Her Guardians Lost (Her Guardians Trilogy #2) (20 page)

BOOK: Her Guardians Lost (Her Guardians Trilogy #2)
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“Yes, you did, Caroline. Now, come on. We need to get going home. It’s getting cold.”

Caroline didn’t move, though. Instead, she threw her arms around me and held on as tight as she possibly could. “I’m not going now that I’ve found her. I want to stay with angel Cassie. She’s missing someone she loves, too.”

Oh, my god
! If I thought this couldn’t get any weirder, I was wrong. I wasn’t the one with the superpowers. This wonderful little girl was. She’d only met me minutes ago, yet she knew more about me than most people.

“Angel Cassie is hurting and needs someone to give her a cuddle.”

All I could do was sit there, wondering how on earth she could possibly know.

Everyone was still as I held this wonderful child in my arms. I could see Simon’s and Molly’s faces. They both looked as utterly bewildered as I did.

After a few moments, I managed to compose myself a little. Stroking her silky hair away from her face, I kissed her forehead. “Thank you, Caroline.”

Her head tilted once again and the sad face was suddenly gone. Now her face radiated happiness. “Everybody needs a hug sometimes, right?”

Chuckling, I laid my hand on her head. “They sure do.”

“Did mine make you feel better?”

Laughing again, I stroked her head. “It sure did. More than you could possibly know.”

“Come along, Caroline. Cassie looks completely and utterly shell-shocked,” Molly laughed.

“Okay, Mummy, but can Cassie come with us to get some ice cream? Please, Mummy?”

Smiling, Molly shook her head. “Only if Cassie has time.” She looked over at me and I suddenly had all sets of eyes bearing down upon me…the most piercing being Caroline’s. She was twitching slightly in anticipation of my answer.

“I always have time for ice cream.”

“Yay!” Caroline shouted as she ran to her mum.

Still completely dumbfounded, I walked towards Simon. “Angel, huh?” he said in an amused tone.

I snorted. “Yeah.”

We walked behind Molly and Caroline, who was now skipping with joy. Simon suddenly stopped and turned to me. His expression said it all. The wheels in his brain were working.

“You can’t be…?” He paused a moment, then shook his head. “Nah,” he said, then carried on walking.

The panic that had risen again suddenly subsided. I had a feeling he wanted to ask me that question, but I knew I wasn’t prepared to answer it. It was okay that an innocent child thought of me as her guardian angel. Children were naturally more perceptive and sometimes wiser than adults. They can sense things that adults couldn’t. However, children’s imaginations tend to run wild, so I was hoping that was all they saw in Caroline. Whatever it was, I could smile in the knowledge that Caroline was a different girl from the one we saw when we first arrived.

I thought it best to change the subject because my head was swimming with it all at the moment. “How are things between the two of you now?”

Placing his hands in his pockets, he smiled as he watched his sister and his niece walking together. “We’re still a long way off, but at least it looks like she’s forgiven me. She was so distraught when she heard Mum was in the hospital because she thought about what she had been missing all these years. She said she would hate to know something happened to one of us before letting us know she still loved and cared for us. Which reminds me, I have something to tell you, but now isn’t the right time. We’ll talk later.”

I nodded just in time to hear Caroline’s sweet voice, “Cassie! Cassie, what ice cream do you want? I want vanilla. I love vanilla.” Grabbing my hand, she pulled me into the shop.

“I think I’ll have the same as you,” I said, laughing.

We ordered, and I was about to pull some money out of my purse when Simon stopped me. “I’ll get these.”

I knew there was no arguing. I took the ice cream and thanked him as we sat down. Caroline’s face was animated as she licked the ice cream and stared out at the lake.

“I don’t know what you’ve done to my daughter, but she’s the happiest I’ve seen her in a long time. I can’t remember the last time she skipped.” Molly laughed a little. I didn’t quite know what to say to that. I had an inkling as to why she had changed, but it wasn’t something I was going to explain.

“You have a wonderful daughter, Molly. I bet you’re extremely proud of her.”

Smiling, she lovingly looked across at her daughter. “I am very proud of her.” She stroked her head and Caroline tried her best to wink at her mum. It kind of looked like a blink rather than a wink, causing us all to giggle.

The conversation soon turned to school and Christmas. Caroline was excited about the coming holiday season and wondered what Father Christmas might bring. I was hoping she wouldn’t turn sad and start talking about her father, but she didn’t. I think she just wanted to feel happiness for once, and I could completely understand how that felt.

