Lament for Darley Dene E-Book

Stuart G. Yates

• Herausgeber: Next Chapter
• Kategorie: Krimi
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Beschreibung

After the Second World War, young Ben uncovers a bizarre tale: in the 1941 Blitz, soldiers died right where his playground is now.

As events of the past slowly unfold, Ben is entangled in a series of strange, inexplicable incidents, as old secrets and long-hidden truths surface.

He is about to discover his family's dark secrets, and will have to help put to rest the horror of what happened in Darley Dene.

Leseprobe

Lament for Darley Dene

Stuart G. Yates

Copyright (C) 2016 Stuart G. Yates

Layout design and Copyright (C) 2019 by Next Chapter

Published 2019 by Next Chapter

Cover art by EvitArt

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the author's permission.

To Mum, who told me the story, and to Mike who would have loved to have read it.

I miss you both.

Author's Foreword

The story of Darley Dene and what happened there became part of the folklore of my birthplace half a century ago. My mother first told me the story when I was young and I remember thinking then how 'spooky' it was. I doubt, however, if there is anyone left now in my hometown who recalls the tale in any great detail. I know people have memories of the area and amateur historians have tried to gather together bits of evidence, but hardly anyone speaks of the army camp that once stood next to the sprawl of the Birkenhead Docks. If there is anyone who remembers, and you get the chance to speak to them, never forget that it is a factual story, although what you read here is a work of fiction. Nevertheless, elements are true; all you have to do, as reader, is decide which elements are real. However, one important thing is. Men died there in the dreadful early Blitz of the Second World War. Now, some sixty years or so after the event, Darley Dene no longer exists, bulldozed over to make way for the Mersey tunnel approach road. How many drivers, I wonder, know the history of the area across which they are travelling as they make their way to and from the Liverpool Kingsway Tunnel? And if they did, would they pull over, get out of their cars and bow their heads in a moment of quiet respect? Perhaps you, dear reader, will do so if you ever visit Darley Dene.

A Memory Shared

The moment Uncle Ben opened the door and let Henry in, he could see straight away how vulnerable his nephew was feeling. With head hanging down, the young boy shuffled along the hallway, a small, hunted animal surrendering to its fate. Mum and Dad hadn't told him why they had to go away, that much was obvious. And so typical. Too busy with their own lives to worry about their son. Ben caught sight of a concerned face pressed against the car passenger window at the kerbside and, as the vehicle sped off, he raised his hand limply. He was here, to save them from too much worry, to ease Henry's pain…and that was fairly typical too.

Ben helped Henry with his coat. No words broke the depressed atmosphere settling between them and Henry sat and watched the television whilst Ben prepared dinner. They'd asked him to do that too. A terse phone call, a splutter of garbled words. Ben grunted, accepting their pleas for help. There was no one else. Could he look after Henry, just for a few hours … please?

Later on, after the main course, Henry moved his spoon around the bowl without actually eating any of the dessert Uncle Ben placed in front of him. He appeared deep in thought. Uncle Ben, noticing his mood, sighed and looked meaningfully at his nephew. “Sorry I don't seem too talkative. I'm not really used to this,” he said.

Henry put down his spoon quietly and looked at his Uncle, the slight expression of pain still on his face. “It's not that.” He sat back in his chair. “What's happening, Uncle Ben? Why did Mum and Dad drop me off here, without a word? Has someone died?”

Uncle Ben blinked, coughed, shifted position in his chair. “How old are you again?”

“Twelve. What's that got to do with anything?” “Perceptive. For a twelve year old.”

“Per-what?”

“Perceptive, means you can guess things really well.”

“So, I am right, about someone dying?”

“Well, not quite, no.”

Uncle Ben stood up, gathering together the untouched bowl and spoon from in front of Henry. “Your Mum is very upset, Henry. So upset she didn't know what to say. Dad didn't know either. It's Grandpa Frank. He's not very well. Your Mum thought he was getting better, but that's not quite the case.”

