Howard took a sip of his tea, and then carried on with his discourse on decay and imperfection, warming to the subject. He thought about Kate Williams for a second.
“There’s a woman that I know… she’s not a girlfriend, or anything like that… she’s a lot older than me, old enough to be my mom, as it goes… she’s got a bad haircut, a sort of bob, but uneven, like it’s been cut with a knife and fork… I’m guessing that she does it herself… a professional hairdresser would be shot for producing a style like that… anyway, this woman… she has dyed brown hair, but she’s always forgetting to do the roots regularly, and you can see the grey as it comes through. Her teeth, they’re a bit crooked. When she smiles, you can see that one of her front teeth slightly overlaps the other one. There’s quite a few broken veins on the one side of her nose, and a few more on her cheek. She’s almost, but not quite, got a double chin. She’s definitely on the portly side. This woman… when she wears a t-shirt, you can make out the roll of flab around her middle, underneath the fabric. She’s slowly falling apart, going to pot, decaying… and do you want to know something, Mary?” Howard asked.
“Go on.” Mary replied.
“Well, I just happen to think that she’s one of the most beautiful women that I’ve ever met. But I’ll tell you something else. If a fairy came along, and waved a magic wand, caused all of this woman’s imperfections to disappear overnight… then I don’t think I’d find her attractive anymore. Do you understand what I’m saying, Mary?” Howard wanted to know. Mary nodded; she could actually follow what Howard was getting at.
Mary played with the mug of tea in front of her, which sat on the kitchen table. She twirled it slowly around, full circle, and then ran her finger up and down its handle a couple of times.
“My last boyfriend. His name was Paul.” Mary said, smiling. “When we first started going out together, his eyesight was fine, but then it got bad, quite quickly, and he had to start wearing glasses. He chose this pair of spectacles… they were fucking horrible. Or at least I thought that they were. When he was picking them out, at the opticians… I remember thinking to myself, please don’t choose those specs, the frames are too large, too thick… but of course I didn’t tell him that. So Paul, he picks those glasses, and for the first few days, I could barely look at him whilst he was wearing them. But then, after a while, I started to think to myself that he actually looked better with those specs on… because he wasn’t my perfect little Paul anymore… now he was slightly flawed. And I liked it. Well, at first I didn’t, as I said… but soon after, I did.”
Howard delved back into his memory, of when he was a child.
“My mom bought me this toy action figure… it was some sort of soldier, and I used to call him ‘John’, God knows why, but that’s the name I gave him. Now, when I first had John, he just didn’t look like a soldier at all. The little miniature clothes that he was wearing, you know what I mean, his military garb… it was just too clean… and so was John. So one day, I’m playing outside in our old back garden, and I thought that it’d be a good idea to muddy John up a bit. I rolled the little plastic bastard around in the dirt, and when I’d finished, I cut a few holes and tears into his camouflage clothing. John looked so much better for it. Once I’d gotten him looking all battered and messy, he became one of my favourite toys.” Howard said, smiling as he recalled John the soldier. Mary smiled, with a similar memory.
“Yeah, I had a doll. After a few years, one of her eyes was missing, and somehow most of her hair had come loose and fallen out. She was scary looking, but bloody marvellous with it. Actually, I think I’ve still got that doll somewhere.” Mary told Howard. “It’s probably back at the flat. I still haven’t finished emptying it all out.”
At that point, Mary’s sister, Kay, entered the kitchen, clutching an empty wine bottle.
“Time for a refill.” She announced, before placing the empty bottle into one of the recycling sacks that sat in the corner of the kitchen, near to the back door. Kay walked over to the fridge, opened it, and took out a fresh bottle of white wine. “So, what are you guys talking about?” She was interested to know.
“Oh, we were just discussing this and that… Howard was telling me how he likes Coldsleet, because it’s a town that’s slowly falling apart.” Answered Mary.
“Tell me about it.” Responded Kay. “I was reading in the paper this evening that they’re even thinking of pulling the plug on the local bus service to Elman. That’ll affect you, won’t it Howard?” Howard shrugged his shoulders.
