Scattering Like Light (22 page)

“It’s nearly seven o’clock. How did it get to be so late when we still have so far to go?” I wailed, exasperated, drumming my fingers on the dashboard.

“I don’t think my driving has helped much, has it?”

“You’ve been brilliant. There’s no other way we would have got to where we need to be in time.” That probably wasn’t true, I realised, as I said it. The train and a taxi would have got me there about an hour ago.

“But I’m not exactly speedy, am I?”

“You’re going to get us there in one piece, and that’s what
counts,” I said, giving her a smile. She was absolutely right though. I had had to bite my lip several times to stop myself from shouting at her to put her foot down. “Anyway, the gizmo says that we’ll be there in half an hour. I just hope I can convince Catherine to come back with us. She’ll have to if she’s going to be any help with the Dirges.”

“If anyone can do it, you can,” Grace said supportively if inaccurately.

“I do love your optimism, Grace.” I smiled wryly to myself. “I mean, I’ve got to try, there’s no other choice, but she’s a monstrous cow.”

“I wonder how much of it is because of her big secret and how much is just because she’s an evil witch?”

“Not a clue. I’ve puzzled and puzzled over it, and so has Callum, but I don’t have any idea. I know that she knows how to save all the Dirges: she told me that she had written it down so whatever Olivia took from her is irrelevant. But if that’s all it is, why does she hate me? What have I got to do with it? What can I possibly have done to her to cause all this loathing?”

We lapsed into silence as there was no answer. Catherine’s hatred for me was epic. I thought back to the horrible things she had done to me since she had come over: malicious e-mails, stealing all my money, attacking me with a golf club, and finally stealing the amulet so that she and Rob could sell it and expose all the Dirges. It was a campaign of terror and I had been hugely relieved that she was out of my life.

The closer we got to Polzeath, the less likely I thought it would be that she would help me, even if we could find her. What was I doing dragging Grace all the way to Cornwall for a complete waste of time? The whole thing was mad. I thought about how
we could plan our approach to Catherine, but absolutely nothing sensible came to me. I was going to have to cross my fingers and wing it.

I stared unseeing out of the window as the beautiful Cornish countryside swept past, wishing Catherine wasn’t my only hope. But if there was a chance I could save all the Dirges, however small, I had to take it.

Dusk was beginning to fall as we made our way along the little country lanes that led to Polzeath, and the birds were flying low across the hedgerows. We hadn’t seen much in the way of civilisation for ages.

“Not a lot going on round here,” said Grace, keeping an eye out for large vehicles coming towards us on the wrong side of the road, which seemed to be how they drove in Cornwall. “Honestly, with all this space you think they’d make the roads straighter.”

“I’m pretty sure it doesn’t work like that,” I tried to laugh. “I think the farmers might object.”

“I don’t think I’m ever going to be a country girl,” she sighed. “I bet you can’t even get a decent cup of coffee out here.”

“It’s supposed to be the place to go, you know. Lots of surfing shops and fit guys in wetsuits.”

“Well, no harm in looking, I suppose. But I still bet I can’t get my skinny mochaccino.”

“You might be surprised,” I murmured. “Rob comes here, remember.”

We finally found ourselves being directed by the satnav up a small residential road, and I could feel my heart thumping in my chest. Trying to stay calm I peered through the darkening evening gloom
at the house numbers, searching for the one I wanted. Finally I saw it.

“There – number seventeen,” I tried to say, but my voice was too squeaky. I swallowed and tried again, but Grace had seen and stopped the car a few doors up.

“Hmm, no lights on. Let’s hope she’s out the back.” She turned to look at me. “Ready?”

I gulped. “Ready,” I agreed, rather unsteadily.

“Do you want me to come with you to the door?”

“No, I think it’ll be best if I try her alone, at first anyway. You just keep an eye from a distance.”

“Sure? We know that she’s got a really violent streak.”

“I know but I think it’s best to face her alone, honestly.”

“OK,” Grace agreed dubiously. “But I’ll be watching.”

