The Shiver Stone

by Sharon Tregenza

  ‘Right,’ I said, ‘let’s find this missing father of yours, shall we?’

  We sat on a bench in the sensory garden. It’s where my friend Becca and I go when we want to talk in private. Each bench is surrounded by a high thick hedge, so it feels secret. Tia lay on the warm concrete between our feet.

  Jago spoke aloud and wrote neatly in his notebook. ‘Ten years ago, Tristan, covered in blood and terrified, leaves Bristol. Abandons girlfriend and two-year-old son.’ He went over what he’d written and underlined abandons. ‘Ten years later, turns up in Carreg.’

  ‘He didn’t just turn up ten years later though, did he?’ I corrected him. ‘He’s been living here for ten years.’

  Jago grunted and crossed out turns up. ‘Tristan sees frightening character from past and runs away.’ His pen seemed to be running out of ink and he shook it several times. ‘Question one – what terrible thing happened in the past to make him so scared?’

  He stared at me. I said, ‘Don’t look at me like that – I don’t know.’

  ‘Question two, where is he hiding?’

  ‘We don’t know that either, do we.’

  This wasn’t going so well.

  ‘Question three, I can’t even think of a question three,’ Jago said closing the notebook. ‘We’re rubbish detectives.’

  A head appeared around the hedge. It was Polly. ‘Linette said you might be here.’

  Linette says too much, I thought. I saw the line of stitches above Polly’s eye wasn’t quite so swollen, but there was a yellowish bruise near her nose.

  We made space on the bench for her to sit down. Jago quickly stashed his notebook away. He didn’t want his mother to see it.

  ‘I thought you two could give me a guided tour of Carreg. All I’ve seen so far is the inside of a hospital room. I’d like to take some close-up shots of the Shiver Stone too. I bet it has an amazing aura,’ Polly said.

  ‘I can’t, Linette is doing a birthday lunch for Dad today,’ I said.

  ‘Oh yes, she asked if we’d like to come, but I think Jago and I have imposed on your family more than enough.’

  She turned to Jago. ‘I’ve decided to give it one more day, Jago. If your father doesn’t turn up by tomorrow morning we’re getting the train back to Bristol.’

  ‘But, Mum…’

  ‘No. I’ve made up my mind. I feel like a fool hanging around just in case that man decides to show his face. Whatever happened, whatever he’s afraid of, he’s got just one more day to prove he’s worthy of being your father, Jago. It’s his last chance. If we’re on that train tomorrow I will never contact him again and that’s final.’

  She sounded breathless, angry.

  Jago and I were silent.

  Polly breathed through her nose and fanned her face with her hands. I could see she was trying not to cry.

  ‘Let’s go back up to his place. He might be home now. We could try one more time,’ Jago said.

  ‘I can’t go there. You know that.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘Bees, Jago, bees! Buzz, buzz, buzz, remember? I don’t want to end up back in the hospital. Now how about you take me to the Shiver Stone?’

  Jago hoisted his geology bag over his shoulder and got up. As they moved away he turned, flicked his blond plaits over his shoulder and gave me the saddest look.

  I sighed. ‘Come on, Tia,’ I said.

  CHAPTER

  12

  ‘So where’s Dad?’

  ‘Gone to Carmarthen, he’s got some business at the bank.’ Linette looked guilty for some reason. ‘Seeing as it’s his birthday, let’s call a truce and try to get on for once, Carys, shall we?’

  I nodded.

  Linette was dressed up for the occasion in a bright pink dress and high heels.

  She looked me up and down, taking in my scruffy shorts, t-shirt and flip-flops.

  ‘Maybe you’d like to change into something nice?’ she said.

  ‘Maybe I wouldn’t,’ I answered.

  Linette sighed. ‘Okaaaay. I’ve brought some bits and pieces from the Crab Claw and I thought we could make a birthday cake together.’ She arranged dips and crisps and party food on plates as she talked.

  ‘Trifle,’ I said.

  ‘What?’

  ‘I always make a trifle. I make Dad a birthday trifle every year.’

  Linette shrugged. ‘That’s fine, you can still do a trifle. I’ll make the cake.’

  She stood behind the kitchen counter and started talking like she was a TV chef. ‘Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then beat in the eggs.’ She did the whole mixture like that. I had to struggle not to laugh.

