CONTENTS
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Epilogue
Prologue
The old man tightened his scarf and pulled the lapels of his heavy overcoat up around his neck. The warm air from his lungs became visible as it emerged from his mouth and was instantly chilled by the cold night air. For a few seconds, he allowed his feet to beat a soft tattoo on the hard concrete surface of the iron bridge, then stopped, settling his ageing frame more comfortably on the unyielding bench. He looked up at the dark October sky, enjoying the feeling of smallness its deepness gave him. There was a half moon, crisp and clear-edged, hanging flatly and remotely, as though added as an afterthought and playing no important part in the dark empyrean.
Sighing inwardly, he lowered his gaze to the river, black with sudden splashes of reflected light constantly joining and parting in a dazzling display of effulgence. He looked towards its banks: at the small boats and launches stirring smoothly in its easy flow; at the bright shops and restaurants, and the public house at the end, all night-lit clean, their middle greys of the day concealed in contrasts of uncompromising light and dark.
Beautiful, he thought. Beautiful, this time of night, this time of year. The lateness meant fewer people used the bridge as a thoroughfare; the coldness meant less people would linger on its unshielded length. Most of the tourists had left Windsor by now, their season having sighed to a halt. The day-trippers had scurried back into their coaches and cars and departed with the short autumn dusk. Now there would be fewer pilgrimages across the bridge from Windsor to see Eton, his town, to visit the famous College with its Tudor schoolyard and beautiful fifteenth-century chapel, to admire the eighteenth-century shop fronts and half-timbered medieval buildings, to browse through the numerous antique shops crammed into its narrow High Street. He hadn’t quite appreciated the beauty of his birthplace himself until he’d read the official guide-book for Eton a few years before; it had become lost to him through a lifetime of familiarity. But now that he’d had a few years to pause, to look around him, to take stock of himself and his surroundings, he’d taken a deeper interest in the history and the uniqueness of his native town. For the past four years, since his retirement and after his illness, he had made a study of Eton, becoming an expert on the subject. Any tourists stopping the old man in the street to ask for directions would suddenly find themselves with a knowledgeable and seemingly tireless guide, who would not let them go until they had grasped at least a fundamental history of the place. But towards the end of summer, he would grow tired of the tourists and the bustle they brought to his normally peaceful habitat, and he would welcome the arrival of the cold weather and the darker evenings.
Every night now, he would leave his tiny terraced house in Eton Square at about 8.30 and walk down to the College, then back up to the High Street towards the bridge where he would spend at least twenty to thirty minutes, regardless of weather, staring downriver to where the Thames divided around Romney Island, never particularly deep in thought, just enjoying the mood of the night. Occasionally, mainly in summer, he would be joined by others, some strangers, some acquaintances, and he would chat with them for a while, but soon fall into his own reflective silence. Then he would walk back, stop in at The Christopher Courage for a single brandy, one of the few luxuries he allowed himself, and afterwards return home to bed.
Tonight, he imagined, would be no different from any other. Then, the drone of an aeroplane’s engines reached his ears. It was nothing unusual – Eton was on a direct air route from nearby Heathrow Airport, a cause of much complaint to the local people both in Eton and Windsor – but for some reason he peered up into the sky to find the source of the noise. He saw the tail light first and then the huge bulk of the plane became visible as his eyes adjusted to the inky backdrop.
One of the big ’uns, he thought. Damn nuisance, all these planes. Especially those big ones. Noisy brutes. Necessary evil, I suppose. He wanted to avert his eyes, the tension in his neck muscles now becoming an uncomfortable strain as they stretched upwards; but for some reason, he was unable to do so. The huge body – quite low – the red light, the droning noise, had suddenly become fascinating to him. He’d seen too many of the monsters for this one in particular to hold any real interest, yet he found he could not tear his eyes away from it. Something was wrong. He had no idea how he knew, but there was something wrong up there.
It seemed to be turning, which in itself was unusual because most other aircraft flew directly across Eton in a straight line. The right-hand wing seemed to be dipping. Yes, it was definitely turning. And then, he saw the plane split open. He heard the muffled explosion, but his senses barely registered the noise. They were too entranced by the horror of the spectacle, for the aeroplane hadn’t quite broken up and the whole body was now plummeting towards the earth. He could see objects falling from it as it plunged; objects that could only be seats, cases – and bodies!
‘Oh God!’ he said aloud, as the noise suddenly penetrated his brain. ‘It can’t be! Help them, God, help—’ The whining roar drowned his cries as the falling plane passed over him, skimming over the High Street, its four engines and the rushing of wind combining to create a terrible sound, the force of the engines preventing it from merely dropping from the sky. The old man could see that the windows in the front section were lit up by a red blaze, and tails of fire were emerging from the huge crack in its body, flattened by the rushing wind. The aircraft was hardly held together, the rear section dragging downwards, about to break away from the main body at any moment.
