hello to everybody from my YouTube channel. you are very welcome to my website. I hope you enjoy reading the story and please feel free you look around the site and read other short stories and check out my Novels.
if you have watched my videos up till now, you will see I have dealt with everything involved in Writing a novel up to the point you actually start writing. so all the planning, building Characters, building your story, page set up. tips and tricks.
now its time to upload what I am writing.
Chapter one
“I don’t care if he hits me, you keep on filming, do you understand?” the camera man nodded. this is the hook. first line to grab people and make them want to continue to read
The door to the studio opened. Steve knew Arlo they had met before. A young man walked in beside him. (must be his new fuckbuddy) thought Steve.
Steve knew all about Arlo, today was the day he was going to catch him out.
“Hi thanks for meeting with me to do this interview. I am just going to start off asking a few questions.” Steve stuck out his hand and placed a big smile on his face.
“Perfect thanks for having me.” Arlo said while sitting down.
The camera man waved his hand beside his head and gave a three, two, one count. The cameras light flicked from red to green.
“Hi! Your watching (With Steve), and I am Steve Banks and today I am interviewing Arlo Thomas one of Irelands leading Psychics. Welcome Arlo”. The reporter nodded, Arlo nodded back with a smile “can you tell me what senses you use to communicate with the dead?”
“It is not easy to explain, I don’t know if I would call it a sense, I feel them, I call it a heighted intuition”.
“How do you see it, in your mind?”
“It is more than getting an image in my mind, I get smells, tastes, words, letters and images. The closest thing to it that I could say is, it is like a show being put on for me.”
“What age did you realise you could talk to the dead?”
“Very young, I don’t know but maybe three or four years old.”
“Do you ever get frightened by them?”
“I, its, well.” Arlo shifted in his seat. “Sometimes I get shown images that are scary or gruesome, but you push them away and move on.”
“Have you ever done a reading for somebody and given them bad news?”
“No, the dead use me to help their friends or family. I only give them good news.”
“When did you realise you could be making money out of it?”
“Sorry what?”
“You do make money from people who come to you, one lady said it was €500 to talk to her husband who had passed away.”
The interview was not going the way Arlo thought it was going to.
“Yes, I charge for the work, I do, because it is work. Would you be an interviewer for free?”
“If I was one of only a few people who could do it and people got great joy from it, yes I could see myself doing it for free.”
“And live on what?” Arlo snapped back at him.
“Do you pay tax?”
“This interview is over” Arlo pulled the mike off his lapel and unhooked the pack off his belt as he stood up.
“What is your net worth, you have been doing this for years now.”
“Good day I am finished” could be heard over the recording even though Arlo had taken his mike off.
“You have nothing to say to me?”
Arlo leaned towards Steve and you could pick his Audio up clearly from Steve’s mike, “Oh but I do, the flowers were blue that day, he was wearing his hat when she brought the hammer down on him that’s why you did not hear it from your bedroom”.
Arlo’s eyes seemed to expand and contract as he looked at Steve. Steve thought about his words later but there and then it was Arlo’s undulating eyes that frighten him.
Arlo looked over at his friend and headed for the door, his friend opened it just as he got to the door and the two of them walked out.
“did you get his eyes?” Steve turned to the camera man.
“what?”
“his eyes were pulsing in and out, did you get it?”
“I don’t know, his head was turned towards you”
“lets go to play back” Steve patted the camera man on his back and turned him towards the door.
Matt walked out of the building and held the door for Arlo. Matt was thin and tall he stopped measuring himself when he was sixteen, then he was 6ft 3”. With his long flowing hair, you would easily mistake him for a woman from behind. It has happened before. His mother always harped on at him about hanging around with Arlo.
(people know he is the way he is, you will get painted with the same brush) what she meant was Arlo was bisexual and people would think Matt was as well.
Matt was secure in his sexuality. He was a straight white male. His friendship with Arlo started when he was ten. Arlo was this weedy little kid; he had just moved to the area and nobody had seen a black kid before. Arlo would point out that he was not black he was mixed race, that did not matter to the kids in Meath, where everybody looked like a milk bottle and if you got a tan if you were away, everybody called you a nigger when you got home.
Nigger was used by everybody back then; it was not meant as an insult just as a way of describing somebody. As kids there was no venom behind it. It something they heard their parents saying at home and just bandy it about when the chance came up. When Arlo moved into the area the chance came up a lot. The first time Arlo heard it he had to ask his dad what it meant.
Matt was always into books and had just read a book called King, by David L Lewis. Matt had talked about it to his father who was also a big reader. His books were all about Irish history. Matt had read them as well.
He was comparing what Martin Luther King had gone through to Irish History, his father had listened intently. That was until he brought up Eamon de Valera. The pain in his face registered before he heard the slap. He stopped talking and held his hand to his face feeling the tears well up in his eyes. “don’t you dare compare that nigger to Eamon de Valera”. That was the day Matt changed his opinion who he looked up to. Till that very second his father had always been the man he looked up to. With one slap that changed everything.
His father had hit him before everybody’s parents did at that time. Before it had been for not doing a task or forgetting to make his bed never because of something he had read.
That day was the first time he thought about Arlo, how hard it must be for him. He decided right then to be his friend. Looking back at it he probably did it just to piss off his father, or to make up for his father. No matter how he got there, he was Arlo’s friend.
Years had passed. They had grown up together. Arlo had worried a lot about telling Matt he was BI, well he thought he was Gay first, then found himself hip deep in a girl from school on a camping trip. By then Arlo had grown big and strong, his skin tone was the colour of Caramel and the girls could not keep their eyes off him.
Arlo being Gay or Bi never bothered Matt, the only time Matt seriously thought there might have been a strain in their relationship was when Arlo told him about the ghosts and talking with dead people. That freaked him out. Big time.
Matt had an aunt that passed away when he was eight, she had been very old, thin and bent over. Her fingers had been bent this way and that by arthritis. When he had been brought to visit her, she freaked him out. She always wanted to kiss him on the cheek and her little bony fingers would wrap around his shoulders as she leaned over to kiss him. This is the image he got when Arlo told him about Ghosts.
What Matt did not know, and Arlo never told him was he was very close. His Aunt had visited Arlo, her bony fingers had rested on his shoulders and he knew she was fully aware when she was alive that Matt had not liked her, and she did it to upset him. Arlo was not her relative and shrugged her off and sent her away.
Matt and Arlo had been through a lot together. Matt’s father had tried to keep them apart when they were younger and when he died Matt’s Mother took over saying Matt was putting shame on the family hanging around with the likes of that. She would not even bring herself to say Arlo’s name.
Outside his family there were other things as well. He was called a nigger lover, he was called Gay, he was called Arlo’s bitch. He thought it would stop when they left school, but this is Ireland and unless you’re living in Dublin it is very hard to be Gay, Black or even slightly different. Bigotry is alive and well and living in Meath. Matt found it hard but Arlo and himself never talked about it. They would joke about Matt getting a tan and them being twins and Arlo did dress up as a pint of Guinness one Halloween. That was Arlo wearing a black suit and spraying his hair white and stuck a Guinness sticker on his back.
The two never fought but several times fought together. Fights were commonplace at school. Arlo gained muscle mass when he was around fourteen and things changed for them then, Matt was now Thirty-four and was still waiting for his muscle mass to come in.
Matt had left school and gotten a job in Dublin as a runner of RTE the pay was shit but he was surrounded by famous people and he was taking acting lessons when he had the money or time.
Arlo moved to Dublin with him and the two got a flat together, Arlo picked up work as a butcher, so they were never short on meat. Arlo hated it.
In 1988 Michael Jackson came to Ireland, Matt and Arlo had still been at school but anywhere you looked the news was all about wacko Jacko, Matt had taken a newspaper and saved it to show Arlo after school. A psychic called Mark Lewis was after doing a reading for Michael Jackson and they had published it in the papers. Both Matt and Arlo read it several times. Arlo had just started looking into this type of thing.
“you could do this type of thing” Matt said shaking the paper at Arlo.
“It’s all guess work, based on the date he was born and where the stars align themselves, there must be hundreds if not thousands of people born the same time as him, does that mean the horoscope is the same for all of them”
“it does not matter” let me hold this away from you” Matt moved four, five steps back “okay tell me the names you can read off the page now”
“Michael Jackson and Mark Lewis”.
“bingo”
Arlo smiled; he was looking at Matt who had the biggest grin on his face. “who will people be talking about when Jacko goes back home” Matt had cover Michael’s name so the only one left that he could see was the psychics.
“you could do this”.
“I could do it, only better” Arlo walked over to matt and grabbed the paper back to read the story again.
This had stayed with Arlo his whole life; he was separating the good quality meat to be turned into different cuts and what was going to be minced. The words “you could do this” floated into his brain. He smiled looked up at a lady who was waiting to get her sausages and said “better”.
“what”
“nothing sorry” he said taking off his apron and handing it to the man beside him, “tell John thanks for everything but I quit”. That was the last time Arlo grafted for work.
That night when Matt got back to the flat Arlo was finishing a bottle of cheap red. “good day?” Matt hung up his coat in the small hallway as he looked at Arlo.
“great day”
Looking at Arlo sitting at the table with a big smile on his face was contagious. Matt could not help himself. He felt the smile start to creep into his face even before he new what they were smiling about.
Arlo leaned down and picked up a second bottle and unscrewed the cap “grab a glass and let me tell you how your life is going to change” Matt picked up a glass on his way to the table.
That night the two men got very drunk while they set about their plan to take over the world. Arlo had bought a pack of Tarot cards and as they talked, he flipped cards.
“things are looking good for us Matt things look good”.
The next morning Matt woke up to Arlo shoving him. “get up your late for work” Matt shook his head and regretted it right away. The pain exploded. “oh fuck, I don’t think I can go in today”
“up and at them soldier. We have a plan” it slowly came back to Matt that he said he would get Arlo in to meet one of the presenters. He might have over sold his importance to Arlo and had no idea how he would get him a meeting with anybody at RTE. Matt dragged himself out of bed and looked back at Arlo.
He did not remember getting into bed with Arlo, but it was nothing new they often slept together, nothing ever went on between them. Matt had told him years ago, after he had a few drinks on him “you know nothing can happen between us. I like girls” .Arlo had smiled back at him and what he said opened Matts eyes. “that and you’re not my type you skinny fuck, aren’t you full of yourself” Matt had blushed at the time. Even got a bit offended thinking to himself (why not me)
As he lumbered out of bed towards the bathroom, he looked back at Arlo lying in the bed still a big smile on his face as he turned his head slowly, he heard “your still not my type” and they both laughed. “you would be lucky to have me” Matt felt like he was talking with Moths in his mouth and turned on the cold tap and took a big drink of water.
He washed in cold water and got dressed. As he walked into his bedroom again to grab his shoes there was no sign of Arlo just a glass of water on the dresser and two pain killers.
He left the apartment and went to work, he had seen two simi famous people that day and had tried to approach the two of them on different occasions with no luck, he was side lined by his manager on one occasion and the other time the presenter walked away from him as he was talking. Prick. he thought as he gathered his coat and left for the day. The sun had just hit his face when he heard “who is a prick?”
Arlo was standing in front of him. He had a lady’s hand in his and was staring into her face. I blinked as I saw who it was. It was Miriam O’Callaghan; she was a presenter with her own show, and she looked lost staring back at Arlo.
“it was really nice to meet you Miriam, I hope to see you again. Maybe I could do a proper reading for you some night” Matt was not sure, but he thought she blushed. “you have my number, call me”.
She walked away towards the staff carpark. Arlo smiled at Matt. He got his first interview the month after. He got his second interview the month after that and it bombed. The interviewer tried to discredit him. He asked him where he had studied, where he learned the trade, was he ever tested. Arlo got slated as a flyby guy, trying to scam people. He said he would never let that happen again. He studied as much as he could, he went to a psychic school once, right away he knew half of them were crazy the other half were delusional and there might have been two or three real psychics, but they were not even sure what they were themselves and they were teaching. He picked up books on Precognition the book explained about the ability to perceive or gain knowledge about future events. This was nothing new to Arlo he had just never known the name for it.
He read about Psychometry that were just by touching something you got a reading for the person who owned it. Another book about Mediumship and one about Psychokinesis, that was the only one that stumped him. He would sit for hours trying to move things with just his mind.
Over the next few years Arlo mastered his craft, he started to go to shows that Psychics would put on just to get the showmanship. The vast majority were con men and women. There were some real ones, the last one he went to was a lady, she called herself Psychic Sue, after reading her Arlo new her name was Rebecca. Psychic Sue told him she had a message from somebody for him. She started going through the alphabet. Staring at him A-B-C-D-E yes E a person whose name starts with E. Arlo smiled.
“can you think of a dead person whose name starts with the letter E who would want to talk to you”.
“yes”
“it’s a Fe”
Arlo frowned
“It’s a male with the letter E starting his name”
Arlo smiled again.
“this man thought you a lot”
“oh yes he did”
“he wants you to know he is proud of you and to keep it up”
“oh amazing” Arlo grinned.
“would you care to tell everybody who was here for you tonight?” Sue waved her hand at the people who surrounded Arlo
Arlo stood up as he had seen other people do. He looked around at the crowd “tonight Psychic Sue sent me a message from Elvis, he thought me so much” Arlo started shaking his hips and everybody laughed. Sue turned bright red and walked away from him. She wrapped up her act as best she could and made a break for it as soon as she was done.
Arlo was waiting outside in the carpark leaning against her car. She saw him and he could tell she was not a happy person. “if you’re not a believer, things won’t happen for you. You should not have made a joke out of what I do”. Her voice was getting louder. Arlo talked quietly “oh I do believe”.
“well, what is your problem then”
“I just don’t believe in you Psychic Sue; you are a con-man oh woman”.
“how dare you”
“I have a message for you Sue or should I say Rebecca”
She stopped talking, her eyes got bigger, and her lips were shut so tight you could hardly see them.
“a woman called Wendy, Your Mother, wants you to know, that she is not in any pain. That as soon as she passed the pain when away. She thanks you for doing what you did. And the answer to your question is (it is not a sin) all you did was to help her”.
Sue or Rebecca, the woman standing in front of Arlo, burst into tears. Arlo wrapped his arms around her. In doing this he saw what her mother was talking about. Her mom had been a very sick woman. She had cancer everywhere, it was in her bones. The more it grew the more pain she was in. every day she lived brought her so much pain. Rebecca was in charge of dispensing her pain killers. As the pain got worse Rebecca would add extra pain killers to the chart and put them aside. She did this for two weeks. When she thought she had enough she overdosed her mother. To look at it, her mom closed her eyes and just never woke up. But the grimace of pain on her mother’s face was gone.
