Black Valley (17 page)

He brought his hands up to her waist, then ran them over her breasts, feeling the swell of them through her sweater.

‘OK. OK.’ He sat up suddenly, as if willing himself to do so. ‘You’re right. Let’s eat, and drink, and then have an early night.’

She lay for a moment longer on the bed looking up at him. The light was behind him, silvering the edges of his curly hair like a halo. In his quick movements and slender frame, she saw something
of the adolescent that he must once have been. He really is a lovely man, she thought. The lumpy mattress, and the dead spider, didn’t matter any more. Soon, she would be tucked up beside
him, and they’d have a whole night together, and they’d be able to lie there undisturbed, until the sun peeped through the latticed window . . .

‘A very early night,’ she said. ‘Very early indeed.’

He laughed, and she sat up beside him. Then they got up and began to ready themselves for dinner. Jess unpacked her make-up bag, though there wasn’t much she could do with the contents in
the half-light, other than apply some lipstick and comb her hair. Dresler took off his jacket and pulled on a thick sweater – it was chilly in the hotel – and then they were ready to go
downstairs.

They ate in a large vaulted dining room that led off the bar. There seemed to be no other guests, and only the one old man in attendance. However, a fire had been lit for them, and a table laid
beside it, so they were comfortable enough. Their meal was nothing to write home about, but it was good, home-cooked food, and they ate it with relish. The wine list was dull, so instead they drank
locally brewed real ale, which proved delicious – a pale golden colour with a bittersweet tang of hops – and surprisingly strong. By the time they had finished their meal, they were
both feeling lightheaded and in need of fresh air, so they decided to take a quick stroll before bed.

Outside, the wind had dropped, the rain had ceased, and the stars had come out. There was a bright sliver of moon above them, hanging like a lantern in the sky. They linked arms and walked
together down through the colonnade, the high arches looming up at them from either side. This must have been the aisle, thought Jess, and for a moment, she saw herself and Dresler as the bride and
groom walking through the ruined chapel, not to the altar, which had long since vanished, but to the great arched window that gave on to the fields and wooded hills of the valley beyond. It was an
image that thrilled and intrigued her; this was no marriage, it seemed to say – all that was finished now, like the crumbling walls around them – but a new rite of passage, towards an
unknowable yet tangible kind of freedom that she would taste side by side, as equals, with another human being. It was within her grasp now, for the first time in her life.

When they came to the end of the colonnade, they stood in front of the great arch, and Dresler took her in his arms and kissed her. It was a long, slow kiss, and during it, Jess opened her eyes
and looked up at the stars above, framed by the arch. She could see Orion’s Belt, the Plough, and the North Star, Polaris. Her father had taught her to recognize them when she was a child. A
pale, shimmering band of cloud ran right across the night sky, from one arc of the firmament to the other. Her heart leapt in excitement: the Milky Way. It was hardly ever visible here in Wales,
yet here it was, streaking across the sky, more bright, more glorious, than any stained glass window that could have been erected there in the past. It seemed like an omen, a propitious one, that
should be heeded right away.

‘It’s a good omen that we’re here together. In this place.’

‘I know what you mean.’ Dresler paused. ‘I was just thinking the same thing. Here we are, the two of us, standing at the altar in the dead of night, looking out on the world
outside, instead of being cooped up in a church.’

‘Exactly.’

‘So this is a kind of ritual.’

‘That’s right. To bless our . . .’

‘Union.’

‘Yes. For the future.’

They kissed again. Dresler pushed his hands inside her coat, running them over her breasts. As he did, she imagined that she felt the stirring of her milk glands, letting the fluid down. It was
a strange yet familiar feeling, one that she remembered from when she’d fed her babies. She stared up at the sky. She wondered if it really was the Milky Way that she could see above her, or
just a streak of cloud. Whichever it was, she lost herself in it, and for a brief moment, her self stopped its clamouring and instead, with a sigh of relief, she became part of the endless infinity
of the galaxy above.

‘Come on,’ he said, hugging her close. ‘Let’s get back into the warm. It’s freezing out here.’

They set off down the aisle again, walking quickly towards the hotel. She felt a little dizzy, after her brief communion with the stars.

They walked past the car park. It was empty. It seemed that, apart from the faithful retainer, they were indeed the only people in the hotel that night.

