Chapter Twenty-Four

The raucous laughter and occasional outbursts of song from the bar were unbearable to Adrian, as were Catinca and Tanya’s frequent reassurances and concerned looks. His room, which had once felt so charming and spacious, now seemed oppressive and stuffy. In fact, it was pointless trying to sit in one place until he had news of Will.

He put on his coat and slunk down the stairs, mobile in pocket, intent on walking and clearing his head. But before he’d got to the landing, he heard familiar voices. His sister, his mother and most voluble cousin were in the hallway, looking for him. Of course they were. All excited and keen to meet the grooms before the wedding, they must have got a taxi here from the hotel.

He couldn’t stand it. There was no way he could sit with friends and family, chatting about plans for tomorrow when he didn’t even know if there would be a tomorrow. He couldn’t go back upstairs to his room because that was the first place they would look for him, so he took a left along the first floor corridor, wondering if there was a fire escape. Halfway along, he noticed a door marked Function Room and tried the handle. The door opened without a sound and he saw a dozen tables covered in holly-printed tablecloths in semi-darkness. Exactly what he needed. He threaded his way through the room and sat on a window seat, looking out over the green.

His phone rang and he checked Caller Display. Jared.

“Jared, hi,” he said, trying to keep his voice upbeat. “How’s Alejandro?”

“He’s home. It was a virus and he’s still sick but I just wanted to tell you it isn’t meningitis and your godson going to be fine.”

“Oh that is wonderful news! Thank you so much for letting me know. You and Peter must have been distraught.”

“Pretty much. We’re relieved but so really disappointed we couldn’t make your big day. We both wish you all the happiness and luck in the world. You’re good people and we love you.”

Adrian couldn’t speak.

“Hey, you must be crazy busy, so have a wonderful wedding and call me when you get back from honeymoon. OK?”

Adrian swallowed. “We will. Love to Alejandro!” He ended the call and switched his phone to silent.

The only call he wanted was from Will.

Detective Sergeant William Quinn. Adrian’s mind floated back to that cold wintry night when he’d arrived home to find two detectives standing in the hallway, asking him to come in for questioning. Someone had maliciously accused him of possessing indecent images of children. After hours of answering the same questions, he had permission to go. They kept his computer overnight and one of the detectives took it upon himself to return it in person. DS Quinn left his card, suggesting if Adrian experienced any other forms of harassment, he’d be willing to listen.

The detective got fed up of waiting and called him for a date. They went out for some food and wine and said they should do it again. Adrian called him the very next day and they had been together ever since. Will moved in, met Beatrice and introduced Adrian to his friends. They went on holidays, spent weekends with each other’s families and discussed kids (no), dogs (yes). Will sold his motorbike and bought a car. And on one beautiful summer’s evening in Portugal, Will brought out a ring and said, “Will you marry me?”

Tears were flowing freely now and Adrian wiped his face with his sleeve. Will, where are you? Please, please come back!

The door burst open and Adrian blinked, half-expecting his plea to have been answered. Instead, Susie stood in the doorway, peering into the gloomy room.

“Here you are!” she exclaimed and turned to call over her shoulder. “He’s in the Function Room!”

“Susie, please, I just need a minute ... oh no.”

Running footsteps came down the corridor. Catinca, Tanya and Frankie shoved themselves in and shut the door.

Catinca held up her tablet and tapped a few buttons. “Susie just saw this on news. Listen to end, mate. Then we call Beatrice.”

A poor quality video from a local TV station began to play. Extreme weather conditions have already claimed several lives in the region. A two-vehicle collision on the M5 near Tiverton resulted in three deaths. Two children have been taken to intensive care. A fatal accident occurred just off the A396, killing the driver, a 43-year-old woman from Appleford. No other vehicles involved. Heavy snow caused the roof of an old people’s home to collapse in the Swilly area of Plymouth. No residents or staff were injured.

Catinca rewound and played one section again. A fatal accident occurred just off the A396, killing the driver, a 43-year-old woman from Appleford. She paused and pointed at the screen.

It took a moment but when he saw it, he caught his breath. “That’s Will’s car!”