Arlo moved away from her. She had to hold onto her car to steady herself.
“I want to be like you, I want it to be real. Help me be like you.”
“trust me, you don’t want to be like me” Arlo walked away into shadows of Dublin City.
That’s the first Chapter let me know what you think, if you have any ideas of your own let me know.
Chapter Two,
in this chapter I will be expanding the character list, keeping the tension and adding more conflict .
(Have you nothing to say to me?) that smug bastard. It played over and over in Arlo’s mind. Sitting there with his stupid fucking face. Ohh I should have hit him. Prick. (have you nothing) smack right in the face. That would have taken that look off his face. Ohh I should have.
Arlo could not even remember walking out of the room. That asshole had totally side swiped him. He was nice as fucking pie before the interview. “To top it off not one of you fuckers warned me”. He said dotting his finger around the empty room.
Arlo had locked himself in his escape room. Times like this it was his escape room other times it was where he went if he was having trouble contacting a ghost or needed a more solid grasp on things. Matt could hear him shouting even behind the padded door. They had soundproofed the room as best they could.
(I need to talk to you)
“fuck off I told you already to fuck off, you do not have the right to speak to me”
(oh, stop being such a baby and listen to me)
“HOW WOULD YOU KNOW WHAT A BABY SOUNDS LIKE YOU WALKED OUT ON YOURS”
Matt heard that crystal clear. He looked over at the door from the chair he was sitting in. Arlo hated being cornered, he always had the answers ready. He has just not been himself the last few days. Matt knew something or somebody was bothering Arlo, that was another thing about Arlo that Matt did not like. He did not share.
Arlo looked around this empty room that now was empty it looks like when he had shouted at her to fuck off, they all did. Arlo slipped off the chair and onto the floor within two minutes he was snoring his head off. Matt heard that as well.
For years Arlo had been having night terrors, from skinny scary ghosts grabbing at him to black shadowed gathering in his room. Most nights he woke up in a sweat. The last two nights it had gotten so much worse. A woman he did not know came to him. She was maybe sixty years old, black; her hair was long and greying. Everything about her was pleasant, her voice. Her face. Her nature. Not like the normal ghost that visited him. She did carry with her something that was unreachable. Something dark. Something not of her.
Arlo listened as she told him she needed help. He listened when she told him she had been murdered. He listened when she said sorry. He asked her why she was sorry. He listened when she told him she had left him as a baby and that was as far as he listened. Arlo was hard-headed it had served him well growing up. He was quick to jump to conclusion. He was slow to let things go. But his own mother showing up now that she has passed away looking for his help was more than he could take. He had exploded with rage. Even hours after he woke up his head was still splitting. Two days later sleeping on the floor in his escape room his head was still sore.
Matt decided to ring Arlo’s Father, he was a nice man and he had looked after Arlo all on his own. Matt liked him and he liked Matt. He had asked him once why him and Arlo had never ended up together. Like it was the most natural thing in the world to say. “I think you two would be so good together”.
Yet again Matt had to point out he was not gay. “I love your son but not in that way” he had said. “why?”
“well it might have something to do with me being straight”
Arlo’s dad had laughed and then apologised when he realised Matt was telling him the truth. “oh I am sorry I just thought” Matt had put up his hand and stopped him “it’s the fucking hair” they both laughed.
Now when he rang Arlo’s dad he said “hello Mr Thomas its your daughter in law here” it always gave them both a laugh.
“ahh Matt how are ya?”
“I am good thanks, how are you?”
“not a bother on me, what can I do for my daughter in-law today?”
“well, its Arlo, he is okay, he is not injured or anything like that, but his night terrors are now becoming day terrors. It’s only the last few days and I was getting worried”.
“oh, any plans today? I can call around”
“we are not moving outside the flat”
“I will see you in about 2 hours”
“great I will put on something nice for you Mr Thomas”
“if we are getting that friendly you better call me James” the two of them laughed again and said their goodbyes.
Arlo woke up stiff, he hit his head off the chair as he went to stand up, the knocking on the door was a new thing Matt knew not to interrupt him when he was in his room. He wiped his mouth spittle had gathered as he slept.
He opened the door towards him and there stood his Dad. A smile came to his face. “well, hello handsome”. “hi Dad, what has you over?”
Arlo gave his dad a hug and walked out of the room with him. Matt was making coffee and talking with Laura. Laura was married to Arlo’s dad nearly six years they had been together.
Arlo liked Laura, she adored his father, and he could tell she was good for him. That did not stop the little pang of jealousy he felt. It had been him and his dad together all his life. Now he had to share him.
Arlo walked over to Laura and kissed her on the cheek. She wrapped her arms around him and gave him a squeeze. “you are so grown-up Arlo”.
“what has you guys up in the big smoke?”
“can a father not just stop by to say hello?”
Arlo looked at Matt then at his dad, “okay maybe Matt rang me, but I was going to call in anyway”.
Arlo sat down and Matt passed him a cup of coffee. “Judas”. “I think I will take my coffee and silver into my bedroom and let you guys talk” matt picked up his coffee and saluted them before heading to his bedroom.
“what’s going on with you pal?”
“dad its”
“don’t tell me its nothing”
“Laura could I talk to my dad alone please?” this took James and Laura by surprise. Arlo had never excluded Laura before he actually said that she comforts him, she has a nice aura.
Laura picked up her coffee and walked over to Matts room and knocked on the door. They heard Matt shout come in and she closed the door behind her.
“must be something big”
“I had a visit from mom”
“what she came here, I told her to stay away from you”.
“what?” Arlo swung around so he was facing his father. “you have spoken to her? why did you not tell me?”.
“I thought she would leave again I did not want to hurt you”
“when did you talk to her?”
“about three days ago, she showed up at the house”
“what did she want?”
“she said she was in trouble and wanted to see you. I told her I did not want her near you”.
“dad when I said she visited me, she visited me like nana use too”.
“she is dead?” James put his hands to his face. A single tear spilled from his eye. He wiped it away quickly.
“yes”.
“so even when she is dead, she is causing trouble”.
Arlo asked him what else she had said, James explained they did not talk that much. He had told her to stay away from Arlo. She told him she was in trouble. He had said what’s new there. then closed the door on her. The interaction lasted about two minutes.
Another tear formed in James’s right eye he wiped it away again “I have cried all the tears for that woman years ago when she left us”.
Arlo was just about to get off his chair when there was a knock on the door. “sorry dad I will see who that is, give me one second”
Arlo walked to the door and opened it.
A man stood there with a badge raised about chest hight. “Garda Paschal Adams”
“yes Garda how can I help you?”
“I would like to ask you some questions may I come in?” he said walking in without waiting to be asked. Arlo stumbled backwards. “yes” he turned and walked back to the kitchen, Garda Adams had closed the door and followed him.
“what’s this about?” Arlo looked at his dad and flashed big eyes at him as some type of warning.
“oh your not alone, I could come back at another time if you would like”.
“this is my father” Arlo pointed at his dad.
“oh that actually saves me a trip”
“How can we help?” James said.
The door to the bedroom opened and out walked Laura and Matt. Matt hesitated for a second when he saw the garda.
“is there any more people here today?” asked the Garda. “no that’s it, this is my father’s wife Laura and my flatmate Matt”.
“the reason I am here today is to ask you two” pointing fingers at Arlo and his father, “if you have been in touch with a lady called Ramla Amaechi”.
Arlo winced at her name “no”
“I spoke to her a few days ago, she came to my house” James stood up. Laura walked over to him “you never said anything?”
“I hoped she would not be back”
“did you two fight or argue?”
“no, not really, I told her to stay away from Arlo and I closed the door on her”.
“that sounds like an argument to me”.
“call it what you like” James took Laura’s hand.
“and you have not spoken to her” the garda directed his question to Arlo.
“no, what’s this about?”
“I am currently conducting an investigation into the death of Miss Amaechi, there is suspicious circumstances surrounding her death and I am trying to find out more information”.
Nobody said anything. “why does it feel like the guy with the long hair was the only one who did not know she was dead?” Garda Adams pointed at Matt. “what” Matt looked at everybody else.
“we don’t know anything about her death, sorry we wont be able to help you Garda Adams”. Arlo stood up from the counter he was leaning against.
As Arlo walked towards the Garda and the door Garda Adams asked him one more question “what is it you do for a living Mr Thomas”
“a little bit of everything” he reached behind the garda and opened the door.
“I took the opportunity to look you up before coming here Mr Thomas, it said you are a psychic”.
“I am a lot of things; I am also a butcher” he winced hoping his mother was not hacked to death.
“I just mention it because of your mothers name, Ramla Amaechi. It’s an African name”
“really I fail to see why that’s relevant”
“Translated to English your mothers name means (who will predict the future- who knows tomorrow)”.
“that is interesting, sorry we can’t be of more help” Arlo went to close the door. “I will keep in touch”, the garda turned and walked off down the landing towards the lift.
this is not the end of chapter two yet. but I am limited to writing while at work so this is where I have to stop. So far we have introduced Arlo’s father, his wife, Arlo’s mother and the Garda investigating her death.
We have talked about Arlo’s night terrors and how it affects him, we talked about the jealousy however slight he feels towards he step mother. We are still building the relationship between Matt and Arlo and added tension with the introduction of the Garda investigating the death of Arlo’s mother. we have also introduced tension between Arlo and his now dead mother.
as I said before if you would like to get involved leave a comment or contact me on marty.hayes@gmail.com
“can somebody fill me in on what’s going on?” Matt looked from Arlo to his dad.
“Arlo’s mother has died and is now visiting Arlo” James looked brow beaten.
“not if I can fucking help it” Arlo walked back from the door and picked up his coffee. “well coffee is not doing it for me today who wants to go to the pub?”
Matt stuck up his hand in the air like he was back at school and he knew the answer to the teacher’s question. James supressed a grin looking at Matt he thought the situation too grim, but that boy could make him laugh. He raised his hand along with Matt. Laura hopped off the chair she had taken “I am Spartacus”.
“looks like we are all in, who’s paying?” Arlo looked at his father sheepishly.
“Oh I will, come on get your coats” James said picking his off the chair he had been sitting on.
Garda Adams sat in his car writing in his notepad. He was detailed in his notes. He wrote everything he had seen, down to the face Arlo pulled when he heard his mother’s name.
The only one who Adam’s thought was innocent was the long hair guy the flat mate, Arlo had named him as Matt. Not that he had much going for him apart from the surprise first when he saw a copper in his flat, Adams had seen him when he walked out of what was probably his bedroom and again, when they were talking about the mother, he had not got a clue what was going on. Was ignorance enough, for Adam’s gut yes it was.
The other three knew about her death before he went in there. he could see it on their faces. He had gotten really good at reading people even when they said nothing. it had not been in the papers and he knew it had not been talked about outside his squad.
This case was getting more and more complicated as the hours went on. As Adam’s put his notepad in his chest pocket he looked up and saw the four of them coming out of the flat complex. He pulled his visor down so they could not see him, and he could only see their feet as they walked past. When they had past, he opened his door and went to the boot. There he took out a long gray coat and stuck it on over his uniform. He felt like he had to follow them.
He followed after them just as they turned the corner. He walked slowly when he got to the corner, he spotted them almost at the top of the next road. Yet again he did not rush he got to the top of the road and saw them cross a wooden bridge over one of the many canals in Dublin. He walked past the canal bridge and continued in the same direction as they were going on the opposite side of the canal.
Just as they got to the pub there was a doorway right behind him. He faded into the blackness of the doorway. From across the street, he would not be seen. Arlo had held the door open for everybody just as he went to walk in, the door stopped in his hand. His shoulders turned and next his head. Adam’s pushed himself up against the door. From here it looked that Arlo was looking right at him, but he was sure he could not be seen.
so in this short segment that will finish off Chapter two we explain what the Garda is thinking. he had ruled out Matt of any wrong doing (as a reader are you on the same page?) he also thought Arlo, his father James and his wife Laura knew about the death of Ramla before he got there. if we are following the story the Garda is wrong Laura did not know about it, but is Garda Adams right? he has been doing this a long time.
we are trying to make the reader question what we have told them. as a writer we give out information some of it can be hidden. later on we can touch on this again to make the reader request it. what if a print from Laura showed up at the murder. then again what if somebody linked Matt looking for sellotape and super glue to then reading somewhere you can transfer a print by making a superglue mold on sellotape. ( we might not go in that direction but the option is there.
Chapter Three
Steve had downloaded the video clip and gone over it and over it.
It was a pointless interview he was angry at himself, he attacked to soon, he should have built up trust. It was two and a half minutes long.
He rushed it; he would never get another chance with Arlo. There would be other people, but Arlo would never agree to another interview. His job is not to frustrate people or to embarrass them his job is answers. To get the answers for the people. He had wasted a month of preparation, of investigating. He had wasted money, time, and effort for this shit and at the end of it you could not even see Arlo’s eyes.
He was giving himself a hard time about the interview but so were his bosses. At the end of the day, it was their money he wasted. He knew there was a story there. Steve had investigated Arlo, he could not see any tax returns but that does not mean there was none. Arlo could be under a company. Steve did not find his name on any company lists but these famous people don’t use their real name much.
Steve had interviewed ten people who said they had readings with Arlo, all came back singing his praises. Even another psychic a woman called Sue said he was the real deal. Steve had found out Arlo had been tested in Scotland. A university were doing a study and had put out a call for all real psychics it looks like Arlo took part in that study, but Steve could not find any reports from it or get any information. He spoke to the Dean at the university, the professor who conducted the study had been let go and the Dean was keeping tight lipped. Steve knew there was a story there, but nobody was talking.
Unfortunately for Steve this was not his first fuck up. he was a good reporter but just lately things have been going wrong for him. Two months before he had broken a huge story. It was a story about child abuse in a teenage offender’s home. He had a mole on the inside who was feeding him information.
The story went national and lots of interest was shown until it was found out that the informant was not a mole that worked there but an ex-inmate who had a wild imagination.
The story was discredited, and Steve had gotten a slap on is wrist for that, he had also been docked money and fined. Now he was just getting back to some sort of financial stability. He had a meeting with the chief at the paper’s office that day at eleven.
