“I wish I’d lived somewhere like here as a kid. I’d have felt like I was part of the Famous Five or some secret kid mystery gang.”
He heard the excitement in Jennie’s words and for once he smiled at them. She’d seen some awful stuff in her life, he knew, an older brother who was an addict, an uncle who didn’t keep his hands to himself, yet she always managed to come away with a positive from somewhere. Something to focus on that wasn’t a nasty.
The building that had been the manor had been decimated by the fire that had nearly taken Alex’s cousin, Rayah, last year. Inside had been wrecked, the massive staircase crumbling down and one wing of the building torn apart by flames, leaving its insides exposed.
Now there was scaffolding erected all around, a slow traipse of workmen bringing the place back to its former glory, as a building at least. The members of the church had relocated into sharing with others who lived in the outbuildings scattered across the manor’s extensive grounds or into temporary homes that had been set up, like lodges on a caravan site.
Alex’s back felt rigid and tense as he pulled up, choking back the slight hint of nausea at the site of the place that had nearly taken Rayah away from them all. Scott, Zack and Jake were unaware, but Jonny had struggled for months after, reliving entering the building to find the woman he was in love with, knowing too well as a firefighter what could’ve been happening in there. He’d come across Jonny in the bar with Abby, late on, after they’d both finished a shift. They’d shared a drink, maybe two, and then he’d seen the haunted look in Jonny’s eyes as he still came to terms with what he’d nearly lost.
But he hadn’t.
Alex remembered just a few days ago when Abby had turned up on his doorstep, her expression shadowed by the sense of being followed home. Her worry. Fear.
He remembered what that had done to his insides.
This place, he knew, was the centre of Severton’s secrets. It was where things were buried and hidden beneath the hawthorn and the laurel, away from the sunshine of the town and it’s weird traditions, its rogue alpacas and the characters who lived there.
“Can I help you at all?”
The voice came from behind them. Alex swung around and saw a man he hadn’t met before. He was older, maybe in his sixties, his eyes were the lightest blue he’d ever seen and for a second he stared.
“I’m Paul. One of this community’s leaders. I’m new here so if I should know you, I apologise.” He offered out a hand.
Alex took it and gave him a brief nod. “DS Alex Maynard. Local cop.”
“Ah, one of the famous Maynard family. Your sister – or is it cousin – does an outstanding job of educating some of our youngsters.”
“She tries to.” Alex couldn’t bring himself to smile. “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your last name.” Which was becausePaulhadn’t said it.
“James. Paul James.” A smile curled his lips.
Alex would put next month’s wage on that not being his real name. Coincidence that he was named after two disciples.
“This is my colleague, PC Jennie Cuona. We’re just having a look around. There were reports of some anti-social behaviour last night and a nearby shop was raided. Good to keep an eye out.” Alex managed a smile but he couldn’t stop his words from sounding harsh.
“We won’t disturb anyone but we are going to take a walk around. There are lots of places to hide things around here.” Jennie’s words were jollier, and she even managed a smile.
“Do you have permission to walk round the grounds?” Paul James did not sound happy. “There are a lot of people here who would prefer to not be disturbed.”
Alex inhaled deeply and sent a note of thanks to the protesters many years ago. “Right of access prevails on the surrounding lands. The buildings are owned by the church, but the open spaces actually belong to the township of Severton. We don’t need permission.”
“Apologies. I wasn’t aware of that. I just ask that you are mindful while walking through to not disturb anyone who might be going about their business. We are a peaceful community.” The slight jagged edge that had been in his tone was now erased.
Alex nodded. “We will. It was good to meet you.” He gave another nod and started to walk away, Jennie’s goodbye a little more pleasant.
The tall trees whispered in the wind, a sound Alex usually found reassuring, but here he didn’t.
“So tell me what got your goat about that man,” Jennie said, her footsteps quickening to catch him up.
Alex shook his head at the expression. “You been spending much time with the Coven?”
Jennie squinted at him. “Coven?”
“Gran and her cronies. They’re nicknamed the Coven because of the havoc they generally cause. Like distilling gin and generating gossip.” And perving over men half their age and not making a secret over it – behaviours men wouldn’t get away with.
“I had an evening with them at the distillery last week. They wanted women round to taste test their new gin and look at the marketing.” Her usual smile was a smirk.
“Marketing that’s been kept very, very quiet,” Alex muttered, looking around the buildings that were new since the last time he’d been here.
