Zoe’s heart chilled. She wanted to say, Theo, now I’ve shared this about James and Natasha’s sister I want you to open up. You’ve been to see Natasha earlier today. Tell me what you talked about. What’s going on with her and James? You never hid anything from me before.
But the words wouldn’t come. Natasha’s face floated before her, and silenced her.
And then Zoe remembered certain information that Alice had shared with her about the character of Lady Macbeth, and the power of the Weird Sisters. “They used this power to corrupt people’s minds,” Alice had told her, “together with prophecies that spread evil through falsehood.” Fair is foul and foul is fair, Zoe thought, her heart pounding.
CHAPTER TWENTY
The next morning, Wednesday, dawned; and Zoe rang Leila at eight-thirty. But Leila had still not heard from Alice, and had already made a phone call to Alice’s agent, who said she’d not been in touch with Alice at all the day before. Leila was about to start contacting Alice’s friends both locally and in London.
At ten o’clock, Theo made sure all the guests in the barn had plenty to occupy them in the icon-painting workshop.
“All the staff will be in an emergency team meeting for the next half an hour,” he said. Then he went to summon Zoe, Griff, Miles and Bernie into the library.
When everyone was seated around the circular table, Theo spoke. “We’ve drawn a blank on Alice’s whereabouts. Her mother Leila has rung Alice’s agent, and has started getting in touch with her actor friends in London. She’s turned up no news so far and I’ve just taken a call from Leila to say she’s going to the police.”
The atmosphere chilled. The door opened. Zoe twisted round, expecting to see her friend, with the familiar milk-chocolate skin, chestnut eyes and black hair. But instead it was Jessica, accompanied by James.
Zoe scrutinised him.
“James,” she said. “You’re back.”
James nodded, smiling. His face was flushed, as if in anticipation of some remarkable news or event. He was as sharply-dressed as ever. The brightness of his eyes spoke of restored health. A flesh-coloured elastoplast across his cheekbone was the only evidence of his injury.
Zoe lapsed into silence. There was nothing in James’s manner to suggest he’d found the documents missing from his room. She could only conclude that Alice had succeeded in returning the originals, before she mysteriously disappeared.
“I’m so glad to find you all here together,” said Jessica. “Now James is back with us again, I can give you the full verdict of the trustees at our meeting yesterday.” She turned to her companion.
“Do sit down, James,” she said, taking one of the remaining two seats at the table. James obeyed.
Theo cleared his throat.
“Before you do that, Jessica, I must share disturbing news. Alice has disappeared. Zoe last saw her yesterday afternoon at one o’clock. Then Alice left. Zoe needed to speak to her later and was expecting her to call, but Alice made no contact and her mobile was turned off all afternoon. Zoe rang her mother; Alice never returned home. There’s been no news of Alice this morning either. I believe her mother is on the phone to the police right now to report her missing.”
Jessica’s face drained of colour.
“That’s terrible. I’m so sorry.”
Zoe noted that James’s eyes widened. But he said nothing.
“We hope of course,” continued Theo, “that she’ll be found soon and will return to us. But at the moment we cannot tell what has happened.”
“Of course, of course,” murmured James. “Have you considered that she may have gone to London? I would imagine…”
“Yes James,” interrupted Zoe. “Her mother has already thought of all that and acted upon it. I must add, too, that I drove to the station car park and there was no sign of her car, which would surely be there, if she’d caught a train to London.”
“Not necessarily,” said James. “She might have been planning to stay a few days with friends, and driven there.”
“If she had,” said Zoe, “she’d have let me know; and her mother.”
“Most puzzling,” said James. “But I’m sure the mystery will soon be cleared up.” He scratched his nose.
Zoe gave him a piercing look. Something about him didn’t ring true.
“It falls to me to pass on some very important news to you all,” said Jessica, “and I’m very sorry that I bring it to you when you’re all so anxious about Alice.”
Zoe glanced at Theo. She wanted to take his hand and squeeze it. But something restrained her. Already Zoe’s mistrust and her sense of Jessica’s betrayal, and Theo’s failure so far to protest against it, stood between her and Theo, a physical presence.
“As you know, the trustees met yesterday,” said Jessica, leaning forward, elbows on the table, and interlacing her fingers. “We considered all the events in the centre during the last couple of weeks, together with their implications. And we reached a decision about who can best rescue us over the next few months. Our decision is in favour of James.”
Zoe studied James’s face. He wore the expression of a satisfied, well-fed cat.
“One thing more,” said Jessica. “Difficult news, I’m afraid. The trustees also decided we must ask Theo – and Zoe too, of course – to start researching possible alternative ways forward for their future.”
Zoe gasped – as did Griff, Bernie, Miles and Theo.
“What?” Zoe blurted.
“But…” began Griff, sitting up straight.
“Do you mean you’re asking them to leave?” asked Bernie.
“Why?” asked Miles.
Theo remained silent and ashen-faced. Jessica continued to speak, in a low, even voice.
“I know this news will sadden you. We appreciate all that Theo and Zoe have done for us. But we cannot continue in this present state of insecurity.”
“We’re not insecure,” said Griff. “Theo’s back. All will be well again.”
