Darkness Dominates - Chapter 3

The prediction Rosie had made to Leola about the McAllister monument was spot on. After finishing her fried breakfast, Doug drove her near to its location. During the 11-minute journey, he gave Leola a brief explanation as to what it was.

“Imagine an explosion of bits of household appliances frozen in time. It’s the oddest landmark this city has.”

Doug and Leola had to walk up a grass verge and then make their way across a play park, before reaching it. His description of it was largely accurate. Various fragments of machines found in the home had been welded together. Leola studied each of the constituent parts for about a minute.

“You’re right about it being strange” she observed. “Who made it?”

“The members of Alven’s culture committee. Everything you see was welded together to commemorate Andrew McAllister.”

“Hence the monument using his surname: who is he, though?”

“He’s the most famous sportsman to be born here”

“What sport does he play?”

“I thought as an Alvenshire girl you’d know that already”

“Different generation”

“He played for Ralham FC, before becoming the club’s manager.”

“How many years did he clock in?”

“Nearly as many as Alex Ferguson did”

“He must’ve been popular with the supporters and players”

“Hugely, Skye”

“How did he die?”

“Drunk driver, of all things – his wife, Olivia was also killed. Fortunately, his kids weren’t in the vehicle when it happened. I was gutted – the whole city was.”

“Pardon me for asking this, Mr. Trennell, but why are you showing me it?”

“Because he was a care home kid too – Andrew turned 18 without finding a to adopt him – so he did something worthwhile with his life and made a family of his own”

Instantly, Leola got a better understanding of why he had brought her here.

“You’re trying to convince me to go back to the halfway house, aren’t you?”

“Diane’s a good person – whatever you two argued about, I’m sure the two of you can patch it up”

“It’s more complicated than that”

“I’m sure it seems that way, but it doesn’t have to be”

“My situation means that it can’t help being other than complex”

“Situations like yours can change.”

“You think Diane will forgive me, don’t you?”

“I don’t think she will...I know she will”

Leola pondered Doug’s certainty for a moment. It was refreshing to hear, if a little naive. She’d grown to know that wisdom can be measured by the length of someone’s lifetime. Since in her case it was multiple, she couldn’t really act as if she knew more than him. Appearances dictated that Leola was the teenager and Doug was the adult.

“Tell you what, why don’t we go back to Matt’s Cafe?”

“For lunch”

“That and a Latte”

“I’d prefer an Americano”

Half an hour later, Matt stood in for one of his employees and brought Leola one personally.

“Thanks” she said to Doug’s friend.

“No problem”

Turning towards Mr. Trennell, she asked “What’ll happen if there’s no chance of me returning to Sudfield?”

“It all depends on whether Pips can convince Diane to agree to have you back”

“Hence you showing me around Alven”

Doug looked like a suspect that had been confronted with undeniable evidence of their crime.

“Don’t look so panicked, Mr. Trennell, I know”

“When did the penny drop?”

“Just before we left your house”

“I did wonder whether you’d figure it out. Listen, I know you seem unwilling to reveal why you and Diane fell out, but it couldn’t hurt to.”

“It’s a private matter” said Leola.

“I wouldn’t bank on it staying that way. Pips will want to get this matter sorted, so she’ll be eager to get to the truth behind it.”

“Well then, she’ll be the one who gives you the explanation”

“Why can’t you be the one to do that, Skye?”

“I just can’t, Mr. Trennell! I have my reasons!”

“You’re being very secretive”

Leola found a topic she could use to change the subject.

“How long has Charlotte been at university?”

“Just over a couple of years now – what do you fancy for lunch?”

Less than 15 minutes later, Matt was bringing a half-pounder with cheese and chips to Leola’s side of the table. Doug had settled for a ham and tomato sandwich.

“I doubt I could eat that much, not with my medical history! I had a mild heart attack a few years ago”

“That explains why you’re having a sandwich.”

She stopped talking for a moment and took a large bite from her burger.

“What if we were to adopt you?”

Leola almost spat out what she had in her mouth on hearing this.

“I’m sure your wife will have something to say about that – Rosie and Charlotte too!”

“You’re still seventeen”

“Not for much longer – adoption processes take time, and by then, I’ll be an adult in the eyes of the law”

This was a lie she felt justified in telling. She saw it as a way of making Doug accept she was 17, going on 18. Leola had flavoured her remark with common teenage petulance so that he’d believe it.

“You’re the only care home kid I’ve met who doesn’t want to be adopted”

“That’s just it – you don’t know me at all”

“Only because you’re secretive”

“That’s my right! And please stop talking about adopting me – I’m not daughter material! Besides, your missus would never go for it.”

Doug’s phone made two successive pings.

“Hold on, Skye, I’ve got a text!”

He stood up and walked towards a life-size cardboard cut out of a waitress. Doug touched the display screen three times and read the message sent to him aloud.

“Just about to head to Sudfield”

Below the text was a lower-case x, symbolising a kiss. Leola was three-quarters-of-the-way through her burger when Doug returned to the table.

“Who was the text from?”

