Dark Lake

by Clare Revell

  “Few incidents whilst sailing several years ago,” she said evasively.

  “Do tell.”

  “Big storm, well, to be honest, it was a hurricane. An explosion in the docks where people died. Shipwreck.” She paused, rubbing her leg. Her toes itched again. The anniversary of the attack was fast approaching, and that made things worse.

  “Is that how you lost your leg?”

  She shivered. “How did you know? Oh, that’s probably public record, too. The disabled swimming world record holder turned archaeologist.”

  “Forgive me. I didn’t mean to pry.” Contrition furrowed his brow.

  She shook her head. “It’s OK. No, it was a swimming accident, but not anything I mentioned just now.”

  The door opened. “I’m sorry to bother you, Mr. Close,” Mrs Jefferson began. “But you have a phone call from the United States. A Mr. Taylor and he says it’s urgent.”

  He sighed and glanced at his watch. “It must be for him to be ringing at this hour. I’ll take it in the study. Could you have the car brought around for Dr. Fitzgerald, please? She’ll need a lift back to the village to collect her vehicle.”

  Mrs Jefferson straightened the keys on her belt. “Of course.”

  Evan stood and picked up his plate. “I apologize, Lou, but this could take some time. Phil could talk the hind leg off a donkey and then convince it to run a marathon immediately afterwards.” He paused. “I’m sorry. That’s the wrong expression to use.”

  “It’s fine. I’m tired of people hopping on egg shells before leapfrogging over the elephant in the room.” She winked. “See, I can make bad one legged jokes as well.”

  His face lit up slightly. “If you’ll excuse me, I will see you later.”

  Lou nodded and dropped her gaze to her plate. She finished her food and headed into the hall to find a man in a chauffer’s uniform waiting.

  “I’ve been asked to drive you into the village, miss.”

  “Thank you. I’ll grab my bag and I’ll be there.”

  ~*~

  Three hours later, Lou was finally ready for the first dive. Her stomach writhed and churned in a tormented mixture of fear and exhilaration. She was anxious to see what was down there, to find out how much, if any, of the village was left intact after so many years below the waves. But the rest of her was afraid. What if something went wrong? What if she had a full-blown panic attack and couldn’t make her way back to the surface?

  The longer she procrastinated, the more reasons she came up with to accept a desk job, or one that didn’t involve diving and swimming at all.

  The lake was murky, cold, grey, and uninviting. It lived up to its name perfectly. Aberfinay dam towered over it, casting a shadow despite the lack of real sunlight. A cold wind blew, rippling the water and making white horses on some of the waves by the shore. Lou shivered. What was she doing? Was she mad? She should call Varian and resign this minute. Let AJ take over and have him insist on Clara joining them.

  Then her gaze fell on the church spire, and a longing to explore kicked in. She’d be the first person to ‘walk’ those streets, to be in that church in decades. There was only one fly in the ointment. AJ hadn’t shown up, and it was almost twelve. She was wearing her wet suit under her tracksuit, her prosthesis strapped over it for now and the dive gear was in the boat, and it would be a waste of effort if she didn’t get in the water at least for a few minutes.

  “How much longer will you wait for him?” Charlie asked. “It’s not too late to get those blokes from the pub for you.”

  Lou shook her head. If she didn’t go now, her nerve would fail her. She at least needed to get out on the water and touch the steeple. “No. I want you to stay here in case he does turn up. I’ll take the boat myself. I’ll find some way of fixing it to the steeple. I’m not diving just yet. I want to get a feel for the place from the lake.” She leaned against the wall, unzipping her jacket.

  A car door slammed and she spun, hoping to see AJ and ready to give him five minutes to get in the boat. But it wasn’t. “Evan…I wasn’t expecting to see you.”

  Evan smiled, sliding his hands into his overcoat pockets. “I was passing.” He watched as she removed her tracksuit, his eyes widening as he took in the prosthesis. “How do you swim with that on?”

  “Easy,” she teased. “The same way anyone else does. Seriously, the leg comes off—see the straps? The wet suit is specially made to go around the stump. Care to join me?”