Catinca clutched his arm. “Will’s car but driver is a woman. Call Beatrice, mate. We got to know what’s going on.”

Tearing his eyes from the horrible wreck of Will’s car, Adrian shook his head. “I want to keep my line clear in case he calls. You phone Beatrice and put her on speakerphone.”

The phone rang three times.

“Hello, Catinca. Can I call you back later?”

“NO!” yelled the little Romanian. “Just seen Will’s car smashed up on telly but news says driver is woman. Where’s Will? Adrian and me want to know what’s going on. Not later, mate, now!”

There was a muffled conversation then Beatrice’s voice came on the line. “Who else is there with you?”

“Susie, Tanya and Frankie. All worried sick.”

Beatrice exhaled. “OK, OK. Will was not in his car when it crashed. That said, we still don’t know where he is. Adrian, I’m so sorry about all this. I was following a lead and asked Will for help. I went to see a counsellor this morning and asked her a couple of questions because I had very good reason to suspect a link between her and Vaughan. She wouldn’t speak to me, a civilian, but said she could be able to offer more information to the police. Will agreed to go round and make enquiries. Now he’s disappeared and it was the counsellor who crashed his car into a wall.”

Adrian’s head was so hot it must be letting off steam. “I couldn’t give a shit about your case, Beatrice. Where is Will?”

“I’m with the police right now. We’ve searched the counsellor’s house and we’re now checking the grounds. It’s an uphill struggle in this weather and in the dark, but we’ll find him. I promise we’ll find him.”

“Beatrice?” Frankie stepped forward to speak into the phone. “The counsellor who died in the car crash? Can you tell me her name?”

There was a pause. “Yes, all right. Her family’s been informed so it’ll be on the news soon enough. Her name was Gaia Dee.”

In the silence after Beatrice rang off, the sounds of Slade floated up from the public bar below. Adrian’s phone vibrated again. Not Will. He declined.

“This can’t be happening. My fiancé goes missing the night before my wedding?”

Catinca squeezed his arm. “This time is OK.”

“This time what is OK?”

“Dramatics. I always tell you don’t be drama queen. Today, you can.”

“Thank you,” said Adrian, but could do nothing more than clench his fists and try not to cry. A thought occurred and he lifted his face to the waiting women. “We should help. We should get to wherever it is and help them search!”

“Yes!” said Tanya. “We have to do something. If he’s out there in the snow, he’ll be dead by morning. I just have no idea where to start.”

Frankie’s expression changed from concern to conviction and she rotated her head to look at her mother. “I know where to start.”

Everyone turned to Susie, whose frightened stare switched between Adrian and her daughter. She and Frankie locked eyes and Adrian sensed a battle of wills.

“There is one place you could look,” said Susie, her voice defeated. “You’re going to need a driver. Tanya, go downstairs and drag Gabriel away from his beer. Tell him to take you to the hunters’ hide in Appleford Woods. Because of that crash, he’ll have to go the long way round.”

Temperatures had dropped and Arctic winds broadsided the small party waiting outside the Land Rover. Catinca hunched her shoulders to her ears and Adrian put up his hood. The forest, silent and menacing, seemed impossible to negotiate. Yet Gabriel switched on his torch and picked up his first aid kit.

“Won’t risk driving any further. We’ll walk the last bit.” He offered an arm to Tanya.

“No thanks, I’ll only pull you over. You go ahead and I’ll follow. How far is this thing?”

“Couple of hundred yards. You can see it from here on a clear night.”

“What we looking for? Apart from Will,” asked Catinca.

“It’s a viewing platform with a hide. Forest workers and hunters use it to observe wildlife. This is one of the highest in the region at fifteen foot,” Gabriel answered, setting off at a surefooted pace. “Watch your feet, it’s easy to trip. Try to walk in my tracks.”

The mismatched party followed in single file. Snowflakes blew into Adrian’s eyes and his ears hurt from the icy wind, but all he could think of was Will out there, alone. He heaved freezing air into his lungs and marched ahead.

Somewhere across the fields came a sudden screech and Catinca grabbed his arm.

