His ears pricked up in much the same manner as Gretel’s when she heard the fridge door open.
“What happened?”
“A driver reported two vehicles driving recklessly at approximately oh-two-hundred hours. Ste went up there to check it out and heard a bit of a commotion. He called for back up, but by the time Kev got there, it had gone quiet.” She tapped her fingers against his desk. “I know Garrison said there was nothing fishy going on up there but given that the boss has advised we only go there in pairs, I don’t reckon it was Ste being a lazy arse.”
“Agreed. On this occasion. Has anyone checked it out since?”
“Nope. I can come with you later if you want. I’ve only been up there twice, and I have to say, I’m really curious about what it’s like.”
He nodded. “Okay. I’ve got a report to finish up and I want to read up on a couple of things, then we’ll head up there about nine. They have first prayers at eight and turning up before they’ve finished is bad form and gets you nowhere. Does that fit with you?”
She grinned, giving him a view of perfectly white teeth that suggested they’d had a lot of dentistry. “I’ll make it fit.”
“Why are you so excited about it? Is it just your usual noisiness?” She was known for it. Their boss below Garrison, Dave Nicely – his actual name – kept telling her that curiosity killed the cat, or in this case, the Jennie, but her response was the same every time –satisfaction brought it back.
“No.” She shook her head rapidly. “There’s something about the place that gives me a niggle.”
“Why?”
Jennie shrugged. “The girl who said she saw a man with a gun. The whole thing that I heard about with the other girl that was kidnapped. And when I’ve been up there there’s just a strange atmosphere. I don’t want to hang around – just get away.”
“What do you think’s lurking there? Freddie Kruger?”
She laughed. “No. It’s not that. It feels – oppressive. Like there are souls there that can’t get away.”
Her words sounded ominous and made the hairs on Alex’s neck stand up. “Be ready to leave here at ten to nine. Let’s see what we find.”
Jennie nodded, looking strangely satisfied that he hadn’t dismissed her theories.
His computer started up sluggishly, the hot weather seeming to make it think it was on holiday.
Eventually the circle of doom stopped and the screen lit up, an image of him with his brothers at the top of Ben Lomond his wallpaper.
Alex started to log into various servers, searching for information he knew had been collated, and looking for one file in particular.
Back in Manchester, he had a contact who could hack quite nicely into various places and enjoyed helping out rogue coppers. Indy Carter sat on the edges of society, preferring to hang out with her computer and her band of extremely geeky friends who could also have been part of some vampiric society given how little sunlight they saw.
Indy was magic and since he’d last logged onto the file that was more securely guarded than a night with the royal family, she’d added extra information.
He started to read through, sticking the new details into his memory because he sure as hell couldn’t record them in his notebook. Garrison was away for another ten days, although it wasn’t confirmed exactly where he was, which unnerved Alex. His trust in him was nil. And he was never sure in exactly who else he could trust.
There was some updated information on Alfie Fletcher – he was apparently in the Cayman Islands at present. His right-hand man, who was actually without his own right hand, was about to be up in court on a charge that had been significantly reduced. One of his minions on Fletcher’s middle leadership level had gotten away with murder after witnesses refused to come forward and there were a couple of crimes that were linked with his gang, plus an investment into a Manchester football team that was accounted to him, but not publicised.
Alex slid his phone out of his pocket and sent a message to Indy.Any joy on finding out where Garrison is?
He knew there’d be no answer for a few hours. She was nocturnal and this hour was just past her bedtime.
There were a couple more notifications connected to Felley Manor, or what remained of it, from over the last few days, as well as the driving incident, one being the report of the theft of building materials from where the cult – religious organisation was too soft in Alex’s opinion – were rebuilding the manor house that had been pretty much burned down. He would’ve preferred it if the whole place was razed to the ground and used as a festival spot for future years. Or even a nightclub. Or another field for Jake to wage a war over using for his rogue alpacas. Anything other than that damned place that he tried to understand but could never get it.
The light outside was getting stronger, the summer sun brightening. Alex thought about the woman who was still in his bed and pushed away the want to be with her now. He didn’t do full on relationships. The women he’d been involved in had been fun and good company – he wasn’t a player like Jake but he hadn’t really gone long periods without sex either. But it was rare he left a woman in his bed to go to work, saving dates or sleepovers for when he had a day off, chance to take some time for himself afterwards.
“Want a coffee?” Jennie’s voice brought him back to his current location.
“Thanks.” He gave her a smile, realising that it wasn’t the most genuine. His head was elsewhere, spinning between his bed, Felley Manor and Manchester and there was a weight on his shoulders that shouldn’t be there.
“You okay?”
He nodded, forced himself to focus on her. “Busy head.”
