Hide and Secrets

by Sophie McKenzie

  ‘Don’t you want to see her?’ My voice is small and fragile. I’d thought that when I saw Dad everything would fall into place. That after seventeen months of wishing he was alive, to have the ultimate proof that he was alive would be the most amazing thing ever. That all I’d feel would be joy.

  Instead I feel more churned up than ever.

  ‘Of course I do.’ Dad rubs his forehead. ‘It’s just… things are complicated.’

  ‘I know about the Blue Fire diamond,’ I blurt out. ‘I know you were framed for stealing it.’

  Dad blinks rapidly. ‘What?’

  ‘That’s why I’m here,’ I go on. ‘The FFG know you’re still alive. They want the diamond and – Dad, when Fran Farmer finds out you don’t have it, she’ll kill you for real.’

  ‘Wait. Slow down.’ Dad holds up his hand to stop me speaking. ‘What’s the… FFG? Who is Fran Farmer?’

  I stare at him, bewildered. ‘Fran Farmer is the head of the FFG. The gang of smugglers who think you and Rik stole the Blue Fire diamond from them.’

  ‘The gang of…? Me and Rik?’ Dad shakes his head. ‘What are you talking about?’

  I look into his eyes as the wind whirls around our heads and the sea crashes behind us. A terrible feeling of helplessness washes over me. ‘Rik told me,’ I say. ‘He called me about ten days ago and said you were still alive.’

  ‘Rik knows I’m alive?’ Dad’s tanned face turns several shades paler.

  I frown. ‘Of course.’

  ‘I don’t understand.’ Dad shakes his head. ‘What else did he say?’

  ‘He said a group of gangsters, the Fran Farmer Gang, think you and Rik stole their diamond, the Blue Fire.’

  ‘But that’s crazy,’ Dad splutters.

  My stomach twists into knots. ‘No,’ I insist. ‘It’s true. Fran Farmer has found out you’re still alive and she’s after you. She still thinks you have the Blue Fire and when she finds out you don’t, she’s going to take “extreme revenge”.’ Dad’s jaw drops. ‘Rik wants to help. He told me to find you and warn—’

  ‘Cat.’ Dad clutches my arm. ‘Listen to me very carefully. Whatever Rik has told you, it’s a lie.’ His eyes glint in the sunlight. ‘There was no gang. No smugglers. The FFG and Fran… whoever… Rik must have made them up.’

  ‘What?’ Blood thunders against my temples. ‘I don’t understand. If there are no gangsters, then—?’

  ‘The Blue Fire diamond came into the shop for valuation, as part of a batch of unclaimed jewellery and ornaments. Mostly junk…’ Dad frowns, as if it’s costing him a lot to remember. ‘Rik and I were on our own in the shop. I soon realized there was a priceless diamond in the mix, did a bit of research, and told Rik what an amazing find it was. I explained that by law we had to report it to the police. Rik got nasty, said no way were we handing it over.’

  I reel back. ‘But…’

  ‘Rik and I argued. He got violent. Threatening me. Threatening you. I was petrified. I backed down completely, let him take it.’ Dad gives a weary shake of the head. ‘Maybe I should have left things there, but I was furious. The Blue Fire belongs to the world. Not to a violent thief like Rik.’

  ‘What did you do?’ My voice is hoarse. ‘Did you tell Mum?’

  ‘No, well, not the full story, I didn’t want to drag her into it,’ Dad explains. ‘I only told her Rik was a con man, which is true, just not the whole truth.’

  My hand flies to my mouth, fear pulsing through me. Mum had been right to doubt Rik and I hadn’t believed her. All this while, I thought he was helping me.

  Instead he was tricking and manipulating me – just like he did with Dad.

  ‘I made an anonymous call to the police,’ Dad goes on. ‘I tipped them off about Rik being a thief. So they went to his house looking for stolen goods.’

  ‘And they found the diamond?’ I ask breathlessly.

  ‘No.’ Dad says. ‘Not the diamond, but they did discover a load of other stuff. Enough to arrest Rik and send him to prison.’ He sighs. ‘I thought that was an end to it.’

  ‘But…?’

  ‘But then Rik got a message to me from jail,’ Dad goes on, grimly. ‘He accused me of fitting him up. I denied it, but he was still suspicious. Still furious. He ordered me to fetch the Blue Fire from where he’d hidden it, and use my contacts to sell it on the black market. I tried to refuse, but he got really nasty. Said he had people watching me… watching the house… to make sure I did what he wanted.’

