New Title 1 (28 page)

As she put the key in the front door and turned it, Candle Wax darted out of a bush and brushed against her leg, meowing. Mandy smiled and reached down to stroke the cat, but her hand passed through empty air and she stood up, frowning and unable to remember why she had bent down in the first place.

CHAPTER 19

Not long after Mandy went, Chase made her excuses and left Adam to finish his drink. But not before she had asked him where Mandy lived – it was still light and she was concerned about her and she wanted to check she was all right.

Adam had given her directions to a large house at the end of a winding drive. The front of the house was covered by wisteria, the purple hanging flowers swaying in the breeze. There was an integral garage next to the front door – the garage door was open but there was no car and Chase considered the supposed crash, wondering whether it would be too rude or distressing to ask Mandy about it.

A curtain shrouding the large bay window twitched when she rang the bell. A hollow resonance could be heard in the bowels of the house. Chase waited patiently, but no one answered. She rang the bell again.

“Who’s there?”

Chase recognised Mandy’s voice. “It’s me, Chase.”

“Chase ... Chase who?”

“Chase Black. We were just in the pub, remember? You forgot your book.” She held up the copy of Paradise Lost and heard bolts being slid across and latches being turned before the door opened slightly. Mandy peered through the crack, the fingers of one hand curling around the edge of the door like a white crab.

“Chase. Yes, I think I remember.” She opened the door, frowning before she scuttled back into the hallway so Chase could enter.

Chase held out the book and Mandy looked at it as though she didn’t know what it was. Disconcerted, Chase placed the book next to a telephone. “Does it work?” she asked, indicating the phone.

“Sometimes I hear things on it.”

“Do you mind if I try?”

Mandy shook her head and Chase picked the receiver up and put it to her ear. The line was dead and she suddenly noticed that the flex had been ripped from the wall. “You hear things on here?” Chase indicated the flex.

Mandy nodded. “Sometimes.”

Putting the receiver back in the cradle, Chase looked at Mandy and shook her head. “I just wanted to check you were okay, that’s all.”

“I’m ... I’m scared.” A tear rolled down her cheek.

A compassionate urge came over Chase and she walked toward Mandy and put her arms around her. Mandy rested her head in the crook of Chase’s shoulder and wept, her body heaving as she fought to catch her breath between sobs.

“Don’t worry,” Chase said, ignoring the unwashed smell as she stroked Mandy’s head. “Everything’s going to be okay.” Although she tried to sound convincing, Chase knew her words of encouragement sounded hollow.

When Mandy stopped crying, Chase said, “Feeling better?”

“A bit. Thank you.”

“Think nothing of it.” She didn’t think this was the right moment to ask about Mandy’s parents. “Well, I’ve got to go now, there’s someone I need to see.”

Terror was written all over Mandy’s face. “Please, don’t leave me on my own.”

Chase was going to offer countless reasons why Mandy couldn’t come with her, but when she looked at Mandy’s fearful expression, she said, “Okay, come on.” Her reasons were also slightly selfish because she didn’t want to be on her own, either. Taking Mandy by the hand, they walked out of the house.

Leading the way to the dilapidated farmhouse, Chase was determined to find out what was really going on, that was if the Raggedy man actually knew anything at all. She wondered whether he was just fooling her? But she wasn’t going to take any shit this time. If she wanted conundrums, she’d buy a puzzle book. She wanted straight answers and she wasn’t going to settle for anything less.

Clouds painted the sky shades of grey and they walked beneath the trees surrounding the farmhouse without speaking. Occasionally, she had the feeling that someone was following them, but when she spun round, there was no one there, phantoms of the mind. She thought about what Mandy had said, about people changing. Things certainly weren’t normal around
Paradise
. There was Belinda, Ms Woods, Patricia, the man with the knife at the reception, George, the Raggedy man. None of them could be called normal.
 

Reaching the farmhouse, she barged straight through the front door. She stormed toward the back room, dodging the carcasses like a boxer avoiding punches. Noticing Mandy’s wide-eyed alarm at the sight of the dead animals, she tightened her grip on her hand. Although her eyes had not yet adapted to the lack of light, she heard a door slamming.

“
Come back here
,” she shouted, making Mandy jump as she tugged her through the door to the back room. But it was too late, the Raggedy man had gone. Running to the back door, she opened it and quickly scanned the area, but she couldn’t see anyone.

She slammed the door shut, and kicked the broken remains of a cup across the room, venting her frustration. It hit the floor with a hollow thud and Chase frowned. Leading Mandy to where the cup had hit the floor she stamped her foot on the wooden boards, causing a hollow echo. She let go of Mandy’s hand, crouched down and ran her fingers across the floor until she felt a loose section. Finding a hole where a knot had been, she slid her finger through and prised open the trapdoor to the basement. The hatch clattered to the ground, sounded like a door being slammed. Chase gave a knowing grin and peered down into the darkness.

