| |
Beth stumbled back down the track and quickly found herself at the clearing again. She strode quickly, surveying the woods to her left, and soon reached a dilapidated covered wood footbridge held up by scaffolding. It groaned with her slight weight before she was heading down another dark tunnel of trees. Thankfully, the clouds relinquished the moon and spilled some extra light through the branches.
It was a long time before she reached the next lit sign.
BLUE PONTOON
She kept walking and passed BEAR BECK and SAW CREEK before WHISPERING BROOK finally materialised out of the overhang of trees.
Beth could easily have missed it. The sign was barely visible from the track, and no lamp illuminated it. She approached to double-check. It didn’t look as new as the others, and she guessed a letting company didn’t maintain it.
She was looking down another flight of wooden steps cut into the bank that led to the front of the house, but couldn’t see any motion detector lights positioned anywhere on its cedar cladding. A dull glow of yellow light emanated from the back of the property and died halfway up its jetty. There was also smoke weakly emerging from its chimney, being blown at her from the direction of the river.
The aroma of beech ash wafted over her. What the hell was she going to do now? Even if it were the right family, where would she begin to tell them why she was there? But ascertaining it was the O’Dooles had to be her first priority. If it wasn’t, she only had a matter of hours left to find them.
Beth descended the steps, her palm grazing the rough, green-stained wood handrail as she decided what to say. The truth seemed to be the only option, however unlikely. She hit the walkway that led down the side of the lodge and to the jetty. Her thudding footfalls along it would alert anyone inside she was approaching.
She turned the corner and was standing at the back of the house. In front of the double-glazed window were a narrow seating deck and a balustrade. A table with its parasol folded had four metallic seats collapsed and leaning against it.
Looking in through the window, she saw a spacious lounge illuminated by ceiling spotlights. There were animal heads on the wall, a huge circular wooden table dominated the polished tiles and some skewed mats in front of three chairs were at the far side. A wood-burning stove was to her right, and there was still a log glowing orange inside.
She moved to the frosted glass door at the side. There were a couple of garbage cans beside it with elasticated rope threaded through the top and side handles. She remembered the photo of the raccoon that had been posted on Facebook.
Were they still up? She resisted trying the handle. Beth knocked on the frame of the screen and stood back; trying to decide what sort of expression she should have on her face for whoever opened it. She opted for neutral.
“Mom!” It was a boy’s voice.
Beth swallowed and cleared her throat. She could hear footsteps on stairs and then a distorted face peered at her through the glass. The door opened.
It was Mrs O’Doole. Beth recognised her from the photo. Her eyes looked puffy. “Can I help you?” There was no suspicion in the question but plenty on her face.
“I’ve come a long way to find you. This may sound ridiculous, but I’ve reason to believe you and your boys are in danger.”
Now suspicion morphed into something else. Mrs O’Doole’s gaze hardened, and she seemed to be using all her effort to keep her head steady.
“Are you all right?”
“I’m fine.” But she definitely didn’t look it. Her face began to tremble, and the vibration travelled down her body. “Come inside.” She turned her back on Beth and walked into the kitchen.
Beth followed. The kitchen was retro-look, traditional fixtures but modern appliances; wheelback chairs around the table and old-fashioned cabinets housing equipment with digital displays. It smelt of damp and stale coffee grounds.
“Go through to the living room.” Mrs O’Doole’s voice was close behind her, and there was hardly a gap between it and the heavy and sharp object that slammed into the back of Beth’s skull.
