11

Jeremiah searched for over an hour, unable to find Meredith anywhere. He’d lost the trail soon after leaving Maggie and Matt’s cottage. He’d tried all the obvious places, growing desperate as darkness fell.

Maybe she’d made her way to the station and caught a train to Turningdale. The small branch line terminated in Paradise, so she could only have gone one way. However, when he arrived, the station master said he hadn’t seen anyone all day, and as the last train had left twenty minutes ago, he wasn’t likely to until Monday when the next train arrived.

Guilt mixed with worry. He drove back to the ranger station, but she hadn’t arrived there either. Removing his phone, he dialed a friend who lived about fifteen miles away.

“DI Holmes.”

“Hi, Nate, it’s Jeremiah Mantle. I have a situation here in Paradise, and really need some help. Are you busy?”

“A little, but I have a moment to chat and offer advice. What’s up? And why not contact someone at your local station?”

Jeremiah stifled a sigh. “I can’t. They’re involved. And Meredith is in danger. So I really need some outside help with this.”

“I’ll do what I can.” Nate’s tone deepened. “Meredith who?”

“Meredith Stranraer. She’s a good friend. Her brother is on the run from Bedlam. It’s an institution for the criminally...”

“I know what Bedlam is.” Nate scoffed. “You are kidding me?”

“I wish I was.” Jeremiah closed his eyes. “Her grandfather is the police force around here. Him and a couple of constables who do whatever he tells them. Meredith has been missing more than two hours since she left her grandparents cottage, night has fallen and there are rogue wolves in the forest. Not to mention the bloke who keeps hanging around her, who also goes by the name Wolfe. I’m beginning to wonder if he and her brother are the same person. Add in the fact I suspect her grandparents have been hiding him since he escaped.”

“OK. What was she wearing when you last saw her?”

“Black jeans, brown jumper, and a red cloak.”

Nate chuckled. “A red cloak, lost in the woods on her way back from her grandparents’ house and being chased by a wolf? Really Jeremiah, I know it’s pantomime season, but I thought better of you.”

Jeremiah sighed. “This isn’t a joke. Meredith is out there and she’s in trouble.”

“OK. Like I said, we’re busy, but I’ll be over as soon as I can. Meanwhile, I’ll send a team of officers out to you.”

“Thanks mate. I owe you one.”

****

The soft strains of violin music fell on Meredith’s ears. She opened her eyes. For a moment she didn’t know where she was, and then she remembered. She pushed the blanket off her legs and sat up, glancing across the lounge at the man playing the violin by the fire. The room was lit only by the lights of the Christmas tree. Had she fallen asleep? She hadn’t intended to. Only it was so warm and familiar here.

Wolfe smiled at her. “You’re awake.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to doze off like that. Is that the bells?”

“The rogue wolves that escaped from the sanctuary are too close to the village tonight. But it’s OK, you’re safe here.” Wolfe kept playing. “Lupe and Remus are around here, keeping us out of harm’s way. I brought them here to protect you.”

Rogue wolves? She pushed the thought aside for a moment. “I know that piece. Dad played it.”

“This is his violin. Remember I told you the violin belonged to your father when I dropped it off for you to play this morning. I picked it up from the ranger station after you and Jeremiah went out this afternoon. I’ve had it since your father was killed.”

Wolves howled outside.

Meredith jumped. Her heart pounded. Breath caught in her throat.

“You’re safe in here,” Wolfe said as he played another carol. “I’ll keep you safe.”

But am I? Which wolf should I worry about? The ones outside or the one inside?

He smiled at her. “I found some old photo albums. Would you like to see them while I play?”

Meredith nodded slowly. She ought to leave, she knew that. But the lure of finding the last few truths pulled her in. Against her better judgment, she agreed to stay. “I’d like that.”

****

Jeremiah pulled into the town square and yanked up the handbrake. He leapt out, Bowie on the lead, and strode over to the team clustered under a street lamp. “Fill me in.”

Arthur looked at him. “Two. Both over on the east side of town.”

“Have they come anywhere near here?”

“No. They appear to be waiting for something. Who knows why or what for?”

Jeremiah frowned. “Got a map?”

Arthur spread it on the bonnet of his truck and shone the torch on it. “Here.”

“So what is over there that they want?” he wondered aloud.

Another car pulled up and Matt got out in his police uniform. “Stand down, all of you.”

Jeremiah faced him. “This is a forestry matter, Matt. I already told you that. And you shouldn’t be working this soon after surgery.”

Matt hefted the bandaged hand. “It’s fine. And I told you to stand down. You will not go out tonight. Those wolves won’t harm anyone. I’ve got this under control.” Matt looked at the other rangers. “If I have to tell you all again, I will have to arrest the lot of you.”

Jeremiah raised an eyebrow. That was so not going to happen. “I’ve already reported Meredith missing to the police several towns over. The DI is sending some officers to help search for her.”