Once we had all eaten our ice cream, we decided to go to the hospital to visit Mama Caroline. Little Caroline was feeling lighter than air about the prospect of seeing her grandmother again. She had only seen her briefly once, and she said she like her a lot.

The hospital seemed busier than first thing this morning, so I decided to get a coffee down in the canteen. Simon came with me, giving Caroline and Molly the space they needed to talk with his mum. I knew he wanted to talk with me about something anyway, so I thought now was as good a time as any.

“So,” I started, as we sat down at a table with our coffee, “what did you want to talk to me about?”

At first, Simon looked confused, then the spark of remembrance glazed over him. “Ah, yes. It’s about that little girl we found at the site in North Devon. I got confirmation this morning that it was Lisa Bellmont. I was going to ring and tell you this morning, but I got a call from the centre before I could.”

Feeling my heart ache, I hung my head in dismay. I knew it was coming, but I still wasn’t prepared for it. To me, this girl held a special place in my heart. I had felt the pain she was in as she looked up into the eyes of a very young Justin Merryfield, pleading with him to help her.

“Okay. Thank you for telling me. I still want to arrange everything.”

Simon smiled. “I know you do. I’ve given them your contact details and said you would call at some point to arrange her burial.”

“I assume her mother is buried somewhere?”

“Yes. I believe she is buried in Twickenham Cemetery.”

“Then that is where I’ll bury Lisa. I’m sure they would have wanted to be buried together. It would give me comfort to know she’ll be with her daughter again. That she’s finally been found and brought home.”

Simon patted my gloved hand. “I think that would be great.”

 

*****

 

I stayed at the hospital a couple of hours, chatting and enjoying the happiness of everyone around me. There was certainly an air of appreciation. Mama Caroline thanked me over and over, and I told her I would always be there for her and her family. She cried and said I was like the other daughter she never had. I chuckled, my heart swelling at her kind words.

I finally decided it was time to go, and Simon said he’d drop me off, much to little Caroline’s dismay. She clung to me and didn’t want to let me go. I assured her I would be around whenever she needed me, and she hesitantly let go. I gave Molly my number and told her to call if ever she wanted.

 

Chapter 17

 

The next few days was full of funeral and wedding arrangements. It felt strange to be organizing the celebration of new beginnings, and celebrating the ending of a young life.

The day before the funeral, Hamish came around for a visit, bringing with him some money he had collected for the funeral. He told me that Simon had mentioned what I was doing and everybody thought it was the honourable thing to do. The money would help, as the funeral had eaten into all my savings, but I was determined to use the two thousand pounds that were raised for something else. There were other people that needed it more than me, and keeping it didn’t seem right. I ended up thanking Hamish and took the money, hiding it in a jar in the kitchen. I was sure it would come in handy one day.

On the day of the funeral, Simeon came to pick me up, and Simon was going to meet us there. I had secured a plot next to Lisa’s mother, happy I could finally bring her daughter back to where she belonged.

What I wasn’t looking forward to tomorrow was my court appearance at Daniel’s trial. My stomach coiled at the prospect. I didn’t really want to have to face him again in any capacity. The only thing that kept me going was knowing his poor wife was going to be there, and she had to have been a hell of a lot more nervous than I was. She shared a life with him. She probably thought they were going to start a family—share their lives and memories together.

A knock on my door brought me out of my musings. It seemed Simeon was on time for a change. He had been late the last time we made arrangements to get together. Lately, he had been my rock, coming around and spending time with me just when I needed it the most. I think we both needed each other. I was sure we fed off of each other’s vibes.

“It sucks, doesn’t it?” he asked as he stood at the door.

“What?”

“Wearing black. It feels like someone’s died.”

“Someone
has
died, Simeon.”

“I know, but it’s depressing.”

“Well, think of it this way. She’s in a better place now, isn’t she? You and I both know that for sure.” I smiled, taking his hand.

“Are you ready?”

“To be honest with you, I don’t think anybody could be ready to say goodbye to a child. But it has to be done.”

Putting his arm around my shoulders, Simeon shut the door. “Like you said, she’s in a better place now. Let’s make sure she gets a proper send-off, shall we?”

Nodding, I smiled as we walked down the stairs. “Thank you for being here for me today.”

“It’s no sweat. It just so happens I have a rest day today, so it wasn’t a problem.”

“And how is police life, Simeon? Just like
The Bill
?” I chuckled.

Simeon smiled as he held the car door open for me. “It’s not that far off, actually. All I have to do is wave my truncheon about and people behave themselves. It’s really easy.”

