‘About an hour. Then she started to cry and she kept saying she was sorry. I slept with her that night, and did it for the rest of the week.’
‘What about your nightmares, I heard you—’
‘I didn’t have any nightmares. I just didn’t think I should leave her alone.’
He caught his eye and smiled at him. ‘You’re a brave, decent kid.’
‘Thank you.’ Josh seemed like he might cry. ‘That’s nice.’
‘And last night was your dad next to you all night?’
‘I think so, yeah. He snores anyway, so I heard that a lot.’
Matt laughed, ‘And what about that night your mum hid you in the cupboard. Did you see this person? This thing?’
‘’Course not.’
‘I see. Perhaps it was in her imagi—’
‘But I heard it … I think.’
Matt glanced back at the conservatory. Larry was tugging his jacket into place. They were starting to stand up.
‘Or rather, I heard its friend.’
‘It has a friend?’
‘Mummy says it does.’
‘So what did you hear?’
‘I heard singing.’
‘Like a person?’
‘Like a little girl …’
Matt leant in, ‘Is this little girl the bad thing?’
The door to the conservatory rattled open.
‘U-uh,’ he shook his head. ‘Mum says the little girl brings the bad thing. That’s how it works.’
Larry started coming through, still talking.
Josh quickly leant in to Matt and grabbed his hand. The kids palm was clammy and very warm. He whispered, ‘So you’ll find them for me, won’t you? The girl … and the thing … And you’ll kill them both dead … for what they did? Shoot them or something. Set them on fire?’
Before he could say anything Greg came up behind them. He grabbed the remote control. ‘Best not watch this stuff, eh Josh?’
The TV clicked off, and the raging fiery monster vanished from the screen.
‘It’s alright,’ Josh nodded to Matt. ‘We’ve both seen this one before.’
They headed back to the hallway where the mum was waiting by the door, rearranging ornaments on a side table while she bit her lip hard. The thought crossed Matt’s mind that Steph Ellis was more delusional than anybody had realised, what with the singing thing in her garden. But the thought sounded hollow in his head and he wondered what Josh may have actually heard, in the lowest caverns of night. He could have easily slipped into a dream, he supposed. Matt wanted to ask Steph’s mum a few questions too, but Larry had already made it clear it was better just to give them all some space.
It was as he leant against the wall to tug on his shoe that he first saw the calendar. It was hanging by the telephone. A few of the entries jumped out, because they were in red ink.
October 3rd: Sharing Assembly
October 12th: Derry Farm Trip (Josh take wellies!)
October 21st: Greg DENTIST!
But it was today’s date that made him deliberately dawdle, while lacing up his shoe.
October 29th: Steph. Picnic with the Girls. Menham Park. Gazebo. 12:30pm
Interesting.
He felt a hand on his shoulder and almost jumped. He turned to see Greg standing there. ‘Look … I’m sorry if I was a bit harsh. I know you’re just doing your job.’
Matt stood. ‘Don’t apologise.’
‘I just don’t like it when people say she was crazy. She wasn’t crazy.’
‘Understood … and Greg,’ Matt took his hand, ‘I am so sorry that you’re going through this.’
It was a very strange thing to say. It sounded like you were apologising for somebody’s tragedy, even though you didn’t cause it. But there was something powerful and universal in that bundle of words. Just one of the rituals humans have.
Greg nodded, and smiled. ‘I appreciate that.’
The mum clicked the door open and before they left Matt turned to see if Josh was going to join them in the hall. But he was still in the lounge, unseen. Matt called out a goodbye, and he heard a faint response back.
‘Bye.’
He and Larry didn’t talk as they walked down the path. Stepping out from the clouds of grief has a tendency to do that. In fact, they didn’t talk much, even as the car jerked into reverse as Larry backed off the kerb outside. While they waited for a break in the congested road Matt took a final look at Steph’s house. He noticed a wheely bin stuffed with rubbish, including what looked like Halloween decorations of skeletons and witches. Clearly such images were no longer wanted in this house. He glanced from window to window, pausing at the upstairs bedroom. Maybe it was the parents’ room. Maybe it was the kid’s. But he could just about see a faint shape standing there. A child’s shape. He couldn’t be sure but it must have been Josh standing behind the net curtains, watching him leave. It just looked skinnier than he was. Smaller.
Then with a surge of the engine, they headed off onto the street, and he started breathing normally again.
Larry lurched the car up by a kerb outside Menham Station, engine still running.
‘Like I said,’ Larry looked at him. ‘Hope I didn’t waste your morning.’
Matt turned in his seat. ‘So you’re not going to dig any deeper? Or speak to these friends of hers?’
Larry smiled. ‘Matt. I have lots of cases. Some of which have an actual murder victim.’
‘And how do you know this isn’t one of them? What if the kid’s right and she was being followed by something?’
‘Something?’
‘Sorry … someone. She said she saw a figure in the garden.’
‘Look … the symbols had me a bit jumpy. I was thinking some cult thing maybe and you’re just up the road, but the pathology report is beyond doubt, Matt. It’s a canine attack.’ He waited for a moment. ‘Of course, I’ll keep an eye out on this, but at least for now I think we’re done here, evidence-wise … you look disappointed.’
‘Just feel for the kid. And the dad,’ Matt shrugged. ‘It’s intriguing, that’s all.’
‘Well, these things are rarely boring.’ He reached over and shook Matt’s hand. ‘Thanks for coming out. I’m glad I’ve got you on
