Darkness Dominates - Chapter 18

The enormity of Tim’s news felt like someone had invisibly walked into her. She mentally lost her balance for a moment.

“Why did he pick me to take over? Councillor Crispin’s a better choice, surely! She’s been in local politics longer than I have.”

“Jill’s a year away from retiring, Pippa. The next mayoral elections are a few years away. We need someone who can stay for the rest of what would’ve been Mayor Anthony’s full term.”

Pippa thought hard about that explanation.

“My name wasn’t thrown into the ring the last time there was a mayoral election – why is it being considered now?”

“This is purely a transfer of power, not a snap election. It’s not going to be a democratic decision.”

“When does my appointment become official?”

“As soon as he announces it publicly”

“Which he’s going to do this afternoon”

“I know it feels like you’ve been thrown in at the deep end”

“How else am I meant to feel, Tim?”

The council meeting opened with a round of congratulations from each of her colleagues. Since that number ran into double figures, it took almost an hour. The remainder of the meeting was more a point-by-point assessment of what Pippa’s mayoral responsibilities were. It was instantly apparent she was suddenly a bigger player in local politics. She was faced with having to govern the whole county – north and south. The scariest part of it was that she’d no firm idea how to assume a mayoral role. Some days it was even difficult for her to be manage being a county councillor. Daunted by this prospect and the suddenness of it, Pippa decided to get herself a sandwich. When Tim joined her in the cafeteria, she was moaning about there not being any cheese sandwiches left.

“I think Councillor Stone took the last of them yesterday lunchtime.”

Pippa picked one with a ham & egg filling.

“Tell me honestly, Tim, do you think I’m the right person to take over as mayor?”

“Are you still having doubts?”

“That’s only natural, Tim. This is a massive deal for me. I still want to know your opinion on whether I’m the right person to take over from Mayor Anthony.”

“Yes, I think you’re the right person for the job. I also think it’ll give you a new set of challenges. You need one to take your mind off you being a widow.”

“I’d like to keep my mind on it, from time to time.”

“That’s up to you, Pips.”

“That’s right, it is.”

Pippa glanced over Tim’s right shoulder.

“Councillor Medford’s coming over.”

Watching Robert approach triggered a momentary memory of the night she learned vampires weren’t fictional. It vanished when he said “Tim, I need to speak to Pippa for a moment. Do you mind?”

“I haven’t had my lunch yet” Pippa firmly stated.

“Bring it with you” suggested Robert.

Councillors Trennell and Medford made their way to the corridor outside the cafeteria. Facing him, Pippa said “This isn’t to do with Mayor Anthony’s resignation, is it?”

“Geena phoned me late last night. She told me that her book group – the same one that DCI Stoneham is a...”

Medford broke off when he spotted Pippa’s silver ring. She immediately worked out what he was really saying. Re-engaging eye contact with him, Councillor Trennell said “You can drop the shit about the book club.”

“I have a key”

“A key to what”

“A key to ‘The Red Moon’; all gold ring wearers have one.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Because right now the club’s empty, and we need somewhere completely private in which to talk”

Councillor Medford unlocked the right-hand side entrance, around half an hour later. He gestured for Pippa to go through first. On the door’s other side, she got a view of the bar counter from another direction. To ensure no-one came in through that door, Medford locked it from the inside.

“Okay, Pippa, there’s nobody around to listen to us. Evelyn contacted me with the news that Leola had taken control of ‘The Guild’.”

She could tell he was building up to a question.

“What is it you want to know?”

“Does Leola have the two remaining Henford daggers?”

“She does, yeah. How come you’re asking me this? Why didn’t you ask her directly?”

“Because I want you to retrieve them”

“Why do you need me to steal them back off her?”

“I’m surprised it hasn’t occurred to you already.”

“You’re surprised what hasn’t occurred to me.”

“You and your younger daughter have to kill Leola’s”

Whilst Pippa tried getting her head round that, Councillor Medford fetched a bottle of Jack Daniels and two shot glasses over to her.

“We’re on duty, plus we both drove to work, so we can’t drink alcohol at this time of day. I don’t want me losing my driving licence to overshadow me becoming mayor.”

“We’re vampires, Pippa. We could drink as many bottles of this stuff, and still not get done for that offence.”

