‘Officers are patrolling the area,’ Sarah said. ‘I’m sure we’ll find her soon. In the meantime, we’ll speak to her friends in person, see if they know more than they’re letting on. We’re putting some feelers out in the local community to see if any meetups were arranged last night.’ Sometimes kids in the community hung out in abandoned buildings, smoking weed and playing music, and such gatherings were pre-arranged. But they were usually reserved for Lower Slayton’s older teens, not Upper Slayton’s young Catholic schoolgirls.
Claudia nodded in acknowledgement. ‘I’ve telephoned the hospital, spoken to the local parish priest. Simon’s out looking for her too.’
Of course,Sarah thought.Not all husbands are only out for what they can get.She hated that her view of men had been tainted in this way. After uploading the completed questionnaire to the system, Sarah updated control. A search was underway, dog units were being called in and police community support officers were checking the playgrounds, school bike sheds, all the local kids’ haunts. Weather permitting, the force helicopter would scout the area too.
Angelica’s brother, Ryan, wandered in and sat in the corner chair. He was a stocky kid, late teens by the look of it. Folding his arms, he slumped back in his chair and began to examine his phone. Claudia turned to him.
‘Any updates on social media?’
He replied with a taut shake of the head. Sarah watched him closely. Concern was etched on his face. But there was something else there too. His eyes met hers before returning to his phone. Another loud rumble of her stomach. Sarah flushed.
‘I couldn’t trouble you for a glass of water, could I?’ She directed the question at Claudia. ‘I’ve been going from job to job.’ It wasn’t unusual not to be offered refreshments in homes such as these. Usually, the people with the least offered the most. Not that she expected anything. They had more to worry about than her caffeine withdrawal today.
Claudia drifted from the room, leaving Sarah alone with Ryan. The water was as good an excuse as any to garner some alone time. He rose from the chair to follow his mother, but Sarah raised her hand. ‘Ryan, have you got a minute?’ she said.
Reluctantly, he sat back down.
Sarah tilted her head to one side. ‘There’s more, isn’t there? You need to tell me what you know.’
He drove a hand through his hair, dragging his fringe over his forehead. He seemed barely able to meet her gaze. ‘Mum will go ape when she hears about this.’ His gaze fell on the door. ‘As for Dad … he’ll kill me.’ Rain tapped on the window as Sarah waited for answers.The angel is dead.
‘Nobody’s going to kill anyone,’ Sarah said. ‘Where’s your sister?’ she pressed. ‘Who’s she with?’
Ryan pulled the hood of his sweatshirt up. ‘I didn’t think she’d go through with it. But Angelica has this rebellious streak and … ah man, Dad’s going to go mad.’
Leaning forward, Sarah kept her voice even and low. ‘Then best you tell me now, before we hear it from anybody else. At least that way, you’ll be the one helping us with our enquiries.’
‘What’s this?’ Claudia said, glass of iced water in hand. She thrust it towards Sarah while looking at her son. ‘You look worried. What’s going on?’
‘Ryan’s remembered something that might help,’ Sarah said, taking the glass from Claudia’s extended hand. ‘He was just about to tell me.’
‘You have?’ Claudia stood over him. ‘Out with it then, before your dad gets home. Where is she?’
As she sipped the filtered water, Sarah sensed that Mr Irving was not an easy man to live with. From what she’d heard, there was an unsavoury side to him kept firmly from view.
‘If I knew where she was I would have told you straight away, Mum.’ Ryan exhaled. ‘It might be nothing, but—’
‘I’ll be the judge of that,’ Claudia interjected. ‘What is it?’
The uncomfortable teenager straightened in his seat. ‘She was talking about some Halloween game that kids here play every year. I told her not to be so stupid, but she said it was all planned.’
‘What sort of game?’ Sarah said, another layer of dread rising. She already knew the answer.
‘The Midnight Game,’ Ryan continued, confirming her worst fears. ‘Some weird pagan thing where you walk around in the dark with a candle and invite “the Midnight Man” in.’ He looked from Claudia to Sarah. ‘I told you it was dumb.’
Sarah’s fingers had tightened around her laptop, and her heart was beating as if the devil had asked her out on a date. She forced herself to blink.Rule five: Act normal.‘I take it she was playing with friends.’
‘She wouldn’t have done it on her own. She’s stupid sometimes but notthatstupid.’ Ryan shook his head.
‘Your sister is not stupid!’ Claudia snapped.
‘Then where is she?’ Ryan countered, jumping up from his chair. His cheeks were burning. He stood several inches over his mother. This was a boy who didn’t like to be contradicted. Perhaps lessons had been learned from his father. It wouldn’t surprise her.
‘Did she say where she was playing the game?’ Sarah said, in an effort to break the tension.
Ryan shrugged. ‘She wouldn’t have played it at home. You can’t be disturbed, and you have to do it in darkness with the front door unlocked. There’re loads of stories about it online if you search for it.’ He paused as they both watched him, waiting for more. ‘If you ask me, there’s only one place in Slayton you go to play a game like that.’
‘Where?’ Claudia asked.