I laughed as he closed my door, waiting until he climbed in the other side before I spoke. “Do you make a habit of waving your truncheon about, Simeon?”

Starting the car, he turned to me. “Why is finding me waving my truncheon about so funny?”

I started laughing harder. “Stop it. You’re being rude.”

Gasping, he pointed a finger into his chest. “
Me
? You’re the one with the obvious filthy mind if you think I’m being rude.”

Swatting at him, I gasped right back. “
You’re
the one making obvious innuendos here, Simeon. Not me.”

“What’s the innuendo when I say I wave my truncheon about? I’m telling you that it’s so big, it has the men crouching in terror, the women desperate to touch it.”

That was it. I was off and there was no going back. I knew Simeon knew exactly what he was doing, but I didn’t care. It felt good to laugh for a change.

“You’re so adorable when you laugh. You should do it more often.”

Feeling myself blush, I nudged him in embarrassment. “You’re too much. Let’s go before we end up being late.”

Pulling the car away, Simeon glanced my way. “Are you worried you’ll want to touch my truncheon?”

“Simeon!” I bellowed, swatting him on the arm.

He laughed. “Okay, okay. I was only joking.”

“You better be!” Folding my arms, I huffed in amused annoyance. Simeon briefly flicked his eyes my way and smiled. “Stop it, Simeon.”

“Stop what?”

Looking out the window, I smiled and whispered, “You know what.”

Within a half-hour, we were at the cemetery where Simon was waiting. He was standing tall and statuesque, wearing a suit and a very long black coat. He was certainly dressed for the occasion.

When we got out of the car, I noticed the air smelled like rain. The sky was thick with clouds, which just suited the mood of the day.

Gathering my coat and bag, I opened the door, seeing Simeon’s hand awaiting mine. I smiled and gracefully grabbed it as he helped me out of the seat.

“Morning, Cassie. How’s the shoulder?”

“Really well, thanks. I went to the doctor yesterday and he said I should have the sling off in a couple days.”

“That’s brilliant. Do you think you’ll be ready for work next week?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be, Simon. I’ll be glad to get back to normal.”

“I bet you are.” Turning to Simeon, he held his hand out. “Stephen, how are you today?”

“Fine, thank you, sir. I’m not particularly feeling that good about attending a child’s funeral, though.”

Simon shook his head. “You and me both, Stephen. You and me both.”

Walking towards the chapel, Simon suddenly turned to me. “Cassie, although this day isn’t particularly filled with joy, I think you’ll find it a little easier once you get into the church.”

Wondering what the hell he was talking about, I followed him in. I couldn’t understand how burying a child could possibly be easy.

Once we walked through the doors, I suddenly stopped. Sitting there, eagerly waiting for me, was Uncle Billy, Chris, Lisa-Marie, Catherine, Hamish, Paul, and Callum.

My eyes immediately welled with tears, knowing they were here to support me, as well as to say goodbye to a child they never knew. I was overwhelmed.

Walking over to them, I gave them all a hug, thanking them for coming. They all knew how important this was for me, and it showed me they cared.

Taking in the sight of the chapel, I immediately felt at peace. I could see the statue of The Virgin Mary opening her arms to welcome the child below. The casket was sitting beneath her and my heart instantly leapt into my throat. This was definitely going to be harder than I thought.

Clearing his throat, the priest announced himself, and we all sat down to hear his prayers. We sang a couple of hymns, then it was my turn to get up and say a few words. I was nervous because I wanted this to go as smoothly as it possibly could…for little Lisa’s sake.

Walking up to the podium, I unwrapped a piece of paper I had clutched to my hands and stood in front of everybody, clearing my throat. “Thank you all for coming today. For days, I tried to come up with something suitable to give little Lisa’s funeral justice. I must have wasted a hundred trees in my attempt.” I heard people chuckle a little, so I fell silent for a second.

“In the end, I thought it best to leave it up to somebody who could say it for me. It is a poem by an unknown person, but I think the words are a comfort in such a tragedy.”

Looking at the paper, I stood for a moment and gathered my thoughts. I could feel myself getting emotional, but I wanted so much to be able to say the words I had down on paper.

With a deep breath, I began.

 

“‘I’ll lend you, for a little while,
A child of mine,’ God said.
‘For you to love while she lives
and mourn for when she’s dead.
It may be six or seven years
or forty-two or three,
but will you, ‘til I call her back,
take care of her for me?