  ‘Oh, Dad,’ I breathe.

  Dad brushes his hair off his face. ‘I carried on saying I wouldn’t have anything to do with his criminal plan.’ He hesitates. ‘And… and that’s when Rik had Pirate killed.’

  ‘What?’ I stare at him, as the whole world spins and reassembles inside my head. I see Pirate in my mind’s eye, bounding enthusiastically across our back garden, then rolling on to his back, offering his tummy for Bess to tickle. ‘I… I thought Pirate was run over by accident?’

  ‘No, that was Rik. It was a message. A clear message. Next time it would be you. Or Bess.’ Dad pats my shoulder. ‘So you see, I was in this impossible position. Either I committed a crime that could send me to jail, away from everyone I cared about – or else Rik would kill you… my family. My wonderful girls.’

  I stare at him, sick to my stomach. ‘Do you really think Rik would go that far?’

  ‘Yes.’ He grips my shoulder more tightly, looking deep into my eyes. ‘He’s more dangerous than you can imagine, Cat. He basically gave me twenty-four hours to fence the diamond. Or you were all dead.’

  I gulp. ‘So what did you do?’

  ‘There was only one option – at least that’s how it felt at the time,’ Dad explains. ‘I told Rik I’d do what he suggested, then I ran. I had to make him think I’d drowned while trying to make a getaway with the diamond.’

  I nod slowly, taking this in. ‘So the diamond is at the bottom of the sea?’

  ‘No. When it came to it, I couldn’t destroy something so beautiful and valuable, but as far as Rik was concerned, it was gone.’ He pauses. ‘And I was gone too.’

  The sea beyond us swells and crashes on the shore. A seagull squawks overhead.

  ‘I still don’t understand. Why didn’t you tell us?’ I ask slowly. ‘You could have explained you had to leave.’

  ‘I couldn’t burden you girls with such a huge secret,’ he says softly.

  ‘Right.’ A sudden, resentful anger whips up inside me. Maybe Bess would have been too little, but I would have understood. ‘Did you think you were protecting us again? Is that it?’

  There’s a long pause. ‘Oh, Cat, I’m so sorry.’ Dad’s lip trembles. ‘Maybe I got it wrong, but I promise you I was only trying to do the right thing.’

  I shake my head. ‘And what about Mum?’ I ask. ‘Why didn’t you tell her?’

  A shadow passes over Dad’s face. ‘Your mum and I… we hadn’t been in a good place for a long time.’

  I don’t know what to make of that. I want to tell him he’s wrong, that I can remember him and Mum laughing together, even holding hands. But then I think of some of the mean things I’ve heard Mum say about him recently. Perhaps they really weren’t happy together.

  ‘It was her fault, wasn’t it?’ I ask. ‘She’s so selfish and—’

  ‘No, Cat,’ Dad interrupts. ‘Your Mum did her best. I didn’t make things easy. I was in and out of work… I put her through a lot, and we drifted apart.’

  The wind gusts against my face: cold and relentless. ‘I don’t see how “drifting apart” justifies—’

  ‘What I don’t understand is how Rik found out I was still alive,’ Dad says, changing the subject abruptly. ‘I mean, he’s great with tech, but I was really careful. I came off all my social media, only spent cash…’ He shakes his head. ‘The only time I went online was to look at what you were doing.’

  ‘You did?’ My voice blows away on the brisk sea breeze.

  ‘I couldn’t resist it.’ Dad mak
es a regretful face at me. ‘I followed you on Instagram, “liked” all those dresses you made.’

  ‘I bet that’s how Rik found you.’ An empty misery settles in my guts. ‘Through me.’

  Dad meets my gaze. ‘None of this is your fault, Cat. Rik is ruthless and he had help. Heavies to carry out his threats. You’ve been on your own.’

  ‘No,’ I say, thinking of Tyler. ‘I’ve had help too.’

  ‘Plus, Rik’s filled your head full of lies, making up stories about gangsters…’ Dad shakes his head.

  ‘Rik wasn’t the only one,’ I say, remembering the visit Tyler and I made to Aunt Sandy and her mysterious visitor with the back-to-back ‘F’ tattoo.

  ‘I went to see Sandy Williams,’ I blurt out. ‘She said you and Rik were friends. She had a birthday card from you.’

