Why was he the key to delivering the skin? She had been close to the skin, totally unaware of it. This was what it was after. What would this female do with an empty skin? Could she grow another set of insides, using the skin from her mate? If she did, would the glowing predator retake it and have more wishes granted?
The Wee Faerie had never steered her wrong. If this is what kept this Village prosperous, or from being washed away or whatever battle might occur, she had to abide by what he had said. No matter how many single lives that cost.
She went inside a little downhearted. Wee Renee wasn’t going to win this one. Then she wondered why she should even carry on investigating it.
She made her first cup of tea for the day and sat the kitchen table thinking. Was this the end of the line?
No. But she had to look at it a different way. Perhaps she could speed stuff along. If she could investigate the whereabouts of the skin, she could deliver the skin to the creature, and it would quickly leave everyone alone. Go back to sleep for several years, however long that was. Just leave the Village with its well-needed luck. Yes, that was the right idea.
She would discuss it with the rest of the group. Wee Renee knew it wouldn’t go down well, but it had cheered her up immensely. She put two slices of bread into the toaster and got out her lemon marmalade.
18. A Bella Trip
Wee Renee didn’t go back to sleep. She drank cup after cup of tea, and ate her toast, thinking about how she should do this. She needed to present the Band with all the facts before she told them everything. As of this moment, the only new facts were what Sid had told her. She was still nowhere nearer finding the skin.
Wee Renee wondered if she should ask Tommy and Suzanne for their help again. Ask if they could bring Bella, and she could sniff out the scent of the beast. She knew two places where it definitely was. They didn’t have to go to the Moors, they could go to the bench on the canal and the wall by the School. She could get in, so probably she and Bella could get in. Bella could have a good smell. There was also the graveyard with the doodoo. That was three places. Yes, that would give Bella a good start.
It was also on her mind that she still wasn’t involving Our Doris in the investigations. Wee Renee got the idea that she would call Our Doris and see if she wanted to come along. They could go as soon as Tommy and Suzanne were back from work.
Wee Renee started to think that she might actually have fun tonight. Another idea popped in her head. She would put a chilli in the slow cooker and offer everyone tea when they got back for helping her, and then she could get out to Band right after.
About 8 am she nearly skipped down the road to where Tommy and Suzanne lived. The curtains were already open, and she could see them moving around inside. Good, she had caught them before they left for work.
She knocked on the back door, and Suzanne answered.
’Are you up for a bit of an adventure? Definitely not dangerous,’ Wee Renee asked Suzanne.
’What does this involve first?’ Suzanne asked. Tommy had now joined Suzanne at the door. He was extremely pleased to see Wee Renee and was eating a piece of thickly buttered toast. Wee Renee could see his teeth marks in the butter.
’I had an idea. I thought that I am aware of a few places that the beast has been and I’m not counting the Moors. If we took Bella down there and she got the scent, perhaps we could find some other places that we aren’t aware of, and it would build up a bigger picture. What do you think?’ Wee Renee asked.
’I think that’s a brilliant idea,’ Tommy said.
’I have another friend with a dog over in Melden. He’s a westie and used to supernatural detection,’ Wee Renee said. ‘She wants to be involved, and she was part of the group, you know, before.’ Wee Renee said this slowly making sure that they knew what she meant. Then another thought occurred to her.
‘Actually, I’ve got two friends with dogs. I’ll contact Beryl as well. Although her puppy is less experienced. But heaven knows what that poor dog went through before we found her. I might be wrong. She could be the most experienced soul in the Village.’ Wee Renee laughed at this. To Tommy and Suzanne, it was beginning to sound like double dutch.
’So, three dogs on a mission,’ Tommy said. ‘It sounds good. Bella is an excellent sniffer dog, you should see how fast she can find toys we hide.’
’The thing is, I was wondering if we could go straight away when you come in from work because I’ve got Band tonight. Alan might sack me if I don’t turn up, but as a thank you… … well, do you both like chilli?’ Susanne and Tommy looked at one another before answering.
‘We do, but we are both vegetarians,’ Suzanne said.