‘She'll bring her charms to gladden you
and, should her stay be brief,
you’ll have her nicest memories
as solace for your grief.
I cannot promise she will stay,
since all from earth return,
but there are lessons taught below,
I want this child to learn.

 

‘I’ve looked the whole world over
in my search for teachers true,
and from the things that crowd life’s lane
I have chosen you.
Now will you give her all your love,
nor think the labour vain,
nor hate me when I come to take
this lent child back again?

 

‘I fancied that I heard them say,
Dear Lord, Thy will be done.
For all the joys thy child will bring
the risk of grief we’ll run.
 

‘We’ll shelter her with tenderness,
we’ll love her while we may,
and for the happiness we’ve known
forever grateful stay.
 

‘But should thy Angels call for her
much sooner than we planned,
we’ll brave the grief that comes
and try to understand’.”

 

When I was finished, a tear rolled down my face as I gazed upon all the people who had come here for me and the little girl. Most of them were crying, but others—like Simeon, Simon, Paul, and Callum—shifted uncomfortably in their seats. I could tell it was affecting them, but they didn’t want to show any emotion.

We lay poor Lisa to rest right beside her mother. I laid pink lilies on her grave because I knew they were her favourite. It’s really strange knowing the last thoughts of someone before they died. Even in her terror, it seemed she knew the end was coming. Thoughts about all the important things she cherished as a child ran through her head. Her mother was one of them, but so was the beauty of flowers, especially lilies.

Standing back to look at their graves, I had Simeon on one side, Simon on the other. Both had grabbed one of my gloved hands as we stood in silence for a minute.

“That poem was beautiful, Cassie,” my uncle said, cutting through the silence.

“Thanks, Billy. I didn’t know what else to say. I suppose it’s sometimes easier letting someone else say it for you.”

Touching my arm, he smiled. “You did it so well.”

Nodding, I turned to find everyone there. “Is everyone up for a drink?” I asked, knowing it was just the thing we probably all needed. Everyone nodded. “Where shall we go?”

“How about The Three Horseshoes Pub back in Fulham?” Callum suggested. “It’s as good a pub as any. Unfortunately, Hamish, Paul, and I can’t go, but we can say goodbye from there.”

I suddenly felt a stab of pain. I was returning to the pub where Stephen and I had our first drink together.

“Are you okay?” Simeon asked as we walked back to the car. “You look pale. Is your shoulder hurting you?”

Shaking my head, I smiled. “No, I’m fine. Just a little sad, that’s all.” Stopping at the door of the car, I turned to him. “Actually, Simeon, do you mind waiting in the car for me a few moments? There’s something I need to do.”

Simeon looked confused for a moment, but smiled. “Do you need me to come with you?”

I shook my head. “No, it’s okay. This is something I need to take care of on my own.”

With a nod, Simeon opened the car door. “Okay, no problem. I’ll be waiting.” I watched him as he took a seat in the car.

Looking around, I sought out the grave I wanted to visit. I knew it was here because I visited it many years ago.

I finally came to a halt. In front of me was a grave, a fresh bunch of flowers sitting neatly on it. They couldn’t have been older than a day or two. I could make out his name through the flowers, though. Terrance Bradley.

Kneeling next to the grave, I placed a hand on the gravestone. “Hello, Terrance. It’s been a while. As you can tell, I’m all grown up now, but I have never stopped thinking about you. How could I when you were the one who came to me that awful night nineteen years ago? I would never forget it. You were kind to me and I will always thank you for that.” I sighed, closing my eyes and feeling the pain of it grip me again. “There is one other thing I need to say, and I’ve been meaning to say it for years. I’m sorry, Terrance. I’m so sorry I never saved you.” I rubbed the top of his gravestone tenderly, pulling a couple of weeds from the ground.

“I never thought to do that.”

The voice startled me. Looking up, Simon was staring down at me with a tender smile. “You thought I’d forgotten you.” I nodded, then looked away, feeling a little shame at my admission. “He was a good man…my uncle.”

I smiled. “I know he was.”

“He didn’t deserve what happened to him that night. It was the same night—the night your parents died.”

I nodded. “I know. I remember him reaching out to touch my hand, but I flinched away from him. Now I wished I hadn’t.”

Smiling, he shook his head. “You couldn’t know, Cassie. You were so little at the time. I never forgot you, though. I never forgot what you said. You didn’t even touch my hand to know that I would be a ‘big’ policeman one day.” He smiled cheekily, but I could see the question in his eyes.

BOOK: Her Guardians Lost (Her Guardians Trilogy #2)
8.08Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
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