“None of the trustees shares your optimistic view of Theo’s health,” said Jessica.
Bernie shook his head and frowned.
Jessica turned to Theo. “I’m sure, Theo, you’ll acknowledge this yourself: we need someone whose strength and good health we can rely on.”
Theo bowed his head. Zoe was about to spring up from her seat, but Theo held her hand and restrained her.
“Our next task,” continued Jessica, “is to put our new centre manager in place. James has been asked if he’ll take on the role in an acting capacity until such time as we make a permanent appointment.”
Zoe cast a wild glance at Theo. He said nothing. She glared at James.
He wore an enigmatic smile. “You’ve done me a great honour, Jessica,” he said in silky tones, “and I promise I’ll do my utmost to take the centre in a direction which will ensure its continued and increasing success.”
Zoe’s face burned.
“James’s first task, of course, will be to oversee the appointment of a new creative director,” said Jessica.
James now shifted his position and sat back in his chair with folded arms. “That’s true,” he said, “and Jessica has already approved my choice: Natasha.”
“Natasha?” croaked Zoe. She began to cough. Theo rubbed her on the back.
Zoe swung to face him, knocking his hand away from her. “Theo! You must fight this!”
“Zoe, my love…” Theo placed a warning hand on her arm. She snatched it away. The others all looked at them. Zoe jumped to her feet.
As if in response to this, James too stood up and moved to take his position in the centre of the rug, commanding everyone’s attention. “It’s natural, Zoe, for you to feel emotional…”
Zoe’s hands itched to pick up a table-lamp, swing it at his head and restore his previous injury.
Instead, she said, “Where is Natasha?”
Jessica frowned. “Where she is right now is no concern of yours, Zoe. I don’t need her here in order to share the news of her
appointment.”
Zoe turned on Jessica, who also then rose to her feet. “Give me one good reason why the trustees think James is right for the job, Jessica.”
“Very well,” said Jessica, smoothing her hair back. “James has superb connections for fundraising purposes. We can think of no-one better to carry us forward and increase our revenue.”
“Revenue?” Zoe choked. “But that’s not all we’re about. Since when has that been a problem?” She pounced on Theo. “Theo! You’re not going to accept this, are you?”
“I’m not prepared to argue with anyone here, in this room, right now,” said Theo. “Jessica and I will speak in private, later.”
Zoe felt blood drain from her face.
“The thought of James running this place, with Natasha in tow, makes me feel sick.”
“Come on, Zoe,” said Jessica. “You’re not feeling well, so why don’t you go on through into the sitting room and lie down on the sofa.”
Zoe tossed her a contemptuous glance. Jessica took hold of her arm and began trying to shepherd her towards the library doorway. Zoe resisted and pushed her away.
Jessica gave up on Zoe and turned to Theo. “Theo, rest assured, we’ve no intention of asking you and Zoe to leave for another couple of months yet. You may both stay at the Trust’s expense, until you’ve made alternative arrangements.”
Then James stepped forward.
“I shall, of course, need to seek a replacement for Alice,” he said, “because, before the recent worrying turn of events, I’d already made my feelings clear about her position here, given her continuous psychic experiences.”
“And what’s wrong with them? Nothing she’s said or done has been any more psychic – or dare I say ‘occult’ – than Natasha’s healings,” said Zoe.
Dead silence fell.
Bernie took a deep breath and shifted the subject. “As far as Alice is concerned,” he said, “we’ve no idea how long she’ll be missing, but when she’s found safe, and she comes back…”
“She won’t be back,” said James.
“How do you know? You’re talking as if she’s dead,” said Zoe.
All eyes turned to James.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Zoe was still shaking from her recent altercation with James about Alice. It turned out that James had not meant to imply Alice was dead at all, and he had apologised profusely for giving this impression. But Zoe’s stomach still turned at the very thought. And meanwhile, as if determined to make Zoe feel even worse, Jessica had aired her views about Theo’s ‘supposed recovery’. She had described Theo’s recovery as ‘unnatural’, and not to be trusted – which was of course, she emphasised, why the trustees had appointed James in his place.
Back in the office the phone rang. Zoe snatched the receiver.
“Zoe.”
“Leila! Any news?”
“Yes,” replied Leila, in a thin voice. “The police officer’s only just left me. Constable Hardwick his name was. He asked me lots of questions about Alice and filled in a form. He told me they’d treat the case as medium risk, whatever that means.”
Zoe’s heart thudded.
“And then?” she prompted.
“That was it. He said he’d go back to base and put everything in place for the investigation.”
“And what about her car? Can’t they do anything to trace that?”
“Yes, he said they’d put a marker on her car on their computer.”
Zoe chewed her lip. “And then what?”
“Another police officer will come and visit you. Should arrive any moment now.”
Zoe put the phone down, her fingers shaking. It didn’t make sense for Alice to vanish without trace on the edge of a new opportunity in her career. She was due to meet a casting director in London on Friday morning. Zoe could only pray that the friends and contacts Leila had not yet spoken to might have some information to share.