“That’s only an owl,” said Tanya. “Don’t panic.”

Adrian was still processing the forester’s words, struggling to make sense of what the hell they were doing in a forest in the middle of a snowstorm. “Hang on, how do you get up fifteen feet?”

“Ladder. The place is pretty well maintained from spring to autumn, but no one uses it in winter. Perfect place to hide something you don’t want found.”

“But why would Susie think he’s there? How would a woman carry Will up a ladder? He’s six foot one and weighs a hundred and eighty pounds.”

Gabriel shone his torch ahead and Adrian could see the solid wooden legs of a structure emerging from the snow. “There’s a pulley system for lifting equipment to the top. I thought Susie was off her head suggesting this place, but somebody’s been up here today. Look.” He pointed to a pattern on the ground. Snow had fallen into the grooves, but the marks of a car’s wheels turning and reversing made an almost perfect pair of heart shapes.

“You wait here and I’ll climb up.” He zipped the first aid kit inside his coat and started his ascent of the ladder with the torch in his right hand. It looked dangerous and slippery and utterly terrifying. Adrian held his breath as the torchlight bobbed upwards and Gabriel disappeared into the dark. Each second stretched as three upturned faces waited for a sound. Catinca’s gloved hand slipped into Adrian’s and his heartbeat boomed in his ears.

Snow fell from the platform in a clump to land at their feet, making them all start. A canvas panel unzipped and Gabriel leaned out, shone his torch at them and then aimed the light at himself as he called down.

“There’s a man up here! He’s unconscious but breathing and has a strong pulse. He’s freezing and in real danger of hypothermia. I’ve wrapped him in a thermal blanket for now, but we have to get him down and take him to a hospital. Tanya, go round to that end,” he flicked the torch to the left, “and grab a hold of the pulley rope. Pull until the basket gets up here. I’m going to secure this guy in it, then when I say so, I want all three of you to hold on and bring him slowly down.”

Adrian stumbled after Tanya and while she looped the pulley rope off its pegs, he knocked all the snow off the folded canvas basket, which unfolded to the size of a child’s dinghy. He and Catinca manhandled it onto position and Tanya began to pull, backing away across the clearing. Its upward progress was rapid and Gabriel shouted for her to stop.

Several minutes passed as they strained to see what was happening high above them. Finally, the torch flashed back to their faces.

“I’ll keep the light on him and you release the rope, slow and steady, one hand over another, till he’s safely down. Adrian, tie the end of the rope around your waist, just in case there’s a slip. Tell me when you’re ready.”

Adrian did as he was told and called up to the blackness where Gabriel should be.

The weight of the basket came as a surprise and Adrian leaned back to take the strain as Catinca struggled to get a foothold in the snow. Gabriel kept up a running stream of instructions and inch by inch, they fed the rope out until the basket touched the ground.

Adrian ran towards it, forgetting he was still attached to the end and a sudden tug at his middle caused him to fall headlong into the snow. Catinca helped him up and untied him, by which time Gabriel was scrambling down the ladder.

Inside the basket, a figure was wrapped in a silver blanket, blond hair poking out of the top. Adrian peered to look closer and let out an involuntary gasp. Will’s skin was candle wax pale and his lips a violet blue.

Gabriel handed his torch to Tanya and detached the pulley clip. “Adrian, can you and I carry him back to the Land Rover, you reckon? We’ll be faster taking him to hospital ourselves than calling an ambulance. Catinca, give him your hat.”

Catinca covered Will’s blond hair with her trapper hat and tucked the flaps over his ears.

The two men got a grip on the canvas and in a stumbling, awkward shuffle, they bumped, wobbled and sometimes dropped the basket along the path. Eventually, Gabriel gave up. He hoisted Will into a fireman’s lift and heaved him into the back of the Land Rover.

“Get in with him,” he motioned impatiently. “Take off his clothes because they’re frozen and will get wet as he heats up. Cover him with a couple of them fleeces and put the thermal blanket over the top. Don’t rub his hands, just cover them up. I’m going to take him to Tiverton. Catinca, as soon as you get a signal, call DI Stubbs.” He slammed the door and they got to work.