The Shadow House(71)

The noise from the party increased as I got closer. Laughter, music and a steady babble of conversation spilled from the open doors of the community hall. There was a sizzling barbecue, a dance floor and strings of vibrant flowers, and along the shore of the dam each tree had been connected to the next by a line of paper lanterns. The hall itself was so thoroughly draped with leaves and lights it was impossible to tell inside from out, and a large banner had been hung across the back. Curiously, the word emblazoned across the banner was Saturnalia.

There were people everywhere – the entire village had turned up – and despite the fading light it was still hot. Already sweating, I pushed my way through the throng, steering my pram around deckchairs and small children, ignoring the laughter and the raised plastic cups. ‘Alex!’ someone cried. ‘Have some summer fruit punch!’

‘Come on, Ollie,’ I said, reaching back to pull him along behind me. ‘Keep up.’

Jenny sped up too, sticking to us like glue.

I scanned the party. Mariko was over by the barbecue, Paul was placing a bowl of salad on a long buffet table full of food, Simon was organising a photo booth with dress-up costumes. I could see the surfy mum, the Icelandic scientist, the retirees … but no Kit. And no Layla. I couldn’t see Amy or Violet either. So, not the entire village, then.

In the pram, Kara gazed up at the twinkly lights, her little eyes full of dancing stars and wild adventure. I pulled the hood down and hoped beyond all hope that she might fall asleep.

‘Alex,’ said Shannon, appearing in front of me, a huge tray of paper party bags in her hands. ‘I thought you weren’t coming tonight.’ She gave Ollie an uneasy smile, and he fidgeted behind me, looking as if he wanted nothing more than to die on the spot.

Jenny peered at us from over his shoulder, her face even paler than usual.

‘Have you seen Layla?’ I said.

‘Sorry?’ She leaned forward, her sequined green kaftan throwing off light like a disco ball.

‘Is Layla here?’ I raised my voice to be heard over the music. ‘I need to speak to her.’

‘Um, no.’ Shannon shifted the tray awkwardly in her hands. ‘She didn’t come. Look, if it’s okay with you I’d rather not get stuck in the middle of—’

‘Sorry, Shan, I need to sort this out. It’s not fair on the kids. Is she at home?’

‘Yes. With Amy. But—’

‘Great, thanks. Come on, Ollie.’ I wheeled the pram around and pushed my way through the dance floor, heading back towards the road.

‘Alex, wait.’ Shannon hurried after me, still carrying the tray. ‘I wouldn’t just call in for a visit, not right now. Might be best to wait until she calms down. She’s pretty angry.’

‘Angry about what? Ollie hasn’t done anything wrong, and neither have I. She’s jumping to conclusions.’

Shannon looked cowed, like a kicked puppy.

Sighing, I slowed to a stop. ‘Sorry. Not your fault.’

Over Shannon’s shoulder, I saw that Ollie had not followed me this time. He hung back near the dance floor with Jenny, who’d placed her arm protectively around his shoulder. They both looked small, bewildered and afraid.

I pinched the bridge of my nose. What am I doing? ‘Look, Shan, can you please do me a favour and just explain to me what Layla thinks is going on? Just so I’m not going in there completely unprepared?’

Shannon shifted the tray again and the little paper party bags rustled softly. ‘Okay, fine. But don’t tell her I told you; I really don’t want to get involved.’ She looked over her shoulder, then leaned closer to me. ‘She said Ollie was expelled from Ellenhurst High and that he was involved in the file-sharing scandal, with the pictures of the year nine girls. The one that was in the news. Is that true?’

I hesitated. ‘Sort of. Suspended, though, not expelled. And he didn’t take any pictures, he just had the link. Lots of kids had it, it was passed round the whole school, but Ollie was one of the few who were caught with it on their phone.’

Shannon raised an eyebrow. ‘Right. Well, she also said he’s some kind of dark-web YouTuber?’

I bit my lip, mortified at the thought that Layla or anyone else had watched those videos. ‘That’s also sort of true, but not nearly as bad as it sounds. How did she find them?’

‘Facebook.’

I nodded. Of course.

‘She said he’s been harassing Violet, bringing stuff to the house and creeping them all out. I’m so sorry to be the one to tell you this, Alex, but he may have killed a possum.’

I shook my head firmly. ‘Shan, it wasn’t him. The same thing has been happening to us, too. I think—’

A guy next to me stumbled and bumped my shoulder, sloshing liquid all over my T-shirt. ‘Oops, sorry, love,’ the guy said. ‘Happy solstice!’

‘Listen,’ said Shannon, ploughing into the pause. ‘I’m sure Ollie is a good kid. I’m sure he’s just going through a phase. But we’re strict on online activity here for exactly these reasons. We don’t want our teenagers getting mixed up with that stuff. And Layla is particularly sensitive because of what Amy went through.’

I frowned, remembering what I’d heard Layla say in Kit’s office. Amy’s issues aside … ‘Why, what did Amy go through?’