  I put sponges into another bowl, dissolved green jelly with boiling water and poured it over. I carefully placed the bowl in the fridge.

  Linette had put the cake in the oven to cook and was washing up. Every now and then she glanced at me. I could tell she wanted to say something, something important, and I didn’t want to hear it.

  ‘Carys,’ she said at last.

  Here we go, I thought. ‘I’m just gonna watch telly while the jelly sets.’

  ‘No, wait, I want a word with you. I thought we could have a little talk.’

  I sighed. ‘What about?’

  ‘It’s um … it’s been fun this morning, hasn’t it? You and me doing stuff together?’

  ‘Yeah…’

  ‘Thing is, me and your dad, well, it’s getting serious.’

  I felt my mouth go dry. I licked my lips.

  ‘We were wondering how you’d feel about us being a family. You know, the three of us living together.’

  ‘No,’ I said.

  ‘No what?’

  ‘No thank you,’ I said sarcastically.

  ‘That’s not what I meant and you know it.’

  I found myself rummaging in the fridge. I didn’t want to talk about this. I didn’t want to talk about this at all.

  I took the bowl of jelly out and shook it. It was still runny but I added the tin of custard anyway.

  ‘It’s going to happen, Carys, you might as well accept it. Your dad and I – well, we love each other. I’m not so bad am I?’ She was following me as I wandered around the lounge still carrying the bowl of half-made trifle.

  I felt cornered. Angry.

  ‘I’m not trying to take your mum’s place, Carys.’

  At the mention of Mum the anger went up a notch.

  ‘I’m too young anyway. I could be like your older sister, we could have lots of fun.’ I heard the panic in her voice – this wasn’t how she thought our ‘little talk’ would go.

  ‘No,’ I said again. ‘No!’ Louder this time. ‘We’re okay on our own. I don’t want you here.’ I could feel the tears coming.

  Linette’s face went almost as red as her hair.

  ‘Well tough, because me and your dad have already put a deposit on a house together.’

  She clapped her hand over her mouth in horror. ‘Oh God, I wasn’t supposed to tell you that. Dai wanted to tell you himself. He…’

  Without thinking I hurled the trifle at her. Some of it hit the wall but most landed right on target.

  I don’t know who was more shocked, Linette or me. She stood rigid, as clumps of green jelly, sponge and custard slid slowly down her face and hair, slipped onto to her shoulders and rolled down her new pink dress.

  ‘I … I…’ I began.

  Linette was quick to retaliate – out of nowhere a dollop of cold cheese dip landed on my head. I inhaled sharply. Grabbing the bowl of peanuts, I chucked them just as Linette ducked down behind the sofa. They pinged off the walls and scattered over the furniture and floor like hailstones.

  She came up laughing and rushed to the table. I reached it first and got her in the eye with a fresh cream doughnut. I was laughing too now.

  I ducked a ham sandwich. ‘Ha, missed!’ A pepperoni pizza came hurtling through the air like a frisbee.

  Food flew back and forth and we were both laughing so hys
terically we didn’t hear the key in the front door.

  Dad was wearing his best suit.

  Linette and I stopped and stood to attention, eyes wide, like naughty school kids.

  He walked into the lounge, looked around in astonishment, and said, ‘What the hell...’

  We looked guiltily at each other.

  ‘We thought we’d throw a party for you,’ Linette said, sheepishly.

  ‘Well, you didn’t have to throw it all over the house,’ Dad said.

  And that did it – we collapsed with laughter. Linette fell into the sofa shrieking and holding her stomach. I was laughing so hard I thought my legs would give out, so I dropped onto the floor where I rocked and rocked, unable to stop.

  When I managed to control myself, I saw Dad hadn’t moved an inch. He looked even more bewildered.

  He shook his head. ‘I just don’t get you two,’ he said. He stepped across to where Linette lay gulping for breath on the sofa. He stuck a finger in the green and yellow goop in her hair, put it in his mouth and sucked. ‘Nice birthday trifle, Carys,’ he said, and that started us off again.

  This time Dad joined in. I can’t remember the last time I’d heard him laugh like that.