Steve was preparing his notes and getting ready for the meeting. he was playing the video clip of the interview on loop and flicking over what he had written down when he heard Arlo saying again “Oh but I do, the flowers were blue that day.” An image of forget-me-nots sprang into his mind. They always reminded him of his father. He remembered sitting outside watching his father pottering around his garden, flowers everywhere. The first two beds were full of forget-me-nots his father had planted them to remember his wife, Steve’s mother.
Steve’s phone rang and disturbed him out of whatever trance he had been in. he grabbed the phone and answered it. “its not looking good pal” it was Max his friend in the paper. “they have already gathered in the boardroom”. “what? Already I am not meeting them for another hour”
“I know I just thought I would give you a heads up”
“goodman, I am on my way in, be there in ten”
“I will have a coffee waiting”
Steve hung up his phone and stuck it in his pocket. He gathered up his notes and picked up his jacket on his way out.
James and Laura had booked into a hotel and were recovering from the night before. They had booked breakfast in bed and were woken at 9 to a knocking on the hotel door. James wheeled the trolley in and poured coffee for the two of them.
He got back into bed and as Laura sat up the blanket fell into her lap as she took the cup James had handed her. Her breasts were that of a twenty-year-old woman, well that’s what the doctor had said. Laura trained most days and kept herself fit. James often wondered why she was still with him.
He smiled at Laura, she lifted the blankets to cover herself “you men, there just boobs”
“ahh you will never know the enjoyment we get out of seeing them” he laughed.
They enjoyed their breakfast and once the food had settled, they enjoyed each other. Sure, why not they did not have to check out for a few hours. James was just getting out of the shower when Laura came into the bathroom with his phone. “Copper on the phone for you” she whispered as she handed him the phone with her hand covering the mouth part.
James stood in the bathroom naked and took the phone “hello, James speaking”
“hello, Mr Thomas, I briefly spoke to you yesterday I am Garda Adam’s I was wondering if you would be able to come into the station today to make a statement”.
“as I said yesterday, I don’t know anything”
“that might be the case Sir, but you were one of the last persons to see Miss Amaechi alive and we need to take a statement from you”.
“fine yes I will call in today what station”
James got the details and hung up. Laura had stayed in the bathroom listening as they spoke. “fucking woman still causing problems even when she is dead”. Laura said nothing. She turned and headed back to the bedroom while James dried himself off.
Steve had finished his coffee and was sitting outside the boardroom waiting to go in. his meeting was for 11am. It was now 11.15am. they were keeping him waiting. His friend Max had walked past a few minutes ago and tapped his watch. Steve rolled his eyes as a response to still being there waiting. The door cracked open to the boardroom and the Chiefs PA stook her head out.
“Mr. Fine will see you now”
Steve stood up and brushed down the from of his suit, he hated wearing them, but tough times call for tough measures. He put on his best smile and followed the PA back into the room. The door was locked behind them.
Nearly an hour later he walked out of the room. Max had been passing regularly to make sure he got to Steve first. “what’s going on?”
Steve looked worn out. “I am on leave”
“they fired you?”
“no, I have to take two weeks leave to get my head sorted and then they are demoting me to junior writer, everything I write has to be passed by a senior writer first and my interview privileges have been taken away.
“WHAT!”
“he said I had talent, but I don’t understand hard work, so he wants me to start at the bottom again and work my way up. or I could look for somewhere else”.
“oh man that sucks”
“I know”
“what are you going to do?”
“I am going to Scotland to enjoy my two weeks off”
“what? why Scotland?”
“its for a study” Steve walked past Max and out the building. He was more determent now to find something on Arlo. Images of the small blue flowers came into his mind.
Laura had gotten a taxi to where they had left their jeep beside Arlo’s place the day before. She jumped in the jeep and started it up. Then she turned it off and left the jeep. She walked over to Arlo’s flat and knocked on his door. Arlo opened the door with just a towel wrapped around his waist. Laura did not know where to look. She loved James madly, but when you’re in front of a young man who could lift you above his head without breaking a sweat and could see the muscles and sinew for yourself well a hot flush took her over.
“Laura everything okay?” Arlo smiled. “you look very flushed”
“I ran up the stairs, I did not want to waist time, the garda rang your dad to come in for a statement so we are heading in now, I just came by to pick up the jeep”.
“oh looks like he is not letting this go”
“no it does not seem that way” Laura was looking at her shoes or the door frame anywhere but at Arlo.
“okay well I am sure he will come back to talk to me soon enough, tell dad to let me know how he gets on later”
“okay ya, no bother, I will see you soon” she stole another look at Arlo standing with just his towel on. She could feel her face get red again.
“bye Laura take care of yourself” he closed the door smiling as Laura walked down the hallway.
“what’s going on?” Matt was behind him.
“cops want to speak to Dad again”
“ah fuck, what are you smiling at?”
“no nothing” Arlo walked back to his bedroom and got dressed.
That night Steve was sipping a beer while looking for cheap flights to Scotland. Clicking on a flight time and booking his seat. It was an open ticket with a return he could book later. He was heading off the next day. He drained the beer and walked over to his bed and dragged out his travel bag from below the bed. he zipped it open and left it on his bed. Steve pulled open the top drawer and flung boxer shorts and socks into the bag from that drawer. He moved onto the next one that held his t-shirts and the next with jeans. He finished off with a bottle of aftershave and a bottle of deodorant. He brushed his teeth and gathered up his shaving bag and stuck his toothbrush in there to keep it safe then that went into his bag.
He looked over at the radio that was playing in his room and the time flashed 10:43. maybe to early to go to bed. he did not want another beer as he had brushed his teeth, but he did not think he would go asleep. He lifted the bag off his bed and stripped he pulled the blanket up on himself thinking (this is going to be a while) within minutes he was asleep.
Steve was running home; he had been kept back for misbehaving at school and he wanted to be home before his dad, or he would get in trouble. His sister opened the door with a smile. She was only two years younger than him, but she acted like she was two years older. “oh, you’re in trouble” she opened the door wider and there was his father sitting at the kitchen table. “that’s enough out of you Ruthie” their father shouted from the table.
Ruthie looked shocked that he would speak to her that way. Steve pushed passed her and walked into the kitchen. “sorry dad”
“what are you sorry for?”
“for getting in trouble”
“so not for doing something bad but for getting caught?”
“yeah, ahh no I mean sorry for hitting albert in school”
“so you were fighting?”
“yes dad”
“right do you have homework?”
“yes”
“take it out and sit at the table. When your finished you are going to bed with no dinner lets see if you have the energy to fight tomorrow”, he lifted his flat cap and scratched the top of his head then the hand came away and the cap fell back into place.
“yes dad” Steve took out his homework and started it right away. He was struggling with a maths question when his father snapped his fingers in front of his face, “the answer to that question is not buried in my flowers”. Steve had been staring out the window in the hope the answer would come to him. “sorry dad” Steve skipped that question and finished up his homework.
“I am done”
“right get a drink of water and go to bed”
Steve did as he was told. It was half five. It was going to be a long night.
As he walked to his room his sister was singing something like ha-ha-ha ha- ha- your -in -trouble. Finishing with her sticking out her tongue. Steve flipped her the bird with the hand that was not carrying his school bag and glass of water. “DAD STEVE JUST CURSED AT ME”
“oh, shut up Ruthie, you are such a torment”. Steve heard his father say before he closed his bedroom door. That was the last thing he heard his father say. He had an accident that night and never recovered.
Steve and Ruthie were sent to a home and split up. Ruthie was homed within two months Steve was there a while longer before he got a home.
Steve woke up with sweat on his forehead, (that was strange he very seldom thought about his real dad and sister). He looked over at the radio it was blinking 03:16. He got up had a pee and got back into bed. his alarm woke him at 7. Flight to catch.
James checked in at the front desk with the Garda on duty. Laura had taken a seat in the reception area. A few minutes later James was shown into an interview room.
He was left there with a plastic glass full of water and told somebody would be with him shortly. Twenty minutes past and he had well finished the water and was pacing the room when the door opened and in walked Garda Adam’s.
“sorry to keep you Mr Thomas please take a seat”
James adjusted his coat and pulled out the silver framed seat from the table and sat down.
Garda Adam’s was joined by another man, but he never introduced himself. The two Garda sat opposite James.
“we are going to ask you some questions and take your statement this session will be recorded and anything you say may be used as evidence in court is that okay with you?” Adam’s hovered his finger over the record button waiting on James to give his reply. “yes that’s fine” Adam’s pressed the record button and listed off the date who he was interviewing and who was accompanying him, it turns out the other Garda was called Garda Pat Killeen.
“right with all that out of the way, can you please tell me your relationship to the departed Ramla Amaechi”.
“well, she was my wife- years ago we separated over thirty years ago”
“so you were married to Miss Amaechi?”
“yes”
“how long where you with Miss Amaechi?”
“ahhmm, four years”
“And what happened that you and Miss Amaechi separated”
“she left me”
“was there physical violence?”
“no!”
“please don’t take offence I have to understand why you separated”
“well if you find out let me know, one day she just up and left”
“where did you meet Miss Amaechi?”
“we met in college, I was studying business and she was studying medicine”.
“when was the last time you saw Miss Amaechi?”
“four or five days ago”
“was it four or five Mr Thomas?”
“it was Four”
“so four days ago you met with Miss Amaechi?”
“yes well no. she called to my house”
“so she was in your house?”
“No I left her at the door”
“can you tell me the nature of this visit?”
“the nature?”
“why she called at your door?”
“she said she was in trouble and needed help and she wanted to contact my son”
“your son?”
“yes Arlo”
“you mean both of yours”
“sorry?”
“Arlo is your son and Miss Amaechi’s son”
“well yes she gave birth to him, but she was never his mother”
“what type of trouble was she in?” interrupted Garda Killeen.
James looked at him “I don’t know”
“did you not ask?”
“no”
“I find that hard to believe if somebody told me they were in trouble I would ask what was wrong”
“Good for you, I didn’t”
“so you have no clue as to what trouble she was in?”
“no”.
“right so back to her standing at your door, she had told you she was in trouble and she said she wanted to see Arlo”
“yes”
“and what happened then?”
“I told her to stay away from Arlo and closed the door”
“you closed the door in her face?”
“the door did not hit her or anything like that but yes I closed the door”.
“did you see Miss Amaechi after that?”
“no”
“did you ever go to her flat?”
“I don’t even know where she was living”
“when did you see Miss Amaechi before this time?”
“years ago.”
“one year ago, two, ten?”
“about twenty years ago”
“what did she want at the time?”
“to see Arlo”
“did you close the door in her face that time as well”
“no, I arranged a visit for them”
“so why close the door this time?”
“because she met him once and left again.”
“did your current wife” Adams looked at a sheet of paper” Laura, know Miss Amaechi?”.
“no”.
“have you been in Dublin in the last week Mr Thomas?”
“yesterday and today”
“so you were not in Dublin 3 days ago?”
“no”
“can you prove that?”
“I was at work, people there can tell you I was there”
“and at night-time?”
“I was with my wife”
“this is your wife who never met Miss Amaechi?”
“yes”
“right, that wraps up this interview Mr Thomas thank you for coming in. if we have any follow up questions I will be in contact” Adam’s reached over and pressed the off button.
James stood up and left the room, Laura was still waiting in the reception for him she looked up from her phone as he came out the door.
“you okay”
“yes”
They said no more and the two of them walked to their jeep.
Adam’s and Killeen watched James leave. “well?” Adams looked at Killeen. “he never once asked what happened to his ex-wife, I find that strange don’t you?”
“yes, yes, I do, will I bring in the son?”
“why not, any update on the scene?”
“no nothing found, like not a hair found like it was cleaned down afterwards, I have never had anything like this before”
“no either have I, you know they want to call this a suicide”
“what? How?”
“the old sherlock homes, (When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.)
“that’s bullshit”
“I know”.
Steve got off the plane and made his way through the airport, he stepped outside and the first thing he did was light a cigarette. He had only started back smoking a few days before, he had been off them for nearly five years. But the habit came back so easy. Glasgow was cold even in April. Steve loved the accent. He grabbed a cab to his B&B and checked in. he dropped his bag in his room and had a walk about the area. He stopped off for something to eat and then he planned out how to get to the university from where he was. He hoped to get a bus, but it was only fifteen minutes’ walk.
He tracked it up to the Uni his phone had lied by about four minutes. Security on the campus stopped him but he flashed his press badge and told the guard he was here as a guest speaker and just wanted to get to know the place beforehand. The security guard waved him on.
Steve walked into the main building and there was an information kiosk right at the centre of the reception area. He wondered over to it and tapped on the screen. He took out his notebook from his chest pocket and flicked back a few pages. Genetics. Steve looked at the map and traced his finger from the Genetics lab back to the (you are here point) it did not look that far away. Steve headed off in the direction of a large set alone structure that looked like a big shopping centre from outside. Once he got inside you could tell it was clinical just by the smell. Disinfectant grabbed your nostrils and punched you in the face.
Steve asked a passer by where the genetics lab was. He was told the directions and a few minutes later found himself outside of it.
He took out his notebook again and skipped back to the notes he had taken on the study. Professor Nilsson had been in charge at the time. On the door of the Lab was Professor Stanton embossed on a silver plaque. The door opened and a man in a white coat stepped out.
“Excuse me could you help me? I am trying to find a Professor Nilsson”. The man looked at Steve “he does not work here anymore”.
“in the Lab or the university?”
“Glasgow”
“sorry?”
“He moved away; Sweden I think”.
“maybe you could help me?”
“if I can”
“would you know anybody who studied under Professor Nilsson?”
“yes, what’s this about?”
“well, a while back a young man called Arlo Thomas came here for a study”
“sorry I have to go I can’t help you” the man walked away at quite a pace.
Steve looked around there was nobody about, so he opened the door to the lab and went inside. Nobody was in the lab. Steve wondered around looking at different desks and projects that were going on.
The door opened and in walked two burly men. “come with us please” said the biggest one. “okay is there something wrong”. He walked with the men right out of the campus. As they got to the barrier the big man turned to the guard who was sitting there who had let Steve in and said, “your relieved. go pack your shit”. The other man sat down where the guard had been sitting and then the big man turned to Steve and said, “you are no longer welcome do not come back here”. Steve nodded and walked away. This was not the result he was looking for.
