Chasing Stars

Chapter 2

‘Where have you been?’

I was about to defend myself – it was only three in the afternoon after all – but the worry was all over Miranda’s face.

‘I went for a walk with Ryan. I left a note.’

‘We have a visitor.’

She stepped aside to let me into the hall and I braced myself. We’d had lots of visitors in the days since my near drowning and Travis’s death. Neighbours we’d been on little more than nodding terms with had shown up with shepherd’s pies and lasagnes, and there had been a steady stream of Miranda’s friends and colleagues come to pay their condolences.

‘She’s in the sitting room,’ said Miranda.

A tall woman dressed in a smart black suit stood in front of the unlit fireplace. Her shiny brown hair was wound into a slick bun and her hands clutched a briefcase.

‘This is my niece, Eden,’ Miranda told the woman. ‘Eden, this is Lauren.’ She paused and then added, ‘Travis’s sister.’

For a moment, I was confused. Travis, obviously, didn’t have a sister in 2012, because he was from the future. He was a cleaner sent back to ‘clean up’ anything the time agents left behind. Which meant that anyone who knew anything about Travis was either an imposter or from the future too.

The tall woman, Lauren, smiled at me and held out her hand.

‘Eden,’ she said, her cold hand shaking mine stiffly. ‘How lovely to meet you. I’m just sorry that it’s under such unfortunate circumstances.’

Adrenalin raced through me. I took my hand back. ‘Travis never mentioned a sister.’

‘My brother was estranged from most of the family. However, he and I had always been close. It saddens me that he never mentioned me to you.’ She unsnapped the catches of her briefcase and removed some papers. ‘I have identification with me. And rest assured, I have no interest in any of Travis’s material possessions. I would, however, like to claim his body.’

Dread gripped me. I took a step backwards. This wasn’t some con woman come to steal Travis’s possessions. This was someone from the future who knew about Travis’s mission. Did cleaners have cleaners?

‘But the funeral is tomorrow,’ Miranda was saying. ‘Everything’s arranged. The body is with the undertaker in Perran and I have a plot in the churchyard.’

‘I’m sorry,’ said Lauren. She smoothed back her hair. ‘This must be very hard for you. But Travis always made it clear to me that he would want his body to go home in the event of his death overseas.’

Miranda looked stunned. ‘Can I see your identification?’ she asked.

‘Yes of course,’ said Lauren. She handed her paperwork to Miranda. ‘Here.’

Miranda flicked through each document in turn and then passed them to me. The passport was blue. I flicked it open to the photo page. Lauren Deckard, the name said. Date of birth: 8th August 1982. I picked up the birth certificates. One read Lauren Deckard, born Oakland, California, 8th August 1982. The second read Travis Deckard, born 3rd March 1980, Oakland, California. The parents of both children were Scott and Heather Deckard. They looked real enough. I handed the documents back to Lauren.

‘This is just such a shock,’ said Miranda. She sat on the edge of the sofa, shaking her head.

Lauren smoothed her hair back again. ‘This must be dreadful for you. I don’t want to upset you. But you should take a look at his will. It spells out clearly his wishes for his body to be repatriated.’ She passed the other document to Miranda.

Miranda glanced over the document and looked at me. ‘We’ll need to cancel the funeral arrangements.’

‘I’ll take care of it.’

‘I’m going to need to take a look around his flat to see what personal effects he left there,’ said Lauren.

‘Of course,’ said Miranda. ‘Eden and I will drive you there.’

‘I have my own car. I’ll follow you.’

‘I’m just going to nip to the bathroom,’ I said, backing out of the sitting room.

I ran up the stairs and into my room, almost tripping over Katkin, the neighbour’s tomcat who seemed to think my bedroom was his second home. I dug my mobile phone out of my bag and speed-dialled Ryan. He answered on the first ring.

‘Missing me already?’ he said.

‘Ryan, listen. There’s a woman here claiming to be Travis’s sister. She wants his body.’

Ryan swore. ‘Are you at home?’

‘Yes. She showed up about five minutes ago. She wants to go to his flat. Miranda and I are going to take her there in a few minutes.’

‘I wasn’t expecting this yet. Has she asked about me?’

‘No. Just Travis. What’s going on, Ryan?’

He hesitated. ‘This woman will be Travis’s cleaner. There’s nothing for you to worry about . . .’

‘The last time a cleaner showed up, I ended up dead,’ I whispered angrily. ‘I’m worried, OK? Really worried. You need to tell me what’s going on.’

‘Travis died on the job, so the Guardians have sent another cleaner to clean things up. She’ll want to erase any trace of him. That’s it. When she’s done that, she’ll leave.’

‘Did you know this would happen?’

‘Yes, but I didn’t expect anyone to show up yet.’

‘Why didn’t you tell me?’

‘I didn’t want to worry you.’

‘Well, I’m pretty worried now, Ryan. If you’d told me, at least I would have been expecting her.’

