12 – TRESPASS

The next day, the weather is muggy as I wander through the streets of Cambridge with Max and Spock. The plan had been to find out a bit more about Dylan Quarry, but Sharp Shooters is closed today and I have no way of finding him. A rumble of thunder rolls in from the east as we near the main shopping mall. For a moment I consider catching a movie before I remember I have Spock with me, so I guess I should just head home before I get rained on.

As soon as I make this decision though, Max holds out his arm and I'm overcome by the shivers as I walk into it.

'What?'

'Look there,' he says, pointing ahead. 'Isn't that what's-her-name?'

I look through the crowds of people to where he's pointing and see a familiar blonde bob.

'Eyra,' I say.

'What do you want to do?'

I think quick. I still have my suspicions about Eyra, but nothing but hunches and speculations. If we followed her, I might get a better idea of what game she's playing. 'Come on,' I say, hurrying after her.

She leads us through the busiest part of town where it's easy enough to blend into the crowd, but then she takes a left turning and heads for the quieter residential streets. I keep my distance, but Eyra doesn't look around once. She's on a mission to get somewhere and she's not hanging about.

The more turnings we take the more lost I become, until suddenly I start recognising certain landmarks.

'Max, do you know where we are?'

Eyra disappears around the next corner and we hurry past a bus stop. Max points uncertainly at a corner shop. 'Isn't this…'

I gasp as I recognise it at the same time. 'Yes! It is!'

We stop at the corner shop and I peak around the corner. It's definitely Jonathan's street and Eyra looks like she's heading straight for his house.

Watching from the corner, I notice Eyra stop outside his front door. She fluffs up her hair and rings the bell. She adjusts her posture and puts a smile on her face as Jonathan opens the door.

Max and I both gasp as the couple embrace.

'Hello,' Max says under his breath. 'Is this a new development?'

I return his look of curiosity. 'Maybe.'

Jonathan gestures for Eyra to enter the house and the two disappear behind the closed door.

Max looks at me, eyes wide in excitement. 'What now?'

'We wait?' I suggest.

'What, here?'

I see his point. If either of them does come out again, we'll be stuck. 'I know. Let's go back to Midsummer Common and take cover beneath that tree.'

Crossing to the other side of the road, we hurry past. I turn my face away, just in case they're looking through the window even though I'm dying to see what they might be doing, then cross over the road to the common.

Beneath the beech tree, we wait in anticipation for their return. What are they doing inside? What are they talking about? What purpose does Eyra have at Jonathan's? I don't want to jump to conclusions, but my memory keeps returning to my meeting with Eyra and her fierce defence of Jonathan. Could our suspicions be right?

An excruciating quarter of an hour later, the door reopens and Jonathan and Eyra reappear. Eyra hugs Jonathan again, her hands lingering on his shoulders as she steps back and Jonathan allows the door to swing shut behind them. With a coy smile, Eyra waves as she skips down to the pavement and leaves.

'Er – Noa, do you see what I see?' says Max.

My binoculars are focussed on Jonathan. He turns back to his house and pulls up short at the closed door. He opens his arms in a despairing gesture and rattles the door knob. The door refuses to open.

'What?' I say to Max.

'Eyra's heading our way.'

I refocus my binos on the girl, standing at the traffic lights, waiting to cross over the road to Midsummer Common.

'Crap,' I mutter. 'Okay, hold on. I just want to see…'

I focus back on Jonathan to see how he's dealing with being locked out of his house. The weather is starting to turn and the first fresh breeze of the day sweeps across the common, a sure sign the rain is not far behind.

Jonathan looks about his immediate surroundings, looks in and under a flowerpot, under the mat.

'Noa, I think now would be a good time to make ourselves scarce,' says Max.

'Just a minute more…'

'I don't think we have a minute. She's going to see us any second.'

I look away from my binos. Max is right. Eyra is across the road, now strolling down the path in our direction. She's close enough for me to see the self-satisfied smile on her face.

