Beyond Death (21 page)

‘Oooh, I just love that chocolate.’ Sandy pointed to the chocolate that had been recently advertised on TV by a beautiful slim pop star who probably hadn’t eaten chocolate since she’d reached puberty. Carol looked in her trolley and smiled.

‘Hmmm, it’s my weekly treat.’

‘I’m off to get some now.’ And Carol watched as the strange-looking nervy woman whose long fringe covered most of her face rushed off down the sweetie aisle. She finished her shopping and went home and watched her favourite soap. At the credits she quickly logged on to her computer and spent the next half hour messaging Mel. She was so looking forward to seeing her daughter and told her that she had a few surprises in store for her for half term. Mel sounded excited at the prospect and when they’d finished Carol turned in early, relaxed and contented. She had one of her rare nights when she slept well and woke up later than usual, refreshed and raring to go. Her long shower left her little time to get ready for work and it wasn’t until lunchtime that she noticed her mobile phone was missing – by then it was too late.

*****

The School Secretary answered the phone on the third ring. The penultimate day before half term and she was more than ready for the break. The Head was off on compassionate leave - her elderly mother had had a stroke and she had been understandably distressed. They didn’t expect her to return until at least the beginning of November and her absence had increased the School Secretary’s workload. And now Carol Dawkins was on the phone saying that she knew it was short-notice, but that she wanted to take Mel out of school that afternoon instead of the following as she’d booked a late deal holiday for her.

‘I’ll have to get permission from the Deputy Head, the Head is indefinitely indisposed.’

The voice on the other end of the phone said she’d trust that the school would be sympathetic after the difficult times that Mel had experienced. The Secretary replied that she’d get back to her within the hour.

Mr Moore, Mel’s Form Tutor thought it was a marvellous idea and went to speak to the Deputy Head.

‘I appreciate it’s against school policy,’ he said, ‘but with the break-up of her parents, the revelation about her father’s other family and also that business with the police, it’s been a very difficult time for Mel Dawkins.’

Mr Lawson put his hands behind his back and looked out of the window. The sky was grey and he could see leaves dancing in the autumn wind. This pontificating wasn’t getting him anywhere but he knew he had to think carefully before making the decision. Young Mr Moore couldn’t be seen to have it all his own way.

‘I can’t emphasise enough how good a holiday would be for Mel,’ he swallowed and added, ‘it would really be appreciated if you could bend the rules on this occasion, I would say the circumstances in this case are exceptional.’ Mr Moore smiled ingratiatingly, despising himself for doing so and hoping he was doing a good job of hiding his true feelings toward the Deputy Head. It didn’t matter anyway as he was currently speaking to his back.

Mr Lawson turned. ‘Very well, you’ve convinced me. But carry out the proper security checks first and ensure that nothing funny’s going on. After that business earlier in the year, we don’t want any scandals for the school.’

‘Of course’
did he think he was stupid
? ‘I’ll make sure we do. And thanks.’ His gratitude was genuine and he returned to the office to instruct the secretary to confirm the arrangements with Mel’s mother. This was done in a hurry, as Mr Moore was keen to give the good news to his star pupil.

Mel was thrilled. Not only was she leaving school a day early but her mother was taking her on holiday. It was only for a week but she’d have a tan and would be the envy of all her friends on her return.

‘I hope it’s somewhere warm,’ she said squeezing her arms together, ‘I’m just about packed anyway so that won’t take me long.’ She was thinking out loud, Mr Moore forgotten in her excitement.

‘Hmm. Mel?’

‘Sorry, Sir.’

‘Have you heard from your mother?’ He asked, putting his thumb in his blazer pocket with the fingers outside, Prince Charles style.

‘Can I check my phone?’

He nodded. The students were allowed to keep their phones on them but only permitted to use them during break and meal times.

Mel read the text and handed her phone over to her teacher.

‘That’s a little strange that she wants to pick you up from the garage in town and not the school?’

‘Hmm, but it does say that we’ll save half an hour if I can meet her where she’s filling up the car, and the flight times are really tight.’

