Hide and Seek (20 page)

CHAPTER 42

20:34pm

Peter took a deep breath and then tried to explain it as best he could.

‘I was the same as you. All I could remember was having a drink at Colin and Michelle’s
, then I woke up today in some cabin in Durden Woods.’

Steve looked at him puzzled as he started to unravel the remainder of the rope around his wrists.

‘Whose cabin was it?’

‘I don’t know. There was no one there. I thought it was one of your pranks.’

Steve looked slightly hurt at the suggestion. Peter continued.

‘Anyway, I walked back to the house and there was no one there. I waited around for a bit because I thought you might have all gone for a pub lunch or something.’

Peter hesitated; he had described the easy bit but wasn’t looking forward to explaining the rest. He took a deep breath.

‘There was a mobile phone in the house and it started ringing.’

He paused again. Steve was massaging his free wrists and nodded at him to carry on.

‘A man, calling himself Celo
, said he wanted to play a game of Hide and Seek with me.’

Steve looked at him like this was all a joke. Peter continued.

‘Did you feel hazy this morning, like you’d been drugged?’

‘Yeah, a bit hazy, I suppose. I thought I was just
hung over. I didn’t really think about it that much. I was more concerned with being tied up in a fucking compactor to be honest.’

‘Well, Celo told me he had drugged all of us last night. He said that he had put everyone in different places all over town and I had to find you all. He’s been giving me clues for each of you and a time limit to find you before...’ He pointed up towards the compactor. ‘Well, before something bad happened.’

Steve stammered, struggling with his words in a mixture of shock and disbelief. Eventually he simply said.

‘Why didn’t you go to the police?’

‘I wasn’t allowed to. Celo gave me specific instructions and said that if I involved the police in any way he would kill you all. He wanted me to play the game alone with no help.’

Steve took a moment to consider what Peter had told him and then shook his head, he was clearly unconvinced. Peter decided to interrupt his train of thought and cut straight to the bad news about the others.

‘Steve, listen to me. Colin is dead, and so is Laura.’

He held back on telling him about Cas because of his suspicions. Steve stared at him, his eyes
moving around Peter’s face looking for any sign that he was either lying or joking.

‘Celo also said that he killed Gavin just because he wanted us all here so he could play this sick game.’

Steve clambered up to his feet. He looked at Peter repeatedly as if he was going to say or ask something but instead he shuffled around in a circle, exhaling loudly trying to calm down the range of emotions he was feeling. Peter also got up to his feet and waited for him to speak.

‘Colin is dead? Wh...
How did he die?’

‘He was thrown..
. well catapulted out of the top window of the flats near the primary school.’

Steve stared at him confused.

‘Do you remember we used to catapult gobstoppers from the top floor of the flats?’

Steve nodded in acknowledgement.

‘Well, they’ve all been like that. They’ve all been traps based on things that happened when we were kids. Like you. Remember when you fell into the compactor whilst we were playing in here?’

Peter could tell by Steve’s face that he remembered and understood.

‘All? Who else has been put in one of these traps?’

‘Colin was first and then Cheryl.’

‘Cheryl? What happened to her?’

‘She’s alive but she’s in hospital. The sick bastard trapped her in an oven. I managed to get her out but she was burnt
quite badly.’

Steve was starting to shake
with the enormity of the emotions and he was starting to cry.

‘Who was next?’ He asked with a lump in his throat.

‘Michelle was next, I managed to save her. I think she’s with the police now.’

‘You
think
?’

‘She ran off after I freed her and went to the police.’

‘So, she’s definitely safe?’

‘I think so.’

Steve started to get angry and started shouting.

‘You think so? What does that mean?’

Peter started to get angry as well.

‘I don’t know. I didn’t have time to chase after her.’

‘What if this Celo goes after her again?’

‘He told me he wouldn’t, that if I saved them that would be it. I had to move onto the next person.’

‘How can you trust this psycho?’

‘I can’t, but as I said, I had to move onto the next person.’

Steve wasn’t happy with Peter’s reasoning but after a moment’s pause he moved on.

‘Who was next?’

Peter took a deep breath.

‘Cas.’

‘What happened to him?’

‘I’m not sure.’

‘What do you mean you’re not sure?’

‘The trap for him was in the storage cupboard of the school. Do you remember when he hurt his leg when we played five-a-side there?’

Steve took a moment to think and then Peter could see him remembering.

‘Yes.’

‘Well, it seems that he somehow got free of the trap and when I turned up he hit me with a bar or something.’

‘Why would he attack you?’

