‘I love it here too,’ Madison said, looking around at the dark green scenery. ‘Even with the scariest landlady in the world. How did you even know about this place?’
‘I know all the places around here, every nook and cranny within, maybe a fifty mile radius. It does not take me long to travel.’
‘Well that’s handy for us. You can scout out all the best places to take a girl. But we’d better not stay too long. I don’t like leaving Ben all alone at night. Maybe just half-an-hour or so here, and then we’ll do a quick shop, if that’s okay?’
Alexandre nodded and kissed the inside of her wrist.
One hour later Madison was stuffing groceries into a trolley under the uniform glare of the supermarket lights. Alexandre marvelled at the convenience of everything.
‘Alas, it is no good to me now,’ he said.
‘What would actually happen if you did eat something? I mean, a bit of bread or cheese couldn’t hurt you could it?’
‘It would be like me asking you to eat a piece of cotton or chew on a sheet of paper. Not so appealing, no?’
‘Might be alright with a bit of jam.’
Alexandre suddenly felt edgy.
‘You okay?’ Madison asked.
‘You carry on here. I will return in a moment.’
All evening, Alexandre had felt something was not quite right. He had dismissed his fears, telling himself it was because he had not left the grounds of Marchwood since the nightclub episode. But he could no longer ignore the feeling that they were being followed by somebody at a distance, maybe two people. Here in the supermarket, he felt a closer presence. Someone was definitely aware of him.
He stood outside the large building and scanned the near-empty car park. A man walked slowly towards him. Alexandre approached him at a normal walking pace and the man smiled nervously as Alexandre stopped in front of him. He looked to be in his twenties, scruffy and unshaven. Alexandre could tell he felt uneasy, despite the fact he was grinning inanely.
‘I know what you are,’ the man said to Alexandre. He looked around as if he thought someone might be watching him and Alexandre followed his line of sight, but saw nothing out of the ordinary.
‘Who are you?’ Alex asked.
‘Umm, I know what you are,’ the man repeated. ‘You’re a …’ He looked around again and then back at Alexandre. ‘You’re a vampire.’ The man smiled again and laughed nervously as if he had said something ridiculous.
Alexandre grabbed the man by the throat and flew forwards, slamming him into a recycling bin on the far side of the car park. The man was badly winded and gasped for breath, shocked.
‘Who are you?’ Alexandre asked again, increasing pressure on the man’s throat.
‘I’m no one,’ the man gasped. ‘I don’t know who you are, I swear!’
‘Why did you say what you said?’ Alexandre sounded calm, but inside his mind was speeding.’
‘Some guy ...’ the man whispered. ‘Can you …’ He pointed to his throat. Alexandre eased the pressure off slightly. ‘Some bloke gave me a hundred quid to say those things to you. I don’t know what the …’
‘What bloke?’
‘I don’t know, just some random ...’
‘What. Bloke?’ Alexandre narrowed his eyes and put his face up close to the terrified man.
‘I swear I don’t know,’ the man spoke quickly. ‘Just some random guy came up to me when I was on my way back to the car. Posh bloke in a suit. Offered me the money to ask you the question. On my life, man. On my life! Please don’t hurt me. I didn’t do nothing, I swear, I swear.’ He was almost in tears. ‘Here, look.’ He took a wad of crumpled notes out of his pocket and thrust it towards Alexandre. ‘The hundred he gave me. You can count it. You can take it!’
Alexandre thought quickly. If what he said was true, then someone might be watching him right now and he would have seen him behaving in a very un-human fashion. Damn it to hell! He released the man, ignoring the money he was trying to give him. He believed his story.
The man sank down on to the floor in front of the recycling bin. Alexandre left him there, choking and gasping for breath. He walked back towards the supermarket, worrying for Madison’s safety. If someone was watching him, they might also be watching her. He couldn’t sense anyone else, but didn’t want to take any chances. He broke into a run, careful not to move abnormally fast. The security guard on the door stopped him on the way in.
