“F’sure. Same t’ yourself, aye?”
Without another word, Declan turned and disappeared into the woodland, heading for the main road on the other side. I turned the opposite way, heading back towards the camp. As soon as I was out from the wilds, I grabbed my phone and pulled up Ronan’s messages.
RONAN: Something big going on at camp. Are ya gonna be out much longer?
RONAN: Ya need to get back here. I’ll tell ya more when I see ya.
RONAN: Missed Call.
Shite, he was probably worrying about me. I dialled his number, holding my phone to my ear and I fought my way through the bushes and back into the camp. It had barely finished its second ring when Ronan picked up.
“Y’alright? Where are ya?”
“Aye, I’m fine. Same can’t be said f’Declan’s Tess, mind. She’s missin’. Please tell me ya’ve seen her?”
“Nah, but I knowwhyshe’s disappeared, like,” Ronan replied. Something about the timbre of his voice had my palms growing sweaty.
“I’m almost back at y’place. Tell me in a minute.” I hung up before he could reply, jogging the last hundred metres. I arrived just in time to see Ronan hopping down from inside his caravan. Darragh and Fiadh stood in the doorway for a moment, casting me sympathetic expressions before closing the door and allowing Ronan and I some privacy.
“What the feck is goin’ on, like?” I asked, pushing my hair from my eyes.
“It’s bad, fella,” Ronan replied, his brows drawn. “They’re sayin’ Tess killed a girl – that wee geebag y’know, Pearl was it?”
My stomach turned over and scrubbed a hand down my face.“Feck, y’serious?”
Ronan nodded. “There was a fight in the shower block, blood feckin’ everywhere. The ambulance took Pearl away, but God…” He trailed off with a sigh. “It wasn’t lookin’ good, now.”
Jaysus. We’d all known Pearl wasn’t best impressed with Tess for moving in on Declan, but this? This was too far. I knew what Pearl was like – she’d started that fight, I’d put money on it, but it looked like Tess had finished it. Who’d have known the wee buffer girl had it in her?
“No one’s seen Tess?” I asked.
Ronan shook his head.
“I’m sorry t’ drag ya inta this, but I need y’help,” I said, grabbing him by the nape. “Can y’give me a wee hand goin’ ‘bout the camp? Someone musta seen her, like.”
“Aye, I’ll help where I can.”
Without thinking, I closed the distance between us and kissed him firmly. Ronan immediately tensed up and shoved me away.
“Jaysus, what ya playin’ at?” he snapped, though I could tell he wasn’t really upset with me. “Anyone coulda seen ya, like.”
I shrugged with a sad smile. “More important things t’ worry ‘bout, now.”
“Let me tell Ma what’s goin’ on an’ I’ll be right wi’ ya, okay?”
I simply nodded, checking my phone whilst Ronan yanked open the door and shouted inside. Darragh was up on his feet immediately.
“Y’need another pair o’ hands, like?” he asked and gratitude flooded me.
“Aye, that would be grand. Thanks, fella.”
All three of us headed into the night, Darragh peeling off first to chat with a group of older people who were all talking amongst themselves.
The ambulance was gone now, and yet I made a beeline straight to the women’s toilet block. Ronan was right behind me, though he remained quiet.
As I came to a halt, taking in the scene before me, I felt the blood drain from my face and a cold sweat break out over my brow. Shite, Ronan hadn’t been exaggerating…
There was blood everywhere, and though police were doing their best to hold back the crowd, I could see past them and into the locker room. It was a sea of crimson, and I ripped my eyes away, suddenly nauseous.