‘Fair enough,’ said her teacher. ‘It’s not as if she always picks you up from school.’ Mel had met her mother in the town before but with the Deputy Head’s words still ringing in his head, he would get the secretary to call Mrs Dawkins to see if she could come to the school instead.

‘Go on then, Mel. Go and get changed and get ready to go and come to the office at 2pm so we can sign you out.’

She nodded and tried not to run to her room, her mind whizzing with thoughts of sandy shores and good looking waiters. Her friends would be green. The only thing that slightly marred her happiness was the fact that she couldn’t share it with Drew and Alice. Since their denial earlier in the year their friendship had suffered and she’d been moved to a different room. Although she’d made new friends she missed them both, more so Drew who’d been taken out of school and nobody knew what was going on with her. 

*****

The twins had discussed their half-sister with Fiona and Libby the night before. The girls thought it reasonable that they wanted to meet her, especially having lost Claire fourteen months previously.

‘And your father says it’s too soon to see her?’ Asked Libby.

‘That’s right. But I think it should be her choice.’ Tony had left out the bit about their father asking her if she wanted to meet them and Mel saying that she didn’t. Jim raised his eyebrows at his brother, but Tony decided to ignore him. Fiona didn’t miss the look.

‘And what does she think? She must have an opinion, surely?’

‘Well what...’

‘Who knows?’ Tony interrupted his brother.

‘Well I think you should arrange to see her, but only if she wants to see you both.’ Said Libby and Tony smiled and kissed her on the cheek. They’d been extremely patient with their father and he still hadn’t arranged a meeting. Their curiosity had won over patience and the brothers planned to visit Mel’s school the following day and hoped to see her when her mother picked her up, amongst the general chaos that went along with collection of hordes of children. They’d seen a few photos of Carol at their father’s flat, one of her and her distinctive car, so it shouldn’t be too difficult. Jim could see that Tony didn’t intend to come clean with the girls. He hated deceiving Fiona so kept his head down in the hope that she wouldn’t guess what they were up to. He didn’t fancy an argument tonight, with his brother, or with his fiancée.

*****

The School Secretary had said that Mel was definitely to meet her mother at the filling station so she was making her way there. She attempted to pick up her rucksack out of the luggage compartment of the bus. The other passengers smiled at the sight of the teenager trying to sling a bag almost as big at herself onto her back. A man felt sorry for her and got up to give her a hand and she took out her earphones and thanked him. He acknowledged the thanks, grateful that some of the day’s youth had been brought up with manners and respect for their elders. She held onto the pole until the bus stopped, then grabbed onto the straps of her rucksack, hoisting the pack further up her back. She thanked the driver - impressing her earlier helper even more - and jumped off the bottom step. Mel put her earphones back in, planning to listen to her iPod for the ten-minute walk to the petrol station where she would meet her mother. She didn’t get there and her mother didn’t know she was missing until the following day.

*****

Carol was cursing herself for losing her phone. She’d hunted high and low but still couldn’t find it. She knew that Mel wasn’t expecting her to call today and that she’d be seeing her tomorrow, but was still miffed. She intended to turn the house upside down at the weekend and buy another if she couldn’t find it. Mel was always going on to her to buy a smart phone so she’d treat herself if her old pay as you go
didn’t turn up, and her daughter could help her choose it. She was about to log-on to her computer for a quick chat with Mel when she remembered that she had a hockey match and wouldn’t be back yet. Tomorrow would come soon enough and they could have a proper face-to-face catch up.

*****

It took the twins ages to find a parking space. Tony looked around.

‘Most of these are abandoned and not parked. Bloody women drivers.’

‘Don’t let the girls hear you say that.’ They laughed and got out of the car. After a search of the car park, neither saw Carol’s Nissan Micra. They got back into the car and waited, people watching as the parents, mostly mothers, returned to the cars with their children, fussing over them as if they hadn’t seen them for years and not weeks. It wasn’t long before the little blue car with a flower and bee emblem on the passenger door arrived. The car park was now overflowing and they watched her park in the wooded area between two trees, the little car’s wheels spinning on the muddy surface. Carol made her way to the path wiping the bottom of her shoes on the grass before walking on the stony surface.