“I wouldn’t even drink one bottle – I don’t like that brand of liquor. Besides, I still have a bad memory of a party where I got totally pissed.”

“How old were you?”

“21. It took Jennifer’s mum the whole morning to clean up where I’d been sick. She gave me a right bollocking for it, I can tell you!”

Councillor Medford took the two shot glasses back to the bar counter, and returned with a larger glass.

“More for me” he said, pouring some into it. “You sure you won’t join me?”

“Why is it down to Rosie and me to kill Leola’s daughters?”

“Because Julian was wrong to treat this situation as a mess for Leola to clean up herself”

He took a couple of mouthfuls of his drink before going on.

“He’s been using his dislike of her to justify this attitude, even with your husband getting killed in the crossfire. He was about to take over the responsibility of executing Emily and Lynette. Basically, he was using the massacre at Sudfield Hall and the murder of your husband to retain control of his leadership. Now that you’re one of us, as is your youngest, it is only just that the mission to eliminate Leola’s demented offspring becomes yours and hers.”

With Julian gone, Robert felt able to reveal how he felt about the way the situation was being handled. His discontent had been brewing for a while, and this was the first time he’d been free to express it.

“How did you know that I turned Rosie?”

“It doesn’t matter how I found that out”

“I can’t, Robert, and neither can Rosie. I’m about to become mayor – I can’t begin my term in office knowing my daughter and I murdered two people.”

“They’re not people – they’re immortals like us.”

His remark was followed by him downing the rest of the glass’s contents. He immediately poured himself another.

“Tomorrow morning, I won’t have the luxury of making that distinction. I’ll be in charge of the county, its laws, industries and population. ‘Our kind’, as it keeps being put, form part of Alvenshire’s inhabitants. That means killing Emma and Sophie is still against the law. I’m not going to jeopardise Rosie’s future or mine just because of what she and I are.”

Councillor Trennell took a cocktail stick from behind the bar, and used it to pierce the sandwich’s outer packaging. She finished opening it with her right hand’s fingernails.

“Your futures won’t be ruined if you two do this.”

“Rosie doesn’t yet know what she’s become. I’m going to have to face the music big time when she finds out. I’ve also got to think about how I’m going to deal with her reaction, whatever it turns out to be. Sorry, Robert, but I’m not convinced by your assurance our futures will remain intact. Leola’s mission to execute her only daughters is hers alone.”

“What do you mean her only daughters? She has another one – didn’t she tell you this?”

“No she didn’t – who’s this other daughter?”

“I don’t know, Pippa” said Robert, pouring himself a third glass. “She’s never been open about who her third daughter is.

“And I never will!” said Leola.

Leola’s absence from school went un-noticed. Mayor Anthony’s resignation prompted Mrs Davidson to call a special meeting of all teaching staff. His unexpected departure could potentially impact on the way the school was run. Everyone who worked there knew that a new mayor might have different ideas about the curriculum and teaching styles. None of them, including Paula, were aware that his successor was Pippa. Because there was nobody to teach the remaining lessons, Mrs Davidson decided to bring home time forward by an hour. The students used half that duration to reach the schoolyard. The meeting was set to begin at 2.30pm on the dot, so they all had to be outside the building by then.

Every pupil who had an I-Phone or Smartphone were texting their parents to inform them school was finishing early. Walking behind Rosie and Alicia, Katy was doing just that. She’d no sooner finished when she accessed Nigel’s Twitter account. Katy typed a tweet, telling him where and when to meet him this evening.

Alicia and Rosie were still finding it hard to believe she was going on a date with him. They’d decided to keep their opinions to themselves, however. Hearing a noise associated with her I-Phone, Alicia announced “Got a tweet back from my mum.”

She rapidly read it.

“Looks like I’m making my own way back home, the same as you, Rosie.”

“We can catch the bus into the city centre.”

“So not doing that, Rosie – that divvy who farts will be on that service!”

“We’ll catch a cab then!”

“Have you got the cash for that?”

Rosie checked her purse.

“I’ve only got ten quid on me!”

Alicia had a look through hers. She gave Rosie a twenty pound note.

“This should cover it.”

Rosie and Alicia told Katy they’d text her when she got back from her date.

“Remember,” said Alicia, “we want details!”

