The First Betrayal (7 page)

Chapter Thirty

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News of Gladys and Jim’s demise had reached the hotel staff, and between tears and disbelief, there was scandal-mongering and disrespectful rumours abounding. People they knew and supposedly liked ripped their characters to shreds as communal entertainment. In a single breath, they were described as a 'nice couple, that never had a cross word, but you never know what goes on behind net curtains.' 'Gladys was too friendly, while Jim was too quiet.' Those who hadn’t listened properly, or more likely didn’t want to hear the actual truth, claimed it was 'only a matter of time before poor Jim would do her in.' 

Adam was in the foyer, taking it all in. He heard the good, the bad and the ugly. He also heard that an investigative team was coming that morning from the mainland. He would hang around there until they arrived, nowhere else to be.

Chapter Thirty One

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Vera stood stony faced while they all climbed unaided onto the bus. No wheelchairs needed, no walking aids required, no handholding wanted, no help necessary. She watched, fully aware and fully awake, trying to comprehend the madness that had engulfed her world. How was this even possible, was the recurring thought that kept picking at her brain?

‘Good morning Vera’

‘Adam, I’m surprised to see you’

‘Well I wanted to thank you for a wonderful evening. Everything was so lovely, especially you.’

‘Thank you Adam, I had a great time too. You just missed the gang; they decided to go to the mainland for a day trip.’

‘But I didn’t realise they were all fit enough to make a journey like that.’ Vera looked at her shoes as she answered him, ‘They perked up after your visit, and were feeling very spry this morning. A few Dramamine and morphine patches, and they were good to go.’

‘That’s great, I’m sorry to miss them but very happy their off to have fun. So they are on their way to the ferry now, as we speak?’ Adam wanted to know.

‘Yes, they left just a few minutes before you arrived. Why?’

‘No reason Vera, how about a cup of coffee?’

Chapter Thirty Two

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Inspector Rudder was bloody furious; he had been sequestered from his usual beat to baby sit a standard domestic drama. He reckoned, if these people couldn’t survive on an island then don’t bloody well live on one. Oh hell, he knew the local stations had been closed down, and he was somewhat considerate of that, but all in all, it wasn’t, and shouldn’t be, his problem. Living on an island was a real cosy deal if you had some real life security in the shape of a police station, but when that moved on, shouldn’t the rest follow. These islands were a strain on the mainland’s recourses, and they could barely afford them as it was. This for example was a silly mundane marital dispute, it happened all the time on the main land, and he didn’t see why it would be any different here. He had been lumbered with a wet behind the ears rookie. Seems a boat accident had happened a couple of days previous, and a little more information from the locals might be useful, or so he had been told. The rookie it seems was to be a diversion, gathering Intel from sleepy villagers, who couldn’t possibly have seen anything, while he investigated a Mr and Mrs Smith marital dispute. He was beeped in the early hours, told to get the first ferry, told it was a domestic, and told to deal with it. It wasn’t until he arrived at the ferry that he met his travel companion, Wallis. He appeared nice enough, if a little green. Truth be told, he was a bit peeved to have Wallis foisted on his case, even if it was beneath his pay grade.  Since Ruder turned fifty-five, his caseload had been decidedly trivial, bordering on catatonic. If recent history were any indication, this would be no different to the usual marital melodrama.

Chapter Thirty Three

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They decided to bring both cars, in case they needed to separate. It was unlikely that there would be a taxi on the island and Rudder did not intend to be at someone else’s beck and call. The ferry ride was a half hour of small talk and awkward silences. Rudder told Wallis to go on ahead and he would meet him in the village hotel. Checking his watch, and seeing it was only 10am, he decided there was time for a quick one in the harbour inn. It was during his second malt that fire engine sirens disturbed the muted voices of the few die hard drinkers. 'Probably a cat stuck up a tree' he thought cynically. A few minutes later, a very distraught looking man burst through the doors. The bar tender, recognising him shouted.

‘What’s up Lenny, you look bloody awful.’

‘There’s been a terrible accident, give me a brandy, a double mate.’

‘Sure thing Lenny, coming up.’ Lenny dropped onto the nearest stool, and gratefully sank the brandy in one gulp. The bar man gave him another generous shot before pushing for info.

‘Ya know the old folks home back up the hill, they were all going to the ferry in the community bus when a black Volvo ploughed head long into them. Only one chap in the car, well, out of it now, but the bus was crammed full of old dears. By the look of it, all dead. Bodies all over the road. Hit me again mate.’

