The Coven Murders (An Occult Mystery Thriller) by Brian O'Hare

CHAPTER FIVE

FIVE

Saturday, 9thJuly, 2016: Mid-morning 

Andrew Jones held a mobile phone in his hand, his eyebrows down as he stared at it. He had taken it out of his pocket several times already, prepared to dial, but each time, with a tight-lipped expression of uncertainty, he had put it away again. What's your problem, man? She's only a girl. He rubbed his face vigorously with his hands. Yes, but probably a very traumatised girl. Does she need any hassle from you right now? You only left her last night.

He was sitting at the table in his small kitchen, a cup in front of him containing the dregs of coffee he had just finished. An empty Saturday stretched before him. He wanted to phone Selena to see how she was doing, but his thrice accursed introversion kept obtruding. The problem was that he feared his solicitous enquiry might be interpreted as importuning. Dammit! I'm not even sure myself what it is. 

The pevious night, after the police had left, he stayed with her for an hour or so. Conversation had been desultory. He knew she was upset and simply offered his presence as a support. She did seem grateful and once, when he suggested she might prefer to be alone, she animatedly asked him not to leave. But a short time later the front door bell had rung and Selena left him to see who it was. She came back to the room accompanied by a stout clergyman, whose rubicund face was sleek, oily. The few scrawny hairs stretched across his bald pate did little to improve his image. Jones disliked him on sight. The man's wife, a thin, prim-faced, grey-haired woman, inspired little less distaste than her husband. 

And it seemed clear to Andrew from Selena's somewhat pinched expression as she introduced the pair, that she was not particularly enamoured of them either. "Andrew, these are friends of my parents, the Reverend Algernon Appleyard and his wife, Beatrice." 

Andrew shook hands with them, unimpressed by their weak, clammy grips. He muttered a perfunctory, "Pleased to meet you," and turned to Selena. "Perhaps I should leave now." 

She nodded. "I'll see you to the door." 

As they stood briefly on the front steps, she said, "Obnoxious pair. Can't understand what my father saw in them. I hope they don't insist on staying." 

"Well, I'll leave you to their tender mercies. Will you be all right?" 

"I'll be fine. Don't worry ...."

The slight hesitation prompted him to say, "Are you sure there isn't a problem?" 

"No, not that. It's just ... you will stay in touch, won't you?" 

He'd smiled. "Count on it." 

 At the bottom of the steps, he'd turned. She'd still been standing there. Then she smiled, offered him a little wave, and closed the door. So what part of 'count on it' are you having a problem with, he berated himself. Another moment of indecision was followed by a quick expulsion of breath and a muttered, "Feck it." He dialled her number and waited. The ring tone persisted rather longer than he had expected.

He was about to hang up when he heard a soft, "Hello?"

"Selena?" 

"Andrew?" 

"Hi! How are you doing?" His tone was solicitous. 

"Better for hearing that big, deep rumble of yours." He could hear the smile in her voice. "I'm glad you called." 

"Bad night?" 

"So, so. The Appleyards stayed forever. Actually, they wanted to come and live at the house. Good grief! They were so insistent. I practically had to chase them out at about two in the morning. What an unctuous pair!" 

"Are they likely to be back?" 

"Possibly, judging from the way they acted when I forced them to leave. They seemed to think they could waltz into my house and take over from my parents. Can you believe that?" 

"Strange pair." 

"Well, they're not coming to live with me. Do you know anywhere I could buy a shotgun?"

 "What?" 

He heard her laugh, that musical sound that had so captivated him when he first heard it. 

"Just kidding, but it might come to that." She laughed again. 

"It's good to hear you laughing," Andrew said. "You must still be grieving." 

There was a brief pause. "That's why I'm glad you phoned. You—"

He heard the sound of a doorbell. "There's someone at the door," she said. "The bell's been going all morning. Don't hang up. I'll be back in a minute." 

He heard voices, steps moving through the hall, a brief silence, then Selena's voice again. "More family friends. I'm going to have to talk to them." 

"I understand. And no doubt you'll be equally busy over the next couple of days." He hesitated, then added with a rush, "But would you like me to take you to see the parades on Tuesday? Uh, get you out of the house. Take your mind off things." 

"Oh, Andrew, I'd love that. I do need to get away from all this ... this ...." 

"I know. And being on your own can't be making it any easier. It's a date then. I'll call early and we'll make a day of it. Okay?" 

 "I look forward to it. What time's early?" 

"Eleven o'clock?" 

"I'll be ready."