Dream Cottage (17 page)

“Yes, I left a message on her phone. But I haven’t had a reply back. Apparently the signal is pretty terrible in Poland.”

“I’m sure she will be beside herself when she hears the news!” Greta’s sarcasm was too much for Charles, who was sitting quietly at the other side of Leo’s bed.

“Enough now, Greta. I think you have said enough,” he quietly but firmly concluded. “Leo is tired, he needs some sleep.”

Leo acknowledged his father with a degree of relief on his face and Greta took the hint to leave. As she reached the door, she turned and pointed her finger at Leo.

“I will get the truth out of you, no matter what it takes!” she warned and slammed the door behind her. “Heaven help you when I find out!”

Jeanne sighed and plumped Leo’s pillow for the umpteenth time. She reached across and offered him a drink from a plastic beaker. Leo obliged, closed his eyes and sipped the water.

“We’ll come back and see you tomorrow, darling.” She kissed the top of Leo’s head. “Get some rest now. It will do you good,” she soothed.

“Bye ma, bye dad,” Leo whispered and closed his eyes.

As soon as his parents had left the room, Leo opened
his eyes and blinked. He reached over to the bedside locker and took out his mobile phone. He checked it for messages. There was one from Ardi.

Have they gone yet?
it read.

Leo replied with,
yep
.

I am coming in,
beeped the response.

Leo swallowed and held his breath.

“You have really, really messed up!” Ardi was stood over Leo’s hospital bed. “A seemple task, Mr Mowbrie instructed you to do and you mess it up! Thees is not good, Leo, not good at all!” she snapped.

“How was I to know how deep the bloody hole was?” Leo tried to reason.

Ardi grabbed the suspended stirrup that held Leo’s plastered ankle and wrenched it hard so he was dangling from the bed in pain. She leant over until her head was level with his.

“You’re so stupeed, Leo. I thought you could be trusted with this seemple task. Clearly not! This puts a much different light on things now!” Ardi swiftly let go of the winch and Leo flopped back on to the bed. He landed on his side.

“What do you mean?” he whispered, trying to correct his position.

“It means, my dearest, that we are in beeg trouble!” Ardi hissed. Her petite features were screwed up into a darkened frown.

“We are?” Leo responded and held on to his leg for support. He tried to gain his composure but his ankle was throbbing.

“I need to act very fast. Beefore it is way too late!”

Ardi paced around the ward, her hands folded behind her back.

“When you were in the passage, did you see anything?” she demanded.

Leo shook his head. “No, it was too dark. I was in so much pain. It was as much as I could do to survive in that hellhole. Lucky I had a packet of sweets and my fags to keep me going.”

“And has your sister bought your excuse?” Ardi peered sharply at him.

“I’m not sure. She is pretty pissed with me about the whole situation. But I think I have convinced both her and the olds that you have gone back to Poland. So you are completely out of the picture.” Leo tried to humour Ardi, who was still deep in thought.

“Hmm. So it will all be down to me to sort thees mess out!” she concluded.

Leo nervously cackled.

“You’re not serious?”

Ardi stood upright and looked indignant. She placed her hands on her hips and flicked the collar of her black leather jacket so it stood to attention.

“Why not? You made a beeg mess of things. It’s up to me now, right?”

“But how are you going to do it? What if the same thing happens to you?”

Ardi smiled knowingly as she spoke. “Because it won’t ‘appen to me. I am skilled, I have the courage.” She tapped her finger against her forehead.

“Have you a plan?” Leo dared to ask.

“Of course!” Ardi snapped. “Do you think I am that stupeed?”

“No, no, I don’t.” Leo bit his lip.

“I will go there tonight. When they have all gone. I will get the box.”

“In heaven’s name, be careful, then. I can’t help you if things go wrong,” Leo tried to reason. “What happens if it’s not there?”

“Don’t woray. I weel be just fine, course it weel be there; I am confident,” Ardi announced. “I will call you when I have result,” she added and planted a kiss on Leo’s cheek. “Get well soon, my dearest!” she whispered in his ear and took a harsh, swift bite of his lobe flesh. “Weesh me luck!”

“Uh, good luck,” Leo mumbled. He held on to his ear and rubbed it. A small speck of blood stained his pillow.

Ardi strode across the hospital car park and mounted a waiting black motorbike. She tapped the driver on the helmet and they sped out on to the open road.

Greta and her parents arrived at Greenacres in their respective cars. They walked across the driveway.

