Chapter 8

Rachael Hooper was worried, her daughter, Kate, wasn't home.

Although she was a headstrong young girl she knew her responsibilities, Rachael knew this, she also knew that Kate wasn't the type to blindly go with strangers, she smiled, Kate was more likely to cause them more harm than they would to her. No it was the fact that Kate wasn't home on time!

Rachael looked at the fridge, as expected there was the envelope on there, Kate had moaned about this - it was something they'd established when she was eight, she'd been a problem even then, she stayed over at Shelly's house that night, but had forgotten to ask permission, after being grounded for a couple of weeks Rachael had told her that she didn't mind if Kate stayed with friends, as long as she knew where she was, so they agreed that Kate would leave a note, just in case.

Well this was a case and the note was on the fridge, Rachael opened it.

'Mum, I'm going to Harding House, I've got things to think about, don't even know why I'm leaving this note I should be back way before 5. Kate'

Rachael looked at the clock, seven o'clock. No Kate always knew what she was doing, if she said she'd be back by 5 she would have been. Rachael went to the telephone, she thought perhaps Kate might have met up with the boys, she sighed, she knew the boys weren't bad, but they were getting to the age when they started to realise things about girls, and were getting inquisitive as well.

She phoned Bradley's parents, but no Kate, Bradley was still in after his night out, which he still wouldn't tell anyone about, his parents had grounded him - they were learning.

She phoned Paul and Mike's parents, no they were both at home, finally she phoned Billy's parents - they were worried, Billy wasn't home either, they didn't know where he was! She told them that Kate wasn't home either and that she was going to Harding House, they said that they would meet her there, Rachael made one more phone call, to Bradley's parents, when they answered she asked them if she could talk to Bradley.

"Hello Mrs. Hooper," Bradley said, Rachael told him that Kate was missing, also that she had said she was going to Harding House, Bradley became agitated, "Don't let her go there, please Mrs. Hooper, she doesn't realise what's there! She didn't have to, to." He became quiet, Rachael waited for a few minutes but he didn't speak.

"Bradley what's up? You can tell me." Rachael was frantic now, what if there were some men hiding in the house, what might they have made Kate do? She had to find out. "Bradley! Bradley, how do we get into the house, tell me quickly Kate's life may depend on it!"

"I, I don't want to go back there, its spooky." This didn't sound like Bradley at all, he was really scared, but of what?

"Bradley! You're not going back there, but I have to get Kate back." This was where Kate got her attitude from, although Rachael wouldn't admit it. "Now before I have to come round to your house, how do I get into Harding House, the doors are locked."

Bradley was sniffing away now, "Kate found an open window, don't know how, as they've always been bolted before, it at the side of the House, low down, you can get into a room there. That was creepy, there are some stuffed animals all over the place, I still get nightmares about them! Don't go there please Mrs. Hooper." He was really scared, Rachael didn't know what had happened to him when he was out overnight, but it sounded as if he'd been scared out of his wits. She thanked Bradley and hung up, this time she was determined to find out what had happened to her daughter.

She left her house and got into her car, she drove to Harding house and parked in the driveway, there were two bicycles on the drive, she recognised Kate's bike and assumed the other one was Billy's, and then his parents turned up in their car.

"Hello Rachael." Said Bob, Billy's father, "So this is where they've been spending their time is it?" He asked.

"Yes!" She replied and explained how they had got into the house, all three of them walked to the side and found the window, but this time it was securely locked, she looked at Bob and his wife.

"This was the way the kids got in, Bradley told me so!" Bob tried to pull the window open without success; he then got out his mobile phone and rang Bradley's parents - after a long conversation he hung up.

"Well this was the window, I don't know how it's got itself locked, but we can't just break in." He dialled a number on the phone again, "Hello, Police? My name is Robert Block; my son is missing I think he's at Harding house as I've found his bike outside, I need to get into the house to search it, can you get an officer here?" Rachael mouthed 'what about Kate?' Bob nodded, "Also there is a girl missing with him, what? No officer they're both 12 years old, I don't think they'd be doing anything like that! Yes I do know what children are like! But it's not like either of them! Sorry? If you don't then I'm going to break into the house and search without your permission. Do that then! We'll be outside waiting!" He hung up, "Bloody cheek!" He said "Only thought they'd be in the woods making out!" He smiled at that, "Wouldn't really have minded if they were. Anyway they're sending a Car round to here - to stop us from breaking in I think more than anything else."

