The House on Rectory Lane

by Stuart James

  So still. So quiet. Pitch-black. There was an ice in the air which cut through his T-shirt and boxers. Jake couldn’t get to grips with everything that had happened in the last week. He went over to the field opposite his house and once he was confident the coast was clear, he headed inside.

  Back in the bedroom, Hugo was snoring on his side of the bed. ‘Come on. Over you go, boy.’ The dog shifted without opening his eyes. Jake settled back down.

  He jumped as a phone again rang in the distance. This time it was Jakes phone. He’d somehow managed to nod off. Number withheld.

  ‘Hello.’ He glanced at the clock, 1.10 a.m.

  ‘Jake. Jake Morley.’

  ‘Who is this?’

  ‘It’s Karen Prescott.’

  ‘Karen. Hi. Wow. It’s late.’

  ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t realise the time.’ She sounded sloshed. A slur in her voice. ‘No. It’s OK. How can I help?’

  ‘I received your message on Facebook. God knows I’ve debated with myself. I’ve been given advice from all angles but I’m coming up. I have nowhere to turn.’ Jake could hear the tears through the phone.

  ‘Karen. It’s not safe for you here.’ There was a pause.

  ‘What else can I do? I need answers. I have to come up.’

  ‘Look, Karen, call me in the morning. If you’re still adamant, I’ll meet you. You can stay here if you like but I can’t talk on the phone. Let’s meet and go through it when you arrive.’

  ‘Thank you, Jake. I appreciate it.’ She hung up while bawling her eyes out. Jake turned back in. He thought it may be a good idea, her coming. They could try and find answers together. He just hoped she never ended up like her family have.

  Jake awoke at just gone eight, reaching over the other side of the bed. He hadn’t remembered for that one split second. The emptiness drained his body. He was determined to keep going. There was no other choice. As he reached the bottom step, the buzzer went. Jake moved over to the camera. Reynolds and Marsden were standing at the front. Jake opened the gates and met them at the door. ‘Any news?’ Jake asked. Reynolds pushed her way past him and went straight into the kitchen. Marsden held back. ‘What’s going on? Have you heard anything?’

  ‘That’s just what I came to ask you, Jake.’

  ‘Sorry? I’m lost.’

  ‘Where did you go last night?’ She watched his face drop.

  ‘Last night?’

  ‘Yes. Last night.’

  Jake pondered his answer. If he wanted Reynolds to help, he had to come clean. He needed her on his side. ‘I went to the lodge. We left in a rush and I needed to pick our things up.’

  ‘Tell me about what happened on the way there.’

  Jake wiped away a drop of sweat which had rolled down onto the end of his nose. ‘There was an accident. A car turned on its side. I went to help and when I knew they were OK, I called it in. I had to leave the scene as I felt under threat.’ Reynolds’ expression softened. She had a recording of Jake’s voice calling the emergency service. There was also CCTV from a petrol station just up the road where Jake had stopped. She didn’t share any of this. ‘Why am I being asked about this anyway?’

  ‘Are you aware of what happened after you left?’

  Jake explained how he had stumbled on the scene as he returned to the house.

  ‘Tyre tracks were found matching your car, Jake, I don’t for one minute believe it was you, but I did ask you to stay put. Surely you can understand the predicament you put yourself in? The danger? I must stress that you let us place you in a safe house. For your own good.’

  ‘And I’m stressing that there is no way in hell that’s happening. I need to stay here more now than ever, in case, well, you know.’

  ‘So why did you leave and go to a lodge. You’re being stubborn, aren’t you? You’ll get yourself killed.’ Reynolds had enough. She wouldn’t get through to him, that was obvious. She left, shouting at him to stay put. Marsden nodded towards him then shut the door. On the way out, Marsden saw the damage to the side of Jake’s car. The dents and scratches down the left-hand passenger side. They shone a torch across the area. There were scrape marks. Dents on the side door. They turned back towards the house and banged the door.

  ∞∞∞∞ Karen was finishing up her breakfast. She wanted to get going as soon as possible. Her head was banging like she’d been hit with a sledgehammer. A migraine, slowly working its way through her tired body. She still had blurred vision from the two bottles of wine she’d devoured the night before. She had already swallowed two Nurofen and was fishing in the draw for more. She didn’t need this today.

