  “And you didn’t think to play it on the way up here, save us all from getting a sore throat due to our awful singing?”

  “Sorry, in all honesty, I forgot a
bout it until I found it lurking at the bottom of my bag this morning. My friend lent it to me.”

  “Crikey, and you actually found it in that bottomless pit you call a handbag?”

  His quip earned him a jab in the thigh. “Cheeky. Yes or no?”

  “Go for it. It’ll give my voice a break anyway.”

  “Yeah, that was my idea behind the offer, too.”

  He faced her and shook his head. “Uncalled for retort, Louise, just saying.”

  She inserted the disc into the slot and David Walliams’ voice filled the car. His soothing tone soon had the kids transfixed. Martin, grateful for Louise’s intervention, drove to the secret location he’d sourced close by where they could spend the day. The road rose and dipped at regular intervals through the picturesque hills on either side. Thoughts of moving to the area flooded into his mind. He and Louise had been discussing a move away from Liverpool lately, but it had never gone further than that—a discussion. Maybe they could move here? Except, it was a two-and-a-half-hour drive back to Liverpool to visit Adele. Maybe she could come and live with us, eventually? Although, by the expression on her face right now, he couldn’t see her wanting to do that anytime soon.

  The signs for Wasdale Head started to appear at the side of the road. A thrill trickled through him. As soon as he and Louise had booked the cottage and asked Debs if Adele could join them for the week, Martin had sourced different possible places for them to visit. This place was high up on his list. The pictures on the internet didn’t do it justice, though. The steep hills surrounding the lake appeared to take on a life of their own. He could imagine the setting in the gloomiest winter months and was glad they’d chosen to visit at the start of summer instead.

  Matilda and Jake both gasped as they rounded the next bend and there, before them, in all its glory, was Wast Water. The peaks towering over the still lake were nothing short of breathtaking. He pulled into one of the lay-bys and admired the view himself for a few minutes.

  “It’s spectacular. How come I’ve never been here before?” Louise asked, mystified. “I don’t think my parents ever discovered this place in all the times we visited the area.”

  “It drew my attention on the internet, I just had to come and check it out. Apparently, this is the deepest lake in England. Scaffel Pike, which is England’s highest mountain, is just up the road. There’s a hiking route from Wasdale Head up to the mountain. What do you think, kids, good choice of location?”

  “Yes, can we go swimming?” Jake asked, straining in his seat to see the view over to Martin’s right. Had his sister been sitting on that side of him instead of Adele, Martin felt Jake would have leaned over her, but he was a gent, through and through.

  Their timing couldn’t have been better either as at that moment the sun peeped out from behind a fluffy cloud, the sun’s rays making it even more magical, illuminating the area. “Oh my, look at the awesome reflection of the hills on the water, it truly draws you in, doesn’t it?” Louise said, her voice breathless from the wondrous display ahead of them.

  “Let’s see if we can park further up the road and get out, shall we?” It was a rhetorical question. Martin shifted the car into drive again and it crept forward. He couldn’t help it, he kept one eye on the road and one eye on the scenery over to his right. Now and then, he glanced in the mirror to see the kids’ faces all lit up in excitement and wonderment, even Adele’s.

  Louise pointed ahead. “What about there? There are a few cars parked in the spot already, but that shouldn’t matter. I can’t see anyone on the beach area.”

  “Maybe people park up and go for a trek around the lake. Wouldn’t that be cool?”

  Louise laughed. “One way of tiring the kids out, I suppose. Maybe we’ll leave that for another day, eh?”

  He pulled into a gap behind three other cars and they unloaded the bags from the boot. Martin grabbed a tartan blanket he always kept folded in there, and together, the five of them set off.

  Louise insisted that Jake held his sister’s hand while crossing the road, and Adele slotted into step between Louise and Martin. They picked their way down to the beach area that was a little stony. Just beyond that was the edge of the lake. The kids ran down and dipped their hands in.

  “It’s lovely and warm. Can we go in for a swim, Mum, please?” Jake’s final word came out as a whining plea.

  “Let’s see if it warms up a little first,” Louise shouted back. She glanced up at the sky overhead. “Are the clouds moving? I can’t tell.”

  Martin shielded his eyes from the glare of the sun. “There are a few coming our way. Maybe hold fire for a while, Jake. See how the weather fares in half an hour or so and we’ll reassess things then. Want to have a kick around instead?”

  Jake’s smile slipped and he kicked a stone into the water. “Okay, if I have to.”

  Great, another dissatisfied kid to deal with. Oh, well, here I go. “Can you watch Adele for me?”