‘I don’t know. It was dark. I think he thought I was Celo.’

Steve looked at him, encouraging him to continue.

‘And?’

‘Well, I was knocked unconscious. When I woke up Cas was gone. Celo rang and said that he had to step in and kill him.’

‘What?’

‘The thing is I never saw Cas’ body. I don’t know whether he killed him or not.’

‘What does that mean?’

‘It means I think Cas might be involved in this.’

‘Cas? Don’t be stupid.’

‘The only people it could be is Cheryl, Michelle, Cas or you.’

Steve stared at him, angry at the suggestion that he could be involved. Peter continued with his theory.

‘Look,
it has to be someone who’s still alive. And it has to be one of the Excellent Eight. Cheryl was badly burnt so it’s unlikely to be her. And Michelle is seven months pregnant.’

‘So basically you’re saying it’s either me or Cas?’

‘No, I don’t think you’re involved. The compactor came so close to killing you. If you were Celo I don’t think you would have put yourself in that much danger.’

‘Oh, thanks. Does that mean you suspected me before this happened?’

‘I’ve suspected everyone,’ Peter admitted. ‘But don’t you see Steve? The trap for Cas is the only one which doesn’t add up. I didn’t even see a trap for him to escape from. And then he knocked me out. Then Celo rang and said he was dead but I couldn’t see his body anywhere.’

‘But why? Why would Cas do this?’

‘I don’t know, I’ve been racking my brains all day and I’ve still got nothing. But no one has seen or heard from him in twenty years. We don’t know what might have happened to him to make him do this.’

‘We haven’t seen or heard from you in twenty years either, or Laura.’

Peter didn’t react to his accusations but Steve stopped as if something had just hit him.

‘Did you say Laura was dead too?’

Peter took a deep breath.

‘Yes.’

‘What happened to her?’

‘She drowned. She was after Cas. I was knocked out for too long. Celo wouldn’t give me more time and I couldn’t get across town quick enough to save her.’

Steve looked at him and scowled.

‘Did you really try hard enough?’

Peter’s anger built up in a second.

‘Fuck you Steve. You have no idea what I’ve been through. I’ve been chased by the police all over town because they think I’m to blame for all the shit that’s happened today.’

Steve held his hands up in an apologetic gesture but Peter continued with his rant.

‘I’ve been climbing over fences and jumping off fucking buildings. I even threatened some woman with a knife and stole her car to try and get to Laura in time. And I’ve been bitten by a dog trying to save you.’

‘So, I’m the last one?’

The question surprised Peter who had been expecting a retort from Steve.

‘What?’

‘You’ve been through everyone else. I was the last one of the Excellent Eight you had to find?’

Peter calmed himself down.

‘Yes, you’re the last.’

‘So it’s over now. We can go to the police?’

‘Not quite. Well
, you can, but I can’t go to them yet.’

‘Why? You can talk to the police now, there’s no one else left to find.’

‘There’s one left to find.’

‘Who?’

‘Celo. Whoever he is, I’m going to find him and I’m going to make him pay for what he’s done to us all.’

‘Are you crazy? Come to the police with me right now. We’ll explain everything, tell them about Cas and they’ll help us catch this sick bastard, whoever he is.’

‘How long do you think it’s going to take to explain everything to the police? I can’t take the chance that he’ll escape.’

‘But, even if it is Cas or someone else, how are you going to find him?’

‘He said he would ring me shortly after the last game with you. He’s going to give me a final clue which will lead me to him.’

‘Don’t be so stupid Peter. He isn’t going to do that. Why would he tell you where he is?’

‘He
will
ring. I know it. I think he actually wants me to find him and wants me to know why he’s done all this. He sees it as some grand finale.’

‘He’s had a go at everyone else. So you do realise that if he rings and gives you another clue, it’s probably a trap for you?’

‘The thought had crossed my mind.’

‘And you’re just going to walk straight into it?’

‘He’s worked too hard to frame me for all this to just turn around and kill me.’

‘You can’t be sure of that.’

‘No I can’t.’

CHAPTER 43

20:38pm

Steve just stared at him. Peter could see he was working through questions in his mind.

‘We should get out of here
,’ Peter said.

He looked around. He could see the furthest row of cars was stacked against the outside wall. He figured he could climb them
- get over the wall that way - and it would save him having to climb both the wall to Nelson’s car yard and the barbed wired fence at the entrance to the industrial estate.

‘Where are you going?’ Steve asked as Peter
headed off.

‘We should climb over here. It’ll be easier than going the other way.’