“You’ll get them, don’t worry!” said Katy. “See you two tomorrow”

The two of them waved to her and walked to where it was easier to hail a cab. A handful zoomed by, but one did pull to the kerb. He looked through the front left-hand window.

“Hold on, shouldn’t you two be in school?”

“It finished early” replied Rosie.

“Yeah, right!” exclaimed the driver.

“No, straight up!” said Alicia, to stop him driving off. “The head called a special meeting of all the teachers for half-two.”

“Nice try – I’ve heard better excuses than that! I’m not being fined by the truant officer!”

The cab veered sharply away from the pavement before Rosie could put her hand on the vehicle.

“Twat-features!” shouted Rosie, as she watched it drive away and then turn left.

“He’s kind of got a point” said Alicia. “It’s a way lame excuse for us two being outside school at this time.”

Ignoring the fact Alicia had taken the cab driver’s side, Rosie said “We’re so getting the bus now!”

The man who kept farting wasn’t on this service today. They were fortunate to get a respite from having his gut gas waft near them. Rosie asked Alicia whereabouts in the city centre they were heading to.

“HMV, Hurlington’s and Tanaho’s”

They didn’t go to these places in that order. Alicia wanted to browse for clothes first. She’d made a withdrawal of eighty quid from her bank account. It increased the money she had on her to £190. Rosie was gobsmacked when momentarily saw Alicia’s balance come up on the screen. This was something Rosie couldn’t help bringing up whilst they were in the clothes store.

“I didn’t know you had that much in your account!”

“It’s weird, Rosie, I know! Money comes in each month!”

“Who sends it?”

“I totally don’t know. We don’t have any rich relatives I know of! I think my mum knows where it comes from, though.”

Rosie very nearly blurted out what she knew about Alicia’s mother. She stopped herself by recognising it wasn’t her place to reveal this – it was Jennifer’s. Alicia held two pairs of jeans up in front of her co-shopper.

“Which of these makes me look hotter?”

Rosie pointed at the pair on the right. Alicia put the one in her left hand on the rack she got it from.

“That’s why I always take you along with me for clothes shopping! I can trust you to have fashion sense”

Whilst they were following the ‘Please Pay Here’ signs, Alicia unintentionally overheard someone saying “That’s the mayor’s daughter”.

“My mum’s a DCI – talk about...”

“What is it, Ali?” enquired Rosie, realising Alicia had stopped in mid-sentence.

“I think that woman was talking about you”

“She was – what did she say?”

“That’s the mayor’s daughter”

“Was she pulling my chain?”

Alicia was set to say “I so don’t think she was”. She changed tact and fished out her I-Phone, checking her local news app. Alicia glanced at the phone’s screen and then gave Rosie a moment-long look. When she put the phone back, she came out with what she’d delayed saying to her. Rosie said “What?” three times.

“Let me pay for these jeans, and we can go to Tanaho’s. You look like you need a caffeine fix.”

Her mum being named as the new mayor surprisingly seemed more of a big deal for her, than being confronted with the supernatural. For a split-second, she got this situation mixed up with her mum entering the White House or Number 10, Downing Street. These political destinations were way above the one Pippa had reached. To Rosie’s frame of mind, however, it was still an impressive milestone. She was oddly relieved she found this more important than the huge discovery she’d stumbled onto.

At Tanaho’s, Rosie talked with Alicia about what this meant for her and her family.

“I guess this means you and your mum will be moving into Reardon Hall”

“Looks that way, Ali – every mayor, plus their family, has lived there”

“Mayor Anthony’s single – he doesn’t have one. It’ll just be him packing up and leaving in a week. I don’t know how your mum’s going to put the house on the market and expect it to be sold within seven days! That’s fifty shades of impossible!”

“It doesn’t work that way, Ali – we move in the day after he moves out. Mum’s going to put the house on the market after then – either that or she makes some sort of deal to get a quick sale.”

Staring downwards, Rosie suddenly glanced at what was on her small plate.

“They’ve given me carrot cake! I asked for a slice of the coffee one!”

“Do you want me to say something?”

“No Ali, its fine, I’ll just have the Latte.”

It was after 3pm when the schoolgirls decided to go onto HMV for a browse. Just as Rosie was picking up her handbag, she heard her phone ringing inside it.