‘I’m sorry. I didn’t want you to worry needlessly. I thought we had time. It’s only four days since we portalled out. She took a real risk travelling back so close to when we left. I thought we’d have a few weeks at least.’

‘Eden!’ Miranda shouted up the stairs.

‘Miranda’s calling me,’ I said to Ryan. ‘I have to go.’

‘OK. She’s not here for you or me, just Travis’s body and anything personal to him.’ His tone was soothing and reassuring. ‘There’s no need for you to be anxious. Call me when she’s gone.’

I hung up, pushed my mobile in my jeans pocket and ran back downstairs.

Travis’s flat was above his seafood restaurant in the middle of Perran. The restaurant had been closed since he drowned the previous Sunday. The white blinds were down on both the windows, resting against the black slate windowsills like two shut eyes. Miranda pulled into the small parking space in front of the restaurant. Lauren parked behind us.

‘Are you OK?’ I asked.

Miranda’s face crumpled. ‘No, I’m not. I’m about as far from OK as I’ve ever been in my life. And you know what makes me feel even worse? People asking me if I’m OK. I’m not OK and I’m not going to be OK for a while because that’s the way it is when someone you love dies.’

She wiped her hand across her eyes, smudging black mascara across her cheekbones.

I grabbed a tissue from the box in the glove compartment and passed it to her. ‘I’m sorry. I just don’t know what to say.’

‘So don’t say anything. Accept that this is horrible, but we’ll live through it because people do.’

Lauren was standing outside the restaurant, peering at the menu posted in the window.

‘Miranda,’ I said. I paused, choosing what I said next carefully. ‘I don’t trust this woman.’

‘We don’t have a choice, Eden. From the look of her documents she is who she says she is. We could refuse to let her in and make her go to a lawyer and all that, but then Travis wouldn’t be laid to rest for weeks. Nothing is going to bring him back.’

‘Let’s just not tell her any more than we have to. Let’s get rid of her as fast as we can.’

Miranda nodded silently and reached for her door handle.

‘Is this his restaurant?’ asked Lauren.

‘Yes. It’s very popular,’ said Miranda. ‘Travis was an amazing chef. But I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you that.’

‘My brother was a man of many talents.’

Miranda unlocked the black door next to the restaurant and we climbed the stairs to his first floor flat in single file. Halfway up the stairs I realised that Lauren was behind us and my heart began juddering in my chest. Was she corralling us into Travis’s flat so she could finish us off? I stepped aside at the top of the stairs to let her in first.

‘After you,’ I said.

I had never been to Travis’s flat before. The door opened on to a large living room with views over the harbour. It was sparsely furnished, with just a single couch, a coffee table and a lamp. It reminded me of Ryan’s farmhouse – furnished just enough to be comfortable for a short stay.

‘We’ll go home and give you some privacy,’ said Miranda. ‘You can just drop the key at the solicitors’ office when you’re done.’

‘I won’t be long,’ said Lauren. ‘And I might have a few questions. Would you mind waiting outside?’

Miranda and I walked back down the stairs and into the hazy sunshine. We crossed the road and sat on a bench with a view over the harbour.

She dabbed at the corner of her eyes with a tissue. Neither of us said anything for a moment. I watched a seagull swoop down and snatch an ice-cream cone from a child’s hand.

‘I can’t stay around here,’ she said suddenly.

‘What do you mean?’

‘You heard what the woman said. She’s taking Travis’s body back to America with her. There won’t be a funeral or anything.’

I wished I knew what to say.

Miranda dabbed her eyes again. ‘I don’t want to sit around the house thinking about him. I have to get away.’

‘OK. Where do you want to go?’

‘I think I’ll drive up to Bath and stay with Tanya for a few days.’

I felt a weight lift from my shoulders. I loved Miranda to bits. She’d raised me ever since my parents died in a car crash ten years ago. But Tanya was Miranda’s best friend. She’d know the right things to say. She’d be much better at helping Miranda through this than I was.

‘When do we leave?’

Miranda put a hand on my arm. ‘Do you think you could manage a few days here alone? I need to get away from . . . everything.’

My heart constricted. Did she blame me for Travis’s death? He’d been trying to kill me, but Miranda believed he’d been trying to save me.

‘I’ll be fine,’ I said. My voice croaked.

‘You’ve never been on your own before.’

‘I’m nearly seventeen.’

‘I’ll ask Mrs Grady to look in on you.’

‘You don’t need to do that.’

Miranda managed a small smile. ‘It’s OK for Ryan to come over, but promise me that you’ll be careful.’

I felt my face heat up. ‘OK,’ I said, turning my head in the opposite direction, just as Lauren began marching across the road towards us.

‘My brother didn’t collect many possessions, did he?’ said Lauren. ‘I take it the flat and the restaurant are rentals?’

‘Yes,’ said Miranda. ‘The only item of value he owned was his car.’

‘I will arrange for the car to be sold and any furniture to be given to charity. Unless you want any of it.’

Miranda rubbed her eyes. ‘No.’

