and Jess looked at it properly for the first time since she was a teenager. It was monstrous. Sunken eyes stared down at them beneath jutting eyebrows. Its cheekbones were hollow and led to a gaping black hole of a mouth. It was an odd thing to carve into a tree.
"I saw it," Emma said.
All three of them turned to look at her, not understanding what she meant.
"We can all see it, Emma," Jess replied.
"No." Emma shook her head, finally turning her face away from the carved face. "My first day, the day I moved back. I sat at the lights, in my car. I turned to look at the river, but instead ... instead, I saw that. Saw the tree, the face coming out of the wood."
Matt put his arm around her waist when he saw how upset she was becoming. Jess was about to say something comforting when Matt spoke quietly. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"I didn't even know you then, Matt," Emma said, lifting her hand to his cheek. "And then, when I did, there were other visions that seemed more important, about your family."
Matt nodded and wrapped his other arm around her waist.
"Maybe you should research that legend, Matt. It might be important," Rob offered.
Matt nodded again, glancing up at the carved face, then pulled Emma away from it towards the vault.
Jess led the way, eager to get this over with. The heavy vault door came into her sight, and she squinted at it. She stopped abruptly as she realised the door was ajar. Her gaze dropped to the floor when she saw something glinting, saw the padlock on the floor, and she gasped.
Rob was by her side and, at the sound of her gasp, followed her gaze. When he realised what it was, he moved so he angled himself in front of her, and for once, she was glad of his strength; his broad back blocked out most of her view of the door. She heard Matt and Emma stop behind her, but neither of them said a word. Maybe whoever had opened the door was still in there.
Usually, she avoided physical contact, but she acted without thought—she reached out for Rob's back, placing her palm flat on it. His muscles rippled beneath her hand as he stretched out an arm behind him, his hand brushing against her hip.
Matt moved in front of her, switching the torch on, and he and Rob made their way towards the door. Jess jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder, but it was only Emma. Jess leaned into her, clutching her free hand.
They waited for what felt like an eternity before they heard Matt shout to them. Slowly, they headed towards the vault, and Matt and Rob were walking in their direction.
"What?" Jess asked, a hundred scenarios running through her head. All unpleasant, all involving James.
"He's gone," Matt said.
"What?" Jess asked again, sure that she must have misheard.
"He's not here. He's gone," Matt repeated, spreading his hands out in front of him.
"But how? He's dead. He can't just disappear," Jess said, looking between Matt and Rob. She grabbed the torch from Matt, aiming its beam towards the plinth as memories of her vision flashed through her mind. But, of course, they were right.
James was gone.
CHAPTER FOUR
Jess stood under the spray of the shower, letting it pelt her shoulders, the heat helping to ease the tension there. Emma had said there was nothing they could do about James, but it didn't stop Jess wanting to. But she knew Emma was right when she had said they didn't even know where to start looking for him. Knew they couldn't involve the police.
She ran that imaginary conversation through her mind and shook her head. Yes, officer, we reported our brother missing last year but then we found him. He'd been locked in the family vault, was attacked—killed, actually. No, we didn't report that, but now we want to report him missing. Again. Yeah, she couldn't see that going down too well.
She wrapped a towel around her as she stepped out of the shower. Her reflection moved with her across the dark window, and she knew that everything would have to wait until morning, at the
"I saw it," Emma said.
All three of them turned to look at her, not understanding what she meant.
"We can all see it, Emma," Jess replied.
"No." Emma shook her head, finally turning her face away from the carved face. "My first day, the day I moved back. I sat at the lights, in my car. I turned to look at the river, but instead ... instead, I saw that. Saw the tree, the face coming out of the wood."
Matt put his arm around her waist when he saw how upset she was becoming. Jess was about to say something comforting when Matt spoke quietly. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"I didn't even know you then, Matt," Emma said, lifting her hand to his cheek. "And then, when I did, there were other visions that seemed more important, about your family."
Matt nodded and wrapped his other arm around her waist.
"Maybe you should research that legend, Matt. It might be important," Rob offered.
Matt nodded again, glancing up at the carved face, then pulled Emma away from it towards the vault.
Jess led the way, eager to get this over with. The heavy vault door came into her sight, and she squinted at it. She stopped abruptly as she realised the door was ajar. Her gaze dropped to the floor when she saw something glinting, saw the padlock on the floor, and she gasped.
Rob was by her side and, at the sound of her gasp, followed her gaze. When he realised what it was, he moved so he angled himself in front of her, and for once, she was glad of his strength; his broad back blocked out most of her view of the door. She heard Matt and Emma stop behind her, but neither of them said a word. Maybe whoever had opened the door was still in there.
Usually, she avoided physical contact, but she acted without thought—she reached out for Rob's back, placing her palm flat on it. His muscles rippled beneath her hand as he stretched out an arm behind him, his hand brushing against her hip.
Matt moved in front of her, switching the torch on, and he and Rob made their way towards the door. Jess jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder, but it was only Emma. Jess leaned into her, clutching her free hand.
They waited for what felt like an eternity before they heard Matt shout to them. Slowly, they headed towards the vault, and Matt and Rob were walking in their direction.
"What?" Jess asked, a hundred scenarios running through her head. All unpleasant, all involving James.
"He's gone," Matt said.
"What?" Jess asked again, sure that she must have misheard.
"He's not here. He's gone," Matt repeated, spreading his hands out in front of him.
"But how? He's dead. He can't just disappear," Jess said, looking between Matt and Rob. She grabbed the torch from Matt, aiming its beam towards the plinth as memories of her vision flashed through her mind. But, of course, they were right.
James was gone.
CHAPTER FOUR
Jess stood under the spray of the shower, letting it pelt her shoulders, the heat helping to ease the tension there. Emma had said there was nothing they could do about James, but it didn't stop Jess wanting to. But she knew Emma was right when she had said they didn't even know where to start looking for him. Knew they couldn't involve the police.
She ran that imaginary conversation through her mind and shook her head. Yes, officer, we reported our brother missing last year but then we found him. He'd been locked in the family vault, was attacked—killed, actually. No, we didn't report that, but now we want to report him missing. Again. Yeah, she couldn't see that going down too well.
She wrapped a towel around her as she stepped out of the shower. Her reflection moved with her across the dark window, and she knew that everything would have to wait until morning, at the
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