  Karen looked at her daughter, Emma. A creative child who always had a crayon in her hand. She was striking looking with soft blond ringlets and huge green eyes. Emma was swirling her Coco Pops with a big spoon. Her son, Lucas, was almost two and was sat in his favourite chair. A device that gently rocked while playing nursery tunes. His smile lit the room as he chewed on a small biscuit. ‘Emma, you know I have to go away for a few days. Aunty Lisa will be looking after you both, and I need you to be a really good girl and don’t tease your brother.’ The doorbell went. Right on time. The two sisters hugged out the front.

  ‘Hello, Aunty Lisa,’ Emma said excitedly.

  ‘Well. Look at you. A proper little princess.’ She kissed both the children and listened to the instructions. Feed times. Bath time. Storytime. Bedtimes. Lisa turned to her sister. ‘Are you sure you want to go up there?’

  ‘What choice do I have? I need answers, Lisa. I need to know what happened.’

  ‘Isn’t that what the police are for?’

  ‘Fat lot of good they’ve been so far.’ Karen kissed both children, then hugged her sister. ‘Just be careful. Please. I don’t know what I’d do if … Well. You know.’

  ‘I’m a big girl.’ She grabbed her holdall, flicked a quick look in the mirror and headed out. She called Jake several times on the way there and left a message each time the phone rang out.

  ∞∞∞∞ Reynolds drove, with Marsden in the back next to Jake who was under caution. ‘This is ridiculous. You know I didn’t do it. We’re wasting time here.’

  ‘I would advise that you don’t speak until we get to the station,’ stated Marsden. Jake had to get his story straight. He knew that much. Jake told them about the biker coming down from the hill, watching him pull over as he left. They pulled up and marched Jake inside.

  When they entered the station, they waited to see the custody officer, and sat in the holding area.

  Reynolds confirmed they’d be a wait and Marsden went to get three coffees.

  Once they got to the desk, the custody Sergeant looked Jake up and down and asked him to supply fingerprints. A camera was produced as Jake was given instructions.

  ‘Look left. Look right, now straight on.’ He was then asked to empty his pockets. A few coins, a radiator bleed key and a small bundle of notes amounting to eighty pounds. Once the procedure was finished, they brought him down the corridor. A small row of black doors either side. They led him to the last one on the left. Room three with a white rectangle shaped badge pinned to the door. Underneath, the words, interview in process. Jake was asked to sit on one of the plane white seats behind a plastic desk. The custody officer joined them and was introduced. A click of the tape and then Reynolds spoke.

  ‘Interview one with Jake Morley.’ She announced the date, time and proceeded to caution him, also telling him he had the right to a solicitor. Jake felt like a rabbit in headlights, the type you’d see coming from the air if you found yourself on a runway. He was uncomfortable and served crap coffee.

  Reynolds and the custody officer fired question after question, not giving him time to think. They were watching Jakes every move.

  ‘Tell me again, why you rammed the car. You could be looking at attempted murder.’

  ‘Oh, come on.’

  She eyed him. ‘This isn’t a joke. Two people are dead, and you were one of the last to see them.’

/>   ‘A few nights back, a black Jeep came up behind me. He vigorously flashed, smashed into the back of my car and tried to ram us off the road. It’s lucky I managed to drive into a field to get away.’ He rubbed his stubble. Reynolds waited with an uncomfortable silence. Forced to talk, a trick officers carrying out interview proceedings loved.

  ‘I was driving to the lodge as I’d forgotten some of Kate and Sean’s stuff. On the way there, a black Jeep motored up behind me, flashing and the likes. I thought it was the same guy. I mean, come on. It’s a genuine mistake. I pulled up, made sure they were OK, they even talked to me, well threatened is a better way to put it. Said he’d throw the book at me. Then the bike came down, I raced off, and he pulled over.’

  ‘You say he?’

  Jake looked confused. ‘I assume it was a man. I may be wrong. By the way, how are you getting on with finding my family?’

  ‘We’re working on it. We need a DNA swab after we finish if that’s ok with you?’

