Chapter 55
Badock’s Wood
10.17 a.m.
Howie and Markland spent an hour and a half searching the woods with the hope of finding Jodie. They’d returned to the bench to consider what to do.
Markland eyes were closed, and Howie watched him think.
“What’s on your mind?” asked Howie.
“Do you mean what’s on my mind, other than we’ve lost Jodie and we’re in some messed up twilight zone world?”
Howie didn’t reply.
“I’ll tell you what I’m thinking right now. I’m trying to fathom out where we’ve ended up. On Wednesday evening we left our world, and spent the following day in a world where Helena is married to Dean, and there was no monument here in the woods. Now we’re in a world where there is a monument, but it’s not the same one from which we came on Wednesday. I know this because in this world I can’t use my phone.”
Howie’s mind was spinning. He couldn’t keep up.
“Let’s just get out of here. I’m hungry, and I think better on a full stomach,” said Howie.
“Okay, I hope there’s somewhere to eat nearby.”
“Why nearby? We’ve got the hire car.”
“Howie, Howie, Howie,” said Markland, in a patronising tone, “we’re in a different world, the hire car’s stuck in the world we were in two hours ago.”
Howie sighed, and the two tired and confused men made their way towards the Doncaster Road exit, in search of a bite to eat.
As soon as Markland stepped beyond the exit of the woods and on to the main road, he stopped and let out an audible gasp. When Howie saw the same thing, he also couldn’t believe what he saw.
“What the hell is that doing here?” exclaimed Howie, pointing to the Vauxhall Astra they’d hired on Thursday morning. “The car shouldn’t be in this world,” he added.
Markland strolled over, clicked the remote and heard the car unlock.
“It’s definitely the same car. Howie, open the glove compartment and tell me what’s there.”
Howie did as Markland asked, and shuffled through what was there.
“There’s just the car rental paperwork signed by you.”
“Are you sure there’s nothing else? I distinctly remember Jodie putting her purse in there yesterday, when we were heading down the M5. I meant to remind her to take it out when we got to your flat last night, but I forgot.”
“Why? Does it matter?” asked Howie.
“I’m not sure. Perhaps, perhaps not.”
“Sorry, but my mind is so screwed right now. Please tell me what you think all of this means?”
“I don’t know what it means and I’m not going to ponder over it right now. Let’s find somewhere to eat,” replied Markland, shuffling through his pockets to make sure he had cash on him.
Ten minutes later they were in the Regency café, and had both ordered a bacon roll and a mug of tea. Markland looked around the café and nodded at Martin, the proprietor, who smiled in return. He used to be a regular customer. It was the same café he’d visited a few years earlier, whilst dealing with Ben Walker’s murder.
Howie and Markland were the only customers in the café. When their food arrived they ate in silence. All that could be heard was sound of Howie slurping his tea and the sound of passing traffic.
“But how do we know we’re definitely not in our world? I mean the phone networks could be down. Perhaps we really are back where we belong.”
Markland shook his head. Something was nagging him and telling him Howie was wrong.
“How can you prove otherwise?” asked Howie.
Markland didn’t answer. He spotted a payphone on the wall.
“I’ve an idea,” he said, rising to his feet. “Do you know the number of the school?”
Howie frowned, nodded and jotted the number on a napkin. Markland took the napkin and strolled to the phone, dialled the number and waited for the school receptionist to pick up. He recognised Nicola England’s dull tone.
“Good morning, Compton Wells School.”
“Hello, I wondered if I could talk with the Attendance Officer about my daughter. Is John Armstrong available?”
“I’m afraid that’s not possible,” replied Nicola, with a tremble in her voice.
“Oh, really? Why’s that, did he leave?”
Nicola evaded Markland’s question
The awkward silence forced Markland to speak.
“In that case, is Markland Garraway available?”
“Markland Garraway? There’s no one by that name here.”
“I’m sorry, I must be mistaken. I’ve one last thing to ask, is Miss Jodie Standwick, the science teacher in today?”
“Yes she is, would you like to leave a message?”
“No, that’s fine. I’ll catch up with her later.”
“Is there anything else?” asked Nicola, sounding a little confused.
