Saturday's Child (30 page)

Hal tapped on the window.

Aaron wound it down and peered at him. “Morning, Hal. I think. What time is it?”

“Four thirty. Are you all right? What happened?”

“The house caught fire.” He let out a deep breath. “I should start the milking. Assuming the noise and smoke hasn’t upset the cows too much.”

“Don’t worry about that. When did the fire start?”

“Some time last night. The police were passing or still here, saw the fire and got me out. I’ve been sitting here ever since.”

“I’ll handle the milking.”

“I’ll help. I need to do something. I can’t sit and watch any longer.” He got out of the vehicle, the smoke stinging his eyes.

“Can I call anyone, boss?”

The only person he wanted, needed to see, was Meggie. It was too early to ring her, wasn’t it? “Ummm, I’ll do it. Thanks though.”

“OK. See you in the shed.”

Aaron locked the Jeep. He put the key in his pocket and eased his shoulders, stiff from having sat for so long.

The firefighter in charge came over. “We’ve got the fire contained.”

“Good. How did it start?”

“We won’t know until the fire is out and the investigation team can get in. But it started in the parlor under the window.”

“Is it arson?”

“We’re not ruling anything out at this stage.”

“When will you know?”

“That depends on when the team can get into the building. I can’t let them in until the fire is out. We’ll let you know when we have something.”

“OK, thank you.” Aaron pulled out his phone and rang Meggie. It rang four times, then the answer phone picked up. That surprised him. Was she sleeping that heavily? “Meggie, it’s me. Please pick up.” He paused. “I know it’s early, but I really need to speak to you.”

Silence greeted him.

“OK, ummm, there’s been a fire at the farm. I’m fine, but the house is gone. Can you call me back as soon as you get this message, please?” He hung up and glanced up at his home.

Bright arc lights lit the still blazing building. He stood for a moment, bereft, then shook himself and headed over to the milking shed. Right now, he had a job to do. He should concentrate on that and let the fire fighters do their job.

By seven o’clock, Meggie still hadn’t returned his call. He redialed. “Meggie, it’s Aaron again. The fire is out now, not that there is much left. I’m going to ring Jack, but I don’t want things changed for today. We’ve come too far now. Sacrificed too much. Just call me, please.”

He cut off the call and rang the manse. The phone rang three times, then four. He was about to hang up when a sleepy voice answered.

“Jack, its Aaron. There’s been a fire.” He didn’t see the point in beating around the bush.

“Are you all right?” All trace of sleep vanished from his friend’s voice.

“I’m fine, got out unhurt, but the house is gone. Well, most of it, the rest will need demolishing.”

“I’m so sorry. What can I do?”

“I don’t know. The fire investigation team has just gone in. We weren’t going to use the house anyway and we still have power to the barns. Just wanted to let you know and to say that the thing tonight can go ahead as usual.”
Thing?
Were even simple words evading him now? He just couldn’t think straight. “Just because the house is gone, doesn’t mean we have to change anything.”

“Aaron—”

“Don’t, Jack, please. Listen, if you see Meggie this morning, can you ask her to give me a call? I’ve left three messages but she hasn’t rung back.”

“Maybe she didn’t hear the phone or switches her mobile off at night.”

“Maybe, but I rang her last night as well as twice since and nothing.”

“OK, I will pass on the message. Do you want me to come out?”

“Thanks, but there’s nothing anyone can do. I’ll see you this afternoon.” He hung up and took a deep breath. Normally about this time, he’d go in for breakfast, but that wasn’t an option, as there was no kitchen to eat in. He yawned, incredibly tired, but he had no bed either.

Heading back to the Jeep, he slid into the seat and pushed it as far back as it went. He pulled his cap over his eyes. Forty winks and he’d get back out there.

****

When Aaron opened his eyes, it was properly light. The sun shone, birds sang and the normal farmyard noises filled his senses through the part open window. The cows mooed in the shed. Horses whinnied and stamped in the stables, sounding unsettled. The dogs barked, hens clucked and the ducks quacked and splashed on the pond.

He got out of the Jeep and stretched, his nose wrinkling at the pungent smell of fire. Steam rose from the shell of the farm house. Four firefighters worked to check for hot spots. Only one engine still remained next to the ruins.