He paused and for a moment struggled to find the right words. His voice sounded low and heavy when he continued. “We all thought he was getting better. He was in what the doctors call remission. But the chemo has destroyed his body's ability to defend itself and he's caught some sort of infection…” He shrugged his shoulders and went over to the sink with the dishes. “Your Mum didn't want you to see him the way he is right now. That's why you're here whilst your Mum and Dad go and…” His voice trailed away and he began to wash the dishes in the sink. “It'll only be for a few days.”

“But they could have told me that themselves, Uncle Ben. Why didn't they? What are they afraid of?”

Uncle Ben gave a little laugh. “Well, I suppose they were thinking of you, thinking you might be frightened… or upset. Which, I suppose you're going to be, Henry.”

Henry's face remained blank, his uncle's words filtering through. “Yes, I like Grandpa Frank. I haven't seen much of him lately and now I know why, but…” Henry moved his finger around a little spot of custard that had dribbled down from his bowl, “You see, the thing is, Mum and Dad, they're always like that. Always worried, or scared about what I'll see, or do. They never, ever let me do anything by myself. All my other mates get to go to the city, go down to the skateboard park, stuff like that. Not me. And now this. It's just not…God, I wish I was older. Fifteen or – or eighteen.”

Uncle Ben came back to the table and sat down. He poured Henry a glass of juice and slid it across the table. “Yes, I know. Amazing as it may sound, I used to be twelve once – many years ago.”

“I bet your mum let you out to play, didn't she.”

Uncle Ben shrugged again. “At first.” Ben frowned, “Is that what's really troubling you, that your Mum doesn't trust you enough to let you go out on your own? Your Mum's just afraid, Henry, afraid of lots of things. And this business with her own dad, well it's sort of made you even more precious to her. So that's probably why she's over-protective right now.”

“But she always is. When you were twelve, your mum let you out, you said?”

“It's not so simple – the world was different then. Safer. Not so many cars.” He smiled at the memory. “But yes, she did let me out on my own. I'd always be in the street, kicking a ball, or playing hide and seek. Lots of bike rides and going on adventures. Getting up to all sorts, but all of it innocent enough. But then – well, like I said, at first she let me do those things, then it all got very scary.” He stood up and busied himself with making a cup of coffee, sensing Henry's eyes boring into his back. Struggling to keep the emotion at bay, he cleared his throat noisily and pressed the back of his hand into his eye, hoping against hope his nephew hadn't noticed.

“So, what happened back then, Uncle Ben? What was it that was so scary?”

Ben held onto the edge of the sink and took a deep breath. Henry was more of a terrier than he'd bargained for. He turned to look at him. Was this the right course to follow, he wondered to himself. Revealing things from the past was always fraught with danger and open to misunderstandings. The world was changing with frightening speed and young people … Well, they wanted everything now. Instant. A peek into the past might not solve anything at all, might even make things worse. But then, as Ben studied his nephew, he saw the pain, the confusion and he reached a decision. If he could teach Henry a little about how to come to terms with life, the way it can change, the way loss somehow makes you feel stronger, more equipped to face life's challenges, then it might just do some good.

He took another deep, ragged breath. This was going to be an emotional journey, raking up long forgotten events. But if it really could help… “Okay,” said Uncle Ben emphatically, “I think you could do with a good story. It's long, but it's true. And it's all about being twelve, because when I was twelve something happened to me that was to change my life forever. I didn't know it at the time, of course, because being twelve, well, you just meet things head on, without thinking.”

“I try to think, to be sensible, but it isn't easy.”

“No. Of course it isn't.” He sighed. “So, this story of mine, do you want to hear it?”

Henry gave a single nod and his eyes widened in gleeful expectation. “You bet.”

Uncle Ben smiled warmly, “Well, let's go into the living room and sit by the fire with our drinks and I'll tell you my story about Darley Dene.”