Steve shuffled on his feet, debating whether to follow him or not.

Peter reached the stacked cars against the wall and wearily started to clamber onto the
first bonnet. This last game had taken it out of him more than ever. His exposed body was goose pimpled from the biting wind. His arm was hurting and the burst of adrenaline from saving Steve had subsided and left him exhausted. What he wanted to do more than anything was just lie down and sleep for a fortnight. What he wanted to do was go back home and hold his wife and his baby boy.

He clambered onto the car on the second level. Steve had joined him on the ascent. Peter knew he
needed to find the energy for this last part, Celo’s grand finale. He knew whatever it was going to be, it could be his biggest test yet.

He reached the roof of the top car and hopped the short distance onto the ledge of the wall and waited for Steve to catch up.

‘God, I haven’t done anything like this since we were kids,’ Steve said as he joined him on the wall.

Peter smiled and nodded in agreement.

‘I know, I’ve been doing all sorts of shit like this today, climbing trees, fences, up guttering. I even escaped from the police earlier by going through Marshalls.’

Steve laughed and then stopped, realising that all this wasn’t really a laughing matter, particularly running away from the police. A slight smile remained
though.

‘Those were good times. Do you remember when Cas got caught by the security guard in Marshalls?’

Peter, without a smile, nodded.

‘I was thinking about that earlier, whether it had anything to do with all this. We were playing Hide and Seek in there when Cas was caught.’

‘What? You think all this is because he blames us for him getting caught? That seems weak.’

‘I know, but I don’t know what to think. Whoever Celo is, whether it’s Cas or not, he must be doing it for a reason. Maybe it’s something we didn’t see. Do you know Cas’ dad hit him sometimes?’

Steve nodded in acknowledgement.

‘Well maybe his dad gave him a severe beating that
time,’ Peter added.

Steve looked at him
, but just shrugged.

‘I don’t know.’

‘Can you think of any other incidents that could point to something? Anything I’ve forgotten, specifically to do with playing Hide and Seek?’

Steve searched his mind.

‘Cas in Marshalls. You broke your leg that time when you fell down the hole in Durden Woods.’

Steve grinned at him.

‘You’re not harbouring any resentment towards us from that are you?’

Peter laughed, ‘No. That was great. It got me out of school for a month.’

If Peter was honest he couldn’t remember much about that month but he could recall that he hadn’t enjoyed it too much because he missed his friends whilst he was cooped inside the house.

‘Anything else?’

Steve shook his head.

‘No. Nothing. Actually, we ran away from Laura once. Do you remember, at the mill? Her father rang all our parents to say how nasty we were for leaving her there alone.’

Peter recalled the incident and remembered that she didn’t hang around with them for a few weeks after that.

‘Oh yeah. I forgot about that.’

‘Sorry to ask Peter, but are you completely sure Laura is dead.’

Peter was abrupt in his response.

‘Yes. She’s dead.’

Steve looked like he was going to ask for more information but decided against the idea and just nodded.

‘I’m sorry, I know you two liked each other when we were kids and I could see you both still cared for each other last night.’

Peter was surprised and embarrassed by this comment. He hadn’t realised his feelings towards Laura were so obviously visible. Even if they were, the last person he would have expected to notice was Steve ‘Joker’ Jenkins. He acknowledged Steve’s comment with a
slight nod and changed the subject.

‘Come on. Let’s get down from this wall.’

It was a sheer drop of at least twelve feet to the rocky border of the field surrounding the industrial estate.

‘Have you got a ladder? Or a parachute?’ Steve quipped.

Peter smiled. ‘It’s not so bad, hang down and we only have to drop about six feet or so.’

‘Only?’

They both shuffled around so their stomachs rested on the ledge whilst their feet trailed down the wall. They started lowering themselves down, gripping the ledge with their hands. Peter’s left hand was shaking with the pain emanating from the wound on his arm and he let go first and dropped down. He landed on his feet, stumbled and fell over landing on his backside. He let out a tut at himself and thought that after all the times he had had to do that today, he should have really mastered the technique by now. Steve was still hanging down from the wall.

‘Are you okay?’ He shouted out.

‘Yeah,’ Peter replied, getting to his feet and dusting his behind. ‘Just sick of always falling on my arse.’

Steve laughed and let go, dropping down and landing perfectly on his feet. He turned and smiled at Peter.

‘You always were shite at getting down off walls.’

‘Cheers Steve
,’ Peter replied sarcastically.

Steve patted him on the shoulder and they started walking along the outside wall towards the front of the industrial estate.