I look through the binos again. Jonathan is feeling across the top of the door frame.

'Come on, come on,' I murmur.

Like the wind picking up, shaking our beech tree urgently, Eyra draws ever closer.

Jonathan steps into the adjoining overgrown flowerbed and reaches under the windowsill.

'Noa!' Max exclaims.

I can't wait to see if Jonathan has found his spare key. I whip my binos and rucksack together and roll over and around the beech tree out of sight just as Eyra saunters past.

Spock looks up in surprise, a random chewed and split tennis ball hanging from his mouth.

Peaking around the other side of the tree trunk, I see Eyra carry on walking, oblivious to my presence.

'Phew!' says Max. 'That was close.'

I don't have time to revel in our narrow escape. I scuttle back to the front of the tree, ignoring the dirt clinging to my palms and knees and focus my binos back on Jonathan.

I'm only in time to see him disappear back into his house.

'He must have found the key,' I say. 'Was it under the windowsill?'

Max shrugs. 'I don't know. I was too busy watching Eyra bear down on us. Someone might have let him in.'

Seconds later, Jonathan appears at the door again and my breath catches in my throat. It's all happening fast now. Where's he going? Are he and Eyra meeting some place else, to avoid suspicion?

Jonathan closes the door purposefully behind him. He shrugs a rucksack onto his back and heads off down the street in the opposite direction. Okay, maybe he's not going to meet Eyra again.

'Where are you going now?' I wonder aloud.

'Crazy 8s?' suggests Max.

I shove my binos in my rucksack and grab Spock's leash. 'Come on.'

Max jumps to his feet and hurries to catch up with me. 'Are we following him again?'

I hesitate. I'm not sure I want to tell Max my plan. I have the feeling he may not approve. 'Not quite.'

We stop at the road and wait impatiently for a gap in the traffic before crossing.

Max gives me a worried look. 'What do you mean "not quite"?'

We stop outside Jonathan's house. I peer down the length of the street to make sure he's out of sight. A few drops of rain sail in on the wind and I give Max an adventurous look.

'Oh no,' says Max, backing away, 'I don't like it when you look at me like that. What are you thinking?'

I step up to Jonathan's front door then across the flowerbed, taking care not to leave any boot imprints in the soil. I feel under the windowsill, the rough gritty texture of brick, cement and dirt, then suddenly the smooth cool metal of a key.

I can't help the grin radiating across my face as I pull it out and dangle it in front of Max.

Max looks horrified and darts a look up the street. 'Are you mad? He might come home. There might be someone inside. What about Spock?'

Spock whines and sits down, showing just what a good obedient dog he can be. Since I don't actually have an answer to any of Max's questions I ignore him and slide the key into the lock. It clicks open and my heart begins to thud against my chest. I quickly return the key to its hiding place then push open the front door.

I slip inside with Max and Spock at my heels, the latter more willing than the former, and gently close the door behind us.

The lounge that we step into is untidy, even by my standards. There is a trace of perfume in the air, presumably from Eyra. In front of us is a staircase and beyond can be seen a kitchen.

'Noa,' Max says under his breath. 'This is not a good idea.'

'Ssh, I just want a quick look around.'

'Don't ssh me, ssh yourself!' he snaps. 'You're the one they can hear.'

'Why don't you keep a look out?' I suggest. Max does have his uses being invisible.

He gives me a despairing look and disappears through the front door.

I creep up the stairs. The beige carpet is worn and threadbare and the boards creek underneath. At the top of the stairs is a bathroom and two bedrooms on either side of the landing. I peak into the first bedroom. There is damp on the walls and the paint is peeling on the window frames. It appears to be used as a dumping ground and an office judging by the boxes and the desk and computer.

The second bedroom is bigger and has an unmade bed and dirty laundry on the floor. It has that unmistakable smell of 'boy' about it. I don't really know what I'm looking for.

