Perfectly Reflected

by S. C. Ransom

  “As long as you can avoid giving him too many details, that sounds like a great plan. Where shall I be?”

  “Here, in bed, where you’ll be safe. I’m not risking her seeing you. Jack and I can handle her.”

  “But I want to be there!” I complained.

  “If she sees you, she’ll be off like a whippet, so that wouldn’t help. Anyway, the state you’re in, you’d be a total liability. Honestly, Alex, you’re moving around like an old woman.”

  I tested my arms again. She was right; I couldn’t make any sudden movements. “OK,” I agreed grudgingly. “But what are you going to say to her?”

  “First of all we’ll demand the amulet back, and then insist that she stops making your life a misery.”

  “And you expect her to do those things, just like that?” I didn’t want to pour cold water on her plans, but it didn’t seem that well thought-through.

  “Well, she won’t be able to hang on to the amulet, not with Jack menacing her.” Grace pursed her lips as she considered the problem. “As for the rest of it, at least we can try and work out why she’s doing all this stuff; that would be a step forwards.” She paused for a moment, then said reflectively, “You know, it’s almost as if, for whatever weird reason, she’s trying to live your life. Your friends, your brother, your bracelet. If we don’t stop her, what else of yours is she going to try and steal?”

  That was a question I really didn’t want to answer.

  The wait that evening had been terrible; every time my phone buzzed it made me jump, but it wasn’t until really late that Grace rang.

  “Hi, Alex, sorry, I couldn’t ring until after Jack had brought me home – I didn’t want him overhearing.”

  “That’s OK.” I tried to hide my impatience. “So did she show up?”

  “No, not a sniff of her.” The disappointment washed over me as Grace continued. “We were there for ages and I kept a really close eye on the door in case she came and went without saying anything, but I didn’t see her.”

  “Oh, well, I guess it was a long shot.” I tried to keep my voice cheerful.

  “It’s infuriating! Jack was itching to get back your bracelet.”

  As she said the words I suddenly realised the danger I had put them both in, and felt myself go clammy. If Jack had got the amulet off her he would have been easy prey for Lucas, if he had been around. “Look, thanks for trying, Grace, but best to leave it now.” She started to protest but I cut her off. “Catherine’s dangerous, and so is the amulet. I can’t risk you two getting hurt.”

  “Well, there’s nothing else I can do at the moment anyway,” Grace grumbled. “But I’m not letting her away with it, that’s for sure!”

  “Maybe you could try to find some more stuff out. She’s all over Facebook. Maybe she let something drop to someone else?”

  “I suppose. It just doesn’t seem very … proactive.”

  “Please, Grace, it really is the best thing you can do at the moment. No one’s going to talk to me, are they, not if they all think I’m deluded.”

  “OK, OK, I’ll do that tomorrow, and text you as soon as I find out anything useful.”

  I switched off the phone and lay back on the pillow in relief. That could have gone so horribly wrong. I was going to have to continue investigating on my own.

  The next day, Thursday, was the last full day of term, but as I still felt really stiff I made another call to the school office. I wasn’t going to be able to avoid going in on the half-day on Friday as I had to empty my locker, but there was no pressing need to be in before that. I had more urgent things to do.

  I spent several hours in the morning scouring the Internet and all Catherine’s posts to my friends, trying to find out anything about her. I had no idea where she was living, except for the rather untrustworthy Facebook suggestion of Surrey, but that uncomfortable niggle in the back of my mind kept coming back to me. What had I missed? I decided to write down a list of all the places I had seen her or heard about her, to see what the common themes were. The first time was on the CCTV at the bank, next was in the pub, the golf course – where I didn’t actually see her – then there was the plan to join everyone at the end-of-term party, and of course, seeing her on the green…

  I jerked upright. I hadn’t been to Richmond Green, not for weeks, but she had been there in my dream. The niggle at the back of my brain was suddenly bouncing around. Was that what Callum was trying to tell me? “Of course!” I suddenly exclaimed out loud, jumping out of my chair and instantly wincing with pain. Callum could haunt people’s dreams; I remembered him asking me if I wanted him to go and annoy Rob that way. Callum had been trying to communicate with me every time I went to sleep. I hugged myself in excitement that he had been so close. I had just never told him that I rarely remembered any of my dreams in any detail.

