Darkness Dominates - Chapter 22

Jennifer had spent 3 days keeping Katy’s name out of the local press. That endeavour extended to the BBC’s and ITV’s regional news bulletins. The statement DCI Stoneham gave to the newspapers merely said the enquiry was at an early stage. No mention was made of them having any suspects. This course of action was prompted by her recently becoming a member of ‘The Guild’. She had twin agendas: protecting the interests of this secret council and maintaining law and order throughout this city. DCI Stoneham was looking through this morning’s edition of the Alven Chronicle. She was checking to ensure there were no leaks to the press. A knock on her office door interrupted her perusal of this newspaper. Looking up, she saw a WPC staring at her through the door’s glass pane. She also saw someone behind her. Only the outline of that person was visible, so she didn’t know who it could be.

“Come in, Tyson” ordered Jennifer.

One she opened the door and stepped inside, DCI Stoneham saw who had been standing behind the WPC.

“Come in, Mayor Trennell”

As soon as WPC Tyson had gone, Jennifer got up from her desk, and closed her office door.

“It’s still Pips to you, when we’re alone. There’s no need for formalities.”

“You’ll be pleased to know the papers and the regional TV news haven’t mentioned your daughter’s best friend.”

“That’s good news, but that’s not really why I’m here”

“Why have you called round, then, Pips?”

“To discuss Alvenshire Constabulary as a whole”

“Including the CID divisions, I take it”

“All the ones in Alvenshire’s main cities, yes”

“There’s going to be an overhaul, isn’t there?”

“Yes, within the next fortnight. I haven’t formally been sworn in as the new mayor, so the personnel review won’t come into effect until then.”

“Will that be when you tell your plans to the Commissioner and the Chief?”

“Yes it is, Jennifer”

“Why are you telling me first, then?”

“Because of how this overhaul will affect Alven CID”

“I don’t like the sound of this, Pips”

DCI Stoneham’s face was awash with apprehension.

“Where are you going with this?”

Pippa did have the option of building up to her announcement a little more. However, she had a multitude of things to do today. Time was pressing, as a result, and she got straight to the point.

“I’m appointing you Alvenshire Constabulary Commissioner...or I’m going to, I should say.”

“Pips, you can’t! I’m not eligible for the position of Superintendent for another two years! I may even have to wait double that time. It’s not that I don’t appreciate the offer, but it’s too large a leap up the ladder. The public, your fellow councillors, the local MPs – they’re going to wonder why you put me in the running for the top police job.”

“I think you misunderstood what I’m saying, Jennifer. It’s a non-negotiable appointment. You are going to be the next Commissioner. I’ve already spoken to the current one, and he’s agreed to early retirement.”

Pippa saw a new look on Jennifer’s face. Straight away, she knew what this change of expression meant.

“I didn’t.”

“Didn’t what”

“I didn’t use my hypnotic influence on him”

DCI Stoneham immediately admitted this was what she had been thinking. Pippa frowned slightly.

“I do know the rules, Jennifer” added Pippa, as if trying to reassure a teacher she was aware of their authority’s limits.

She hadn’t yet grasped that’s exactly what DCI Stoneham was.

“I hope so, because I have to keep Katy from being thought of as a suspect by the papers and the TV news. You have to be careful how and when you use hypnosis.”

“Is this a lesson you’ve been giving Ali?”

There was a sudden change in Jennifer’s expression. It was obvious to Pippa it was about to pave the way for a confession.

“You probably noticed Ali wasn’t with Darcy and I during the past few nights”

“I did, actually. Did she feed on blood somewhere else?”

“She didn’t...she hasn’t fed on blood at all, Pips.”

Jennifer sighed a little before going on.

“The fact is, Pips, I didn’t turn her”

“But you told me you had!” said Pippa, after processing that revelation for a moment. “I saw her – she was unconscious. Rosie saw that too.”

“I faked it – basically, I lied to you!”

“I thought you were all for turning her, Jennifer! What changed your mind?”

