The Grave Part 17

Dull cream walls and a tiny window, the room was small and inst.i.tutional. Sylvie was sitting on a plastic chair. The police had been kind, had offered them tea and access to a doctor. They had been in another room, carpeted and furnished with soft chairs and with pictures on the walls. Now though she was alone. Lennie was probably in a similar little box elsewhere in the station. The detective had been gentle but firm, they needed statements and to do it the girls had to be separate. They hadn't left them alone since the flat and so she was out on a limb. There was no way to know what Lennie was telling them and so she would have to make her own way now.

The door opened and Detective Bailey walked in flanked by a constable in uniform.

"h.e.l.lo again Sylvie." He threw a plastic file onto the table and dragged up a chair. "Are you okay?"

She nodded.

"Well, you have been leading us a bit of a dance haven't you?" He tipped his head to one side, he wasn't threatening but she couldn't trust him, couldn't trust herself. She tried to swallow but her throat was parched.

"Can I have a drink, some water?"

"Of course. Constable, would you?..."

"Are you better now?"

"Thanks, yes."

"Okay. Where do we start? Well, why don't you tell me why you ran? I don't understand at all. You were so concerned, in the hospital, distraught really and then you just left him, Samuel. We can't make any sense of it."

"Is he okay, Samuel?"

"He's not doing badly at all. He's out of the woods anyway."

"Has he mentioned me?"

"No, he hasn't and this is where it is all so very confusing. You told us you were an item. The landlady at the hotel said you were like 'Love's young dream' her words! But he doesn't remember you and you left him in intensive care fighting to live. Doesn't really gel now does it?"

Sylvie shook her head. She had to manage this, had to fas.h.i.+on a history to fit with what had happened. She coughed.

"I know, I know. I think maybe I was a bit, well you know, over enthusiastic. I was so worried about him and I thought if I told you we had only just got together you wouldn't let me stay."

"Okay. So why not tell me all about it and then we can maybe move on?"

"Yes, yes I will. He gave me a lift, I told you I met him in a bar and it's true. I wanted to come here and he gave me a lift. It started then but..." here she shrugged and gave a little grin. "Well you know, he was nice, really kind and we were in the car for a long time. We had to stay overnight in it. Well, do I need to spell it out?"

"No, probably not. How long were you together then?"

"A few days that's all. But he was so nice and then he brought me here, well he was bringing me. He's got a house, in the Lakes and we stayed there and then he said he'd bring me here, I wanted to visit Liverpool. Anyway, the car broke down, he had to leave it on the motorway, we hitched in a truck and then we found the hotel."

"The man you shot?"

"I don't know, I really don't." Here she knotted her fingers together. Writhing and twisting on the table top they silently witnessed her anxiety. Her shoulders were hunched she was a picture of misery and fear.

"We went into town, it was nice and we had a good time. Then we went back to the room and that man was there. I didn't understand any of it. I don't know if Samuel knew him but anyway, oh G.o.d. It all got out of hand and he shot Samuel, he beat me up and I thought he was going to rape me. I shot him, I told you didn't I? already, I told you I shot him. Will I go to jail. Am I a murderer?"

"If you don't think Samuel knew the man why do you think he was there, in the room?"

"I don't know, I honestly don't know."

The detective sighed. "These other men, the ones from today in Lennie's flat. Who are they?"

"You'll have to ask Lennie. I don't know about them. Lennie's lovely she helped me but those men have been following her and I just got mixed up in it. Is Lennie okay?"

"She's fine. She's being very helpful. I think the things she knows are going to be very important. You though, you don't know anything about Si and Mo, where they came from or who they are."

"Oh yes I know, I know they were animals, I know that no matter what I'm glad we hurt them, I wish they were both dead not just one of them. Oh yes I know them."

She simply shook her head and shrugged.

"Okay, I think that'll do for the moment anyway. Are you okay, do you need anything?"

"I'm all right. What's going to happen to me though, am I going to jail?"

"Well, let's just say that if your mate Lennie has anything to do with it neither of you will be going anywhere near a jail."

He smiled at her now and left her on her own in an agony of worry in the plain little place. She was cut off from the world, separated from her friend and, she knew now, totally divorced from any sort of life with Samuel. She sat back against the hard plastic. Maybe it didn't matter, she'd had so very little to lose, if Lennie could work things to their advantage, if she could stay out of jail, so many questions but at the end of the day she could do little about it and she was tired and dispirited and so there was nothing to do but wait...

Chapter 61.

Lennie swung around and dragged Sylvie into a great hug. The other girl grinned back, her eyes glittered as she peered around in disbelief at the glorious suns.h.i.+ne, the row of palm trees and the unbelievably blue arch of sky.

"I can't believe it, I really can't. Are we really in Spain, honestly Spain?"

"I know, I know. Hey that guy there has my name on a board."

"No, he doesn..." here they dissolved into slightly hysterical giggles. Hanging on to each other they approached the taxi driver.

"Senorita Lynne. I am your driver, you can come with me, Si?"

"Si, yes we can. Do you know where you're taking us?"

"Si, the village, the Bodega Seven Stars. You are the new owner I think."