  “Callum? Are you there? I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to work this out. You’ve been in my dreams, haven’t you? You’ve been telling me where Catherine is, but I keep forgetting the important bits.” I looked around, but of course could see nothing. “Thank you. I miss you so much. I hope you are listening. I love you, Callum, I’ll work it out, I promise.”

  I sat back down and looked at my list. She had to be in Richmond. Almost everything related to Richmond in some way or another. I would start my search there, trawling through all the places that I – and therefore Catherine – knew. I sat back, pleased with myself. It wasn’t much of a plan, but it was something, and it made me feel like I was doing my bit to get Callum back. I would check out the town from the station down to the river, scouting out my favourite coffee bars and the pubs.

  I checked my watch; I had plenty of time to get ready and walk down to the station, and the train should get me into town just after lunchtime. Josh had gone out, so I wouldn’t have to think of an excuse. But I needed not to be scaring people, and a quick glance in the mirror showed that my cheek was now going a lovely purple-green shade around the large scraped area. I looked awful, so I quickly started trying to follow Grace’s instructions for covering it up. But it was hard to concentrate, sitting at my desk looking in the mirror, wondering if Callum was there. Was he trying to make contact with me again now, I wondered? At this very second was he there, positioning his amulet where mine ought to be?

  “Don’t worry, Callum,” I said out loud. “I’m going to get it back. Later today we may be together again. And if I can’t find her today, well, I’m going to keep on trying.”

  I could imagine his concerned look, and the image in my head was so clear I could almost see him in the mirror beside me, almost feel that delicate touch on my hair, my shoulder; the gentle whisper of his kiss. “I miss you so much, Callum,” I whispered. “I’ll be with you again soon, I promise. I just wish there was some way of knowing that you were listening.” But all I could hear was silence.

  During the walk down to the station I realised that I should have paid some attention to the weather forecast. It had turned from being pleasantly warm to unbelievably hot, so my long-sleeved top was really uncomfortable. I couldn’t risk anyone seeing the state of my arm, but I could have chosen something a little lighter to wear. I was going to roast. I quickly got a bottle of water from the little shop before I got on to the train in the hope that it might help a little.

  My nerves increased the closer to Richmond we got. I still wasn’t entirely sure how I was going to tackle Catherine. The plan about exposing her to my friends would only work if she cared, and I was getting less and less confident that she would. Still, it was the best I had, and until I tried it, I would never know.

  At Richmond I got off the train and made my way up the big staircase to the ticket hall. The heat was almost unbearable, and it was even worse outside in the sunshine. I quickly ran through in my head the various places and venues where I thought I would be most likely to find Catherine, and dived across the road into the shade. First stop was the Italian deli where Grace and I regularly got our sandwiches and cappuccinos,
but a quick glance around showed me that Catherine wasn’t there. I walked down the little lane full of jewellers’ shops to get to the green, and for once wasn’t tempted by the fancy chocolate shop as I went past. The green was like a dust bowl, with people scattered all around. I had a strange sense of déjà vu as I worked my way across, looking for any hint of her. It was tough not knowing what she might be wearing, because she didn’t have my clothes or my taste. For all I knew she was a Goth at heart and would be sweltering in head-to-toe black.

  I worked my way back again, but couldn’t see her, so decided to make for the pubs near the river. I made a quick stop in the department store first, not least because I knew that it had efficient air conditioning, but also because I used to go to the café there a lot when I was younger. I trudged my way up the escalators to the top floor, and peered into the café. It wasn’t that busy, and a figure at the far end caught my eye. It was a girl with her back to me, bending over a newspaper. She didn’t seem to be troubling the coffee cup by her side. The hair looked the right sort of colour, but I couldn’t tell from her back if she was wearing the amulet; both arms were tucked out of sight.