Chapter One

It was the beginning of one of those glorious summer holidays of long, long ago, the type which seemed to go on and on forever. Ben, no doubt like everyone else of his age, had plenty of ambitions for the school break. School was over for seven glorious weeks – seven weeks. A lifetime when you're only twelve. Try as he might, he couldn't really remember previous summer breaks. Not that he tried very hard, there was no point – why try and remember the past? It was gone, done and dusted. But one thing he did recall – nothing much ever happened. So this time would be different. This was going to be the first year when he actually felt determined to do something memorable, something new. Perhaps it was an indication that he was growing up, becoming a young adult, which made him more single-minded. A holiday, however short or long, was an opportunity for exploration, to experience. He certainly found himself wanting to know more about life now. He'd read books for hours, stare out of his window just thinking, looking forward to the weekends when he could wander up to the park, discovering new types of flowers, or trees, or birds. He'd often go to the library – if his mates found out, they'd rib him forever – and he'd read up about gorillas, tigers, killer whales. The world was opening up its treasures for him, and it was a chest stuffed full with wondrous delights. So, he made himself a mental checklist of all the things he'd like to accomplish during that long hot summer.

He'd like to improve his swimming, learn to kick a football properly, climb 'Granny's Rock' for the first time…so much to do and look forward to. He stared up at his ceiling and let out a long, contented sigh. Seven weeks. What a thought that was.

He turned over and wallowed in the self-satisfied knowledge that despite there being so much to look forward to, for now, on this first day, the plan was to do nothing but lie-in until eleven or even twelve noon. There was going to be plenty of time for all that other stuff. He had to be careful though. His Mum got in from work at quarter-past twelve, and if she were to catch Ben in bed at that time there would be hell to pay. This proved a little disconcerting as he lay all snug underneath his bed-clothes, because he didn't know what time it was. He yawned, stretched and reluctantly dragged himself from the warmth of his bed, reached for his jeans and t-shirt and pulled them on.

Most days Trevor would call round. Ben had first met Trevor more than eight years ago. On that fateful morning, whilst playing at the bottom of the alleyway that ran along the back of his house, Ben had seen Trevor for the first time. Ben´s mum told him never to cross the road at the bottom of the alleyway. It was forbidden, she said through gritted teeth. Ben never really knew why she seemed so concerned and this lent the road, and what might lie beyond, an almost mystical air. Across the tarmac was a fabled world, mysterious and unlike his own – of big houses with private driveways and lush gardens. Whereas Ben's house was a tiny, rented terrace, the houses on the other side were privately owned. They stood proud and strong, majestic mansions of old. Red-bricked, gabled roofs, ornamental front gardens that led to enormous entrance-ways out of which prim and proper people emerged, resplendent in expensive and fashionable clothes. Some even drove motor cars. From where did the money come for such luxuries, he often wondered. To Ben, across that narrow sliver of tarmac, a different world existed, one ripe for exploration. Perhaps that was the reason for his mum's command not to wander there. Whatever the truth, many a day he sat astride his trike and gazed longingly towards that unattainable land, letting his imagination fill in the gaps.

On that particular day, so long ago, as Ben peddled up and down on his trike with his usual enthusiasm, he'd spotted a shorthaired little boy on the other side, riding a two-wheel bicycle with a confident, almost arrogant ease. Ben stopped and stared in awe, eyes wide, mouth hanging open in disbelief. This new boy couldn't have been any older than him, sat astride a real bike – and without stabilizers! Emerging from one of those big houses, his well-scrubbed face and newly-pressed clothes spoke of parents who cared and had money to spend – mirrored in the gleaming newness of his bike as he rode up and down the pavement on the far side of the forbidden road.

He stopped all of a sudden, this sparkling boy, and stared directly towards Ben. A ghost of a smile crossed his face and Bern´s hand came up as if on its own volition. The stranger called over a greeting and the two struck up a conversation, shouting across to each other from opposite sides of the tarmac. It seemed so effortless, so easy, as if their friendship was already years old. They had so much in common, despite their obvious differences in wealth and privilege and from that point on they had become firm friends. Mum was approached and, after much pleading and begging, she allowed Ben to visit Trevor's house, which turned out to be a vast and sumptuous residence, with vaulted ceilings, wide corridors and rooms big enough, it seemed to Ben, to hold a herd of elephants. To rear sprawled a large garden with steps wending their way down to a little gate, a gate, Trevor explained, which always remained locked. Beyond, down another path, was a railway siding.

“Should we climb over?” asked Ben one day, checking first that no adults loomed close by.

“I'm not supposed to,” said Trevor, downcast, a little embarrassed.

“No one will know.”

