The Forgotten Cottage

by Helen Phifer

  ‘Thank you, Kav. I promise I won’t do anything stupid. I don’t want to jeopardise Will’s life. Let me know as soon as you’re going there. I want to be there.’

  ‘I know you do, kid, just hang on and let the big boys do their stuff first.’

  The line went dead and Annie repeated what Kav had just told her. Jake’s radio began to ring and he excused himself and stepped outside. Annie didn’t need to be psychic to know it would be Kav telling Jake to keep a close eye on her but she wouldn’t do anything to put Will at risk, at least not until he was safe and then it would be a different matter. If that Amelia thought she was getting away with this she had another think coming.

  John took hold of her hand. ‘I’m going to go now and prepare somewhere to put Ms Baker’s bones. I have a storage box like you described so I’ll bless it and fill it with anything and everything I can think of to keep her contained. But I need you to come and collect it tomorrow morning; is that okay with you? I have a busy day tomorrow but we’ll get it sorted and have her buried before tomorrow night. Let’s just hope that the Bishop doesn’t get wind of this or I’ll be finishing the rest of my life marrying couples in a chapel in Vegas.’

  He winked at her and she squeezed his hand back.

  ‘I’m sorry to drag you into this but I don’t know anyone else I can trust.’

  ‘Don’t be sorry, Annie; I’m a great believer that things happen for a reason. There was a reason you were sent to my door last year and was I glad that you were because I dread to think what would have happened to me or Sophie if you hadn’t. I’m the one who is forever in your debt so don’t be worrying about any of this. What’s the worst that could happen?’

  His nervous laugh made her smile. She felt bad for involving him but she knew that he wouldn’t have it any other way and that she couldn’t do this without his help.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Megan came rushing into the caravan, making Henry jump up from where he was sprawled on the sofa.

  ‘What’s the matter?’

  ‘I’ve found us a place we can take our victims. It’s perfect and nobody uses it. I asked the farmer and he said that the man who owned the field died last year and his son lives abroad. We’ll be able to turn it into our little torture chamber.’

  ‘Stop right there; you asked a farmer what, exactly?’

  ‘I was looking at the horses in one of the fields and he was cutting the grass in the field next door. I shut the field gate for him and he stopped to thank me, we just got chatting so I sort of slipped it into the conversation. He was old so he won’t remember what we were talking about.’

  ‘And what are we talking about?’

  ‘There’s an overgrown field with an old building on it in the middle; there’s no one around it. We could take our victims there, tie them up and gag them. If we make it secure so they can’t escape it will be perfect.’

  ‘Won’t the farmer see us coming and going? It’s far too risky. I like your thinking but we need a house somewhere with a cellar that is on its own so if they scream no one will hear them.’

  Megan looked as if she was about to burst into tears and Henry felt bad.

  ‘Don’t get me wrong; it’s a good idea but how on earth would we get a girl, screaming and fighting, across an overgrown field and into a ramshackle barn without anyone seeing us? And just what if whoever owns it turns up to see that we’ve been using his shed for more than keeping chickens?’

  ‘Sorry, Henry, I got so carried away. I’m desperate to do it; I want to kill someone.’

  ‘I know you do but you have to be patient; we can’t risk everything that you’ve spent the last few months planning by taking chances and hoping for the best. That’s how people get caught, and I don’t want to get caught, Megan. I’ve never been so happy in my life and it would make me really angry to see it all thrown away because of being impatient.’

  Henry knew he was asking a lot. Expecting her to keep her burning desires in check was something he knew was going to be difficult for both of them because the more he thought about murder the harder it became for him as well. All he wanted was to get Miss Graham and have some fun with her and he was finding it all very frustrating. He also wanted to leave this caravan as he was getting stir-crazy but he knew that it would be a massive risk. He enjoyed his evening stroll around the site and down to the shore line once it was dusk but he couldn’t be seen going in and out through the day. The scars were too hard to cover; that bloody woman had so much to answer for. She’d stopped him, almost killed him and then burnt his secret room down to the ground; his trophy room was nothing more than a pile of charred wood and ash, thanks to her. It didn’t enter Henry’s head that if he hadn’t splashed petrol all over then the old mansion wouldn’t have gone up in flames because it was easier to blame her, to blame Annie Graham for everything that had gone wrong the last two years.

