Once. Part 26

'Shecomeshecomeshecome,didbadbadthings!'

Take it easy.' Despite the frustration, Thom kept his voice placid. 'I can't understand you when you talk so fast. Look, come down, let me look at you. It helps me understand your words.'

The elf was reluctant, but did as he was bid, swinging first from a crossbeam, then sliding down the centre post.

When he arrived at Thom's feet he was shivering so fiercely Thom thought he might be having a seizure.

He quickly knelt before Rigwit and took him gently by the shoulders.

'Turribleturriblethings,shedidshedid!'

Try and calm yourself,' Thom urged. 'I need to know what you're saying.' Eyes wide - as wide as tilted eyes could be - Rigwit stiffened, forcing himself to gain control. He continued to shiver, but he began to speak a language Thom could comprehend.

'She-did-terrible-things.'

Who did, Rigwit? The lady with blonde ... with light-coloured hair?'

Rigwit shook his head violently, but bravely kept control. He was growing smaller before Thom's eyes though.

'Not Katy, not the fair-haired lady?' Thom willed Rigwit not to shrink any more and for the moment, it seemed to work. Who, then?' he asked, but was sure he already knew.

The h.e.l.lhagge,' Rigwit said with a sob in his voice. The h.e.l.lhagge did bad things to the other lady.'

Thom's face was set grim as he climbed into the black Cherokee Jeep, his tiredness forgotten. He now wore soft boots and had pulled on a V-necked sweater over his T-shirt. He switched on the engine, reversing a little, then brought the Jeep round in one practised sweep into the lane leading towards the main road. He pressed down on the accelerator, picking up speed, going as fast as the deeply rutted track would allow.

A few minutes before he had tried calling Katy Budd on his cell phone, tapping in both her home number, and then her mobile, but, as he already knew, he was in a bad area for reception and all he got was heavy static. It occurred to him that if there was no link mast in the vicinity there probably should have been nothing at all, not even interfer-

ence, but now wasn't the time to wonder about it. What Rigwit had told him had shocked him and although the elf had not used the word 'rape' - perhaps there was no such word in his vocabulary - from his description of events in the cottage that morning, rape was what it had amounted to. Female rape of another female. Weird, degenerate - and evil.

Rigwit had spied on the two women as they had shredded the orchid bulbs between them, the juices of the root a powerful love potion apparently, and Thom had began to understand. Nell Quick had brought the flowers to the cottage expecting to find him all alone. She'd found Katy Budd instead. But why use the extract from the orchid on the physiotherapist when it was meant for him? If it was her devious way of collecting his seed, some kind of aphrodisiac to turn him on, why use it on Katy? It didn't make sense. But then, what did make sense since he'd returned to Bracken? It could be that Nell Quick swung both ways as well as being an opportunist. She'd had the aphrodisiac on hand (so to speak), he hadn't been home, and Katy Budd had turned up out of the blue. Could Nell really be that crazy, that sick? Something told Thom she could.

Leafy branches lightly brushed the side of the Jeep as he sped along the narrow unmade lane and his hands remained firm on the steering-wheel as it tried to twist in his grip. He was angry, angry that the woman, whatever her gripe was with him, could use an innocent like Katy Budd in this way, and angry that someone who, until a few days ago, had been a complete stranger, could bear such evil intent towards him. What the h.e.l.l had he ever done to Nell Quick? Had it anything to do with his new-found friendship with the little people, the faerefolkis who inhabited the Bracken Estate's woods? According tostorybooks, weren't witches supposed to be the mortal enemy of faeries? He shook his head, still making no sense of it, bewilderment feeding the anger. There was only one way to find out and that was to confront the lady herself.

Yet another thought struck him. Hugo! Was his friend aware of the true nature of this woman? Thom was sure there was more to their relationship than employer and nurse - he'd sensed a frisson of some kind between them when he first saw them together - but was Nell using Hugo in some way? Thom's eyes narrowed as he continued to explore this fresh avenue. Hugo was single and the heir to a considerable fortune, even it these days it mostly amounted to the value of real estate. And what real estate! Castle Bracken and all its land, thousands of acres of pastures and woodland. Even if only small pockets of it were sold off, it would easily provide wealth to run the rest of the estate. And although Sir Russell's various business ventures were no longer the source of high revenue that they once were, selling his personal shares in them would yield sizeable capital. But again, what had this to do with Thom, why should he be any part of Nell Quick's plans? As an illegitimate grandson to Sir Russell - and not even acknowledged as that by the old man! - he was no threat to Hugo's inheritance. Thom thumped the steering-wheel in frustration. Whatever the answers, he had to confront Nell, if only over what she had done to Katy. Then, he would warn Hugo. He'd have no real proof about anything, but his friend surely trusted him enough to take his word. Maybe he was a little bit addled sometimes, but Hugo was no fool.

Not a complete one, at any rate.