“I haven’t actually changed my mind, Pips. My attempt didn’t go to plan.”

“So what happened?”

“Someone knocked on my front door just as I was about to. She saw my fangs, and freaked. Ali tried to get out of the house, but she fell over onto the front room floor, knocking herself out. Because my attempt went south, I tried to save face, making you believe I’d turned her. I had to hypnotise her when she regained consciousness to help her forget. I fucked up, so I had to make sure Ali didn’t remember her mum trying to turn her, or me telling her what I was. I robbed her of that memory twice. I need to be sure she’s off her guard when I try again.”

“When are you going to, Jennifer?”

“Tonight, Pips”

“What’s the latest regarding Katy’s whereabouts?”

“Is it you asking, or your daughter?”

“Rosie”

“I guessed you were channelling her question. To tell you the truth, the northern divisions of Alvenshire Constabulary haven’t got back to me with any sightings of her.”

“What about those in the southern half of the county?”

“I’m only involving them when I’ve exhausted the North Alvenshire CID divisions’ help”

“Rosie feels bad, Jennifer. That’s why she got me to ask you about Katy.”

“She shouldn’t feel bad. Pre-arranged meetings never go exactly to plan. I can vouch for that being true.”

“Yeah, but Rosie’s meeting with Katy and Ali last night wasn’t an atypical one”

“For us, it has to be!”

Pippa accepted her assessment. They had to treat the situation like it was any other.

“What has Paula said about Katy going AWOL again, Jennifer?”

“Nothing, Pips. The woman who turned me has taken care of that.”

There was no need for Pippa to push for a clearer answer. The gist of what Jennifer had said was easy to get.

Adhering to the schedule she’d formed in her brain, Mayor Trennell stood up, ready to leave. Courteously, Jennifer got to her feet too.

“Where are you off to next?”

“Henderson & Willard – I received a call from them saying that a family – the Stewarts – have expressed an interest in viewing my house, sometime in the next two days.”

“That family surname sounds familiar”

“Not to me it isn’t.”

“Are you hoping for a quick sale?”

“The housing crisis has put me off hoping for any kind of sale”

“This county has a decent record for properties being sold”

“I’m waiting to see what the Stewarts think about my house. Anyway, I’ve got to go. I’ve a week’s worth of shopping to do at Sterling’s main branch. Like you said, I have to carry on as if everything’s normal.”

“Won’t it be difficult to go in there, considering Doug won’t be there?”

“Maybe, but I have to face the fact he’s gone.”

As she opened the door to let herself out of Jennifer’s office, Pippa said “I might call round your house briefly, later tonight.” She passed by WPC Tyson, as she headed to the lift. The female constable was facing the barista coffee machine. When Pippa went through the doorway leading to where the lift was, she turned round. Waiting until she stepped through the doors that slid apart, WPC Tyson walked in the direction Mayor Trennell had. She leaned against the wall facing the twin lifts, taking out her I-Phone and selecting the name Rory Stephenson.

The man who she’d rung up was in London – in Parliament Square to be exact. Stephenson was in his late forties and a Conservative MP. He was on his way back to his prized blue BMW, when his phone began ringing.

“Hello? Jacqui – I thought you were meant to call me three days ago! I’ve...”

Her interruption on the other end of the line got his full attention. The Tory MP listened carefully. He was a stickler for picking up relevant details. Never when he was on the phone, did he miss a single word if something important was being said. He resumed speaking again when she finished.

“Thank you for drawing my attention to this, Jacqui. I’d heard rumours, but I thought the information came from those who’d watched too many supernatural films & TV shows. I want you to contact me again when you have more to tell me. Goodbye for now, Jacqui.”

He had less than a minute to think about WPC Tyson’s phone call. A fellow MP and friend – Oliver Sinclair – approached him, before he could unlock his vehicle. The two of them exchanged pleasantries, and then headed to Sinclair’s favourite cafe.

