The Stranger House

For a moment, there was respite.

In the car Mig felt that one last supreme effort would regain the power of movement.

But now came the pain. In his hands, in his feet, not just the familiar prickling, not even the sharp pangs experienced on the few occasions he’d actually bled, but real, piercing, unbearable pain, as if broad blunt nails were being driven through his palms and his ankles…

He screamed and threw back his head and tried to fall into blackness away from this agony.

And in the same moment, the pain fled, he opened his eyes and looked up through the windscreen of the Mercedes at a bright and starry sky with not a trace of mist to be seen.

And when he lowered his gaze he saw ahead of him, about fifty yards away, a building with windows aglow and a sign which bore the silhouette of a hooded figure and the words The Stranger House.

6 pillow problems (#ulink_56ea4a50-3284-5ae9-9df4-2d6b6802c3b9)

At eight that evening, Sam descended the creaky stairs of the pub.

On her walk back from the church, her irrational fear had turned to rational anger. Why hadn’t Rev. Pete or those other two antiques mentioned the hidden stone bearing her name? Two possible answers…no; three. Either they didn’t know about it, or they knew about it but were certain it had nothing to do with her, or they knew it had something to do with her but preferred she stayed ignorant.

The first seemed unlikely. It was Swinebank’s church; Woollass was the local squire—sorry—squire’s son; as for Thor Winander, he gave the impression he’d know everything round here.

The second was the simplest explanation. It was an old inscription that they knew could have nothing to do with her family. Fair enough, though it didn’t look all that old, not antique anyway like some of the not dissimilar lettering on the old headstones.

As for the third, that was less likely but more troublesome.

One thing was sure, before she left she needed an explanation. But she’d give them every chance to volunteer one before she started throwing punches.

This decision made, she lay on her bed for ten minutes, which when she opened her eyes had turned into three hours, giving the chance for the shoulder and hip which had borne the brunt of her fall to stiffen up and turn an interesting shade of aubergine.

She headed for the bathroom opposite her bedroom door. The water was piping hot and the old-fashioned bath deep enough to float in. A long soak eased the worst of her stiffness, and now she realized she was very hungry.

At the top of the stairs she heard voices below at the entrance end of the shadowy hallway. Alerted by the unavoidable creakings, the speakers stopped. Then one of the figures moved into the dim light and said, ‘Here she is now. You can ask her yourself.’

It was Mrs Appledore. And the man she was talking to was Gerry the Son.

‘We’ve just been talking about your accident, dear,’ said the landlady, her pleasant round face touched with concern. ‘How’re you feeling now?’

‘I’m good,’ said Sam. ‘No problem, really.’

The pub had been empty when she returned and she’d worked out that Mrs Appledore must have been one of the funeral congregation singing that cheerful hymn.

‘That’s good to hear,’ said Woollass. ‘We were all very concerned.’

He sounded sincere enough and his gaze felt less like that of an angler examining a strange fish than it had in the church.

‘No need,’ she said. ‘Thanks again for your help.’

Not that it had amounted to much but, like Pa said, always be polite till you’ve got good reason not to be.

‘Excellent. I hope you enjoy the rest of your stay. Now, I must be off. You’ll remember my message, Edie?’

‘Ten, not nine thirty. I think I can just about manage that, Gerry. My best to your dad. It’s a long time since we saw him down here.’

‘He feels very susceptible to cold draughts these days,’ said Woollass.

‘Does he? Well, tell him the only cold draught he’ll find here is the beer,’ retorted the landlady. ‘Goodnight now.’

As the door closed behind Woollass, she turned to Sam and smiled.

‘He’s a good man, Gerry, but diplomacy’s not his strong point.’

‘He didn’t come here just to enquire after my health, did he?’ asked Sam.

‘No. He wanted to leave a message, though as you heard it wasn’t much of a message. But he was very concerned about you. That’s Gerry all over. As someone said, he’s got such a bleeding heart, you can hear it squelching when he breathes.’

‘That wouldn’t be Mr Winander, would it?’

Mrs Appledore laughed out loud.

‘You’re the sharp one, aren’t you? Of course you met him up at the church.’

‘That’s right. He was very kind. So what’s he do for a living?’

‘Winanders have been blacksmiths and general craftsmen in the village since way back. Thor’s branched out, but. Does arty stuff. And he’s a real salesman, so take care. Now you’ll be wanting something to eat, I expect. Unless you’re planning on going out?’

Memory of the caustic cob had made Sam consider driving down to the fancy-priced hotel in search of dinner, but answers to her questions lay here.

She said, ‘Yeah, I’m hungry enough to eat shoe leather. What have you got?’

‘Anything you like so long as it’s sausage or ham.’

‘Sausage sounds great.’

‘OK. In you go. I reserved a table for you. I’d better get back behind the bar before the natives get restless.’

The ringing of the bar bell and cries of ‘Shop!’ had already been audible from the bar, but all sound stopped for a moment as Sam pushed open the door and stepped inside.

The room was crowded but a path opened up for her leading to a small round table with a handwritten Reserved sign draped across an ashtray, and the noise resumed as she sat down. She’d brought the Reverend Peter K.’s Guide with her, but before she could open it a pint glass was slammed on the table. She looked up to find Thor Winander smiling down at her.

‘A belated welcome to Illthwaite, Miss Flood,’ he said. ‘Glad to see you looking so spry after your adventure.’

‘You’re looking pretty spry yourself, considering, Mr Winander,’ she replied.

He laughed, showing good strong teeth, and said, ‘I won’t ask, considering what? I’m sorry your family enquiries came to a dead end.’

‘One man’s dead end can be someone else’s starting point,’ she said.

He looked at her speculatively. She met his gaze square on. He wasn’t totally unattractive for a geriatric, and he still had a certain Viking swagger to go with his name.

Thought of names made her ask, ‘You never told me how you knew what I was called. I’d guess you’d been talking to Mrs Appledore. Right?’