The Eternal Community Read online

  ‘Damion, my man, long time no see. You’re looking well. Is that a fake tan or have you been somewhere exotic?’

  ‘Hey Doofy, it’s definitely not fake!’ Changing the subject he said, ‘This is a lovely spot you have here. Amazing views. You’ve done well for yourself.’

  ‘Cheers mate.’ He handed Damion a beer from the fridge, then led him out onto the balcony. ‘I have Chas to thank for the interior design. If it were up to me, I’d still be squalloring in student digs!’

  ‘Sounds like he’s good for you.’

  ‘Yeah, he’s amazing. He’ll be home around seven, and you’ll get to meet him then. So what brings you to the big ole U S of A?’

  ‘Remember the baby Camilla had back at university? My daughter.’

  ‘Oh yeah, I remember you being upset about the adoption.’

  ‘Well, I’m trying to find her.’

  ‘Whoa, that’s heavy, dude. What if she wants nothing to do with you?’

  ‘I’ll cross that bridge when and if I get to it. I need to make sure she’s okay. I’ve been having dreams about a girl in trouble and I have a feeling they’re about her.’

  ‘Good for you, I remember how messed up you were at the time. It would be good to get some closure. Do you know where she might be?’

  ‘Kentucky is the only lead I have. She moved there after her adoptive parents died in a car accident. I’ve no idea how to go about finding her as it’s a huge state. I thought you might be able to help, you know, with all your background in IT. All I have is her uncle’s name.’

  Doofy’s eyes lit up. ‘Well Damion, believe it or not, I might be able to help you. I do some PI work as a hobby; just for a bit of fun. I like to help out people who need it but can’t afford it. Kinda my way of giving back to the community.’

  Damion struggled to contain his excitement. ‘Wow Doofy, that would be brilliant if you could help.’

  ‘No problem, I’ll check it out tomorrow, see I can find any leads for you. But right now, let’s party!’ Doofy lit up a spliff, the sweet smell wafting through the air.

  ‘Medicinal marijuana,’ he said, then took a deep drag. Holding his breath, he passed the joint to Damion, who took a couple of puffs and handed it back.

  Time flew by as they chatted, catching up on each other’s news and the gossip of their school friends. At 7.00 pm a door slammed, and a tall, thin man came out onto the balcony.

  ‘Oh hello, you must be Damion, it’s so nice to meet you at last, I’ve heard so much about you and your school days.’ He thrust his hand out and Damion shook it.

  ‘Nice to meet you too, Chas. I was saying earlier how much I like what you’ve done with the place.’

  ‘Ooh, a man with taste,’ he said, then threw Doofy a cheeky grin.

  Chas poured himself a glass of white wine and sat down with them on the balcony. A red glow filled the sky as the sun began to set.

  Chas jumped up. ‘Sunset music, we need sunset music!’

  He trotted off into the lounge and came back with a portable Bluetooth speaker. He fiddled around on his phone and the speaker sprang to life with an enchanting song, perfect for the setting sun.

  The marijuana lingered heavy in Damion’s brain as he watched the sun set over the ocean, the lyrics of the song seeping into his soul. Tears rolled down his cheeks and he did nothing to stop them. His heart ached for the woman he’d left behind, and wished Leonora was here experiencing this magical moment with him. He hoped to wrap up his search quickly and get back to her.

  Doofy’s voice jolted him from his reverie. ‘Damion, are you crying?’ He laughed out loud. ‘Hah! You are too! Have you gone soft in your old age?’

  Damion wiped his eyes with a tissue. ‘Nah mate, just a bit of hay fever!’

  Chas piped up, ‘I love a man with an emotional side. Are you single, Damion?’

  ‘Afraid not Chas. I have an amazing woman at home.’

  ‘Oh, what a shame, I bet she’s one lucky lady.’

  Doofy didn’t appear to be fazed at all by Chas’s shameless flirting and sat, staring out to sea with a goofy grin on his face.

  ‘I see you haven’t lost your famous grin, Doofy.’

  Chas screeched with laughter. ‘Did you call him Doofy?’

