Solstice - The Goddess Awakens

‘Hello, Ballyvalley News,’ greeted Lola as she lifted the telephone.

‘Hello, Lola, its Sarah Byrne here, you called earlier?’

Lola felt awkward speaking to the girl when Alex was so close by.

‘Oh, hi, Sarah, thanks for getting back to me. I was with Vikki’s parents this morning and they passed on your number. I was wondering if you would mind helping me out with a few enquiries.’

Aware that Alex was listening, Lola decided that it would be best to have this conversation in private.

‘Listen, Sarah, how about we meet up and have a chat, would that suit you?’ suggested Lola.

‘Yes, that would be great. I have something that I would like you to hear. I don’t know if it will help much, but it might.’

‘Okay. Would this afternoon suit?’

‘Yes, say about three o’clock?’

‘Just let Jane at reception know you’re here to see me. I’ll speak to you then.’

As Lola hung up the phone, a computer email alert flashed on her computer screen. An urgent press release had been sent from the police press office. She clicked the message with the cursor, and as the message opened Lola’s heart sank.

Causeway Police have confirmed that the body of a young woman found on the beach in Castlerock at approximately 8.30am this morning is that of missing teenager Vikki Jones. Miss Jones (19) was reported missing over a week ago after attending a party in Portstewart. The police have now confirmed that they do not suspect foul play. All members of Miss Jones’s family have been notified.

Re-reading the message again and again, Lola could only think of Alan Jones and his family. It struck her how profoundly life changing those few lines on the page in front of her would be for them. Clearly Sarah had not got the news yet, so picking up the phone Lola decided to give her a call to tell her not to bother coming in to the office. But she put the phone down immediately, as she became aware of Alex standing behind her, gazing at the screen.

‘They found her body?’ he asked, all colour drained from his face, before taking the seat next to Lola. ‘Can we talk somewhere?’

Lola motioned towards the door, and walked out of the dingy back room to the spacious brightly lit reception area. Alex followed her into the reception area, as they both sat down on the black leather sofa.

‘I know you knew her, Alex. I’m really sorry you had to find out like that,’ said Lola apologetically. ‘You two were together? I remember seeing you with her at the party.’

Lola didn’t want to hear the answer to that, as she sat looking at Alex’s perfect face furrowed deep in thought.

‘It was nothing serious. You know how it is; we just met up every now and then!’

‘I was out with her father this morning. To be honest I think they knew all along she was gone.’

‘Why do you think that?’

‘I don’t know, they had that parent’s intuition I suppose. Her dad just kept saying that the police were wrong about her running away or taking her own life. He was adamant that she would never do that, so he must have known she was dead. To be honest, based on what I have learnt about the girl so far, I’m inclined to agree with him.’

Alex sat motionless, the innocent face of Vikki Jones swimming through his head, as it had been for the last week. Every night she invaded his dreams, lying next to him in his bed, her toned, tanned bare body, beckoning him towards her seductively. But as he pulls her closer to him he sees that her wrists have deep gashes cut into them, and her thick warm blood oozes out onto the crisp white silk sheets like black ink on paper.

He was seeing her everywhere he went – there was no escape. He had taken the life of another human being, and he was feeling something he had never felt before: remorse. It was not a word that was in his father’s vocabulary, a weakness that his father didn’t have, nor would he tolerate it in others, especially the heir to his empire.

Lola could see the torment on Alex’s face and her heart sank, thinking that Alex must have felt more for Vikki than he’d been admitting. In the same way she realised that she was more attracted to him than she was admitting. They sat side by side in silence, this was the most civilised they’d been with each other since they first met. A momentary hiatus, thought Lola, no pretence, no mind games, no smug remarks. There was no awkwardness, just a comfortable silence.

‘So the police think she took her own life?’ asked Alex.

‘It looks like it, but I haven’t seen the coroner’s report yet,’ replied Lola. ‘I don’t believe that Vikki would have taken her own life. I think someone has killed her. She’s not the first girl to go missing up there you know. I heard on the news that another girl, around the same age, had gone missing a couple of weeks before. What was her name?’

Lola tried to remember the radio report she’d heard on the day of Arthur’s cremation. Searching the far recesses of her brain for a name, she finally got it.

‘Yes. Karen. Karen Watson, that’s it!’

Alex’s stomach leapt, he had known her too. She had been another one of his conquests, and although he was not present at that ritual killing, he had led his father straight to her. He was in trouble and seriously needed to compose himself. There was no way that Lola would put the two together, or would she?

She was full of compassion, underneath that sassy appearance he could feel the light emanate from her, and he was beginning to see that she was very special indeed. He felt different around her, like he was more tuned into his own emotions. She was like his kryptonite, making him feel weak, yet as much as he hated feeling vulnerable, he couldn’t resist her.

The door buzzer sounded, interrupting their conversation, as a small red-headed girl came through to reception, heading towards the desk.

‘Hi. I’m here to see Lola Paige?’ said Vikki’s friend Sarah Byrne.

Hearing her voice, Lola jumped up from the seat, and went to greet Sarah Byrne.

‘Hi. You must be Sarah,’ said Lola extending her hand. ‘I’m Lola. Thank you so much for coming in to see me.’

Sarah’s pale blue eyes were bloodshot and puffy, she had clearly been crying.

‘I take it you’ve heard the news? I’m so sorry,’ offered Lola, knowing exactly what Sarah Byrne was going through. ‘Are you sure you want to do this now?’

‘Yes, I want to feel like I’m doing something,’ replied Sarah emotionally. ‘Vikki didn’t kill herself like they’re saying, Lola. There’s no way. No way!’

Alex remained sitting on the sofa as Lola guided Sarah towards it.

‘Sarah, how are you? I’m so sorry,’ said Alex, getting up off the seat to embrace her.

Lola noticed that Sarah didn’t seem to reciprocate. She wasn’t exactly rude, but there was something in her demeanour alerted Lola to the possibility that she didn’t seem to like Alex much. That was certainly a first, where females were concerned, apart from her of course.

‘I’d better get on with my work,’ continued Alex. ‘I’ll see you later, Lola, and once again, Sarah, I’m really sorry to hear about Vikki.’

‘Thanks, Alex, I’ll see you around,’ replied Sarah.

The atmosphere was suddenly tense. Alex left the reception to find the bathroom, feeling as though he may be sick.

‘Why don’t we go for a cup of tea? You look like you could do with one and I’d like to get out of the office for a while,’ suggested Lola, reassuringly.

‘That sounds good.’

‘I’m going to get my things, I’ll be back in a second.’

Lola gathered her coat, Dictaphone, notepad and the picture of Vikki that sat on her desk, before heading to her favourite cafe with Sarah.