“Pips, Skye. She sent it just under a minute ago. By this evening, she’ll have cleared the way for you to Sudfield”

Leola picked up on the cosy confidence in Doug’s voice, fully aware that she’d orchestrated a different outcome.

Pippa’s journey to Sudfield took her beyond the outskirts of Canroth. A tiny village named Kelphych lay between there and the halfway house. This area consisted of eleven houses, a small church and a pub called ‘The Henford Dagger’. Seated at one of the forecourt’s tables were two council workers. One of them proved he knew Councillor Trennell by waving at her. She didn’t recognise his face, however, and drove by the pub without waving back at him. He shrugged his shoulders and carried on drinking his pint of bitter.

The route to Sudfield took Councillor Trennell’s car over a narrow bridge, above part of the River Lothyl. Pippa noticed that a small section of the railings was starting to come loose.

“Kids might decide to play on this bridge” she said to herself. “I’m not having shoddy work be responsible for a youngster fucking well drowning in the Lothyl!”

At the other end of the bridge, the road widened out again. Two feet further on was a road sign indicating how far it was to Sudfield Hall. A flock of birds flew off from a roadside tree as Pippa’s car passed it. Two of them came within inches of colliding with her windscreen. This didn’t panic her. Pippa had become a steely, unflappable driver, ever since she passed her driving test with flying colours. That was when she was nineteen. The seventeen year gap between then and now had improved her skills behind the wheel.  She knew how to safely navigate hazardous traffic situations and had avoided succumbing to road rage. This was one of the things in her life she was most proud of. Her car went past a couple more roadside trees. There was only one bird in each – a chaffinch and a crow. Both stayed where they were instead of taking flight. The crow appeared to be eyeing her. She was slightly un-nerved by this, but not frightened.

A few minutes later, she saw the road leading into Sudfield. On either side of that route were arrow signs for the benefit of motorists who hadn’t come this way before. Councillor Trennell was one of those in that category. When the road veered partially to the right, Pippa saw of a fraction of the building.

More of it came into view when the car entered the driveway. The entire front part of the halfway house was painted light blue – even the doors and window frames.

The part of the building which first caught Pippa’s eye was the circular window frame on the left-hand side of the top floor; it was a dead ringer for the one she’d seen on ‘Play School’ during the Seventies. She wasn’t the only one staring at it. A young woman with jet black hair was looking at it too.

“What’s up there?” Pippa asked her.

“Diane calls it ‘The Fridge’”

“The Fridge”

“It’s like the Cooler – you know, like in ‘Waterloo Road’ on the telly”

“You mean it’s where you and the other teens go when you’ve misbehaved”

“I’ve been in there, but only once. That was over a year and a half ago now.”

“How old are you?”

“Nineteen”

“You look a year younger”

“I’ll take that as a compliment”

“Sorry...rude of me – what’s your name?”

“Holly Pearce”

“Councillor Pippa Trennell. Are you an employee of...?”

“Volunteer and ex-resident”

“I thought someone of your age would be at Canroth Community College”

“I am...well, part-time – three days a week”

“What are you studying there?”

“Law and Sociology”

“Is ‘The Fridge’ bare?”

Knowing what Pippa meant, Holly replied “It has murals to calm stroppy and aggressive teens down – a move that’s had mixed results. It’s out of bounds for the moment to everyone except Diane.”

“How come”

“Structural maintenance being done on the third floor. They’ve installed a door at the top of the stairs to stop staff and residents entering. There’s a keypad, but only Diane knows the code to get in.”

“I didn’t see any council work vans as I drove in here”

“The two council workmen went on their break.”

“I think I saw them in the pub called ‘The Henford Dagger’ drinking beer.”

“Stupid shits – they’ll be breathalysed if the police pull them over! Diane’s so going to throw the book at them if that happens!”

“Could you tell me where can I find Diane Farnham?”

“You’ve found her” said Diane.

Pippa turned and saw her husband’s female school friend standing just outside the front entrance. Right away, she noticed that how she looked in reality didn’t match the image of her she’d formed in mind. Doug’s assessment of her had led Pippa to expect her to be down with the kids. Yet, Diane seemed to have a morose, defeated air about her. It was coupled by a haunted look in her eyes.

“Holly, Emerald Hyford didn’t tidy up hers and Fiona Howe’s room again! Could you do it?”

“I’m on it!”

Holly strode into the building, through the main doors.

“I thought the county council inspection isn’t until next week”

“It still is next week”

“Why are you here then?”

“Skye Linton”

“I think we should go inside.”

The walls and ceilings of the ground floor corridor were painted lime green.

“Interesting colour”

“You’re just being polite...sorry, what do I call you?”

“Councillor Pippa Trennell”

“Ah, Doug’s wife”

“I am, yeah”

“As I was saying, you’re probably being polite – it’s hideous! The P&D’s are twats – they didn’t pay any attention to how I wanted it done”

“Where’s your office?”