“Yes, would you mind telling me why John Armstrong left Compton Wells?”
Other than the crackling over the phone, there was silence. Markland repeated his question. But he knew full well that if Armstrong had been caught being inappropriate with the kids, then Nicola would be careful how she answered his question.
“He died,” replied, Nicola in a quiet voice.
“He died? Sorry I was unaware of this. What happened?”
“Do you not read the news?”
“No, I’ve been out of the country for some time, and I’ve missed what’s been happening around here,” lied Markland.
“You have a daughter at this school and still, and you don’t know what happened to John Armstrong?”
“No, as I said, I’ve been away……. what happened?”
Nicola cleared her throat.
“I just told you, he’s dead.”
“May I ask what happened?”
“He was killed here at the school.”
“Killed, by whom?”
“The caretaker. He took it upon himself to deal with Armstrong, and things got out of control.”
“The Caretaker? Are you referring to Mr Doyle?”
“Yes.”
Markland felt his knees buckle. He swallowed hard and then regained his composure.
“What happened to the caretaker?”
“The police are still looking for him. He’s not been seen since the murder.”
Markland thanked Nicola and replaced the receiver.
Howie watched Markland return to the table. A frown troubled his brow and the colour had drained from his face. Markland considered whether he should say something to Howie. He decided, at this point, it would be best to keep the life changing news to himself.
“We’re not back in our world,” said Markland, sipping dregs from the mug. His hand trembled when he placed the empty mug on the table.
Howie said nothing, which urged Markland to continue.
“This isn’t our world. Armstrong is no longer at the school and also I don’t work there. But Jodie’s there today. I think that pretty much sums up that we’re not in our world.”
“But what about the hire car?” asked Howie.
“The hire car?” replied Markland. The telephone call he’d just made was playing on his mind, causing him to briefly forget about the car.
“Oh, yes… I can only assume that in this world you and I are looking for James and we’ve hired the car.”
“But, not with Jodie?”
“Evidently not. Which explains why her purse isn’t in the glove compartment. And I guess this adds up, as I’d enlisted her help because I knew her through school. In this world I don’t work at Compton Wells, so we must never have got to meet.”
“But how do you know me?”
“I presume the Howie Doyle in this world, must have been more persistent than you in yours,” replied Markland, in a flippant tone.
Markland was referring to Howie’s lame attempts at luring him to the burial mound in Badock’s Woo
d.
“Man, this is getting too much.”
“Well, at least there’s one good thing about this world, we know Jodie’s safe,” said Markland.
“Perhaps we should just give up and stay in this world.”
“No, we shouldn’t, and there are plenty of reasons why. I have a gut feeling that we need to redress the balance, and put things back as they were. We need to get ‘our’ Jodie back safe and sound, and get both James’ back to where they belong.”
Markland watched Howie stare into his mug. The caretaker was struggling to keep up with what was going on around him.
“Have you still got the keys to the school?”
Howie lunged his hand into his coat pocket, and jingled them at Markland.
“Good, we’re running short of cash. We need to go back tonight and raid the safe.”
Markland was taking a big chance. He’d be going back to the school, with Howie, who in this world was wanted for murder.
Howie gawked at Markland with a look of shock.
“We can’t do that again.”
“We can. Don’t forget Howie, we’ve not taken the petty cash before in this world, so I’m assuming there’s some there for us take. We’ll just have to make extra certain we’re not caught.”
Howie slumped further into his seat.
“What’s your plan for the day Markland?”
“I don’t know. I need to think about what’s happening, and try to piece together this crazy puzzle. I fancy being somewhere nice and quiet, without any distractions.”
“Why don’t we go to your place?”
“No, no, no. Definitely not. I’ve no idea what I’ll find there. If Joan’s living there in this world, things will be very awkward. I don’t want to meet with anyone who’s likely to know me.”
Howie nodded.
“I guess the same applies to me.”
Markland nodded. But going back to Howie’s flat was the last place they should be. The place was probably under surveillance. If not, it would only take a phone call from a neighbour and it would be game over.
“Come on, let’s get out of here,” said Markland, throwing a handful of coins alongside his coffee mug.