’That’s not a problem, I’ll make a vegetable chilli. If I get dinner ready, then you don’t have to think about it. As soon as we’ve been around, we’ll have it, and if my friends come, we’ll have a little tea party. What about that?’ Wee Renee proposed.
’That sounds lovely,’ Suzanne said. ‘I am looking forward to this little scouting mission already, and tea is sorted as well. Thank you.’
‘Right well come around to mine as soon as you’ve finished work. If the other two ladies want to join us they will be at my house ready to go,’ Wee Renee said.
‘Thanks, Wee Renee,’ Tommy said. ‘When I got up I never realised it was going to be such an interesting Monday!’
Wee Renee walked quickly back up to her house. She thought it was a little early to call Our Doris or call around Beryl’s house. Instead she made a list of ingredients to pick up when she walked down to the Village.
She looked out of the living room window at Sue and Tony’s house. Wee Renee could just about see there was movement from the drive and out of the door walked Adam and Bob with their School uniforms on. Well, they would be safe there. Fancy poor Bob in the middle of it again. That lad had no luck.
At 9 o’clock she rang Our Doris, who she knew would be up. Our Doris was thrilled to be part of the adventure and said it would be something different for Haggis to do. She said he had been getting lazy and fat since the ‘War of the Vampires’, as she called it and it would burn some calories off him. Wee Renee told her that they may be walking quite a way, so not to put anything uncomfortable on.
’I know just the thing to wear. They served me many weeks and will do the job just fine,’ Our Doris said, without explanation. Wee Renee knew she would be seeing the famous dinky cowboy boots again.
Wee Renee made a list of her chores today, which included making the evening meal, stripping the bed linen, collecting items for the walk later and getting her cornet ready to take to Band. She put on her coat, picked up her purse, and walked down to the Village to pick up the ingredients for the vegetable chilli.
While she was down there, she would call on Beryl to see if she was interested in joining this seek and find mission. Beryl knew nothing about the whole ball of wax, at the moment.
When she knocked on the door, Beryl was absolutely ecstatic to see her and invited her into the flat. When she got up the stairs, Bambi began to bark, and Wee Renee was pleased to see that she had grown quite a bit. Of course, being the breed that she was, it wasn’t much, she was still a little brown Chihuahua, but she was growing out of the puppy stage.
’What a big girl you are Bambi,’ Wee Renee said. She started to fuss the little dog. Bambi lay on her back so Wee Renee could tickle her belly.
’Are you on a mission, love?’ Beryl asked.
’Yes,’ Wee Renee said.
’I thought so. I could tell by your face,’ Beryl said.
’Listen, you are coming into this a bit late, but I did call last week and got no reply,’ Wee Renee told Beryl. ‘Things have moved so fast, even since then.’
‘Oh. One day I went to see my daughter, in Stalybridge,’ Beryl said.
’I didn’t even know you had a daughter,’ Wee Renee said.
’I have got a daughter and a son,’ Beryl said. ‘They both live over that way. Anyway, what have I missed?’
Over two coffees, Wee Renee told her the tale of the beast. She didn’t tell her yet about what the Wee Faerie had disclosed. That was for later.
’So, what I am proposing is that this couple with the doggy, my neighbours who originally found the first evidence go around to a few of the known sites. Specifically, to pick up the scent, then let the dogs do their thing. We could find new places, and then I can pinpoint what it is up to a little bit better,’ Wee Renee said. Beryl nodded without interruption. It reminded her of her days in the Mill. Those were good days.
‘Our Doris is coming over with Haggis to join in too. If you are free and would like to, I thought you could bring Bambi on her first little mission,’ Wee Renee said. ‘You probably need to be at my house by about 4.30 this afternoon.’
’Is it dangerous? Because I don’t want to put Bambi in any danger,’ Beryl asked. ‘I mean, look at the size of her. She’d be one mouthful for a giant monster!’