"Yes, me and my friend, this is Stella. We are the new owners." The driver grinned at the little jump of excitement she gave. Okay, yet another English bar owner to thrive or fail in Spain but it didn't impact on him and she was so very excited only a hard man would fail to be amused. Her little friend, Stella was quieter, more withdrawn. He gave a little shrug, maybe they would make it work, it wasn't his problem.

"I take you now to your flat yes, and then to the Bodega."

"Yes, yes thank you."

So it began, a new life, an escape for both of them, new names, new ident.i.ties and, providing they could make it work a new business to run. When Lennie had suggested to the police that she would like to have a bar in Spain it made sense. They both knew the ups and downs of bar work and Lennie was confident she could handle the rest of it. They had a new flat, pa.s.sports, a little money, a very little money in truth but they didn't care. It was up to them, for the first time either of them could remember they were in charge of their own destinies and so they strode out into the suns.h.i.+ne and followed the taxi driver to the airport car park. Their arms were linked, futures entwined and the past receding slowly very slowly as the wounds healed and the hope grew...

They knew it wasn't quite over, as part of the deal they had sworn to give evidence at the trials, Lennie more than Sylvie was under an obligation that would run for many years. They would be disguised; they wouldn't even be in the court rooms, probably not even in England. It would be done by video links and as much as possible would be done to protect their new ident.i.ties. They were determined to do it. They acknowledged that, for a long time yet, there was a small risk. The tentacles of the drug gang were long and intertwined with many businesses and authorities but they'd had nothing to lose and they had judged it a small price to pay for this once in a lifetime chance for a new beginning.

After he left the hospital and moved back home Samuel was driven by a great need. His recovering body worked against him and it was weeks before he could make the journey. Some of his neighbours offered to drive but when he did it everything must be right. No car, no company just himself. At last he felt strong enough and so he rose at dawn and packed a bag. The house was a home again now, it would never be what it had been but it was a haven and it was enough.

Down the path and out of the wooden gate, he turned to the rise of land beyond the little stone wall. There was a tug in his memory of a dark night, screaming tyres and danger but he let it go, today was about renewal and moving forward. He lifted his face to the sun and breathed the thin air of the Lakeland springtime. His newly recovered muscles warmed with the activity and the long hike became a pleasure. He stopped often and absorbed the peace and the glory before walking on steadily.

Several hours later he turned into a gateway, past discreet signage and understated buildings. There was a place in the porch to leave his bag and stow his walking shoes. His stockinged feet made small sounds on the slate floor as he slipped into the little chapel to light two candles, one for each soul. After a brief rest on the pale wooden bench in the dappled quiet he resumed the journey. Out again into the suns.h.i.+ne and down a bark strewn path into the edge of the woods. He was unfaltering, though it was a large area he knew just where it was, how it lined up against the distant hills and the bend in the river, this spot was burned into his memory and he knew he would always find it. She was here.

He laid his hand on the turf. She was with him now he sensed it. The sun was warm against his back and before him lake, meadow and hamlet basked in the northern light.

His spirit had lifted with each step along the lanes from the house, many miles walking alone to reach this place, it felt good to be here. Now he let the tears flow, there was no-one to see them and anyway he didn't care, after the horror that his life had been this honest emotion was cleansing.

There were no markings, it was a gentle slope of woodland, a tiny stream danced and sparkled at the edge of his vision. He loved this burial ground for its beauty and for the precious thing beneath the earth. She was sleeping here, cradling their unborn child forever.

"I'm so sorry Marie, I'm so very sorry." He had loved her and had no doubt she had loved him. Surely love accepts and forgives and though things he had done had been dreadful and wicked this was a second chance. The betrayal and the forfeit of the other burgeoning love had been a great sacrifice but he had grasped the opportunity and could only hope he had been right. He would have preferred that the price paid had been exacted from him alone but it wasn't to be.

As the sun began to dip and the blackbird took to the treetops to sing to the evening he uncurled and pushed to his feet. He touched his fingers to his lips and dropped a kiss upon the earth where his wife and child slept. Turning away he faced the evening glow, bowed his head and whispered to the breeze. "And you Sylvie, I'm so very sorry, forgive me." With the gloaming song of the bird filling the air and the sky bleeding crimson into the distant lake Samuel stepped away from the grave and took the first steps into his future.

The End.

Diane M d.i.c.kson.

Born in Yorks.h.i.+re, UK. The author has travelled widely throughout the Middle East and Europe and currently divides her time between France where she lives with her husband in a little house in the middle of a forest and the West Midlands where she spends time with her family.

Other books by this author.

Adult books.

Who Follows.

A dark story or love, obsession and murder Making Angels.

A dark and dreadful novella.

The Egret A gentle love story set on the South West Coast of France Home Sweet Home.

A gentle comedy looking at why unexpected things happen and how unexpected they really are.

Rags' Riches.

Old ladies, stray cats and crime what's not to like.

Smithy.

A coming of age story with a hint of mystery.

Children's Books.

Daisy and the Dust Angel.

Ill.u.s.trated story about Daisy and what happens when she loses her precious necklace.

3 Things that Might have Happened 3 Boys alone in 3 different ways and how they deal with the unexpected events in their lives.

Stephen Initiation.

Sequel to 3 Things The continuing story of Stephen and his wonderful new reality.

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