Once they were inside, it didn’t take them long to get to bed. They took turns to go to the bathroom, which was even more dilapidated than their bedroom, and then snuggled down together.
Outside, an owl screeched. The moonlight shone through the window, illuminating the bed, just as the streetlight had done on their first tryst together. Jess thought of Dresler holding her tight,
the two of them kissing by the altar, under the stars, and couldn’t help smiling to herself.

They made love, clutching at the covers to keep warm, and then lay for a moment in each other’s arms. The bed felt slightly damp, and the mattress was as uncomfortable as she’d
feared, but it didn’t seem to matter. Within minutes, she was falling asleep, her head nestled against Dresler’s shoulder, listening to the soft beat of his heart, and the gentle
rustling of the trees outside the window.

Next morning, they slept late, and were woken by the sun peeping in through the ivy-clad window. The rain had cleared, the wind had dropped, and the sky was a bright, clear
blue. When Jess saw it, she jumped out of bed, pulled the curtains open, and leaned out of the window. From the eyrie of the tower, she could see a herd of cattle grazing among the ruins of the
monastery, wandering up and down the aisle, their heads bowed. Beyond was the green haze of wooded valleys and hills rising up into the mountains. She couldn’t wait to be out there.

The room was cold, so they hurried to dress and get downstairs into the warm. The dining room was still deserted, as it had been the night before, but once again the fire was lit. They ate a
good, solid breakfast, served by the faithful retainer, and caught a glimpse of the cook, a middle-aged woman, scurrying about in the kitchen, but otherwise there was no sign of anyone. Obviously,
the cold weather was keeping people away – not to mention the spartan arrangements in the hotel.

After they’d finished breakfast, Jess stepped outside for a moment of privacy to call the girls on her mobile. Rose sounded happily preoccupied with the prospect of the boat trip, Nella
sleepy and not keen to chat, so she kept the calls short.

Just as she was about to go back into the hotel and get ready for the day, a sleek black car pulled up. A man got out. He was dark-haired, and stylishly dressed, in jeans and a navy blue
peacoat. As he walked towards her, she recognized him. It was Blake Thomas.

As he approached, she saw, with a shock, that he looked terrible. There was no trace of the confident alpha male Jess had seen at the launch. His hair was dishevelled, his face pale with a waxy
texture, and there were beads of sweat on his upper lip.

‘Dr Mayhew.’ He came up to her and put out his hand. She shook it. The palm was slightly damp, and she could feel that it was trembling. ‘I’m sorry to bother you, but I
need to talk to you.’

‘Blake Thomas, isn’t it?’

‘That’s right. As I said, I’m sorry to bother you. It’s just that . . .’ A muscle below his eye twitched. ‘My sister-in-law, Elinor, has gone missing.
We’re terribly worried about her. Me and Isobel.’

Jess felt a pang of anxiety. What was Blake Thomas doing here, and why was he looking for Elinor?

‘Well, I’m sorry, Mr Thomas, but I don’t know where she is, either.’

At that point, Dresler came out of the hotel looking for Jess. When he saw Blake, he did a double take.

‘Blake, old man.’ He noted Blake’s wild appearance. ‘Are you OK?’

His tone was remarkably friendly, thought Jess, considering he’d told her how much he detested the man.

‘No. I’m not OK at all. I’m having a bloody awful time.’ Blake’s voice rose. ‘The police have been on my back. I told them where I was when it happened, but
they wouldn’t believe me, because, you see, the CCTV at the service station up there, well, it wasn’t working that day, and . . .’

His words came out in a rush. Neither Jess nor Dresler could follow what he was saying.

‘. . . So I’ve got to find Elinor, you see, because she knows I was with her, and if I don’t, well, they’re going to take me in again and . . .’

So he wasn’t terribly worried about Elinor, thought Jess. He was terribly worried about himself.

‘Calm down.’ Dresler leaned forward and patted Blake’s shoulder.

Blake shrank away from his touch. Then he covered his face with his hands. ‘I don’t know what to do.’ His voice was shaking. ‘This is a nightmare. I’ve got to find
her, talk to her. That’s all I ask. I won’t tell anyone what happened. I just need to see her, explain . . .’

He began to sob.

Jess and Dresler looked at each other in consternation.

Jess scrabbled in her bag and brought out a tissue. ‘Here,’ she said, offering it to him.

