The Mysteries of Brambly Hollow

windscreens looked intact. There was no sign of Elsa.
    Swinging open the wooden door, Cal turned on the light, almost blinding everyone as they bundled in and eyed the interior with interest. Meli hadn’t been totally idle, and the walls were now adorned with pictures and photos of masks from different countries: from Bali to New York, to India and Australia. Some were carved from wood, others made from moulds. Some were dazzlingly bright and colourful, others were outright scary. Many of the photos were of masks Amy had made, and there were a couple in black and white, taken of Amy as a young woman posing with some African chief.
    They spent some time grouped together, chatting like critics in an art gallery, sipping their wines as they circled the room before returning to the lodge and dinner. Several glasses of wine later they all descended on the Smugglers Arms, where they met Barbara and Doug. They were all quite tipsy by the time they returned after closing. As they tottered down the track, Adam stopped at his Primera to collect one last suitcase from the boot. Something was fluttering on the windscreen. Intrigued he moved closer. There was a piece of paper trapped under the wiper. Pulling it out he stuffed it in his pocket and then heaving up the case, he followed the others inside.
    “What’ve you got there?” Paula enquired as he propped the case against the wall and began to open out the sheet of paper.
    “It was under one of the wipers,” there was a momentary pause, as his dark grey eyes scanned the scrawled writing. “Bloody hell,” he commented, his cheeks puffing indignantly when he eventually lifted his gaze. “You’ve got to read this.” Everyone crowded round and the grubby slip of paper passed from hand to hand.
    Who do u think u are? Why are u doing this to me? I know what yur up to, yu’re trying to make me il. Or trying to cill me. GET OF MY LAND or il sort u.
    Meli’s pleasantly tipsy mood sobered like a shot of espresso taken intravenously as she studied the deranged, paranoid note in the childish hand. It had to be from Elsa. She sounded very upset. Meli flashed her husband an uneasy look. “Maybe you should pop down and explain?” Cal didn’t look too receptive to the suggestion as he flicked his eyes to the window and the impenetrable darkness outside. “But she’s so upset,” she pressed. Moving closer and lowering her voice she added. “And we don’t want to see the cars damaged.”
    “Damn cheek, if you ask me,” snapped Roger who had just finished reading the note. His dark blue eyes were slightly bloodshot from too many whiskies, and a nerve in his left forehead had begun to throb “Who does she think she is, leaving notes like this?” He waved it angrily in the air as he spoke.
    Suddenly, what had only moments before been an enjoyable evening, was crushed and bruised under Elsa’s’ bloated foot. “Cal?” Meli looked at him beseechingly.
    “Okay, okay,” he conceded, throwing his hands in the air. By careful toning of the simple word, he managed to convey quite clearly that he was only going under duress; the prospect of traipsing down to the farmhouse in the dark rated zero on his list of ways to entertain their guests. “But she’s probably in bed by now. I won’t knock if there are no lights on.”
    “Do you want me to come with you?” Adam offered, placing his glass on the coffee table and uncrossing his long legs.
    Cal shook his head. “No, don’t worry, no point us both going out.“ He threw a meaningful look at his wife as he spoke. “I won’t be long.” Emptying the remnants of his whisky down his throat he slipped on the jacket Meli handed him, and set off.

Chapter 10

    In the village, after darkness fell, it was total; blacker than the Ace of Spades. As the lights from the lodge quickly faded behind him, Cal found himself navigating by short bursts of moonlight that flicked between fast moving clouds overhead. Twisting his ankle in a pot hole he cursed out loud as he was forced to hop about on his good foot for a moment before hobbling on. He wished he ’d thought to bring a torch; maybe even Adam. As he rounded the bend the farmhouse loomed blackly in front of him. All was silent and in darkness. Well, that was a waste of time, he thought to himself as he turned on his heels. Maybe he should have brought a note with him, to push through the door. Too late, he wasn’t going to come back again tonight. They would just have to