Chapter 100

Chapter 100
Clive’s POV
We are back at the cabin. Jake is sitting at the old, distressed pine table in the kitchen drinking a coffee. The kitchen has that just roasted, ground coffee smell. Claire has hardly spoken a word since we left the town and looks pale. Something like she has seen a ghost. She won’t even utter a word.
“What’s up with her?” Jake asks as he peers over the mug of coffee, he has close to his face. Claire stands rigid.
“Don’t be so rude, Jake. Claire is standing right here,” I tell him with scorn in my voice.
“She looks peevish and pale,” he continues. “What’s up with you?”
Claire shakes her head. “Nothing. I need to go to my room.” With that she turns and leaves the kitchen. Both Jake and I watch the back of her. I frown as I turn to him and let out a long sigh.
“I heard you have been in the town, Jake. I told you to keep your distance from the townsfolk. And what do you do? Go and ignore me. You will bring trouble up here if you are not careful.”
I move towards the coffee machine and reach for a mug from the cupboard above it. Pouring myself the coffee I glance out of the kitchen window. The storm is coming; the wind has picked up. There will be quite some snow fall. Nothing we are not used to in these parts.
“I’ll do what I want, Clive. Let that be known. You are not my keeper,” Jake informs me which causes me to stiffen. I turn myself around and face him.
“That as it may be, however, you were told. Do you want to bring people here sniffing around?”
He merely shrugs his shoulders. “What is up with her anyway?” he asks and goes back to drinking his coffee.
I take my mug to the table and kick out one of the pine chairs with my foot and take a seat. “Who knows. She was fine until we got into town and heard about a girl going missing. Wouldn’t happen to know anything about that would you, Jake?”
He has a nasty kind of grin on his face. Again, he shrugs his shoulders.
“Stay low will you for fuck’s sake, I don’t need trouble here or people and police sniffing around. You better not be using again. Why did you go into town?”
Jake finishes his mug of coffee and sets the mug on the table. He pushes the chair back and stands, then leans forward so his hands are resting on the table.
“No, I am not using again. I told you; I would stay clean. And that is what I am doing. If I want to head into town, I fucking, damn well will.”
His sneer makes me recoil; it’s like a snake lashing its head at you.
“What did you do with her?” I ask him not going to back down now. My stomach churns and fear grips at my heart.
“Don’t know what you’re talking about, Clive.” With that he stands up straight and grabs his mug and places it in the sink. “I’m off out,” he tells me. “I’ve got business to attend to.”
“What business, Jake? You have no business in these parts. I remind you that I am doing you a huge favor by letting you stay here.”
He makes it to the back kitchen door and rests his hand on the door knob before turning his head to look at me.
“Rumor has it, that she looks exactly like Claire,” he tells me. His eyes look cold. “Strange coincidence that, don’t you think?”
He turns the knob on the door and lets himself out. As the door opens a cold gust of air comes in making me shiver involuntarily.
I better get the fire on as the temperatures are going to plummet quickly.
“If you had anything to do with it,” I start saying but it’s on deaf ears. He has closed the door with a slam behind him. I watch as he walks away from the cabin and wonder where the hell he is going. He pulls his thick coat around him.
My instinct is to get up and follow him to see where he is off to and what exactly he is up to. My nerves feel frayed and on end. I don’t hear Claire when she coughs behind me giving me a fright.
“Is he involved?” she asks quietly, still looking ashen.
“You gave me a shock, Claire. Here, lass come in the kitchen and I will make you a nice cup of tea with a sugar in it. You still look pale. Are you sure you are alright?”
Claire doesn’t budge from the kitchen door frame.
“No thanks, I’m okay.” Whatever it is that has caused her to change, I get the impression she is going to keep it to herself.
“You didn’t answer my question, Clive,” she says pointedly. Her lips are back to being in a firm line.
“Don’t be daft, lass. Go sit yourself down on the sofa instead then and I will put the fire on. It’s colder in here than the Tundra.”
I stand and go towards her and watch as she moves back.
“I’ll go to my room.” She turns again and walks away.
And I need to go after Jake and find out what he is up to.
It could be a coincidence about the missing girl in town and Claire but my stomach has that sinking feeling.
It could be Claire next.