“Mummy, I know that for a fact Leo is lying.” Greta’s voice was raised as she spoke. “I know him inside out. He’s not telling us the truth! I could tell by his expression. You don’t realise how devious he is.”

“Well, it seems feasible that he would do a stupid prank to try to frighten you. Probably spider related. As it is still fresh in his mind, you know, the wedding…”

“Yes!” Greta interrupted. “You don’t need to remind me, mummy.” She shook her head in frustration.

“He has a girlfriend. They rent a nice flat together. He has a good job. Do you think he is jealous of Max and me?”

“I don’t know, darling. I can’t think of any reason for him to be jealous. As you know, the father and I have always treated you both equally.”

“I know; but does he really appreciate that fact? There’s absolutely nothing to stop him buying his own place with Ardi. He probably doesn’t want to commit to anything, knowing him. He’s always been a bit of a free spirit, hasn’t he?”

“Run the poor boy some slack, old girl,” Charles muttered. “He’s had an accident. It has probably shaken him up enough already.”

“Yes, okay, daddy,” Greta rolled her eyes. “But there is something odd about the whole affair and I can’t place my finger on it. Anyway, let’s see how things are shaping up here.”

She led the way into the kitchen.

“Max! Max? Are you here?” Greta called. She could hear the occasional tapping noise made from a mallet coming from upstairs.

“Hi, yes, will be down in a tick,” Max’s voice returned. He joined Greta and her parents in the dining room.

“Hi darling, Jeanne, Charles. Well, things are going very well. The fitters have laid the carpets in the top rooms. They are just finishing off the ensuite bathroom’s tiled floor. It’s really beginning to take shape now. They are off in a moment, so you can inspect their handiwork!” He kissed Greta on the cheek. “How’s Leo?”

“Hmmph! Still alive!” Greta sulkily replied.

“Greta!” Jeanne was shocked and decided to carry on the conversation. “He is comfortable, thank you, Maxim, for asking. I think he will be in hospital for a few days. It was a particularly nasty break.”

“Luckily!” Greta mumbled.

Charles glared at her. Greta decided not to continue her verbal attack.

“Did he say what he was doing at Greenacres?” Max was interested in the excuse.

“Only that he was trying to find Greta, but when she wasn’t in he accidentally broke the window, to get in. Thought he could open it without damaging it. Then he got in, fell down the well hole or rather he says he was pushed and, well the rest is history.”

“Right…” Max looked at Greta’s disbelieving mouthing of
no he didn’t
and her hand, slanted sideways, making a cutting sign beneath her neck. He looked towards the stairs. “Ah, the fitters are coming downstairs. Come on, have a look at what they’ve done. It’s superb! I’ll see you guys in the morning!”

“Right, boss. We will finish the next floor tomorrow, nice easy job!” the fitters waved their goodbyes.

Max led Jeanne and Charles upstairs. Greta followed.

“Max,” Greta called after him. “Where is Nonie?”

Max thought before he spoke.

“Umm, she arrived here earlier. She had a bit of an accident.”

“What sort of accident?” Greta was concerned. Nonie’s track record of accidents wasn’t good.

“She broke a mirror,” Max replied through Jeanne and Charles as they climbed the stairs.

“Where?”

“In the drawing room.”

“Oh no,” Greta wailed. “Is she all right? Where is she now?”

“Here, Greta,” Nonie appeared, ashen-faced, from behind the bathroom door.

“Oh Nonie! What happened? You look terrible!” Greta held on to Nonie’s small frame. “What happened to your face? You have cuts all down the side of it!” She inspected Nonie’s wounds.

“I’ll be fine. It’s superficial,” she bravely announced and managed a smile.

“You ought to go to hospital; really you should.”

“No! I’m fine, seriously. I can’t leave.”

“This way!” Max ushered Jeanne and Charles to the second floor of bedrooms. “Greta!”

“I’ll be up in a moment,” she replied, still holding on to Nonie’s shoulders. “Tell me what happened, now!” Greta insisted.

“It was Barnabas. I saw the mirror in the drawing room. I took hold of it and I thought it was Willow’s reflection I could see, then it morphed into a man’s face, pure evil. All of a sudden, the mirror was taken from me. It must have been him. He threw it up into the air and it smashed on the floor, then bits of glass were flying around everywhere. I got hit by a few pieces, on my face, my arms.” She pointed at her other wounds. “Max helped me get the shards out. I think most of them are gone now. But it was really frightening. He is definitely still here, Greta. I don’t know what else I can do.”