  Damion laughed out loud. ‘Did you not tell your husband your nickname? We used to call him that because of his goofy grin,’ he explained to Chas. ‘It started as goofy Dave, then somewhere along the line it got shortened to Doofy.’

  ‘That’s hilarious.’ Chas clapped with excitement. ‘Anyway, it’s been a pleasure meeting you, but I’ve got an early start tomorrow, so I’m off to bed. You two kids have fun.’

  The two of them stayed up until 2 am, chatting and drinking.

  The next morning, Damion woke up with a terrible hangover. Doofy was already up and semi-dressed in a pair of boxer shorts.

  ‘Coffee?’ he asked, holding up a jug.

  ‘Please, my head feels like it’s about to explode. I’m not used to drinking quite so much.’

  ‘Would you prefer a hair of the dog? Bloody Mary perhaps?’

  ‘No, thanks. I knew there was a reason I gave up drinking and I’ve just remembered it.’

  ‘Ha ha. You’re not doing much good for your street cred as a London Bar owner. When did you become such a lightweight?’

  When I met Leonora, he thought, but didn’t want to admit this to Doofy.

  Doofy thrust a coffee in Damion’s direction. ‘You hungry?’

  Damion shook his head.

  ‘I’d like to make a start on looking for your daughter as I’ve got another job starting tomorrow, so I’ll be quite busy on that. Have you got a name for me?’

  ‘Alice Willows is my daughter and Nat Willows is her uncle. That’s all know. She moved to Kentucky when she was eleven.’

  ‘Great, leave it with me.’ Doofy threw a packet of Tylenol at Damion. ‘Take two of these and go and sit on the balcony. Coffee, painkillers and fresh sea air will do the world of good. If you get hungry, there’s some eggs and bacon in the fridge. Help yourself. I’d offer to fry them up for you, but I’m a useless cook.’

  Damion took the painkillers, drank his coffee, then laid his head down on the sofa and fell asleep. Shortly after midday, he opened his eyes and was pleased that his head no longer hurt. He wandered into the kitchen where Doofy sat at the dining table, working on his computer.

  ‘Hey sleeping beauty, how’s the head?’

  ‘Much better thanks.’

  Damion’s stomach grumbled in annoyance at having missed breakfast.

  ‘Boy, that was loud,’ Doofy said. ‘Come and have some lunch and I’ll tell you what I’ve found.’

  He threw some bread, jam, and peanut butter on the table, alongside a couple of plates and knives. ‘Help yourself, mate.’

  Damion picked up a slice of bread, buttered it, and took a bite.

  Doofy made himself a peanut butter sandwich then said, ‘Do you want the good news or the bad news first?’

  Damion finished his mouthful of food before replying. ‘Let’s go with the good.’

  ‘Well, I found Alice’s foster family. Their names are Nat and Melissa Willows, and they live in Greengrass, Kentucky. They also have a daughter called Krystal who’s married to a guy called Chuck Burns.’

  ‘Wow, good work Doofy, where on earth did you find all this out?’

  ‘Damion my friend, it is best you don’t ask those questions.’

  ‘So what about Alice? Is she still there?’

  Doofy took a sip of his coffee before speaking. ‘So, here’s the thing. There’s been no trace of her since she left school.’

  ‘No trace? What do you mean? Do you think something could have happened to her?’

  ‘Maybe, but there’s nothing to indicate she’s dead, if that’s what you mean. There’s no death certificate for her, so I’m guessing she’s still alive.’

  ‘Any idea why there’s no trace of her then?’

  ‘There could b
e a couple of reasons, especially if she doesn’t want to be found. One: she moved away and changed her name...’

  Damion butted in. ‘But wouldn’t there be a record of her changing her name?’

  ‘Not if she didn’t legally change it. She could have assumed another name.’

  ‘But what about bank accounts? Surely she would have to open accounts in her own name?’

  ‘Perhaps she doesn’t have any. She could have gotten a cash-in-hand job.’

  ‘So what do you think Doofy? What’s your gut feeling?’

  ‘I think she’s probably left Kentucky, changed her name and doesn’t want to be found; just my opinion. In the meantime, here’s the address of her foster parents, and her foster sister. With a bit of luck, they’ll know where she is.’

  It was a start, at least, Damion thought.