Rudder ran out of the inn, jumped in his car and drove towards the village. Of course, he knew it was Wallis before he reached the scene. It was only a few minutes up the road, and when he arrived and flashed his badge, the fire chief confirmed what Lenny had correctly guessed. No survivors. They had put partitions up around the mangled vehicles, and blankets over the bodies, but Rudder could see Wallis dangling from the hood. The wristwatch Wallis had checked numerous times on the ferry crossing peeked from under the blanket. The fire chief also informed Rudder that a witness saw the bus speeding down the hill and the driver looked as if he had lost control, a possible brake failure. They had also called the undertakers, but they only had one vehicle. Rudder rang back to his station and broke the news of Sergeant Wallis’s death, he also asked for the coroner, a large coroners van and extra body bags to be sent on the next ferry. His boss came on before he had a chance to hang up, and had to lie about why Wallis was on his own. 'Anyone would think he wanted me in the car with Wallis' When he got off the phone the fire chief told him that he had arranged with a buddy to bring his transit and some plastic sheeting. Get the bodies off the road and to the funeral home until the coroner arrived. The lookey loos were having a field day and would end up causing another crash.

Chapter Thirty Four

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Vera had also heard the sirens in the distance, obviously, she didn’t know the reason for them, but she had a bad feeling about it. Then the screaming started. She ran to the sound and found Helen at reception in a terrible state. Eventually through the gut wrenching sobs, Vera managed to extract the awful news that the fire chief had rang to tell them. All dead, and all would need to be formally identified. Later would do, at the funeral home. She was too stunned to speak and too stunned to move, and her brain was struggling to comprehend the news it had received. Adam had followed from the tearoom and heard the news.

‘I’m so sorry Vera, what a terrible thing to happen to all those lovely old dears.’

‘YOU, YOU did this.’ Vera turned on him and launched a surprising attack. ‘I don’t know how or even why, but I know you did this.’ Realisation had turned her face into a horror mask, and getting her mobility back, dashed to the nearest potted plant and vomited. When she raised her head from the soil, Adam was beside her.

‘You’re in shock Vera, and I understand you needing to lash out, but after a while you’ll realise how ludicrous you sound. Let me get you a brandy and --------’

‘Don’t bother with the fake charm and concern. Something happened, in that moment when you spoke, something dropped away from my brain. Your evil and you came here to do evil. I’ve been too stupid and too flattered by your attentions to notice it, and that’s why you were giving me the full treatment, so you could get to the residents. Helen, ring the authorities and tell them there’s a murderer on the Island. ’

‘Alright, alright, I’m going, Ill leave you to your grief and hysteria’ and he left. Gathering her temper and her legs, Vera ran after him.

‘Adam wait, I have to know. Why? You made them better, and then you killed them. Why the hell would you do that?’

Adam turned around and looked about, no one close.

‘There’s no fun in killing sick people, and dying ones aren’t afraid enough. I like to give them back a reason to live and then take it away. That always makes it so much more satisfying when I wipe them out.’

‘That’s diabolical.’

‘Isn’t it though,’ and Adam smiled that breathtaking smile and walked away, leaving Vera with the dreaded task of phoning her residents family’s. She had made such calls before, but never on such a scale.

Chapter Thirty Five

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I hope I never have to set foot in that place again. It really brings home your own mortality, Stephen thought as the images in his head made him cringe and shiver all over again. His phone ringing saved him from further skin discomfort. It was an Inspector Rudder over to investigate the “domestic incident”. Stephen gave directions to Gladys’s house and agreed to meet him there. That’s funny he thought, the man sounded like he was only over to check out a marital row and none too happy about it either. Still, at least this visit to the house would be bodiless, that in itself was a relief.

Rudder was already there when he arrived, his finger held firm on the doorbell. The guy obviously hasn’t a clue!

‘You won’t get an answer, you know’. Rudder turned his face already red with impatience and temper.

‘Let me guess, too ashamed to show their faces after causing a scene’.

‘Not exactly, their dead. I’m Stephen Powers; we spoke a few minutes ago.’ Rudder took a second or two, before the penny dropped. ‘So this isn’t a simple domestic that the neighbours reported?’ Stephen shook his head,

‘I really wish that was the case, but it appears Gladys, (the wife) killed Jim, (the husband) before committing suicide. Come on inside and Ill walk you through what we think happened.’