Right that’s what I have so far. in this the third chapter I am explaining some of the back story but also using a police investigation to revile it. in this chapter we have learned more about Arlo’s Mother. lots more still to come. I have jumped from story to story i find this useful for building tension. so as I said before your building it up and paying it off. try to have something exciting happen on each page. confrontation or a build up to a pay off. I have also put in areas like Laura calling to Arlo’s and getting flustered. Arlo clearly liked it.
I am slowly adding more characters, another Garda, the professor at the college. as a writer you plan to lose a few. sometime its a main character other times it is a character you have barley touched on. these are things you should have in your mind as you are writing.
I have also very gently touched on the death. it being one of a kind not seen before. I will continue to do this while giving out little bits of information. in this chapter the read finds out somebody in the Garda wants to call this a suicide. it gets people thinking (why)
Steve found himself sitting in a bar sipping on a pint. He had his notebook on the bar and was tapping the page with his pen. An old man was sitting at the end of the bar, he had a black eye and a spit lip but that did not seem to bother him as he drank his whiskey. The old man looked like he was wearing the same clothes as he did the day before, dirty blue jeans, scuffed black shoes that had seen better days. A blue shirt with a what was meant to be white rim finished off his outfit. The rim looked grey. It matched his grey hair that looked like it had not been brushed in days. Steve could actually see dirt behind the man’s ear and along his neck. As Steve looked at him picking up his drink you could see how dirty his hands were. “why don’t you take a picture, it will last longer” the man slurred in a Scottish accent. Steve turned his face away and looked down the other end of the bar.
“be careful he is a cranky old fuck” said the barman leaning over and putting a small bowl of nuts in front of Steve.
Steve nodded at him. He picked up his pint and drank what remained. “are you looking for that Blacky” the smell hit him before he even turned around.
The man had come up beside him and was looking at his notebook. Psychic Scottish Study was circled and highlighted. The old man had his finger on it.
“the what?”
“the Blacky”
“no, I was looking for a professor that worked up in the college” Steve put his pen in his top pocket and went to take up the notepad.
“ya the one that did the hocus-pocus shite with the black woman”
“sorry I have no idea what you’re talking about”
“leave the man alone, go back to your drink and keep to yourself” said the barman.
“right you don wanny hear about the shite that went on up in the college do ya, not with all the money it brings in for ya.” The old man was walking back to where he had sat before.
“I am just a crazy old fool, I know nothing, that’s what ya all think. But when that black bitch started seeing ghosts so did everybody else.”
“Who are you talking about?” Steve followed him.
“the blacky I don’t know her name, but her son was back here a few year ago did the same dam thing”.
The barman twirled his finger in the well-known sign for he is bat shit crazy. Steve did not think so.
“give me a whiskey for my friend here” Steve called to the barman.
“ohh a friend, I have enough fucking friends”
A blast of light exploded into the bar. A shadow broke the light and the old man grumbled. “I found ya, get fucking home da”, a woman in her thirties walked over to the old man. She grabbed him by the arm and started to pull him out of the bar.
Steve was just about to follow her when the barman grabbed his arm and put down a whiskey, “that will be five fifty”. Steve looked up at the barman and took out ten pound and put it on the counter and left the drink where it was. He followed the old man and his daughter out of the bar.
They had made it half the length of the street the old man getting dragged by his daughter home. Steve caught up with them. “hello Hello sorry to bother you”. “what” snapped the daughter. The old man stumbled, and she caught him before he face planted the street. Steve went the other side and took hold of him “I don’t want to be a pain” “well then fuck off”
“well said, I need to speak with your father”
“What could you need to talk with an auld drunk like him for”
“the Blackie up the college” it was the first thing the old man had said since being brought out of the bar.
“da hush your mouth”
“he is right, there was a black lady who he said worked at the college and her son was here a few years back his name is Arlo”
“are you a copper?”
“no not at all, worse a reporter”.
“help me get him upstairs” she dragged the old man over to a doorway. Steve took one side, and she was on the other. They lifted him up two flights of stairs. The daughter opened a door and pushed open another door inside. A bed was in that room and she pushed him into the bed. Dragging his shoes off and putting a bucket beside his head. “da if you get sick the buckets there” he murmured something and was fast asleep in seconds.
Steve thought he was going to have to call back another time, but the daughter went into the kitchen and opened a press under the sink and pulled out paper clippings. She handed them to Steve, “that’s what you’re here for”.
(WHO YOU GOING TO CALL) was printed on the first clipping, he flicked from clipping to clipping. (GHOST ON SHOW) (COLLEGE SPIRIT) Steve looked up at the old man’s daughter. “what is this?” “he keeps it, fascinated with it, Ghost and the like. He thinks a blacki- a black woman brought the Ghosts here. She worked in the college for a while. I think she is mentioned in one of them articles.
“What about Arlo Thomas is he mentioned?”
“no, I don’t think so but my da recons he was the image of her so had to be her son. That and the study that was done on him.”
“what study? I can’t find anything about it?”
“you must not be a very good reporter than, have you gone to the newspapers yet?”
“no, I did not want to step on any toes”.
Chapter Four
Matt was coming back to the flat when he saw the Garda standing at the door to the complex. He thought about walking another way but the Garda has seen him so it would have looked strange. He walked to the front door. “afternoon Matt, is Arlo in?”
“I don’t know”
“I would like to have a chat with you and Arlo, can I follow you up?”
Matt and the Garda walked up the steps at the front door and Matt opened the door. The two men walked to the lift and from the lift to the door to the apartment. Matt found it really awkward as the Garda did not speak the whole time.
When Matt opened the door, he called out to see if Arlo was home. The Garda walked in past him and over to the kitchen.
“I don’t think he is home”
“mind if I check the bedrooms” the Garda walked over and opened the first door it was Matts room. “that’s mine”. The Garda had a good look inside anyway and went to the next door. He opened Arlo’s bedroom door and looked in.
“what’s in that” the Garda pointed at Arlo’s reflection room. “nothing a table and chair”
The Garda opened the door and looked inside. “why is the room padded?”
“to stop the noise”
“what noise happens in there?”
“no to make that room quite so you can relax and reflect in there”
“you boys need that?”
“its Arlo’s he likes it in there”
“where is he?”
“I don’t know”
“what is it you do Mr Baker?”
“just call me Matt, Mr Baker was my dad. I work at RTE as a runner?”
“did you know Arlo’s Mother?”
“no never met her”
“what about when she called here did you met her then?”
“what when was this?”
“Arlo told us she called here last week where you not here?”
“Arlo told you that?”
“yes, I am sure he said you were here”
“I have never met the woman; I did not know she was here”
“so Arlo never talked about her or told you about her”
“he never said anything”
“Matt you really have to work on telling when people are lying” Arlo had come in at the end of the conversation. He heard the Garda ask Matt about her calling here.
Matt looked around at Arlo “what?”
“just because he is a Garda does not mean he won’t lie”.
Garda Adam’s had gone red, “we see it as an interrogation tactic”.
“call it what you like Garda Adam’s, I call it a lie”
Adam’s looked at Matt, he looked genuinely upset, “sorry for the misunderstanding”
Matt walked into his bedroom and slammed the door.
“I take it you’re here to see me anyway” Arlo walked over to the kitchen and put on the kettle.
Adam’s cleared his throat, “yes I would like to talk to you about your Mother”
“I never knew her”
“well that’s not true, you did meet her before”
“she left when I was born, I never seen her after that”
“from what I understand you met her fifteen years ago”
“Lying again Garda Adam’s”
“that’s what your father told me”
“Oh yes I remember, I met my mother and the lockness monster and a yeti all on the same day”.
“why don’t you ask your father”
“listen I don’t know my mother, I have never met my mother, I want nothing to do with my mother”
“and now that she is dead?”
“I don’t give two flying fucks about her, living or dead, now I hope I have answered all your questions”
“how long would it take your father to get from his house to ..lets say here”
“I don’t know”
“does your father know this area well?”
“I don’t know”
“does your father lie to you often?”
“Garda Adams I am going to have to ask you to leave”
Garda Adam’s left the flat and Matt came back out into the kitchen. “sorry, I can’t believe I fell for that”
“no worries want a cuppa”
“no thanks, do you want to talk about your mother?”
“no”
“okay then, what are we going to have for dinner?”
“Pub?”
“I can’t Arlo, work in the morning and I am broke”
“I did a reading today I can sub ya”
“ahh we cant spend our lives in the pub Arlo”
“why not?”
The two of them laughed and grabbed their coats Pub it was.
Steve was sorting over the newspaper clippings on the kitchen table, he was writing notes in his notebook. He had found the name of the black lady Ramla Amaechi she was a student at the college a long time ago. She was specializing in DNA research, all the newspaper clippings were to do with Ghost sightings around the college, she had been asked for her insight as a student. Her statement to the paper was very short and he did not understand why it had caught the old man’s attention.
The statement read (while I am accustomed to seeing Ghosts being from Africa, I understand why people here are upset. Professor Nilsson is looking into the sightings at the college and any press releases will be issued by him.)
Other stories had touched on sightings in the college were in and around Professor Nilsson department. Some students had left his course, one newspaper had headlined that story with (STUDENT NOT USE TO SPIRIT WITH THAT PROFF) students are seeing with their own eye’s spirits in the campus. Forget about Mulder and Scully- the truth is out there (THE TRUTH IS HERE).
As I have said before (not everybody is your friend or wants to help you.) I have been reported in work for uploading YOUTUBE videos. even though it is on my own time.
That means I will be uploading from home when I get the chance. I am still continuing with the writing of the story. and will update my website regularly.
right so back to the story, in the last chapter we are setting up another clast between Steve and Arlo. Steve has hit the jack pot in finding out about Arlo’s mother. in fact he found out about this before Arlo even knew. we are building the back story a bit at a time not giving to much information to the reader and letting them build the story for themselves.
Steve thanked the old man’s daughter and took a few pictures of the clippings, one writer seemed to be taking the lead in the ghost stories. Out of the ten paper clippings eight of them were written by a Neil Conor’s. that was Steve’s next port of call.
Laura was worried about James; he had not been himself since that woman called to the door. He did not know Laura had seen her at the door as she was coming back from the gym. Laura watched as the woman turned and walked to the gate and cried. she had gone over to her to make sure she was okay.
she had taken the lady to a café close by the house. the lady had stopped crying by that time. She told Laura who she was. James had not told her anything about Arlo’s mother. So, this was all new to Laura. Ramla told her that she had wanted to see Arlo. She stressed that she needed to see him. Laura was seconds away from giving her Arlo’s address but changed her mind at the last second. She took Ramla’s number and said she would have Arlo contact her but only if he wanted to. That is all she promised.
After having coffee Laura asked Ramla how she was getting back to her place and Ramla said a bus. Laura decided to give her a lift home. Even when she was dropping Ramla off, she was tempted to tell her she lived five minutes’ walk to Arlo’s place.
Laura drove home and had made up her mind to come clean with James and tell him about meeting Ramla. She opened the door and James was in the kitchen. She heard the pots and pans banging and followed the noise. “hi baby, how are you?” she looked at James as she walked into the kitchen. “what have you done; the place is a mess”. “well hello to you as well. I am slaving over lunch” “I have eaten already sweetheart”
“oh perfect” James flung the spatula into the pan he was using at that moment.
“I did not know you were cooking”
“I did not know you were having lunch out, who were you with today?”
“don’t take that tone with me”
“well, I don’t know who you’re with when you’re out all day”
“what does that mean”
“it means what it sounds like”
“it sounds like you think I am cheating, that’s what it sounds like”
“if it walks like a duck”.
“fuck you” Laura stormed out of the kitchen, then stuck her head back in “CLEAN THIS FUCKING KITCHEN UP” and stormed back out.
Ramla had left her mind until she had seen the Garda walk into Arlo’s flat.
Matt woke again with a hangover, Arlo was not in his bed this time, he made his way to the bathroom and stood under the shower until it ran cold. In this flat that happened after about ten minutes. He stepped out and wrapped a towel around himself and address himself in the mirror. He looked like death warmed up. there were bags under his eyes and his face was puffy. He had to stop drinking.
He had a flashback to the night before, Arlo had picked up a woman, she was in her early twenties, blond, slim girl. They had come back to the flat around midnight and Arlo cracked open a bottle of red. Matt had left them on the sofa around one ish. As he walked out of the bathroom he looked over at the sofa. A half-naked Arlo and the half naked Blond were still fast asleep on the sofa. Matt walked over to have a better look. Her tits where out and she had big nipples. He was just bending down to get a better look when Arlo pulled her top up over her breasts, his eyes were closed but he had a grin on his face. just as Matt turn to walk away he heard (perv) he looked back to see Arlo looking at him. Matt stuck up his finger at Arlo and went back into his bedroom to get dressed.
He was just slipping on his shoes when there was a soft knock on his door. Arlo stood in the door frame. “she won’t go”.
“just tell her to fuck off” Matt tried to look past Arlo to the woman on the sofa.
“not her”
“oh. Your mom?”
“yes, she is always there talking I can’t drown her out. The drink helps but it does not stop her”.
“you will have to talk to her”
“I don’t want to, she never had time for me when she was alive, now she wants my help that she is dead. Fuck her!”
“I know, and I am with you on that. But if you have tried everything else to get rid, its not working. I think your going to have to talk with her”.
“you’re no help!”
“do you want me to stay off and talk to her with you”
“fuck off you puff” Arlo said with affection.
“are you sure?”
“go to work, oh and don’t ring my father”
Matt grabbed his bag and nodded at Arlo and went off to work.
He spent the whole day worrying about Arlo. Arlo spent most of the morning fucking and the rest of the day getting drunk. When Matt got home just before six Arlo was rubber, he could barely walk and banged off every wall on the way to the bathroom to get sick.
Matt put Arlo to bed and spent the rest of the night wondering what to do. Then an idea hit him. Arlo would not like it but if it worked it would solve his problem. Matt set to work.
Steve had found the newspaper office and the desk of Neil Conor’s, now all he had to do was wait. The lady at reception told him Neil was on a story. She did not know when he would be back. He could wait if he wanted.
Steve sat on the seat reserved for guests opposite Neil’s desk. An hour later he was trying his best to finish a crossword in a paper he found. “3 down UNDESIRED” came a voice close to his ear. Steve jumped. The man walked around the other side of the desk and sat down. “how can I help you?”
“Neil Conor’s?”
“that’s my name”
Steve stuck out his hand “Steve Banks I am a reporter in Dublin. I am over investigating a story that I think you can help me with”.