  I made my way through the assault course of tables and chairs, keeping a wide berth. When I was level with her and about four tables away I sat down and picked up a menu. Pretending to consider it closely I peeped over the top of it to check her out. She was completely engrossed in her paper, head down low with the curtains of dark-blonde hair obscuring her face. Other than going over and sitting in front of her I didn’t know what to do.

  I looked around me for inspiration, over the tables that hadn’t yet been cleared of lunchtime debris. At the next table there was a glass bottle near the far edge, and between it and me was a tray. I leaned over and gave the tray a quick nudge, pulling back immediately. The bottle wobbled for a moment, and I thought it was going to right itself, but finally it toppled off the edge of the table. The smashing noise cut through the quiet murmurs of conversation and every head automatically whipped around to see. Still camouflaged behind the menu I watched as the woman turned too.

  It wasn’t Catherine.

  “Crap!” I muttered to myself as the staff started hurrying over. I shuffled to the far side of the table I was sitting at, as far away from the mess as possible, then stood up in a nonchalant manner. A girl in an apron gave me a look but I just shrugged and smiled. “I think you must have poltergeists,” I said as I hurried past.

  I slipped guiltily out of the store, enjoying the last of the cool air as the heat of the street hit me like a wave. Before I turned towards the river there was one more place to check: the little children’s bookshop in The Lanes. It was a haven of peace, even keeping the toddlers quiet, and I knew that it was possible to browse there for hours. I was getting a bit old to be a regular customer, but I usually popped in if I was in town. I returned the smile of the guy behind the counter as I walked in, but tried to look as if I was in a hurry. He enjoyed a chat and today I really didn’t want to get sucked into that.

  A twenty-second tour proved that she wasn’t there, and I was edging out when I got caught.

  “Ah, good to see you. Looking for anything specific?” He was leaning on a marketing display for a new boys’ adventure story and I thought for a moment that the whole lot was going to topple over. The cardboard was wobbling alarmingly.

  “Thanks, but not today. I’ve just lost a friend of mine and I thought she may be in here.” I carried on edging towards the door as I spoke. “No sign though. I’ll see you soon!” I managed to get out of the door just in time. I heard a brief exclamation of horror and then the noise as the books and the display came crashing down.

  I kept peering into the shops as I worked my way down to the river, but it was fruitless. Finally I ended up at the pub I had come to the other night with Grace. The big French windows out on to the terrace were open and the sounds of the river drifted up from below. The place was packed; it was an ideal venue for a hot summer day. I decided that I deserved a brief treat after all the searching, and went to the bar to order a cold drink.

  Clutching my ginger beer I made a quick tour of the room, but yet again I was disappointed. My plan was failing spectacularly. There was no way I was going to be able to get the amulet back if I couldn’t actually find Catherine.

  For a change there was no one there I knew, which I guess shouldn’t have been a surprise given that everyone else was in school. I found a small empty table and sat down, resting my feet for a while. As I sat there I became aware of my various aches and pains and remembered that it was time for another of my super-strength painkillers. I rummaged in my bag and then realised that I had left them on my desk. I was just going to have to manage without them. I dug a little deeper and found a couple of paracetamol, so I took them in the hope that they would take the edge off.

  I didn’t know where else to go; I had been sure that she would have been in one of those places. Had I been wrong? Had Callum actually been trying to tell me something else? I sat for about half an hour racking my brains and trying to figure out where else I should go, slowly sipping my drink and hoping that the painkillers would kick in. The pub was surprisingly full of people for a Thursday afternoon; it seemed as if plenty of office workers had abandoned their desks in the heat, and the terrace was the perfect venue to try and catch the breeze. I kept watching the people coming and going, but Catherine remained stubbornly absent.

