The Truth Healer: A Riveting Spiritual Psychic Thriller Read online

  ‘Yes sounds good to me….let’s go.’ Diana replied.

  They both wandered along a variety of café and boutique lined streets, before being met by the all encompassing church, with it’s magnificent steeple.

  ‘Look at that spectacular timber frame.’ Diana marvelled.

  ‘I know, it is stunning isn’t it? Apparently it goes back to the thirteenth century.’

  Chloe stood admiring it. She could feel it’s calm and peaceful strength radiating through her, making her feel protected somehow. It was just a shame that this wonderful building was now wrapped up in a potential veil of sadness…that was, if Arrineux turned out to be where Rosie’s tragic journey began.

  ‘Come along, shall we find somewhere to eat?’ Diana proposed, looking at the map.

  ‘Yes sure….I’m starting to feel hungry too.’

  They both bit into their croque monsieurs, while studying the map. ‘So what do you want to do next?’ Diana asked.

  ‘I thought we could drive over to Beaux Arbres campsite to look around, and maybe ask a few questions at reception.’

  ‘Ok, sounds good. At least then you can get the heads up on the place before Lucy and Brenda drive over there.’

  ‘Exactly, that is what I thought. I am getting nervous though. I haven’t really had to intervene too much as of yet, and it is going to feel kind of creepy going to the campsite where we know that a young girl has already gone missing from.’ Chloe said, with reluctance.

  ‘Yes, I know what you mean, but we do not have to reveal who we are….we are just holiday tourists making a few enquiries.’ Diana said, stirring some sugar into her latte.

  ‘Yes, you are right. I’m sure I’ll be fine once I’m there.’ Chloe agreed. ‘I’ll get the bill, and then we can go and get the car.’

  Forty minutes later, Diana and Chloe pulled into the campsite car park. They could see an array of campervans and tents scattered amongst tall sweeping trees. A tease of sunlight was seeping through the leaves, offering a glimmer of light, to what was otherwise an eerie experience for them both, knowing what they knew.

  As they got out of the car, they could hear faint laughter coming from the far end of the campsite.

  ‘Let’s walk through to the other side to see what’s going on.’ Diana directed.

  Chloe observed how secluded each tent and caravan was. ‘It would be easy to hide someone here wouldn’t it?…there are so many dark spots.’

  ‘Yes…that’s obviously how they managed to abduct Anna Gerber.’

  As they reached the other side of the woodland, they were met by a panoramic lake which accommodated pedalos, water skiing and canoes for the campsites daytime activities.

  ‘You can see how easy it would be for someone to kidnap someone from this area, as it is bustling with activity, and how parents could fail to notice their child had wandered off.’ Chloe remarked, looking around in dismay.

  ‘I know it is sickening isn’t it….I do not even have children, so can only imagine how painful it would be.’

  ‘Let’s head over to reception.’ Chloe said, turning to head back through the wooded area.

  ‘Now remember, Lucy will be going there tomorrow, and will be asking probing questions about the case. It is not our place to do that, as it could scupper Lucy’s chances of finding out fresh information.’ Diana instructed.

  Chloe nodded. ‘Ok….I’ll just ask a bit about the clientele to get a feel of the place.’

  They both approached the grey panelled reception building and made their way up the wooden sloped entrance. They gave way to a mother and daughter, before being met by a friendly French lady behind the reception desk.

  ‘Bonjour, puis-je vous aider a?’ the lady greeted them.

  ‘Bonjour, parlez-vous anglais?’ Chloe asked, with her limited French.

  ‘Oui……yes can I help you?’

  ‘Oh good…..yes if you could. I am thinking of coming to stay here in the coming months, and just wanted to find out how much it would cost. I am staying nearby but would like to come back camping with my family.’

  ‘Ah ok…….yes here is our price list.’ the lady offered, reaching out for one of her booklets on the desk.

  ‘So you have lots of nationalities here don’t you…...do you get many English families?’ Chloe inquired.

  ‘Yes a few, but mainly French, Swiss, Austrian, Hungarian.’

