The Other Tenant, page 14
I’m about to tell him what I saw last night – the two people in the playground – but if I mention that now, Harry’s going to wonder why on earth I didn’t alert Rob first thing this morning, or contact the agency direct. Besides, Brampton is already apoplectic. Next to his rugby-prop physique, Harry looks puny. I’m no expert in body language, but it’s clear he feels threatened by this bully of a man. I don’t want to make it any worse for him.
‘For fuck’s sake, Kiernan, what am I paying you for? Your agency’s meant to be looking after this place. Did you check for any security breaches?’
Lou nods, vigorously. ‘We went round the whole site. There weren’t any.’
James Brampton exhales forcefully through his nostrils, his mouth closed. He looks at his watch. ‘This is all I need. I’ve got four more site visits to do today.’ He glares at Harry. ‘So how the fuck did they get in? Did anyone have any overnight guests? Could it have been someone playing a practical joke, do you think? Someone already on the premises?’
He’s looking at me now. I shrug. ‘I’ve no idea, sorry. I’m quite new here, so …’
But James Brampton is already bored with my answer. He takes one last look at the security cameras, then marches out of the office.
‘Come on, Kiernan,’ he shouts over his shoulder. ‘Let’s see if the little fucker’s still on site.’
31
Marlow
When James Brampton and Harry Kiernan return to the office, Lou and I are in the kitchen, pretending to make some coffee. We wait until we’re sure they’ve left the school grounds before heading over to the garden.
‘There could be rational explanations for everything that’s been going on here,’ I say. I’m trying to convince myself as much as I am Lou, to quell my nerves. The trouble is, it’s not working.
Lou turns to look at me. ‘Such as?’
Now that I’ve started this somewhat hopeful line of conversation, I feel compelled to see it through. Perhaps if I say the words out loud, I’ll start to believe in them. ‘Maybe Hayley realized that it’s only a matter of time before the building work starts and she’d have to clear out anyway. And perhaps—’
No, I can’t tell her the next thing that pops into my mind: that perhaps she guessed Lou had a crush on her, and what with Big Dave turning out to be a lying git, she’d had enough of both of them and wanted to leave before either of them came back from work.
‘Perhaps what?’
I have to think on my feet. ‘Perhaps Rob has earmarked the room for himself. He saw how nice it was after Hayley left and is working on a way to move himself in there, after a decent amount of time has passed and his mythical leak can be fixed. He’s probably hoping I’ll be well and truly settled in Block C by then and will stop going on about it.’
Lou frowns. ‘And the man in the balaclava Hayley saw going into the swimming pool in the middle of the night?’
‘Hmm. You said she assumed it was Rob because he has the key to the padlock. I’d say that’s a fairly safe assumption, wouldn’t you? Admittedly, I don’t know Rob that well, but he does seem pretty obsessed with policing this place. He got quite shirty with me when I asked him if I could look at the pool.’
‘Why did you want to look at the pool?’
‘I’m a photographer. Abandoned buildings are incredibly atmospheric. Anyway, maybe he likes carrying out his own security checks. When he was giving me a tour of this place, he let slip something that made me think he’s already had a good rummage around in the science block, and that’s out of bounds too, isn’t it?’
We’ve reached the garden now.
‘What about the figures you saw crouching in front of the gate?’ Lou says. ‘That doesn’t sound exactly normal, does it?’
‘No, it doesn’t.’
‘Or the man Hayley and I saw going into the old caretaker’s hut and not coming out for ages.’
‘Also true.’
‘Or the fact that Hayley left all her good furniture behind.’
‘I don’t know. Maybe she deliberately left it behind because she fancied a fresh start.’
Lou snorts. ‘Come off it. You don’t just abandon good quality furniture. She’d have at least wanted to sell it, or offer it to a friend. And what about the binoculars? There are just too many things here that don’t add up.’
She’s right. Of course she is. And I haven’t even told her about the negative energies I’ve been picking up ever since I arrived. The visceral certainty that Hayley is in danger.