Lauren held out a photo of Ben – the leader from Ryan’s original mission. ‘Do either of you know who this is?’

‘Let me have a look,’ said Miranda, reaching for the photo. She shook her head slowly. ‘Never seen him before. Perhaps he’s one of Travis’s employees?’

‘What about you?’ Lauren asked, holding the photo to me.

I tried to think quickly. Ben’s cover story had been that he was Ryan’s father, an American scientist who had relocated to Penpol Cove to write a book. In reality he had been the mission leader on an assignment to 2012 to prevent my friend, Connor, from discovering a planet.

‘I don’t recognise him,’ I said, handing the photo back.

Lauren passed a small card to Miranda. ‘Do you know what this is?’

‘It’s a passenger ticket to the Isles of Scilly,’ she replied.

‘Where is that?’

‘Just off the coast of Cornwall,’ said Miranda. ‘This is a return ticket to the islands on the Scillonion, the ferry that sails between Penzance and the islands. Funny, I never knew Travis had been there.’

‘Did my brother leave anything at your house?’

‘He spent most of his time at my place during the last few months,’ said Miranda. ‘But it’s strange. There’s almost nothing of his in the house. I have his pyjamas and a toothbrush, half a pack of the cigarettes he smoked and some spare socks. But no photos or anything that really reminds me of him. It’s as though he never existed.’

Lauren nodded. ‘That sounds like Travis.’ She pursed her lips. ‘What is the name and address of the undertaker who has my brother’s body?’

‘Wakfer and Williams. They’re the only undertaker in Perran. Located on Bread Street.’

Lauren nodded and began to walk away. She stopped halfway across the road and turned back to us, smoothing her hair with one hand. ‘I’m sorry for your loss.’

Ryan opened the farmhouse door before I knocked and closed it quickly behind me.

‘Were you followed?’ he asked.

‘Nice to see you too,’ I said. ‘I don’t think so.’

‘Stay against the wall.’

Warily, he peered through the glass of the front. It hadn’t even occurred to me that Lauren might follow me. A frown creased his forehead and I realised his calmness on the phone earlier had been an act. He was dressed in his boots and jacket and a backpack leant against the wall. He was ready to leave.

‘She never asked about you,’ I said. ‘Didn’t even mention your name.’

‘Good. Come in, I think we’re OK.’ He put his arm around my waist and led me into the kitchen.

And then I remembered the photograph.

‘There was a photo of Ben at Travis’s place,’ I said. ‘She asked if we knew who it was. We both said no. Do you think that means anything?’

‘I don’t think so. But I can’t take any risks. If she’s here for me, this is one of the first places she’ll look. I’m going to need to disappear for a few days. Until I’m sure she’s gone.’

‘Where will you go?’

He shrugged. ‘Away from here. Just until the weekend. If she’s here to clean up Travis, she’ll only need a couple of days. If she’s still here next week, then I’ll know I’m in trouble.’

I walked to the sink and poured myself a glass of water. It wasn’t fair. I’d only just got him back and now he was going to leave again.

‘I’ll be all alone,’ I said. ‘Miranda is going to Bath to stay with a friend.’

I didn’t tell him that the thought of being the only one around with Lauren in the area terrified me. There had been something detached and robotic about her. Travis, although he was a psychopathic killer, had at least shown signs of humanity from time to time. But Lauren had no warmth. I smiled to myself.

‘What’s funny?’ asked Ryan.

‘I was just thinking that at least the man who tried to kill me could make me laugh occasionally. Whereas this Lauren woman just creeps me out,’ I said. ‘There must be something seriously wrong with me – clocking up Travis’s good points.’

Ryan came up behind me and slipped his arms around my waist. He nuzzled my neck; my skin prickled and my pulse accelerated. I still wasn’t used to this.

‘She’s a cleaner,’ he said. ‘She’s not here to make friends.’

I turned around in his arms. ‘Now it sounds like you’re defending her.’

He shook his head. ‘When is Miranda going away?’

‘Tomorrow morning.’

A smile appeared in the corner of his mouth. ‘So she won’t miss you if you come away with me?’

‘I like what you’re suggesting,’ I said. ‘Have you anywhere in mind?’

He ran a hand through his hair. ‘What I’d really like to do is whisk you away to a deserted island. But right now I don’t have a passport. Or a whole lot of money.’

‘What about all those credit cards?’

‘I was on an official time mission back then. The credit cards were supplied to me. And of course they’re totally traceable. If I used a credit card now, they’d be on to me in no time.’

‘You spent all that time in the future and you didn’t memorise winning lottery numbers?’

‘Lottery winners attract publicity. I need to keep a low profile.’

‘I have some savings,’ I said.

‘I have enough to cover a few days away.’ He slipped his hand back around my waist. ‘We just need to decide on a place to go.’

I had a sudden flash of inspiration. ‘Hang on a second. I know just the place. It won’t be tropical temperatures, but it has deserted islands, beautiful beaches and doesn’t require a passport.’