  Megan threw herself onto the bench opposite him. Her legs looked as if they went on forever in her very short denim cut-offs and he admired how smooth and tanned they were. The weather had been glorious since they’d arrived and she’d spent all day in and out of the caravan, pottering around in a pair of shorts and a strappy vest top. Being by the sea had agreed with her and she looked a picture of health. She no longer wore lots of make-up and thick black eyeliner or painted her nails in luminous colours; she was very au naturel and it suited her. He’d expected her to sink into a deep depression once she realised that she’d thrown her life away but he’d been very wrong. She had embraced this life ‘on the run’ wholeheartedly and was thriving on it. Henry wanted to make her happy; he wanted her to experience everything that he had.

  ‘Henry?’

  ‘Yes, Megan.’

  ‘Are you staring at me again?’

  ‘Yes, Megan.’

  ‘I can tell, you know. I don’t mind you having a perv over my body if it makes you feel better, but what would be even better was if you just actually came out and said exactly what it is you want.’

  ‘And what do I want?’

  ‘Me, of course. I don’t blame you one bit. I know it’s probably been a long time and you know I would like nothing more than for you to ravish my body. I like a good fuck now and again; you could stop being a gentleman for once and drag me into the bedroom.’

  Henry grinned. ‘That isn’t very ladylike, Megan, and of course I would love nothing more than to drag you into the bedroom but I can’t and you know that; I don’t want to ruin our friendship with a quick fuck.’

  ‘Suit yourself but the offer still stands. If you’re happy enough to perv over me then I’ll let you get on with it but when you decide enough is enough I’ll be ready and willing.’

  ‘Thank you, I’ll keep that in mind should I no longer be able to contain myself.’

  He stood up and went to get a notepad and pen. He wanted to write down some kind of plan. It would be better to put it into words than to just wing it. He could come up with something that would give Megan something to look forward to and keep his mind from wondering about how good it would feel to have her long legs wrapped around his.

  ***

  A loud thud and a high-pitched scream jolted Will from his sleep. He had no idea where he was until he tried to move his feet and remembered he was tied to a bed in a cellar. It sounded as if Amelia had finally flipped. There was a lot of muffled shouting and another loud thud; this time a man’s voice shouted out in pain. Will found himself rooting for the boyfriend; he wanted him to kick shit out of Amelia and then come and set him free. He had done nothing but sleep yet he was still tired and then he looked over at the bottle of water and cursed himself. They had probably been drugging him; what an idiot. There was a lot more shouting and cursing and then the door slammed shut and he heard the sound of a car engine revving. It drove off at speed and he hoped that it was her inside it and that a big lorry was coming down the lane to meet her head-on. After five minutes the bolt slid over on the trapdoor and the light was turned on. Will s
queezed his eyes shut and waited to see who it was. The figure ran down the stairs and for a second Will wondered if this was it, if he was going to kill him, but then the man lifted his finger to his lips.

  ‘I think she’s gone for a drive but she’ll be back soon. I’ve had enough; it’s over.’

  Will strained to move away from him and the man looked shocked.

  ‘Oh, God, no. Sorry, I don’t mean it’s over for you. I meant with her; I’ve had enough. She’s a full-on psychopath. I’m going to untie you and lead you to the front door but she’s taken the car so you’ll have to walk, if that’s okay. I’ll wait here in case she comes back, then I can stall her to give you a chance to get away. I’m really sorry about all of this and I hope you’re okay.’

  Will nodded, not sure what to say. His hands and feet were untied and the guy reached out his hand to pull him up. Will wobbled at first but soon found his feet and looked at the man, who seemed genuinely remorseful.