I stepped out of the car and looked up the street. It was a residential road with a line of nearly identical little chalet-style houses. Some were obviously homes and had beautifully tended gardens, but others were clearly holiday lets with telltale low-maintenance gravel and inoffensive decor. It was a warm summer’s evening and several barbecues were well under way. The smell suddenly made my mouth water, despite the fact that I couldn’t have swallowed a bite. Music wafted from open windows and every now and then I caught a glimpse into living rooms framed by undrawn curtains.

Number seventeen was silent and dark. I walked up the paved path rather than risk crunching across the gravel to the front door, then stopped, squaring my shoulders before pressing the bell. It buzzed unexpectedly loudly and the noise made me flinch.

There was no response. Not wanting to give up I tried again but still there was no sign of movement through the frosted-glass
glass windows. I bent down to the letter box and pressed it gently. Squeaking in protest it opened and I peered into the hall. It was fairly dark inside, but there was some illumination from the picture window at the rear. I let my eyes adjust to the light. The hall and room behind were tidy but bland, with no sign of occupation, no suitcases stacked by the door. We were too late.

I couldn’t believe it. After all the effort of tracking her down and getting to Cornwall, we had missed her. I had no clue where to start looking next, and I could feel the tears of frustration suddenly pricking my eyes. I peered through the letter box again; not really in any expectation that something might have changed, I just didn’t know what else to do. The hall remained dark and empty. I was just straightening up when I heard Grace behind me, her voice strangely harsh.

“I’d drop that if I was you, or I might be forced to hurt you.”

I spun round. Grace was standing at the end of the path, her fists clenched tight. Standing between us was Catherine, a long wooden post in her hands, making ready to swing it at my head.

“So you brought reinforcements this time,” Catherine said, feigning boredom as she lowered the weapon slightly. “Didn’t feel you could manage me on your own then?”

“You do have form for not playing fair,” I said, pointing at the post. “Would you mind?”

Catherine tossed the post to the side of the path. “Suit yourself.” She crossed her arms and stood looking down her nose at me. Neither Grace nor I said a word as we all wondered who would crack first. The uneasy stand-off lasted for a couple of long minutes and I realised it was going to have to be me. It was me who was going to be asking the favour, so however much I hated the idea I had to speak.

“Rob told us where you were.”

“So?”

“But he has no idea who you are. All his memory of you has been wiped.”

“So?” she repeated.

“So your little plan of making a lot of money by outing the Dirges to the papers failed. He’s forgotten everything.”

She gave the smallest of twitches of the head. “Huh. And how did that happen, I wonder?”

“Lucas took his memories of you, and your evil plan, and left him for dead.”

The bored look was back and she kept silent.

“Look, Catherine, I know you can’t stand me, even if I don’t know why. But I need to ask you for a favour. You’re the only one who can help the Dirges.”

Her laugh was sudden and brutal, and I could see Grace readying herself to wade in if Catherine suddenly turned on me again. “
You
want a favour from
me
? That’s rich!”

“It’s not for me, it’s for them; your old friends and family. Don’t you want to help them?”

“You are a triumph of hope over experience, you know that? What makes you think I care about any of them?”

“Because Callum is your brother, and in some life you might have loved him!”

“Ah, sweetie, you’ve read me all wrong again. I hate Callum nearly as much as I hate you. You make a perfect pair.”

“But there’s no point in behaving like this, Catherine. You have absolutely nothing to gain by refusing to help and they have everything to lose.” I could feel my voice rising in anger.

“I don’t need to gain anything: I’m just not going to do it.”

“Why would you condemn them to an eternity of misery when you could bring them back to life? Why?” I took a step closer, the words coming fast and furious, my hands curled into tight fists.

“Oh, that’s easy.” She paused, infuriating me even more.

“And…?” I hissed.

“Because neither you nor Callum deserve to be happy, that’s why. The rest I couldn’t care less about anyway.”

