CHAPTER THIRTY
Michaela drove straight back the way they came, hoping like hell they didn’t meet the policeman on the way. They didn’t meet anyone. The road was as dark and empty as she could have wished for. She turned off the road that circled the lake and drove back down the lane that served as a long driveway for the cabin.
‘Do you think it’s safe to park back here?’ Trisha asked.
Michaela edged the car around the side of the cabin and out of sight as best as possible. ‘Don’t know,’ she replied. ‘But I don’t know where else we can park. At least here we know where we are.’
‘And how to get where we need to go.’
‘That.’ Michaela pulled on the parking brake and turned around to grope on the back seat for the backpack. It still had the torches in it.
Trisha watched her. ‘Have you thought about what we’re going to do if Gardener is up to something tonight?’
Michaela sat back up with the bag in her hands. ‘Make sure you have your phone this time.’
‘Sure, but there’s no money on it.’
Michaela scratched her head. It wouldn’t be a problem if they only needed to call emergency services. She thought for a moment. ‘Pass it here,’ she said, fishing out her wallet and pulling her credit card from it. She took the phone and topped up the account from her credit card. Handed it back. ‘In case something goes wrong and we get separated.’
‘I don’t have your number,’ Trisha reminded her.
‘Oh for fucks sakes. Pass the damn thing back here.’ She programmed the number in. ‘Speed dial one, okay?’
Trisha nodded and put the phone in her jacket pocket. ‘Okay. All right. So how are we going to catch him?’
Michaela got out of the car. ‘We’ll play it by ear. See what he’s up too, then decide.’
Trisha joined her at the side of the car. ‘That’s not much of a plan, Sherlock,’ she said.
Michaela held out one of the torches. ‘It’s all I have. You coming?’
Trisha took the torch and they turned to face the darkness. ‘Okay,’ she said. ‘Yeah, I’m coming.’
At least it wasn’t raining, Michaela decided. That was about all they had in their favor. ‘We must be crazy,’ she said.
Trisha touched her arm. ‘I think we are,’ she said. ‘But we’re committed now, right?’
‘Right. Yeah. Just because it’s fucking dark as death and we’re chasing a murderer.’ Michaela sank into silence as they skirted the lake, listening to the gravel crunch under their boots. Trisha had her torch switched on, shading the bulb so there was only a patch of light at their feet. It was far too soon when they had to climb away from the lake and into the trees.
They stumbled along the path they’d made from their last few trips. Trisha, eyes on the patch of light at their feet, smacked her head on an overhanging branch.
‘Shit!’ she swore, dropping the torch. ‘Now I have a headache on top of a headache.’
Michaela stepped forward and held Trisha up. She looked at Trisha’s head in the dim light from the torch. ‘I don’t think it’s bleeding,’ she said.
Trisha leaned against Michaela a moment. ‘I’m okay,’ she said and stood up. ‘Let’s get this over with; see what there is to see. I want a hot bath and a soft bed.’ She put her face next to Michaela’s. ‘Promise me a hot bath and a soft bed is waiting for me.’
Michaela kissed her then bent to pick up the torch. ‘Consider it done,’ she said. ‘Let’s keep going.’
Michaela wiped the slick of sweat from her face as they continued. She felt sick, her head still throbbing from the bump she’d received earlier. She was aware they both had concussions and probably should be safe and warm at home. Maybe even in the hospital for observation. After all, they’d been knocked out for how long? At least ten minutes, she reckoned.
She tripped on an exposed root and cursed under her breath. Trisha was walking in front, the torch tucked under her jacket so only the ground right around her feet was lit. Michaela hoped she was okay. She hoped they were both going to be okay.
Something caught her attention. Looking around she felt a sense of disorientation. ‘Did you see that?’ she whispered to Trisha, tugging on the back of her jacket to get her to stop.
Trisha turned around. ‘See what?’ she asked.
Michaela shook her head. ‘Switch the torch off. I’m sure I saw something.’ There was a click and the light went out. They stood huddled together in the dark, Michaela straining her eyes to find what she was sure she’d seen.
She grabbed Trisha. ‘There, look,’ she said.
It was another of the ghost lights. In the distance, dipping in a breeze that wasn’t there. Michaela was holding her breath. A child’s laughter rang out into the night.
‘That is so fucking creepy,’ Trisha whispered.
Michaela nodded in the dark. ‘I can’t believe I was right,’ she said. ‘Come on, let’s move closer.’
‘I’ll have to turn the flashlight back on,’ said Trisha.
They turned and crept forward, skirting the lake’s edge, dodging between the trees. ‘The pool house is over there somewhere,’ Trisha whispered after a few minutes.
‘And the lodge over there. Let’s find somewhere we can hide, watch what’s going on.’
The ghost light was still moving in the trees. Michaela guessed it was across the lawn and in the trees on the other side of the lodge. Where they’d found that sticky residue only a few days ago.
Trisha tugged at Michaela’s arm. ‘Down here,’ she said. ‘There’s an old log we can stand on.’
‘They slid down the bank to the lake. It was steep just here and they crouched on the log, the water lapping underneath them. The ground was eye level. There was no reason they would be seen from here.
They watched the ghost light, trying to shut out the sound of the child’s laughter. It was an eerie sound. Michaela wanted to block her ears. She supposed it was designed to be heard by Selena and anger pulsed through her. What a cruel thing to do to someone. Anyone. And the fact that someone could do this to their mother – it was too heinous to consider. Whatever she and Trisha did, they had to stop this.
Trisha nudged her. She was looking through the binoculars. ‘Someone’s moving inside the house,’ she said. ‘I can’t see very well, they haven’t turned the lights on, but there’s movement.’
They both jumped. Michaela’s foot slipped off the log and she lost her balance, soaking her leg past the ankle.
‘Fuck that gave me a fright,’ she said. The ghost light had done its exploding trick. ‘Should have expected it, I suppose.’
‘Shh,’ Trisha hushed her. ‘Someone’s opening the door.’ She paused. ‘It’s Selena, I’m sure of it. She’s standing out on the veranda. She’s wearing a dressing gown.’
Michaela peered over the bank. She could see Selena too, the dressing gown was some pale color.
‘What do we do now?’ Trisha asked.
‘Nothing yet,’ Michaela replied, feeling the adrenaline begin to course through her. ‘We need to see what’s going to happen next.’