  ‘Thank you, I know it was all Amelia’s idea and if it goes to court I’ll make sure that they know you didn’t have a choice and that she is a control freak who beat you whenever you didn’t do as she asked.’

  ‘Thanks, mate; you know I kept your phone. She told me to throw it in the lake but I couldn’t; that’s what she’s just flipped out over. She found it in the boot of the car before, so hopefully your mates will be on the way to come and get you anyway. She said they would have pinged it or something like that. Best thing you can do is to find somewhere to hide not too far away.’

  ‘I will. Are you going to be okay? Why don’t you come with me?’

  ‘No, I want you to get away from here and I’d rather take the flack from her so you have a better chance. Good luck.’

  He led Will upstairs and to the back door. Opening it up, he pushed him out.

  ‘You need to go before she comes back.’

  Will didn’t need telling twice. He stumbled out into the sunlight and had to lift a hand to cover his eyes; they had been in the dark for a couple of days and it hurt to look at the light. He began to run towards the gravel drive in case the man had only been messing around and was actually going to come after him and kill him, but his instinct told him that the poor bloke was in it over his head and needed as much help as him, especially once Amelia came back and saw what he’d done.

  Will ran along the road for a while but he knew he had to get off it in case she came driving along. He saw a barn in a field and clambered over the gate. Slipping and falling, he landed on his ankle, which let out a loud crunch and he screamed in pain. Fucking hell, he didn’t have time to break his leg. He dragged himself off the ground and, with tears running down his cheeks, he managed to hobble towards the barn. Even if he couldn’t get inside it, he could hide around the back and wait for help to come. He fell against the door, the pain making him feel dizzy, and it opened enough that he could squeeze himself through the gap. It was cool and dark in there and he just hoped to God there wasn’t a prize-winning bull inside it. Will dropped to the floor to take the weight off his foot and grimaced as the room began to swim. He waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness, thankful that it was empty. He breathed a sigh of relief: no bull – spiders he could cope with. And then he passed out.

  1782

  Father Sawyer finished his blessings and stepped away from Seth and Joss.

  ‘Now then, let us go and pray for Betsy Baker, God rest her soul.’

  He made the sign of the cross whenever he mentioned Betsy’s name. Joss stood up and for the first time in weeks he felt better. He had never been a big believer in God but his soul felt lighter, if that was even possible. Seth looked at Joss and smiled, so he must be feeling the same. All three of them left the church and Joss led the way through the village to his cottage on the outskirts. As he walked towards it, he looked up to the bedroom window and gasped. He was sure he’d seen Betsy standing at the window, watching all three of them walking towards her, but she’d disappeared as soon it had registered in his brain that he’d seen her. He nudged Seth.

  ‘Did you see her? She was watching us from the window up there.’

  Seth’s face paled and he shook his head. ‘No, I didn’t, thank God. Did she look angry?’

  Joss shook his head. ‘No, she looked so sad. I can’t believe I’m feeling sorry for the ghost of the woman who killed my boys.’

  The priest put his hand on Joss’s shoulder. ‘It’s a trick, a devil’s trick. She doesn’t want us to bless her bones. She wants to be free to run amok and scare everyone to death. Take no notice and, whatever you do, if she appears to you do not look in her eyes.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘Because her eyes are the portals to hell; she will invite you in and then drown you inside them and you’ll be stuck with her for all of eternity.’

  Joss considered those words for a moment and then he laughed. ‘Come on now, surely you don’t believe in any of that?’

  ‘I don’t believe in invisible forces bending the solid oak wood of a church door in front of my very eyes either, Joss, but I saw it happen. Never take anything for granted and never mock the forces of the devil because they say God works in mysterious ways but the devil works in devious ways and of that I’m positive.’