“It’s first on the left on the next floor”

As the two of them went upstairs, they were watched by a male employee who’d just come out of the recreation room. He had on a blue T-shirt with the name of this place printed on it and a pair of black denims. The employee also had an anxious look on his face. Once on that floor, Pippa watched Diane half-open her office door. She looked inside it – left and right.

“What are you doing?”

“Rob Massey likes nicking stuff from here, so I’m checking to see what’s been taken”

“Is anything missing?”

“Nope – everything’s still here”

She pushed the door all the way open. Diane and Pippa then entered. On the wall behind Diane’s desk was a framed colour photo of a teenage girl.

“Who’s that?”

“The first resident to set foot in here – Lynda Arnold – Lynda with a ‘Y’”

“What happened to her?”

“Became a doctor, got hitched and then started a family of her own”

“A success story then”

“I like to think so”

“Have you got a family?”

“A daughter called Darcy. She came into this world in 1992.”

“What about her dad?”

“One night stand! I was very drunk – wasn’t able to recall his name. I still can’t, to be honest! Don’t matter, though – I’ve managed pretty well as a single parent.”

Pippa asked Ms Farnham about the education of the teen residents.

“They get taught here.”

“Why?”

“Most of them were kicked out of the school they attended. We have a teacher – Mr Hall – to make sure they don’t miss out on an education.”

Diane walked to the coffee machine she’d had installed in her office. Councillor Trennell had seen one just like it in a cafe, roughly a week ago.

“Do you want one?”

“No, I’m good, Diane. I want to get down to business. You brought me in here to talk about your runaway resident, I believe!”

“Where is she now?”

“At my house – temporarily”

Councillor Trennell suddenly spied a letter from Canroth General on the left right half of Diane’s desk. Looking closer, she saw it had the date from exactly a week ago.

“What was the appointment for?”

Diane put the letter into one of the desk drawers before answering.

“Darcy dislocated her right ankle during a P.E lesson. She had to have surgery a month back. It’s just a check-up by Dr. Morton to see how it’s healing”

Appreciating that this was a private family matter she was straying into, Pippa changed the subject back to Skye.

“I understand you and Miss Linton had a row”

“Skye did most of the arguing”

“What was it about?”

“Letting her go into the big wide world a month before she turns 18”

“Why’s that necessary?”

“We’re about to run out of room – got another 16 year-old coming in the next few days, and we admitted two sisters the night before Skye bolted”

“Didn’t you ring round the other halfway houses in the county?”

“You’d make a great DCI, you know that!”

“That’s Jennifer’s talent. Did you ring the other halfway houses?”

“I did, but they’re all full”

“Then I’ll have to consider a council flat as an option. Can I see her file?”

“Sure”

Diane took one from the middle of the bottom right-hand drawer and handed it to Pippa. She flicked through the seven pages worth of details about Skye in just over a minute.

“It says she stayed at Herdenham’s halfway house briefly, before she came here”

“Yeah, Sudfield was undergoing minor renovation, so she had to make a pit stop there until the work was done”

Pippa handed the file back to Diane.

“Right, I’ve got to go – lots to do back at Alven. I’ll contact you when I’ve found a vacant council flat for Skye. That’ll probably take me until the end of the week, so you’ll probably be hearing from me next Monday. Skye will have to stay at my house until then. Anyway, thank you for your time, Ms Farnham.”

“Do you want me to see you out?”

“Cheers, but I can manage”

“Give me regards to Doug and the girls”

“I will” Pippa said hurriedly, as she left Diane’s office.

Once back in the driveway, Coucillor Trennell felt the need to rub her arms. The outside air was chillier than it had been when she’d gotten here. She had hold of the driver’s door handle for a mere moment, when the crow she’d seen earlier flew into the grounds. It began eyeing her up again. The bird was forced to fly away when Holly threw a handful of gravel from the driveway at it.

“The RSPB won’t like that – you could’ve injured one of its wings!”

“Well, that’s its own fault for trying to attack Sally North!”

“Why did it do that?”

“So don’t have a clue! It was like a scene from ‘The Birds’”

“Sally wasn’t hurt was she?”

“Nope, I saw it off it before it got the chance!”

“Sounds like she had a lucky escape”

“She did that! Anyway, I’ve got to have a word with Ben”

“Ben”

“Yeah, you probably saw him hanging around.”

“Yeah, I remember him. There was someone staring at me as I headed to Diane’s office – boyfriend?”

“Just a colleague” said Holly. “I’d best be off – work to do!”

She’d gone inside before Pippa could say “It was nice to meet you”. Councillor Trennell was about to get back into her car again when she heard the crow Holly had supposedly scared off making noises. The sounds were coming from the far left-hand side of Sudfield’s roof. She immediately felt the hairs on the back of her neck tingle. It was as if they’d been bombarded by static electricity. Pippa turned round and saw the crow eyeing her up a third time. Right below was the same window she first noticed when she arrived. For a split-second, she thought she’d seen a lock of blonde hair in the right-hand corner of the round window. The crow bobbed itself round, showing its tail feathers, and flew away from the roof. Feeling her neck hairs go back to normal, Pippa looked at the window again. There was no-one there.