A silent agreement, Trevor's eyes alive with expectation, and they climbed over the gate and entered a new world full of adventure and wonder. And, unlike the vagueness of the world 'across the road', this one proved truly wondrous.

The years went by and their friendship developed. True, like boys the world over, they'd had their arguments, their fights but they'd always made up again. Now, with the school holidays stretching ahead of them, Trevor first told Ben about Darley Dene.

“There's this bigger boy, lives a few doors down from me. His name's Neville. He went there a few days ago, with a gang of others and they'd discovered a whole network of tunnels and caves just begging to be explored. He thought I might like to go and I said yes.”

“You said yes?”

“It'll be a laugh,” said Trevor enthusiastically, as he sat opposite Ben at the kitchen table.

Ben tucked into a huge bowl of cereal, savouring every delicious mouthful as if he hadn't eaten for days. As he munched down another huge spoonful, he eyed Trevor harshly. “I know Neville.”

“You know him? As a friend you mean?”

“Do me a favour, Trev. I know him from school. He's a year above me, like I'm a year above you. He got hold of me once, around the throat, said I was a whinger, a tell-tale, that my mum couldn't afford to buy me proper school shoes. All the usual stuff. He's a bully. He hates me and I hate him.”

“All the girls like him,” said Trevor, his eyes staring out into the distance. “They all hang around him in the playground, their eyes all dreamy, giggling pathetically whenever he makes some stupid remark, or farts.”

“He makes me sick.”

“He's not all bad, Ben.”

“To you maybe, but I think it's because I have a poor home life that he hates me so much, why he calls me a snivelling weed. I don't know and I don't care.”

“I know he can be a bit – you know, dangerous. I've seen him in fights.”

“Yeah, and I've been on the end of it, him grabbing me, breathing his stinking breath all over me, telling me to give him all my money. There's a laugh – he has a go at me for not having good shoes, then he demands money. He's pathetic.”

“Yeah, but you've stood up to him.”

“And got a slap across the face for it – more than once too.” He looked down at the remains of his cereal and pushed the bowl away, sighing. “I'm not going if he's there.”

Trevor leaned across and touched Ben's arm, his eyes wide, pleading. “Paul will be there as well.”

Ben stared, twisting his mouth around, a little of the tension leaving his body. Paul was the total opposite to Neville. Kind, patient, clever, everyone at school looked up to him, treating him like some sort of hero. And Ben was no different. He knew the influence Paul had on Neville. Whenever he was around, Neville always refrained from his usual bullying. Victims always felt much safer whenever Paul was close by. The problem was, with his mum and dad splitting up, he usually kept himself to himself during any free time away from school. “Isn't he with his dad?”

“We're all on holiday, and his dad's at work all day,” said Trevor, “so he's with his mum most of the time.”

Nodding, Ben caught the eagerness in Trevor's eyes and smiled. “Well, if Paul's there, I will be too.”

Trevor gave a little whoop of delight and sprang to his feet. He delved into a cupboard under the sink and brought out a bottle of green cream soda, which he poured into two tumblers. He handed one across to his friend.

“So, it's just a load of twisting tunnels?” asked Ben, closing his eyes as the many tiny bubbles of gas sprang up from the glass and exploded on his face.

“You don't think that's exciting?” Trevor shook his head, looking sad that his friend was being so serious, perhaps even dull.

Ben drank and shrugged, “No, it's not that. But there's got to be something else there, hasn't there? To make it exciting. Where is it, and why's it called 'Darley Dene'?”

“Down the hill, and I don't know why it's called that, it just is. Why do you always have to get so boring about stuff? You always need to know all the details about everything.”

“I just like to know reasons, that's all. Like why Neville hates me so much.”

“God, Ben, not that again! Isn't it obvious? For the same reasons you hate him.”

“Why, because I've got a brain the size of a newt and I love smacking people in the face?”

“Don't be stupid.” He took a deep breath and when he continued, his voice was low, serious. “It's because you're clever and he's not. I heard all about it. He's jealous of you.”

“Jealous? Of me? Don't make me laugh.”

“It's true – he told me.”

“He told you?”