“I’d just have to use the car to get to college instead… but I like to catch the bus. I can just sit there and listen to my music, without any hassle. Are they really talking about getting rid of the number nine, Kay?” He asked.
“Yeah, it looks that way. It’s costing them too much to run… not enough passengers using it, that sort of thing.” Advised Kay.
“That’s crap. I don’t know where they’re coming from, saying that… it can get pretty busy in the morning. There’s quite a few residents here in Coldsleet that have to commute to Elman, so somebody in the council is talking shit.” Remarked Howard. He finished up his mug of tea, then looked up at the kitchen clock. It was getting on for ten. “I’d better go upstairs… I’ve got to finish an assignment for college, I’m supposed to be handing it in tomorrow.” Howard said. He stood up from the table. “So, we’ll leave here at eight thirty in the morning then, Mary?” He asked the young woman.
“Sure, Howard.” She replied. Howard tried to suppress a smile, but couldn’t. He felt his face suddenly burn bright red.
“Goodnight then, Mary. Kay.” He said, awkwardly, to the two women, before hurrying out of the kitchen.
Kay looked at Mary with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
“I think that you may have an admirer.” She commented.
“Who, Howard?” Mary asked.
“Yes, Howard.” Replied Kay. She gave Mary a wink.
“Aw… he’s actually really sweet… in a weird sort of way. I like him.” Kay’s younger sister advised.
“Oh, you do now, do you?” Teased Kay.
“Yeah, but not in that sort of way. I mean, he’s actually quite interesting to talk to, but you know me, Kay… Howard Trenton is definitely not my type.” Said Mary. Kay recalled a few of Mary’s previous boyfriends; they were all a bit ‘rough and ready’, which certainly didn’t apply to Howard.
“No,” agreed Kay, “I don’t suppose that he is. Still, you just never know, eh Mary? Love finds a way.” Kay’s sister stood up.
“Oh, trust me, I know,” Mary giggled, “and don’t you dare get any ideas about doing any match-making either, because me and Howard… well, it ain’t gonna happen.”
“Yes sir, whatever you say sir.” Said Kay, in a faux-military style tone, which she followed up with a salute. “Look, Lucas is going up to bed in a minute. Fancy coming back in the living room for a bit of wine and some sister time?” Asked Kay.
“Well, I was just about to go to bed but… sure, why not.” Replied Mary, and with that, the two sisters departed from the kitchen and went back into the lounge for a catch-up.
Extract from the journal of Howard Trenton
I’m totally captivated by Mary Broderick, even more so than I am with Kate, and all of this despite the fact that she is far less flawed in appearance than Miss Williams. But flawed, nevertheless, she most certainly is. You don’t notice it at first… all you see is her long, flowing hair and those beautiful, large brown eyes… yet when I was speaking to her earlier this evening, in the kitchen, I started to notice all of those other things, the sort of things that appeal to me. The imperfections. For instance, there’s a small patch of pock-marked skin on her left cheek… I’m guessing that, like me, Mary suffered from acne when she was younger. She has a tiny white scar, just under her lower lip. Mary has a mole close to her jawline… once you notice it, it can become quite distracting. And despite the fact that she’s not much older than me, Mary is a
lready developing wrinkles across her forehead and around her eyes. She’s flawed alright, which makes her even more perfect, to me. I hope that she doesn’t find a new flat anytime soon. I want her to stay here, in this house, for as long as possible.
Chapter Five
With the arrival of my wife’s sister, Mary, into our home, my cousin Howard seemed to come out of himself a little bit. Well, for a short while anyway. I could see how much he liked Mary; it was just written all over his face. For a week or two, Howard wasn’t walking around like an empty shell; it turned out that there was more than just a spark of passion in him after all, and it was actually really good to see. Sadly, it didn’t last, and, as everybody now knows, things suddenly turned very ugly. That’s all because of the stuff with Alex Crennell that went on. Howard wasn’t happy about that at all. I can’t say that I was, either, to be honest, when I first found out about Alex and Mary. I knew Alex from around the town; he was a snide, arrogant, bombastic little shit at the best of times, and that’s me being polite about him. Around the time that Alex Crennell appeared on the scene, all of that stuff happened with our neighbour, Alfie Whitehouse, which climaxed with the terrible events that occurred up on the Black Pathway Trail, and nothing was ever the same after that. How could it be? It turned our world upside down. There was other stuff going on too, things that none of us knew anything about. All of that still shocks us, to this very day. It will never NOT stop shocking us. A favourite photograph of mine was one that Kay took of me and Howard, down at Hingley Beach. I can’t bring myself to even look at it now. All that I see is myself, standing next to a murderer. It sickens me.
