Ellen
I lay awake at night, thinking about the Freya problem. What to do about her? How to usurp this little cuckoo in the nest?
As it turns out, I needn’t have lost any sleep. It was Freya herself who gave me the solution (quite literally) the very next day.
A ring at my doorbell interrupted my weekly sink bleach. I answered to find her standing outside in one of her shapeless floral dresses, socks and sandals. She smiled nervously and blinked at me through a pair of thick, ugly glasses. I frowned. I didn’t know Freya wore glasses.
‘Oh, hello. I hope I’m not bothering you.’
The fact she was here at all was bothering me.
‘Well, I am a little busy,’ I said, and hoped she got the hint.
‘Oh, well, I just wanted to stop by to say thank you for letting me judge the Pumpkin Patch competition. I didn’t want to step on any toes. But I am so looking forward to it – and if you have any tips at all, that would be greatly appreciated.’
Plenty, I thought. But none I could repeat.
‘Well, I wouldn’t want to step on your toes,’ I said, with a light laugh. ‘And really, it’s a relief to get a break this year. I’ll be fresher next time around.’
‘Right.’ She blinked again, like some kind of overgrown female Harry Potter. ‘Well, okay. It’s good to have your blessing.’
Blessing. When did I give the stupid girl my blessing?
I nodded. ‘Is that all, Freya, as I am a little busy?’
‘Oh, yes. In fact, I must get going. I need to pick up some contact lens solution. I hate wearing these.’ She gestured at the glasses.
I paused. ‘I didn’t realize you wore contacts.’
‘Oh, yes. Blind as a bat without them. Can’t believe I ran out of solution.’ A quick, nervous smile. She half raised her hand. ‘Bye.’
I watched her go thoughtfully, and an idea formed in my head. I smiled.
The call came through the following evening. I’d been expecting it, but I tried to convey just the right amount of shock and sympathy.
‘She’s in hospital? What happened?’
Louise breathlessly informed me that it was Freya’s eyes. ‘They’ve been burnt, badly.’
‘Oh my. How awful.’
‘They think it must have been a contaminated batch of contact lens solution. She soaked the lenses overnight, and when she put them in the next day …’ She made a small choking noise.
‘Well, that is just shocking. You know, I’ve been saying for a while that you can’t trust brands like you used to. They’re all made in China. That’s why I’m an old-fashioned “make it myself”-type person.’ I paused. ‘Do they think her eyesight will recover?’
‘I don’t know. Hopefully. But not right away. They’re keeping her at the hospital overnight.’
‘Of course.’ I waited for a moment, and then, as if it had just occurred to me: ‘I suppose this means Freya won’t be able to judge the Pumpkin Patch carving competition.’
‘It’s doubtful.’
I sighed. ‘Well, I’m prepared to step up and resume my position as head judge.’
‘I’m not sure if—’
‘No. I won’t let you try to talk me out of it. With everything poor Freya is going through, giving up my time is a small sacrifice.’
I put the phone down and smiled.
I was pleased with myself, and maybe that was my downfall. Pride, as they say, often comes before a fall.
I wanted to spend some time congratulating myself, but I still had work to do. Now I knew that Freya was at the hospital, I needed to enact the second part of my plan: sneaking back into her house and swapping the contaminated lens solution for a less potent variety.
Injecting bleach into a bottle and substituting it while she was out yesterday had been simple. I’ve been in Freya’s home before. I’ve been in the homes of all the committee members, whether they’ve invited me or not.
I just needed to take away the contaminated bottle and pop the original back. I was very careful when I injected the bleach, but someone smart might still deduct that the bottle had been deliberately contaminated.
Now, you might be wondering how I get away with my house visits. After all, most homes in Serenity have security systems, and I’m certain that the bracelets also track movement in or out.
Fortunately, one of the engineers who installed the security systems wasn’t so hot on safeguarding his own secrets.
When I found out about the young women whose systems he was servicing on the side, we made a deal.
I wouldn’t tell his wife if he showed me all the weaknesses and blind spots in Serenity’s set-up.
As for the bracelets, like I said, I have problems with my joints – hypermobility.
When I was younger, I won awards as a gymnast. Now, my stretchy joints give me more pain than pleasure.
But they can still be useful. For example, I can bend my thumb joint right back over my little finger.
Not something that is required very often, but it does make it relatively easy to slip off a bracelet that is supposed to fit snugly around the wrist.
That night, I felt full of nervous energy. At 10.55 p.m. I slipped off my bracelet and placed it on the coffee table. The streetlights went off at eleven, and so did the lights in most people’s houses. There are very few night owls in Serenity Falls. Except me. I’ve always had trouble sleeping.
I went upstairs to get changed into a black sweater and pants.
I rarely wear trousers but, for my night-time sojourns, they’re more practical.
Finally, I pulled on my gloves and packed my bag with a replacement bottle of contact lens solution, the spare key from Freya’s, which I had taken earlier, and a flashlight.
I let myself out and walked briskly down the street. Freya’s house was only four blocks from my own. It was a beautiful night. The sky was clear, the moon high and bright, illuminating the streets so well I didn’t even need my flashlight.
I love the night. Sometimes, even if I’m not on a house visit, I’ll just head out for a stroll.
Well past the curfew. But then, I have no strings on me.
Serenity at night is always so peaceful.
Never anyone about. You’d think that there might be a few rebellious souls prepared to break the curfew rules.
But no, every single house is in darkness.
Every single person tucked up tightly in bed.
It’s a tad odd, when you think about it. But still, all the better for me. I can take in the town undisturbed. In fact, it’s such a beautiful night, once I have completed my business at Freya’s house, I decide to take the scenic route back home, past the lake.
This is my mistake.
If I hadn’t, if I had only taken the usual route, then I would never have seen them.
It’s the noise I hear first. Usually, the streets of Serenity are silent.
Or virtually silent. Obviously, nature sticks to its own schedule and curfews.
The call of mockingbirds or the chatter of katydids and crickets.
But this noise was not animal, bird nor insect.
A low, steady rumble. The sound of an engine. A large engine.
I frowned and slowed my pace as the far end of the lake drew into view, some inner sixth sense telling me to stick close to the shadows of the trees and bushes. I paused.
Parked on the banks of the lake just before it melted into the woods was a large flatbed truck with a lifting crane on top.
The rear end of the truck was backed right up to the edge of the water and the crane raised high over it.
On the end of the crane hung a small green car.
Even stranger, standing around the truck were four figures clad in white hazmat suits.
I clapped a hand over my mouth. Oh my. Had they just pulled the car out of the lake? Had someone had a terrible accident, or maybe tried to kill themselves? There was only one person in Serenity I knew who drove a green car like that.
But even as this thought crossed my mind, something told me that this wasn’t what I was seeing here. The car didn’t look damaged or wet. There was no water or lake weeds dripping from it. No tyre tracks churning up the grass. The truck was standing on thick strips of perforated rubber.
Then, as I watched, one of the white-clad figures raised a hand.
A signal. The crane suddenly let go of the car and it dropped into the lake with a huge splash.
For a moment, the car bobbed gently upon the surface, but slowly it began to sink, front first, then the rest of the green body until it was completely swallowed by the dark water.
What on earth? My stomach churned unpleasantly.
This was wrong. All wrong. I didn’t want to see any more.
I am a firm believer that there are some things in life you are better off not knowing, and this was definitely one of them.
Time to make my exit out of the park and back along the route I should have taken.
I would just forget all about this and …
that’s when one of the figures turned and lowered their hood.