Up ahead, Thom saw the gap in the crowded woodland that meant he'd nearly reached the main road and he eased off the accelerator pedal, bringing the Jeep down to a safer speed. Traffic seemed even heavier than usual there and he noticed it was also quite slow, pa.s.sing the gap almost b.u.mper to b.u.mper.

He decreased his own speed even more.

When he finally reached the lane's junction with the main thoroughfare, he brought the Jeep to a complete stop, puzzled by the build-up of traffic blocking his way. First he looked right, the direction in which he intended to continue,

and saw only the stretch of slow-moving vehicles; but then he glanced left - and froze.

A huge transport-carrier was parked by the roadside, red and white cones placed behind and along its right side, a patrol cop patiently waving on oncoming traffic. But from where Thom sat in the Jeep at the entrance to the lane, he could see beyond the carrier along the verge. A green-coloured car was angled in the ditch, its bonnet and part of its roof caved in as if it had bounced off a tree. He recognized the little two-door Volkswagen immediately.

'Katy!' he said aloud and quickly switched off the Jeep's engine. Then he was out and running - limping - towards the scene of the accident.

The transport-carrier was so close to the roadside's gra.s.s verge and ditch that Thom used its length to keep his balance along the uneven ground, careful not to slip into the shallow ditch itself. He saw that the front of the big carrier was badly damaged, but nowhere nearly as badly as the smaller vehicle, whosebonnet and side were completely smashed, although only the front of the roof was crumpled.

'Katy!' This time it was an anguished shout, and a figure who had been watching a blue-overalled man attaching a grappling hook beneath the wrecked vehicle, its twisted-iron cable running to the nearby breakdown truck, turned to look in Thom's direction. Another mechanic and a second policeman who were among the group of men hidden, along with the truck driver, from Thom's view by the transport-carrier, also looked towards the sound of his voice, but quickly returned their attention to the job in hand when they saw him.

'It's all right, Thom, it's all over.' Eric Pimlet said as Thom drew near.

He was too stunned to greet the estate manager right away.

Terrible accident,' Eric said in his gruff burr. 'Poor young girl was badly hurt.'

'Was it Katy Budd?' Thom asked, already aware of the answer as he took in the terrible damage to the green car. Although the VW's rear end was closest to him, he could see that the windscreen was completely smashed and the front of the roof itself so badly dented its metal almost touched the front seats' headrests.

'It was a girl drivin' all right, but I wouldn't know her name. Policeman'll tell you though, he's had to look through her things.'

'It's okay. I know it was her. How badly was she hurt?'

'Can't say, but they tell me they took her out unconscious. The driver of this thing-' Eric pointed a thumb over his shoulder at the front-damaged transport-carrier'-tol' me she was pretty messed up though. They rushed her off to Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, didn't waste no time gettin' her there. Another ambulance took this driver off too, after he'd made a statement to the police, en'all. Had to be treated for shock, poor chap.'

'Did they tell you about the girl?' Thom was still eyeing the wrecked VW as if in shock himself. 'How bad were her injuries?'

'Don't know, Thom. They jus' said she was none too good. I came on it after it had all happened and stuck aroun' so's I could give a hand, bein' the accident occurred on the edge of the estate. Spoke to the driver though, managed to calm him down a bit.' Eric rubbed at his veined nose, then shook his head. 'He still seemed in bit of a daze to me, like he'd banged his head or somethin'. Kept goin' on about a bird.'

Thom at last took his eyes off the wreckage and regarded the gamekeeper curiously.

'Said the car appeared from nowhere, too late for him to stop,' Eric went on. 'Must've come out the lane to your place, Thom. One of your lady friends, was it? Someone up from London?'

Thom gave a quick shake of his head. What did you

mean, Eric? When you said the driver was talking about a bird?' 'Oh, I think he was just a bit confused, like. As I say, he must've taken a knock on the head. Couldn't make much sense of him, to be honest.'

'But tell me what he said.'

The old gamekeeper huffed, and shook his head yet again. 'He said that after the crash, when the other car had been pushed down the road and into that there ditch, he saw a bird, a black and white bird, he said, fly out from the windscreen. I reckon he was mistaken. I reckon if there was a bird, it was already in the ditch lookin' for worms or grubs, an' it flew up from underneath the car. I mean, it's not likely she'd be carryin' a magpie as a pa.s.senger, is it? Not likely at all.'

OF BANES / SPELLS.

& DECEPTIONS.

HUGO HAD gone to the plate-gla.s.s windows of his .father's bedchamber at the top of Castle Bracken, closing all the curtains so that the evening sun burned against their thick material. The s.p.a.cious but now darkened room suddenly seemed claustrophobic, the air somehow heavier, and he felt his father's watery, old-ivory eyes watching him over the plastic oxygen mask, the invalid, as usual, propped up by pillows as he lay wasting away on the four-poster. He thought he detected momentary panic in them.

'Just giving you some shade,' Hugo called across the room.

