It hopped back one step and studied her. Behind it, a huge gull with a grey back landed in the grass beside the path. Its eyes were disconcertingly yellow. Lia watched them and Becky kept breathing and clenching her hand.
Suddenly, the birds took flight and Lia felt the wind created by their wings.
Ed was racing along the path towards them. Behind him Mrs. Glenn and another woman were hurrying along with two men Lia didn’t know.
‘OK?’ Ed gasped, putting a hand on Lia’s shoulder.
She nodded.
Mrs. Glenn arrived and took Becky’s hand from Lia, squeezing onto the bench, making Lia give up her spot. She began to talk to Becky in a practical, motherly way, reassuring and lecturing all at once. There was a conversation between the others.
Lia moved to stand close to Ed, never as glad to see anyone in her life. With no shyness at all, he put his arm around her shoulders and she held on to him.
‘Mrs. Glenn called the air ambulance – it’s on the way,’ he said.
The other woman came over to them.
‘Hello, Lia – I’m Sheila. You did very well. We can manage now, so you and Ed can go if you want to.’
Lia looked at Ed and communication passed between them again. She shook her head.
‘We’ll stay if that’s OK. We’ll keep out of the way, but if you want us to run back for anything, we will.’
‘Alright, dear.’
After that, no one spoke to them. They stood out of the way, listening to the cheery chatter that the ladies kept up with Becky, who seemed oblivious. The men stood to one side in silence, waiting to be of use – neither of them looked at the little group of women.
Ed heard it first and squeezed her shoulders, looking out to sea. She saw it, like a bird in the distance, then heard the engine. The men shifted, prepared for action. They went to the edge and waved. The helicopter passed over their heads and came to rest on the clifftop behind them. The island men ran along the path to go to it, but before they even reached the end two first responders appeared, carrying a stretcher between them.
Soon Becky was secured and they began to carry her back along the path. As they passed, Lia heard Becky speak, a muttering repetition of what sounded like a name.
The helicopter took off and turned towards the mainland. Lia took a deep shuddering breath and was glad of Ed’s arm. He gave her a shaky smile.
‘Well, that was a lot of things to be going on with,’ Mrs. Glenn said. ‘Are you two alright?’
Lia nodded.
‘Right so, we’d better get back. They’re getting another helicopter to find Matt. Hopefully he’ll be in time.’
She hurried away, head close to Sheila’s in a way that reminded Lia of the rook.
‘Matt? Her husband?’ Lia asked.
Ed nodded.
Back at the bench, Lia noticed the small bag of shopping. It was covered in blood. She carefully checked inside and seeing only bread, fruit and veg, she lifted it by one clean handle and dropped it into the small bin a short distance from the bench.
Ed stayed by her side. Then he took her hand as though they had been doing it forever. Lia turned into his embrace and they stood there, holding each other in silence.
He smelled good. Natural with a hint of deodorant. He felt good to lean against. She took a deep breath, feeling like she hadn’t been getting enough oxygen for ages.
‘She must have been calling for Matt,’ she said.
He moved his head against her hair. ‘When?’
She put a little space between them, feeling the gap like a chill breeze.
‘When they were taking her to the helicopter, she was saying something over and over. I thought she was saying a different name, but I guess it must have been Matt.’
‘Her mother maybe?’
‘No.’ She thought for a moment, listening to the echo of Becky’s voice, repeating a name through pale lips. ‘Dad. I think she was saying Dad.’
They hung around for a little while, not sure what to do.
The two men came back with buckets of water and began to wash and scrub away the blood under the bench. They worked in silence and Ed drew Lia away.
‘Do you want to go home?’
Lia shook her head. ‘Would you mind if we kept going?’
He smiled his sudden smile. ‘C’mon then.’
They walked on in silence.
Lia still felt shaky. She tried to concentrate on the spectacular view of the Chimneys.
‘Fascinating, aren’t they?’ she said, stopping to stare at them.
‘Not for much longer, they say. They’re crumbling.’
‘The birds will miss them.’
‘Me too. I have quite a record of them. Been taking shots for years.’
‘That’s cool.’
They walked on.
‘I’ve been meaning to ask you something,’ she said after a while.
He raised his eyebrows, which she now recognised as his way of asking a question.
‘When we met, when you gave me directions to the Robin’s Rest, you were weird. Sorry. Why were you?’
‘I was surprised first, because not many people come across this time of year, especially a girl on her own. And then once you said who you were, I didn’t really know what to say.’
‘Because of my father?’
He nodded. ‘Why did you come?’
She hesitated.
‘Look, it’s fine,’ he said. ‘You don’t have to say. Everyone has their own stuff to deal with.’
‘I don’t mind telling you. At least, I think I don’t.’ She made a face. ‘My parents were on a kind of trial separation. But they weren’t going to get divorced.’ She heard the rising tone in her voice and sighed. ‘Maybe they were. But anyway, he disappeared. I’m like him in a way. I like to walk by myself to think sometimes. Mom likes people around her all the time. She wants me to be like her, instead of Dad.’