Hal appeared with coffee. “Feel better for having slept?”

“A little. Thanks for this.” He took the coffee. “What time is it?”

“Just after twelve.”

Aaron sipped the coffee, the caffeine hitting the spot, giving him the jolt he needed. “Midday? Why didn’t you wake me? I have way too much to do today.”

“Just relax, boss. It’s under control. The bonfire is finished, the guy’s in place, and the lads from the church will be back later. The catering team doesn’t get here for another couple of hours or so. The weather looks like it’s going to hold, which is good.”

“Did Meggie call?”

“She could only ring your mobile and you have that.”

“Oh, yeah, of course.” He rubbed the back of his neck and looked around. “Did she arrive yet?”

“No, not yet.”

His brow creased, worry gnawing at his gut. Midday and she hadn’t called or come over? That wasn’t like her. “OK. We need to erect signs for parking and in the lane so people know where the turn off is. Have someone put signs at intervals from the turn off on the main road. Make them say
Headley Baptist
, otherwise we might get a couple thousand turn up for a free firework display. We’re using that field for parking.” He pointed to the one by the gate. “It’s just a short walk from the bonfire, and the cars are out of the way. Set up a series of lights along the drive. There should be some in the barn.”

“Will do. Sgt. Holmes came over about ten. He said not to wake you and he’d come back about two. Clive fixed the showers in the toilet block.”

“Finally, I’ve only been asking for that to be done for weeks.”

Hal smiled. “Well it’s done now. There’s a towel, shower gel, change of clothes and so on in there for you.”

“All my stuff…” Aaron broke off. All he had left in the world was what he stood up in.

“I sent the wife shopping. She has pretty good taste in men’s clothing, better than mine at any rate.”

“Let me know what I owe her.”

“Nothing. And don’t argue. It’s a gift.”

Aaron didn’t quite know what to do. He hadn’t expected that and it had been so long since anyone had bought him anything. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

He blinked hard, swallowing against the lump that appeared in his throat. He covered it by coughing.

“What will you do tonight?”

“I haven’t thought that far yet. Let’s just get today over with first and go from there.” He yawned and gave Hal the empty cup back. “I’ll go shower. See you in a few.”

He headed across the farmyard and went inside the small brick building. He locked the door behind him. Dropping to his knees, he prayed and cried for what he had lost.
I have nothing left, Lord. What do I do now? Where do I go from here? Not even Meggie wants anything to do with me now. All I have left in the world is You. Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help. I need You.

He stood and turned on the shower. He was half tempted to stand in the shower dressed, to wash his clothes, but he didn’t. Instead, he folded them neatly before sliding his arm into a plastic bag to protect the cast, and standing under the hot water. The needle sharp water massaged his shoulders, pummeling him back to wakefulness.

His thoughts turned to Meggie. Worry gnawed at him like a dog on a bone. It wasn’t like her not to turn up. Why hadn’t she rung? Had she found out about the restraining order? Was that it? Had she been frightened of what might happen and stayed away? He rinsed off the soap and shook his head. Meggie was stronger than that. She was a fiery Welsh dragon, who didn’t take any nonsense from anyone.

Dressing in the new clothes, he put his jacket back on, picked up his other clothes and headed back outside. He crossed the yard to his Jeep and locked his clothes on the front seat. The stale smell of burning from the smoldering ruins of his home, hung over everything. Firefighters still worked and probably would all day. A horse whinnied to his right, and he glanced at the paddock. Clive was having problems with Blue. The horse was tossing his head and stamping his foot, a wild look in his eyes.

“Leave him,” Aaron called. He ran across the yard. “Let me.”

“He’ll hurt you, boss. The fire’s unsettled him something chronic. He broke free from the stall, and we can’t catch him.”

“I know, but let me. Chasing him like that is only going to frighten him further.” He took the rope, hoping he wouldn’t need it. Taking a deep breath, he climbed on the gate and quietly dropped to the other side. “Hey,” he said gently. “Bit of a rough night, wasn’t it?” He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out the sugar he always kept there.

Blue dragged his hoof through the dirt, spraying it against his leg.

