by S. C. Ransom
Grace was still muttering to herself on the other end of the phone. “They don’t want you to find them easily, you know. Won’t the phone number be enough?”
“No, Rob is taking the amulet there to show them what it does. I have to stop him.”
“What! Rob? How on earth did he get involved in all this?” Grace’s voice shot up about three octaves. “The little—”
“Grace!” I interrupted her. “Please, calm down. Just find me the address.”
“OK, OK. I’m just going to try somewhere else on the site.” At that point there was a deafening announcement about the imminent arrival of my train. “I’m not going to ask about that either,” she said in a resigned voice. “Not yet anyway. Don’t you think that’s good of me?”
“You are, as usual, the most loyal and best friend a girl could have, and I do appreciate it.”
“Alex!” The voice calling from across the tracks surprised me. I looked over to the other platform. Catherine was waving at me. “I forgot to ask,” she shouted. “That memory, the one Olivia stole – did you find anything out from that?”
“Are you trying to be funny?” I shouted back. “Olivia has nearly been broken by your warped mind.”
“Really? The thing is, it seems I wrote it all down, just in case.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. “I wrote everything down. I know exactly how to rescue my dear brother and his friends, but you will never find out!”
“What?” I shouted. “What do you mean?” The last words were drowned out by the express thundering into the station, and Catherine disappeared behind the blur of metal and windows. As soon as the train screeched to a halt I wrenched open the nearest door and ran across the carriage to peer at the opposite platform. It was impossible to see, so I dragged down the really stiff window and stuck out my head, scanning the platform. Catherine was nonchalantly walking up the platform away from me. I wasn’t going to be able to run up the train to get closer to her, there were too many people getting on. “Catherine!” I bellowed at the top of my voice, causing every other person on the platform to turn and stare. “If you know that you have to tell me! Don’t be so cruel!”
She stopped and turned, and the smug smile was back on her face. Slowly she waved. “Goodbye, Alex.”
“Wha—” My shout was cut off by an ear-splitting horn, blaring right behind me. I pulled my head back inside the window a fraction of a second before the West Country train thundered in beside me. Shaken, I lost sight of Catherine as it rumbled to a halt between us. I jumped back from the door to see if I could run down the carriage and catch up with her, but I was suddenly conscious of everything outside slowly starting to move. As the train picked up speed I slumped back against the wall, beaten. Whatever it was she was taunting me with, I wasn’t going to find out any more now.
“Damn it!” I muttered to myself, and was then conscious of a distant voice calling.
“Alex? Are you there? What on earth is going on?”
I looked around wildly, hoping for a fraction of a second that somehow Callum was back, then realised that I was still clutching my phone. I lifted it to my ear. “Sorry, Grace, that was Catherine, but she’s gone now.”
The anxiety was evident in her voice. “Alex Walker, this isn’t funny any more. You have to tell me what’s going on.”
“I know, and I’m sorry, really I am. I will tell you just as soon as I get back, I promise.”
“Are you safe? You’re not doing anything dangerous, are you?”
“I’m fine, honestly. I just need to get to that address before Rob does.”
“Wait a sec. I stopped searching while all the noise was going on. Now … got it! I don’t suppose you have a pen?” she asked in her best withering tone.
“Umm, no, you’re right. Nothing useful like that at all.”
“I’ll text it all to you, OK? To this new number?”
“Brilliant, yes, to this number. My old phone is completely dead. Thanks a million, Grace. I’ll call you later and give you all the details, I promise.”
“You’d better. In the meantime just keep safe, all right?”
“Yeah, I’ll try. Thanks again. Bye.” I snapped off the phone and within minutes there was the beep of an incoming text. I took a quick look. She had given me the full address and the nearest Tube station. One problem solved, then, but a much bigger one looming.
I couldn’t stay still enough to sit in a seat crammed in next to someone else, so I stood by the doors and watched the London skyline approaching from the unfamiliar angle. I wondered where Rob was, how far he had got on his journey to the publicist. I felt quite sick at the thought that at that precise moment he might be handing over my precious amulet to some stranger, someone who would only use it to make money. I couldn’t believe that someone I knew, and had once trusted, could be so mercenary. I still had no idea about how I was going to persuade him to hand it back, I just hoped that something good would come to me.
I didn’t dare let myself think about the other things that Catherine had said. One problem at a time, that was all I could deal with. I would get the amulet back and then worry about her and her strange comments.
Surprisingly quickly the train was pulling into Paddington station, and I was on the platform looking wildly around for the entrance to the Tube. There were huge numbers of people milling aimlessly about and I had to resist the urge to knock them out of the way as I tried to run to the escalators. It was equally busy down in the ticket hall, with hordes of tourists consulting maps and peering at the self-service machines.
I rummaged around in my bag and pulled out my Travelcard, scanning around for directions to the right line. I needed the Bakerloo line to take me down to Piccadilly Circus. I finally spotted the sign over the heads in the crowd, and darted towards the escalators. Luckily everyone else was in a hurry too so I was able to run down to the platform.