’No, it isn’t dangerous,’ Wee Renee said. ‘We’re just going to sniff out sites, and I’ve got Band after, so we not going to take long. Besides that, I’m offering tea to everyone. There will be vegetable chilli back in my house afterwards. I believe the beast only comes out quite late at night unless it has a specific need. Even if it does come out, if you decide to come, we will number three dogs and five adults. On past evidence, it is reluctant to attack two adults. It likes a lone victim. Are you interested, Beryl?’
Without a moment’s hesitation, now Beryl knew that Bambi would be safe, she answered.
‘Yes, I’d love to,’ she replied. This thought this would be a break for her and something new to think about. She wanted in on this mission after hearing about it and couldn’t wait to get started.
‘I’ll see you at 4:30 then,’ Wee Renee said. ‘Cheerio!’
On her way back to the house Wee Renee called at the pet shop and bought three treats for the dogs. A small puppy one for Bambi, a middle-sized one for Haggis and a big one for Bella. She went back home and started to put her evidence bags ready for the trek later.
Our Doris arrived at three because she said she wanted a good old chinwag with Wee Renee and hadn’t been able to do it properly at the weekend because Terry was there.
They sat in the kitchen as the vegetable chilli slowly cooked and talked about how all their friends were getting on, what was going on in the world and generally how boring it had been until all of this had kicked off again.
There was the occasional shout of no weewee, as Haggis walked around Wee Renee’s house sniffing at everything. Our Doris had given Wee Renee a lot of carpet, which Wee Renee had fitted herself. Haggis seemed quite confused that his smell and his carpet was in this house, so he kept smelling it and looking back at Our Doris as if she was going to explain it.
’I think he’s worried you’re going to leave him with me,’ Wee Renee said.
‘He’s certainly recognised his own stink. Messy hound. Anyway, how’s Pat getting on with those two kittens?’ Our Doris asked.
’They’re getting big now, nearly cats. You’d never believe that they were two brothers, they couldn’t be more different. The black one is anybody’s for a stroke,’ Wee Renee said.
‘What did she call him again? I can never remember it,’ Our Doris asked.
‘Piggum,’ Wee Renee said.
’That’s it. Whatever possessed her to call him that?’ Our Doris asked.
‘I have no idea,’ Wee Renee said. ‘This is Pat we are talking about. Anyway, he’s the one that will go to anyone, so she has no problem with him. The other one, the ginger and white one, is a bit precious.’
’Oh, I remember his name – Hank,’ Our Doris said. ‘Lovely bonny boy.’
’Yes, Hank. He only wants Pat all the time. When she isn’t there, he just takes himself off and hides under the bed or something. He’s one-woman cat. You do know that she’s got her sister Jackie living with her now, don’t you?’ Wee Renee asked.
’No, I didn’t. What’s the story there?’ Our Doris asked.
‘She’s getting divorced, so has come over here to live with Pat,’ Wee Renee confided.
‘Where did she live before?’ Our Doris asked.
’Glossop,’ Wee Renee said, before giving Our Doris a long blink. ‘But you know, I don’t think she had any friends because Pat says she never gets any phone calls and she isn’t interested in going back. I think she lived quite a solitary life with him, so she’s enjoying herself a bit now.’
’I bet she is, living with Pat,’ Our Doris said, laughing.
Time was getting on, and soon Beryl arrived. Bambi and Haggis were pleased to meet each other again and were chasing each other crazily around Wee Renee’s house. As tolerant as she was, Wee Renee would be glad when Bella turned up, so they could all go out.
The chilli smelled lovely, and she gave it another stir. She didn’t want too much work to do, so had bought an apple pie and a carton of custard, she wasn’t about to make her own. If anyone wanted a pudding, she had that ready.
Wee Renee was on tenterhooks at about 4:45, because Tommy and Suzanne were usually back by now. Although there was still a bit of light, she would have liked to have set off by now. She went upstairs and looked through her bedroom window. If she looked downward, she could just about see where Tommy parked his car.
After a couple of minutes, she saw it park up, and Tommy went straight in to get changed. Suzanne seemed to appear from nowhere with Bella. He had only taken about five minutes from pulling up, to get to her house. He knocked on the door. Our Doris answered it.