'Noa!' says Max from downstairs. 'Hurry up!'

'In a minute,' I murmur automatically.

The bathroom is dark and windowless. I pull the light cord. A bare bulb illuminates the cramped room and the extractor fan hums into life. On the shelf, amongst all the male toiletries and impressive collection of hair gel, is a make-up bag and bottle of women's perfume. I take a quick sniff, it is the same as Eyra's brand.

'Noa!' cries Max again, his voice more desperate. 'He's coming back!'

'Crap.'

I switch off the light and stumble down the stairs. Spock, sensing my urgency, is quick on my heels. Suddenly Max appears through the closed front door and bars my way.

'You can't get out the front. He'll see you.'

I spin around to the kitchen and rush into the tiny dirty space. There's no backdoor. My pulse trebles in pace.

'Max, how do I get out?'

'Hide!'

I look around, frantic to find cover, but there's nowhere. 'Where?!'

There's no pantry and no empty cupboards to squeeze into in the kitchen and the lounge is so sparse of furniture we would be found in seconds.

Grabbing Spock, I thunder upstairs again and into the bedroom. I wrench open the wardrobe door, almost toppling the whole thing and my heart drops further. There is only drawers, no hanging space.

I run for the second bedroom, just as I hear the scratching of a key in the front door lock.

There is nowhere in the office to hide either.

As the front door clicks open, bringing in the sound of Cambridge traffic and a nearby police siren, I dive for the bathroom. I clutch Spock to my chest and step into the bath and pull the green shower curtain around us.

Spock whines and tries to scrabble out of my arms. I close my eyes, cringing, and hold onto him tighter. I try to reassure him by stroking his head and ears, but my hands are trembling so much, I can barely hold him.

The sound of heavy footsteps coming up the stairs makes me hold my breath. Jonathan reaches the top and pauses outside the bathroom. Max appears at the bottom of the bath and very slowly holds up his hands, warning me to keep still.

'Eh? Why are you on?' I hear Jonathan say.

At first I can't think what he's talking about then I realise he's referring to the extractor fan. I cringe. My mind races, searching for a Plan B, some sort of escape for when he inevitably discovers me.

The floorboards creak as Jonathan steps over the threshold into the bathroom. Max's expression shows maximum alarm as Jonathan pulls on the light cord. A flash of electric yellow then Max launches himself forward. The next moment the light bulb shatters. Jonathan springs back and even me and Spock cringe as the glass comes raining down.

'Jesus!' exclaims Jonathan. He audibly shivers and backs out of the bathroom. 'Damned place is falling apart.'

I breathe a sigh of relief as he moves into his bedroom. I'm about to step out from behind the curtain and make my escape when Max puts his hand out to stop me. Jonathan can be heard coming out of his bedroom muttering.

'Going to need one of these.'

I frown. What – and then I hear the sound of a cigarette lighter flint being struck as he passes by the bathroom and heads back down the stairs.

The front door opens and closes and the house is once again left in silence. Still I can't bring myself to move. My legs feel like cooked spaghetti and my heart is still pumping like a steam train.

Max appears moments later, his face relieved and relaxed.

'Okay, you can come out now. He's gone.'

I breathe out, realising for the first time that I've been holding it this entire time and I unsteadily step out of the bath. Spock wriggles free, giving me a most undignified look. I want nothing more than to sit down and recover the strength in my legs, but I know I must get out of here as soon as possible.

'I thought I was a goner there,' I say.

'So did I,' replies Max. 'I'm going to be in major trouble for intervening, you realise that? The wisers are going to kill me.'

'You're already dead though.'

'You know what I mean.'

I feel bad for Max. Instead of him being a good influence on me, I seem to be a bad influence on him. 'Blame me. Tell them you were protecting me.'

Max looks grumpy. 'Let's just get out of here before we run into any more trouble.'

Copyright © H.R. Aidan, 2016