The Pool: A Cumbria Crime Novella by Rachel McLean and Joel Hames, book 6.5 in the Cumbria Crime series - Chapter 1

Trixie Burns stood above the pools at Tongue Pot, watching Eileen and Ada splashing below. Joe stood to one side, his eyes on Ada.

Ada knew that Joe was only here for her. She was wearing a modest one-piece, but given the way Joe stared at her, Trixie reckoned she’d have drawn his attention in a plastic bag.

Joe wasn’t a bad lad. But Ada could do better. And the fact that Joe and Ada were still here, rather than off somewhere private, like Liam and Bella, suggested that Ada knew she could do better.

Nearby, Gregory Howgill stood alone, silent, his arms folded. If it weren’t for the scowl on his face, Trixie would have assumed he was admiring the view.

But Gregory Howgill didn’t admire anything. Why he even bothered with these walks was beyond her.

If she was braver, she’d ask him. Maybe suggest he find another group. But Trixie wasn’t built for confrontation. Probably why she worked with animals instead of people.

That left Liam, Bella, and Pete. Pete had wanted to see Lingcove Beck Falls and the hidden cave waterfall, and he was old enough and experienced enough to find that himself. Liam and Bella had wanted privacy and pressed on to Esk Falls. Trixie had given them her spare map.

It was a beautiful day, one of those rare, glorious May mornings. In the still waters of the pools, a blue, cloudless sky shone back at her.

She glanced at her watch. The walk had been straightforward enough, but the ground was boggy in places. And the weather could turn fast up here. Visiting Hardknott Pass any time, except on a day like today, and it would be a lot less hospitable.

Probably time to gather her flock and head back to the car park.

“We’ll need to go soon,” she called out. Eileen looked up and nodded, saying something to Ada. Eileen spent her working days and nights dealing with drunks at the Miner’s Yard. If anyone could get young Ada moving, Eileen could.

Trixie turned and began to walk away, the noise behind her receding. The mountains loomed on all sides, giving the illusion of solitude.

She hadn’t made it to the stone bridge before she saw Liam and Bella. Walking quietly arm-in-arm towards her. Beads of water glistened in their hair, the very picture of young love.

She couldn’t help liking these two. Bella was a teacher, or training to be one. Liam worked at the Port. Not an obvious pairing. But seeing them together, she knew. That generation hopped from partner to partner like – well, like rabbits, really. But she had the feeling these two would stick together.

She smiled. “Time to head back.”

They nodded and walked back towards the others. Just Pete to go.

She pressed on, up the dirt path to the bridge. She could hear the cascade of Lingcove Beck Falls.

“Pete!” she called, turning her head left and right. There was no sign of him on the rocks that formed its rim. She took another few steps, and looked down, at its base.

Just a glance. She didn’t expect to see Pete there, because it was a tiny plunge pool, not as still as the others. Beautiful to look at, but for a swim, she’d pick Tongue Pot or the holes beyond, the ones Liam and Bella had been exploring.

But there he was, floating in the water.

“Pete!” she called again.

He didn’t move.

Odd. The water was loud, but so was Trixie, when she wanted to be.

“Pete!” she shouted, louder this time. She began to descend the rocks to the pool, moving carefully.

Still no reply. Still no movement. As she reached the pool, her voice began to falter.

She took a step towards him. She hadn’t been able to make it out from above, but from here it was clear.

Pete was floating face-down, bobbing in the tiny pool. She took another step, reached out a hand, pulled it back again, took a breath.

She had to do this.

She touched him. Cold.

But of course he was cold. The water was freezing, even on a hot early summer’s day. The water here was always freezing.

“Pete?” she said, her voice catching. She blinked, swallowed, and reached forward with both hands to turn him over.

His eyes were open. Staring blankly at the sky.

Trixie had seen enough bodies in her time. Usually four-legged rather than two, but the same principles applied. If they weren’t breathing, they were usually dead.

And Pete Whiteside was quite definitely dead.