  “Not today. I left my wet suit at home. But I thought you had an unbreakable rule about diving alone.”

  She grinned, unable to resist teasing some more. “I’m taking my invisible friend.”

  “Lou…”

  She held up a hand. “I’m going out on the lake for a start. Take photos of the church spire. Pluck up the courage to stick my foot in the water.” She paused. “Foot, not feet.” She waited for the reaction that never came. “If all else fails and AJ doesn’t show in the next hour or so, then I guess I have to consider my unbreakable rule broken. I won’t have a choice. Not if AJ isn’t here and you don’t want to come.” She paused. “Besides, the local landowner only gave me ten days, and I can’t afford to waste a whole day.”

  “By all means, blame me.” His tone was light, and he raised his hands and winked to indicate teasing. “And that joke was awful.”

  She laughed as she climbed into the boat. “I’ll see you later.” She started the engine and untied the rope before deftly guiding the boat out towards the middle of the lake.

  10

  Evan stood on the dam watching Lou sail across the grey water. This was a mistake. Who knew what she’d find down there? What evidence still remained after all these years? How long would all this take? Maybe he should stop hiding the past. It wasn’t his fault, after all. All those involved were long since dead.

  A car pulled up, a door slammed, and footsteps clunked across the tarmac towards him. Black suited arms leaned on the parapet. “Evan. You’re a hard man to track down.”

  His heart sank. “Varian. Obviously not hard enough, as you managed it.” He glanced sideways. “What can I do for you? I was under the impression you weren’t coming.”

  “We need to talk in person.”

  He leaned his back against the parapet and spread his hands. “So talk.”

  “Not here. She’ll see me, and I can’t have that yet. We’ll talk in the office.”

  Evan shrugged and walked with him. “Is this because you’re not in her good books, right now?”

  Varian glared at him. “What’s she been saying?”

  “She hasn’t said much, but I can tell. This is a little mean and underhanded even for you. Taking her away from her big discovery and putting her here in the back of beyond.”

  Varian slammed the door shut behind them, making Evan jump. “That is none of your concern.”

  Evan narrowed his eyes. “I want to know what you’re playing at.”

  Varian glowered. “You know what happened here as well as I do. Your family was just as involved as mine.”

  “Precisely. By sending her down there you risk exposing everything.” He sucked in a deep breath. “She’s already asking about the fire.”

  Panic flittered in Varian’s eyes. “How did she know about that?”

  “The church spire is blackened. Anyone with a decent pair of binoculars can see that. And once she dives, she’ll know how extensive the fire was.” He raked his hands through his hair. “You know Great-grandad left a journal?”

  Varian’s gaze flicked back and forth. “No, I didn’t.”

  “Oh, don’t fret, Varian. I have it locked away in the safe.”

  “There’s a reason I’m doing the Dark Lake dive and no one else is. I can control what information gets out and becomes public knowledge.”

  “And if more bodies wash up? She showed me photos of a bone. A charred bone, I might add.”

  “The report will state it came from the graveyard by the church. If she uncovers too
much, the report will be lost. Nothing will ever be published. Don’t worry.”

  “That’s easy for you to say. You’re not living with the woman.”

  Varian raised his eyebrows. “I’m sorry?”

  “She was attacked in the hotel last night,” Evan said. A horrid feeling crept into the corner of his mind and spread like wildfire through his body. “I was there, rushed in, saved her life, and offered her a safe place to stay.”

  “I see. That was Bart Manchester, I assume?”

  The rush of realization set off alarm bells. “Did you plan that?”

  Varian glanced away. “What if I did?”

  Evan wasn’t fooled for an instant. “What if I hadn’t seen him from the street, run to her room just in time, and he’d hurt her more than he did?”

  “He was told to rough her up a little.” Varian shrugged and peered through the window at the boat moored by the church spire. “Just scare her away. At which point I release a statement saying there is nothing of consequence left under the waters of Dark Lake.”