  ‘And is it secure for children?’ Chloe asked, before Diana gave her a disconcerted nudge.

  ‘Erm yes.’ the receptionist dubiously replied.

  ‘Anyway, thank you for your help. I will be in touch.’ Chloe quickly responded smiling.

  As she turned to walk out, she noticed a man sitting in the back office. It could have been her husband or just a male colleague. He didn’t appear as friendly as the lady, with his wild looking hair and snarled expression of disapproval. Chloe felt his eyes burning into her as she walked out, but she resisted the urge to look back in case she caught his eye.

  ‘Did you see the man in the office…..he didn’t look at all friendly did he?’ Chloe remarked.

  ‘Yes, he didn’t look best pleased to see us did he. I nudged you, as I didn’t want her to get suspicious that anything untoward was going on before Lucy arrives.’

  ‘I know, sorry. He was a grumpy ass though wasn’t he…as most men can be!’

  ‘Yes he was!… So, at least we have seen what kind of a place it is. Shall we go back to the hotel now?’

  ‘Yes come on, we need to watch out for Lucy and Brenda’s arrival….by my estimation, they should be arriving by 7pm.’

  After a rest on the bed, Chloe and Diana decided to sit and wait on a bench outside the hotel for Lucy and Brenda’s. It was 7.20pm and there was still no sign of them.

  They had been waiting for over an hour, when at last, a car pulled up outside the hotel. Chloe recognised the passengers.

  ‘That’s them!’ Chloe exclaimed, grabbing Diana’s arm.

  ‘Oh, you made me jump!… Ok they are driving around to the car park at the back, so let’s wait in reception for them.’

  Chloe felt a rush of excitement. The achievement of getting Lucy to Arrineux was monumental, and in a strange way she felt like an old friend had arrived…..even though they didn’t know each other at all. Chloe couldn’t believe she was actually seeing her there. All of a sudden, the sense of responsibility she felt was immense. She now just had to make sure the trip wasn’t in vain.

  Chloe and Diana cowered behind a group of tourists that were huddled inside the entrance to the hotel.

  ‘Did you hear that?….Lucy is asking how far the Beaux Arbres campsite is from the hotel.’ Chloe whispered.

  ‘Sshh…listen….they are saying they are going to the campsite tomorrow morning.’

  ‘At least that means we are safe to leave them to it until tomorrow.’

  ‘Phew, I’m pooped…shall we just get room service tonight then?’ Diana suggested, with pleading eyes.

  ‘Yes sure, I’m dead on my feet too…and I think it is going to be pretty full on tomorrow.’

  After a good night’s sleep, Chloe and Diana snuck down to breakfast. Chloe was still worried about bumping into Lucy in case she did recognise her from their chat in the Denning tea room.

  They grabbed some croissants and orange juice, and hid in the back corner of the breakfast room.

  Chloe kept her eye on the entrance to the room. After fifteen minutes, Lucy and Brenda entered. Chloe quickly lowered her head behind the menu. ‘Oh look they’re here.’ she whispered.

  ‘Ok calm down…we’ll just wait for them to have their breakfast and leave after them. It will be good to pick up on any signs as to how they are feeling.’ Diana instructed.

  Lucy and Brenda didn’t spend long there, and as they left to go back to their rooms, Chloe and Diana rushed to wait outside the hotel for them.

  After ten minutes, Lucy appeared, map in hand. They seemed to be going for an explore around the town first, so Chloe a
nd Diana decided to drive over to the campsite before them, and await their arrival.

  They parked up again in the car park and waited. At 9.45am Lucy’s car pulled up. Chloe and Diana watched as Lucy got out of the car with Brenda.

  The fear and trepidation was evident as she could see Lucy slowly survey the surrounding areas. Sadly, Chloe knew that she wouldn’t be seeing the beauty of the sun penetrating through the trees, but instead only the sinister darkness of the woodland that lay beneath.

  Chapter 17

  Two days after confirming the trip to France, Lucy was anxiously following the road signs to Arrineux, with Brenda clutching the map alongside her, as back up.

  ‘So, according to the sat nav, we are only about fifteen minutes away from Hotel Les Lavandes.’ Lucy said.