‘You know where she is, don’t you?’ He took the tissue, wiped his eyes, and blew his nose. ‘Just tell me, please.’

‘I honestly don’t,’ Jess said. In literal terms, that was true. Elinor had said she was going to Cwm Du, but she hadn’t specified exactly where.

‘You’ve got to tell me.’ He turned his gaze on her. His eyes were a deep brown, the lashes wet with tears. ‘Otherwise I don’t know what’s going to
happen.’

Jess was alarmed, but she tried not to show it. ‘Look, as I said to your wife, if Elinor gets in touch with me, I’ll ask her to contact you.’ She paused. ‘By the way, how
did you know I was here?’

Blake looked at Dresler. ‘You told me, didn’t you?’

Dresler nodded. He looked faintly embarrassed. ‘I think I did mention it, yes.’

Jess was taken aback. From what Dresler had said, he and Blake weren’t on good terms. Not good enough to be discussing where he was planning to spend the weekend, anyway, and who with.
They were obviously a great deal more tied up together than she’d realized.

‘Look.’ Dresler did his best to take control of the situation. ‘You’re upset, Blake. You’re not thinking straight. Go home to Isobel. And if you’re worried
about Elinor, go to the police.’

‘That’s just what I can’t do,’ Blake shouted, suddenly losing his temper. He looked as if he was about to lunge at Dresler. ‘Don’t you understand? I
can’t! I can’t!’

‘OK. OK.’ Dresler held up his hands. ‘Calm down.’

‘Blake, I’m sorry, but I don’t think we can help you.’ Jess tried to lower the emotional temperature. ‘I think Jacob’s right. You need to go home. If I get
news of Elinor, I’ll let you know. I have your wife’s number.’

Blake took a deep breath, in an attempt to steady himself. ‘Yes. Of course.’ His voice was still trembling. ‘I’m sorry to have disturbed you.’

He gave Jess a searching gaze. She saw that the muscle under his eye was still twitching.

‘Goodbye, then. And good luck.’

Blake didn’t reply. Instead, he turned on his heel and walked back to his car.

‘I hope he’s OK to drive,’ said Jess, as they watched him go. There was a reckless, manic air to Blake that worried her.

‘Oh, he’ll be all right.’ Dresler’s tone was one of relief. He seemed glad to be rid of Blake. ‘Though I must say, I’ve never seen him like this
before.’

Blake started the engine and drove off, squealing the tyres as he turned. They watched as he drove down the lane, rather too fast, and disappeared out of sight.

‘What was all that about?’

‘No idea.’

‘I thought you said you couldn’t stand the man. But you seemed like old friends.’

‘Old enemies, more like.’ Dresler’s tone was casual, but he looked a little unnerved as he spoke. Jess couldn’t help wondering if he was hiding something from her.
Perhaps their supposed mutual dislike masked something more complex. But what exactly? Something to do with Hefin Morris?

‘It’s a small world, this business,’ Dresler went on. ‘There are a lot of people like Blake in my life – people I don’t particularly warm to, but I have to
get on with.’ He paused. ‘Isn’t it the same for you?’

‘Not really.’

‘Well, lucky you.’

There was an awkward pause. Jess changed the subject, not wanting to provoke an argument. Besides, her mind was occupied with another worry – Blake’s behaviour had seemed unhinged,
and now he was looking for Elinor, who was somewhere nearby. Jess didn’t like to think of him catching up with her while she was in such a vulnerable state.

‘You don’t think . . .’ She hesitated. She didn’t want to give too much away about what Elinor had told her, in confidence, in the sessions. ‘You don’t think
Blake’s the kind of person who would . . . you know, harm anyone?’

‘Why d’you ask?’

‘Well, actually, as it happens, Elinor Powell is a client of mine.’

‘Really?’ Dresler was intrigued. ‘Why does she come to you?’

‘I can’t discuss that.’ Jess paused. ‘But she’s expressed some concerns about Blake in the therapy.’

‘I see.’ Dresler frowned. ‘Well, I’d be surprised if he was dangerous. Blake can be a bit of a bastard at times, but I’ve never seen him resort to physical
violence.’

‘I hope you’re right.’

There was a brief silence.

‘Look, you go upstairs and get ready.’ Jess was determined not to let the encounter spoil their day. ‘I’ve just got a couple more calls to make out here. Then we’ll
set off.’

‘Fine. See you up there.’