A Witch Like No Other (41 page)

“
She has her
own home now. She’
s not going
back, she
’
s moving forwards.”

“
You mean
she’
s dumping me?”

“
I’
d prefer to say she has
given you up. It sounds much nicer.”

“
Why, Grandma?”
Pandora took the phone. “Why did she give us up?”

“
Darling,
I’
m only talking about your
father.”

“
Oh.”

“
Ok, look,
she’
s given me up.” Ted tried
to remain calm. “I get that, Agnes. But what
’
s all this about a
baby?”

“
When you find
that out all of you will turn your backs on my child.”

“
I’
d never turn my back on
my mother,” spat Marlon, Pandora as well. “You
’
re talking crazy,
Grandma.”

“
If you say so,
honey. All of you listen to me.” Agnes spoke calmly. “People know
of Dreamer’
s whereabouts and
the subject of a baby. Close friends. But they wont tell you. You
have to find out on your own.”

“
Dad?”

“
Damn right
we’
ll find out on our own,”
said Ted through gritted teeth. So much for family sticking
together!

Ted picked up the house phone, dialling the number
he
’
d
memorized in his head ever since he realised Dreamer
wasn
’
t
going to come back.

“
Dad?” said
Pandora again. “Who are you calling?”

“
I’
ve got no
choice,
‘
Dora.” Ted spoke quietly. “If they wont tell us, we have to
find out on our own.” He took a deep breath, then he said
“I
’
m
hiring a private detective.”

“
That’
s what
I
’
m
talking about.”

“
Sarge, are you
ok?”

“
I’
m fine,” snapped Brown,
glaring at the officer. “Why?”

“
Because
you’
re shaking,” the officer
said flatly. “Are you cold?”

“
Bring a cup of
tea to the Detention Room. I’
ll have it while I talk to Stile.”

“
Yes
sir.”

“
Paul, please!
STOP!!”

Brown stopped dead in his tracks, heart racing. Though he
already knew it was Paul Black who was behind torturing Damon, he
hadn
’
t
heard him say the name before. All of the officers turned and ran,
down the staircase Brown was coming up.

“
Paul
Black!”

“
I knew it was
him, I knew it!” yelled P.C. Jones as he pushed past Brown. “I knew
he was biding his time until Dreamer came back!”

“
Run,
Sarge!”

Paul lowered his wand, staring through the wall at Dave
Brown, the man who
’
d captured his wife and child and had them burnt at
stake. Roughly pushing Damon aside, he stalked towards the
door.

Brown knew he didn
’
t have time to run. The
door burst open, Paul emerging with his wand pointed directly at
Brown
’
s heart.

Brown backed two steps, mouthing wordlessly. Though
he
’
d
seen pictures, this was the first time seeing Paul Black in the
flesh. And the man looked younger than him!

Face alight with cold fury, Paul hissed
“Granite.”

A
stream of silver light slowly left his wand, snaking through the
air towards Brown. Stepping backwards, Brown said “Please, no.
Don
’
t-”

Damon, weak and shaking, crawled across the floor to the
door, collapsing by Paul
’
s feet. Then he lifted
his head, eyes widening.

“
Is that a… a
curse?”

“
You have a
heart of stone,” said Paul icily, flicking his wand. The light
collided with Brown’
s chest,
Brown freezing in his tracks. “You would have murdered my flesh and
blood, Dave Brown.”

Brown
’
s eyes widened as he felt his body stiffen.

“
Having a heart
of stone is terrible,” Paul continued deviously. “But then, it is
just a saying. You don’
t
really
have a heart of stone.” Paul smiled,
an evil smile. “And now, I
’
m going to make that
saying a reality.”

I
’
m going to make that saying a reality.

“
No!
Please!
Aaaaaaaaaaargh!”

Damon screamed as well, covering his eyes. He
didn
’
t
care if he was a grown man- nobody should have to witness something
so horrific.

“
This prison
does need a little… designing. The statue of Dave Brown can be the
first thing. Perhaps you can tell the new Sergeant to add some
plants and vases, Damon.”

“
Please- just
kill me.” Damon was shaking so much he couldn’
t even get to his feet. “Kill me now- I
don
’
t
want to live anymore.”

“
You poor
thing,” said Paul coldly. “Was Brown your lover, Damon?”

“
No!”

“
Then stop
snivelling and get up.”

Damon obeyed, face wet with tears. Paul suddenly grabbed
him by the collar, slamming him into the wall right next to
Brown
’
s statue.

“
Murder, Damon.
It’
s not very nice, is
it?”

“
N-no- let me
go!”