Stephen described in heart wrenching detail everything that he had seen and his and the Docs presumption of what had occurred. Inspector Rudder apologised for his lack of knowledge and explained the very short and inaccurate call he received as a domestic incident. He also informed Stephen about the road accident, which left the bus full of old people and Wallis dead. Stephen couldn’t believe yet another spate of deaths had taken place. So much so, he confided in Rudder, his friend’s belief that something menacing was happening on the Island. To his absolute disgust, Stephen was quietly beginning to understand Mike’s paranoia, and the inspector didn’t give any indication one way or the other what he thought. They finished up and went on to the funeral home, Rudder hoping that all bodies had been delivered and identified, and Stephen desperately hoping that he wouldn’t have to go in there again.

Chapter Thirty Six

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Vera’s day went from bad to worse, if that was possible. The phone calls to the families were a nightmare. The first couple were bad enough, trying to explain how their relatives had suddenly developed working limbs, and why they were allowed to travel unaccompanied to the mainland. She was desperate and unfortunately unbelievable in her account of events. After that, word had spread from one family member to another and several lawsuits were pending. Her position in the home, and the rest of the staffs, were as good as terminated. After all, who was there to look after, and who in their right mind would inter a beloved family member there after recent events. In all that wasn’t bad enough, she had to go to the undertakers to identify her residents. She may have moaned and complained about them, but they were all like family, and decent people who deserved a better end than what they got.

Sitting in her car was a reprieve from the earlier ghastliness, but also a preliminary to the next act. The bodies she normally identified had usually passed peacefully on in their sleep, but this was abhorrent to her, mangled and twisted remains of former friends if you like.

While waiting, she saw Stephen Powers and a stranger entering Fox’s. Feeling relieved to have other people there; she mustered the courage to enter herself.

Vera was welcomed by Mr Fox, a very well dressed and articulate man. Not bad looking either, wonder if he’s seeing anyone? He introduced her as Ms Lake to the two men, to Mr Powers, who had found Gladys and Jim Carters bodies, and Inspector Rudder, over from the big smoke to investigate the deaths of Gladys and Jim. Stephen, she had met before, and liked, but Rudder seemed cold and hard.

The smell of fresh flowers was disturbing in such an environment, and didn’t help her antipathy of the situation. They were led to a large room, normally reserved for large funeral floral displays, but under the current circumstances, it had been transformed into a makeshift cold room for the deceased. She was led from body to body, each more bloody, damaged and mangled. Fortunately, she was able to name each one, luckily and ironically, all had remained facially intact.

. . . . .

Ok, awful job done, time to get back to, what, oh yea, nothing. Oh shit, more bodies needing to be identified. Thought they were all hers, except of course the other driver. Seems the Inspector knew the other driver, and was there to investigate the burned couple in the cooler. She held back, not needing the aroma or the visual of those poor buggers.  She hadn’t anticipated all the extra occupants, and as she waited, grew more and more certain of her belief that Adam Gardener was behind her residents deaths, and being there with the other unfortunates, knew in her deepest being that he was responsible for them too.     

Calling Stephen and Inspector Rudder to one side, she told them of her encounter with Adam, and her suspicions. She expected derision, and she got it. Knowing her theory was ridiculous to say the least; Vera stood by her belief that Adam was the evil behind her resident’s deaths, and could be responsible for all the other bizarrely coincidental deaths that had happened in the last couple of days. Explaining her last talk with him and his response to her question of why, she actually saw a flicker of something, maybe not belief, but something. The men looked at each other in that unspoken male way, before returning their attention to her.

‘So Ms Lake, your saying this Adam character was with you at the time of the crash?’

‘Yes, but-----’

‘And he didn’t know the residents had left on the bus, for the mainland?’

‘No but------’

‘Then how, Ms Lake, could he possibly be responsible for what happened, maybe he rebuffed you, and you’re striking out in petty spite?’

‘You son of a bitch, for your information, we had already had sex the night before, and he came by too see Me. But I don’t care what you think, you small minded moron, I know he killed my residents, and he probably killed the rest of the people in here too.’

Vera left humiliated but unburdened at being truthful, silly at being honest, and relieved at leaving that awful place. Face burning in shame, having nothing to go back to work for, and having sent everyone home earlier, bath and bed beckoned like nectar to a butterfly. The very idea of lying, submerged from the horrors of life and softened to the hard corners of reality, hurried her to a welcoming refuge, Home.

Mellow, cleansed and squiffy, Vera sank into a soft haven of downy feathers and cosiness. She thought sleep would elude her, but within seconds, the sandman and the dream world had reclaimed her.