  ‘Oh good, I’m exhausted. Bill and I only ever tend to stay in the UK these days.’

  ‘That’s ok, we can just have some dinner when we get there and get an early night. We want to be fresh for finding the campsite in the morning.’

  ‘Sounds very good to me.’ Brenda agreed, although she was already starting to feel uneasy about going. She still thought they were getting out of their depth, but she wanted to be there to support Lucy.

  With Arrineux only fifteen minutes away, they found themselves suddenly surrounded by an abundance of beautiful lakes and trees. Lucy wished she was on a relaxing weekend break with her family, instead of hunting for evidence that her beloved Rosie had been abducted there.

  ‘Here we are!’ Brenda announced, as they drew up outside the hotel. A porter firstly directed them to the car park, before helping them to reception with their bags.

  After enquiring how far the campsite was from the hotel, Lucy and Brenda freshened up and ate in the hotel restaurant before retiring for the night.

  ‘Night Brenda, thanks again for coming with me.’

  ‘That’s ok dear, I want to be able to help you…you have been through such an ordeal.’

  ‘Have a good sleep then.’

  ‘You too lovey.’

  The following morning, Brenda and Lucy awoke early and headed down for breakfast.

  ‘So are we going to head straight for the campsite?’ Brenda asked, helping herself to some parma ham and emmental cheese at the buffet.

  ‘I think we should take a look around the town first, to get our bearings, and also the campsite reception may not be open this early.’ Lucy replied.

  ‘So how are you feeling this morning?’

  ‘Scared….scared at what I might find out, but scared also that our trip might amount to nothing.’ Lucy admitted, only picking at her croissant, after her appetite had subsided.

  ‘At least we are trying. Come along, let’s finish up here and go for a look around.’ Brenda said encouragingly.

  As they both wandered around the area, Lucy tried to gather her thoughts, as the trepidation of visiting the campsite had started to kick in.

  ‘What a fabulous church!’ Brenda exclaimed, looking up at the monumental L’eglise Saint- Paul d’Arrineux.’

  ‘It is rather spectacular isn’t it….I wonder if we can go in.’ Lucy remarked, gazing up at it’s grandeur.

  ‘I am sure we can…let’s go over and have a look.’

  Brenda pulled at it’s large timber entrance door. ‘It’s open…come on, I’m sure they won’t mind.’

  As they walked in, they were taken aback by the beautiful stain glass windows.

  ‘Look over there, they have prayer candles.’ Brenda said, pointing over to a prayer alter in the corner.

  ‘What are they for exactly?’ Lucy asked, never having been a regular at church before.

  ‘You light one in remembrance of a loved one, or it can be for yourself and living family as well.’

  As they approached the alter, Lucy was mesmerised by the warm flickering candle flames, set against the dimly lit church. As she lit a candle, she prayed that she would find out the truth about Rosie, whether it was good or bad.

  Lucy and Brenda stood in silence, both finding temporary comfort from the loving ambiance of the church. After a few moments of solace, Brenda put her arm around Lucy’s shoulder. ‘You ok?’

  ‘Yes, I needed that. I feel ready to do this now. Come along, let’s find the campsite.’

  Once they were in the car, Lucy keyed the address of campsite into her sat nav. The route was surrounded by open fields, and they seemed to travel for miles before they saw another car. After twenty minutes, they turned a bend and saw a caravan pull into a driveway. ‘This must be it.’ Lucy said, bracing herself as she approached the opening. She passed the dreaded sign for Beaux Arbres and slowly pulled into the car park.

  ‘What shall we do now?’ Brenda asked

  ‘Let’s go for a walk around. I want to see the type of people that come here.’ Lucy said, with reservation.

  The campsite brought a chill to her spine. There were so many secluded areas, and most of the caravans and tents were surrounded by woodland, so it would have been very easy to conceal a child from view. Through the woodland, they came to a swimming pool with lots of children playing, and then out beyond was a panoramic lake where campers could take rowing boats out on.

