Accusation
A Story Every Day in 2024 Nov 14th 319/366
Dave and Bethan walked in the direction of the quarry, Bethan letting Dave lead.
"I don't know how you can think that I killed her, Bethan." Dave acknowledged to himself that he's not a great man but he's still reeling from Bethan's accusation.
"I don't know how you think that I can't," Bethan retorted, abruptly. The land is starting to become more rugged, the field contorting into rougher terrain, boulders visible amongst tufts. The smoothness of pasture is giving way to the ruggedness of rock. "Something doesn't stack up here, Dave. I'm going to get to the bottom of it." Or die trying, she thought, her mind citing exactly the same thing as Dave's.
"What I don't get is why, if you're so innocent, you didn't take this 'evidence' " - here Bethan used air quote marks with two fingers on each hand -" to the police? Why keep it hidden all these years?"
Dave didn't know how to answer this without giving anything away and so he stayed silent. Bethan felt this was ominous, the weight of his chosen silence descending, like a toxic fog. Should she push him to explain?
She chose to stay silent, knowing that his quietness reeked of guilt - but was it for filicide?
She should have just turned and run but some instinct confided in her that she was closer to Laney than she had ever been. This quarry is significant - if Dave was telling the truth. She admitted that she did believe him about the quarry and visiting it when she was grief-stricken. She couldn't see beyond herself and her distress and thoughts of Laney. She'd lost sight of Dave completely. She was sad about this. Their life had been good before Laney disappeared.
An image of Katie entered her head unbidden.
She was about to ask him about her when the ground changes and he surged ahead.
Stones, gravel, weeds hanging out in crevices, like teenagers in alleys, recalcitrant and scrappy.
Below her, Bethan saw rocks, slopes, scree, a landscape torn by machines, distorted and rough. There was a deep pool at the centre of it, darkest blue, rippling in the wind.
Dave announced:
"Here we are. Axton Hill Quarry."
***
365 words
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Comments (17)
What a story!
Yes… excellent Top Story/ episode 🤩… I love these lines: “ Stones, gravel, weeds hanging out in crevices, like teenagers in alleys, recalcitrant and scrappy.” beautiful ✅.
Congrats on Top Story, Rachel! Another great installment!!
nice story
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Great top story - well done Rachel!
Back to say congratulations on your Top Story! 🎉💖🎊🎉💖🎊
Congratulations on the Top Story for this suspenseful chapter in the story so many of us have been following. Well done, my friend.
Congratulations for the richly merited TS!
Does Dave tell the truth or his version?
Love the way you've set this all up like a game of chess - can't wait to see what happens next.
Nail biting, Rachel. Who’s the silent observer? Surely a human couldn’t follow Dave and Bethan in the open field unnoticed?
Starting to chew on my fingernails here!
Back where it all began. C'mon Dave. Spill.
That ending is devastating. And jesus Dave, just tell her the damn truth -you owe her at least that much grrrr
Brilliant
But where's the stalker now? I want them to scare Dave so he accidentally jumps to his death 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