  Finally I gave in; she wasn’t going to turn up. I could retrace my steps, or walk across the bridge and on towards Twickenham. That was a reasonable option, I realised, as it would take me past the White Swan pub, where I had found the amulet in the mud. It would also mean that I could walk along the towpath next to the river, and that was likely to be rather more pleasant than walking back through the hot and dusty town. I drained the last of the melted ice from my glass, and stood up, wincing at how stiff I had become. My hand automatically reached for my empty wrist. “I’m going to keep trying, Callum, I promise,” I whispered under my breath.

  As I had hoped, the towpath was much cooler than town. It was a long way round, walking by the river rather than by the road, but much nicer. This loop of the Thames was also fairly quiet, with the fields of Petersham on the far bank. It was almost like being in the country. I passed a few other walkers, but it was much less busy than it would be at the weekend. I was idly watching one woman with a pushchair who was coming towards me around the corner when she looked up at the sky and suddenly increased her pace; her head went down and the buggy started bouncing along over the gravel. I looked up to see what had caught her eye and realised that, behind me, a huge thundercloud was looming. As I watched, a jagged shard of lightning leapt across the sky, followed almost immediately by an ear-splitting crack of thunder. Even though I’d seen the lightning, the noise made me jump and I could hear the wail of the child in the pushchair fading into the distance.

  The cloud was moving fast, and the oppressive heat and sunshine seemed suddenly intensified. It was a matter of minutes before the cloud rolled over, making the world darker and much, much cooler. There was another burst of lightning, close enough that I automatically looked around at the trees nearby, but down here by the river I was safe enough. The buildings at the top of Richmond Hill looked like they could be in trouble though. Finally big, fat drops of water started to fall, splatting on the gravel. I did a quick mental calculation of where I was; carry on or go back? As the rain started in earnest I realised that it made no difference; I was going to get soaked either way. I might as well enjoy it.

  I stepped out along the towpath, now completely alone, enjoying the feeling of the water running over my face and cooling my aching arm. There was something very apt about the situation, and I let the rain wash away my worries for a while.

  It was still pelting down as I got to the entrance to Marble Hill Park. There were old stone steps down to the edge of the river there, presumably the remnants of some long-gone jetty. I used to feed the ducks all
the time when I was little. There were no ducks there today, though, it was too wet even for them. I smiled slightly at the thought, but was suddenly pulled up short by a chillingly familiar voice.

  “Looking for me, are you?”

  I whipped around; standing in the middle of the towpath behind me was Catherine. Rain had darkened her hair to a flat brunette colour, and water was dripping off the ends. She was dressed for cooler weather in a plain shirt and jeans, both of which were plastered to her. She held a large rock in one hand.

  My heart sank. I knew that I wasn’t up to brawling with her; I just wasn’t fit enough. All my injuries were screaming out in protest as I automatically tensed, ready for whatever was coming next. I pushed the wet hair off my face and squared up to her, knowing that the worst thing you can do with a bully is to show fear. But she didn’t back off, she just stood there, an evil smile on her face.

  “You have something of mine, I believe.” I decided I might as well get straight to the point.

  Her smile was cruel. “Whatever makes you think I’ve kept that old tat?”

  “Don’t play games with me, Catherine. I know you have it, and I know why you wanted it.”

  “Hmm, it was such a shame about the golf course. If you hadn’t moved when you did, you wouldn’t be walking around here today, that’s for sure.”

  “I’m tougher than you think,” I said defiantly, sticking out my chin and feeling the rain run down my neck, trying to avoid looking at the rock.

  “Pity.” Her look was scathing.

  I couldn’t decide on my best approach. Appealing to her sense of friendship seemed quite laughable; she radiated scorn and loathing. I carefully and unobtrusively flexed my wrists, trying to gauge how they would stand up to a scrap. Pain shot up my arm. Not well then, I decided. But it was my only option for getting Callum back, and I would put money on the fact that he was here, watching us. If I could only get the amulet off her he would be able to disable her, I was sure. The thought that he was so close spurred me on.