  Anger speared Evan, and he clenched his hands into fists. “Good grief, man! The bloke you sprung from the loony bin is a serial rapist who tortures for fun. The only reason he wasn’t in a proper prison is he pleaded insanity and got away with it. He knows exactly what he’s doing. I thought Lou was a friend of yours.”

  “She is.”

  “Remind me never to become an enemy if that’s the way you treat your friends.”

  “That’s rich coming from you. And since when have you and Dr. Fitzgerald been on first name terms?”

  “So what if we are?” He bristled. “As you asked so nicely, ever since I saved her life. I didn’t set her up the way you have. Or treat her the way you did.”

  “No, you’re just lying to her.”

  Evan jabbed his finger irately at Varian. “I’m not lying as such—merely not telling her everything I know up front. Maybe I’m tired of the cover up. Great-grandad was following orders. Your grandfather’s orders to be precise. Perhaps it’s time the truth did get out.”

  Varian grabbed his arm. “A word of caution. Burn the journal. Let the past stay buried. I’ll give her a day or two and then shut this down due to nothing further found down there. She’ll be laid off, and if she creates a stink, I’ll have all her work discredited. She’ll never work in archaeology again. This whole thing will go away and be forgotten.”

  Evan tore himself away. “And if she finds anything?”

  “I’ll take the paperwork and burn it. Any artefacts she finds will be destroyed. You keep quiet. Do I make myself clear?”

  Evan faced him down. “And if I don’t?”

  “You’ll regret it.” Varian spun on his heel and left, closing the office door behind him.

  Evan glowered. No one threatened him and got away with it.

  Ever.

  ~*~

  As she sailed across the lake, Lou had decided to use the church as a marker and was pleased to find somewhere to tie the rope to the steeple. She’d spent half an hour or thereabouts taking photos of the shoreline where the bones and other artefacts had washed up, trying to determine where in the lake they could have come from. Then she took photographs of the spire and the damage to the brickwork. Scrapings of the burnt areas went into her bag. She wasn’t expecting much from that, but there was always a chance.

  Finally, she could put off the moment no longer. She wasn’t much for praying these days, but the telegram prayer for safety shot heavenward anyway. She checked her air tank before putting it on and fixing the rest of her equipment. Satisfied everything was ready, she fitted her mask and mouthpiece. Then she unfastened the prosthesis and slid backwards into the water.

  Momentary fear surged as the cold water engulfed her. She closed her eyes and tried to remember the breathing techniques she had learned from the therapist and coach. After ten terrifying seconds, she had things under control enough to open her eyes. She flicked on the wrist torch and began swimming slowly down the church walls. It was in good condition considering how long it had been underwater.

  Her torch illuminated the walls, as she took photos of the windows and stone work. Fish swam past her as she worked. The stones were definitely blackened. There was no evidence of a bomb. That would have destroyed the building completely.

  She reached the floor of the lake. Gravel and stones mixed with sand and mud. Grave stones stood as reminders of the past. She frowned. Shouldn’t the dead have been exhumed and moved elsewhere before the village was flooded? She took photos to remind herself to research that tonight. The church towered above her. Her torch picked up the remains of a huge wooden door, the evidence of a fire very much here as well as on the surrounding stonework.

  The door hung open enough for her to slide though. It was more than a little eerie to say the least. A massive fire had raged through part of the building; that was indisputable. Glancing up, she could see the roof had gone. Some of the pews were intact, others weren’t. The pulpit stairs led up to nothing, the brass warped by the intense heat. It really must have been some fire. Torch light glittered off of a few of the remaining stained glass windows, but most were broken.

  Lou slowly swam towards the front of the church, her light illuminating a plaque on the wall, dedicated to those village soldiers who had died in the First World War. She swung the torch across the pew and jumped as it lit up a skull, which sat transfixed as if listening to a sermon. Trouble was, what was left of the ropes obviously used to bind him into his seat told a different story. He wasn’t there by choice. The fellow’s jacket swung gently as the water moved, and as Lou shone the light on his face, he winked at her.