Lou grips the bars of the garden gate and peers inside. ‘Are we sure about this?’
‘Yes.’
We look around to make sure we’re not being observed. Then Lou interlocks her fingers to form a step so that I can scale the gate.
‘What about you? How are you going to get over?’
Lou grins. ‘I used to date a girl who was into Parkour. Let’s just say, she taught me a few tricks. Come on.’
‘Hang on a minute.’ I peer at the padlock. Something about it doesn’t look quite right. Then I realize what it is. It’s been sheared through with bolt-cutters.
Lou follows my gaze and gasps. ‘What the hell?’
We stand there, staring at it, unsure what to do next.
‘Rob will go apeshit,’ Lou says.
‘I can’t imagine James Brampton will be best pleased either. Or Harry, seeing as he’s the one who’s going to get it in the neck.’
‘We should call Harry now. Let him know straight away. It’s got to be something to do with the campaigners. Unless Mags and Gilly have gone rogue and decided to do some guerrilla gardening.’
We both giggle at that. ‘Let’s carry on with our search first,’ I say. ‘Plenty of time to fill him in later.’
With one last look over my shoulders, I push open the gate and step into the garden. Lou follows me in.
It feels very strange to be in here again after all these years. Lottie is buried in a cemetery several streets away, but it feels almost as if I’m standing on her grave, and for a minute, I think I’m going to break down and start crying.
Lou is already prowling round the garden, peering behind the bushes. I take a few deep breaths before making myself do the same thing in the opposite direction. The lack of any kind of breeze gives the garden an unnatural stillness. I try to ignore the wave of apprehension that comes over me. Neither of us knows what we’re looking for, but I feel sure that we’ll know what it is when we see it. There are muddy footprints on the circular piece of paving in the centre of the garden.
‘Marlow, come here and look at this.’ Lou’s voice is hushed but solemn, and a ripple of disquiet washes through me. I walk over to where she’s standing, steeling myself for whatever it is she’s found.
At first, I’m not sure what she wants me to look at, because all I can see are clumps of lavender past their best and a few straggly weeds. Then I see what she’s pointing at. A solitary cut rose, lying towards the back of the border where one of the statues used to stand.
‘So that’s all they’ve done? Left a rose in her memory?’
‘Well, it isn’t all they’ve done,’ Lou says. ‘They’ve also broken into the site and damaged a padlock. It makes you wonder what they might do next.’
I nod, but the campaigners’ next move isn’t what’s worrying me here. In fact, I rather admire their determination to keep Lottie’s memory first and foremost in James Brampton’s mind. But seeing this rose lying on the freshly turned soil where the plinth used to be, and thinking about Brampton’s stubborn refusal to agree to preserve the memorial garden, has my mind travelling down a very different route. One that has nothing to do with Lottie and everything to do with Hayley.
A horrible feeling of dread descends on me. If the campaign to save the memorial garden is successful, it will remain where it is and become a permanent feature of the planned new development. The three statues on their heavy stone plinths will be returned to their rightful place by Lottie’s parents. There’ll be an article about it in the local newspaper, probably even some kind of official reopening ceremony. New residents will move into the renovated and refurbished school buildings and pass the garden every day, maybe even sit for a while on one of its benches, enjoying the peace and stillness.
And if the campaign isn’t successful, the plans will proceed and Brampton will turn the garden into a car park, covering the whole area in a thick layer of tarmac.
My stomach twists. Because either way, what better place to bury a body?
32
Hayley
I hear a door opening. Feel a slight movement as he gets out of the car. A bottomless pit of dread opens up inside me.
This is it, Hayley. This is how your life ends.
I start to cry. My whole body convulses with sobs. I don’t want to die. Please God, don’t let me die!
I hear the crunch of his footsteps. Sounds like gravel. Is this where I’ll meet my end? On some deserted piece of wasteland in the middle of nowhere? No one to hear my cries? No one to find me when it’s all over?
