An Impossible Dilemma: A Psychological Thriller Novel, page 25
We got back into the truck.
“So you’re taking control on Monday?” I asked.
He nodded. “Yeah. You don’t mind, do you?”
“What do you think? I can’t bloody well wait.”
“I thought so. You’ve got a lot going on.”
“It should be okay now.”
“And we’ll be neighbours,” he said.
“Yes,” I said, not really knowing what he was getting at.
I pulled up outside his parent’s house.
“Thanks, Victoria,” he said. His gaze didn’t leave my mouth, making me self-conscious. He stayed a half second too long and licked his lips before jumping from the truck.
My heart raced. What just happened? I wasn’t ready for feeling like this. I definitely didn’t expect it. Yet I felt lighter than I had in ages. I took a few deep breaths before driving back to the clinic.
Stephanie and Sally-Ann were laughing as I walked in.
“What’s so funny?”
“I was telling Sal about Mrs Taylor and Fifi yesterday. Did Frank get hold of you?”
“Frank? What for?”
“Dunno, he rang a few minutes ago.”
“Rang here?” I picked up the phone and dialled the house. “Shit, no answer.”
“I’m going over there now,” Steph said. “I need to pick up my handbag, so I’ll check on them I’m sure it’s nothing. He didn’t seem upset or anything.”
“Okay, call me if …” I was over-reacting.
“I will. Back soon,” Steph gripped my shoulder, then left.
“Have you had a break, Sal?” My voice sounded normal again.
She nodded. “We had a cup of coffee and a biscuit.”
“What do you want for lunch? I bet you didn’t bring anything did you?”
“No, but I’m okay.”
“Don’t be silly. I’ll make you a sandwich when Steph gets back,” I said. “Have there been any customers this morning?”
“Somebody came in for some antihis—antihismins—something like that for his dog.”
“Antihistamines?”
“Yeah, antihistamines.”
“Any calls?”
“Just the one from your father-in-law.”
I nodded. “How did you get on with Steph?”
“She’s lovely. I can’t believe she’s going out with that sleazy Steve, though.”
“Oh. She told you? You don’t mind?”
“Mind? You must be joking. I only agreed to go out with him because he kept asking me. I felt sorry for him, and it’d been ages since I’d been out for dinner.”
“Oh well, he’s too old for you anyway. You need someone your own age.”
“Like that Alex bloke.”
“Yeah, like that.” I began rummaging through the drawer as though I’d misplaced something.
“Steph said he’s not here any more,” Sal continued.
“Who? Oh, Alex. Yeah that’s right.” I itched to change the subject. “Did Steph show you how to record payments?”
“Yeah, briefly. She said she’d get me to do it when we had one to record.”
“Good.”
The phone rang. I nodded at Sally-Ann. “Okay, here you go.”
She picked up the phone. “Farm vet’s. This is Sally-Ann.”
I continued nodding and smiling.
“No, it’s Sally-Ann, she is, hold on please.” She placed her hand over the receiver. “It’s someone for you.”
“Hello, Victoria speaking.”
“Vic, Angela Anderson here. Have you seen the news?”
“No, why?”
“That young guy, the one you’ve got working for you, what’s his name?”
“Alex?”
“What’s his full name?”
“Alexander Snow, why?”
“Well there’s an Alexander Finnegan on the news right now, he’s the spit of him.”
I reached for the remote and changed the channel from the continual local adverts. “What channel?”
“One.”
A second later Alex’s lovely face stared back at me.
“Oh my God. What’s he done?” I said.
“Is it him?”
“Yes, shush a minute.”
… and to recap. He is dangerous. Do not
approach him. I repeat, do not approach
him.
“What’s he done, Angela?”
“He’s only gone and killed his whole family in America. They’ve just had a tipoff that he’s living around here.”
“I’ve gotta go …” I left the phone dangling and ran from the clinic. I didn’t bother with the truck and ran to the house.
I burst through the front door. “Hello?” I called.
Silence.
Hello, Frank? Emily?” Emily’s giggles came from the snug. Still playing hide and seek no doubt.
“Frank?” I popped my head into the kitchen.
Stephanie sat half-on, half-off a dining chair. Her head lay on the table. Vacant eyes stared at nothing—a gaping wound in her neck.
She was dead.
Chapter 36
I couldn’t move.
Could barely breathe.
Found it impossible to tear my eyes from the awful scene before me. A bump from the snug followed by more giggles compelled my feet forwards. I slowly shoved the door open and braced myself.
All my fears were realised.
Frank lay on the floor on his back. Emily straddled him. Striking him repeatedly with a large carving knife.
“Emily!” I screamed.
“Hi, Mummy.” She giggled again. Her eyes flashed evil as she lunged for me, the blade barely missing my face.
I grabbed her by the arm and twisted her little hand until she dropped the knife. An inhuman sound escaped her.
“What have you done? What have you done, Em?”
“We were playing hide and seek.”
She dug her nails into my hand and I twisted her wrist again.
“Arrgh, you’re hurting me.”
“What have you done, Em? What have you done?”
My legs gave out on me and I fell to the ground, dragging Emily with me.