  Dad nods. ‘Rik and I were friends at first, when he joined Ballena Jewellery as Head of Digital. I told him all about you. And I did meet Sandy a couple of times. But after I called the cops on Rik, I realized she was up to her neck in his crimes too.’

  ‘She was?’ My eyes widen. ‘She said a man had come to see her, asking questions. We got the impression he was an FFG gangster.’

  ‘I expect she was just trying to back up Rik’s story, make sure you believed him,’ Dad says wearily.

  So Sandy made up the man with the tattoo. She lied to Tyler and me, pretending to care about Dad… pretending to care about me. My head spins.

  ‘So, why did she call you the day before you disappeared?’ I ask, remembering the note I found among Dad’s old work things.

  ‘To threaten me,’ Dad hesitates. ‘She might look like a harmless old lady, but I’m pretty sure Sandy was the one Rik got to kill Pirate.’

  I gasp.

  ‘What matters now,’ Dad says, giving my shoulder a gentle shake, ‘is that you fetch Bess and go back to your mother. Forget that you saw me. Lie to Rik, lie to everyone.’

  ‘No.’ Tears rush into my eyes. How can Dad ask me to do that? ‘I can’t.’

  ‘You must,’ he says desperately. ‘Look, Cat, I’d do anything to be able to come back home, but I won’t put you and Bess and Mum in danger.’

  ‘But what about you?’ I ask. ‘Rik’s not going to stop until he finds you.’

  Dad peers into my eyes. ‘He doesn’t know you’re here, does he?’

  ‘Not exactly where we are,’ I say. ‘But he knows we’re in Norfolk.’

  ‘That’s bad. Very bad.’ A horrified look crosses Dad’s face. ‘Wait. How did Rik get your number?’

  I frown. ‘He said you gave it to him.’

  ‘No… I’d never!’ Dad’s eyes widen. ‘Rik must have got hold of it by hacking your account. Do you have your phone with you now?’ he asks.

  ‘Yes.’ I take it out of my pocket. ‘But there’s no service, there hasn’t been since last night. And yesterday I took the SIM out, so Mum couldn’t track me, which means Rik won’t have been able to eith—’

  Dad grabs my shoulders again. ‘Did you put the SIM back in at any point?’ he asks. ‘Think carefully, Cat. It’s really important. Rik could easily have tracked you on your phone.’

  ‘I put it back in a couple of times, but the only time there was a signal was when I was at the mobile-home park at Saltcliff. But I only used the phone for a few minutes. I did send Rik a text but it didn’t say where we—’

  ‘Damn.’ Dad picks up his jacket and starts walking across the beach. ‘Come on,’ he orders. ‘You need to get out of here. Remember, you haven’t seen me. It’s all been dead ends.’

  ‘Nobody at the mobile-home park knows where you are,’ I protest, running along beside him. ‘Even Mac – and he was literally the only person I spoke to who had a clue who you were, so— Oh, God, do you think Rik would hurt Mac?’

  ‘I’m certain he would,’ Dad says, pulling on his jacket.

  We reach the rock face that divides this bit of beach from the next bay, where Tyler and Bess are waiting. Dad pulls me to him in a swift hug. His jacket is rough and damp against my cheek.

  ‘What are you going to do?’ I ask, as Dad draws away.

  ‘Deal with Rik once and for all.’ He clenches his jaw. His face sets so hard I barely recognize him.

  Cold terror sweeps through me. ‘What does “deal with” mean?’

  ‘The less you know, the better.’ Dad takes a step away from me.

  I stare at him. What’s happened to the smiling dad of my memories? ‘Why don’t you just go and get the diamond and give it to Rik?’

  Dad gives a hollow laugh. ‘It’s too late for that now. Believe me, Cat, I know the man. He’ll want his revenge on me, whatever I do now.’ He pauses. ‘It’s him or me.’

  Tears prick at my eyes. ‘So how… how can I get hold of you?’

  Dad shakes his head. ‘Things have gone too far. Rik’s crossed a line by involving you. Until I’ve dealt with him, it’s safer for you if you can’t reach me. I’m so sorry.’ He turns away.

  My stomach heaves. A sour, panicky feeling. ‘Dad!’ I call. He turns, his eyes glittering with fear and impatience. I can’t bear it. I’m losing him all over again. ‘Where did you put the Blue Fire diamond?’ I ask, desperate to keep him talking, even if just for a few more minutes. ‘You can’t have had long to hide it. Where did you leave it?’

  Dad frowns. ‘It’s better you don’t know.’