‘Slow down, mate. Don’t want any accidents.’
Alexandre nodded and walked quickly, straight to Madison who had just finished paying for the shopping. He picked up the carrier bags and propelled her out of the store.
‘What’s up?’ she asked. ‘What are you doing, Alex? Is something wrong?’
‘Let us get out here and I will tell you.’
Madison almost crashed the car when Alexandre explained what had just occurred.
‘Who was he? You sure he was telling the truth?’ She pulled the vehicle over to the side of the road.
‘I am certain of it. He was too scared to lie.’
‘But this is too freaky. Do you think someone’s watching us? Is someone following us now?’
‘There are no vehicles behind us and I do not sense anybody in the vicinity.’
‘You know,’ Madison said. ‘It could’ve just been a stupid prank. His mates might’ve got him to ask you for a dare or something.’
‘No. It was more than that. Much as I would like you to be right. It was something else. He was being truthful. But I will find out who is behind this.’
When they reached home Alexandre was on heightened alert and they both found it hard to relax. They felt invaded and uncomfortable and there seemed to be nothing they could do to find out who was behind it. Madison still wasn’t entirely convinced there was anything sinister at all behind it.
‘How could anybody know anything about what you are?’ she asked. They sat at the kitchen table, the shopping still unpacked. Alexandre’s expression was grim. ‘I mean, I haven’t told anyone about you, neither has Ben. The only other people who know you’re here are Esther and Morris, and they don’t know what you are. I wouldn’t think anything like that would even cross their minds.’ She thought for a minute.
‘Quite a few people in The Glasshouse saw you that night. Maybe that’s it. Maybe it was someone from the club and they thought you were too strong to be normal. But the bloke in the supermarket asked if you were a vampire. How would he have known … Oh, I don’t know.’
‘All we are doing is guessing,’ Alex said. ‘We are at a disadvantage. We do not know anything. I will go out every night. I will scour the area and keep my senses sharp. I will find out who is so interested in me. I only hope they do not know of the others.’
Madison felt mild panic. Whoever was behind this (if anyone at all), they were taking Alexandre’s attention from her, spoiling their time together. She had just enjoyed the best days of her life and tonight he was so preoccupied he couldn’t concentrate on anything else, let alone her. Please let all this crap die down. She hoped it was just a stupid dare that meant nothing; that in time it would be forgotten and they could just go back to living their lives in peace.
The following evening, Alexandre kissed Madison briefly. ‘I will see you tomorrow,’ he said.
‘But where are you ...’
He disappeared into the dark night.
‘... going?’
*
Alexandre was angry with himself for being so shaken up by the encounter in the car park. He knew he could take care of himself and was not scared by any threat to his safety, he was just livid someone had tried to do something so underhand. He did not understand such cowardly behaviour. He abhorred it.
Just as those two men in the nightclub had not mattered one jot to him, conversely, this supermarket episode had crawled under his skin. He circled the house and satisfied himself there was nobody watching or lurking around the grounds. He visited the local villages and
towns and listened to chatter in the bars, alehouses and streets. He walked along the busiest routes and lingered on park benches. He returned to the supermarket. He sensed nothing. All was silence. But still he could not rest.
Madison watched some television with Ben, she chewed her nails, she sat out in the garden and then she came back inside. She made herself a snack, but didn’t eat it. She snapped at Ben and then she finally went upstairs to bed, but she didn’t sleep properly.
Some time in the early hours of the morning, Maddy dreamed she was flying. It felt wonderful, she was free and unfettered and then suddenly she fell, plummeting down to earth. The wind rushed past her and she knew she wouldn’t make it. She tried to scream but no noise came out. She fell backwards, looking up at the black starless sky and then, as she was about to hit the ground, she woke up.
