Authors: Faith Mortimer
“I suppose so,” Clare muttered then let out a shriek as part of the ledge gave way. “No! Please don’t go! I hate heights and I’m scared.”
“Okay, keep calm and very still while I think.” Diana rapidly looked around her. There was nothing remotely useful lying around. She had a sudden thought and whipped her rucksack from her back. It was made from a tough man-made material, which could take some weight. Inside one of the pockets, there was a thin piece of rope. She remembered she was wearing a leather belt and slipped that off and then buckled it through one of the rucksack straps. After that she tied the rope onto the buckle. She prayed Clare was wearing a belt too.
“Have you a belt on you?” she asked. “Good. Right, now you’ll have to trust me.”
And hope that I’m strong enough,
she thought privately. “When I lower the rucksack down to you, buckle your belt onto the free handle, and keep a good grip on it for yourself. Right, then I’ll pull the rucksack back up to me by the rope, and when I can, I’ll grab my belt and pull you up.”
“But you’ll never do it!” Clare yelled. “The rope’s too thin, it’ll break.”
“No, listen. The rope is just a means—a mousing line, if you like—to lower it down to you. Don’t worry, I’m not trusting your weight on that. Come on, Clare, we’ve got to try. You’ve got to try. First you have to stand up. Okay?”
She waited while Clare sniffed away her tears and nodded. “All right, I’ll try. I think I can do it.”
Diana watched with her heart pounding as Clare pulled herself up to her feet. She saw a few rocks and loose dirt fly away into the space below the ledge but said nothing. Clare was terrified enough. Clare seemed to take ages while she removed and buckled her belt to the free handle of the sack.
“All right, ready now?” Diana asked. “Get a good grip while I pull the rope up and look for some hand- and toeholds before we begin. Anything you can see or tree roots even. There might be something you can help pull yourself up with.”
“Yes, understood. There’s a bush that looks solid just above me and one or two places where I can dig in.” She sounded more reassured. “Di?”
“What?”
“Nothing, it can wait.”
Puzzled and exasperated, Diana decided not to dwell on what Clare had said. Now was not the time. She waited until Clare was ready. She could hear her complaining, but she tried not to listen. “Okay, ready?”
Diana was amazed that the combination of rucksack and two leather belts was just long enough…but the biggest test was to come.
She wrapped the leather round her fist and pulled. When she felt Clare’s weight on the strap, she didn’t know if they could do it. Diana gritted her teeth and kept up the strain, the belt cutting into her flesh. Blimey, she was a big girl!
“I’ve managed to reach the bush,” Clare wheezed. “I think it’s going to work.”
Diana couldn’t answer. Her back felt like it was breaking, and she was petrified of going over the side after her. Then she heard what she had been dreading. A rattle of falling rocks and Clare’s terrified scream.
Chapter 29
Throwing off the last vestiges of the sedative the doctor had given her, Debbie sat upright on the bed. She swung her legs over the side, walked over to the window, and stared across the snowy landscape to the Troodos Mountains in the distance. At any other time, the scenery would have looked enchanting. A weak sun was filtering through some patchy clouds, casting silvery shadows on the virgin white all around. She imagined how excited Charlie and Hannah would have been and how they would have badgered William to take them sledging and build a snowman. She shuddered as she remembered the events of the day before. Was it really only one day since she and the children had sat in the cosy warm kitchen and talked about the holidays?
Dear little Hannah; she was so excited about the possibility of a white Christmas, and she recalled listening to her enthusiastic shouts as she and Charlie played in the garden. Her older brother was always there for her. Despite pretending not to be interested or bother with his little sister, Charlie was the first person to make sure she didn’t get into trouble or hurt herself. He was very protective of Hannah, and Debbie realised that in some extraordinary way she took consolation in knowing they were together. Whatever happened, if he could, he would look after her. He was a good boy. She caught her breath as emotion threatened to choke her. How cruel it was that warm feelings could also tear you apart.
“God, please help me.”
Debbie didn’t realise she had spoken her thoughts out loud until William stirred in his chair. She didn’t know he was there until then.
“Debbie, my love. Should you be up? The doctor said you must rest.”
“William, I…I didn’t know you were here. Why are you in the chair?”
“I didn’t want to disturb you. I was taking a nap. You needed to sleep, and I’ve been up and down the stairs all night and day, keeping the fire going.”
Debbie looked at her husband and saw the anxiety in his face. She knew she had to believe the children were still alive. They could not be dead. But they had to be found soon. A whole day and night had passed since they went missing. A flicker of hope entered her heart.
“How do you feel, Debbie?” he asked as he stood up and stretched. “You look…more calm than last night.”
“Okay, I think. The sleep did me good. I talked a lot, didn’t I? With Clare, I mean.”
“Yes.”
She turned back to the snowy scene outside. “I know I kept trying to remember something. It was…I’m sure it was important.”
“You mentioned many things. You said something about
him
watching you. Do you know who you meant? Adam thinks it might be important.”
Debbie shook her head. “No, I don’t. I almost feel like I’m going to remember, and then it disappears. I think I want to go outside and clear my head. I need some fresh air.” She left the window and moved towards the wardrobe. “I’m going to get dressed. I want to be dressed normally, I’m not an invalid.”
“Of course not, sweetheart. Just please take it easy, though. You’ve been through a lot and the drugs might not have worn off properly.”
“I’m fine. No, really, I am. I’ve slept for hours,” she said in a gentle voice. She picked out some jeans and a thick sweater and threw them on the bed. She still felt light-headed, but she wasn’t going to let William know. She had been lying around for far too long. It was time she did something to find her children. She walked through to the bathroom and stared at herself in the mirror. A sob caught in her throat as she leant forward and pressed her forehead against the cool glass.
