Page 178 of Serenity Falls

‘Well, hello.’

It’s a woman, dressed in a long pinafore, plain blouse, cardigan and sensible heels. She looks to be somewhere in her late thirties. Heavy glasses. Hair in two pigtails. Half of her face is a shiny mass of scar tissue. She smiles, or rather, one side of her face does.

‘I would say this is a lovely surprise, but I confess, I had a little heads up you might be coming.’

‘You?’ Davey stutters.

Sadie’s eyes widen. ‘Freya?’

I turn. ‘You know her?’

Sadie nods. ‘She’s … she’s the town librarian.’

The woman nods. ‘Well, yes and no. I do a little more than that.’

We all stare at Freya. I have a knot in my stomach. A sick feeling.

‘We haven’t got time for this shit,’ Davey says. ‘We need to go. She can’t stop us.’

Freya raises one eyebrow. ‘Ah, yes, the tunnel.’ She glances at a rug covering the floor. ‘I’m sorry, but that isn’t going to happen.’

‘Why not?’

‘Well, firstly, because there are people at the other end sealing it off, and I would hate to see you buried alive.’

I swallow. ‘And the second reason?’

She reaches into her cardigan pocket and produces a small gun. Two guns in one day. Welcome to America, I think.

She pushes her glasses up her nose. ‘I don’t really like guns,’ she says, as if reading my mind. ‘Horrible things. But needs must. Now, why don’t you all sit down? We’re still waiting for someone.’

I look at Sadie and Davey. I can tell he’s wondering if he could rush Freya before she fires off a shot. I give a small shake of my head. He gets the message and shuffles, reluctantly, to an armchair. Sadie and I take the other seats.

‘There,’ Freya says. ‘Now that’s better. And just in time.’

We all look up as another figure walks in: a woman, dressed in jeans, a hoodie and hiking boots. I’d like to say I’m shocked, but all I feel is a dull resignation.

‘Well, I see you all got here before me.’

The woman pushes her hood back. I stare at Lorraine Hegarty.

I should have realized earlier. LH. Not Lockhart. Of course. Because those aren’t his initials. His initials are GL. Columbo would be turning in his grave.

I shake my head. ‘And this is why I don’t date.’

‘Dan.’ Lorraine smiles apologetically. ‘I’m truly sorry about the deception. But it was all just to make you feel at home here.’

‘By impersonating my dead wife?’

‘By giving you reasons to stay.’

Sadie gapes at Lorraine. ‘This is your date. Wow, Dad. Your taste in women really sucks.’

Lorraine glances at Sadie. ‘And your daughter, Sadie. What a feisty young lady.’

The two glare at each other.

‘Lori,’ I say. ‘Honestly, I don’t care what’s going on here. I just want to take my daughter away. We’re not right for Serenity. We’re not a good fit. So, you carry on doing whatever it is you’re doing. We’ll leave and get on with our lives. No harm done.’