Let it be quick. Please God, let it be quick.
But where is he going? Why is he walking away? Surely he’s not going to …
Sweat pours down my face and coats my back. Surely he’s not going to leave me here to die? On my own. In the dark. Unable to move. A long, slow, agonizing death.
I try to shuffle nearer the door of the boot. There must be a release button in here somewhere, but I can’t see it. My ankles have been tied together but I can still move my legs, if I forget about the throbbing pain in my shins. I lever myself into a position where I can kick against the door with my feet, but it’s useless. I know it is. A waste of time and energy. I can kick and kick all I want, and it won’t make a blind bit of difference. I’ll still be trapped in here. Trussed up like an animal. Left to die of thirst and hunger and lack of oxygen.
If only I could rip this tape from my mouth, I’d scream at the top of my lungs. No one would hear me, but maybe he would. He can’t have got far. I can’t hear any other engine noise, so I don’t think he’s got into another car. I want him to hear me calling him a coward. A fucking miserable coward who hasn’t got the balls to finish me off.
But I can’t even do that. Because my hands are tied securely behind my back, and there’s no way I can remove this tape without them. I rub my cheek on the scratchy bit of carpet that lines the boot, try to loosen the edge of the tape, but it’s stuck fast. All I’m doing is making my cheek even more sore than it already is.
I freeze. The footsteps are coming back. My heart pounds in my chest. He’s getting closer now. The footsteps stop. He’s standing right behind the boot. I can sense his presence. Rigid with fear, I watch as the boot opens, expecting to see light, but it’s as dark outside as it is in here. Someone I’ve never seen before looks down at me. Oh my God. He’s got someone else to do his dirty work for him. I should have known. For a second, I think this stranger is going to say something, but then he leans in and picks me up as if I’m no heavier than a child.
There’s a dull, roaring sound in the distance, and now I see that it isn’t a piece of gravelly old wasteland after all. It’s a beach. A deserted pebble beach. I’m being taken to the line where the pebbles meet the sand dunes. He deposits me in a pile of litter as if I too am something to be discarded. Worthless trash. Except this isn’t typical beach litter.
Hot, silent tears splash on to pieces of screwed-up tin foil, dirty old dessert spoons and used needles. I hope to God that Lou doesn’t take it upon herself to go looking for me. I can’t bear to think of the same thing happening to her. Because now I know why I’ve been brought to this particular spot.
Now I know how my life will end.
33
Marlow
I gesture at the garden gate. ‘We need to get into the pool and see if we can find out what’s going on, but we have to do it now, before all the others come back.’
Lou looks at me as if I’m mad. ‘And how do you propose we do that? There’s a massive great bolt and padlock on the entrance, and a CCTV camera pointed right at it. And I don’t remember seeing any padlock keys in Rob’s drawer. He must keep them somewhere else.’
‘I wonder if there’s another way in?’
Lou frowns. ‘I’m pretty sure there isn’t. All the windows except for a small one at the side are boarded up. Even if we managed to break it without setting off some kind of alarm, I doubt we’d be able to climb through.’
‘I mean via the PE block. They’re adjoining buildings, aren’t they?’
It would be a lot quicker and easier if I just came clean and admitted to Lou that I used to go to this school. Then I could tell her about the store cupboard with doors on both sides. But every time I’m on the verge of explaining, something holds me back.
‘At my old school, we had a similar set-up,’ I say. ‘There must be a door that leads through into the pool. Staff access maybe?’
Lou shakes her head. ‘There was. You can see it when you’re standing in the gym, but it’s been boarded up. Honestly, Marlow, you’re not going to be able to get through that way unless you’ve got some serious, heavy-duty tools.’
‘Yeah, but that might not be the only access point. At my school, there used to be a couple of store cupboards that were accessible from both buildings. It’s worth a try, isn’t it?’
Lou looks dubious. ‘I guess so.’
