Chapter 2

"Mike Eagle?" the fourteen year old Jess Spider led the way to her office at the college. As she passed behind a pillar, the fourteen year old vanished.

Jess Spider had grown up tall. Her hair was so dark, it was almost black, and hung loosely over her mint green suit and collarless blouse. She indicated the chairs in front of her desk, and balanced on it.

"That's a real blast from the past." She sighed. "I'll admit when I heard about the plans for that Hotel, a part of me was hoping the owner would demolish it."
"Not a lot of good memories?" Lily asked as she sat down.

"Not a lot of bad one either." She sighed. "It was a bad period of my life. My Brother was dead, my parents were separating, and my other brother was forced to take me on holiday with him." She shook her head. "Initially it was supposed to be the six of them, a treat before college started in the fall. But with everything that was happening, Matt felt that I needed out of the house."

"So you didn't really know any of them?" Scotty asked, uncertainly.

"I knew them as my brother's friends, but that one was the first time I met them properly." Her face creased. "I didn't know what to make of them. Just had instincts." She shook her head and for a moment the child of 14, in cut off jeans and a white T-shirt. "Matt was miserable. He likes putting people back together and doesn't like it when he can't. Roxanne was tense and unhappy. I don't think either of them noticed anything that was going on."

"What was going on?" Lily asked. The fourteen year old chewed her lip.

"Something bad."

*

Young hearts run free

They've pulled a few logs into the shade of the trees to act as benches. Jess sits on the grass, though as its cooler. Matt and Roxanne sit near her holding hands. They're gazing into each others eyes in a way she hadn't seen them do in a long time.

She looks away.

Mike is playing a beautiful redwood guitar, but the music seems monotonous like the stuff that her father used to listen to.

Sarah wasn't enjoying it either. Her eyes keep darting between Matt and Roxanne and Jodie and Doug. Jess glances at Mike, but his eyes are closed, like he's lost in the music.

A soft giggle brings her attention to Jodie and Doug. His arm is around her shoulders and he's whispering in her ear. She was laughing and trying to push him away from her playfully at the same time. Eventually she nods and they walk off into the forest.

Jess doesn't know why, but she glances at Sarah. She wishes she hadn't. Sarah's staring at the spot in the wood where they vanished. Her face is a mask of fury and pain, so intense that it's scares her. She watches as it changes.

The jaw tightens, the eyes narrows, the fists at her sides clench. Anger and hatred ring out from every pore, until they're was no pity or pain.

She glances away, looking desperately in case anyone else had seen. But Mike's eyes were still closed, and Roxanne and Matt still are looking at each other.

When she looks back, Sarah looks normal. The mask is back in place.

Despite of the heat, Jess shivers.

*

"Sarah's always reminded me of a Sultana. The type of woman who'd have her lover thrown from the highest tower and not caring." She shook her head. "At the same time, I think Jodie was doing it to manipulate her. She knew she was losing Doug and knew that Roxanne would never leave Matt. Jodie was the type who always needed a man to make her feel good." Somewhere in the depths of the college a bell rang. Jess got to her feet.
"I've got to go."

"Well call us, if you remember anything." Lilly held out a card, which Jess took and glanced at, before consigning it to the recesses of her bag.

"Thanks." She said, as she left.

"Sarah said it was a mistake, a one time thing." Scotty said, as they walked out.

Scotty shook his head. "Doesn't sound like it."

*

"Roxanne Spider?"

The dark haired woman, dressed in a smart black business suit, straightened up from her black attaché case. For an instant, the eighteen year old, dressed in brown shorts and grubby white T-shirt, stared at them.

"Yes?"

"Detectives Jeffrey's and Miller. Homicide. We'd like to talk about Mike Eagle."

Roxanne glanced at her watch. "I've got ten minutes till my next client."

"This won't take long."

She nodded, and led the way to her office. Once the door was closed, she sighed and turned to face them.

"This is about my statement isn't it?"

When they made no definite reply, she continued.

"I know I said I was sure, but it is possible I was mistaken." She shook her head. "It sounds silly, but Jodie and Sarah's hair is almost the same color, especially that summer."

At Kat's curious expression, she hastened to explain. "That summer was the one of hottest on record. The sun was beating down daily, making everyone irritable. In Britain there were riots over the cricket. When we first reported Mike missing, the police couldn't get to us for days. They were too busy fighting fires."

*

Knowing me, Knowing you ABBA

The sky glimpsed through the windows is grey. The thunder rumbles in the distance, but the rain has yet to arrive.

Roxanne pushes open the door to eh main lounge, Jess trailing behind her. She can't say she's sorry about the decision to leave early. This has not been a good trip.

The lounge should be empty, Matt's on the phone to his mother, to let her know they'll be back and Sarah's in the shower. So there's no one else in the house, except for...

"Doug?"

He lifts his head, indigo eyes reddened.

"Oh. Hi."

"You O.K?" Instantly she regrets the question, because of course he's not. None of them are.

"I...just can't believe Jodie would take off with out telling me."

"It's weird isn't it?" jess says, sinking on to the floor. "First Mike, then Jodie..." she trails off at the expression on Doug's face. She looks genuinely afraid, and Roxanne can't honestly say she blames her. There's something in Doug's face that she's never seen before and she doesn't like it. Sarah comes in at that moment, her hair still wet from the shower.

They sit in silence for a few moments, before Doug swears.

"This is ridiculous!"

"Where are you going?" Roxanne demanded, as Doug gets to his feet.

"To find them."
"They might have left the grounds." Jess points out, still unsure, still scared.

"They can't have. We'd have found evidence." He's gone before Roxanne can point off that while they have walked to the main road, there's about a million tracks and trails they haven't checked.

"Why does he have to be such an idiot?" demanded Roxanne of the air.

"Because he loves her." Jess says it, like it's an easy answer. Sarah stiffens.

"The storms getting closer." Sarah says softly.
"I'll get Matt. Maybe he can talk him out of it." She says this more to escape the uncomfortable atmosphere of the room than out of any real concern for Doug's well being.

As she gets to her feet, a huge clap over their heads makes them all jump.

Rapidly she climbs up the stairs, trying to ignore the pebble hitting sounds of the rain against the windows in the darken hall.

Suddenly a flash of lightening lights up the whole room. Spinning around in shock, she can see two figures through the rain smeared windows.

One of them wears a blue oil skin, and is probably male. The other is a woman, with blonde hair.

*

"At the time, I accepted with out asking that they were Doug and Jodie."

"But now?"

"It's possible... that they were...."
"Don't say another word Roxanne!" A small grey haired woman was standing in the doorway. "They can't prove a thing. Not after all this time."

"But Mom..."
"I think Mrs. Spider," Kat said, softly. "You'd better have a talk with us."

TBC