  Her heart almost leapt from her chest, and terror swamped her right before common sense prevailed and a fish swam from the eye socket. Lou shook her head. She was letting her imagination run away with her. She took several photos as she wondered who it was and what he was doing here. Why hadn’t he left with everyone else? Had he been caught in the fire and, therefore, left here?

  She shone the torch further up the line of pews. At least three more figures could be seen. Lou swam up to them, photographing bodies and the ropes securing them in place. She aimed the torchlight onto the floor. Moss grew between the flagstones. Weeds moved gently in the water. She photographed everything. This job was going to take longer than she had, but her interest had been piqued. She had more questions now than when she’d begun.

  Something dropped onto her shoulder. She almost burst out of her skin, her already taut nerves shifting into overdrive. She whirled around, eyes widening and mouthpiece falling from her mouth as total panic set in.

  11

  Lou surfaced rapidly. Her heart pounded like a pneumatic drill, her vision blurred and each breath was a struggle as she searched for the boat. She shouldn’t have come. She needed to be somewhere safe, somewhere far away from water.

  Something black and pointed surfaced next to her, and she cried out in fear. Then the shark removed its face mask and AJ grinned at her.

  “Hi, boss. Did I scare you?”

  Lou scowled. “Not funny. Not funny at all.” She moved her arms to stay afloat, trying to calm her shattered nerves. “You’re an idiot, and you’re fired.”

  “You can’t fire me.”

  “I just did.” She sucked in a deep breath. “I could have drowned.”

  AJ laughed. “No, you wouldn’t have. You’re simply being a drama queen. Purely because you had one bad experience when you were a kid, doesn’t mean you’ll drown now.” He did his best to appear contrite and failed miserably. “I’m sorry. Have you found anything down there?”

  “Yes. And yes, you are fired. You don’t mess around on a dive. Ever.”

  “OK, OK. Don’t get your knickers in a twist.” He rolled his eyes. “I said I’m sorry. What more do you want?”

  Lou shook her head and refitted her mask. Glad the camera was attached to her wrist and she hadn’t lost it, she plunged below the surface again. She was aware
of AJ diving beside her. Right now, he could make himself useful, but she was serious about firing him—but not yet. She needed him for the next couple of weeks. Besides, she was quitting and, therefore, it didn’t really matter what she did anymore.

  This time, she focused her attention on the cottage opposite the church. If she was right, it should be the cottage belonging to Evan’s great-grandparents.

  The roof and windows were long gone, but the walls were still intact. There was no door. Her torch illuminated a plaque on the wall by the entrance. Rubbing some of the green gunk off it, she could read the name. Dr. David Close. Definitely the right house. Again the blackened and scorched brick and stonework indicated a massive fire.

  Lou swam inside. Another body floated against the far wall. She photographed it, along with the interior of every room. Not much remained in the way of furniture. What little the fire had left, the water had seen to over the intervening years.

  Her tank beeped, and she tapped AJ on the shoulder, pointing upwards. He nodded, and they surfaced. Dropping her mouthpiece, Lou swam to the boat and hauled herself over the side. She unclipped the tank and pushed back the hood of her wetsuit.

  Covering her face with her hands, she took a moment to sit in silence, trying to process what she’d seen.

  After a minute, AJ gazed up. “OK. I’ll say it. There’s a body in that house.”

  Lou nodded slowly. “There’s at least four in the church, as well.”

  “And a fire. A big one if the church is anything to go by. I mean, look at the height of the burned stone. Way beyond anything you’d expect. I can see why Varian wanted this place checked out. It’s fascinating.”

  “Yeah.” She examined her air tank. “This shouldn’t be empty already. Not been diving anywhere nearly long enough.”

  “How long have we got for this dig?”

  Lou reached down and picked up a new tank and checked it. “Ten days. Nine by the time we have new tanks. Tell me what’s happening at Llaremont?”

  “What do you mean?” AJ’s face clouded, and his tone grew cagey.

  “At the dig.” Lou glared at him, watching him squirm. “You remember the one in Wales I got kicked off of the day before yesterday.”