‘And we won’t exactly be doing anything wrong by being in the gym. If anyone comes in, we can say we were looking to see if there were any old netballs or other bits and pieces we could use.’
‘I don’t think anyone’s likely to come in. Everyone should be at work, except Craig, and he’ll most likely be asleep.’
‘He is. I heard him snoring when I was on the stairwell.’
‘Let’s go round and knock on everyone’s doors first, just to be on the safe side,’ Lou says.
‘Good idea.’
We leave the garden, making sure to close the gate behind us and position the padlock so that it’s exactly how we found it, the shorn edges lined up so that from a distance, it still appears locked. Then we go back across the playground and into the main hall.
Lou raps on Rob’s door first. She waits for a minute, knocks again, then waits some more. She puts her ear against the door.
‘Right, let’s go and check on the others,’ she says, and the two of us set off across the playground once again. It all feels a bit surreal. Scary too. But I have to admit, it’s exciting. I feel more alive than I have in years. I feel like I’m here for a reason.
We pass the drama studio, where less than a week ago I thought Lou was one of the rudest people I’d ever met. Now look at us, united in a common purpose. Lou goes up to check on Big Dave and Bryony, while I stay downstairs and knock on Gilly and Nikhil’s door. There is no response and no sound from within, but as I’m turning away, I register the two pairs of muddy shoes lined up outside their door and immediately think of the footprints on the paving stones in Lottie’s garden. The mud on these shoes could have come from anywhere though. From the playing field when it’s their turn to do the early-morning perimeter walk, or from a stroll on Hampstead Heath or along the canal. Right now, I have more pressing things to think about.
‘I suppose we’d better check to see whether Craig is up and about,’ I say to Lou when she reappears, remembering that time he came up behind me when I was trying to peer into the pool corridor.
We cross over to Block C and take the stairs up to Elle and Craig’s room, but by the time we reach their floor and turn into the corridor, we can already hear the regular rumble of snoring. We exchange a satisfied glance and turn back.
Once we’re in the PE block, it’s as much as I can do not to steer Lou straight to the cupboard so we can press on while we know for sure we’re not going to be disturbed, but I can’t make it too obvious that I already know it’s there. So I go through the motions of searching the changing area with her and opening various doors. We step out into the corridor. It might even be better if Lou finds the right door herself. She’s already heading towards the large store cupboard. I hang back and let her go in and fumble around for a light switch, waiting for her to come out again, eyes wide with excitement.
She beckons me in. ‘You were right! Come and look.’
I follow her in, closing the door behind us so that we are both standing in the store cupboard. Where once the shelves were piled high with equipment, now they are empty apart from a couple of faded relay batons, a few grotty-looking gym mats and an old, deflated netball. Lou has pushed a tall trolley to one side, old items of sportswear and lost or discarded trainers heaped in its wire baskets, and there is the door.
‘You’re a genius, Marlow. I’d never have thought to move the trolley if I hadn’t been looking for a door.’
I accept the compliment, but can’t help feeling a twinge of regret that I didn’t tell her the truth from the start. It doesn’t seem right, stringing her along like this, but it’s for a good reason, I tell myself.
On the day of the fire, it was my fault that Lottie was in the art studio, my fault she died in that terrible, frightening way, and though there’s nothing I can do to change that one immutable fact, I can at least try to help another person in this blighted place who might be in trouble. I just hope I’m not too late.
We stand there, staring at the door, neither of us quite ready to open it.
‘Are you having second thoughts about doing this?’ Lou whispers.
‘Are you?’
‘I asked you first.’
‘I asked you second.’
We clamp our hands to our mouths to stop the nervous giggles from escaping.
Jesus Christ, Dev was spot on with his regression theory. We’re like a couple of kids.
‘Let’s open it a fraction of an inch,’ Lou says. ‘We’ll stay in here for a while, listening. If we hear anyone, we’ll close it. If we don’t …’