“But—”

“Alex.” Grace’s firm voice interrupted me. “Alex, I don’t think you’re going to get anywhere like this. Let’s back off a little.”

“Oh, the strong silent one actually speaks,” said Catherine
in a voice dripping with sarcasm. “And speaks a bit of sense too.”

“Look, Catherine, I know that you don’t know me, and that you have no reason to listen to me, but can’t we at least discuss this like adults?” Grace was trying to keep her voice even.

“Actually, I know everything about you, Grace. I know that it was you who shut the kitten’s tail in the door and who spilled nail varnish on Issy’s bedroom carpet. Your favourite cuddly toy is called Whiskers and you once faked an injury so you wouldn’t have to compete in a gymnastics competition that your mum wanted you to enter. Shall I continue?”

Grace was staring at her, open-mouthed.

“The kitten and the nail varnish were accidents,” I pointed out. “You know that too.”

“True,” said Catherine with a snide grin. “But it sounds better like that.”

“How … how do you know all that?” Grace had recovered her voice and looked as if she was about to take up her fighting stance again.

“She has all my memories, remember?” I explained. “Everything I know about you, every detail, it’s all in her head too.”

“Unfortunately true. And such childish drivel, all of it. Mind you,” Catherine paused for a second whilst she looked Grace up and down, her eyebrow raised, “you’re a bit feistier than I was expecting. Alex seems to think you’re a complete wimp.”

I couldn’t help the sharp intake of breath in indignation, but before I could speak Grace cut in. “If you think that I’m going to believe that then you’ve learned nothing from Alex’s memories. Nothing.”

“Really? Don’t you want to hear about what Alex thinks of the lovely Jack? I was thinking about dropping you a little note so
that you got a clearer picture. I wouldn’t leave the two of them alone if I were you. She really can’t be trusted. She’s been lusting after Jack for years, and can’t wait to make a play for him.” Catherine’s smug smile was evident in the dim orange glow of the streetlamps, which had just come on. I could feel the rage building in me. How dare she try and turn my best friend against me! I was just about to launch into a tirade when Grace snorted with laughter.

“Oh, Catherine, that’s brilliant! I didn’t realise you were a comedian.” She shook her head, smiling to herself.

For the first time Catherine looked nonplussed and didn’t have an instant, sarcastic retort. Grace took the opportunity to continue. “You see, you might have Alex’s memories, but you don’t – evidently – have her emotional understanding.” I looked at Grace in surprise as she continued. “You don’t seem to grasp that best friends – real, proper best friends – would never even think of doing that.”

“Really.” Catherine’s sarcastic retort wasn’t a question.

“Yes,
really.
You can’t have had a best friend, you see, Catherine, because you’d know that some things would never even cross our minds. Alex would no more hurt me than I would hurt her.” She turned to me and smiled. “Isn’t that right, hon?”

I smiled back. “Absolutely.”

Catherine’s face was tight with anger and the red cloud of her aura became even more obvious in the gloom. “Well, I hope the two of you are very happy together.” She turned back to me. “You’re going to need a friend like that as things get bad with Callum. She’ll help to keep you sane.”

“Why would things get bad with Callum?”

“Oh, come on! You’ll get fed up with him soon enough. He’s only in the mirror! What good is that to you? I know what you
want, remember. I’ve got your memories. Are you really going to go through university with a secret ghostly boyfriend? Are you going to abandon all thoughts of one day having a proper relationship with someone? Getting married? Having kids?”

“Steady on! I’m only seventeen; I’ve no intention of getting married.”

“And you never will, not with Callum. He’ll always be there in the background, making you feel guilty. Eventually you’ll start to resent him. You’ll meet some fantastic bloke and think, you know, time to dump Callum and get on with life. But you won’t be able to. He’ll be there, watching, forever. Every single thing you ever do, he’ll be there. Even if you did try to live without him, and manage to get rid of the amulet without one of the others killing you, every day you’ll wonder if he’s standing broken-hearted in the corner of the room, watching your every move.”