“Dublin?”
“yes”
“this is about that Psychic kid?”
“yes how did you know?”
“good on the facts, I knew he lived in Dublin”
“I found out his Mother went to college here and some strange things happened”.
“ha ha you could say that”
“I was just wondering if you had the full story”
Neil told Steve a story, some of it he had proof, some of it was hearsay, some of it was just made up. it was a dam good story. Lots for Steve to think about.
Garda Adams and Killeen were in the squad car on their way to arrest him. “I still don’t know how we are going to make this stick” Adam’s looked over at Killeen.
“I am hoping for a confession” Killeen did not take his eyes from the road.
“hope in one hand and shit in the other see which one fills up sooner”
“ha, ha, that’s not a saying”
“it is”
“it’s not, it doesn’t even make sense”
“it does, think about it”.
“I don’t want to, right who will take the lead?”
“why don’t you go for it this time”
“right boss”
They pulled over just outside the gate. Killeen checked in with base to let them know they got there and were proceeding. They got out of the car and walked to the front door. The gravel crunched under their feet. The door opened before they reached the door. James was standing there with a tennis racket in his hand and white t-shirt and shorts on.
“Gents I am on my way out how can I help you”
Garda Killeen stood forward “James Thomas I am arresting you on suspicion of murder” James did not hear much after that the tennis racket was taken off him and he felt the cuffs go on, his head was ducked down as they got him to the car, he did not even remember crossing the garden.
Just as he looked up when he sat down Laura was running out of the house. The door slammed shut locking him in the back. Killeen stood in front of Laura and told her why they arrested him and where they were taking him.
Laura cried as they drove away. She must have been in the garden for five minutes before she had the sense to go back into the house. she picked up the phone and put it down again. “fuck”. she crossed to James’s study and flicked through the rolodex James keeps on his desk. She had slagged him several times about it calling him an old man. She was glad it was there now. She got the number and rang their lawyer. He told her he was on his way and he would meet her there.
James was marched into the station. Past the front desk. Along the desks and into the same interrogation room he had been in before.
He sat there with his hands cuffed behind his back his white T-shirt had been pulled down over his shoulder and he looked like an ugly fat hooker in a bad get up. the more he tried to right his T-shirt the more it would not move. This irritated him a lot.
He got no water this time. He also did not have to wait very long. Adam’s and Killeen pressed play and started to record this session without asking him this time. They laid the charges down again for James. First question right off the bat. “why did you kill her?”.
Chapter Five
Arlo woke up on the floor. His head ached. This was not the first time he woke up on the floor. It was the first time he woke up in his reflection room with no memory of how he got there. he could have sworn he made his way to his bed. he remembered seeing Matt and crashing out on his bed. how the fuck did he get here.
He picked himself up and shakily made his way to the door. He turned the knob, and the door did not open. He tried again and pushed his shoulder against it. Not budging. He tried to push the door and it did not move. This room only locked from inside. He checked the lock again no key. He looked around only the table and chair in the room. A bottle of water on the table. He walked over to pick it up and saw a note under it.
Arlo took the water and picked up the note. (I know this might ruin our relationship, but I have to try and help you. This is the only way I know how, love Matt)
“what are you up to?”
Arlo walked over to the door and tried it again it was not moving. He walked back to the wall in the room and made a run and jump at the door only for his shoulder to hit the door and for him to bounce off it. “bollox” came from his mouth as he landed on the floor again. A small knock on the door followed by “please don’t be mad”.
“open the door Matt”
“I can’t”
“yes you can, don’t be a cunt”
“I really think you need this”
“I DON’T GIVE A FUCK WHAT YOU THINK. OPEN. THE. FUCKING. DOOR”.
“I have left water on the table I will be back before you know it” Matt walked out of the flat and went to work.
Arlo hit the door. (I need your help)
(fuck off, fuck off fuck off) Arlo covered his ears.
(I was murdered, you’re the only one who can help me)
(I don’t want to know about it, about you)
(you are my son)
(DON’T PLAY THAT FUCKING CARD)
(like it or not I am your mother)
(Really? Where were you all my life? You might have given birth to me, but you were never my mother)
(I created you)
(oh fuck a bit of an ego trip there, I am sure dad had something to do with that as well)
(I made you the way you are)
Arlo listened as his mother told him how in her research to heighten her own psychic abilities, she found out she was pregnant. She had always had a gift; her grandmother had the same gift and had passed it down to her.
In her research in DNA she found what most people thought of as Junk DNA. Most of the human DNA is not mapped but people were under the impression that most of this junk DNA was just that. She found out they where wrong. After a college in Scotland had done a DNA Study she found the genetic markings for Psychic abilities in this junk DNA.
She had experimented with this and loaded her body with them. to her they were like a drug. The affects would wear off. She would transfuse herself again with a cocktail of these junk DNA and her powers got stronger. At one point she was able to project to others so they could see Ghosts.
Things got complicated and she left and moved to Ireland. She studied in the same college as Arlo’s father, and they met and fell in love. She had stopped her experiments on herself by then and thought nothing of it because her powers had returned to normal. Then she got pregnant.
She was about five months pregnant when she first heard Arlo thinking. It was so strange to her. Like another person invading her mind and every day that other person was getting stronger.
She gave birth to Arlo and the voices stopped. She thought she was back to normal. Then when he was six weeks old, she walked into the bedroom and her best friend from Africa was holding Arlo. Her best friend who she had watched get shot. She watched as her friend got dragged into a tree line and forgotten about. That was the world she had grown up in. Africa was a violent place that held no happy memories for her. If Arlo’s father had have walked in, he would have seen Arlo floating in the air.
She knew that the two of them together were drawing more and more power and that day she packed her bag and left. Hoping that her son would live a normal life without her.
She checked herself into a Psychiatric hospital, they kept her for six weeks. When she was released, she did not know what to do. She had a medical background, so she decided to become a nurse. To see if she could help others. After some study she found herself back in the same Psychiatric hospital but working as a nurse.
Arlo had taken a seat by this time; he opened the bottle of water. (well, that’s nice so you left because of me, now that you have told your sob story why don’t you go and fuck off)
(I AM NOT HERE TO PLAY HAPPY FAMILIES WITH YOU, I WAS MURDERED I WANT TO KNOW BY WHO)
Arlo did not match the tone (I am not a Garda or an investigator what do you want me to do? I have listened to your story and I don’t want to help you so why don’t you just leave)
Ramla did not leave, and she had not finished her story. She told Arlo about going to see his father, meeting his new mother, Arlo was going to correct her but thought what’s the point. She told him for the last few weeks she had been tormented by horrible dreams and she thought a ghost was snagged on her. Like she could not shake it, it was tied to her somehow. Arlo rolled his eyes (ohh no that’s terrible, the last few weeks you have been tormented by bad dreams, TRY YOUR WHOLE LIFE, HAVING A GHOST YOU CAN’T GET RID OFF, THATS YOU BITCH)
She did not waver at his outburst, she just went on to tell him she had been in her flat, at the time she was hearing noises all the time, so she did not know if they were in the flat or her head. But she had not seen anyone. She was walking from the bedroom to the kitchen to get a drink and then she was dead. Gone.
“where were you on the evening of the tenth Mr Thomas?”
“I was at home with my wife”
“the whole night?”
“yes”
“and she will say the same, you never popped out for a pack of smokes or to put air in your tires”
“I don’t smoke, and the jeep has run flat tires” then he remembered they had had a fight the day before and he had stayed late the following day not wanting to add fuel to the fire. He did not get home till after seven. He had even stopped of at the off license and picked up a nice red for himself and a white for his wife.
“what was that?”
“sorry”
“you just remembered something its all over your face”
“no, it’s nothing”
“are you remembering that night, a little bit of evidence you left behind?”
“I did not leave any evidence because I was not there”
“what if I told you I can place you in Miss Amaechi’s flat?”
“I would say it never happened”
Adams opened a box he had brought into the room with them. he pulled out a small clear plastic bag, a red tag was on it that read NO 1. The date was marked and Bedroom.
James knew what it was right away, his cufflink. How the fuck do they have his cufflink? Adams pulled out a slim file and opened it. “Mr. Thomas, we found this in Miss Amaechi’s flat. Do you know what this is?”
“yes, it’s my cufflink”
“would you care to tell me how your cufflink happened to end up in Miss Amaechi’s flat?”
“I have no idea; I need a lawyer”
“yes, yes you do, we will terminate this interview now” he reached over and hit the off button on the recording device.
so if your reading this you will see I am still jumping from character to character. we are telling the same story but from different points of view. slowly unraveling the back story. at this point a am wondering if I am unraveling it to fast. I am only five chapters in 62 pages. this is the point where your short story becomes a novel. (the marathon)
we still have lots to chat about. don’t forget we have the first person that Arlo helped, still more from his mother. we are going to test Matt and Arlo’s relationship after him locking Arlo in the room. Laura’s involvement in Ramla’s death if any. the investigation with the Garda. Arlo starting his own investigation. the dark ghost that Arlo’s mother could not get rid of. Steve and Arlo’s next meeting. I think Professor Nilsson will play a part in the next part of the story. an introduction of a new character into a story can rock the boat.
we are also going to work on making Arlo more likeable maybe even loveable. how do we do that? we show the readers his kind side what he does of others. lots of times you will hear on writers forums (show don’t tell) that what we are going to try and do. remember this is a first draft. there are parts I have written that I am not happy with so far. don’t stop and go back to change them finish the story. it is strange for a writer to publish unfinished work. people will judge you more harshly because you call yourself a writer so 1 spelling mistake or fudge of the story line and you can get eaten alive. I am uploading this story as I write it to show you it does not have to be perfect first time around. oh and if you are writing your own story don’t give up. this is like any job the more you do it the better you get. I am much better than the first time I wrote and in ten years time if I am still alive I will be much better then.
one of the funny things in being a writer is you will get people telling you (I have a great idea for a story) or (do you know what you should write about.)
Steve returned home to Dublin the following day. He had all he needed from Scotland. He still had eight days to go before he was let back to work. he sat at his desk; he bag unpacked on his bed. he had his notebook open ad was typing Professor Nilsson into google
A lot of results came back Professor of Arts, of Surgery, of economics and on and on. Steve hit the space after what he had typed and added DNA
There was Mats Nilsson, Daniel Nilsson, Jonas Nilsson yet again the list went on. So, Steve added Scotland.
Third headline down:
Disgraced Professor- University professor on leave over….
Steve clicked into the story.
Born Petri Nilsson (1938) to German parents, he grew up in Sweden in a southern city called Linköping. He studied at Linköping university where he graduated and moved to Great Britton to continue his research in DNA.
He began teaching some years later. Nilsson had many scientific break throughs in his work. he discovered the link to Down’s syndrome and the chromosome 21.
His advancements in Rapid DNA sequencing was a major fact in the research moving forward at the pace it has.
He was one of the founding members of The Human Genome Project to map the entire DNA. Over 3.2 billion letters in it.
He was put on leave of absence over 3 years ago and has returned to his home city of Linköping. The death of one of his students was ruled as accidently and Nilsson was clear of all charges, but he refused to go back to work at the university.
Steve read the rest of the story, but he had found out what he wanted and that was were was Petri Nilsson. He googled Petri’s number and did not have any luck. He tried the university in Linköping, but they would not give out any information. He chanced ring the local police in the city. The phone was answered in Swedish and as he did not understand what was being said and the man on the other end had no English the conversation stop short, and Steve was put on hold. He waited five or so minutes before hanging up. there were probably a group of coppers sitting around the phone waiting on the little red light to go out meaning the person had hung up. that’s was Steve pictured anyway. He saw them giving a hooray when the red light went off. Steve opened another page on his laptop and signed into his bank. (well, I won’t be jetting off the Sweden) he thought looking at his balance.
Laura was sitting in a waiting area just inside the main reception when she saw James being led out of a room with his hands cuffed behind his back. His white t-shirt had been ripped at the neck and hung off his shoulder. She stood up with her hands going to her face. the man beside her stood up as well. He took hold of her arm and steadied her.
She sat back down, and the man walked over to Adams and Killeen who had James “gentlemen please take him back into the room and take the handcuffs off him please. He is hardly a risk to himself or anybody else in here. Adams turned James around and undid the cuff’s he gave a slight push when he was finished, and James staggered forward one step. Killeen pointed at the room they had left. “I would like some water brought in for my client please” the man said taking hold of James arm and walking him to the room. James grabbed at his t-shirt and pulled it up over his shoulder.
“how are you Mr. Thomas?
“I am, I don’t know how I am”
“that is very understandable in this situation, what did you tell these gentlemen?”
“the cops, nothing I did nothing”
“good, that’s what we are going to stick with”
“that’s the truth”
“good”
“I am going to go out and find out what they have, somebody will drop in some water, please don’t talk to anybody”. the man stood up and left the room.
James sat where he was rubbing his wrists, the cuffs had not cut into his arms, but it had been uncomfortable. A Grad walked in and put a bottle of water on the table. “anything else you need?”
James turned away from him and looked at the wall. The Garda just left.
While this was going on James’s lawyer had caught up with Garda Adam’s “what’s the charges and what’s the evidence”?
“murder of Ramla Amaechi”
“his ex-wife”
“yes”
“and the evidence?”
“we found one of his cufflinks in her flat”
“that’s it? That is why you are holding my client”?
“yes, for the moment”
“please prepare his release”
“we would like to question him again”
“he won’t be saying anything but if you want to waste everybody’s time we can go sit in a room and not say anything to each other for as long as you like” the lawyer turned and walked away from Adam’s.
The lawyer returned to the interview room and sat beside James. Five minutes later Garda Killeen walked into the room “Mr. Thomas you are free to leave we are not proceeding at this time with charges”.
James was up and out of his seat before Killeen had finished. He walked over to Laura who had kept him in her eyeline the whole time she was there.
“what’s going on?” she hugged James. “we are getting out of here now” James took her by the hand and started walking towards the front door.
“if we need to get in touch with you, we know where you live” Adams said as they passed his desk.
James and Laura stood outside the station waiting on his lawyer to join them they chatted for a while and he assured James not to worry he would keep on top of things. Laura brought around the jeep and James got in.
They were driving home when James looked down and saw the other cufflink. He could not remember before the last time he had worn them, but an image came back into his mind. It had been a work party and Laura had drove. On his way home he had taken them off and put them in the side panel of the door thinking to himself I will remember them when I get out but had forgot them.
