Alex Preston - The Revelations

Marcus hung up the phone and stretched out on the sofa. He opened up his computer again and found the article about Lee in the newspaper’s online edition. The piece contained very few facts, and hinted with many allegedly s and supposedly s and carefully hedged words that Lee killed herself because the Course was a cult that sought to control the lives of its followers. The newspaper would get a call from the Course’s lawyers, despite the careful manner in which it presented the story. Marcus read it once more and then drifted off to sleep. He woke after a couple of hours and stumbled to bed. Darwin, yawning, came too and curled up at his feet as he slept.

On Monday, Marcus kept his mobile in constant view. He found his work particularly dull that day as he trawled through further documents relating to the legal wrangle between Plantagenet Partners and the Chinese bank. The case was growing increasingly murky. It seemed to him that the hedge fund had acted recklessly and criminally, and now he was being asked to help them cover their tracks. He was surprised, when reading through one of the documents, to see the Earl’s name. He searched through the files on his computer and realised that the Earl was one of the initial backers of the shady hedge fund, and was now a non-executive director of the business. He wondered if the Earl knew the details of the case.

He could hardly muster the energy to care, though. Partly his boredom was driven by the anticipation of speaking to Abby, partly by the recollection of Rebecca’s response to his description of his life. Marcus knew that he was wasting his talents at the law firm, but the money was so good. He walked out for lunch feeling dejected, sniffing as he attempted to fight off the cold that sat threateningly behind his eyes.

Mouse hadn’t called by the time Marcus left the office at seven. Marcus went for a beer with some of his colleagues after work, then walked towards Moorgate. He made his way down into the Tube, determined to call Mouse when he came out at Notting Hill Gate. He sat on the swaying train half-reading a novel and wondering what he’d do if Mouse didn’t telephone. When he came out into the damp West London night, his answerphone alert was flashing. He dialled it as he walked towards his flat.

‘Marcus, it’s Mouse. I’m sorry I didn’t call you earlier. I’m sorry about yesterday in the cemetery. I’m sorry about everything. But I can’t tell you how I got the earrings. Please just believe me, sport, I didn’t kill Lee. I’m going to go away for a while. Don’t turn your back on me now, Marcus. Please.’

Marcus listened to the message again and then saved it. He opened the door to his flat, fed Darwin, and sat down to call Abby. She answered almost immediately, her voice full of childish pleasure.

‘Oh, darling, it’s you. Your number doesn’t come up. How are you?’

‘I’m fine,’ he said.

‘No you’re not. What’s wrong?’

He took a deep breath. ‘A lot of things have been happening, Abby. To do with Lee. I don’t really know what I should. . I found her earrings, Abby. I found them on Mouse’s boat.’

‘Tell me all about it. Start at the beginning and take me through what happened.’

Marcus told her about meeting Daffy in east London and then going on to the artist’s party. He skipped over the episode with Rebecca, but then described finding the earrings in the tortoiseshell box and his pursuit of Mouse across the graveyard. Finally, he related Mouse’s answerphone message. Abby was silent for a while.

‘I believe him, don’t you?’

‘I don’t know. I stayed the night on the boat on Thursday and I just got the feeling that he was hiding something, that there was something awful that he needed to tell me but couldn’t.’

He heard the sound of traffic in the background, a police siren wailed.

‘You should talk to David. He’ll know what to do. If Mouse is going away then he won’t be at the Course on Tuesday night. Go and speak to David afterwards. I’m sorry I’m not there, darling. But I know you’ll do the right thing. I still think Lee probably killed herself. And maybe you’re looking for things to demonstrate otherwise, to take away some guilt. Get lots of sleep, my love. You sound like you’re coming down with something. And call me whenever you want.’

*

On Tuesday evening, David stood in front of the Course members, his skin grey under the spotlight, large purplish bags under his bloodshot eyes.

‘You will have read the lies printed about one of our Course members in the press this weekend,’ he began. ‘I don’t want to dignify such monstrous rubbish with anything more than a cursory response. Lee Elek is a wonderful girl and a dear friend. We all miss her very much. But she has some significant personal problems, and I believe the Course is one of the very few forces for good in her life. Let us all pray now for Lee, wherever she might be.’

After the speech, which was shorter than usual, David and Marcus played an acoustic set on stage. There were candles around their feet and David sang in his high, soft voice. Some of the girls in the front row swayed along with the music. As expected, Mouse hadn’t turned up that evening. The two discussion groups were combined and Marcus would speak to them both in the low-ceilinged crypt room.

Marcus sat and stared at the new members, aware that Sally and David were behind him, watching. His head was fuzzy, his sinuses clogged and aching. While he had tried to steer the conversation around to the evening’s topic, Being an Apostle in the Modern World , the group had only wanted to talk about Lee. One of the quiet girls spoke first, looking down at her feet, her cheeks reddening.

‘I saw the article and, while I realise that it’s journalism, sensationalised, I can’t help but think that some of it must be true. Has David really made people leave because they were gay? It doesn’t seem like him.’

Marcus caught David’s eye and then looked back at the girl.

‘It should be obvious to you now you’ve done the Course that it’s total rubbish. I remember the boy they were talking about. He was trying to make some sort of political statement by coming here. David didn’t ask him to leave because he was gay. He told him that he was here for the wrong reasons and that he should either change those reasons or come back when he would get more from the Course.’

One of the twins raised a thin arm.

‘Alice and I were both very sad when our mummy died. I became quite horribly depressed. And I think we all knew that Lee was sad, suffered from her slumps. I suppose I’d have thought that the Course would insulate you against that kind of thing. Would give you the tools to stop you getting that bad. If Lee was a Course leader and still fell apart like this, what message does it give to us?’

David coughed and the group turned towards him. Marcus sank gratefully back on his chair. The priest stepped forward into the centre of the room, very grave, his hands pressed together.

‘We’re all human here, we all have doubts, many of us have been down — like Ele, like Lee. It’s hard not to look on the things going on in the world and get terribly downhearted. But we have to believe that what we’re doing here is right. I imagine over the next few weeks we’re going to learn a great deal more about the troubles that Lee was facing. And I think perhaps what we’ll end up realising is that it was a miracle that something like this didn’t happen sooner. That actually the Course helped sustain Lee until even her faith and our love couldn’t force away the darkness. I just wish that she had spoken to me more, that she had let me shoulder more of that terrible burden.’

Tears beaded at the corners of David’s eyes. He walked from the room. Sally hurried after him. The Course members sat in silence.