They carried on going around the house trying all the windows, but none of them opened, finally a car turned up and two uniformed officers got out, Rachael explained to them about how Kate always told her where she would be, and what Bradley had told her.

The two officers checked the window and declared it to be securely locked, "Don't think anyone's gone inside that way for some time!" Rachael turned on them,

"I have it on good authority that that room has stuffed animals inside it, and that there are several displays in the house, my daughter is not one to tell lies about things, if she said she was inside there then you can be assured that she was!" she was right in front of the Officers and not budging, which - when they both towered over her - was something to behold.

Grudgingly both officers decided to try the window again, they pulled at it without success, then one of them got a torch out and directed it on the floor of the room, several footprints were visible in the dust, leading to and from the window, he raised the beam and suddenly the display of a lion and zebra came into view.

"Control, this is Romeo X-ray 253." He spoke into his radio, "Need permission to access Harding House, assumed missing children locked inside."

"Control to Romeo X-ray 253 - permission granted, but minimum damage only!" came the reply after a few minutes.

"Stand back!" the officer said and took out his trunction, taking careful aim he broke the window just by the lock, carefully inserting his hand he unlocked the window and swung it open. He gingerly entered the house.

Rachael started to follow but the other officer stopped her, "I'm sorry madam, but it's better if you don't go in, just in case there's anyone in there."

They could hear the officer inside as he walked around the room, "Hello, this is the police. Is there anyone in here?" but receiving no reply. He got to the light switch and tried it, to his surprise the bulb lit up showing the room in its starkness.

"Bloody hell!" He said as he saw the display close up, the lion was caught in mid-bound as it had landed on the back of the zebra, he read the plaque on the front, 'Survival of the Fittest' he shook his head.

The foot prints were now visible and led out of the room, he opened the door and entered the darkened hallway. His torch showed that the prints went both ways, although the newer ones led to the left down the passageway. He followed them into what appeared to be the kitchen, on a table there was a jacket, with a name tag inside, 'Billy Douglas' but nothing else. He tried the light switch, with out success, swinging the torch to the socket he saw that the bulb had been broken the filament bare. Taking the jacket with him he returned to the room.

He passed the jacket to his colleague outside who showed it to Billy's parents.

"That's my son's jacket; he was wearing it when he left this afternoon." The officer got onto his radio.

"Control, this is Romeo X-ray 287." He waited for the control room to answer, "Control we need the key holder and a K9 team at Harding House, we think the kids are inside, but may be hiding. We've found a jacket which has been positively identified as one of the kids." He waited for the acknowledgement before returning to the parents.

"We've got the key holder on his way and we're getting a dog unit in to help search for the kids, I'm sorry but I've got to ask this question, have you had a row with your children prior to their running off like this?"

Bob started to get angry at that question, "No, of course not. He's seemed pre-occupied the last couple of days, but we haven't had any arguments."

Rachael thought back, "Well, I did have a few heated words with Kate, she's always been a tomboy and I thought she'd started to grow out of it, but I wouldn't say she was upset about anything, well except for the confirmation classes I've arrange for her."

The officer looked closely at Rachael, "Would that have made her run away do you think?"

Rachael shook her head, "Oh no, I mean if she was going to run away she wouldn't leave a note telling me where to find her would she?" at the officer's puzzled look she explained about the letter and why Kate always left one, he nodded.

"Okay then, what we have is two children, who have hidden themselves in this house for no apparent reason, you do know that we don't respond to a missing persons report for 24 hours don't you."

Bob spoke up for the parents, "Officer, if we thought they were missing would we be here. No we know they're here, you've found the proof, or do you think they were able to lock that window after planting that jacket in the room?"

The officer shook his head, "No sir, I know that type of lock; it can only be closed from the inside. If the kids are in there then our dog will find them."

Rachael said; "It won't hurt them will it?" the officer smiled.

"Our dogs are well trained, if they find anyone they'll bark to let us know where they are, all we have to do is to follow them. So don't worry about that!" There was a sound of a car stopping at the front door and a door slamming, the officer walked round and then returned accompanied by an elderly man who introduced himself as Parkinson, he worked for the Estate Agents (Realiator) who were trying to sell the property.

"Oh my," He said looking at the window, that's not good."

Bob said, "That's alright, we'll pay for the damage, we just need to find our kids, we think they're inside."