‘Maybe she just wants to make sure she doesn’t lose you.’
Lia stopped, caught between a desire to hit him or run back the way they had come. That was just too personal. It made her feel even angrier because he just stood there waiting for her reaction, giving her space. Why did he have to be so calm and nice?
He reached for her hand and took it. Her stomach gave a little flip. The bitter anger didn’t go away, but it went away from him. They walked on.
‘Maybe,’ she said quietly. ‘Anyway, we didn’t know where he’d gone and then we heard that they’d found him.’
‘Yes.’
She squeezed his hand and looked at the view rather than his kind eyes.
‘Do you know where it happened? Where he did it?’ she asked.
‘Yeah.’
‘Will you take me?’
‘If you want.’
‘I do,’ she said, not knowing if that was true. ‘Where is it?’
He seemed to hesitate. ‘It’s a good way round.’
After a while, Lia felt the coastline begin to curve. The Chimneys were no longer in sight.
‘See the tracks leading down?’ Ed said, pointing at a view of a cliff face. ‘Islanders use them to fish. Most people like to catch a few mackerel or pollock in the season, even though the boats come in. There are tracks like these all around the island. They’re tricky if you don’t know them. I’ve seen people from across getting stuck, afraid to keep going and afraid to turn back. There’s a few places where the rock leans out and it looks like there’s no way down. The old fellas never get stuck. Even my dad, with drink in him.’
‘Does he drink a lot?’
‘Mm,’ he said.
They rounded a point and Lia felt the difference. With the change in direction, they were facing away from the mainland and out to the open sea. The breeze was in her face, snatching at her breath. The water now stretched out like endless ocean, making them tiny and helpless in comparison. He must have sensed something of what she was feeling because he stopped and silently shared the moment with her.
Her phone binged, making her jump. Out of habit, she had shoved it in her pocket, although it had proved worse than useless on the island.
She pulled it out, as more notifications came in.
‘Sometimes there’s a bit of service out around here. Don’t move in case you lose it,’ Ed said.
‘Do you mind if I look?’
‘Go ahead.’
He sat down on a rock with his long legs stuck out in front of him, not watching her. She wanted to sit as well but was afraid to budge.
She scanned the messages from her social media accounts quickly then moved on to the rest. There were 17 missed calls from her mother and some more from Chelsea and Deb, as well as texts and voicemails. She felt sick. She hadn’t really thought about anyone at home since she left. Not really. Now, her phone showed her evidence that she had hurt people who cared about her. She couldn’t bear to listen to the voice messages, but the texts were clear enough.
After a lot of frantic messages for her to call, the texts from her friends became less frequent, ending with a few terse words from Chelsea.
Your mother told us where you are. Thanks for letting everyone worry. Deb is pretty mad, so you needn’t bother texting her for a while. I’m mad too tbh. But look, text if you need me. Ch xx
Lia’s eyes blurred, making her blink hard. Her mother’s messages were worse because she wasn’t good with the phone when she was stressed or in a hurry. The texts were full of typos and autocorrects but her message came across loud and clear. She was furious. And worried. Then angry again. Finally, in a clear text from earlier that morning, she seemed calmer.
Harry will make sure you’re safe. Stay as long as you need to. Please remember that I love you and only want the best for you. I am coping in my own way and I know that you have to do the same. Call me when you’re ready. Your mom xx
This last made the tears come. Jasmine always signed off texts, even to her daughter, as J. To see her call herself mom was a shock. Lia started to type a reply but didn’t know what to say. Eventually, she typed OK with two kisses and put the phone in her pocket.
‘I’m guessing some of that was your mother?’ Ed said, his voice low.
She nodded and made some sort of noise conveying yes.
‘It’s none of my business but, if I could talk to my mother, I would.’
She turned around and sat down beside him.
‘I’m not ready.’
‘That’s OK,’ he said.
‘I need to talk to my dad first, if that makes sense.’
She wasn’t sure it did, but he nodded. He was staring at her, his own eyes slightly red. When he dropped his gaze to her lips, she felt heat as though he had kissed her. She closed her eyes, feeling a last tear escape from her lashes. Instead of kissing her, he softly wiped the tear away.
‘Let’s go then. We’ve a long way to go before we get to the place. We don’t want to be stumbling around on the cliffs in the dark.’
Lia opened her eyes and watched him walk away, shoulders hunched. She scrambled to her feet and hurried after him. Her phone remained silent as she shoved it back in her pocket.
Ed pointed out several bird species as they walked, telling her a little about each. She was grateful to him for the distraction. He took her hand to steady her as she climbed down from a stile over a dry stone wall and didn’t let go. It was cold out here on what felt like the edge of the world, so she was glad of the warmth of his hand and tried not to think about how it made her feel warm inside too.
Some of the walled fields still had grazing sheep and a few goats, hardy animals that didn’t mind the weather. Ed pointed out a few donkeys in a distant field.
‘People out here don’t bother with cars – Andrew has his truck of course which he lords over the rest of us.’ He grinned. ‘That’s Andrew. We manage fine with donkeys and carts. They carry what needs to be carried and don’t need petrol! And the tourists like them. Harry has one he uses mostly for transporting barrels up from the harbour. Have you seen her yet?’