Going back though, to those few weeks before Alex Crennell loomed over the horizon… yeah, Howard was like a different person, and that was all down to Mary. The problem there, of course, was that the admiration was all one-way; my wife, Kay, told me early on that Mary wasn’t interested in any sort of romantic relationship with Howard. By all accounts, he wasn’t her type. I often wonder how things would have turned out if he HAD been the sort of man that Mary was interested in. Would any of the bad stuff have happened? I’m not talking about the things that Howard had already done, but the events that came later on. Yeah, I think it was inevitable. It might not have involved Mary, but it would still have taken place, somewhere down the line, in some shape or form, and to someone else. And if, say, Mary and Howard had been an item at that time, then she would still have got dragged into everything, one way or the other. Howard was a time-bomb, just waiting to go off, and if Mary, or Alex Crennell, hadn’t been the trigger, then somebody else would have ended up causing the detonation, sooner or later.
***
Howard Trenton sat on the bus, next to Mary Broderick. The vehicle pulled away from Coldsleet terminus as it began it’s five mile trek to the town of Elman.
“It’s a beautiful morning out there.” Said Howard, looking out of the window.
“Bloody freezing cold though.” Remarked Mary, who was wearing a thick winter coat and a large wooly hat, which Howard found endearing.
“They don’t call this place Coldsleet for nothing.” Quipped Howard. “The winter’s are always pretty bad up here. Mind you, the summers are nice, what with the town being on the coast and all.”
“Yeah, I bet they are.” Mary said, in agreement with Howard.
“Oh they are. I love the summer months. The warmer weather gives you a lot more freedom… there’s so many places around Coldsleet that are great to visit, but a lot of them aren’t really much fun in the winter.” Advised Howard.
“Like where?” Asked Mary.
“Well, there’s Arrington beach, which is just to the north of here. It's a proper sandy beach, not like the pebbled crap that we have here in Coldsleet. Arrington is a great place for a lazy day out, just lounging around in the sun, taking it easy. Then there’s Ruthley valley… it’s a bit further out than Arrington, but a beautiful area for walks, picnics, that sort of thing.” Said Howard.
“Sounds nice.” Commented Mary.
“Yeah, it is. Really nice.” Replied Howard, and for a few moments, his mind drifted off, remembering some of the times that he’d visited Ruthley valley with his mother, when she’d been alive.
The bus headed up a hill, passing an old church.
“That’s Saint Bernadette’s. It’s where the Black Pathway Trail begins.” Said Howard.
“The what?” Asked Mary.
“The Black Pathway Trail. It’s a walk, thirty miles long… it takes you all the way to Salegate. Have you never heard of the Black Pathway, Mary?” Howard was curious to know. Mary shook her head.
“Nope. You say it’s thirty miles long?” She queried.
“Yep, thirty miles. The trail takes you over two mountains, Knighton and Hoffen. Knighton’s not to bad to walk up… it’s a bit dicey near the top though, because of ‘The Fool’s Gauntlet’…”
“Come again?” Said Mary.
“‘The Fool’s Gauntlet’. Basically, it’s a narrow ledge, hanging over a great big drop towards the valley below. If you fall off that ledge, you’re dead.” Smiled Howard. For a second or two, Mary’s head spun, almost as if she was going to pass out. At the same time, her whole body came out in goosebumps. Then, just as suddenly, the feelings of unease passed.
Howard Trenton continued to tell Mary Broderick all about the Black Pathway.