  It made Lucy smile for a moment, thinking back to the many happy family holidays they had enjoyed before their lives had been ruined. Unfortunately, though, it wasn’t long before it passed and she was once again consumed with sadness.

  ‘I think we should go and speak to reception now?’ Lucy said, snapping herself out of her mournful deliberation.

  ‘So how are you going to approach it?’ Brenda asked.

  ‘I need to get to the point really, so I will just explain my situation and hope they can help?’

  As they reached reception, they both waveringly held onto the hand rail and walked up the slope to the wooden hut.

  ‘Bonjour, do you speak English? Lucy asked.

  ‘Yes Madame, how may I help you? a friendly receptionist approached. She was in her mid forties, with olive skin, and had her dark hair loosely twisted up onto the top of her head.

  Lucy hesitated for a moment. ‘I am hoping you will be able to help. My daughter went missing from England two years ago, and I am desperately trying to find out what happened to her. During my research, I read that a young girl aged seven also went missing from this campsite.’

  The lady looked very uncomfortable as she gazed back at Lucy. Suddenly a man’s voice shouted through from the back office, which seemed to prompt the lady’s reply.

  ‘Sorry, I can not help you, that case is over, and we do not wish to bring the past back. Now if you’ll excuse me.’ she declared, and went back into the office.

  Lucy stood shocked at her bluntness. She turned to Brenda in bewilderment, who in turn, looked as dumbfounded as Lucy was. They hesitated, not knowing what to do next, before Brenda initiated their departure. ‘Come along, let’s go.’

  Lucy followed Brenda out of the hut like a lost sheep. She felt like someone had snatched away the last crucial piece of her jigsaw, cruelly stopping her in her tracks and blocking her path to the truth. She reluctantly got back in the car, and the tears she had been fighting came flooding out. ‘Now what?’ she wept, dabbing her cheeks with a tissue.

  ‘Come on sweetheart, we will work something out.’ Brenda consoled her, trying to hold back the tears herself to stay strong for Lucy.

  As Lucy finally composed herself, her tears turned to anger.

  ‘We haven’t travelled all this way to have the door shut in our face!’ I can’t just accept this!…..I’m going back in there!’

  ‘Wait Lucy, let’s think about this. She obviously doesn’t want to talk about it.’

  ‘Well she’s going to bloody well have to talk about it……I need to know!’ Lucy fumed, now bursting with frustration.

  She flung open the car door and went running back, clambering her way up the slope to reception. There was no one at the desk this time, so she repeatedly slammed her hand on the reception
bell.

  ‘Hello, bonjour, hello!’ she shouted.

  The lady came back to the desk, alarmed to see Lucy return.

  ‘Please I am desperate and need your help, I can’t live not knowing what has happened to my little girl. Please understand, I beg you. You are my only hope to find out more.’ Lucy pleaded.

  Before the lady could say anything, the gruff looking man came out from the office. ‘Please leave, we do not know anything.’ he said brusquely.

  The lady looked at Lucy with glazed eyes, but the man refused to let her talk.

  ‘I don’t understand why you won’t talk to me!’ Lucy begged.

  The man just stared back at her.

  ‘Why don’t you help her?’ Brenda breathlessly blurted out, after chasing Lucy back into the hut.

  The man repeated again, ‘We know nothing. Please leave’, whilst the lady looked on, pained by his reaction.

  Lucy was forlorn at the realisation that she wasn’t going to get any empathy from this man. They both despairingly returned to their car…Lucy with her head in her hands and Brenda at a loss at what to say to make her feel better.

  Just as they were deliberating their next move, the lady from reception suddenly tapped on their car window. Lucy looked up surprised and slowly wound it down.

  ‘Hello Madam’ she said, looking around nervously, ‘I have to be quick before my husband sees. I am so sorry for your loss. I really do want to help you, but our campsite business suffered a lot during the case of the missing girl six years ago, so my husband does not like to discuss it. He is going away this afternoon for a couple of days. Come back at 3pm and I will talk to you about it.’

  Lucy was taken aback by her sudden offer of help. ‘Oh…ok….thank you so so much, thank you for being so kind. It’s just my heart is breaking, so I need to know what happened.’