  We cleaned up the mess together, scraping food off the wall and the carpet and the window and door. We searched for peanuts, making it into a contest to see who could find the most. Linette won. Then there was a race for the shower – I won. I riffled through Linette’s shower gels and shampoos and picked the nicest smelling ones.

  When I came out, Linette was waiting outside the door.

  ‘If you don’t tell your Dad I spilled the beans about the house we’re buying, I won’t tell him you slept in the shed with Tia. Deal?’ she whispered.

  ‘You know about that?’ I whispered back.

  ‘Did the same thing when I was your age, ’cept it was a guinea pig. Deal?’ she said again.

  She held up her hand for a high five. I slapped it. ‘Deal,’ I said.

  Before she slipped past me into the bathroom, I whispered, ‘So if you were like my older sister, would that mean I could use your stuff anytime I wanted?’

  ‘Don’t push your luck,’ Linette said.

  I thought for a minute.

  ‘S’pose we could give it a try,’ I said.

  Later, we sat down to what was left of the food – a bowl of crisps, two small pasties and some chicken drumsticks.

  Linette gave Dad a new jumper that was way too trendy for him, and I gave him a Country and Western CD I knew he wanted.

  We did the cake and Happy Birthday singing bit. After Dad had blown out the candles, Linette took the cake back into the kitchen to cut it into slices. And also, it was pretty obvious, to give Dad a chance to talk to me.

  He began a spluttering, coughing, red-faced discussion about how we could make a lovely little family and we could all get on if we tried, couldn’t we?

  I waited until he stuttered his way through the news about the house they were buying. How lovely it was, near the sea still, closer to the Shiver Stone, and with a garden. He told me my room would be much bigger and I could decorate it any way I wanted.

  ‘So, what do you think, Carys, eh?’

  ‘I think I could eat a slice of that birthday cake,’ I said.

  ‘No, I mean about the house? About us being a family. About you, Linette and me living together?’

  I waited a second or two, pretending to be thinking it over. Dad swallowed nervously.

  When I thought he was just about to explode with nerves, I said, ‘All right.’

  Dad’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. He sat there staring at me.

  ‘Piece of cake?’ I said.

  Dad knocked over the chair in his hurry to get up.

  Linette, who had obviously been listening behind the door, came back in, raised her hand in the air. I high fived it. We grinned.

  Dad was hysterically happy, so I decided now would be a good time to ask if I could sneak Tia back in. He only hesitated for a minute.

  ‘Don’t let Mrs Jenkins catch you,’ he said.

  I couldn’t get down to the shed fast enough.

  I opened the door to be greeted by the forest smell of clean wood and sawdust. I popped my head around the corner, waiting for the squeaks and squeals of pleasure.

  There were no squeaks and squeals – there was no noise at all, because there was no Tia.

  Her box was empty, her lead still attached to the wall. She couldn’t get out. At first I just stood there in disbelief. She couldn’t get out. The door was shut tight and anyway I’d tied some string to her lead just in case.

  I circled Dad’s workbench, tossed aside planks of wood, rummaged through pots of glue. I ran outside, shouting her name, and ran back inside the shed again.

  I looked under her box, unfolded the blanket, even shook the stuffed teddy. And all the time I knew – she was gone and not of her own free will. Someone had taken her.

  I took the steps back up to the flat two at a time.

  ‘She’s gone,’ I howled. ‘Someone’s stolen Tia.’

  Dad and Linette hurried out after me. They went through the same process that I’d done: checking under, over, in and out of everything in the shed.

  ‘Stop that wailing, Carys,’ Dad said, sharply. ‘We’ll find her. She can’t have gone far.’

  ‘Don’t you get it? She hasn’t run off, someone’s taken her. Tia could be miles away by now. She could be…’ I remembered something. ‘They tried in the middle of the night. While I was in here, I heard the door. They were going to kidnap her then.’

  Too late I realised my mistake.

  ‘You were in here last night? You slept in the shed?’ Dad’s voice was low with disbelief and his eyes bored into me.

  Now I was for it. Dad would ground me for sure and I’d never find Tia.

  Linette darted a look at me and then grabbed Dad’s mobile out of his pocket. ‘I’ll call the police,’ she said.

  ‘No, wait a minute.’ Dad put his hand up to stop her but Linette was already outside the shed and dialing.

