Tandem

Raechel Harchey

Raechel had never run so fast. Her lungs screamed as she sprinted across the sand dunes and back towards the Stack. Jack was right behind her, clutching a bewildered-looking Alpha tightly to his chest.

Raechel held the notebook under her arm. It felt as though it were a lump of pure concrete pinned to her side. A million thoughts flew through her head with each stride. She couldn't have Reggie asking questions if she turned up to the Stack breathless and worried with Jack running equally as panicked behind her. As soon as the Stack came into view, she slowed down to catch her breath.

"You go and wait by the bin store round the back and I'll come and find you when I've got Holt."

"Ok," Jack nodded. "I'll keep hold of Alpha."

Raechel began her ascent up to Holt's Nook. She quickly glanced at Reggie's as she passed by it but he wasn't there. She had no reason to worry that he would suspect anything, other than if he saw his son with her. She reached Holt's Nook and threw aside his curtain.

"Holt, you'll never guess what," she whispered.

Holt spun around quickly, startled at Raechel's sudden entrance. He shut the notebook he was holding and tucked it underneath his beanbag. "What's wrong?"

"We found him." "Found who?"

"Bertie. We've found him."

Holt's face went white as he realised what Raechel was saying. He moved closer to her and could see the expression written all over her face. It was a combination of fear, excitement and disbelief all rolled into one. "Explain everything."

"I can't, not here anyway." She whispered under her breath and turned around to look behind her. "We have to go somewhere else."

"Then where?"

"I don't know, just somewhere where there's nobody else around to hear us."

"It's midday, there's going to be people wherever we go."

Raechel went silent for a moment. "Actually, I know somewhere the three of us can go."

"The three of us?"

"Jack's waiting outside. He helped me work the last bit out." "Where do you suppose we go?"

"You know the old abandoned café on the beach?" "Can we even get in?"

"I might have tried the metal serving hatch door once or twice when I was younger. The lock was rusty and it just gave way. We could go there and then we wouldn't be seen by anyone. They still have a working coffee machine in there if that convinces you to stop with the questions and just come with me."

"A coffee machine eh? Do you know that makes you a trespasser?" Holt chuckled as he pulled his shoes on. He fiddled with the shoelaces slightly more so than usual.

"On this occasion, we have bigger crimes to solve, are you ready to go?"

"Almost. You start climbing down and I'll be right behind you."

Raechel disappeared out of sight as she began to descend the ladder. Holt waited a few seconds before reaching into one of his drawers and removing a little paper bag. He shut his eyes for a moment and thought about what he was about to do. Despite Raechel's determination, he never actually thought this day would come. It all seemed too far fetched to solve a cold case with just a memory. She'd done it though, his best friend had finally done it and all he could do was pray that she'd forgive him for what he was going to do. He put the paper bag inside his pocket, finished tying his laces and began his own descent.

Raechel stood at the bottom of the Stack waiting for Holt. She saw him lower himself onto the ladder and start climbing down. She walked around to the side of the building, towards the bin stores where she knew Jack and Alpha were waiting. She was surprised to see that Jack was crouched on the floor and appeared to be holding something in the palm of his hand.