He picked up the cufflink, “this is the match of the cufflink they found in her flat”
Laura looked over for a second.
“how the fuck did she get that?” was she in this jeep? Did you let her in this jeep?” his voice was getting louder and louder. Laura winced. “what did you do Laura?”
“I gave her a lift home”
“WHAT, WHEN. WERE YOU GOING TO TELL ME ABOUT THIS”
“don’t shout at me James.” She started to cry and the jeep swerved a little.
“PULL OVER BEFORE YOU KILL US”
“James stop shouting at me”.
James counted to five in his head and lowered his tone when the jeep came to a stop. “do you know what I have been through because you gave that bitch a lift home”.
“it felt like the right thing to do”
“did it? Did it indeed? WHAT TYPE OF A FUCKING IDIOT ARE YOU?”
Laura opened the door and stepped outside. She started to walk along the road. James scooched to the driver’s side and rolled down the window. He drove along side Laura and his heart sank when he saw her face, tears were flowing down her face. “get in the jeep Laura”
“not if you’re going to keep shouting at me”
“I wont shout at you, I am sorry”. She stopped walking and went around the side of the jeep and got in. she wiped her face with her sleeve.
She told him what had happened she had not known she had taken a cufflink. James drove them home while he heard her story, he had to bite his lip a few times to keep himself from saying anything.
Chapter Six
Steve had just gone to bed when his phone rang, he pushed back the cover and picked up his phone. A man speaking in a heavy Swedish access but in English was asking him what he had called for before. Steve took out his notepad. He explained to the Swedish policeman that he was looking for somebody who lived in the town. A Mr. or he might still go by Professor Petri Nilsson. There was a moment of silence he thought he had been cut off. Them the Swedish policeman said, “are you family?”
“no, I am a reporter from Ireland”
“I am sorry I can’t help you. Mr. Nilsson has passed away, about two weeks ago.”
that is me for this week, I have family commitments so I will not be writing or uploading on YouTube. if you are following this or writing your own book. remember shit happens you can plan all you like but then life gets in the way. don’t beat yourself up about it. move on and write when you can.
in the last section I talked about what happened after Arlo’s dad was arrested. (as a human male of 44 years old I have never been arrested myself, so unfortunately I am basing this off TV shows and movies and my imagination as to what happens. fingers crossed I get arrested soon lol.
Steve is making some headway in his investigation into Arlo’s mother, next he goes looking for her. it seems everybody he wants to talk to are dead. if only he knew a psychic.
will Arlo make peace with his mother or does Matt regret locking Arlo in the room. we will find out together next week.
“can I ask how he died?”
“I am sorry I can’t give that information, but I can tell you we are not looking into his death”.
“ahh, okay thank you very much for your help”.
“good day sir”
Steve scribbled in his notebook. (Professor Nilsson Dead looks like suicide) Steve crawled back into bed.
Matt gingerly opened the door to the flat. he was expecting Arlo to have already burst open the door somehow to the reflection room. Matt took off his coat and hung it up. The flat was quiet. Maybe his plan had not worked. He looked over at the room and the fridge he had propped up against the door was still there. luckily that morning when he moved Arlo into the room the only thing in the fridge was half a stick of butter a gone off carton of milk and six beers. Matt did not mind unplugging it and leaning it against the door.
He walked over and lifted the fridge off the door and was in the process of sliding it back into its original position when the door to the reflection room opened. Arlo walked out and past Matt and into his bedroom.
Matt tried to talk to Arlo. He did not answer him. Five minutes later Arlo walked out of his room and put on his coat. Opened the door and walked out. Shutting the door behind him.
Matt waited up till about eleven that night hoping Arlo would come back. Matt went to bed. the next morning the first thing he did was check Arlo’s room. He had not been home. Matt got dressed and went to work.
That night when he got home, he checked again still no sign. He rang Mr. Thomas. there was no joking on the phone that night. Mr. Thomas had not heard from him but told Matt that he was sure Arlo would be okay and to ring him when he got back.
Three days later Matt got a phone call from Mr. Thomas to see if Arlo had come back and they had just forgotten to ring him. No such luck. It was then Matt started to get worried.
Matt took a few days off and went to every bar near them that Arlo and himself went to. They had not seen him. Matt checked the men’s shelters and dry houses. He found himself standing in the station asking to speak to Garda Adam’s.
Killeen came out to him and introduced himself. Matt told him that Arlo had left the flat a week ago and he had not seen him. Killeen asked him if he wanted to open a missing persons report and he said yes. Killeen told him he was not family and to notify them to open a case. Matt left thinking to himself there they go again creating a great name for themselves. They must be thought how to be a prick in school. Why did he even ask him if he wanted to open a case. Fucker.
Laura was getting more and more concerned with James’s behavior. He was becoming quite erratic. Every time he was leaving the house, he would look out several windows before getting to the front door.
He had cameras installed around the house and it was set up to the bedroom TV. He was talking about getting a dog. Laura had pestered him about getting a dog about a year ago. She wanted a small little pug. James was talking about a Doberman or Rottweiler not the types of dogs Laura wanted in the house.
When they heard Arlo had gone missing from his flat James had stepped it up. he brought in a security specialist. Laura was getting really worried about James then she found the gun. She was getting her long boots out of the back of the wardrobe when she knocked open a shoe box and saw the gun.
That night when James got home, she had the shoe box on the counter. James looked at it then her. “I did not tell you because I did not want to worry you”.
“it is not staying in this house”.
“Sweetheart”.
“don’t sweetheart me it goes, or you and it goes”.
“be reasonable”.
“you have an illegal firearm in our house and you’re telling me to be reasonable”.
“Laura you have to understand”.
“no! you have to understand. I know you are going through something at the moment, but that thing is not staying in the house. I am going out. When I come back, I want it gone. Do you understand!”.
Laura walked out the door and took the jeep for a drive. She found herself in Dublin outside Arlo’s Flat. She was just about to get out when she saw Matt walking into the building. He looked downtrodden. She took that as still no sign of Arlo. She backed out and drove off. She did not know where she was driving to until she pulled up outside of the flat, she had dropped Arlo’s mother off at. Laura pulled up the handbrake and just sat there.
Questions were going through her mind. Why did that woman take the cufflink? Why was she murdered? What did it have to do with James? Out of the corner of her eye she saw a large figure with a big dark coat turn on to the street, she knew that walk anywhere. She quickly left her jeep and made it to the door just before it closed. The person she had seen had just walked into the flat complex. She walked up to the man in the black coat. His back was to her as he waited on the lift.
“Arlo”
“hi Laura. You found me”, he said without turning around.
“what are you doing here”
“investigating, oh and bumming a place to stay”.
“your father is worried about you, so is Matt”
“oh right. I guess I should contact my father. I will give him a ring tonight”
“good, just be careful Arlo” Laura turned to walk out.
“want a coffee?” he finally turned to face her.
“yes” as she turned back Arlo saw tears in her eyes.
“come on” he stepped aside as the lift door opened and let her in.
Steve was sitting in a public library at a computer. He was looking for any information he could get on Arlo’s Mother.
The first story that came up was from the Scottish Times written by Neil Conor’s he had read it before and skipped it. The next was another story about the same time she lived in Scotland. Headline read Students stick by Professor. There was a picture of her in this clipping. Steve scrolled down a few searches then clicked on the top of the page where the date is and the newest story popped up. (woman found dead in Dublin Apartment)
As to date no information has come from the Garda other then to name the lady who died in Dublin last Tuesday. The lady was named as Ramla Amaechi. Service will be held in St Michael’s church at 7 pm on Tuesday.
2 weeks they held her body that was long for Ireland they normally turn around the body in a few days. So, Arlo’s Mother was dead now as well.
Steve wiped his eyes of sleep. He had tossed and turned all night. His father’s blue flowers were in his mind. That and his sister. He had dreamed about coming home late and his father sending him to his room with no dinner.
His sisters face when their father told her to be quite or stop whatever he said to her he could not remember but he remembered her face. she did not like being told what to do.
Steve had gone to bed and was woken in the middle of the night by a man in a yellow suit. He did not know it then but looking back he knew it was a fireman.
Steve snapped back to reality sitting in front of the PC looking at the obituary of Ramla Amaechi. The service was tomorrow. he took out his phone and set a reminder. He had another week of leave he might as well go and see if anybody shows up that might know something.
James called his security guy. He knew he might be taking it too far, but everything seemed to give him the shivers. Thinking about that woman showing up at his house saying she needed help that she was in trouble. What if whoever was after her followed her to his house. what if they were after him now. Jimmy answered after the first few rings. James told him about Laura and her not wanting the gun in the house. Jimmy stated the old (its better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it) James agreed but Laura wanted it gone. Jimmy told him he could come and take it, or he could just hide it better. It had never occurred to James just to hide it. He knew the place as soon as jimmy said it to him. He thanked Jimmy and hung up. he took the gun out of the box; it was wrapped in a shammy cloth James walked down to the bedroom and removed the already wonky skirting and found the hole he had seen. He stashed the gun there and pushed the skirting back into place.
Arlo opened the door. Laura walked in. she looked around it was a lovely flat you would know it was a woman’s flat. You could also tell a messy man had been here a few days.
Arlo pointed at the sofa. Laura sat down as Arlo went to the fridge. “I don’t actually have milk do you fancy a beer instead”
“no, I am driving, don’t worry about it”
She heard Arlo grab glasses. “what about a glass of wine?”
“no, I should not” she said as Arlo pushed a large glass of white wine into her hand.
“a one won’t hurt you and you look like you could use it”.
“really I look that bad?”
“no not at all, it just looks like it’s been a long day”.
“that it has”
Laura started to cry again; Arlo handed her a tissue. It was cotton square with a spectacular designed on the outside. Like hands held together in prayer. Laura dabbed her eyes she did not want to get mascara on this beautiful tissue.
“it was hers don’t worry about getting it dirty she won’t be using it anymore”, a small smile formed on his face.
“its beautiful”. Laura was holding it in her hands moving it around so she could take in all the detail.
“keep it”.
“Arlo what are you doing here? your father is worried about you” she started to cry again. “sorry”.
“don’t be sorry Laura, it’s okay”
“it’s not, I found a gun in the house” the tissue went to her face Laura could not stop the onslaught of tears that came.
Arlo sat waiting for the rest of the story, slowly Laura told him everything, from her dropping his mother home to storming out of the house and everything in-between.
He sat beside her and put his arm around her. She rested her head on his chest as she cried.
“I don’t know what to do Arlo he has never been like this”
“I know just what to do”
Laura looked up at his face, he smiled down at her. “let’s get pissed”. Laura laughed and slapped his chest as she moved away from him. “your answer to everything Arlo”.
“hey, it has work so far” he topped up Laura’s drink.
Picked up his own drink and toasted “as the great Billy Connelly said (Life is a waste of time. Time is a waste of life. So why not get wasted all the time and have the time of our life.)”.
They clinked glasses and drank.
Steve showered before going to bed it would save him doing it the next morning. He had changed his sheets on the bed, a thing he loved and hated doing. He loved the feeling and smell of the fresh sheets, but he hated lugging the mattress around and struggling and wrestling with the sheet. He had gotten a few beers before heading home so it looked like it was going to be a good night. Shower over him, bed nice and clean and cold beer in the fridge. Steve was typing up what he had of the story so far. Sitting at a small desk in his bedroom a beer beside the laptop.
Professor Nilsson is dead, Ramla Amaechi is dead. Arlo if he is not a fake can talk to them now. Contact Arlo and book in a reading after funeral tomorrow. might see him there.
Bring blue flowers.
Steve looked at what he had typed (blue flowers) why blue?
He tried typing again but it was just not flowing so he turned off his laptop and turned on the radio. He downed his beer and got another from the fridge. With music playing the window open and a nice breeze flowing through the room, he kicked off his shoes and lay on the bed.
He had no intention of going asleep, but the bottle fell from his hand. It hit the rug around his bed tipped sideways and spilled all over the wooden floor. Steve did not notice this as he was fast asleep.
Yet again he dreamed he came home from school late. His father made him do his homework at the table and sent him to bed without food. He remembered looking out at the blue flowers and his father telling him they would not give him the answers. His bony finger slipping inside his cap while he scratched his head.
The look on his sister’s face when he told her to give over. Steve remembered the man in yellow waking him up. lifting him out off bed and carrying him outside. He had been put beside his sister who was still wearing the same dress he had seen her in earlier. As he looked down at his toe poking out of his sock, he looked across at his sister’s feet. Her little black shoes still on. Her pink dress with the ruffles at the bottom. He looked at the ruffles. Little specks of red. Little dots at the bottom of her dress. He had never seen that before. He looked from the ruffles up to her face. she was smiling. Then she was lifted up and put in a car. Steve was picked up and put in another car. Then he was being driven away.
He woke up. sat straight up in the bed. his eyes wide open. He swung his legs out of the bed. his feet sank into the wet rug. He hated that feeling. He took a large step off the rug, but the floor was slippy and his foot glided along the floor. He sat firmly down on the wet floor before he did the splits.
He got his feet under him and gingerly walked over to his laptop. He thought he might have pulled something. He would worry about that later. He turned on his laptop and sat in the chair. Once his laptop was awake, he clicked on the file of the recording of his interview with Arlo. He skipped to close to the end.
Steve could hear his own voice
“you have nothing to say to me?”
“Oh, but I do, the flowers were blue that day, he was wearing his hat when she brought the bat down on him that’s why you did not hear it from your bedroom”.
Steve played it again.
“Fuck” he said to the room.
He stood up and his feet went from under him. He woke up ten minutes later with a pounding headache as he sat up, he saw blood on the floor. Slowly he put his hand to the back of his head. It hurt. When he took his hand away it was covered in blood.
James waited for Laura to come home, he sat up watching the TV. At ten she was still not back. He rang her. Her phone went to voicemail. (hi Sweetheart, I am sorry. You were right you won’t see that in the house again. Please come back)
He thought to himself I am not lying. If she does not see it. She won’t know it’s there. not like he said he has gotten rid of it.
He rang again at eleven, then again at one in the morning. He tried again at three. Then went to bed. the following morning, he rang her at nine. Laura answered. “where have you been?”
“I am safe don’t worry. I have somebody that wants to talk to you”.
James first thought was she had been kidnapped and was being held.
“hi Dad”
It took James a few seconds for Arlo’s voice to register. “Arlo”
“yes dad, I am okay”
“where have you been?”
