Silent - The Missing Friend

Two Years Ago, Gavin

I phoned Jace.  No answer.  Texted: are u around? Weird stuff going on.  Call me NOW.  

I went back upstairs again.

'Awww,' I screamed near the top of the stairs.

A pair of hands gripped me around the waist, travelling up to cover my eyes. A knee lodged in my kidney, forcing me back, and I found myself half-falling, half thrashing out in self-defence, certain that Steve was about to attack me.

Or Aidan.  

I tried stamping on his foot, but he sensed the intended move and twisted his foot away from mine. I couldn't do the equivalent of playing dead either: pretend to relax, move into the lock and force him to release me that way. I had no idea Aidan could fight so well. My only option, to try to protect my head and eyes.

Instinct took over and I must have shouted, because next moment a hand clamped down on my mouth. 'Shut up,' a voice whispered. 'Or it will be twice as bad for you.'

Not Aidan.

Steve or some other nutter.  

'No,' I struggled to say, trying once more to stamp on their foot. 'Get off.'

Pointless.

I heard laughter.

'Got you,' Jace bellowed from behind me. 'All right, mate?'

***
Jace released me from the lock, and I exploded. I chased after him, roaring with rage, ready to take my chances with him. We ran up and down the stairs, along the ground floor and first floor corridors, Jace giggling like a kid. He kept on coming up close to me to tap me on the shoulder, like in a game of tag. Each time I nearly got him, he darted off again, forcing me round in circles.

Eventually, he stopped, put his hands in the air: 'All right, all right, I give up.'  

I reached him, still pretty furious.

He held out a hand. 'Peace. Friends?  Amnesty?'

I took it, and we both burst out laughing.    

'Yes,' he shouted, excitedly. 'You're so easy to wind up, Gavin.'

***

Tense evening. Jace and I had just raided the stale biscuits in the kitchenette area. He let me have all the biscuits because I hadn't eaten since this morning. I washed them down with strong coffee, no milk, plenty of sugar, but I was still pretty hungry. I finished telling Jace about the dead rabbits and the blood-coated knife on the grass. He wanted to see the rabbits for himself. We headed towards the outhouse in the fields, the evening getting chillier, darker.  

We could just about see the rabbits still, surrounded by flies. The knife too.

Jace took out his phone and made a call, then put it back in his pocket. 'I don't like this,' he said. 'I'm going to ring someone.'

'The police?'

Jace shook his head. 'Promise you won't say a word to anyone?'

'Okay.'

'I was meant to meet Lucy earlier and she didn't show up.  I texted a couple of times and rung, but there's been no answer. I wasn't really concerned about it – okay, I was a bit bothered – but then you told me about the dead rabbits and that knife.  I tried ringing her just then, and she's still not answering.'

'Do you think it's connected to this?'

'Hope not. I'm going to ring Arthur anyway and ask him to drive over to the B & B to check on her.'

'Isn't that a bit extreme?'

Jace waved his hand around at the dead rabbit and knife. 'This is extreme, mate. There's a knife over there with blood on. Lucy's missing.'