“Mummy?” She suddenly seemed normal again. “Mummy, what’s wrong?”
I managed to get to my feet and pulled her from the room and over to the stairs. I had no idea what to do.
“Upstairs, Em,” I said, still holding both of her wrists until we got to her room. “Take your clothes off, Emily.”
“What’s this? Why is it red?” She clearly couldn’t remember what she’d done.
“Take them off. Now!”
I shoved her towards the bed, and got a pair of trousers and a top from the pile of ironing on the top of the chest of drawers. “Get changed,” I said. “I’ll be back in a minute.”
I closed her door and ran back to my bedroom where I found a pair of tights in my bedside drawer and raced back to Emily’s room. I tied the tights to her door handle and then to the door handle of Steph’s room next door before running back downstairs.
The knife lay where it had fallen, on the floor of the snug. I rubbed the handle with the sleeve of my sweatshirt. I had to get Emily’s fingerprints off it. I would say that I’d murdered Steph and Frank if I had to, but I couldn’t allow them to take Emily away, to spend the rest of her life locked up like a monster.
I had just picked up the phone to call the police when I heard sirens. I ran back upstairs to Emily, untied the tights and found her lying on the bed. I knelt at her side and wrapped my arms around her tightly.
“What happened, Mummy?”
“I don’t know, my baby.”
The sirens came to a stop on the driveway and the sound of police radios surrounded the house. The front door wasn’t locked and after a few bangs, they crashed it open. I walked to the top of the stairs. The hallway heaved with uniformed officers.
“You’re too late,” I said. “They’re dead.”
They all stopped talking, probably stopped breathing, as they looked up at me.
“Where is he?” a tall, burly cop asked.
“Who?” I asked, puzzled.
“Alexander Finnegan. Where is he, miss?”
I’d forgotten all about Alex. Of course he was the reason they were here. “He’s gone.”
The cops went off in different directions. There were several shouts as they found the bodies. “Can you come down, miss?” the same officer asked.
“I’d rather not right now. My daughter is up here—she’s not well. I just came home and found them all. She’s the only one still alive.” Which was the truth—of sorts.
An officer came through to the hallway. “Two dead and no sign of the suspect down here. We need to search upstairs but it looks like it’s just the same as before.” Several officers ran up the stairs and searched through all the rooms.
Emily began to scream when they opened her door, but I ran in behind them and pulled her to me.
Chapter 37
The police were like an army of ants crawling through the place. They paid no attention to Emily and me, giving me time to get my thoughts in order.
They were obviously in no doubt that Alex was responsible. Let’s face it, who would believe a six-year-old girl could be a coldblooded killer? I had only just left the clinic and had a watertight alibi, so I couldn’t be a suspect.
Everybody knew that Alex had left under a cloud after attacking Frank. Sweet Alex, who we thought couldn’t ever hurt a fly, had actually murdered his entire family. And now, in a roundabout way, he had murdered mine.
It struck me that every single person I cared about was gone—except, of course, for Emily, and that was only a matter of time.
I glanced down at the pathetic and terrified little girl in my arms. There were no longer any signs of the monster I’d witnessed earlier. In fact, if it wasn’t for the dead bodies about the place, I’d think I imagined the whole thing.
A commotion outside alerted me that Lyn had arrived. The police wouldn’t allow her to enter the crime scene and advised her to take me to her house. A uniformed policewoman assisted me downstairs with Emily. My legs felt like jelly, and I struggled to stay upright.
At the sight of Lyn, the tears began to flow. She pulled me into her arms and I shook uncontrollably, teeth chattering as though freezing cold.
Once in Lyn’s car, I noticed Emily’s hands and fingernails were still covered in blood and quickly dragged her to me again. I insisted on us both having a bath as soon as we arrived at Lyn’s house and I scrubbed my daughter, almost ripping her skin off.
Dazed, Emily took everything I did without comment or complaint. I wondered how much she actually remembered and how much she’d blocked out.
We stayed with Lyn, Dave and Michael for a few days. I wouldn’t allow Emily out of my sight in case she went on another killing spree. I now knew what she was capable of, but the others didn’t. I couldn’t wait to get her back home.
I functioned through a kind of numbing haze. Focused on Emily. Other than that, I wouldn’t let myself think, knowing as soon as I let myself grieve for Frank and Steph, my guard would be down, raising the risk of getting found out.
The police were more than certain Alex had carried out the murders, especially when they found a notepad under his mattress with all our names listed. Jonathan’s had been scribbled out. They were convinced Alex had caused his accident. They said Emily and I were lucky, as our names had also been on the list.
Michael still intended to take over the running of the farm, and I needed him to, now more than ever. However, I needed to do one more thing before that would be possible. So on Saturday morning, I made my excuses and left Emily with Lyn while I cleaned the pigsty one last time.
The funerals were to take place next week. Lyn and Dave had been fantastic and organised everything for Frank. It was one less thing for me to worry about. He would be buried in the same plot as his wife.
Steph would be buried in Manchester, and her distraught parents had arranged everything. I hated the thought of seeing them, but I owed it to my dear friend to go.