During every break time, between the first lesson and midday, Rosie was sat on the schoolyard’s wall. She was feeling the guilt about what happened with Katy and her parents. Alicia had tried and failed to get her into a conversation. It was no use – Rosie wasn’t in a talking mood. Jake, keen to try where Alicia hadn’t succeeded, lifted himself up onto the left side of where she was sitting. He raised his right buttock to avoid his trousers being cut by a shard of glass. Jake put it close to his left hand side.

“We’ve only got a few minutes before we have to go back inside, Rosie”

“Tell me something I don’t know”

Rosie’s tone was abrupt. She was finding conversations a chore, today.

“So, what’s bugging you, Rosie?”

“I’m so not in a talking mood, Jake”

“I’ll take over from you, then.”

“Whatever!” she said, raising her shoulders an inch or two.

“Myra has been giving me the eye”

This was the clumsiest attempt at making someone jealous he’d ever made. He didn’t realise how crap it was, until Rosie aimed an “Is that the best you can do?” expression at him.

“Myra doesn’t even like you, Jake”

He rapidly altered his tactic. He decided to ask something pertinent to both of them.

“Do you fancy going with me to the multiplex tonight?”

His offer would’ve been welcome over a fortnight ago. Unfortunately, she wasn’t in the best place to accept it. Right at this moment, their relationship seemed an insignificant matter to think of.

“Can we like talk about it some other time?”

This was neither a yes, nor no reply. It was her way of being fair to him. She was dealing with a complication in her life which was in no way normal. Dating was a reality she couldn’t cope with discussing at the present time.

“Sure” was the only answer he felt comfortable giving. Jake understood that pushing her into thinking about it wouldn’t work. With that mindset, he was able to resist telling her he wanted to discuss it now. Once or twice, his parents had advised him not to railroad girls into making them feel romantic if they didn’t want to. He was willingly following that advice. He was about to try small talk, when Rosie got down off the wall and moved closer to the main entrance. She wanted to be that near, so she could enter it quickly when this break time was over. Whilst Jake watched her go inside, he also spied Kahri Monaal crossing the schoolyard to the entrance.

“What’s Jalita’s big sister doing here?”

He’d asked that because Kahri rarely turned up at the school this early. She was usually here at home time to pick up Jalita. Their parents didn’t like to be seen in the grounds of a multi-cultural school. They’d wanted their youngest to be taught in a school that embraced their faith, but there were no places in any of the ones like that in Alvenshire. The school in the county’s main city was the only one that had a vacancy. Even though Kahri did have a Muslim-orientated education, she didn’t mind her sister being at this school.

Kahri was all set for the future her parents had wanted for her: a medical career, a marriage to someone they approved of, children, and them being brought up the way her faith dictated they be raised. A walk back from one of her mother’s relatives put paid to that happening. Two white women wearing hooded tops violently showed their racial prejudices. The beating Kahri took had been savage enough to cause internal bleeding. She staggered as near to the entrance to the alley she’d been dragged into, as she could, when she collapsed. Dr. March, whose car was stationary in a line of traffic, saw her fall to the ground. Seeing there was just enough space behind him, he reversed his vehicle and turned into it. Though the other drivers thought she’d passed out from too much booze, Stanley’s medical knowledge told him it was more than just inebriation that was responsible. When he turned her over, he saw at once why she was unconscious.

Her face and neck had no shortage of bruises on them. Blood that had been streaming from her nose was starting to congeal. Some of it was splattered on the alley’s concrete surface. It was also on her clothes. Relying on his medical expertise, Stanley examined her, discovering she was minutes away from death. With no time to drive her to the closest hospital to get emergency treatment, he chose the one option that could prevent her dying.

With her outlook and whole existence changed forever, Kahri ditched the life plans made by her mum and dad. This led to her parents casting her out in disgrace, despite Jalita’s attempts to change their minds on her big sister’s behalf.