  Chapter 15

  The next morning he said goodbye to Doofy and Chas and headed off on his road trip towards Greengrass, Kentucky, once again happy to be behind the wheel.

  He stopped at a few tourist spots along the way. In Tucson, Arizona, he visited the airplane boneyard museum and did a tour of the Titan missile museum. In Dallas, he did a city tour and in Memphis, he visited Elvis’s house.

  A week later he arrived at his destination, exhausted. Greengrass reminded him of one of those small towns you see in American horror movies; the sort of place you might arrive at, then never leave.

  There was no accommodation here, only a gas station, grocery store, a church and a school. He’d passed a motel an hour earlier, but he hadn’t planned on backtracking.

  He drove to the address he’d been given for Alice’s foster parents. He sat in the car outside the house, imagining what sort of life his daughter had had there. He thought he saw the curtains twitch downstairs. Was somebody watching him?

  He summoned up the nerve, got out of his car and strode towards the front door. He rang the doorbell and waited. No answer. He rang again. Still no answer. He knocked. He heard some shuffling around inside. Finally the door opened, and the stale smell of cigarettes and beer wafted out.

  A man in his mid-forties stood in front of him, keeping himself propped up by a Zimmer frame. His wrinkled, unshaven face appeared to be set in a permanent scowl while his belly protruded over his pants and hung down like a flap of dead meat.

  Damion hoped he was at the wrong place. He couldn’t imagine his daughter growing up in this disgusting environment.

  ‘What do you want?’ The man scowled at him, baring a toothless sneer.

  ‘I’m looking for Alice Willows. Does she live here?’

  ‘Don’t you dare mention that bitch around here. What’s your business with her?’

  ‘I’m her biological father and I’m trying to find her.’

  ‘So you’re responsible for all of this!’ He indicated to the Zimmer frame and his buckled leg. ‘You’re the cause of all our misery,’ he spat with venom. ‘Well you can fuck off out of town and if I see your face around here again, I’ll blow it off with a shotgun!’ he yelled, then slammed the door.

  Damion trembled as he walked back to the car. The man had both repulsed and frightened him. Did Alice really grow up here? Bile rose in his throat at the thought of his daughter living with that monster.

  Wanting to get away as quickly as possible, he floored the gas pedal. The engine roared as he sped off with a screech of tyres and burning rubber. He needed a shower to wash off the venom that had been directed his way.

  It was an hour’s drive back to the motel he’d seen earlier, so he stopped at a grocery store to grab a drink and something to eat.

  The door clanged as he entered, and the smell of fresh vegetables intermingled with cleaning products wafted up his nose. He made his way to the fridge and took out a coke. He browsed around the shop for something to eat, but the choice was limited. He grabbed a packet of crisps, or chips, as they call them here, to tide him over.

  A buxom middle-aged woman behind the counter greeted him in a thick Greek accent.

  ‘Is there anything else I can get you?’

  ‘No thank you’

  ‘Ooh, are you English?’

  ‘Yes I am,’ he replied, trying to be polite, but just wanting to get out of there.

  ‘So what brings a handsome Englishman such as yourself to our small town?’

  Damion took a deep breath, not having the energy for this. ‘I’m looking for my daughter. She used to live here, but she’s disappeared without a trace.’

  The lady behind the counter stared at him, making him feel uncomfortable. Finally she spoke. ‘What was her name?’

  ‘Alice Willows.’

  She suddenly became quite animated. ‘Oh Alice, dear, dear Alice. She used to work here,’ she cried.

  Damion’s bad mood evaporated. ‘You knew her!’

  ‘Yes, she was a wonderful girl, like a daughter to me. Such a hard worker and smart too. Made some changes around the place so it ran more efficiently. Sorry, what’s your name?’

  ‘Damion Parker.’

  ‘Well Damion, you must come into my home and learn all about your daughter.’ And with that comment, she got up from the counter, locked the front door and set the sign to closed.

  Chapter 16

  Six Years Earlier

  Alice Willows sat on the grass finishing the last mouthful of her peanut butter sandwich; her standard lunch because they were cheap and easy to make. Saving money was crucial to her putting her plan into action. Once the last of her sandwich slivered down her throat, she lay back on the grass.