It was warm down in the Underground, and stuffy, and it was a relief when the train finally thundered towards us, pushing a welcome blast of air up the tunnel towards the platform. The carriage was packed, but I was too nervous to sit anyway, so I hung on to one of the poles near the door, checking out how many stops I had to wait. Five stops before the one I wanted. Five interminable waits while the people shuffled off the train and another crowd forced their way on. I hung on tight to my pole, not wanting to get pushed back down away from the door. The last stop at Oxford Circus seemed to take for ever, as all the people getting on were carrying huge carrier bags full of shopping.
I checked my watch for the hundredth time, wishing I knew what time Rob’s appointment was. I clenched my hands and realised that they were damp with sweat. I wiped them down my trousers again, taking a couple of deep breaths. Finally the train set off and I positioned myself next to the door so I could get off as quickly as possible. As we sped into Piccadilly Circus station I could see that the platform was packed with people. The door seemed to take an age to open but finally I was free, dashing up the platform towards the exit. I ran as fast as I could, dodging around people dragging wheelie suitcases and shopping, apologising over my shoulder when I knocked into others. The tunnels to the exit were like a maze, but finally I was running up the last escalator and through the ticket barrier.
I ran up the stairs of the nearest street exit without thinking, blinking as I emerged into the bright sunlight, then stopped abruptly as I realised that I didn’t know where I was going. Looking around I could see the huge advertising boards of Piccadilly Circus, flashing their messages, the statue of Eros, surrounded by people taking photos, and as I turned further, I saw that there were six different roads I could choose. I had no idea which was the one I wanted.
I was about to run back down into the station where I was sure that there would be a map when I caught a glimpse of someone coming up out of another exit. There was something familiar about his arrogant swagger that made me take a second look and hesitate, mid-turn. The sunlight had caught the bright shoc
k of his blond hair – Rob. I couldn’t believe my luck; I was in time, he hadn’t handed the amulet over. All I had to do was follow him and stop him.
But he was on the far side of the junction; I had about three roads to cross to get to him before he disappeared again into London’s crowds. I hesitated for a brief second. The quickest way was probably to go back into the Underground and out of the exit he had just used. But that meant that I would lose sight of him, and I really didn’t want to do that. I scanned the various queues of traffic and decided to run for it. Dodging between taxis and white vans, I ran across the bottom of Regent Street, then straight across the next little road, putting out my hand to stop an oncoming car. The driver hooted crossly at me as he screeched to a halt, but luckily there was so much noise going on that the sound didn’t cause Rob to turn. He was striding purposefully up a wide road, and I glanced at the building on the corner to see which street it was: Shaftesbury Avenue. That was where I was supposed to be heading; he was definitely still on his way to the agency.
He was about fifty metres ahead of me, on the other side of the road, a small briefcase in his hand. I quickly pulled my hood up over my own blonde hair, shoving my hands deep into my pockets. After a couple of minutes he slowed down and pulled a piece of paper out of the side pocket of the case. He studied it for a second, then looked across at my side of the road. I had managed to close some of the gap between us, so I turned to look in the shop window next to where I was standing. I watched in the reflection as he crossed to my side and turned up a narrow street, then I broke into a run as he disappeared out of sight. Even though I knew the address of where he was going, I didn’t want to lose him.
It was darker in the little side street, and much quieter, but he was too far ahead for me to be able to tackle him. And I still had no clear idea about what it was I was going to say to him. Fighting was out of the question, and he obviously had no moral conscience to appeal to. The only thing I could think of was to accuse him of stealing, and to do that I needed to be nearer to some other people, people who might intervene on my behalf. I fell back slightly, keen that he didn’t spot me too soon, but kept a careful eye on the road names in case we reached our destination. We passed dozens of restaurants, and the wonderful smells wafting out of the kitchens made me realise that I hadn’t eaten for hours, but I knew I was still far too nervous to be hungry. There would be time for that later though, after I had been reunited with Callum. I just hoped that he was here, that somehow he had been able to follow me.
Eventually the tiny streets of Soho opened out into a leafy square that was surrounded by tall, modern buildings. I glanced quickly at the text message Grace had sent me earlier: the building I wanted was in the far corner.
Rob was peering at his sheet of paper again, then he set out round the left-hand side of the square. I saw my chance, and ran at full pelt around the other side, keeping behind the vans and taxis as much as I could. I wanted to be at the door as he arrived. I slowed to a fast walk as I neared the building, checking over my shoulder that he was still coming. He was too engrossed in his plans to notice anyone else, and by the time he approached the front door, I was leaning nonchalantly against a post box, the only feature on the wide pavement.
As I watched, he examined the paper one last time, then folded it and put it back in his jeans pocket. He looked towards the building, which was a sleek, modern design made entirely of mirrored glass. But Rob wasn’t admiring the architecture, he was admiring himself. He was looking at his reflection, running his fingers through his hair to maintain its carefully tousled appearance, brushing something off the shoulder of his expensive casual shirt. I wasn’t going to get a better chance.