  Louise waved away the suggestion. “Goes without saying.”

  “We won’t be able to play here, it’s too stony. Why don’t we go across the road to the fields over there? I don’t think there are any sheep grazing, not from what I saw.”

  “Okay, just for half an hour and then can we come back and go for a swim?” Jake asked eagerly.

  “We’ll see. See you later, girls.”

  “Daddy, don’t leave. I want to play with you, too,” Adele’s tone was broken and she seemed on the verge of tears.

  Martin crouched in front of her and held her arms. “It’s okay, sweetheart. We’ll be over the road, just there. You stay with Louise for now, all right?”

  Adele sniffled, her chin grazing her chest. “Okay,” she murmured, sadly.

  Louise motioned for him to leave Adele with her.

  Martin smiled and kissed his daughter on the head. “I won’t be long. I’ll be back before you know it, I promise.”

  Adele slumped onto the pebbles and started throwing them, aiming at the water, but they fell short by quite a distance. Martin faced Louise and shrugged.

  Louise mouthed for him to go and that she would watch over Adele.

  Martin picked up the football and reached for Jake’s hand to see him across the road and into the field opposite. They kicked the ball around and ended up over the far side of the grass. Before long, caught up in their game, Martin’s competitive spirit came to the fore.

  “Best of three in goal, all right?” he shouted to Jake.

  “Bagsy shooting first.”

  “Go on, then.” Martin and Jake both slipped off their jumpers and dropped them on the ground to act as goalposts. “Give it your best shot.”

  Jake took a run up and hit the ball powerfully. Martin threw himself to the right, but the ball squeezed underneath him. He grunted as he hit the ground.

  “Yes, yes, one to me. I like this.”

  “It was a lucky shot. I’ll be ready for you next time, squirt.”

  Martin rolled the ball back and danced on the line as Jake took a second run up to take another strike. This time, Jake sent Martin reeling to the left, but again, he failed to block the shot.

  “Lucky, was I?” Jake shouted, laughing.

  “Best of three, and remember, I’ve still got to shoot against you, buddy. Don’t get too cocky now.”

  “Whatever. Are you ready, or do you need time to recover first?”

  “Cheeky boy! Go on, make it your best shot yet, if you can.”

  Jake took another run up and then stopped; in the meantime, Martin had anticipated he was going to hit the ball to the right so pounced that way. Jake laughed and tapped the ball down the middle and then ran around, shouting, “I’m the winner,” and waving his arms wildly.

  Martin brushed himself down, slightly disgruntled. He fetched the ball that had reached the small hill behind him and peered over the top to see Adele, still sitting in the same position while Louise and Matilda were moving closer to the water’s edge. Louise was calling out for Adele to joi
n them, but his daughter only shook her head in response.

  “Come on, slowcoach,” Jake shouted, drawing his attention back to their game.

  Martin lifted the ball, slotted it under one arm and spat into his palms. “That’s it, I mean business now, Jake. You’ve awakened a wild animal within me and you’re going to feel the full force of it now.”

  “Yeah, right.” Jake rolled his eyes. “Bring it on!”

  Jake took up his position between the two jumpers and jiggled about on the line. Martin eyeballed him, trying his hardest to psych him out, and then shot down the middle to score the first goal. “Yes, get in there, my beauty! Strike one!” He ran around in a small circle and punched the air.

  Jake rolled the ball back out to him. “It’s still three-one.”

  “We’ll see about that!” Martin placed the ball down on the ground and eyed his opponent again. As soon as Jake made his move one way, he shot in the bottom corner in the opposite direction and bang, scored another goal. “Yes, and the maestro strikes again.”

  “No!” Jake stomped across the field and retrieved the ball. He kicked it back to Martin. “It’s still three-two.”

  “Number three coming up, sonny.”

  They each took up their positions, one defensive and the other ready to let loose. Martin drew back his leg, but before he made contact with the ball, a crazed scream drew his attention.

  It sounded like Louise.

  He ran to the edge of the grass and looked across at where the girls were. Louise had Matilda standing in front of her. She saw him appear and yelled, “Martin, she’s gone.”

  3

  “What? Where’s Adele?” His gaze darted around the area, searching for his daughter. She was nowhere to be seen. He called for Jake to join him, and together, they ran across the busy road.

  Louise was beside herself, sobbing and shaking uncontrollably. “She’s gone,” she muttered again and again.

  “How? When was the last time you saw her?”

  “I don’t know. I suppose four to five minutes ago. We have to find her. Oh, my God, what if she’s in the water?”