It Takes One to Know One

Part 36

Aaron was standing by Cai's open bedroom door, waiting for the boy to finish packing what he needed for his weekend away. "You got everything?" he asked as Cai finally looked to be ready.

"Yeah."

"Come on then." He'd tried to instil some enthusiasm into his voice, he wasn't sure he'd quite managed it but at least he'd tried, well he hated the thought of Cai going to Michael Hurst's place for the whole weekend. His ...no their dislike of the man had only increased over the past ten or however many days it had been since they'd first met him. They'd only seen him twice in that time, and just briefly but he'd still managed to get up all their noses, especially his! The thing was he seemed to be purposefully avoiding them. They'd had no opportunity to talk to him and get to know him a little better, and whether it was their right or not they wanted to get to know the man Cai might be leaving their home to go and live permanently with.

Cai and Hurst had had several visits, the last had been unsupervised and because that had apparently gone well Cai was now spending the weekend before Christmas at Hurst's place. It all seemed rushed to Aaron but then Gary had reminded him how quickly Cai had been placed with them.

Cai himself was being very tight lipped about how he was getting on with his second cousin, but the fact he was agreeing to each and every meeting arranged told them he liked the man, was happy to see him. Why couldn't he tell them that to their faces? That bothered Aaron; he was convinced the boy was keeping something from them. Cai was good at doing that.

Paddy had his usual Friday afternoon clinic and Jackson's latest job took him the other side of Hotton, so he was taking Cai to his prospective new home. They'd had some heavy snowfalls recently and he was taking him earlier than originally planned because more snow was forecast.

He was using Paddy's car, finding the main roads clear, it was the smaller roads that were a problem. Hopefully they wouldn't get much more snow, he didn't want Cai getting snowed in at Hurst's.

They had been chatting about football, a topic they could both talk for hours on. But now Cai was having to direct him as they'd got near to Hurst's. The boy had been before with Gary, luckily for him because he didn't think he'd have found the in-the-middle of nowhere place otherwise.

He was driving down a private lane now, the lane free of snow. Hurst had to have paid someone to clear it; the council wouldn't have done it. The man obviously had money to burn!

He could see the house in the distance. House? No you couldn't call it a house, it was a... mansion he supposed, the sort football players owned. Well whatever it was, it was obscenely big. You could fit the Smithy into it umpteen times and still have room to spare. He bet it wasn't as warm and as cosy though, and he knew for certain it wouldn't contain as much love.

He thought that was what Cai had wanted, love and a family. Gary had said it was what was lacking in his life, just like it had been lacking in his. He hadn't wanted a big house, or fancy cars, he didn't give a toss about swimming pools or anything else money could buy. He'd wanted what it couldn't buy. Someone who was always there for you, who stood by you when you messed up, who listened, who understood, who cared about you, who loved you no matter what. He'd found all that wrapped up in a little cottage. Maybe Cai wanted a whole lot more?

Huge gates swung open as they approached, so someone had to be watching them. Hurst through a security camera no doubt! He had the sudden urge to flick two fingers but tightened his grip on the steering wheel instead.

There was a paved drive up to the house which Aaron sickeningly realised was longer in length than Emmerdale itself!

As he pulled up outside of the entrance to the house he was suddenly bitten by the inquisitive bug and was itching to take a look inside, to see what you filled a place that size with. No way he was going to though, even if he was invited in and he knew for sure he wouldn't be.

As Cai got out the car, so did he, walking around to the boot to remove the boy's holdall.

"See you Sunday then." Again he tried to sound upbeat, like he would if he'd just been dropping Cai off at a friend's. He thought he'd pulled it off too but then Cai suddenly looking uneasy, he'd been about to ask what was wrong when the boy suddenly hugged him saying, "Yeah see you then."

He'd been thrown by the brief show of affection. He'd not expected it, Cai wasn't openly affectionate normally, and apart from that he was only here for a couple of days, and he'd wanted to come, hadn't he?

He realised then Hurst was standing in the now open doorway, and he was looking at him like he was the lowest of the low, he didn't even acknowledge him unless the dirty look had been his way of greeting him. Just what was his problem?

He was all smiles for Cai though, but were they genuine? He didn't know, he couldn't suss this Hurst bloke out. He knew he hated leaving Cai here with him though. He stood watching as the older man quickly ushered the boy inside, the door closing before he'd even got back into the car.

/

They were sat around the table eating their evening meal, Aaron telling the two older men about Hurst's lavish looking home.

"Cai won't care what size house he lives in, he's not bothered about material things." Paddy insisted, "He never asks for anything does he, he doesn't expect either, and he's grateful for what he has."

"He's certainly cheap to keep!" Jackson agreed, they were always having to ask him if he needed or wanted anything.

"I got the feeling he didn't really want to be there," Aaron stated, "but then he didn't have to go did he? Something's not right."

They all had the same uneasy feeling, something just wasn't right, Jackson the first to decide what to do about it, "We'll sit him down Sunday night and ask him what the hell's going on."

/

It was Saturday night, and they'd trudged through the fresh snow to the Woolpack, Christmas was just a week away now, and everyone was in festive spirits, and they were intent on having a good night with their friends. Paddy was just getting the second round in when his phone rang.

"Gary?"

"What?"

Aaron and Jackson listened in horror as Paddy hurriedly repeated the conversation he'd just had with Gary Elias. It seemed Cai had punched Hurst, then done a runner. He was missing again, and was somewhere out in the snow and freezing temperatures.

TBC