There was no response. Just an almost inaudible chuckle, one which made Alex concerned. And maybe slightly fearful.
A couple of kids played outside, looking like they were hunting bugs, reminding him of himself and his brothers, plus Jake and Rayah, although the cousins generally made things a bit rowdier.
“Hiya, Alex!” One of the boys looked up. He was in the same class as Charlie, Jonny’s eldest son, and Alex had met him a few times when he’d gone to watch Charlie play football at the weekend.
“How’s it going, Seb?”
The kid dug in the dry ground with a stick. “Okay. School starts in a few weeks.” He gave a grin. “I miss my friends. Wish football didn’t stop in the summer.”
“You allowed down for the festival?” Alex sat down on a tree stump. “There’s a load of stuff on for kids.”
Seb shrugged. “Maybe. Mum would probably let me but the new man’s well strict with us. He’s trying to get all the kids to be schooled here from September.”
“You think that will happen?”
Seb shook his head vigorously. “No chance. My mum doesn’t like him. Says he’s not what this place was about when she first came.”
Alex nodded but didn’t press. He’d find out more from Charlie if he asked. “You still gaming?”
There was a nod this time. “Yeah, but I have to hide everything if he comes round. It’s the only way I get to speak to my mates. Is Charlie going to the festival?”
“He will be. I know there’s a couple of bands he wants to see.”
“Yeah, me too.” Seb looked annoyed.
“You hear those cars last night that were meant to be racing round here?”
There was a laugh that Alex wasn’t expecting.
“One’s parked round the back. It woke me up last night and I watched it drive through. Want me to show you?” Seb pointed to where to go.
“No. I don’t want you getting in any bother. Do you know who it belongs to?”
Seb shrugged again and Alex wondered if the boy had repetitive strain injury from the gesture.
“We’ll go and have a look. You chat to your mum about going to the festival with Charlie. Wash the pots or something first and she might even say yes.”
Seb shrugged and picked up the stick again, looking bored and a little lost.
“That’s why you hate the cult, isn’t it?” Jennie’s words were quiet and they were far enough away from Seb now for him not to hear.
“Pretty much. Not everyone gets a choice to join, like the kids, and they definitely can’t leave without giving up everything. I don’t have a problem with what they believe, but I don’t like how they make everyone be so isolated and then have them feel guilty for wanting to belong to something more or have new experiences.” It was the most he’d said on the topic to any of his colleagues.
Jennie didn’t reply, mainly because they were now looking at the car, which matched the description from the report last night. Alex let Jennie call it in, getting the owner’s details from the registration plate. From what she was repeating it was a stolen car.
“Well that’s a bag of shit.” She hung up and looked at him.
“What is?”
“We’re to leave it here. Waterfoot will send a team out.”
“Under whose instruction?”
“Not sure. The person I spoke to fumbled their answers a bit. Sounded weird. What’s going, Alex?”
Eight
It had been a long time since Abby had woken in someone else’s bed, sated with early morning sex and no reason to leap out of bed and go to work. The first two she was more than happy with, the latter she was uncomfortable with. Working two pretty much full-time jobs for the last two years had almost killed her. She’d managed to go twelve weeks at one point without taking any time off until Sorrell realised and enforced to take paid leave, but she’d outright refused to take leave from the bar at the same time, otherwise what would she actually spend her time doing?