Parkinson looked a bit shocked at that, "But there's so much in there, I hope they're not vandals."

Rachael drew herself up, "My daughter is not a vandal, I've brought her up to respect property, so I don't think you have any worries about that."

Parkinson tried to look apologetic about that, "I didn't mean anything by that, but you do hear stories about the young today." He started to get a bunch of keys from his pocket, "We've had to keep the electric running, but the fuse box is switched off so I'll need to get to that first, it's in the kitchen," he was saying.

The police officer interrupted him, "That's alright sir, the electric is already switched on, my colleague is already inside."

Parkinson just looked at him, "He's already inside - and he's alright?" he asked in a shocked voice.

Rachael pulled at his arm, "Just what do you mean by that? What's in there to attack people?"

Parkinson was white, but not with rage he was shaking, "Well, there have been reports, noises, that type of thing, one of our prospective clients... Well he won't even set foot in the place you know."

Rachael just looked at him, "No, I don't know, Mr. Parkinson, why won't he?"

Parkinson swallowed, "Why because it's haunted, its that damn Josiah Harding, as soon as we get prospective clients to look at the place he starts up. It's almost as if he's hiding something in there."

Bob looked at Parkinson as if he was mad, "Ghosts, don't be daft man, they don't exist!"

Parkinson drew himself up with dignity, "You sir may realise that, and I realise that, the only problem is that Josiah Harding doesn't!" and he walked away to unlock the front door.

Bob went closer to Rachael, "Ghosts indeed, I'd bet that all it is are some loose floorboards and a broken chimney, the wind rushes down the chimney causing a noise and people think 'Oh it's a ghost!' It pathetic how some people turn out to be superstitious."

Rachael just smiled, she remember some strange things when she was younger. Parkinson managed to unlock the door, the other police officer walked out slowly, Parkinson just looked at him.

"Did, err did anything happen while you were in there?" He asked cautiously the officer just shook his head,

"Nothing, it's very dusty in there you know, I don't know if the dog will be able to cope with that," He looked up at the driveway, "But we'll know in a few minutes." He added as the van with the K9 unit arrived.

The officer got out of the van, he looked at the two waiting and nodded, "Hi John, Clive, hear you've got some missing kids." Then he saw the three parents standing there, "Well, don't worry Rex here will find them, got the best nose in the job." He went round to the back of the van and opened it, the German Shepherd jumped down, its tail wagging and tongue hanging out. "Good boy," the handler said as he attached a short lead to the dog, and led him to the house.

The officer turned to the group. "Please once I let the dog loose, don't make a noise or distract him, if he comes near you don't panic, once he's in a search mode he'll just stay by the subject and start barking. Ready?" the two officers nodded and the Handler removed the lead from the dog, "Okay boy, search, search." And the dog went running into the house.

A few seconds later the dog ran out of the house, its eyes wide and its ears flat, it wasn't frightened, it was terrified! Parkinson tapped his nose with a finger; Bob just rolled his eyes up into the air.

"Don't understand that at all?" Said the handler; "He's normally very good at searches. Oh well, have to try it again." He turned the dog around and pointed to the door, "Search Rex, search." The dog just looked at the handler and whined. The handler scratched his head, "Don't understand that either. I don't think he wants to go into the house."

Parkinson laughed, "I told you, he's smelt old Josiah, he'll not go in there alone." The handler put the short lead back onto the dog's collar.

"Right, Clive if you'll come with me, we'll search the place with Rex." He gave a sharp tug on the lead, the dog reluctantly rose up and walked with him, as they entered the doorway the dogs ears tried to get even lower, but they entered together with the other policeman (Clive) walking behind them."

After a few minutes the dog returned alone and ran to the van, it's legs shaking, of the two officers there was no sign. Rachael couldn't wait any longer.

"I'm going in." She looked at Bob and his wife, "Are you coming?" Bob followed her; Katherine (his wife) elected to remain outside with the other policeman, who was now on his radio calling for reinforcements.

As they walked into the hall, Bob looked at Rachael.

"Should we be doing this?" He asked her, she smiled.

"Let just pretend we're back in the '70's and we're searching for the rest of the gang." She laughingly said - she did know how Kate felt; she was just the same at her age. "Remember when George got himself stuck in that tree?" She asked Bob, "And the only way we could get him down was by taking old Mr. Jones's ladder."