Free The Disappearances by Gemma Malley

for a few seconds. Then he stood up. ‘I’ve had enough,’ he said angrily, walking away, back to the City, but Lucas was too quick for him. He grabbed at his wrist, pulled it behind him. Rab was strong, but Lucas knew what he was doing. Moments later, Rab’s nose was on the ground, both his arms twisted behind him. He kicked out, but it was futile.
    ‘Tell me,’ Lucas said again, his voice lower now, showing the strain of containing Rab. ‘Tell me or you will regret it. For all I know, you were involved in these deaths and I’m telling you now, I will not hesitate to kill you, do you understand? This is not a threat. Unless you want to end up in one of those graves, you talk and you talk now.’
    There was silence; Lucas tightened his grip.
    ‘Fine,’ Rab choked finally. ‘I’ll tell you.’ Lucas let one of his hands go and he fell back onto the ground. Rab stared up at him insolently. ‘But after that I’m done with this business. After that you leave me alone. You all just leave me alone. You understand?’
    ‘I understand nothing,’ Lucas said grimly. ‘Tell me what you know.’
    Rab pulled himself up. ‘You want to bury the bodies, don’t you?’ he muttered. ‘We do that first. Then I’ll tell you what I know. Back at my cottage. Back where I know we’re safe.’
    Lucas nodded grimly. Then he put the lid of Rab’s bottle down and holding his breath, he walked towards the pile of bodies, waving away the flies, trying not to look at the rotting corpses, the eaten-away flesh.
    Silently he carried each body to its own patch of ground ready for burial. It was a grim job; most of the bodies were just skeletons with rotting flesh hanging off them. They had been ravaged, and now were home to maggots eating through what was left of them.
    Rab watched him for a few minutes, shaking his head and spiting on the ground. Then, slowly, he stood up. ‘Going to need some spades,’ he said. ‘I’ll be back.’
    ‘Don’t tell Clara. Don’t let her see,’ Lucas said.
    ‘You want me to take her to the cottage?’ Rab grunted.
    Lucas shook his head. ‘She’ll feel safer where I can see her,’ he said.
    Rab shrugged and walked off.
    Lucas watched him go for a few moments, then carried on moving the bodies until Rab was back and then they dug. One grave per person. The ones at the bottom of the heap were no longer identifiable; the ones nearer the top were more so – a piece of clothing that had survived, perhaps part of a face that had not yet been attacked by beast, fowl or insect. In any event, he knew who each of them was because he had stared at their photographs on a list of Disappeared so many times.
    Once the bodies were all under the earth, and after Lucas had marked each grave with a stone, he followed Rab back through the gate to the first body, Gabrielle Marchant. Lucas buried her, then silently followed Rab back through the gate, picking a silent Clara up on the way, then they walked together back to Rab’s house, where he and Lucas washed their hands under the outside tap for a very long time.
    ‘So,’ Lucas said.
    ‘So,’ Rab replied, and walked into his cottage.
    Lucas followed him in, his arm around Clara protect-ively. He’d never been inside Rab’s house before. On the outside it was little more than a shack, a wooden structure that held no allure whatsoever. But as he walked through the door he was surprised to find a welcoming warmth, chairs covered in blankets and a small fire in the corner next to what he assumed must be Rab’s bed. Above the fire sat a kettle; on a small table was one cup.
    Lucas motioned for Clara to sit down on a wooden rocking chair; she did so immediately, pulling her knees up to her chest. He watched her for a few moments, wondering how much she had seen, what she was thinking. Then he turned to Rab. ‘So, Rab. This is where you live.’
    ‘I’d offer you a brew,’ Rab said, ‘but I’ve only one cup.’ His tone was sarcastic but not unfriendly. He