“You must help us!” Greta shook Nonie as she spoke. “We have to get him out of this place. He can’t remain here. It will be terrible.”

“I know, but I am running out of energy with him. He is so powerful.”

“What about a séance?” Greta suggested.

Nonie looked at Greta in surprise.

“Absolutely no way! Don’t even think about carrying out a séance. You would most certainly be inviting trouble, not only from Barnabas but also from other spirits. Open one of those ouija boards and heaven help you. No, don’t let it cross your mind Greta. It would be very bad news.”

Greta made a face and held up her hands.

“Okay, point made. It was only a suggestion.”

“You mentioned something about a box in the tunnel,” Nonie began.

Greta was cautious. “Yes.”

“Was it really empty?” Nonie asked.

Greta paused. “No.”

“What was in it?”

“Just old stuff.” Greta was uncomfortable by Nonie’s questioning.

“What sort of old stuff?” she continued.

“I don’t know, I couldn’t really see. It was too dark there to work out what it was,” Greta bluffed and prayed for Max to save her from certain doom.

“Willow told me it was filled with gold,” Nonie smirked.

“Did she?” Greta felt her face redden.

“Lots of gold.”

“Right.”

“She was right, wasn’t she, Greta?”

“Ah! There you are! How are you feeling, Nonie? You are looking better than you did. Have you put some antiseptic cream on those wounds?” Max breezed down the stairs. Greta heaved an inward sigh of relief. She turned away and faced the wall, her hand to her head. She swallowed and regained her composure.

“Yes, Nonie is doing well, aren’t you?” Greta walked towards Max and linked arms with him. She smiled triumphantly at him.

“I think we’ve all had enough for one day, don’t you? Come on, let’s get back to your parents’ house. Jeanne has invited us all for supper. Isn’t that nice?”

“One of my specialities, chicken curry and basmati rice!” Jeanne chirped as she helped Charles down the flight of winding stairs from the second floor. “The carpets are divine, darling! Go and see for yourself!” Jeanne urged Greta towards the stairs. “We’ll take Nonie back to the house in our car!”

“Thanks mummy. We’ll follow on shortly!” Greta called
out. In a hushed whisper she stared at Max. “You saved me from certain trouble!”

Max frowned and took hold of her shoulders.

“What do you mean? Your mother’s curries aren’t that bad, are they?”

Greta shook her head.

“No, silly. Nonie was starting to pry about the…” she lowered her voice even more. “… You know, the treasure,” she spoke out of the side of her mouth.

“She is like a terrier with a bone, isn’t she; she just won’t let go!” Max was annoyed. “This business with the mirror. She says it was because of this Barnabas thing. I think she has a screw loose. She clearly dropped the thing and fell onto some glass and cut herself.”

“She is convinced she can’t leave here until Barnabas leaves Greenacres,” Greta said.

“I think it’s a load of twaddle. Sorry, darling, but I still think she is a fake! Any way, what do you think of this?” Max opened the door to the top bedroom and Greta walked in with her mouth gaping. “Slip your shoes off!” Max warned.

“Oh, it is beautiful! It’s really beautiful. What a difference! The carpet goes so well with the décor. I love it, I really adore it!”

Greta walked into the bedroom. Her feet almost disappeared into the softness and depth of the biscuit-coloured pile. It had been beautifully fitted and the smell of newness filled the air.

“They have even vacuumed the fluff off the surface,” Greta waltzed around the room and held her arms out straight in front of her. “I am impressed with how professional and sumptuous this is!” she cooed.

“I thought you’d like it, only the best for you, my sweet.” Max took hold of her hands and drew her towards him.
He tenderly kissed her on the lips. “You know we have to christen every room when it’s finished, don’t you?”

Greta smiled and held Max close to her.

“Of course and I can’t wait!”

Their noses touched as they gazed into each other’s eyes.

“Happy?” Max gently asked.

“You bet!” was the reply.

“Come on, have a look at the tiles in the ensuite. They look great too.” She walked into the room and gasped in horror.

Max pushed Greta to one side. He stopped in the doorway.

“Shit! What the hell has happened here?” he exclaimed.

The newly tiled walls and floor were completely daubed in large, red spidery writing. Greta shuddered and held on to Max for all she was worth. Max was shocked as he read out what was spelt in front of him.

“Be careful.”

Greta closed her eyes and opened them again in hope she was dreaming. Max leant against the door. He held his hand to his head.

“But I don’t understand. How could this have happened?
When
could this have been done? We’ve been here all the time. Your parents didn’t say anything about it…”