The Shiver Stone (2 page)

CHAPTER

2

It was all so exciting. I didn't think about Tristan's reaction. Not until someone told Dad he wasn't happy, not happy at all.

So, when Tristan Penaluna strode into the Crab's Claw shouting, ‘Carrrrrrys!' I thought,
Now I'm in trouble
.

He had two buckets of candyfloss tucked under one arm and Tia, his dog, under the other.

‘This is for you, Carys.' He passed me one of the buckets. ‘To say thank you for the telly thing.'

‘You're not mad at me?'

‘No. I've got a load of commissions since you showed the world who the secret sculptor was. Not only that, something much more amazing has happened.' He lifted the other bucket of candyfloss and winked at me as if we shared a secret. ‘This is for someone very special.'

He sat at the nearest table.

As I said, Tristan has a beard and wears his blond hair in plaits and sometimes, like today, he wears a red bandana around his head too. Dad likes country music and there's a singer called Willie something. Tristan looks like him, only younger.

He's quiet, a bit secretive really. Everyone knows everything about everyone in Carreg but no one knows where Tristan comes from, or what he did before he came. He's okay, but the best thing about Tristan is his dog, Tia. Tia is tiny – a Yorkie with bright black eyes and silvery fur. I wish more than anything in the world that she was mine.

Linette came out and handed him his coffee and a menu. Tia struggled to get to me and he passed her over without a word. As he did, I saw his weird tattoo again from his elbow to his wrist in thick black ink:
Vulpes
Vulpes
.

I asked him once what it meant but he just rolled down his sleeve and changed the subject. Like I said, a bit of a mystery man.

I rubbed my face in Tia's furry tummy and she squeaked with pleasure.

‘Carys, will you take Tia for a walk? I'll give you a pound.'

Linette saw the candyfloss and piped up in a second, ‘She can't eat sticky stuff because of her brace, Tristan.'

I hate candyfloss but I heard myself say, ‘You can't tell me what I can and can't eat.'

‘Fine.' Linette was angry. ‘Have what you want then. But don't blame me when your dad's annoyed.' She bustled off back inside the café. Tristan handed me Tia's lead.

I cuddled Tia and she licked at my face with her little pink tongue.

‘Harbour?' I whispered and her tail wagged like crazy.

A crash made everyone jump.

I turned to see Tristan standing still as a statue, staring across the road. He looked terrified.
His coffee cup lay shattered on the
ground by his feet.

‘Stop those damn seagulls knocking things off the tables,' Linette called.

‘No, it's not…' I began.

With a shudder, Tristan came to life. He bolted. He raced to his motorbike, parked outside the café. I watched as, without looking back, he kicked frantically at the starter. His tyres screeched up St Winifred's Hill. At the zebra crossing people scattered in panic. A woman screamed but he didn't seem to notice, he just roared off like a madman.

Linette and I stared after him, then she bent down to sweep up the broken pieces of crockery. ‘What's up with him?'

‘Dunno,' I said. ‘It was like he was frightened of something.'

‘Look, he's forgotten his candyfloss.'

I held up the cuddly bundle in my arms. ‘He's forgotten Tia, too.'

Linette took the dustpan inside. The Crab's Claw was busy and I knew, if I didn't escape soon, I'd be roped in to help. I clipped the lead to Tia's collar.

Straightening up, I bumped into someone standing right behind me.

He smiled. ‘That man – the one that just left on the bike. That was Tristan Penaluna, wasn't it?'

I nodded.

‘He's an old friend of mine from Uni. Haven't seen him in years. Be good to catch up.'

He stretched out his hand to stroke Tia. She gave a long, low growl and he edged backwards. He wore sunglasses with Ray-Ban written on the lens. They scooped around his face like a visor and were so dark I couldn't see his eyes. ‘Know where he lives?' he said.

I trusted Tia's instincts.

‘No.'

‘What are you talking about, Carys? Of course you know where Tristan lives,' Linette said. I made a face at her but she ignored me. ‘Halfway up St Winifred's Hill there's a lane on the right. At the end you'll find Hug Howell's place. Tristan rents a kind of shed on her land.'

The man thanked her and asked for a cappuccino.

He shook a pile of orange tic tacs into his hand and tossed them into his mouth. Now that he'd got his information he'd lost interest in me.

I watched him as he sat in the same chair Tristan had just left. He rubbed his chin. He had one of those trendy beards that make a thin dark line from ear to ear along the jaw. No moustache. I wondered about that beard. How could he keep it the same length, unless he woke up every day and shaved off just one day's worth?

My daydreaming cost me.

‘Dishwasher needs emptying, Carys,' Linette called.

‘I've got to take Tia for a walk.'

‘You can do that later, we're busy.'

‘But she needs to pee.'

Linette frowned. I knew she didn't believe me, but she couldn't take the risk of a dog peeing right in front of her customers.

‘Go on then,' she snapped.

As soon as the traffic lights turned red I gave a quick glance right and left, tucked Tia under my arm and darted across the road.

Summer in Carreg is crazy. Loads of tourists come for our beaches because they are brilliant – miles of clean golden sands. Tenby is famous too, and it's only a few miles up the coast. I don't blame people for wanting to holiday here but it's a pain. I like the winter when the sea and sand belong to just us again.