‘What now?’ Asked Jim and Tony’s look told him that they wait until she returned to the car with their sister.

‘Should be less than fifteen minutes if the others are anything to go by.’ And so they prepared for the short wait before getting the first look at their sister.

Fifteen minutes passed, then thirty. Both started to feel uneasy and as they were beginning to suspect that something wasn’t right, a police car arrived carrying two uniformed officers who got out of their car and waited. Another car arrived shortly after and a man and woman in plain clothes approached the uniformed officers. It seemed to the boys that they were giving them instructions and it was pretty obvious that these were plain clothed detectives.

‘Come on, let’s go in.’ Said Tony but Jim put a restraining hand on him.

Tony knew he was right - there was no way they could go and introduce themselves to their father’s ex-lover when she was dealing with some sort of crisis over her daughter.

‘We’ll need to wait and see what happens but I’m going to call Dad.’ He hung up when there was no answer and the twins remained in the car worried about their half-sister, each minute that ticked away seeming like an hour.

Tony was looking out of the window towards the trees. ‘She’s not there is she?’

Jim didn’t need to say anything. They feared the worst and sat in silence, each lost in his own thoughts and undecided what to do next.

‘Duck!’ Tony obeyed instantly but it was too late as their father banged on the driver’s side window. Jim sat up as if he’d been looking for something on the floor of the car and rolled down the window. The anguish showed on his father’s face.

‘Mel’s gone missing.’ He was rushed and agitated, stopping only briefly on his way to the school. He hadn’t bothered quizzing them about their presence, nor had he asked how they had got the address or why they were trying to hide from him.

‘Where is she? Is she safe?’

Graham shook his head, turning his back on their car as he made his way to the school building. ‘I don’t know the full story. Carol phoned me and she was frantic. Somebody called yesterday and pretended to be Carol. I don’t know any more. I’ll contact you as soon as I do.’

‘We’ll wait here until you come out, Dad.’ Tony shouted as they watched him hurrying away.

*****

Mel opened her eyes slowly and the room moved. She felt like she had when she’d tried too many Alco pops and she squeezed her eyes shut again before re-opening them. She vaguely recalled being grabbed from behind and not being able to move. Then something damp and smelly had covered her mouth and nose. She’d hoped it was a bad dream but now that the blurriness had gone and she sat up on the unclean mattress and looked around, she knew it was real. The room was bare with damp rising from the floor and a sink in the corner. She didn’t know what colour the walls had once been, they varied from a dirty grey to a gone off cream. There was a small window, which had bars on it, and it wasn’t until she went to move from the bed to have a look out of the window, that she realized that her right hand was shackled to the side of the bed frame. She tried to quell her rising terror by allowing her anger to rise to the surface and she banged her free hand on the mattress. Her stomach rumbled and Mel realized that she hadn’t eaten for a while. She looked at her watch and it was 2 o’clock. She could see it was light outside so it must be the afternoon and it must also be Friday. So she’d slept for almost 24 hours, no wonder she felt so muggy. She was desperate for the loo and when she put her feet on the floor, Mel’s foot hit something. She looked and saw the cracked potty at her feet. After some internal wrangling, she decided to swallow her disgust and attempt to use the vessel – it was either that or wet herself. The shackle was long enough for her to be able to get off the bed and bend down. She could use her hand a little but had to wrap her left hand around the back of her body to pull down her underwear. Despite her circumstances it was a good feeling to be able to relieve herself. When she rearranged her clothing after she’d finished and sat back down on the bed, she contemplated her circumstances in an attempt to stop the terror from taking over.

Before Mel had time to think properly about the situation the door to the room opened. A woman dressed in a black gown from head to toe, with only a slit for her eyes, walked slowly into the room carrying a tray. Despite her own fear Mel noticed that the woman walked with a laboured limp as if she were in pain.

‘Stand and face the wall.’ Mel followed her orders.

‘Where am I? Wh..’

‘Shut up.’ Said the voice in barely a whisper and she did as she was told.