  ‘Please, Dad,’ I say, a sob catching in my throat. ‘Tell me and I’ll go.’

  ‘No.’ His mouth trembles. ‘Please, Cat, don’t make this any harder than—’

  ‘Just one clue,’ I say.

  ‘Then you’ll leave?’ Dad nods. ‘Okay, then. It’s at home, under the stars.’

  What the hell does that mean?

  But before I can ask him, he turns away and breaks into a run. At the top of the beach, he darts right on to the road, lost behind the small row of shops that lead back up the hill.

  I want to race after him. But there’s no point. I trudge along the stony beach, wind whipping at my eyes. I reach the end of the rock face that leads around to the next bay, and I glance back, desperately hoping that Dad will have changed his mind. That he’ll be right there, in front of me, telling me he’s coming home with me and Bess.

  But the beach is deserted.

  The only sound is the wind roaring off the sea.

  And Dad is nowhere to be seen.

  25

  I stumble past the rock face, into the next bay. There’s no sign of Tyler and Bess, but the beach here is small. They’ve probably gone on to the bay after this one, past the line of rocks ahead. It’s not easy to walk. My feet sink into the stones, sucked down with each step. The sea, stretched out on my right, is grey and angry. Dark clouds, which were way out to sea earlier, are now gathering overhead. The wind blasts across my face.

  I’m barely aware of any of these things.

  I found Dad.

  And now he’s gone again. On the run once more, because of me.

  Tears mingle with the saltwater spray that mists on my cheeks. A million emotions battle inside me: fury at Rik for tricking me, an even greater rage at myself for being tricked. And a hollow, empty feeling, where the joy of finding Dad alive should be.

  He’s okay, I tell myself. I should be happy. Except his life is in danger and I’ve made that worse and now he can’t even spend time with me, or see Bess… and it’s all thanks to Rik.

  Loathing rises inside me, a hatred like I’ve never felt before. Rik threatened Dad and all of us, had our poor dog killed, ripped my family apart. All for a useless diamond.

  I stop walking and turn to face the sea as it tumbles towards the shore. I can taste the salt on my lips, feel it sticking against my skin. It’s raining on the horizon, the sky dark as steel. I can smell the storm that’s coming.

  Thoughts tumble over each other in my head. How could I have believed Rik’s story about the FFG? Even though Aunt Sandy seemed to back up everything he said, I should still have… I catch my brea
th as it hits me. Aunt Sandy wasn’t the only one who helped me believe Rik was on my side. It was Tyler who claimed that the back-to-back ‘F’ tattoo of her mysterious visitor stood for Fran Farmer.

  A new horror seizes me. Tyler and his dad arrived the very day Rik made contact.

  Was that really a coincidence?

  Is Tyler part of Rik’s plan to manipulate me? Find the diamond? Kill Dad?

  And I’ve left him with Bess.

  Fear grips my whole body. I break into a run, racing along the stony beach. There’s nobody here. The rain is moving closer to the land, the early morning sky overhead low and dark. The tide is coming in fast. I reach the end of this bay and hurtle on to the next. It’s even narrower than the one before. The sea is getting closer; the cliffs are high on all sides.

  Where are Tyler and Bess?

  Just as I’m about to scream in panic, I spot them at the far end of the bay. Can’t Tyler see the water already lapping at the rock face just beyond them? Can’t he see the tide is coming in? Or is he intending to lure me and Bess under the waves as part of Rik’s evil plan: to punish Dad by killing us?

  ‘Bess!’ I yell as loud as I can, but the wind whips the sound away. I push myself harder, running as fast as I can towards her.

  ‘Hey!’ I yell, now just a few strides behind. ‘Bess!’

  She hears me at last. So does Tyler. They both turn. Bess’s face lights up as she sees me. It’s like all her earlier anger has vanished.

  ‘What happened?’ Tyler shouts over the wind.

  I glance at Bess, a fresh misery twisting inside me as I think about how, now, there’s no way I can tell her about Dad. My feelings must show on my face because, as she looks at me, the brightness fades from her eyes. She turns away, picking up a stone and throwing it at the waves licking their way up the beach. The first spits of rain start to fall.

  ‘What happened? Tyler asks again, hurrying over.

  ‘Why did you take Bess out of the first bay?’ I demand.

  Tyler frowns. ‘We just kept walking. What’s the—?’

  ‘Are you working with Rik?’

  His frown deepens. ‘What?’

  ‘Are you spying for him?’