“I needed some time to myself”.
“Are you okay?”
“yes, I am fine dad honest”
“how did Laura? Why is she there?”
“she found me last night. She told me about what’s going on. Are you alright dad?”
“yes I am fine, what’s going on? What do you mean?”
“Dad she told me you had a gun in the house”
“oh that. That’s just a misunderstanding”
“Dad are you sure you’re okay”
“yes put Laura back on please son”
Arlo handed her the phone “yes”
“so you spent the night with my son”
“yes”
“So is this payback? Why would you do that. Of all the people in the world you had to sleep with my son”
“you would think that. You animal”. Laura flung the phone across the room. (FUCKKKK). Steve heard her scream before the phone went dead.
That brings us to the end of chapter six. on to seven next. I see questions sometimes when I am on writers forums, When do you know when to end a chapter? how long should a chapter be? etc.
the answer is there are no hard set rules when it comes to writing a chapter can be 3 words or 100 pages. it is up to the writer.
Personally I like ending a chapter like above. James knows he has fucked up. his first thought was that his wife Laura had just slept with his son as some type of payback. I am going to introduce why in the next chapter or two. James will be getting nightly visits from a ghost who is planting little seeds. that is why he is so jumpy and acting strange. like all men James does not talk about his feelings or wellbeing. oh no that shit it bottled up tight.
Arlo has told us he is investigating, we will see what he has found shortly. Steve has remembered that his sister had killed their father. this story will develop maybe not where he wants it to go. but Arlo will do a reading for him. coming towards the end of the story we might meet Steve’s sister. I don’t think she will like having memories of the past brought up.
Poor Mat has been left behind and the two policemen are they going to drop the case or is something new going to turn up. don’t forget we still have only barely touched on the locked room murder of Arlo’s mother. lots more to come. I hope you are enjoying it so far. if you have any comments please let me know. I would like to take this opportunity to point something out.
I read on a writing forum a story about a writer. who writes children’s books. he had just been published. (as a writer it always puts a smile on my face when I hear somebody else had been publish. it means there is hope yet) anyway he had been commissioned to write 5 more books and given a year to do it. yet he was complaining that for his creative juices to flow he needs inspiration and magic to happen. I read one of his books. it composed of about 15 pages. some beautiful art work took up most of the pages. but the story went like this.
my daddy told me I could be a astronaut (but i am just a kid)
next page
My mother told me i could be a doctor (but I am just a kid) so this went on with different relatives and different jobs until his grandmother told him to stop growing up so fast.
now I know I am not Shakespeare, but this guy needs a kick up the hole for himself. he needs his inspiration and magic to happen to produces this shit? as I said before I am delighted for him that he is published and has a book deal but don’t be a cunt! that’s what I am saying. He is complaining about the time limit of a year putting him under pressure. I have problems in my life that are more important than that. I am sure people reading this will have problems in their life that would embarrass me to admit to mine.
so 1 small tip if you get published or a deal. tell people how fantastic life is. because it is. life is wonderful. for me now this is the best life. because you never know what’s around the corner for you. so enjoy it.
so I have marched on to chapter ten without uploading I will have to spend tomorrow listening to it and fingers crossed I will upload. I have answered some questions of the past chapters and we have created some more.
Chapter Seven
Matt was home after working all day. He was sitting looking at TV when the door opened. “get up you lazy arse fecker, get dressed we have somewhere to go” Matt jumped up. it was the first time in nearly ten days he had seen Arlo. “what?”
“go put on your suit we have to go to a funeral”
“Arlo I am sorry”
“be sorry later get dressed now” Arlo said walking past him and into his bedroom.
Matt went and put on his suit. He slipped on a dark tie and readied another one. When he walked out of his bedroom Arlo stood dressed in his suit with the collar of his shirt up waiting on Matt to slip a tie over his head.
“is this your mother’s funeral?”
“yes, we can’t be late it starts at seven”.
Matt looked at his watch it was six thirty-three, “we better get a move on”
“I know that’s what I said” Arlo flipped the collar down over the tie Matt had given him. And nodded towards the door.
They made it to the church in fifteen minutes. Arlo had explained to Matt he wanted him to go inside and check out who was there then come back out and tell him.
Matt walked in, his eyes adjusting to the darkness of the small church. The coffin was placed Infront of the alter. There was one person sitting in the pew on the right. matt walked up to him. He had thought he had been wearing a hat. It turns out a big bandage was wrapped around his head. Matt knew him right away. It was that fucking reporter who tried to set Arlo up. the reporter looked up at Matt. Matt could see the recollection in his eyes. He knew who Matt was.
“what the fuck are you doing here?”
The reporter looked up at him. “your Arlo’s….Friend”
“yes I am what are you doing here?”
“paying my respects”
Matt turned and walked out of the church; Arlo was standing around the back. Matt told him about the reporter. Arlo asked who else was there.
“no body, the priest”
“no body?” Arlo smiled a small smile. (hear that) he said out loud not directing it at Matt.
“is she here?”
“she never goes”
The two of them walked around the front of the church and went inside. Arlo made a beeline for the reporter and sat right down beside him. Matt sat beside Arlo.
“hi Steve, nice to see you, hope it’s not too serious” Arlo pointed at his head.
“Hi Arlo, no I just slipped”
“ahh that’s a shame, you slipping that is”.
Steve smiled back at Arlo. “thanks. Sorry for your loss”
“I am a psychic, there is no loss”
“I was wondering about that”.
“well now you know”.
A cough came from in front of them. they both looked over. “I think we should start”
They both nodded. “ladies and gentlemen. Well just gents today. We are gathered here today to say goodbye to Ramla”.
That was as far as Arlo waited before he got up and left the church. Matt followed after him. “will I continue?” the priest asked Steve. “I don’t mind, but I have to go sorry”. Steve left the church, the priest blessed the coffin and took off his holy garments and went for a smoke.
Arlo had made it to the gate before Steve caught up with him.
“Arlo I need to talk with you”
“sorry I don’t talk to reporters”
“I need your help”
“sorry not in the helping mood” Arlo continued walking away.
“I need to know about the Blue flowers”.
Arlo stopped. Turned and looked at Steve. “you want a reading?”
“I want to know”
“you already know”
“I don’t”
“yes, you do but hell it’s your money. Matt give him a card”
Matt handed Steve a card. There was just an address written on the black card the address was in gold writing. “I will see you tomorrow at two. It should suit you I heard you’re not working” Arlo smiled and walked off. Steve put the card in his top pocket.
Laura walked in the door she was expecting James to be at work, but he was there. “before you say anything just let me say I am so sorry”.
Laura looked at him and walked past him.
“you will never see the gun again, and I am such an asshole for even thinking you would do anything with Arlo”
She looked back at the mention of Arlo.
“please forgive me sweetheart”
“I think we need to take a break; I can’t do this anymore” she walked out of the living room and up the stairs. She expected him to follow her but he did not. She packed a bag and her suitcase and walked down the stairs. She willed herself not to look at James but because he was not making any signs of stopping her she gave in and looked. He was sitting on their sofa and tears were freely flowing down his face. she felt so sorry for him. She dropped her bag and went to him. She put her arms around him as she sat beside him.
“talk to me, what’s wrong?”
“it’s the dreams. Everything, I am losing you, I am losing my mind”.
“what are the dreams?”
James told her all about the horrible dreams he was having. They started that night Ramla came to the house. now he was seeing things while he was awake. Horrible things. He just wanted it to stop.
“I think I am going crazy”
Laura stood up and picked up the phone. “please don’t have me committed”
“don’t be silly I would never do that, but you need help”
She dialed the number “can you come here it’s your father”.
She hung up the phone and sat back down with James. An hour later Arlo knocked at the door. Laura answered it. “will you pay the taxi man?” he pointed over his shoulder at the taxi outside. Matt was just stepping out of the back. Laura got her purse and paid the taxi. By the time she got back in the house. it was a completely different scene then she had left two minutes ago.
Arlo and Matt where moving furniture away to the side of the room. James sat on the sofa his eyes had rolled back and you could just see the whites. Arlo was barking orders at Matt. Get me this get me that. “Laura get me a basin of water”. “Matt take off his shoes” he pointed at his father. Laura went and got the water. She put it in front of James and Matt lifted James’s feet into the basin.
“have you any candles. White ones if you have them.”
“I have tea lights”
“good go get them”
Laura went off again and came back with a bag of tea lights. Arlo flung her his lighter. “on the floor around him”.
She started placing the candles down around her husband. Matt took the lighter and started lighting them.
When they were done Arlo asked them to go stand in the kitchen.
“what’s going on? Is he okay?”
“he has somebody tailgating him. I am going to shake them off. I just don’t want them grabbing hold of one of you when they left go”. That was all the explanation they got before they were ushered out of the room.
Matt took Laura into the kitchen. He put on the kettle and they waited. Everything was quite for a while, then about ten minutes later a sound started. First like a humming noise then as it got louder it sounded like bees. Laura had asked Matt if they should check on Arlo to make sure he was alright. Matt had the sense not to do that. He patted her arm and told her everything would be alright. Matt was shitting himself.
A few minutes after telling Laura everything was going to be okay there was a crashing sound. Things being broken. This went on for a while then it stopped. Nothing. no noise at all. Laura was standing at the door forcing herself not to open it and run to the next room. Then they heard James laughing. Arlo shouted it was okay for them to come back. The room they walked into was vastly different to the room they left almost an hour ago. It looked like a tornado had hit it. Everywhere apart from inside where Laura had laid the candles around James, that was untouched.
Killeen and Adams were going over the case. Unless they came up with something soon the case would just go cold. Adam’s had a bad feeling about the case when it landed on his desk.
There was a woman’s rights activist on their case. She was looking at cases with single women who have died. The successful close rate for these cases were much lower than other murder cases across the board. This was for a number of factors but try and explain that to a woman who is using the numbers to brand the garda force as Misogynistic and not caring for women’s rights.
There captain was all over this case. Every day he requested an update on a case where there was no evidence that a murder happened.
Adams was appointed the day after it was reported. First it was reported as a suicide. The police officer who was first at the scene had to get the landlord to come over with a master key to open the door. It had been locked from inside the key was still in the door. They had to push the key out first with a coat hanger before opening the door with the master key.
Cries of help had been heard, banging and fighting had been reported. But there was no evidence that anybody else had been in the flat. The windows were locked, and handle pulled down firmly, to open the window you needed a small key. There were no roof hatches as it was a middle floor flat. No way of anybody who had been in here with her to get out. There was also CCTV in the building reception. Nobody was seen entering or leaving the building that day that should not have been there. the landlord had an airtight alibi.
They had interviewed all the tenants in the other flats and while they had all seen the lady who had lived there none of them had talked to her. She had moved in two months before.
There was no motive. Every part of the flat had been searched and forensically analyzed. That was when the cufflink was found in the lady’s pocket.
Killeen and Adams had done an intensive search of her past. Ramla was born in Africa, a small place called Niumi. There she went to Catholic school and in her teens watched her whole family get slaughtered. She moved to England and got a scholarship to medical school and went on to do her major in DNA Studies in Scotland.
From there she moved to Ireland and finished her schooling in Trinity college. She meets Mr. James Thomas, and they date for a while. They get married and she has a baby. Arlo. Shortly after he is born, she leaves and checks herself into a psychiatric hospital. Once she leaves there, they have a record of her attending nurse schooling. Then she disappears until two months ago when she rented this flat. They have no information on what she has been doing all the years in between then.
They knew the murder weapon was a large paper weight that had been brought down on the back of her skull. Suicide had been ruled out because of the angle of the object that hit her. There would have been no way she could have done that to herself.
Killeen was flicking through pictures of the crime scene when something caught his eye. The paper weight had shattered when it struck Miss Amaechi. It was formed like an iceberg once it sat on your desk it would look like the top of an iceberg floating by. It was now in three parts, with blood on the top of the iceberg. Killen zoomed in on the photo. Then he put a request in to have evidence marked 5A TTHIO brought to him, he needed Adams to sign off on it as he was still a Junior officer on this case.
Adams asked him what he wanted it for. Killeen told him he just wanted to see it up close.
The next day the paper weight was sitting in three parts on his desk. He slipped on gloves and took three parts out of the bags they were in. he clicked on the lamp on his desk and held two of the three pieces together under it.
Very faintly engraved on the bottom of the iceberg was (Until the End of Time) and just under that was JT.
that was two things tying James Thomas to the scene. Adams walked over and Killeen showed him what he had found.
They made the trip to Meath again.
Steve was sitting at home, playing a game on his phone it was some dread awful game he had downloaded a few months back. He tried not going on it, but every day he would get notifications telling him that his village needs him. He would eventually think to himself five minutes. It was never five minutes. An hour later he would still be playing. He wondered if it was an addiction but never investigated it apart from that.
He had been thinking a lot about his father and sister lately.
The day his father had died played over in his mind every night. The blood droplets at the end of his sister’s skirt. That smile she gave him before being taken away.
He had spent four months in a boys home before being adopted. He was fourteen at the time. His new parents did not really want a son as much as they wanted somebody to help around the shop. They had owned a little shop in Dublin that sold everything. Within two weeks of going home with them he was working part time in the shop. After school and at weekends. They were not bad people. They never hit him. He was given a small wage. He was used to looking after himself, so he was no trouble.
He had only seen his sister once after they had been separated. He had been called to act as legal guardian at her court case when he was eighteen, she was seventeen so needed someone to look after her. She had changed a lot from when he had seen her last. She was up on GBH charges. Looks like she had beat the shit out of another girl in the orphanage.
He had spent twenty minutes talking to her before the court case. He had said he would go as character witness for her. It did not go to plan.
The judge turned out to be a proper bitch. Steve was called to the stand. He was allowed give one- or two-word answers and when he tried to say anything good about his sister he was told to stop talking. The judge actually told him if he continued speaking out of turn, she would add him to her docket and rule on the both of them.
His sister was sentenced as an adult because of the nature of the incident. She was given eight years. He tried to visit her, but she would not see him. So, he just gave up. he was sure she was out by now or maybe she was even back in for something else it did not look like she was the type to change.
Now she came into his mind every night. He thought about her a lot. he clicked out of his game. And hit google on his phone. He hated using it because it was too small for him. That was a nice way for him to get away with not having to give in and go get his eyes checked.
He typed in her name. several women came up. he switched to pictures. He looked at each one. None stood out. He was sure he would still know her to look at but all these women he flicked past where not her. (she might have got married and changed her name, she might be dead) he closed down the search and put down his phone.