Maddy lay there staring up at the ceiling, uneasy. She worried about Alexandre. He had been badly affected by the man in the supermarket, much worse than the nightclub incident. She padded down the stairs to check on him. He lay on his bed, hands behind his head.
‘How you doing?’ she asked.
‘I found out nothing. I heard nothing. Nobody tracked me and nobody approached me.’
‘Well that’s a good thing.’
‘I know something is not right. I know.’ He continued to lie there and Madison felt like she was intruding.
‘Do you want to be on your own?’ she asked in a small voice.
Alexandre did not reply. He just pulled her to him and she lay with her head on his chest as he brooded in silence.
That night he went out again. And the following night. And the following night. Maddy felt like she would go mad with longing for him. She was at a complete loss, annoyed with herself for feeling like this and annoyed with him for abandoning her. She thought he was on a wild goose chase and resented his attention being elsewhere. She hoped he’d soon realise no one was out to get him and that he would finally relax and enjoy his life with her once more.
*
‘God, Mads, why are you so moody?’ Ben asked.
‘Not moody.’
‘Whatever you say, sis. I’ll be back lunchtime. Last day of term today.’
‘Have fun,’ she said in a monotone voice.
‘Sounds like I’ll be having more fun than you anyway. See ya later, alligator.’
‘Whatever, crocodile.’
Alexandre had been out every night that week and was becoming more and more withdrawn, shrinking into himself. She felt like they were losing their connection. The easy closeness they had shared was unravelling and it frightened her more than any outside threat.
Alexandre came into the kitchen. He still looked fresh and unblemished, but Madison noticed the tension behind his eyes. He sat next to her and kissed her hand, but it was more an automatic gesture than anything romantic.
Esther walked in with the morning’s post and laid it on the kitchen table.
‘Lovely day outside,’ she commented. ‘Only you’d never know it in here. God only knows why you never open them shutters, but I’m sure you got your reasons. Hangover is it? Underage binge drinking I shouldn’t wonder.’
Madison ignored her as usual and picked up the letters on the table.
‘You alright this morning, Alexandre?’ Esther asked.
‘I am very well, Mrs Foxton. And I must thank you for pressing my clothes yesterday.’
‘You’re very welcome young man. Nice to see someone with manners.’
‘Creep,’ Madison said to him, half-joking, half-not.
‘It’s not a matter of being a creep,’ Esther said. ‘It’s about showing appreciation. He’s been brought up with nice manners.’
‘Not like me, you mean.’
‘Now, now. I didn’t say that and I’m not comparing or complaining. I’m just complimenting him on his manners is all.’
‘Bloody hell!’ exclaimed Madison. ‘What’s this?’
As she was flipping through the post she had come across a cream envelope. She stared at it in disbelief. ‘Who’s this from, Alex?’ She showed him the envelope. On it was written in beautiful inked copperplate lettering:
~
Alexandre
~
It had no stamp which meant it had been hand delivered. He looked at the front of the envelope with a frown.
‘I do not know. Nobody knows I am here. I know nobody who would send me a letter. Come.’ He held out his hand to lead her downstairs into the privacy of his lounge. They sat together as he tore through the thick envelope. He shook out a note, written on a piece of stiff cream card. It read:
Sir,
I would be grateful if you would meet with me tonight.
We may be able to help one another.
Stinchcombe Hill, 11pm
A friend
~
‘Who’s it from?’ Madison asked.
‘I have no idea.’
‘Do you think it’s something to do with what happened the other night?’
‘It could be.’ He nodded slowly.
‘It might be some kind of trap though. It could be dangerous.’
‘It will be more dangerous for them than for me,’ Alexandre said, looking up at her. ‘I will have to go Madison.’
‘I really don’t think you should. You don’t know what kind of nutter wrote that note and I’m scared for you.’
‘I will be perfectly fine.’
‘And what do they mean by ‘we may be able to help one another’? Help one another with what?’
‘I do not know. But there is only one way to find out.’ He stared at the piece of card until the swirling words blurred in front of his eyes.