“Hi, Rob, fancy seeing you here,” I said as I pushed myself off the post box and sauntered casually towards him. For a second he lost his composure completely, his jaw dropping.
“Er… umm … Alex. What are you doing in Soho?” he asked eventually.
“Oh, I think you know that.”
“Not sure I do,” he answered, obviously playing for time.
“You have something that belongs to me, and I’d like it back.” I stood facing him, arms folded, trying desperately hard to keep my nerves under control. I couldn’t afford for him to think that he could frighten me into submission. His eyes kept darting over my shoulder towards the door of the building where he clearly thought that he would be safe. He tried the denial route again.
“No, really. I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t give me that. Do you think I’m stupid? You know exactly what I’m talking about.”
As I watched, his eyes narrowed. He was recovering from the surprise and moving swiftly on to the offensive. “Are you stalking me, Alex? I mean, I know you’ve had some issues, but really, do you have to follow me to London?”
I gave him a withering look. “I have much better things to do with my time, thank you, than follow you around all day. Just give me back my bracelet!”
He ignored me and carried on. “Because, you know, stalkers, they’re dangerous. I’m sure that the police would be interested in having a little chat with you. You’ve become quite familiar with them over the last few weeks, haven’t you?”
“I’d love it if you called the police, and you could then explain to them what you’re doing with stolen property.”
Finally he laughed. “The thing is, Alex, it was no longer yours, was it? You gave it to Catherine.”
“You know full well that Catherine stole it from me!”
“I know nothing of the sort. She said that you gave it to her because the two of you are friends. What could be more straightforward than that? It’s great that the two of you are so close.” I could see the sarcastic smile on his face, and I took a step closer, clenching my fists.
“So close, in fact, that Catherine told me all about your little money-making scheme.”
His smile faltered for a second but he quickly regained his composure. “As I believe I said yesterday, we have an understanding.”
“Once you get in there and start talking,” I jabbed towards the shiny building with my finger, “don’t you think they’ll want to know how you came to have the amulet?”
“Once they see what it does, they won’t care. They’ll be falling over each other to get the best price for the story, and I’ll be rich.”
“Is that what this is all about, being rich? You’re prepared to ruin my life and those of countless others just because you want to cash in on your fifteen minutes of fame? You’re pathetic! And don’t forget, I’ve still got proof of Catherine’s methods of persuasion.” I lifted up my sleeve to show him the bruises on my arm.
He raised his eyebrows at the multicoloured marks. “And I thought it was just your face. She really went to town, didn’t she? But you won’t shop either of us, I’m sure.” He smiled at me slyly. “I mean, we can do a deal here; come to some sort of mutually beneficial arrangement.”
“I don’t think so,” I huffed, crossing my arms.
“Are you absolutely sure? Don’t you want to talk to Callum again? Isn’t that what this is all about, for you to be together again?” He used his hands to put inverted commas around “together”, infuriating me even more.
“So you’ll give it back then?”
“Don’t be ridiculous! I can just see a way to get what everyone wants, that’s all. You keep quiet, and I’ll ensure that you and Callum get some amulet time. Under careful supervision, of course. I know I can’t trust you that much. Then Catherine and I get to split the money. Everyone is happy!”
“That’s not what I want. Give me back my amulet now, or I’ll have you arrested for theft.”
“Now, that wouldn’t be a good idea. Let me explain the deal in a little more detail. If you cause trouble – any trouble – I’ll make sure that you never get to see Callum again. Everyone else will; we can really go to town on finding out all about him, his family, his real girlfriend, however old she is now. Then I’ll g
ive the papers your video diaries, all that angst and sobbing will fill pages for the tabloids. You’ll have people bugging you about it for years, but all the time he’ll be just out of your reach.” He paused, and gave a brief leer. “They could even have you and his old girlfriend slugging it out.”
I felt a wave of horror shimmer through me. Rob had inadvertently stumbled over the one thing that would make me hesitate. Callum had been very clear on that point: knowing his past, who he was, what had happened to his parents, would make his daily existence unbearable. I couldn’t let that happen, but I couldn’t let Rob know that either. I glared up at him from under my hood. “If I agree – if …” I emphasised, looking at the sudden smile on his face, “what else is in it for you? It can’t just be to keep me quiet.”
“Well, the truth is,” he started to look shifty again, “the video diaries are good, but if you’re there, willing to answer questions about how things work, well… Catherine won’t even consider talking to anyone, but if you answer the journalists’ questions, we’ll get so much more money.”
Money. That was what it was all about: pure greed. At least I knew what I was dealing with.
“OK, if – if – I join you, how do you plan to do things? What do they know already?”
He could barely contain his excitement. “I’ve talked to them, but not shown them anything yet; that’s what today is about.” He glanced at his briefcase.
“What are you planning to show them?”
“The video, and then I’ll get them to see one of the Dirges. They said that if I could prove it, I could pretty much name my price.”
I tried to keep my voice steady. “Have you been communicating with them?”
“I tried it last night after Catherine gave me the amulet. I didn’t even have to say anything – this bloke just skulked up behind me in the mirror. Made me jump, I can tell you!”