  They stopped at the wooden gate to the cottage and paused for a minute whilst the priest said a prayer, then Joss pushed it open and they stepped in. Minutes ago they had been wiping the sweat from their brows, the sun was beating down so hard upon them, but as soon as all three of them were on the cottage grounds the sun disappeared behind a huge black cloud. Seth followed Joss, who walked across to the small outbuilding where he kept his garden spades. Joss took two of them out and handed one to Seth, who took it. Joss pointed to the uneven mound of soil on the vegetable bed and the priest pointed his finger. Joss nodded at him but, before he could dig the spade in, the priest held up his hand. Joss waited whilst he set about blessing the mound of soil. The sky began to darken and Seth lifted his head as the first heavy drop of rain fell onto his forehead. A huge crack of thunder echoed above them and the priest finished his prayer and, as both Seth and Joss began to dig as fast as they could, the rain began to fall as the heavens opened and water fell down onto them, making it hard to grip the spades, but they kept on going. Another crack of thunder made Joss look up to see Betsy’s skeleton hanging from the porch. She was swaying in the wind and the rain, her bony fingers clawing at the rope around her neck. Joss let out a screech and Seth turned to look in the direction his friend was staring at but he couldn’t see anything. Joss dropped his spade, his eyes fixated on the vision before him. The priest stepped in front of Joss, breaking his gaze, and when he looked back she was gone. Joss couldn’t speak but the priest nodded as if to say he knew; he’d seen it as well. The priest bent down and picked up the spade, handing it back to Joss, who took it and began to dig once more. Until the spade hit something hard and he knew it was Betsy.

  He dropped to his knees, using his fingers to clear away the soil from her body. He was afraid of touching it but too scared to use the spade in case it did even more damage to her bones. Seth did the same and pretty soon the smell of putrefaction hit their nostrils and they lifted a hand to cover their noses. The priest crossed himself and stepped away from the hole it was so bad. He’d smelt bodies before but never anything like this; it was horrendous. Seth gagged and stopped digging but Joss continued. He wanted this to stop. He couldn’t live looking over his shoulder and seeing her corpse wherever he went. Finally he uncovered what was left of her and was surprised to see how well preserved she was, considering she had no coffin or shroud around her. Her face was pretty just as he remembered, with beautiful black hair and the palest of skin. Her lips were still pink and he wondered if her pale blue eyes were still the same. He looked down at her hands, which were skeletal; most of the flesh had rotted off them.

  The priest stepped forward and began to recite his prayers. He handed Joss a cross and told him to put it in her hand. Joss crin
ged at the thought of touching the rotten flesh but took the cross from him and bent down. Trying not to be sick, he pushed it in between her fingers—cold, sharp fingers that reached out and curled themselves around his arm and pulled him forward. They were so strong he could feel the bones digging into his flesh and he let out a scream. Her other hand reached out for him and she began to pull him towards her and then her eyes flew open. Joss could hear Seth screaming and trying to pull him away from her but she was so strong and wouldn’t let go; he could feel himself being dragged into the hole he’d dug and the smell was so strong he began to heave. The priest ran towards him, sprinkling holy water all over both him and Betsy. He threw his Bible at her and it landed next to her head. Then he began to pray in Latin, loud enough that only Betsy could hear him. Joss could hear nothing but the sound of the driving rain and Seth’s screaming. Her grip on him relaxed as she lifted her hands to her ears to block out the priest’s prayers and he felt himself being pulled back with such force that he tumbled onto the ground in a heap, landing on top of Seth. Both of them were panting, terrified of what would happen next, and they began to back away from her grave. Joss could hear Seth’s sobs and held his hand out towards him. The boy took hold of it and they both began to pray together. The rain stopped as suddenly as it had started and the black clouds melted away, leaving the sun to burn brightly and cast its warmth over them once more.

  The priest nodded at them both. ‘’Tis done. I’ve blessed her and sent her on her way as best I could. I think she’s gone for good but it’s hard to say. She was powerful, though, and didn’t want to leave. That was a struggle, one like I’ve never known, but for now all is peaceful. I suggest that you bury her again and move out of here, Joss, because as long as you live here then she has a reason to come back. I don’t think she’ll be able to follow you anywhere else but I can’t say for definite. She wanted you more than anything in this life, didn’t she?’