Hugo grimaced at the sound of the laboured breathing in the shadowy room, for the initial sharp intake of air was like a grasp at life itself, the drawn-out rattling exhalation like final submission to the inevitable.

A beastly noise.

'Uuh - aaarrrghhhh ...'

Grasp, submit; grasp, submit...

And so on it went.

'You need to sleep, Father,' he called out again, wondering if the old boy even understood his words these days. Sometimes he thought he caught a spark of intelligence in those vapid eyes, but mostly Sir Russell continued to stare blankly, observing without reaction or recognition. And yet at other times, when his breathing was regular and there was no need for pure oxygen, Sir Russell could appear quite lucid. Well, the time had come for some plain, sensible speaking from the old man and Hugo hoped Nell's new concoction would do the trick. Their patience was running out He returned to the bedside, hands in the pockets of his creased trousers, and watched Nell tilt a vial over a small ball of cotton-wool as she stood by the trolley containing genuine medications and equipment.

What is it this time?' he asked, impressed by her knowledge of potions and poisons. 'Hemlock?' He gave a nervous laugh.

'It was good enough to rid the Greeks of Socrates, but no, we don't want to finish him off jus' yet, do we?' Nell Quick was wearing surgical gloves to protect her skin as she liberally dosed the cotton wool.

This is henbane, a close relative of deadly nightshade with some of my own ingredients mixed in, but I'm usin' only enough to loosen his tongue and impair his judgement. Too much and he'll be dead in a few hours.'

'It looks to me like his judgement is already impaired, although I do sometimes wonder if he understands what's going on.' Hugo eyed the frail figure on the bed, the sheet that covered his father more like a shroud.

'What does it matter?' Nell replied. 'He's too weak to do anythin'. Roll up his sleeve for me.'

Hugo was reluctant to touch the skeletal man. He remembered his father as he used to be, a small but powerful man, full of vitality. And, it had seemed to Hugo, always full of

anger. 'But if he can hear us, if he can understand what we're saying, he'll be disinclined to tell us anything.'

Nell was short with Hugo. 'I told you: it doesn't matter. When this begins to work he won't know what he's sayin'. Jus' wish I'd used it earlier. But then he's been so weak it might've killed him. He seems jus' a little stronger tonight though, strong enough to take henbane, I think.' She bent over the sick man and dabbed the solution on the cotton wool into the skin of his forearm. 'I would have put it into his nose for quicker absorption by the mucous membranes, but he needs the mask right now. No matter, the pores in his skin will soon soak it up. It'll take a while to work though, so we'll have to come back later - unless you want to sit with him, Hugo?' Her grin was unpleasant, but to her companion, it was ravishing.

'I don't think so,' he replied hurriedly. 'I can think of better things to do with my time.' His leer was as ugly as Nell's scarlet grin.

Even I've had enough for one day, Nell thought to herself. The little blonde b.i.t.c.h was strong enough to get away, but the fight was fun.

She giggled and Hugo regarded her curiously. "What is it?'

'Nothing to bother you, my lovely.'

Hugo was suspicious. 'You came across the bridge this morning. Had you been visiting Thom?' 'Yes, I called in.' She pulled the pyjama jacket sleeve back down over the emaciated arm. 'Kindred wasn't home though, so I pushed my bike all the way here along the forest path.'

'I think we should leave Thom out of this. He doesn't matter if we find what we're looking for.'

"We've been through all this enough times!' By the light from a nearby lamp Hugo could see the blaze in her eyes.

'Until we're sure, we take no chances. We have to be able to control Kindred, otherwise we stand to lose everything.'

'But my father could die at any time.' Hugo spoke in a whisper now, as if the old man might hear.

'Not as long as I help keep him alive. But even if Kindred does go first, there's still no guarantee you'll get what's rightfully yours. Sir Russell might still despise you enough to leave you with nothin'. No, the only sure way is to find his last Will and Testament and destroy it. Count yourself lucky he wasn't well enough to make it in front of a proper solicitor, so there won't be any copies lodged in an office safe somewhere.'

'But his witness ...'

She let out a sigh of exasperation. 'I told you before - it won't matter if there's no proper doc.u.mentation. There has to be written proof. Soon as we find that we can make an end to all this.'

'Dear G.o.d, I hope so. I've had enough, Nell. We've searched the house so thoroughly these past months, I really don't feel I can carry on much longer.'

Nell's tone changed and her eyes searched his face. He was so weak...

'Jus' remember how good it'll be, Hugo. All the money you'll ever need, an' me on top.' She sn.i.g.g.e.red.

'Or beneath; or on my knees, the way you like it.'

Dropping the sodden cotton-wool ball into a plastic bag taken from the trolley, she sidled around the bed towards him. She sealed the bag as she came, her walk provocative.

You'll have me, Hugo. Any way you want me. An' even when you're too tired, I'll mix you the brews you like, the ones that give you ... energy.'

Yes, Nell.'

'An' then we can do things, those things that make you feel good.'

He reached out for her, but she playfully evaded his