  ‘Get the car, Dai. Try in the village, maybe someone has seen her,’ she whispered to Dad. She made a shooing motion with her hand. ‘Go on, quick.’

  He looked confused, but started back upstairs to get his car keys.

  I went through the whole crazy search again, even peering under Dad’s unfinished birdhouses. Tia was a tiny dog but even she couldn’t hide in a shed this small.

  Linette’s voice was firm on the phone. ‘No! She couldn’t have got out by herself. This is serious.’

  ‘Maybe it was my dad taking her back home,’ said a voice. Jago was outside, peering in, and looking as panicky as I felt.

  ‘Yes, that’s it. That must be it.’ I knew it was a daft idea really. Why would Tristan suddenly turn into some nutcase who stole his own dog back? But I needed something to cling onto, so any suggestion that meant she was safe was okay by me. What do they call that? Clutching at straws?

  ‘Let’s go and see if he’s taken her home,’ I said.

  I was already running and Jago was close behind me.

  CHAPTER

  13

  Tristan’s shed should have looked neglected – it didn’t. There was a used coffee cup, on the arm of the sofa, I didn’t remember seeing the last time. I found an open packet of biscuits and half a sandwich on the bookcase, too. The stone dust had settled everywhere but you could see footprints on the floor – large and small. But not the prints I was hoping to see – paw prints.

  ‘Someone’s been in here recently,’ I said. Jago and I had the same thought at the same time and turned quickly to the door. No one. The only sound was a gentle bee buzz in the silence.

  ‘My dad?’ Jago said hopefully.

  Tristan? I wasn’t interested in finding him anymore. I didn’t care where he was or who he was hiding from or why. All I cared about was that Tia was missing, maybe hurt, maybe even…

  ‘Do you think Kemble Sy
kes has got her? Kidnapped her to lure my dad out of hiding?’

  This time Jago’s idea was a good one, but so frightening I didn’t want it to be true.

  ‘Your mum says he’s a nutter,’ I groaned. I dropped down on to the sofa. ‘This is hopeless, she could be anywhere.’ I shook myself. I mustn’t think like that. I had to find her.

  Jago looked as lost and helpless as me. ‘What now? If Tia is missing…’

  ‘Tia is missing?’ said a voice. Shadowed in the doorway was a man, a tall man, with pale blond hair tied in plaits and wearing a bandana.

  ‘Tristan!’

  Jago looked in shock from me to his father and then backed away, as if from a ghost.

  ‘Where have you been? Tia’s been stolen!’ I shouted. I was so angry. This was his fault, I was sure of that.

  Tristan spoke to me and gave a shy glance at his son. ‘Who’s taken her? Why? Please, sit down.’ This was to Jago, the first words he’d spoken to his son in ten years.

  Jago sidled onto the sofa beside me, but kept his eyes firmly fixed on the ground.

  ‘Tell me what happened.’

  I did.

  ‘Have you tried the RSPCA? The police?’

  ‘Of course we have.’

  As if in a dream, he opened the fridge and took out two cans of fizzy drink. I took one. Jago shook his head. He was still staring at the floor.

  ‘Kemble Sykes might have her.’

  At the dreaded name Tristan shot a frightened glance at me. ‘You know Kemble?’

  ‘He’s been following us around, trying to get to you. Why have you been hiding? Where have you been hiding? Why are you so afraid of him?’

  ‘Whoa, whoa.’ He put his hands up to stop me. ‘Too many questions at once. Where have I been? That’s the easiest one to answer. I’ve been staying with Hug Howells.’

  ‘Hug? But she…’ Suddenly, everything made sense. ‘You were there, weren’t you, the other morning when Tia was scratching at her door? She recognised your scent and that’s why she was crazy to get in. So Hug acted all mean to get rid of us?’

  ‘Yes, she hated doing that, especially turning Tia away. She loves Tia. I knew Tia would be safe with you, Carys. Knew you’d look after her like she was your own. Why have I been hiding? That’s an easier question. I was scared. I refuse to be scared anymore.’ Tristan paced the floor, his eyes on Jago the whole time. ‘I knew Kemble was staying at the Seaview, the guesthouse across the lane. We watched him sneaking around here several times, trying to find me. Hug is a good woman. She knows what happened, what I did, and she still took me in. I couldn’t let you know in case you told Kemble.’