Matt raised an eyebrow. “You did what?”

“You heard. I called in a few favors.”

“Meredith hasn’t vanished. She’s safe at home.”

“She isn’t at your place or the boarding house. And she’s not at the ranger station as I just came from there.”

“I said she’s at home.”

Something clicked in his memory and Jeremiah glanced down at the map. The old cottage. “That old house in the woods is where she lived as a child? I wondered about it. She doesn’t know it’s still standing. You never told her that her home didn’t burn.”

“She didn’t need to know,” Matt said. “Now stand down.”

“I told you. That’s not going to happen.” His radio crackled and he grabbed it off his belt.

“Jeremiah, are you there?”

“Yeah, Terry, I’m here, but we’re about to go out. Wait a second. Terry? Aren’t you on sick leave?”

“Yes, I am. This can’t wait. I need a word in private.”

Jeremiah looked at the others. “Give me five.” He jumped back into the truck, settling Bowie onto the seat beside him. He shut the door, not wanting anyone to overhear the conversation. “Go ahead, Terry.”

“I’ve done some checking into that bloke who’s been hanging around. Wolfe. He recently started volunteering at the wolf sanctuary on the other side of the forest, five miles from Turningdale, about twenty miles from here.

“The thing is, so has Matt. And two missing sanctuary wolves match the rogue ones that are hunting and attacking here. And now there are another two missing, going by the names Lupe and Remus. The staff are going to check all the fences and remaining animals, make sure they are all accounted for. But that’s not all I discovered. Wolfe’s full name is Peter Wolfe Stranraer.”

“Say again.” Jeremiah’s heart thudded in his chest.

“Peter Stranraer. Meredith’s brother. He was checked out of Bedlam four months ago by his grandfather.”

Jeremiah thumped the steering wheel, trying to process this information and keep his emotions in check. “Right around the time Meredith left Brussels and came back to Paradise.”

“Yes. I’ve spoken to his doctor there. Peter doesn’t have schizophrenia. It’s a slight slowness of his understanding. That’s the layman’s terms there, I didn’t understand the medical one. He doesn’t need meds or anything else. Just needs things explaining like five times before he understands. Whatever meds Matt insisted on him having over the years made him sick. It was only when the medical staff stopped giving them to him, his mind cleared and he told them what he remembered about the night his parents died.” Terry paused. “Peter says Matt killed his father.”

Jeremiah’s heart sank and his stomach tied into a knot. He looked at Matt out of the car window. “I need you to ring a DI Holmes in Headley Cross. Tell him and ask him to send someone out ASAP to the old Stranraer place on the east of town. And tell him what you just told me.”

“I thought the house burned years ago.”

Jeremiah watched Matt through the windscreen. “No, just another of Matt’s lies. OK. I’m heading over to the cottage. I’ll get everyone else to patrol the town in case the wolves show up here. Out.”

He put the radio down and looked at Bowie. “Stay here, boy.” He left the truck door open as he went back to the others. “I’m going to head east. The rest of you are to patrol here and keep watch. The good news is the wolves are from the sanctuary. Keepers are checking for any missing animals. They think it’s only four, but better safe than sorry. Tranquilize all the animals, shoot on sight. Then call the sanctuary to collect them.”

As the teams dispersed, he turned to Matt. “I know the truth. I know you’ve been hiding Peter the past few months and I know why. But right now all that matters is finding Meredith.”

He turned his back on Matt, taking a stride towards the truck.

Behind him a gun clicked. “You have a short memory. I told you to stand down.”

Jeremiah raised his hands and turned. “You’re really going to shoot me? Too many people know, Matt. You can’t hide the truth any longer.”

Matt balanced the gun on his bandaged hand, his good hand curled around the trigger. “I can’t let you go out there and interfere in something that really doesn’t concern you.”

“Oh, but it does.” He swallowed. The burning need within him grew. He had to go and find her. “It concerned me the moment you charged me with protecting her.”

“You take one more step…”

“And you’ll what? Kill me? Then do it, because I swear that’s the only way that you’re going to stop me from getting in that truck and going to save Meredith. Unlike you, I’m not going to stand by and let her brother kill her. Or throw her to the not so metaphorical wolves.”

Jeremiah turned his back, keeping his hands raised. Slowly and deliberately he took several steps towards the truck.

“I mean it,” Matt yelled. “I will not have you ruining everything now and interfering in something you don’t understand. Not after all I have done to keep the truth hidden from everyone.”

“Then do us both a favor and shoot me.” Jeremiah prayed as he walked. After all, what’s one more murder to add to your list? Lord, I don’t often ask favors, but please, either let him miss or let Nate’s men get to Meredith before Matt does.

A gunshot rang out.

Pain slashed though him.

He slumped to his knees as an agonized cry fell from his lips.