’Are you Tommy and Suzanne?’ Our Doris asked. Tommy smiled at her as if to say yes. ‘My name is Our Doris, and this is Haggis.’ Haggis was staring out at them from between Our Doris’s ankles. Bambi hurtled towards the door. Tommy bent over and grabbed her before she ran off.
’Hey little one, I bet you are a good bloodhound, aren’t you?’ Tommy said laughing. Bambi gave him a few kisses, and he passed her back to the other lady who had now joined Our Doris at the door.
‘Hello, my name is Beryl,’ she said, ‘pleased to meet you, Tommy and Suzanne.’
Wee Renee appeared behind the two ladies, as she had only just got there from her vigil upstairs.
’Sorry I’m late,’ Tommy said. ‘Bloody traffic lights everywhere, Roadworks, tractors and everything must have stopped me tonight.’
’Typical,’ Wee Renee said. ‘Let’s get on our way anyway, tea is ready, so we can have it as soon as we get back.’
As soon as the three women had their coats and shoes on, they and the two dogs went outside to join Tommy and Suzanne. As they set off, Wee Renee advised them of her route. She wanted to start at the top of Friarmere and work their way down, picking up anything they could find.
’We have still got about half an hour’s light. I know it’s not the nicest thing to do, but I would like us first to visit the graveyard behind The Grange.’ Wee Renee said. Even though she realised this wouldn’t make any of them happy, including herself, she thought that it must be expected that this would be one of the places.
Until they finished, this was probably the only one where they would have to go back on themselves. Wee Renee wanted to sweep from top to bottom.
Beryl said that she would save Bambi’s legs for when Wee Renee needed them and carry her to The Grange under her arm.
Outside, Freddie’s car was already there. He was sorting out music ready for this evening. It was a comfort to know that someone else was close by, but they did not call on him, as time was tight.
Wee Renee took them through the gate, past The Grange and to the flattened area of grass where there was still a large dropping at the back. The three dog owners let their dogs smell the dropping. They seemed very interested in it. This was strange to them. It was odd to everyone else too.
’Right they should have a bit of the scent. Now I have got an inkling about one of the places on the way down, let’s just see if I’m right,’ Wee Renee said.
As they walked down, Wee Renee told them that the dogs would get used to picking the scent up and that it would get easier for them. She said she had read it on the Internet. Our Doris and Beryl thought this was very modern of her and were impressed by her geekish knowledge.
Wee Renee said they needed to go back onto her street, Wellmeadow Lane. But she crossed over the other side of the road, away from her house, Tommy and Suzanne’s house, Gary’s house and Ernie’s house. The only house that’s was of interest on this side was Sue and Tony’s house.
By this time of the evening, it was starting to go dark, and Sue had shut their curtains. She had no idea that there was a little sniffing mission going on at the bottom of her drive.
’Let them sniff here,’ Wee Renee said quietly. The three dogs sniffed the gateposts and Haggis pulled to go up the drive.
‘Come on. But no sound at all,’ Wee Renee whispered. ‘That especially goes for you, Bambi!’ Everyone had noticed that it didn’t take much for the little puppy to get very excitable.
Bella picked up the scent now, and they went around to the back of Sue and Tony’s house. In the corner, near the kitchen window the three dogs were going crazy, Wee Renee had an idea maybe that there was a urination site on that side of the wall.
As she started to walk off, she stopped and pointed her torch at the wall. Now there was more light on it, they could see that there were heavy scratches all up the wall towards the bedroom. She knew that Sue and Tony had the front bedroom, so the beast had been trying to get into Bob’s.
Wee Renee wasn’t shocked at this new finding, not after what the Sid had said, but the others were horrified. She put her finger to her lips and pointed for them to go back down the drive. Our Doris spoke up as soon as it was safe.
’What the hell is going on there, Wee Renee? What’s happening with young Bob. You know how much I think of him. I won’t have him harmed. Over my dead body, I tell you,’ Our Doris said angrily. ‘My sword will come back off the wall if that beast doesn’t watch it!’
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