“Hi! Mrs Davidson? What’s up?”

Paula quickly explained why she was calling. Over her end of the line, Rosie heard her ask “Is Katy with you and Alicia?”

“No, I thought she was waiting for her mum and dad to pick her up. That’s what she was doing when we left her” she replied.

Alarm was on Alicia’s face when she heard Rosie give Mrs Davidson that answer. She mouthed to her friend “What’s happened to Katy?”

Rosie had to ignore Alicia. She was focussed on listening to the head teacher properly, not something she regularly did during school hours.

“She wasn’t in the schoolyard when her parents came to collect her” continued Paula.

Rosie didn’t need to get more info from Mrs Davidson. It was plain to her that Katy had gone missing.

“Okay, I’m heading back to school” said Rosie.

She ended the call before Paula could talk her out of it.

“Ali, I want you to ring your mum” commanded Rosie.

“Do you think some paedo has made off with her?”

Alicia’s theory was panic-driven. Rosie quickly shot the suggestion down.

“She took self-defence classes, remember? Katy knows how to kick a man right in his package.”

“That was a few years ago – she might not remember all the moves”

“She does, Ali – Katy showed me she hadn’t forgotten them”

“When was that?”

“A couple of months ago”

Putting her handbag’s strap over her left shoulder, Rosie stood up from her seat.

“Please call your mum, Ali – she totally needs to know what’s going on!”

In the way Rosie issued that instruction, Alicia sensed her friend had knowledge she didn’t have.

“This is so going to make me sound paranoid, but is there something you’re not telling me?”

“Yes, but it’s totally something your mum needs to share” said Rosie, unaware she and her mum were vampires too. She repeated how vital it was to phone Jennifer.

When Rosie had walked out of Tanaho’s, Alicia selected her mum’s entry on the list of contacts she phoned the most.

“Mum, it’s me – listen, Mrs Davidson called Rosie. Katy was supposed to wait for her parents to pick her up, but she wasn’t there – she’s not with us either, so...”

At that point of Alicia’s phone call to her mother, the line went dead. Jennifer didn’t need to hear the end of her daughter’s sentence. She’d already concluded Katy was in serious danger. Not immediately aware she’d hung up, Alicia said “Hello?” twice. She then ended the call on her phone.

It took Rosie around half-an-hour to return to the school. She’d gotten the bus, but the service stopped at a bus shelter two blocks from her destination, before heading off along a different route. Rosie was a quarter-of-the-way across the schoolyard, when her phone registered a newly-received text. At the foot of it was the single letter ‘E’. It read “Check your Twitter page”. Rosie followed the text’s instruction and accessed hers. Where it said “1 New Tweet”, she touched it with the tip of her right index finger. What came up was one with a photo of Katy. It was a close-up of her. There was hardly any of the surrounding area to pinpoint where her friend had been taken to.

Rosie was startled when Jennifer took the I-Phone out of her hand and looked at the image sent with the tweet. Handing it back to her, she said “I know you said you were going to talk with Paula and Katy’s parents, but don’t!”

“Why shouldn’t I?”

DCI Stoneham handed her a key.

“What are you giving me this for?”

“Walk down Lockley’s Weind...you’ll come to ‘The Red Moon’”

“I know where that is, yeah!”

“Good. Go to the entrance on the building’s right-hand side, and use the key I gave you to get into the nightclub that way. Stay inside until I get there! Is that understood?”

Rosie nodded, even though she didn’t know why she was agreeing to DCI Stoneham’s instruction. Before she started to leave school grounds, she said to Jennifer “I’m way sorry.”

“What on earth for?”

“Putting my size nines in it, Ms Stoneham”

“What do you mean?”

“Ali twigged I was hiding something. I told her that she should ask you about it.”

Rosie thought she was about to get an earful from Alicia’s mum, and mentally prepared herself for it.

“Good” said Jennifer. “It’s time she knew the truth! I’ve kept her in the dark for long enough.”

Slightly bemused by Jennifer’s reaction, Rosie continued heading out of the schoolyard. She saw a bus she knew would take her at least some of the way there. When Rosie managed to reach the service before it set off, Jennifer headed into the school. She had to talk to Mrs Davidson and Mr & Mrs Lonsdale, before going to meet Rosie at that prearranged venue.