A period of twenty weeks had passed
between the day of the auction sale of Woodsman’s
Cottage and any physical sighting of people at the property. The
time void was ended by the arrival of a team of non-local builders
with their lorries, JCB excavator, scaffolding and other builders
paraphernalia. The extensive refurbishment of the long time
uninhabited property was completed in a time scale of another ten
weeks.
Whilst the refurbishment was carried
out, the many attempts by the inquisitive villagers at developing
friendships with the unknown builders – they are normally a good
source of information – had been unsuccessful. Under the control of
a strict task master the workers behaved like members of a self
sufficient secret society. They brought, or had delivered direct to
site, everything they needed each day. When the work was completed
the corps of tradesmen departed as suddenly as they had arrived. The
testament to their temporary presence was the immaculate resurrected,
building and gardens of the cottage; and the newly erected tall
boundary walls with solid entrance gates.
For a further three weeks it stood
waiting, expectantly, for the day Ryan and Fiona O’Neill moved into
their new home. For the villagers their arrival was as if the cottage
had given birth to twins at the end of a concealed pregnancy.
Since their arrival the O'Neills have
been the subject of many discussions and speculations amongst the
villagers. They have heard snippets of the many theories about
themselves. The subject of conversations being quickly changed when
they have entered the village store, with post office, or the Queens
Head, the only village public house.
They are private people who are happy,
contented, in their own company. That is not to say that they do not
like socialising, reacting, with others, but on their own terms. They
can be perceived as being overly reserved. This interests some of the
villagers, who see it as a challenge to get closer to the O’Neills
to unravel the mystery: to others it is a great annoyance and seen as
snobbery by the unwelcome moneyed newcomers.
Ryan and Fiona's lifestyle means that
it's necessary for them to leave the village very early in the
morning and a long working day results in a mid-evening arrival back
at the cottage. The villagers find it very difficult to regularly
monitor arrivals and departures at the isolated cottage.
That is not to say that the O'Neills
are not seen about the village.
The 'Queen's Head' has a reputation for
excellent cuisine. Ryan and Fiona are often to be seen enjoying an
evening meal in the cosy restaurant, once or twice during the
week-days. Invariably Sunday lunch is also eaten there, after a
stroll from their cottage to the pub across the village common. When
ever it's possible they sit at the same table for two, in the corner,
next to the window. There isn't a sign saying 'do not disturb' but
their demeanour leads the other diners, and those at the bar, in no
doubt that is the case.
When they use the village store to buy
the week-end papers and groceries; forgotten during the trip to the
large superstore in town, twenty miles away; conversations are kept
to the minimum necessary for politeness: the weather, newspaper
stories and purchases the only matters raised. The expressions on the
faces of the staff and other villagers in the store suggest they have
questions to ask about the O'Neills' but no direct interrogations are
forthcoming.
Those that have lived in the village a
long time are eager to know if the newcomers have information about
the previous owner of Woodsman' Cottage, and his mysterious
disappearance. But no direct interrogations are forthcoming.
The members of the village board of
enquiry have managed to ascertain, to the best of their
surreptitiously acquired knowledge, that Ryan and Fiona are a married
couple, without children despite their age; Ryan was born in 1970 and
Fiona in 1971. They do not have pet animals of any type. They have
their own company, O'Neill Associates, but the nature of its business
is unknown. Opinion is that it they must be 'doing very well' given
the expensive make and model of each of the two cars they have, and
the assumed high cost of the work carried out to the cottage. It's
agreed by all members that not a lot of information is known [some of
which is wrong]. At its latest meeting the members decided, over
morning coffee and home-made chocolate chip cookies, that a more
direct approach to gathering facts, and gossip, is necessary. If the
O'Neills are to be accepted into the inner-circle of residents then
they must be persuaded, or tricked, to release more personal details.
Mystery in the village is unsettling.
The inquisitors have a problem: Ryan
and Fiona don't want, or need, to be accepted into the inner-circle
of residents. They enjoy, finding it humorous, being a source of
mystery in the village. They are experienced at answering direct
questions with indirect answers as part of their previous military
careers and current business. They will continue with the current
game of hide and seek until they become bored with being hunted by
amateurs. The O'Neills knew more personal information about some of
their new neighbours before they purchased Woodsman's Cottage than
the villagers know about them now.
When that point in time comes, as it
will, as it has in the two villages where they have lived before,
Ryan and Fiona will, unbeknown to the villagers, reverse the roles.
The new hunters will use their finely tuned professional skills to
their omnipotent and financial advantage over their selected,
vulnerable, victims.