Chapter 38
Four months later
I stroked Emily’s forehead and she turned her face towards me, her eyes flickering open.
“Hi, Mummy,” she whispered.
“Hello, my precious girl. How are you feeling?”
“Tired.” Her voice no more than a squeak.
“I know, sweetie. It’s okay. You go back to sleep.”
“Don’t go.”
“I’m staying right here. Don’t worry.” I placed her hand back inside the bedclothes.
She smiled at me and my heart contracted.
It had only been four months.
Four months since Alex, four months since Frank and Steph, four months of nightmares and utterly wretched loneliness.
I had contemplated confessing all, but there would be nobody to care for my sick daughter if I had. I felt immense guilt, but figured I’d paid for my sins in a roundabout way. Once Emily died, who knows?
Emily had begun to feel sick a lot earlier this time. She’d hardly left her bed for the past two weeks, and was living on liquid meal replacements as she had no appetite. Doctor Davies said a feeding tube might be necessary soon, but I wanted to hold off on that as long as possible.
The change in her breathing indicated she slept once again.
I walked to the window and had to squint my eyes from the glare of the stark white snow that had fallen overnight.
A scraping sound, the sound of metal on concrete, had me puzzled and I stretched to see what was making the noise.
Michael shovelled snow away from the path at the front of the house.
I felt grateful for his concern and the way he always seemed to be one step ahead of me, always thinking of ways he could make my life easier without muscling in and making a nuisance of himself. I appreciated his friendship.
I heard the front door open and Sally-Ann appeared out on the path next to Michael, handing him a cup of coffee.
Michael removed his gloves, balanced them on the concrete lion ornament by the front door, and gratefully accepted the steaming mug.
Sally-Ann had been a great help, staying with me since the funerals. I hadn’t a clue what I’d do without these two special people in my life.
“Mummy?”
Her voice was so quiet I thought I must have imagined it, until Emily added, “I need some more special medicine. Please, Mummy.”
My heart missed a beat. I’d resigned myself to the fact that I would lose my daughter very soon, but I hadn’t realised how difficult it would be, knowing I could actually fix her for a while longer.
I’d thought of very little else lately.
Sally-Ann’s tinkling laughter caught my attention and I glanced out at her once more before answering.
“I’ll try, sweetie. I’ll try.”
Epilogue
Three months later
Michael breezed into the kitchen, arms laden with goodies which he placed on the bench top.
“Two bottles of bubbly for you, fillet steak for me and a huge bar of chocolate for the invalid … where is she, by the way?” he asked, glancing round.
“Upstairs in her room. She should be down shortly,” I said.
“Good, and is she feeling any better?”
“I think so. She said she’s looking forward to everyone coming,” I said. “I, on the other hand, am not. Having a barbecue wasn’t one of your best suggestions, Michael.”
“Why not? You’re not having second thoughts, are you?” His eyebrows furrowed.
“It’s been ages since I entertained and I feel jittery at the thought of everyone here.”
“Nonsense, it’s only Mum and Dad and the Andersons—hardly everyone. We’ll save that for next time.” He smirked.
I flicked the tea towel at him and laughed.
“Okay, Mum said she’s bringing potato salad and a dessert. Is there anything you want me to be getting on with?”
“The music. I don’t have much of a selection.”
Michael smiled, held up one finger and with his other hand, rummaged in his jeans pocket, and produced an iPod.
“Is there anything you haven’t thought of?” I laughed again.
“I don’t think so. I’m determined we’ll have a great time.” He reached for my hand and pulled me towards him, expertly wedging me between him and the kitchen units.
I looked up into his lovely eyes and he bent in towards me, our noses touching.
“Are you okay?” he asked softly.
“I am now,” I said, before he kissed me deeply.
The sound of someone running down the stairs made us spring apart and I turned rapidly back to the stove top, my face on fire.
We’d been seeing each other for a few weeks but we’d decided to keep it to ourselves for the time being.
“Here she is,” Michael said. “How are you feeling, love?”
“Better, thanks.”
“You still look peaky. Are you sure you’re up to this?” I said.
“Yeah. It’s just a cold,” Sally-Ann replied. “I’ll be fine.”
“Okay, well don’t feel you need to be here if you’d rather go back to bed,” I said.
“Don’t worry, I won’t.”
I turned my back on them and began peeling potatoes.
Sal had just signed up at the University of Glasgow for a five year Veterinary course, which I insisted paying for. It was no skin off my nose—Frank had left me very well off, and let’s face it, I didn’t have anything else to spend the money on.
I worried about her going, but knew it would be the making of her. She would leave in September and be away term time.
Emily had passed away in her sleep on Monday the twelfth of May. It came as a huge relief. I couldn’t bear watching her suffer for one moment longer. Plus, the temptation to fix her one last time had haunted me twenty-four-seven. Several times I had to stop myself eyeing Sally-Ann up. It would have been so easy. But I hadn’t seriously considered it, not really.
I still felt immense guilt for the deaths of my family. Jonathan had been out of my hands, but Frank and Steph would be here now had we not tried to play God.