“So, apart from at the summit of Knighton Mountain, it’s not too bad to climb… but Hoffen Mountain, on the other hand… well, that can be a real bitch. You know the two mountains that I’m talking about, right?” Asked Howard, in an unintentionally condescending manner.
“Of course I know the two mountains.” Said Mary, slightly annoyed.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to suggest that…”
“Oh, it doesn’t matter, Howard.” Mary interrupted.
“Yeah, it does. I didn’t want to come across as patronising or anything.” He said. Mary smiled.
“Okay, okay. Apology accepted… so, have you walked the Black Pathway?” She wanted to know. Howard nodded enthusiastically.
“Yes. Dozens of times. I try and do the walk at least twice a year, during the spring or summer. It takes three days to do, but it’s worth it.” He advised.
“Three days? So, what do you do? Camp out overnight or something?” Mary asked.
“Nah, I bed down in Knighton and then Hoffen. There’s quite a few guest houses, bed and breakfasts, and hostels where you can stop at. A lot of people do camp out though when they’re out on the trail, but I’ve never done that. I ain’t got a tent.” Said Howard. “Plus I’m not too keen on insects.” He added, which made Mary laugh. “There’s a few people who can do the whole trail in a day, but they’re just fucking hardcore, really mental types. Highly experienced walkers, climbers… you know the sort.” Smiled Howard. Mary looked out of the bus window. In the distance, she could see Knighton Mountain. Once again, and only for a few seconds, her blood ran cold…
Howard Trenton continued to tell Mary about the Black Pathway Trail with enthusiasm.
“There’s one part of the track where a lot of people come unstuck. The trail cuts through Skerrington forest, and it gets a bit vague, because some other pathways, nature trails, zig-zag it. A lot of people go the wrong way, but they mostly just end up at the nature centre on the edge of the woods. Not everyone is that lucky though… they get completely lost, and that’s not good, because if you accidentally head south, then you can end up deep onto Coldsleet Moor. That place… well, it’s deadly, if you’re too far onto it. It’s littered with peat-bogs, some of them really deep. Then there’s the weather to contend with. You get a lot of mist coming down on those moors, even in the middle of summer. If you don’t know where you’re going, and actually manage to cross the moor without drowning in a bog… and you are still heading south, then that spells real trouble, because you’d end up in another forest, but that one is much bigger than Skerrington. It goes on for miles.” Howard informed Mary.
> “The Black Pathway sounds pretty horrible.” She replied.
“Nah, you’re fine, as long as you follow the trail. It’s actually beautiful. Maybe…” Howard’s words suddenly trailed off.
“Maybe what?” Asked Mary, after a few moments.
“Maybe, in the summer… if you’re still around… we could have a weekend up on the trail?” Suggested Howard Trenton, awkwardly.
“Maybe we could.” Replied Mary, smiling, though privately, she was thinking, Jesus, let’s just hope that I find a new place to live, and soon, so that I can get out of Coldsleet… I really don’t want to walk any trail. It’s not my thing. Though Mary was far too polite to say that to Howard.
When Howard arrived at college on that Monday morning, the first thing that he did was seek out Kate Williams; he hadn't seen her for a while, and was eager for a catch-up. Kate was in her usual place, an older classroom that was no longer used for any study sessions as such. Howard peered through the glass pane on the door, checking that Kate was alone. She was sat at a desk, her head down, concentrating on some paperwork. Howard stared at Kate for a few moments, taking in the top that she was wearing. It was red, tight, and showed off the shape of her bosom. Howard felt his heart beat quicken.
"Calm yourself down, Howard." He whispered to himself, before knocking on the door. He saw Kate look up and smile at him. She beckoned for Howard to enter the classroom. Howard opened up the door, gently closing it behind him. He turned and looked at Kate.
"Hi, Miss Williams. How are you today?" Howard beamed. The careers advisor returned his smile.
"I'm very well, thank you, Howard. And yourself?" She asked.
"Yeah, I'm good. Really good thanks." Howard answered. He sat down on one of the classroom chairs.
"You look positively radiant today, Howard." Observed Kate, and Howard couldn't stop himself from blushing a little, before grinning madly.
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