It's too noisy with all the people and traffic by the café, but down at the harbour, even in summer, it's quieter. I walked Tia past a group of yellow buoys and a giant coil of rusty chain. The sea smell is always strong here and I breathed it in – salty, fresh.

From the top of a mast a huge gull watched Tia with hunger in its eyes. I picked her up and held on tight. Gulls will eat pretty much anything and I wouldn't put it past this one to have a peck at her.

The gull flew off with a screech.

Dad was working on his boat. He waved and I waved back. He cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, ‘Thought you were helping Linette today?'

‘Tristan left Tia behind. I'm taking her for a walk,' I called back.

He nodded. ‘Coming aboard?'

I shook my head. ‘See you later.'

I ran Tia around the harbour until she was panting with the heat. I walked back through the crowds of visitors and the smells of suntan lotion and fish and chips.

The guy with the skinny beard and sunglasses was gone. I asked Linette about him.

‘Seemed keen to catch up with Tristan. Asked a lot of questions. Tristan will be happy to see his friend after all these years.'

I wasn't so sure. There was something about him I didn't like.

I found a cool spot out the back for Tia, gave her a bowl of fresh water, and settled her down in an empty Walkers' crisp box. She fell fast asleep.

The café was crowded all afternoon and I was kept busy filling and emptying the dishwasher.

Every time I got bored I sneaked off out the back and sat in the shade with Tia. It was easy to spot Linette coming. Her hair is dyed that bright cartoon red, the red that's not even pretending to be natural.

She gave up on me after a while. ‘It's harder work chasing after you, Carys, than it is doing it myself.'

I fed Tia tiny bits of fresh ham and stroked her soft fur.

I didn't want this Saturday job in the Crab's Claw and Linette didn't want me there. Dad thought it would be a good idea for us to get to know each other better. It wasn't.

At five o' clock, when Linette closed the cafe for the day, Tristan still hadn't come back for his dog.

‘Better phone him,' she said.

‘He hasn't got a phone.'

‘Not even a mobile?'

‘No, he says it fries your brain.'

‘Reckon his brain is already fried,' Linette said. ‘Okay, take Tia up to his place but come straight home after. I'm making dinner for the three of us tonight.'

‘Hmm.'

‘What?'

‘Does that mean Dad's off fishing then?'

‘Yes. And I'm staying the night to look after you, whether you like it or not.'

‘I'm twelve. I can look after myself.'

‘Look, I'm tired, Carys. Just get rid of the dog, will you.'

It was cool and quiet along the lane. There was a low buzz coming from Hug Howells' beehives and, in the distance, the swoosh of the sea. I took my time enjoying every minute with Tia. I pretended she was mine.

I was daydreaming again. I was thinking how good it would be if Tia slept on my bed every night; if she cuddled my feet when I was cold; if she licked my nose to wake me up…

A bee buzzed close to my face and I flicked it away.

That's when I got the creepy feeling. You know – when your neck tingles, when it feels like someone is watching you, that creepy feeling.

I scooped Tia into my arms and turned full circle. I couldn't see anyone but the silence wasn't peaceful anymore, it was scary.

I was past Hug's house and could see Tristan's shed set back in the trees. I started to run towards it when a loud voice shouted, ‘Hey!'

I jumped so hard I almost dropped Tia.

Skinny beard man was leaning against the wall. The sun glinted off his sunglasses so they looked like huge insect eyes.

My heart beat fast.

He walked slowly towards me. ‘Don't think he's here. Know where he could be?'

I shook my head. Tia started her low growl.

This time he laughed. ‘Don't think the pup likes me much.'

I didn't answer. As he got closer, I backed away.

‘Don't be scared. Here have a tic tac.'

‘I'm not scared,' I lied.

‘Damn, look at me offering sweets to a kid. You must know never to take stuff from a stranger and then here's me
…
sorry about that.'

‘S'okay.'

Behind him was the path to Hug's house. I knew, if I needed to, I could run fast and hard and be banging on her door in seconds.

‘I'm Kemble Sykes,' he said, ‘and I know your name is Carys.' He stretched forward as if to shake my hand and Tia went berserk, yapping, snarling and struggling furiously to get at him.

He laughed and raised both arms in a gesture of surrender. With a shock I recognised his tattoo. From his elbow to his wrist in thick black ink I read
Vulpes
Vulpes
.

CHAPTER

3

It took me a while to control Tia. I'd never seen her like that but, tiny as she was, I knew those teeth of hers were needle sharp. I daren't let her go. She wriggled and twisted and fought to be free, yapping all the time. It was so out of character I laughed.

Gradually she calmed down and, when I looked up again, skinny beard guy was gone. I peered up and down the lane. Nothing. Nothing but the gentle buzz of Hug's bees and the sea's swish in the background.

I thought about the tattoo. Two men with the same words needled into their skin. What did it mean – a secret club?

Tia squirmed so I let her down. She peed on a dandelion.

‘Well, Tia, it looks like…' I tried his name out, ‘Kemble Sykes was right about one thing, Tristan's not here. There's no sign of his bike.'