And, meanwhile, she had other bad news to deal with too. She swallowed repeatedly as she thought of the trustees’ most recent decision. They were supposed to have the best interests of the centre at heart. And then Zoe turned over in her mind the question of Theo’s past secret meetings with Natasha.
Running counter to the thoughts, feelings and perceptions of everyone else here at this centre, Zoe believed herself, specifically, to be the focus of Natasha’s malice. She felt so alone. Without Alice to back her up, she feared she may fall back again into doubting her own sanity. And she still couldn’t avoid the conviction that the only reason why Theo had recovered so quickly was because Natasha had chosen to lift her curse. Natasha had new plans, Zoe felt sure of it. Immediately upon Theo’s return to the centre she’d targeted him again. And now she’d made him compliant.
Zoe desperately needed to keep an eye on Theo, and watch out for any evidence of him falling under Natasha’s influence. But it would be difficult for her to keep that up all hours of the day or night. Meanwhile, Jessica had granted them a two-month period during which they could research options for their future, and wind down their work at the centre, preparing for the stage when they were ready to move on to something new.
Theo was back in the icon-painting workshop right then, and James had vanished once more. Where Natasha was, Zoe had no idea. She never seemed to attend workshops. Meanwhile, Zoe still had to keep the office running, even without Alice’s support.
The door opened, and a female police officer walked in.
“Good morning. Are you Zoe Lucas? I’m here to speak to you about Alice Nazari.”
By four o’clock that afternoon, Theo had returned to the office. Griff was leading the guests in the afternoon workshop. Zoe looked at Theo. With the one exception of his recent period of depression, whenever she’d been with him in the past, she’d usually felt buoyant and happy; but not now.
She had found her conversation with the police officer agonising. While she wanted to be open and honest with Constable Morley, she nevertheless shrank from sharing the story of how Alice had taken private and confidential documents from James’s bedroom, photocopied them and then met up with Zoe at the hermitage to discuss them. She felt she’d eventually be pressed to reveal their reasons for this course of action – and that would have led on to a messy attempt to avoid all the details of her fears about James and Natasha. So she kept quiet about those details, terrified all the while that her failure to reveal them might prejudice the search for Alice. Those details might even turn out to be the key to her discovery – though Zoe couldn’t imagine why.
The atmosphere seemed to be leeching energy from her. The harder she struggled against it, the stronger this feeling became. In every room she entered she felt the walls were closing in on her. What had happened to the friendly spirits of the house that Alice had placed her trust in? Perhaps they, too, had been overwhelmed by Natasha’s malevolent psychic influence.
“Where’s Natasha?” she asked. “Is she at Griff’s workshop?”
“No,” said Theo.
“Where is she then? What’s she doing?”
“Can’t say.”
Zoe felt a flash of anger. “Probably enticing another of the guests – and maybe throwing in a miracle healing, again without bothering to invite you along to oversee it.”
Theo studied her. “What’s happened to you, Zoe? This attitude is so out of character for you.” He came round the desk towards her and took her face tenderly between his two hands. “Look, it’s no good torturing yourself about what’s happened. That’s the way things are.”
“No!” She grasped his hands and thrust them away from her. “You had your chance when you spoke to Jessica. You could have fought the trustees’ decision. But instead, you accepted it.”
He shook his head. “Do you suggest we defy the trustees?”
“Yes. They’re wrong. And you know it.” She pressed her hands to her head. “If Alice was here, she’d help us!”
Theo frowned.
“I know Alice is missing, and we’re
all worried. But you have tended to rely on her a little too much. Try not to fret over her, Zoe. There’s probably a very good explanation for why she’s gone.”
“Not Alice!” cried Zoe tearfully. “Not without telling me.”
Theo took a few steps away from her, seemed to hesitate then made a decision. He dropped into Alice’s seat and pulled the phone closer to him.
“I need to speak to Neville and find out which parishes are looking for new incumbents.”
“No, Theo!” she said.
He looked at her, startled. “Why not?”
She swallowed. “Yours is a creative ministry! You can’t go into a parish!”
“I’m sorry. It’s my only option right now.”
“But Neville… he’s vocations adviser. He’ll foist you off on some obscure rural parish with a haunted vicarage.”
Theo’s eyes widened. Then he burst out laughing.
“A haunted vicarage? Why on earth do you say that?”
“Natasha must have got to me.” She seized Theo’s arm. “Don’t you see? These healings of hers; they’ll all be reversed. There’s a reason why the writers of fairy tales have always insisted the good effect of spells only lasts till midnight.”
He stared. “Spells? Fairy tales? Zoe, are you quite well?”
Her stomach clenched. He was totally off her wavelength. Then, unkind words and phrases began to scroll through her head: Blind, unimaginative, literal-minded; weak, indecisive, shortsighted. Things she’d never, ever, thought about Theo before. And now, she in her turn began to doubt that Theo’s mental stability would last.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
By the next day, Theo had spoken to Neville, who’d agreed to look out for suitable parish vacancies. Meanwhile, whenever Zoe saw Natasha, she was surrounded by admirers, gazing at her, hanging on to her every word. And when Zoe found herself in conversation with those admirers, she heard the same thing again and again.
“Natasha’s the loveliest person I’ve ever known.”
A Passionate Spirit Page 13