The plane disappeared from view, the boathouses mercifully hiding the inevitable and final destruction from the old man’s vision. There seemed to be a pause – a moment of silence, a moment when it appeared that nothing had happened – but then came the explosion. The sky shone red and he saw the flames in the near distance reach up from behind the boathouses. He fell to his knees at the sound, and the blast appeared to make even the bridge tremble. It filled his ears and he clapped his hands to them, leaning forward from the waist so that his face almost touched his knees. But still the noise penetrated and reverberated inside his head, the shock of what had happened held in abeyance for the moment whilst his brain dealt with the physical pain. At last, the sound seemed to diminish. It had only taken seconds, but they were frozen seconds, timeless.
Slowly he raised his head, his hands still tight against his ears, his eyes wide with fear. He saw the pulsating glow, the rising palls of smoke, but everything else was still. He saw other figures along the High Street, their faces just white blobs in the strangely red-hued night light, standing transfixed, afraid or unable to move. The shattering of glass from a restaurant window at the foot of the bridge broke the stillness, and the old man observed the whole street was littered with glistening shards of glass. People began to appear at windows and doorways; he heard voices calling out. Nobody seemed sure of what had happened. He staggered to his feet and began to run towards the fields where he knew the plane had come to rest.
As he ran past the boathouses, the old man noticed they were ablaze at the rear. He reached a small lane that led into the long fields beyond, his breathing becoming more painful with each step. He glanced back over his shoulder and sa
w there were several small fires in the buildings behind him. Turning a corner, he stopped at the edge of the field, one hand clutched to his chest, his shoulders heaving with exertion and the effort of breathing.
He stared aghast at the wrecked aeroplane lit up by its own fires. Its belly was crushed, its nose pushed up and squashed flat. The only wing he could see was lying alongside the rear end which had finally broken off completely from the main body. Only the tail rose majestically from the mangled wreckage, almost untouched, but somehow obscene because of it, glowing red in the light from the flames, defiant, but now ugly in its sleekness.
The area appeared to be covered with twisted metal, material that had been scattered and flung wide on impact. The old man reluctantly entered the field, aware that there might be a possibility of helping someone. It seemed unlikely, but it was the only thing to do. As he moved forward, he heard the sounds of shouts and footsteps behind him. Others must be arriving on the scene; he prayed that they would be of some use. He carefully skirted around glowing pieces of metal, some that burnt the grass they rested on. And then came the smell. He didn’t recognize it at first because it was mingled with smoke and the odour of melting metal. Then he realized its source. It was burning flesh.
He retched and almost fell to his knees again. How many passengers did these big planes take? It was more than three hundred, he felt certain. Oh dear God, no wonder the smell was so strong!
Suddenly the old man felt faint. It wasn’t just the odious smell; the heat was intolerable, and up till now he hadn’t realized how fierce it was. He had to move away; it was no good, no one could have survived this carnage. He looked around in desperation just in case, and was repulsed when he discovered that some of what he had imagined as being twisted metal was, in fact, twisted bodies. They were scattered all around him; he was standing in a field of maimed, torn human beings. He ran his hands over his eyes as though to dismiss the sight, but he couldn’t shut out the vision he’d already seen. Slowly, his hands ran down his face and again he looked around in some faint hope that he might find someone alive. He closed his mind to the sight of dismembered limbs, to blackened bodies, to bodies that seemed to move – tricks of the unsteady light. He saw something small and pink, naked and seemingly unmarked. Small enough to be – a child? A baby? Oh God, please give this one a chance! He ran towards it, avoiding obstacles, human or otherwise. The child was facing downwards, its body stiff. He prayed aloud, his words emerging in choking sobs, as he knelt down beside the body and turned it over.
Huge, sightless eyes stared up at him. Its small mouth grinned and moved in the flickering light. One side of the doll’s face had melted away, giving it an ugly, scarred appearance, the grinning lips adding to the obscenity. The old man screamed and threw the object down and, in his confusion, stumbled towards the fire and the main wreckage. The intensity of heat didn’t warn him of his direction but, fortunately, a large fragment of smouldering metal tripped him, halting his progress. He lay flat in the churned mud, his body shaking, his fingers digging into the soft slime. The shock was beginning to hit him: he was an old man; he was no longer strong enough to bear a punishment such as this. The earth filled his mouth and he began to choke, and it was only this physical discomfort that forced his frightened mind to function properly again. He raised his head and lifted himself to his elbows. He stared up at the flames and was forced to close his eyes quickly as they became scorched by the heat. But before he’d closed them, something had registered. A shape, a silhouette against the bright glare, was coming towards him. He looked again, this time shielding his eyes as much as he could with one hand.
It was a man! Coming away from the aeroplane! Away from the fire! It couldn’t be. No one had passed him. Yet no one could escape from a disaster like that. At least, not on his own two legs!
The old man squinted and peered more closely at the figure. Even his suit seemed undamaged. It was dark, or was that just because of the brightness behind? It looked like a uniform. The figure walked slowly and easily towards him, away from the flames, away from the destroyed aircraft, away from the dead.
The old man’s vision began to swim before him and a lightness ran through his head. Just before he fainted, he saw the figure stooping down towards him, one hand outstretched.
