The Hollows(50)

‘I just wanted to see if you were here. Check you’re both okay after last night. Where’s Frankie?’

‘She’s with Ryan.’

‘Oh. They made up? That’s cool. That’s really cool.’

She took a seat but didn’t relax. She leaned forward, her elbows on her knees.

‘Do you want a drink?’ I asked. ‘Coffee? Wine?’

‘Water would be great.’ She took her cigarettes out of her bag and was about to light one until she remembered where she was.

‘You want to go out on the deck?’

‘No!’ she said. ‘I mean, no, I’m good.’

I filled a glass of water and handed it to her. There was very clearly something wrong but I didn’t think I’d get very far if I demanded to know what it was. She would clam up.

‘I came by the bookstore earlier,’ I said, ‘but it was closed.’

‘Sorry about that. I overslept. Were you coming as a customer or . . .’

She met my eye then looked away.

I momentarily forgot what we were meant to be talking about.

‘Tom?’ she prompted.

‘Oh. I was hoping you might be able to show me where you found Frankie, so I could look for her phone.’

‘Ah.’

‘But it’s okay. I bumped into Carl, the archery teacher here, and he helped me look. With no success. Also, I spoke to Greg and told him about last night and everything that’s been going on with Buddy and Darlene. Wait, did I already tell you about that?’ I was rambling. ‘I hope he sorts it out. I really don’t want to have to get the police involved. Do you know him?’

‘Who?’

‘Greg. He’s about your age, I think.’

‘Yeah. Everyone knows—’

‘—everyone round here. I get it. So I guess you know Buddy and Darlene too?’

Nikki stared at me like she hadn’t been listening. ‘What?’ Then, to my surprise, she stood, went over to the window and peered out, then drew the blind.

‘What’s going on?’ I asked.

She turned to me and smiled. ‘Nothing. The sun was in my eyes.’

I was confused. She was staring at me and seemed nervous. Had she shut the blind because she was about to try to seduce me? I wasn’t sure what I would do if she did. I liked her. She was gorgeous. But Frankie could be back any minute and Nikki was acting strangely, pacing around in front of the window and chewing on her thumbnail.

‘I like you, Tom,’ she said.

‘I . . . I like you too.’

Were we going to kiss? I waited, so out of practice I wasn’t sure what to do. Make a move? Wait for a sign?

‘I think you should take Frankie and leave,’ she said.

I hadn’t expected that. ‘What? Why?’

‘Because I don’t know . . . I don’t know if it’s safe.’

‘Okay, now you’re scaring me.’

She exhaled, a kind of shuddering laugh with no mirth in it. ‘Bad things happen here, Tom. I have . . . I just have this feeling that it’s going to happen again. If I were you I would pack up and get out of here. Take your daughter as far from the Hollows as you can. There are things going on . . . things that go back a long way.’ She trailed off, as if she’d said too much. ‘I really like you, Tom, and I don’t want to see you get hurt. Frankie too. Please, pack up the car and go.’

She went back to the window, parted the blinds and peeked out. When she turned back I saw that her face had gone white. She seemed terrified.

I got up from the chair. ‘What are you talking about? Are you saying we’re in danger from Buddy and Darlene?’

She looked like she was about to cry. She fumbled with her bag, taking the cigarettes out again. ‘I can’t say any more. No one can know.’

‘No one can know what?’

She shook her head. She had pulled a cigarette from the packet and was holding it close to her lips. Her hand trembled.

‘I have to go,’ she said. ‘But please, Tom, you should go. Take Frankie home.’

She opened the front door and went to leave. I caught her arm.

‘Has someone threatened Frankie?’ I said. ‘Threatened me?’

‘Let go of me. That hurts.’

She pulled her arm away and I shrank back as she ran down the steps, feeling bad for hurting her, for grabbing hold of her. But I was desperate. If my daughter was in danger . . . Had I been stupid? Underestimated Buddy and Darlene?

Oh God. Frankie. I needed to find her.

Nikki had already vanished from sight. Trying not to panic, I headed down towards the lake.

The resort was a hubbub of activity, with pretty much all the staff building a campfire and preparing for the barbecue, which was taking place on the lake shore close to where the picnic tables were. People in red Hollow Falls polo shirts rushed around. There was a man who appeared to be in charge, barking orders at his underlings. I assumed he was the chef. He rushed over to yell at a young woman who was struggling to carry a large cooler. She dropped it, the lid opened and a lobster fell out on to the ground.

There was no sign of Greg. Hiding in his office, I expected, while everyone else did the work.

I was about to head along the shoreline when I spotted David. I hurried over to him. He seemed excited, shifting from foot to foot. He was handing out flyers to passers-by. He gave one to me. It was handwritten.