“It’s all right,” Aaron said gently. “We’re all a little skittish today. Look what I’ve got. Sugar. You like that, huh?”

The horse tossed his head, whinnying and chomping at the bit. He backed away, his right hind leg dragging.

“You hurt yourself? Can I see?” He eased forwards, gently coaxing the horse to take the sugar. Patting him gently he moved slowly and felt Blue’s leg. “We need the vet out to check him over.”

“Aye, boss.”

Aaron petted the stallion gently. He gave him more sugar, then slowly led him back across the paddock to the stable. “There you go.”

“Nice one, boss.”

He shrugged. “Just got to treat them the way you want to be treated.” He stayed there a few more minutes, rubbing the horse down. “Once the vet comes, I’ll be back, OK? You hang in there, Blue.”

He pulled his phone from his pocket and called Meggie a fourth time. Still no answer. “Hey, it’s Aaron again. I’m getting worried now. Please call me.”

He dialed the pastor. “Hey, Jack its Aaron. Have you seen Meggie? She hasn’t called or turned up yet and we were expecting her ages ago.”

“No. She didn’t attend the staff meeting this morning either. We just assumed she’d gotten your message and gone straight to the farm.”

“She’s not here. I’ve called four times and left four messages now. I’m getting worried. It’s not like her not to turn up.”

“Could you simply have not seen her?”

“It’s possible I missed her, but with all the church folk, farm hands and firefighters around, someone would have seen her. Besides, she would have looked for me as soon as she saw the ruins of the house.”

“True. I’ll swing by her place on my way over incase she’s sick or something.”

“Thank you. See you in a bit.”

****

An hour later, when the cooking team arrived, and Meggie still hadn’t, Aaron’s worry intensified. She wouldn’t leave something this important to the others. Not after the way she’d hovered over the lads building the bonfire yesterday. His gut told him there was something wrong. He glanced at the cars parked on the field and started walking towards them. He’d take down the numbers and get their owners to move them to the other field where everyone was parking that evening.

He walked along the line, writing carefully. He stopped abruptly, his breath catching. That was Meggie’s car. Ash lay over the windscreen. It had been there all night. He looked around wildly but there was no sign of her. He peered through the side window, but she wasn’t inside. He tried the door. It swung open. The keys were in the ignition.

Alarm bells rang in his mind, panic twisted his stomach into a knot, which then rose into his throat and threatened to choke him.
Lord God, where is she? Don’t let anything have happened to her.

He flung open all the doors and popped open the boot, but she wasn’t there. Dropping to his knees, he checked underneath it. No ash. The car hadn’t been moved. He dialed the phone. “Jack, it’s me again. I found her car. She didn’t leave last night.”

“I’m on my way.”

“OK.” He hung up and looked at the phone for a moment before redialing. The phone rang twice. “Hi, Gareth, it’s Aaron.”

“Hello. I was just about to ring you. Is Megs there? She isn’t answering her mobile or landline and I figured she’d be at the farm about now organizing everything.”

“That’s why I’m calling.”

“What’s wrong?”

“There was a fire here last night. The house is gone. I thought Meggie had gone home, but no one’s seen her since last night. She missed a staff meeting, hasn’t turned up here. I just found her car, covered in ash, keys still in the ignition. She didn’t leave.”

“Where is she?” A hint of panic filled the Welsh lilt.

“I don’t know. I can’t find her.”

There was a pause, in which he heard Gareth talking very fast in Welsh.

“I’m about to start a complete search of the farm, but, I wondered if she’d found out about the restraining order and—”

“That’s why I was calling. She left a message on my phone. She had found out, but I wanted to tell her it’s been lifted. It wasn’t legally valid. I’m still working on the other one. But I’ll fill you in properly when I get there and we’ve found Megs. We’re on the way. Should be with you in a couple of hours. Just pray she’s around somewhere.”

The phone went dead. Aaron ran back across to the farm yard. “Hal…” he called.

“What’s up, boss?”

“Get the blokes together. Meggie’s car is still here, and I’m pretty sure she didn’t leave last night because there’s ash all over the car and none underneath it. I want the entire farm searched. Everyone is to help. Church lads and all.”