  ‘So, I’m free to go?’ She fired more questions. More accusations. Jake could tell by the tone of her voice; she was starting to see it for what it was. Jake had made a mistake. The couple were injured. The real crime being carried out after. Once Reynolds had clarified the times Jake said he arrived on the scene, the footage clarifying when he’d arrived at the station, and how long it had taken to get to and from the lodge, she whispered into her colleague’s ear.

  She then announced, ‘We have an anonymous caller who saw a biker stopped on the side of the road. They claim the rider was talking to an elderly couple who were outside of their car. They looked fine at that moment. Unfortunately, they never removed their helmet, which, by going on what you’re saying, looks as though you’re telling the truth. You’re not in the clear until we find this biker and match them to the scene but for now, it’s all we need.’

  Jake stood and was escorted to the front desk where he had his mouth swabbed, signed some sort of form and headed outside. Reynolds caught up with him.

  ‘Jake, we needed to clear it up. Only for that witness, you would be looking at bail being your only way of a quick release. I’d be on your ass quicker than you could blink. I’m warning you now, keep a low profile until we find who’s responsible.’

  ‘Got it. Any chance of a lift back?’

  ‘Get in.’

  ∞∞∞∞ Karen saw a sign claiming it was another ten miles to Ramsbury. She tried Jake’s number again. She got through this time. Jake had just arrived home and gave her an address to meet him. The lake.

  He recalled the day they spent there. As Jake left the house, he needed to make sure he wasn’t followed. He opened the gates, looked up and down the quiet lane then pulled out. Karen was already waiting for him when he arrived.

  She was different from what he’d imagined. There was an air of confidence about her. Karen shook his hand firmly, a grip that made him wince. The long red coat complimented her features. She stood taller than Jake, elegant and strongly spoken. They sat on a bench.

  ‘I need answers, Jake. I know people think I’m crazy, but to be honest, I couldn’t care less. I’m not going to rest until I find out the truth.’

  ‘I get you, Karen. But at what cost? These people will stop at nothing to cover what they’re

  up to. I should know.’

  ‘Have you heard anything about your family?’ Asked Karen.

  ‘Nothing.’ They spent another half hour chatting like old friends. The type of strangers who

  meet and it felt like they’d known each other forever. When they couldn’t take the cold anymore,

  Jake asked her to follow him back to the house.

  Jake opened the gates and parked up. He pointed where he wanted Karen to go. The gates

  shut behind them and both entered the house. Kate’s phone was ringing upstairs. ‘Shit. Wait there a

  sec.’ He took the stairs two at a time. ‘Hello. Damn.’ He’d just missed it. As he looked at the mobile

  sat on the side, he found six missed calls over the last fifteen minutes. Whoever it was would call

  back. He planted the mobile into his pocket and headed down. Karen was looking at a photo in the

  hall.

  ‘You have a beautiful family.’ He was glad she used the word have. As they walked into the

  kitchen, the phone rang, causing Jake to drop it on the floor.

  ‘Hello,’ he said impatiently.

  ‘Daddy.’ Jake felt a shiver down his body like he’d been struck by a bolt of lightning.

  Goosebumps rose on his arms. He didn’t know if he was awake or dreaming.

  ‘Sean? Oh, my Lord, baby, where are you?’

  ‘Daddy. I love you.’

  ‘Where are you, Sean? Tell Daddy where you are.’ The phone went dead.

  ‘Hello? Hello?’ Jake crumpled. Compose yourself. It’s good news. It means he’s alive. He turned to Karen. ‘My son. That was my son.’ On instinct, she grabbed him, holding him close. Jake sobbed like a baby. Once he’d regained some sort of composure, he dialled Reynolds’ number and left a voice message. He had to let her know about the call. Seconds turned into minutes. Jake prayed for the phone to ring again. He paced up and down the hall not taking it out of his hand. The more he watched it, the more he drove himself mad.

  That evening Karen asked if she could shower. The migraine had slowly melted into oblivion. She felt good again. As normal as she could ever feel. If that was a good thing or not.