“
You’
re going to pay for
what you did to my daughter, Damon. Every night, when you close
your eyes, you
’
ll see the stone face of Dave Brown staring at you.
Every time you misbehave, you
’
ll pass his statue.
You
’
ll
be sorry you ever touched my child and grandchild, believe
me.”

“
I already am
sorry,” said Damon pleadingly. “I’
m sorry, Paul!”

“
I know,”
smirked Paul, “But now you’
ll
be even more sorry.”

He
didn
’
t
move from where he was, even when officers called his name one
floor down. His name and Brown
’
s… and only Damon
answered.

“
Mummy, I want
cook-cook peas.”

“
You
didn’
t even eat all of your
oatmeal, sweetie.”

“
I no like
oaty. I want cook-cook!” Baby Julian giggled, adding
“Peas.”

“
Breakfast
first, cookies after.”

Dreamer was about to flip the pancake again for her son
when she stopped, staring through the glass wall into her backyard
at a black box- with a lens. She put the skillet down, the
baby
’
s
smile fading.

“
Mummy?”

“
Eat up, baby.”
Dreamer spoke softly, staring right through the lens into the
man’
s eyes. The baby recoiled,
not liking her expression one bit.

“
What’
s wrong,
sweetie?”

“
I no want
oaty!” wailed Baby Julian, eyes filling. “I want
cook-cook!”

“
Shh,” she said
gently. “Take a few more bites for Mummy, baby.”

“
Will I get
cook-cook?”

“
Three,”
Dreamer promised with a smile. “Breakfast first, ok
honey?”

Ted stared at Cruise
’
s broad smile, saying
“Done already?”

“
Sir, I did say
all I needed was one week.” Cruise placed his DVD on the kitchen
table, along with a few sheets of paper. “I’
m done.”

“
Cool,” said
Marlon, but Cruise ignored him as he handed Ted the
papers.

“
That’
s Dreamer
Black
’
s address. I had a feeling she wasn
’
t far away- and
here
’
s
the name and address of everybody who went into her house- except
her parents, of course.”

Cruise shivered as he remembered bolting as fast as he
could the minute he saw Paul Black and his wife enter the kitchen,
which faced the back garden. He
’
d read about what
happened to the other spy, who went missing and was never found.
Cruise was
not
going to be next.

“
Miriam?” he
said incredulously. “Miriam knew about this?”

“
Yes sir, she
did.” Cruise smirked, pleased with himself. He took it upon himself
to follow Miriam home, finding out everything. “It turns out that
Miriam Hughes is the er… mystery lady.”

“
What!” Pandora
burst out, Marlon as well.
“Miriam?”

“
I’
ve got all the evidence
on this disk-”

“
I
don’
t believe this,” Ted said
weakly, as Pandora let out a stream of curses, Marlon with
her.

“
After I just
got back from the office, after she asked me if I heard anything
about my Mum! I’
ll kill her,
Dad!”

“
We’
ll do it together,”
said Marlon furiously. “With a shotgun, right?”

“
I’
d rather axe the
little-”

“
Marlon!
Pandora!” said Ted sharply, looking at them. “Stop that
talk.”

“
What about
this… baby thing?” Ted asked nervously, and Cruise hesitated. Then
he said “It wasn’
t a joke, Mr
Stone- the baby
’
s real.”

“
You’
re kidding,” said
Pandora blankly. “It- it
’
s not hers,
though.”

“
Well,
actually…” Cruise dithered before saying “It
is
hers.”

“
It cant be,”
said Ted, looking at him confusedly. “I mean, she
hasn’
t had
time
to
have a baby. This is the ninth month she
’
s been back, almost
tenth. She
’
s been the same the whole time, so how-”

“
I
don’
t know how, but
it
’
s
hers,” Cruise said, head starting to hurt. “It
’
s time to look at this
DVD- I took the last photos this morning.”

“
They look just
like each other,” Cruise said nervously, looking at Ted. “He even
has her eyes, Mr Stone. Dark green, like Christmas
trees.”

Ted said nothing, deep in shock. Cruise licked his lips
before flicking through the photos one by one,
Ted
’
s
eyes growing wider and wider. Dreamer cuddling the baby as he
cried. Dreamer playing with the baby, laughing as he frowned at her
stack of bricks being higher than his tiny body. Dreamer singing a
lullaby as the baby fell asleep in her arms. Dreamer holding the
baby in one arm as she spoke to Miriam. Miriam cooking happily for
Dreamer while Dreamer fed the baby. Agnes, Paul and Dreamer seated
at the kitchen table having lunch while the baby mashed his food
with his little spoon, up in his high chair.