“Come on, I know you’re down there,” she said. “Come up where I can see you.” She saw movement in the darkness, a shadow. “I need more answers.”

The shadow flitted away from the opening.

“Don’t make me come down there. I’ve had about all I can take, and you won’t like it if I get angry.”

“I know,” a voice replied, drifting up from the darkness.

“Get up here,
now
,” she commanded.

The shadow fluttered back into the pale light of the hatch and began to climb the steps. She couldn’t make out any features as the figures face was wrapped by a dirty looking piece of dark material that left only the eyes visible. Mandy took a step back, alarmed.

“It’s okay,” Chase said, “he won’t do anything.” She hoped that was true.

The Raggedy man was wearing a long, dark coat down to his ankles that billowed out like wings as he stepped into the room.

“Now, tell me what’s going on, or God help me, I’ll ...”

“Who are you?” The Raggedy man cocked his head, quizzical.

Chase frowned. That voice. Familiar, and yet ...

“You know who I am,” she said. “You asked me to come here.”

“I ... did?”

“More to the point, who are
you
?”

“I’m no one.”

“Look, cut the bull and take that rag off your head so I can see your face.”

“I remember you. I brought you here.” He shook his head and took a step back, as if about to flee. “I’m the magic man, and I want you to go.”

Chase was one step ahead of him. Just as he made to turn and run, she cut across to her left. With a swift movement, she stretched out her foot, tripping the Raggedy man, sending him sprawling across the floor and inadvertently knocking the hatch shut. Before he had time to gain his feet, Chase jumped on his back, pinning him down. As he struggled, she reached down and pulled the material from his face.

Although gaunt, pale and dirty, the face was instantly recognisable and Chase scuttled away from him, her mouth open in disbelief and her heart hammering.

“Mat,” she whispered.

CHAPTER 20

Chase couldn’t believe her eyes. Although his features were haunted, his eyes sunken and his hair greasy and longer than when she had last seen him, there was no mistaking the bedraggled figure lying on the floor: it was her disappearing boyfriend. Tears welled in Chase’s eyes.

“Mat?” He said the name as though it was a foreign word.

“Mat, it’s me, Chase.”

“Chase.”

“Why are you doing this to me? Where have you been? What are you doing here?” She couldn’t understand what was going on.

“You’ve come for the next lesson,” Mat said in a deep timbre. It was not a question. He stood up and bowed his head.

“Mat, look at me. Don’t you recognise me?” Chase gained her feet and stepped toward him.

Mat took a step back. “
Don’t
,” he hissed.

“Mat, for God’s sake, it’s me. Talk to me. Please ... Tell me what’s going on.”

“Chase ...” Recognition flashed across his pained features, and then it was gone.

“
I’m going mad here
,” Chase screamed. “Tell me what’s going on.
Please
.”

Mat put his head in his hands. “I ... I can’t remember.”

“Try.”

“Remembering ... it hurts.”

“Remembering what?”

“Remembering it all.”

“I can’t take much more of this.” Tears rolled down her cheeks. “Why did you leave me? I need to know why. What are you doing here?”

“Leave! They ... they made me.”

“They?”

“Full moon, half moon, the cow jumped over the moon.”

“Mat, talk to me.” Chase didn’t understand what he was saying. Did he mean Nigel Moon had made him leave her? Why was he talking in rhymes?

“The vicar. How’s the vicar?” he asked, suddenly cognisant.

“I think he’s dead.” It sounded ridiculous, and she was still secretly hoping that it wasn’t true.

“Dead.” He shook his head. “He knew.”

“Knew what?”

“The truth.”

Chase shook her head. She didn’t think she could take much more.

“Are you all right,” Mandy asked, putting a hand on Chase’s shoulder.

Chase didn’t miss the irony of Mandy comforting her. “I don’t know what’s going on anymore.” She cradled her stomach and looked back at Mat. “I’m pregnant. We’re going to have a baby.”

“Dead. The vicar, dead?” He shook his head.

“Do you understand? I’m pregnant.”

He looked at her, his eyes narrowed as he realised what she had said. “Pregnant. You can’t.”

“Can’t?”

“Can’t have the monster.”

“Monster!” Chase frowned. “It’s our baby.” It was not the response she expected. What was wrong with him? What was he doing here?

Mat stepped toward her. “You can’t have it.” His face was bathed in shadows, his eyes gleaming with a feral glint.

Chase backed away, suddenly scared. “Mat, what are you doing?”

“They brought me here ... it’s my fault they found you ... it’s all my fault.” He took another step.

“Mat, please. Look at me. Mat, I love you.”

The word struck Mat like a body blow and he stopped advancing. “Love ... I remember.” He staggered on the spot.