“He was put down a year, wasn't he – and who did he sit next to in class? You. And there you were, answering all the questions as if they were the easiest thing in the world.”

“God, is that what all this is about?” He blew out his breath, exasperated. “Trev, I can't help it if I'm good at maths and English. It's not my fault is it?”

“No, it's not your fault, but you could have handled it a bit better. Maybe helped him.”

“I didn't know why he was put down. He just appeared one day in our class, and I never asked him. He was so big, so … intimidating.” He shrugged again. “Anyway, I tried, I really did, Trev. I tried to show him how to do things, but he just got angry.”

“And then you laughed at him, didn't you, Ben? He told me, after that first day. We were walking home and he told me you laughed when he got something wrong.”

“I…I didn't mean to laugh at him. It was such a simple question – which was the biggest island in the world before Australia was discovered. He just looked at Mr. Woods and sort of gave up. Shrugged his shoulders.”

“So why did you laugh?”

“I wasn't the only one.”

“Well, maybe you weren't, but then you go and shout out the answer, before he's even had a chance to think about it.” Trevor closed his eyes. “You're different with him, Ben, and you don't even know it. It's almost as if you don't like him because you think he's thick.”

“That's not true.”

“It's what he thinks. He thinks you make fun of him, so he gets angry. But, like I said, the main thing is – he's jealous.”

“Jealous? So, he beats me up because he's jealous of me being clever? Great…I thought maybe it was because he's twice the size of me and loves to see me cry.”

Trevor sat back in his chair. “I like you Ben, and you're my friend, so I'll tell you what you need to do – you have to stand up to Neville more often, tell him how you feel and, if that doesn't work, tell him exactly what you think of him.”

Ben gave a short laugh. “I already tried that,” he said, “and I got a punch in the nose for my efforts.” He shook his head. “But if Paul is going, then things should be all right.”

“Yeah, and Paul wouldn't be going if it wasn't really interesting, would he? Paul is exactly like you, only older.”

“And about ten times bigger. Bigger than Neville at least. That's what it's all about, you know. When you think about it, all that really matters is how big you are. It doesn't matter if you're clever, it's not going to help you in a fight. I think I'm going to send away for that 'Charles Atlas' thing and develop a superhuman body.”

Trevor frowned at him for a moment, then burst into laughter, “Yeah, then you can hit him on the knee with your nose!”

“Or smack my eye into his fist.” They both screamed at this.

In between bouts of laughter, they hatched a plan and set off, like intrepid explorers, down the winding path. As they tramped along, Ben realized Trevor hadn't answered any of his questions about where they were going, but felt sure nothing would remain a mystery for long. As they neared 'Darley Dene', unbeknownst to Ben, more than the meaning and origins of its name awaited discovery. Soon, he would know the true meaning of terror.

Chapter Two

He felt his throat tighten as his biggest fear loomed up ahead of him. Standing there, with that ape-like grin splitting his face, chin jutting forward, fists planted provocatively on his hips, was Neville Federman, Ben's nemesis. Already laughing as Ben scrambled over the wall separating Darley Dene from the road, Neville turned to the other assembled boys busy building a fire.

“Hey you lot, look who it is.” He turned his gloating face to Ben once again, “It's the wimp. Hiya wimp, come to help us with our fire? We could use some help, wimp, so why don't you come over here and I'll set fire to yer head.”

Neville laughed at what he thought was an incredibly witty joke, laughed so much he almost choked. Whilst he bent double and coughed hoarsely, Ben simply strode past him, not giving him so much as a cursory glance.

If he hoped to quieten the bully by this show of ignorance, Ben was mistaken. No doubt irked that his taunts had brought no reaction, Neville now resorted to a more direct approach, grabbing Ben by the collar and pulling him around roughly.

Without a thought, Ben knocked Neville's hand away and stood, red faced, in front of his tormenter. Trevor, who'd been watching the incident with growing alarm, stepped forward, just as Neville tensed. “Come on, Nev,” he said, voice taking on a pleading note, “we've come here for some fun, remember?”

Neville, never taking his eyes off Ben, snarled menacingly, “That's what I'm doing, Trev.”

Trevor persisted, “Nev, please, just leave it.”