“Debbie!”
Startled, she turned and instantly found his arms around her. She smelt his man smell, coffee and the wood smoke from the fire. “I’m all right,” she whispered against his thick shirt. “Honestly…”
“Darling.” Gently he tilted her face up to meet his gaze. Softly, she felt his lips against hers. She pressed her body against him. And she realised how it had always been like this with him. It had been so perfect, and so very right from the very first time. She recalled their first date: a meal together and their walk along the shore. He made her laugh, and it seemed as if they were on exactly the same wavelength. She remembered their first kiss and how it had seemed predestined. She desired him so much. It was different, nothing like when she was with Claude. Poor Claude. Debbie had only endured him, felt uncomfortable about not wanting him, and after little Sally was born, he never again sought to…not like a husband. Had he somehow recognised her aversion, she had wondered? It was all part of her guilt.
“I love you.”
“I love you too, darling. Debbie, I thought I understood how bad it must have been for you last time. But I’m not sure if I really did—”
“William, we will find them, won’t we? We will get them back? Promise me.” Her voice shook with emotion, and she began to tremble.
“Everyone is doing their best, I just don’t know. But remember, my darling, no matter what happens, we’ll always have each other. You have to be strong.”
She slumped against him and then seemed to take strength as she leaned back in his arms. “I want to go out and look. I must.”
William nodded, not able to say anything at first. “Debbie.”
She heard the note of despair in his voice. “Wait a while. Get dressed, and have something hot to drink and maybe a slice of toast. You need something inside you. I’ll go and get it ready.”
Automatically, she walked back into the bedroom and removed her nightdress. The bedroom was cold, and she decided to have a hot shower. The water would still be warm in the lagged tank. Standing before the mirror over the washbasin, she noticed how pale and drawn she looked. Her eyes had the same heaviness and cloudy look as when she lived with Claude.
She didn’t want to look back…only forward. Charlie and Hannah were most important now. She stepped under the shower, and the spray struck her body, the water pressure getting to all her tense spots. It felt pleasant. She turned her face to the spray and wished the water would wash away all her fears. It would be so good to feel clean again. She thought she imagined hearing a phone ring downstairs.
She rarely took a bath. After talking with Clare last night, she realised she had suppressed a lot of the memories of her first marriage. A flash of recollection came as the water cascaded down her body. It was in the bath tub where Claude had insisted on bathing her. He always bought her some sweet-smelling bath oil as a present, and she always knew what he planned for later the same night. She recalled the way he fondled her and scrutinised her. She tried pushing him away, saying he made her uncomfortable, but he laughed and said he was just showing her how much he loved and adored his little girl.
One day, she was really upset and slapped his hand away. He got angry; she saw how white his face had become. He didn’t say a word but turned and left the bathroom in a foul temper.
Debbie felt sick as she remembered. She turned off the jet and stepped from the shower cubicle, grabbing a towel and burying her face into it. The waves of nausea passed, but she still felt icy chills pass through her body.
Pull yourself together
, she thought.
Charlie and Hannah need you. This is no time to be weak.
She cleaned her teeth and pulled a brush through her dishevelled hair. She couldn’t let anyone see what a wreck she was inside. She needed to be calm and strong. If they thought she was insane for one minute, they would lock her up. They had to believe her story and not the unbelievable. Please, please, not the children, not again.
Debbie pulled on some underwear and the sweater and jeans. She found some thick socks and her walking boots and quickly put them on. Her fingers trembled as she tied the laces, and her throat ached in her desperation. Downstairs, William was waiting for her in the kitchen with tea and toast on the table. His face looked even more strained than before. A wave of hysteria threatened as she eyed the breakfast and tried not to feel nauseous again.
“Sit down and eat,” William urged, indicating a chair at the table. He needed Debbie to be sitting down when he told her they had found Hannah’s shoe.
“Okay, I’ll try, and then I have to go and look for myself. They’re out there, William. They’re not dead and they need me.”
Chapter 30
Gasping for breath, Diana fell back onto the ground. Her heart was pounding. Her arms felt as if they had been stretched at least a foot in length, and her throat felt dry and hoarse. Completely stunned, she lay back for a few seconds before sitting up. Suddenly she burst into tears.
“I’m so sorry,” she sobbed. “It was all my fault. I should never have insisted on going that way. I’m sorry I was being a real old bag.”
Her friend lay on her stomach just at the edge of the hill. She was not a pretty sight, covered in slushy mud, and her face was cut above her chin. Her breath came in great heaves. Eventually, she too rolled over and leaned up on one arm.
“Jesus, Diana, I really thought I was going to die when the ledge gave way. How on earth did you manage? I know I’m no lightweight. Hey, stop crying!”
Diana wiped her face on the back of her sleeve. She didn’t look a lot better than her friend. “Sorry, I know I keep apologising, but I think I’m a…a bit shocked. I don’t know how I managed, I just knew I had to.” She gave a loud sniff.
“Well, thank goodness for rucksacks and leather belts, although I think this has seen its day.” She indicated the rucksack, and Diana stared in horror. The straps had almost been pulled from the sack. Another few minutes and Clare would have definitely fallen. “Please don’t keep saying sorry, we all do daft things sometimes. The good thing is we managed it. Wait until we tell the boys. They’ll never believe us in a million years.”
At the thought of the others, both girls immediately sat up and looked down the hill. There was still no sign of either Randy or Wee Willy, nor any of the other rescue parties. They might have been the only ones out in the valley that afternoon. Diana remembered Clare had been about to ask her a question before their frenetic activity, and she asked her what she wanted to say.
Clare went very still and looked at her with an earnest expression. “This. Whatever happens later, for once in your life, use your head.”