Page 40 of Sun, Sea & Strawberry Shortcake
At once, Hudson snaps into business mode and wanders awayfrom me, across the lawn, to take the call. And from the tone of his voice –low and urgent – I know I’ve lost him. Leaving him outside, I wander in andstart clearing away dinner.
It’s dark outside – darker than usual at this time becauseof the cloudy skies – and I stand at the kitchen sink and stare out over thefront garden at the lights in the windows of the little terrace housesopposite.
I wonder if the black car is parked in the lane?
Suddenly curious, I open the door and walk to the gate,making sure to conceal myself behind the hawthorn tree, just in case he sees mespying on him.
But the lane is empty. No black car today.
I’m standing there, staring up through the branches at theclouds floating across the moon when I catch something out of the corner of myeye, although it’s passed our gate before I focus on it. My heart lurches atthe sight of that same dark, sinister figure in the hooded cloak.
The plague doctor.
And it’s heading in the direction of Bee’s flat.
Breath quickening, I open the gate as silently as I can andhurry out, following the ghostly shape along the lane, about a dozen steps behindit.
I’m half-expecting it to cross the road and pause outsidethe pink house like it did the last time I saw it. But it carries on, pastBee’s place to the end of the lane. Then instead of turning right and headingdown towards the main street and the promenade, it takes a left, following theuphill path that leads to the ruins of the tower on the little hill.
My heart is hammering hard as I hurry to keep up with theeerie figure. And then at a fork in the path up ahead, I suddenly lose sight ofit. Deciding to take the route that leads straight on, I soon realise this wasa mistake because when it opens out a little, the figure is nowhere to be seen.It must have taken the other fork – the one that disappeared into the woods tothe right – so I start retracing my steps. It seems a little pointless tryingto follow it, though. The hooded figure will be far away by now.
Frustrated, I decide to head home. But arriving back at thefork in the path, I happen to glance over at the tower, perched on the grassyincline beyond the wooded area. I stop and stare at the ghostly edifice risingup in the darkness. During the day, it’s just a tower. But at night, cloaked inthe gloom, it seems to take on an altogether more mystical appearance, and Ican see why people might be drawn to celebrate the summer solstice there,gathered at the foot of this ancient monument to times past...
I screw up my eyes.
Is it my imagination or is that a light flickering at thetop of the tower?
I stand there concentrating on the tiny ball of light. Itseems to be moving around, and a shiver runs along my spine. I don’t want to gohome without investigating, but I really wish Hudson was with me. I’d feel somuch braver confronting whatever it is!
Hudson’s not here, though. So I’ll just have to do it on myown.
But as I stumble along the path through the dense, darkwoods, with only my phone light to guide the way, my heart is hammering fit toburst out of my chest at the thought of coming face to face with the sinisterfigure of the plague doctor. An owl hoots loudly, so close to my ear that theshock turns my knees to jelly. But I forge on, following the path as it tracksthe base of the mound, before circling gradually upwards, each step carrying mefurther up the hill and ever closer to the tower.
Finally there, I stand at the foot of it, staring up as ittowers above me, making me feel very small and quite dizzy. Ignoring the safetysign, I take a deep breath and step inside. It smells dank and musty, but thetower itself seems surprisingly intact, with its stone staircase spirallingupwards into the darkness.
And then a shrill sound cuts into the dead silence.
My phone!
Shit!
It’s Hudson and I quickly answer it with a whispered, ‘Hi.Sorry. I didn’t have time to tell you where I was going.’
‘Where are you?’ he demands, sounding worried.
‘I’m at the tower. I followed the plague doctor and it ledme here. So I’m just about to climb up to the –’
‘For God’s sake, Ruby, don’t climbanywhere. It couldbe dangerous. What the hell were youthinking?’
‘I need to see what’s going on.’
‘But not on your own, surely? Couldn’t you havewaitedfor me?’ He curses loudly, mutters, ‘Look, I’m coming straight over,’ and endsthe call.
I hesitate, knowing he’s right. I could be in danger fromfalling masonry, never mind ghostly figures who walk the night. Then I thinkabout Bee and Jodie.
I need to do this!
So I start climbing the steep stone steps.