1
Keller drove the car steadily along Pococks Lane, resisting the impulse for speed, trying to enjoy the multi-browns of autumn in the surrounding playing fields. But his mind rarely wandered far from his objective: the small town that lay not too far ahead. He turned left into Windsor Road, crossed a small bridge then found himself among the tall, dignified buildings of Eton College. He hardly paused to admire them, driving on into the High Street where he stopped to get his bearings. He still found it difficult to concentrate for too long.
Drawing away from the kerb again he continued on down the High Street until he reached the bridge at the end, its iron posts preventing traffic from crossing it. He turned right and drove past the burnt-out boathouses, and right again led him towards the fields he sought. There was a more direct route avoiding the High Street according to his map, but he had wanted to see more of the town itself. He wasn’t sure why.
The policeman watched him park his midnight-blue Stag. Another one, he thought. Another bloody sightseer. Maybe a souvenir hunter. The trouble they’d had since the accident; mobs of ’em flocking to the scene of the crash. Ghouls. It always happened after any major disaster – particularly with an air crash – they turned out in their thousands to see the gore, blocking roads, getting in the way. He’d send them all packing if he had his way. The worst of it was when the vendors had arrived, selling peanuts, ice-creams, soft drinks; that had really sickened him. Trouble is, it’s so near London. It was a nice day out for the city-dwellers.
The constable adjusted his chinstrap and set his jaw more firmly. Well this one is going to get the rough end of my tongue, he thought, but as Keller emerged from the car, he changed his mind. He looks like a journalist. Got to watch what you say to them. Mind you, they were worse than the thrill-seekers, probing and inventing stories when they couldn’t find one, just to sell their bloody newspapers! He’d had a few run-ins with them over the past month. But you’d think they’d let it die down now; after all, it was nearly four weeks since it’d happened. No, they wouldn’t let anything rest, these reporters; at least, not while the investigation was still going on. He hadn’t realized it took so long to find out the cause of an air crash; you just located the Black Box, or whatever it was called, and that told you exactly what had happened. That’s what he’d thought, anyway. But they’d been poring over that field for a long time now, taking bits and pieces away, searching every corner of the big field, the South Meadow, that was just behind the High Street; even dragged the small river that branched off from the Thames and ran through the South Field. They’d found a few bodies in there, bodies that must have been thrown clear on impact, right across the road over The Brocas, and into the river. Others that had been sucked out before impact. God, that had been horrible. Three days it had taken to find and collect all the bodies; or what was left of ’em.
‘You can’t go in there, sir!’ he told Keller gruffly.
Keller stopped, but ignored the policeman, looking past his shoulder into the field beyond. He could see the remains of the aircraft, or the main bulk of what they’d left. It stood, a huge blackened shell, cone-shaped because of its flattened belly, broken and ashamed. The guts of it would be back in the laboratories being reassembled, analysed, tested. He could see figures carrying clipboards moving about the field, stooping, picking up objects, examining grooves in the earth, their grim purpose contrasting with the bright, cold day, the greenness of the field, the quiet in the air.
The constable examined Keller closely. He looked familiar. ‘I’m sorry, sir, but you’re not allowed to go in,’ he said.
Keller finally tore his eyes away from the field and looked at the policeman. ‘I want to see Harry Tewson,?
?? he told him. ‘He’s one of the investigating officers.’
‘Oh, yes. Mr Tewson. Er, I’m not sure that he can be disturbed just now, sir. Was it for an interview?’ He raised his eyebrows at Keller.
‘No, I’m a friend.’
The policeman looked relieved. ‘Right then, I’ll see what I can do.’
Keller watched him walk across the field. He stopped and turned when he was only forty yards away. ‘Oh, what name shall I say?’ he called back.
‘Keller. David Keller.’
The policeman stood still for a few seconds, as though rooted to the spot. Keller could see the puzzled look on his face. He turned and resumed his journey across the field, his rubber boots squelching in the mud. When he reached a group of figures crouching by the broken and emptied shell of the aircraft, he bent down to speak to one of them. Five faces turned and looked back at Keller. One of the figures stood up and broke away from the group, plodding quickly towards him, giving a brief wave of his hand. The policeman followed five paces behind.
‘Dave! What the hell are you doing here?’
Tewson was smiling, but it was a slightly nervous smile. His handshake was warm enough though.
‘I want to talk to you, Harry,’ Keller said.
‘Of course, Dave. But you shouldn’t be here, you know. I thought you were on leave?’ He removed his glasses and began to polish them with a rumpled handkerchief, his eyes still peering intently into Keller’s face.
Keller grinned wryly at him. ‘I am – officially. Unofficially, I’ve been laid off.’
‘What? Well, I’m sure it’s not for long; you know how soon they like to get you lot back into the air after this sort of nasty experience.’
‘They’ve already tried, Harry. It was no good.’
‘Well they tried too bloody soon then.’
‘No. It was me. I insisted.’
‘But after what you’ve been through it’s bound to take a bit of time before your nerves settle down.’