Unseen

Margaret watched the young policeman scan the area, at one point looking right at her. He appeared entirely confused, all but scratching his head in puzzlement.

She managed to suppress the chuckle that she knew would give her away. Just.

Margaret knew she was all too easily amused. It was funny though, the way you could hide in plain sight simply by making yourself as still as possible.

Of course, being in the shadow of the wall helped, but the secret was being utterly calm and immobile. For some reason, most people's eyes couldn't get a fix on you if you weren't moving - it was like their gaze just skimmed past you.

No matter how many times she did this, it still tickled her.

Obviously, the ability to remain unseen came in handy in any number of awkward situations - but in the Granny Knot, using it for frivolous reasons (a phrase she always heard in her mind in Alice's disapproving tone) was frowned upon. Too show-offy.

The young lad was still looking hopelessly around, unable to understand how someone could vanish "into thin air" as the saying goes. Once again his eyes looked directly at her, hovered for a moment, and then moved on. A few moments later, so did he.

After he'd walked away, Margaret let out a shuddering breath that ended in a sigh. She'd always found the breathing control to be the hardest part, and it wasn't getting any easier.

So, she thought. He had been following her; she'd suspected as much. But why? The possibility that the police were on the side of Hewson and his lot was not a comforting one. Not at all.



Part Two begins here.