Woodlington

Chapter 7 - And Gypsy makes Five

Alex lay there stunned.

Blackmore Lodge, Willows End - they were the same.

Window or not, there was suddenly no air in the room.

She staggered to her bathroom and leaned over the toilet, wondering if she was going to be sick.

It had all happened here, right here in Willows End!

The idea was too big to grasp.

When she finally felt better, Alex moved to the sink and splashed herself with cold water.

This was why they could afford the place. She remembered Gary frowning when he'd heard their new address. No wonder - the story must have been huge at the time, especially for a small town like Woodlington.

She returned to her bed and sat.

The book, still lying open, proved irresistible. She picked it up and skimmed through looking for a headline about Rebecca.

It didn't take long.

Rebecca's Remains found in Graveyard

(Unable to help herself, Alex started to read.)

Earlier this morning it was announced that the body of Rebecca Blackmore has finally been found.

Sargent Charles Peterson, one of those leading the case from the beginning, stated:

"The remains of the body discovered yesterday in the Blackmore Mausoleum have now officially been identified as those of Rebecca Blackmore. The evidence leaves little room for doubt, and we are only awaiting DNA conformation.

We would like to thank all who helped with the search, and offer our condolences to friends and relatives of the Blackmore family.

This has been a terrible ordeal for everyone, and we hope the people of Woodlington will unite in putting this tragedy firmly behind them."

Alex closed the book.

Before, the stories had excited her, thrilled her even. But that's all they'd been, stories. Now they were suddenly real.

She wondered whether she ought to tell her mother, then decided against it.

For one thing, it wouldn't exactly be a pleasant conversation, and for another, she didn't want to rock the boat. Things were going too well at the moment.

She got to her feet.

Enough of the scrapbook! She'd go play with Jack for a bit.

Alex headed downstairs, tucking the scrapbook into her shorts and covering it with her tee-shirt.

She couldn't have said why, but there was no way she was leaving it behind.

It stopped raining around four.

Alex, bored out of her head, was peering through her window, trying to see how wet the gardens were, when a loud knock sounded on the front door.

Mrs Dowling got there first.

She opened it, then froze, apparently lost for words.

Curious, Alex jumped the last steps of the staircase and joined her.

It was Jessie, but a Jessie far different from the one she'd seen yesterday.

She'd either completely lost her marbles, or... she'd completely lost her marbles. Gypsy of course, was by her side. He was looking up warily, eyes half hidden behind straggly hair. When he caught sight of Alex his tail started to wag.