‘Yes, well, Karen promised me there would be banana bread.’
Karen gasps. ‘Oh goodness, I’ve forgotten the blasted banana bread.’
Graham lets out a little chuckle.
‘I’ll just quickly nip back home and get it. I only live up the road.’
‘Oh, Karen, please don’t think that …’
‘Nonsense, Graham. I made it for tonight’s meeting. It’s my own fault I forgot it. I won’t be a moment. I’ll leave you in the capable hands of … Mr Hammel.’ She says the name firmly, without emphasising it, but she widens her eyes at Graham, who notices and nods his thanks.
So … this is Frank Hammel, Sophia’s father.
But clearly, he’s a popular man because Graham doesn’t get the chance to speak to him alone at all. Mr Hammel is soon swept into another conversation, so Graham finishes placing the chairs, by which time several more people have entered the hall and introduced themselves to Graham. Karen returns with her banana bread and everyone mingles, the volume in the hall gradually increasing until Frank Hammel’s voice echoes above it.
‘Ladies and Gentlemen, please all take your seats and the meeting can begin.’
Graham isn’t sure what to expect from the meeting, but he sits and listens quietly, memorising people’s faces. Despite having lived here a while, he doesn’t know everyone by name, so it’s certainly useful to hear people talk.
Frank appears to be the leader, guiding the discussions and topics to keep them on track. There is talk of expanding the village market square, which is met with a resounding yes, and there is also a discussion about what is happening with the empty shop in the centre of the village. No one seems to have the spare cash to rent it out, which doesn’t surprise Graham. He’s not sure how farmers get by as it is. He stays quiet and no one asks him for his opinion. But then, the tree is mentioned and there’s a low murmur of disapproving voices when Frank explains how dangerous it is.
At this point, Graham raises his hand. The whole room turns and looks at him. ‘If the tree is so dangerous,’ he says, ‘then why is it not cordoned off?’
A few murmurs follow his question. It’s Frank who answers. ‘We did try that several years ago, Mr Williams, but unfortunately a lot of kids around here still continue to climb it. You must have noticed since you live opposite the hill.’
‘I can’t say I’ve noticed kids climbing it, but I did find something interesting hanging in it this morning.’
The whole room descends into silence, like the mute button has been switched on. Graham holds Frank’s stern gaze. Karen is sitting just off to the side of him, so he’s not sure what she’s doing, but he’s assuming she’s regretting her decision to invite him along right about now.
‘You’re talking about the scarecrow, I assume,’ says Frank.
‘Yes, I am.’
‘I wouldn’t worry about that, Mr Williams. It’s a harmless prank the local kids like to play on the run up to Halloween.’
Graham thinks of the papers he found on the scarecrow this morning, burning a hole in his jacket pocket; one of which mentions Frank’s daughter by name. It seems an odd Halloween prank to play, but he stays quiet, and listens to the rest of the village meeting.
There is talk of destroying the tree, but the majority of the people want to keep it. As Graham thought, it’s an ancient monument of sorts, part of the village's history. Frank agrees to not have it cut down yet. Every once in a while, one of the residents shoots Graham a dark look, but he doesn’t open his mouth again, and then, when the meeting draws to a close, Frank Hammel leaves quickly, exiting out the back door of the hall.
Graham says goodbye to several people, including Karen, though she doesn’t seem as friendly as before. He grabs a slice of banana bread on his way out, biting into it as he walks back home.
Damn, that’sgood banana bread.
Chapter 8
STEPHEN
Wednesday passes by somewhat slowly. His research continues leading him to dead ends or random online chatrooms that he quickly exits when things get a little too weird. He’s not into cults, murder plots or dark magic; doesn’t believe in any of it. To Stephen, there’s always a rational explanation for anything, whether it be a demon sighting or the myth of the Loch Ness Monster.
There is a potential case over in Ireland that holds his interest for longer than most, but after reaching out to the journalist who wrote the article, he finds out it’s merely a hoax to draw in readers. Not his intention. He needs the real deal.
Rachel returns from work at eight, always a late shift at The Cherry Tree, the one and only hotel in Cherry Hollow, the place where they formally met and had their first date. Stephen likes to cook dinner, ready for when she walks in, along with a glass of wine waiting on the side.
Stephen opens the fridge and scans the shelves for ingredients he can throw together to form a healthy meal. He and Rachel like to eat healthy, preferring fresh vegetables to ready meals, but he hasn’t been shopping since last week, so the shelves are looking a little bare. Didn’t Rachel say she was doing the shopping this week? Perhaps he’s misunderstoodher. He’s happy to go shopping and is also happy for Rachel to do it, but doing the shopping together is his idea of hell. The woman can’t pack items into a bag to save her life, and she meanders up and down the aisles as if she’s lost, casually perusing items as if she has no idea what she’s there to buy. He, however, has a pre-prepared list which has everything he needs in the order he’s going to walk down the aisle, which means he gets everything from the shelves in the right sequence so he can pack the bags in a correct and logical manner at the end. It just makes sense. Complete and utter perfect sense. The last time they shopped together, he ended up walking out and meeting her at the car. Sometimes, it’s better to walk away than create an argument he knows he can’t win.
There’s fresh salmon in the fridge that needs to be eaten today, so salmon it is. He makes a quick spicy crumb and rubs it into the fish before putting it aside to allow the spices to infuse for an hour.
Next, he prepares basmati rice, which won't take long to cook, then chops up the last of the tender stem broccoli, ready to steam at the last minute. A quick and easy meal that Rachel is sure to enjoy after a long day stuck behind a reception desk answering calls.