  Jake picked up Kate’s phone. He missed them so much. He wasn’t coping. He couldn’t go on without them. He scanned the last pictures he had of them. The day at the lake. Their lake. The selfie they took which was now in the frame at the front door. As he zoomed in, he ran his finger over their faces. Hoping somehow it would bring them back. He looked past Kate, across the lake. The sun glistening off the water to the woodland the other side. A shadow in the background. Jake could make out a shape, a figure. Someone was standing on the opposite side. They’d been there alone that day, he was sure of it. He grabbed the laptop and pulled up the recent photos that had been saved. The morning they spent at the lake. Clicking the mouse, he zoomed in.

  There was someone there. Facing them. Watching them. As he zoomed in further, heart skipping, he saw it. The person was wearing some sort of pig mask.

  Karen was coming down. Jake could hear her talking to someone on her phone. Asking how the children were? Did they behave? Assuring the person on the other end that she was fine. Coping. She’d be back in a few days. Karen rang off as she entered the kitchen. Jake had the laptop closed. ‘Better?’

  ‘Oh yes. That shower is amazing.’ Jake had shown Karen to the spare room he’d made up earlier. Karen had unpacked her few belongings and dressed in a pair of jeans and a plain white top. The wind howled outside causing a branch to slap against the window. It put Karen on edge.

  ‘Can I make you a coffee? I have something stronger if you’d like?’

  ‘No. Coffee’s fine.’ As Jake removed two cups, Karen spoke about the Prescotts. Jake listened with intrigue.

  ‘They were so close, the four of them. Jason took it badly when they decided to up and leave. See, they lived in London, not far from us. We often got together; my daughter loved meeting up with their kids. Playdates, Sunday lunch, the odd drink.’

  ‘Why did they leave?’

  ‘For the want of a better life, like so many. And look now.’ Jake placed a cup in front of his guest as she continued. ‘Thank you. I had a feeling something wasn’t right.’

  ‘In what way?’

  ‘How they left so quick. They dropped the bombshell at dinner one evening. Just said they’d had enough. We were shocked. Jason was gutted. The next thing, they were gone. It happened so fast. The house, this house, came on the market with no chain. Something about it being vacated suddenly and the previous owners weren’t contactable. Well, they were ready to move in.’ Alarm bells rang, Karen saw it on Jake’s face. ‘What is it?’

  ‘That’s e
xactly what happened to us.’

  Chapter Twenty-eight The driver had been praised by his boss. The woman and child were now dealt with. For that, he could be proud. Oh, how he loved when the boss told him he’d done well. The feeling of being triumphant. Pleasing. How far a little praise went. He had another task now. Something which was necessary. His order was simple. Take out the husband. He knew what he had to do. It would be so easy.

  He approached Rectory Lane and made a right, passing the first house brought back memories. Good ones. They’d be back there again soon when it all blew over. The driver turned his lights off and killed the engine. The car rolled. The sound of stones being chewed up by the tires. Old branches laid strewn across the road, now split in half. The gates were shut. A light glowed from one of the rooms upstairs. A small light hung at the front door facing out. He rolled further down and pulled into a lay-by at the bottom, removed the keys, lifted the handbrake and opened the car door. He stood, filling his lungs with fresh air. The essence of leaves, smoke, and newly cut grass flowed through his veins. How he loved the countryside. Oh, how he adored his job. Making his way around to the boot, he grabbed a sack. Long, heavy, whistling a tune as he removed the shotgun. Hello, baby. Time to go to work.

  ∞∞∞∞ ‘What do you think happened?’ Asked Jake from the kitchen table.

  ‘God only knows. I remember around the time Jason heard the news. He went into a slow

  depression. He racked his brains as to what might have happened. He spoke to Mark’s old mates,

  where he’d worked. No one could tell him anything. I nursed him back to health. He’d given up.

  Stopped going to work, lay in bed for days. It took time. I was there for him. He loved his children

  more than anything. We got him tablets, anti-depressants. Slowly, he recovered, came out of his

  slump. He was feeling good again. Now this. I don’t believe he’s gone. I can’t. They say Jason hung

  himself. I don’t believe it for a second. Why would he come here and do that? He wanted answers.

  He was slowly starting to cope. I’m determined to get answers, for Jason. For his missing family.’ Jake had heard the story from Reynolds in regards to what had happened. ‘I’m so sorry. You have immense strength to come here. I admire your brav—’ Karen