  The warmth of the spring sun sent a wave of happiness through her, a welcome change from the cold winter of Kentucky. She preferred the moderate winter climate of California, but that life had been rudely snatched from her.

  Determined not to let the past ruin her mood, she hitched up her dress and allowed the sun to soak into her legs. Using her book to shield the bright light from her eyes, she disappeared into another world, far away from the problems in her current life.

  ‘Pwafffftttt!’ Alice shot up, coughing and sneezing, brushing grass clippings from her face. A cackle of girls giggled as they walked away from her, glancing back, admiring their handiwork. Peaches Campbell, their ringleader, looked smug. Stupid bitch, thinks she’s so much better than me. I should kick her pretty little face in. Alice was better than her though and refused to be brought down to her level. In California she had trained in karate so knew how to exercise self-control.

  The bell rang, summoning her back to class. Alice fetched her books from her locker and made her way to biology class and took a seat at the back to reduce her visibility and likelihood of being teased. Having no friends made it difficult and Peaches had made it her own personal mission to make her life hell.

  After the last class of the day, Alice headed down the hall towards her locker. As she got closer she noticed a picture taped on the front of it. Someone had drawn a caricature of her with wild hair and drab oversized clothes. They’d drawn large eyes and coloured them in with a black marking pen. Someone giggled behind her.

  Ignoring them, she opened her locker and started putting her books away, but someone bumped her, causing them to drop all over the floor. She swung around and saw Peaches glaring at her again, surrounded by her flock of hens.

  As Alice bent down to pick them up, Peaches kicked them out of her way. Just stay calm, if I let her get to me, then she has won. The other girls giggled as they watched her scrambling around trying to pick up her books, while they kicked them around as though they were playing soccer. Alice took a deep breath, stood up, and watched as they played their game at her expense. Let them have their fun. A crowd had gathered around, and someone started a chant.

  ‘Weird Al, watcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do when they come for you.’

  Others joined in with the singing and Alice stood there, shaking her head in disbelief. What’s wrong with these people? Eventually a teacher came along and broke up the gathering, sending everyone off home
.

  Alice bent down to pick up her books and a male hand reached out and grabbed hers. She looked up and was greeted with deep blue eyes connecting with her own. Her heart skipped a beat at the handsome sight of Carter Willis in front of her. She looked away, afraid he might be able to read her thoughts. Carter was the boyfriend of Peaches Campbell, the girl who had been causing her so much grief. It was probably a set-up.

  As she stood up, he handed her the books he had scooped up off the floor.

  ‘Thanks,’ she mumbled, before scurrying off.

  ‘Alice, wait.’

  She stopped, surprised he knew her name, and turned back towards him.

  ‘I need your help,’ he said.

  Alice wasn’t comfortable talking to him, worried by how Peaches would react if she saw them. As if reading her mind he said, ‘Don’t worry, this will only be between the two of us.’

  She listened to what he had to say, then rushed off to her part time job at the grocery store.

  ***

  The doorbell clanged as Alice entered and the familiar smell of fruit intermingled with cleaning products wafted up her nose.

  ‘Oh, hello Alice, what a glorious day, Summer’s on the way. How was your day at school?’ asked her boss, a rotund middle-aged woman with a huge heart.

  ‘Hi Mrs K, school was the usual,’ she replied, not being one to complain.

  ‘Well, no time for chit chat today I’m afraid, a load of vegetables have come in and I need you to stock the shelves with them,’ Mrs K, also known as Mrs Kyriocopoulos, replied in a thick Greek accent.

  Alice smiled at the endearing way she pronounced vegetables like veh-gee-TAAh-blez. She liked her a lot, being the only person who treated her like a human being and not some weird alien from another planet—or California in her case.

  ‘No problem Mrs K, I’m in need of a mundane job to do.’

  ‘That’s my girl, I wish you would come and work for me full time?’

  ‘I’d love to work full time for you, but as you know, it won’t fit in with my master plan.’ Alice winked at her.

  ‘Oh you and your secretive master plan. Once you’re old enough I’m going to give you some of my best ouzo and you’ll spill your secret.’