Lia shook her head.
Ed went on. ‘She’s usually with Jim’s two for company. We don’t have one since our last one died so we borrow from Jim if needs be. They’re great.’
As if in agreement, one raised its big head and hee-hawed, making them both laugh. As there were none close enough to pat, they moved on.
She was watching the motion of the sea when Ed squeezed her hand.
‘Look.’
Ahead she could see a flat grey area. When they reached it, Ed stepped up onto the surface.
‘It’s where they were going to build the lighthouse. There should have been one here for, like, centuries, but it never happened. They got as far as the foundation this time and just left it. We really need it though. There are hidden rocks everywhere around the island. You’d really have to know the area to find the safe channels for a boat.’
Lia walked around, looking at the concrete base.
‘It feels weird, finding something industrial out here.’
He nodded. ‘Yeah, it’s out of place. Like it belongs to another world.’ He paused. ‘Are you hungry? Do you want to stop?’
Lia shook her head and was about to answer when there was a sudden booming noise.
‘It’s the caves underneath,’ Ed said. ‘We’re almost at them. Once we get past here, the ground gets a bit more tricky.’
‘Harry showed me from the boat. Blowholes, right?’
‘Yeah. They’re mostly quiet when the weather is calm like this. That must have been a surge. In the winter, even standing here, you’d be splattered with salty foam. It’s actually pretty cool.’
‘Was it here … that it happened?’
‘No. We’ll be nearly back when we get there.’
‘OK,’ Lia said, trying to relax.
‘Are you sure you want to go on? We could cut through the fields.’
‘No. Thanks but no. l’ve come this far, right?’
‘Right.’
They moved on. Lia could hear the waves below now. Even with a calm sea, water was churning down there, cutting its way through the rock. The thought made her shiver. Earlier, she had thought that she would like to stay here forever, but now she saw that there were many sides to this place. The words sprang to her lips before she could stop them.
‘Why would anyone live here? It’s isolated and dangerous and scary.’
He cast her a haunted look but didn’t answer.
‘Sorry,’ she said.
‘It’s OK.’ He put his hands in his pockets.
She really was sorry she had asked. She didn’t know what to say.
‘People live under volcanos,’ he said, surprising her. ‘If it’s home, people just sort of stay there. It’s what you know, even if it is scary.’ He gave her a half smile. ‘People just do all sorts of crazy stuff.’
‘That’s true,’ Lia said.
‘Besides, you haven’t seen it in the spring. It’s beautiful then. Everything is all blue and green and there are loads of rare wild flowers on the headlands. Botanists go mad about them. And there’s whale-watching. We get humpback whales out here. Dolphins and porpoises too. And there’s the birds of course.’
‘Are you going to stay forever?’
He shoved his hands deeper into his pockets and shrugged. ‘Dunno. I think about leaving. A lot. I haven’t decided yet.’
He looked up.
‘It’s the Hall.’
Lia felt the shock of seeing the Hall in her gut. She had a queasy feeling and prayed that she wasn’t going to get sick in front of Ed. The feeling passed quickly, leaving her surprised that she had experienced it at all.
The Hall was undoubtedly magnificent. It loomed and dominated, but it had a kind of beauty, like a crusty old aunt who was once young and proud, formal and prickly. Unlike the imaginary aunt, however, Lia didn’t feel that the house had a kind heart beneath its old and elegant exterior. The closer they got, the more she imagined that she heard its dark heart beating, like she did before. She knew it was probably an echo of the sea in the caves, but she couldn’t shake the idea.
In silent consent, neither of them spoke as they passed nor even with the Hall at their backs.
When Lia at last spoke, her voice came in a whisper.
‘That place is so creepy.’
‘Yes,’ Ed said.
She looked at his face for any signs of humour but there weren’t any. In fact, he looked a little pale under his tan.
‘I thought … I thought I could hear a heartbeat for a minute.’
‘You have good ears,’ Ed said. ‘It’s the helicopter.’
He pointed out to sea and she saw it, like a bird in the distance.
She realised that the beat of its engine could have been the heartbeat she had heard or felt. Was there a helicopter around the first day she thought she felt the heartbeat of the house? She hadn’t seen one.
‘Are they only bringing Matt in now?’ she asked.
‘Hard to know. Maybe. He might have been pretty far away. Or they could be off on another mission.’
‘I wonder if he made it in time for the baby.’
‘I wouldn’t think so,’ Ed said. ‘But as long as everyone is OK, it won’t matter.’
They were nearly at the pub.
Lia halted.
‘Did we miss the place?’ she asked.
‘No,’ Ed said. ‘We’re here.’
‘Here?’
Ed nodded, looking miserable.
‘Yeah. Up there by the pub.’
‘That’s why Harry wouldn’t say where it happened. Because it’s here.’
‘Yeah.’
She took a deep breath. ‘Will you please tell me what you know? We were told there were witnesses.’
Daughter of the Storm Page 7