Chapter Twenty Seven
*
Ben came home at lunchtime with two of his mates and they were going to spend their first afternoon of summer holiday freedom, mountain biking in the woods. Maddy gave them some sandwiches and waved them off absentmindedly, too distracted and upset to talk properly.
The day went by too quickly. The hours felt like seconds as she tried to keep her panic under control. She had lost too many people in her life and she felt physically sick at the thought of anyone trying to harm Alexandre. She knew he was strong, almost indestructible, but if this person knew he was a vampire, they might also know his weakness. She had to try again to talk him out of it.
Just as she had made up her mind to go downstairs and see him, the cellar door opened and his brooding face appeared. He smiled at her, but the smile stopped before it reached his eyes.
‘You looked so stressed,’ she said. ‘Why don’t you just ignore that stupid letter? It’s not even worth thinking about.’
‘And if I ignore it, do you think that will be it? Do you think they will leave me alone?’
‘Yeah. I do actually. I think if you ignore it, they’ll go away. They’re obviously too scared to come and see you face-to-face. What makes you think they’ll even be there tonight? They might have paid someone to try to hurt you, or worse …’
‘This kind of talk is not helping, Madison. I am going to go and see what it is all about and then hopefully we can return to what normality we have.’
‘What if I beg you not to go?’ Madison asked jokily, but she heard the edge of desperation in her voice.
‘Please do not worry so.’ Alexandre’s voice softened and he led her out of the kitchen into the dark lounge. He switched on a table lamp and they sat together on the sofa. ‘Nothing is going to happen to me. It is just a meeting.’
‘Okay,’ she replied, unconvinced.
That evening, Alexandre dressed sharply in a dark navy suit, white shirt and tie. He still could not get used to the casual style of clothes that Madison insisted was perfectly normal. She said people only wore suits for office jobs, weddings and funerals. But the scheduled meeting had unnerved him and he felt more confident in this attire, more himself.
‘But it’s only just after nine o’clock,’ Madison said. ‘The meeting isn’t till
eleven.’
‘I need to survey the area first. I want to see if I can spot anything untoward.’
‘That’s a good idea I suppose. I feel so useless. I wish I could do something to help.’
‘It would help me a great deal if I knew you were not at home worrying about me.’
‘That’s like asking me not to breathe.’
He laughed and kissed her. She responded urgently, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in his neck. He peeled her away from him, kissed her one last time and disappeared.
*
Stinchcombe Hill was a large grassy promontory on the edge of the Cotswolds, looking out over miles of hills, forests and rivers. A winding road led up from the valley below and several cars had parked on the top. People walked their dogs and a gaggle of youths sprawled on the grass, chatting. A middle-aged couple sat in their car, drinking from a flask and an old gentleman sat alone on a wooden bench.
Alexandre was already familiar with the place and he followed the spine of the hill, looking and listening for anything unusual. Still only a quarter past nine, he did not expect to see the person he was meeting until a lot later. He heard a couple of cars leave, but no one else arrived. He quickly circled the woods that crouched in the hollow below the hill and then he returned to the car park.
The couple in the car had gone, as had most of the dog walkers. The only people left were the teenagers, the elderly gentleman and a man training a couple of energetic young border collies.
Alexandre sat on a bench further along the ridge and stared out at the winking lights below. He saw the blurred red and white beams of fast-moving traffic, the dark green shapes of sleeping hillsides and the silver stripe of a wide river, far off towards the Welsh mountains. It was a peaceful place and he envied the small group of boisterous youths who were enjoying being carefree in beautiful surroundings with nothing heavier on their minds than love and harmless fun.
Alert to his surroundings, he heard rabbits nibbling the grass and sensed the fox making a move on its prey. He saw the owl in the tree and the scurrying mouse running in vain. No more cars arrived. The man and his dogs left. The teenagers lounged. The elderly gentleman sat. Time ticked on.