This outcome was preferable to their parents learning the truth about the changes she’d gone through. She promised her younger sister to remain a part of her life, whenever possible. Kahri could only half keep that promise. One of the ways she did that was to collect Jalita from school and drop her off outside the Monaal family home. Kahri wasn’t allowed to enter. Their parents had no intention of ending their oldest daughter’s domestic exile. The exclusion went as far as standing at the doorstep being forbidden. Jalita didn’t like this state of affairs, but she put up with it. She was driven to tolerate the situation by her faith. Jalita not attending a Muslim school didn’t mean she’d abandoned her religion. She went to one of the local mosques every evening, after dinner. Unbeknownst to Jalita, her big sister had left her faith behind. That aspect of her human life no longer mattered.

Kahri’s unscheduled visit wasn’t Jalita-related. She was here for Rosie. The corridor leading to the Pastoral Care room was where she was when Kahri caught up with her. Feeling someone’s fingers touching the back of her school coat, Rosie spun round.

“Jake, I told you, I don’t want to...”

Her sentence gave way to silence, halfway through. She was very surprised to see Kahri staring at her.

“You’re a bit early to fetch Jalita, aren’t you? It’s not home time for another three quarters of an hour.”

“I know that, Rosie. I’m actually here to fetch you”

Continuing to gaze at Kahri, an odd feeling slowly overcame her. Like cats or dogs catching the scent of their own kind, Rosie soon cottoned onto the fact Jalita’s older sibling was an immortal. She looked at Kahri a little differently, after realising this.

“A Muslim one...that’s a first”

Thinking her remark wasn’t politically-correct, she quickly made her apologies to Kahri, introducing a sliver of shame into her tone of voice.

“You didn’t need to say sorry. Your description’s spot-on.”

“Why have you come to collect me from school?”

“Brie wants to see you”

“Why has she sent you to....? Wait, do you work for her?”

“I’m her PA.”

“Jalita said you’d got a well-paid job”

“I haven’t – I’ve got a very well paid job, and a studio apartment to boot.”

“Cool! I’d love to live in one of those, someday.”

“She wants you there in the next half-hour, so we’d better get moving.”

“One problem, Kahri – Mrs Davidson has a zero tolerance policy on pupils bunking off.”

“It’s fortunate, then, that I know what the loophole in it is, Rosie.”

Whilst being driven to Helmstone Lane, Rosie wondered what Kahri meant by that remark. She asked her that directly, but didn’t receive an explanation. Realising she wasn’t going to get one, Rosie kept quiet for the rest of the car journey there.

This was her debut excursion to the building Lady Cullmore had all to herself. She and Kahri took the lift to the third floor. They had to walk through an entire room before reaching the precise destination Rosie was being taken to. In the adjoining one, she saw all the members of ‘The Guild’, plus its new leader, Catherine. The first pair of faces Rosie saw were Evelyn and the man who’d made Kahri a vampire. It was him who made the others aware that their visitors had arrived.

“Is this one of Lady Cullmore’s living rooms?”

“No, Rosie” said Catherine, as she made her way through the small crowd. “This is to be the new HQ for ‘The Guild’. The one under the ‘Red Moon’ club is being dismantled.”

Unsure whether Rosie knew about ‘The Guild’ or not, Kahri gave her a brief description of it.

“I so don’t know why I’m here.”

“For this” said Catherine.

Rosie looked at the palm of her left hand. There was a silver ring in the centre of it.

“Put it on” continued Lady Cullmore.

She tentatively slipped the ring onto the finger it was meant to adorn. Her having one with this tiger insignia legitimised the fact she now belonged to the supernatural world and the real one. Something made her turn a quarter clockwise. An apparition of Doug was in the corner she was staring at. The partially translucent figure smiled at her and waved his right hand. The physical gesture symbolised a ghostly type of goodbye. He was no longer a part of either world Rosie inhabited.

When the apparition faded into invisibility, Rosie felt both haunted by it and comforted by the vision. The latter feeling came from a very human situation. It was one where a father was accepting his daughter was ready to have her own life. An unworldly element being in the mix didn’t alter the fabric of this reality.