He knew he was not going to sleep; he checked his wallet he had €60. He knew Arlo was expecting payment, but he would deal with that when it came to it. (fuck it) he thought as he stood up and grabbed his jacket. He walked to the pub. €60 later he staggered home and slept all night.
Arlo looked out the window when he heard the gravel crunch outside. He let the curtain fall back into place and looked at his father “upstairs get into bed”. James did not wait to be told again. “Laura you answer the door tell them James is not well if they won’t go away bring them to me in the kitchen. Matt lock this room up I don’t fancy explaining this to them.
There was a knock on the door, Matt was just turning the key in the door to the hallway. They heard Laura telling the Garda James was not feeling well.
Matt moved back over to the kitchen door and locked it. He put the keys on the kitchen table and sat beside Arlo.
Laura walked into the kitchen with the two Garda walking behind her. “Gentlemen I am sure Mrs. Thomas told you my father is not well today”. “Arlo, nice to see you again” he could see the look of surprise on Adam’s face. he looked at Matt “looks like you found your friend” a small smile creeped onto his face.
“yes I did, no thanks to you” Matt watch the smile fall off Adam’s face.
Killeen walked in behind Adam’s. “we want to see your father, Now”
“my father is not feeling well”
“that does not matter, we want to see him”
“no problem, just show me the warrant and I will bring you up to him”
Adam’s looked at Killeen.
“do you not have one?”
“No but we would like a word with your father anyway”
“oh in that case. Fuck Off! Laura, please show these Men out”. Arlo made a face like he had tasted something bad when he said Men. Matt sat there smiling from ear to ear. As Adam’s turned to walk away Matt waved at him.
Laura closed the door behind the two Garda after they stormed out. James was hiding at the top of the stairs he whispered, “are they gone?”. “yes” Arlo had walked out into the hallway.
James came back down the stairs.
“I am going to need to speak to my father, would you two mind starting the clean up and we will join you after we are done”. Arlo took his fathers arm and led him into the study the other side of the hallway.
Arlo walked into the study and over to the side cabinet. His father walked around the table and sat down in his chair. Arlo opened the cabinet and took out a bottle of brandy and two glasses. His father had a little ice machine built into the cabinet and Arlo fingered two ice cubes into each glass. He topped up the glasses with Brandy and put one in front of his father. He kept the other and sat down facing him.
“what happened to me?”
“you had a ghost attach itself to you, it was trying to influence you and mess with your mind. That’s not why I wanted to talk to you.”
“what do you want to talk about?”
“my mother, did you know what she had done?”
“I did not know she was dead until that Garda walked in to your flat”.
“no dad, did you know what she did to me?”
“she left us, you”
“dad did you know she gave me this, gift” Arlo waved his hands in the air.
“well, I knew you did not get it from me”
“She messed with her own DNA, before she was pregnant in Scotland before she came here. when she got pregnant with me, she passed all that fucked up DNA to me.”
James sat there opened mouthed. “just when I start to feel sorry for that woman something else comes up. ohh Arlo I know I should not say this about your mom, but I fucking hate her, I am sorry but its true. She has let us down so many times”. Tears sprang from James’s eyes.
Chapter Eight
Steve woke with a bit of a sore head. He had not dreamed so that was good. He got up and dressed he scraped together enough money for a coffee. He went and enjoyed it. There was lots of time before he had to see Arlo.
Laura had dropped Arlo and Matt back to their flat that morning. A note had been dropped into the flat while they were gone.
Matt, it is with sadness in my heart that I have to leave this note. Unfortunately, due to you not showing up for work and not letting us know either by phone or email, that I now have to leave this note of termination. Any belongings that you might have left behind will be sent to you in due course. Please don’t show up at the premises as we will be forced to turn you away.
Best wishes
Sorry this did not work out for you
Sean Mc Dermot.
Arlo had picked it up and read it first. He handed it to Matt “sorry Pal, more time to hang around with your best friend”.
“what?” matt took the note and read it. “fuck”.
“fancy a drink?”
Arlo looked at Matt without a smile on his face “I have work this afternoon or have you forgotten”.
“what you always made me drink before going to work”
“that is because you are weak willed and easily manipulated”
“so?”
“so, I am not”
“but that’s not fair, I just lost my job because of you”
“I know, so I am the only bread winner now. I have to take responsibility now”.
“Arlo you’re an ass”
Arlo smiled “you’re so gullible” he took a bottle of vodka from his jacket.
“where did you get that”
“I found it when I was tiding up my fathers living room, it looked to me it needed to be tidied up, so I took it away with me”
“I did all the cleaning with Laura; you stole a bottle of vodka”.
“and Gin”. he lifted another bottle out of his jacket.
“unbelievable”
“let’s call it payment, I worked hard there”
“didn’t your dad give you some money before we left?”
“yes, but I did not know he was going to do that when I took the bottles. Did I?”
The two of them laughed and Matt grabbed two glasses.
Arlo poured.
Steve found the address and saw the bell it had stars on it. He pressed the bell and heard a buzz. He pushed the door and walked in. From the intercom he heard (3rd floor)
He took the lift to the third floor when he stepped out of the lift, he heard music. The closer he got to it the louder it got. Buffalo soldier was playing someplace close. He saw an open door and looked inside there was Arlo and his friend dancing with their hands in the air around the kitchen
Woe yoy yoy yo, yoy yoy yoy yo
Buffalo Soldier, troddin’ through the land woah
Said he wanna ran, then you wanna hand
Troddin’ through the land, yeah, yeah
Steve knocked on the door, Arlo waved him in. he had not stopped dancing, Matt had taken a seat at the kitchen counter and was sitting behind a large glass that looked like it was full of water. Steve could smell the vodka.
“IS NOW A BAD TIME?” Steve raised his voice to be heard over the music.
“ARE YOU CRAZY NOW IS A GREAT TIME”. Still dancing Arlo reached over a took a big drink of the glass that was in front of him.
He pointed at Steve and then Matt, he did the universal hand sign for drink and Matt walked to the press and took another glass down and put it on the table. Matt poured about a quarter of the way up the glass. The song finished and Arlo walked over to the radio and turned it off.
“right Stevey what’s the story? don’t be shy, I will be ever so delighted to help you”.
“I don’t have any money”
“you have to offer me something or else it won’t work.
You give me something I give you something.”
“like what?,”
“I don’t know, anything”
“I don’t know”
“what about your sole?” Arlo started to laugh.
“what about information?”
“ohh, what information?”
“about your mother”
“I have that firsthand, anything else?”
“what she did in Scotland and the professor she worked with”
“yes. I have all that information”
“what about the results of your test, you were never given that were you?”
“oh. No I was not”.
“I can get you the results”
“deal” Arlo stuck his hand out. Steve shook it.
“drink up you will need it”
Steve knocked back the drink Matt had put on the counter for him. It was neat gin. It burned going down and Steve coughed when he finished it.
Arlo looked at Matt and nodded, Matt topped up Steve’s glass. This time Steve sipped it.
“thank you”.
Matt filled his own glass and said nothing, he was still not a fan of the reporters. Arlo could let things go but Matt had not mastered that yet. He held a grudge.
“you want to know about the forget-me nots”
“yes”
“sit down, take off your jacket”
Steve did as he was told. He took hold of his glass and had a sip.
“you know by now what happened that day”
“I think so”
“your father is here if you want to ask him anything”
“right, humm, is he okay?”
“Steve we can stop this here if that’s the hard-hitting questions you’re going to be asking him. He is dead. He is fine”.
“Oh Okay. My sister killed him. Why”
“good that’s better. Yes, she killed him. Why?” Arlo stopped for a second like he was listening “she was too much like her mother”.
“what does that mean?”
“your mother was unwell most of her life, your father is showing me her brain”.
“she was mental?”
“she was sick, Your father said.”
“but mom died in a car crash, right?”
“yes, but nobody else was involved in her death, he is showing me a big tree”
“she killed herself?”.
“yes, he is not hear to talk about that he wants you to find your sister”
“why?”
“she is not doing good things and he can’t watch over her anymore”.
“why does he care? she killed him”.
“he is showing me a picture of a baby, she is still his baby. Just like you”.
“I tried looking for her, I can’t find her”
“ha ha, sorry he is tapping on your forehead”
Steve was not sure, but he thought he felt something, but was that because Arlo put the suggestion in his mind.
“what if I don’t want to?”
“your dad was a funny man. He is showing me Yoda, (do or not do)”.
Steve started smiling that was there thing, his father had brought him to the first movie and both of them had loved it. His father did the Yoda voice a lot Steve liked it.
“do you have any other questions for your father he is pulling back”.
“what’s it like?”
“much the same, but time is different he does not know how to put it”.
“tell him I love him, and I miss him”
“he heard you” Arlo smiled again “he called you a puff”.
Steve laughed, yes that was too far for his father. He was never emotional with them. he hugged them on their birthdays and Christmas maybe if you hurt yourself really bad.
“he is showing me your sister and bird, no a duck, it’s a type of duck but he is gone”
“Type of duck? What does that mean?”
“I don’t know, it was in reference to your sister”
Matt spoke up for the first time “maybe it’s her new name”
“what?”
“I don’t know like goose or Mallard”
Arlo looked at Matt “I think he might be right”
Steve took out his notepad and wrote Mallard in it.
He finished his drink and headed off.
Arlo looked at Matt. “now pal I have to go into my room. Am I going to find myself locked in there? “he had pointed at the reflection room.
“not by me” matt answered with a smirk.
“not this time you mean” Arlo lifted his glass over to the sink and walked to his room.
Chapter Nine
James walked into the station accompanied by his lawyer. Adam’s kept them waiting almost an hour. They were shown to a different interview room this time. Killeen was already sitting in the room when they walked in.
“thank you for joining us today Mr. Thomas”
James did not say anything but took a seat opposite Killeen and his lawyer joined him.
“we are continuing are investigation into the death of your ex-wife”.
“can you tell us again when was the last time you saw your ex-wife?”.
“2 days before her death”
“she came to your house”
“yes”
“how did she get there?”
“I don’t know”.
“how did she get home?”
James looked at his lawyer and he nodded, “my wife dropped her home”
“your wife”, Killeen went over some papers found what he was looking for “Laura”
“yes”
“why did you not tell us this last time we interviewed you?”
“I did not know that at the time”.
“so your wife kept it from you that she dropped your ex-wife home”.
“she had not had a chance to tell me yet”
“you live together?”
“yes”
“we interviewed you two days after your ex-wife’s death that was four days after she had been at your home, is that right?”
“yes”
“and you and your wife lived together for them four days?”
“yes”
“so I will ask you again, your wife kept it from you that she had drop your ex-wife home for at least four days”.
“well you could say that”
“I am saying that. I don’t know how else you could put it. Did your wife tell you about it before we interviewed you Mr. Thomas?”
“no, she did not”.
“does your wife keep a lot of things from you Mr. Thomas?”
“I don’t see the relevance of this question; you do not have to answer that Mr. Thomas”.
“okay, does your wife tell you everything she does?”
“no I don’t think anybody’s partner does”
“really? Take for instance my wife” said Adam’s. “she tells me about everything she does, everything she buys and who she met on her trip to town, even if I don’t want to hear it, what about your wife Killeen?”
“yes, the same, can’t get her to stop talking”
“I fail to see where this is going. Are we just comparing wife’s, my wife tells me nothing”. the lawyer added
“lucky man” Killeen looked at Adam’s.
“well let’s see what your wife has told you Mr. Thomas, did your wife tell you she spent the night with your son in his mother’s flat?”.
“yes. Yes, she did” James was gritting his teeth while answering the question.
“Did she tell you she took your ex-wife for lunch on the same day she turned up at your door?”
“yes”
“just not the day it happened; she waited a while to tell you is that right?”
“yes”.
“when did she tell you she spent the night with your son?”
“what are you implying” James had raised his voice; his lawyer had put his hand on his arm.
“oh, nothing at all”.
“did your wife ever tell you she went into your ex-wife’s Flat”
“no”
“where did she say she was the night she was with Arlo”
“oh sorry yes she did. I thought you meant before then”.
“so she was in that Flat before”
“no. she was not”
“well not that she has told you so far”
“she told me about dropping Ramla home she did not go into her flat at that time”
“so just the time with your son?”
“yes”
Adams took out a bag that he had in a box by his feet. James knew what it was. Adam’s opened the bag and took out the three parts and put them on the table.
“do you know what this is Mr. Thomas?”
“yes, it is a paper weight I bought for Ramla years ago”
“at the time did you have anything engraved on this?”
Steve smiled remembering happier times, “yes, I can’t remember what, but I did get something on it”
“the words (until the end of time) “.
“yes, that was it”
“Have you ever thought about killing your ex-wife?”
“do not answer that Mr. Thomas. My client’s thoughts are not your business or anybody else’s. I asked this before last time I was here, is this all you have a cufflink and a broken Ice-burg that my client had engraved for his ex-wife years ago?”
Adam’s pointed at the iceberg “this. oh this is the murder weapon”.
James looked at the iceberg sitting on the table in three parts. He wanted to take hold of them and push the parts together. He pushed that thought out of his head. He had never seen a murder weapon before. He always thought of guns or swords, big hammers, something like that as murder weapons not this paper weight. Not this thing that was bought with love at the time.
He remembered seeing it in a shop window and thinking I have to get that for her. For the woman he loved. At the time he loved her with everything he had. all he wanted was to see her happy. To see the love, he felt reflected in her eyes. He loved her right up to the day she left him holding their son.
He snapped back into the room. Adam’s was talking to him, he caught “would she tell you?”
“sorry can you say that again?”
“I said if your current wife had seen this trinket with the engraving on it do you think she would tell you about it”.
“I don’t know”
“so she could have seen it?”
“no, she was not in the flat”
“oh yes she was not in the flat, that time”
“yes”
“does your wife often spend the night with your son?”
“what no”
“so, this was special? a once off”.
“yes, well no, she found Arlo he had been missing”
“well, he had not been missing, he was in his mother’s flat”
“yes, but we did not know that?”
“did your wife know that he was there?”
“no”
“so why did she go to your ex-wife’s flat?”
James stopped talking he was thinking to himself (why did she go there)
“I don’t know you would have to ask her”.
“we will”.
“if there is nothing else?” The lawyer went to stand up.
“how are you feeling Mr. Thomas?”
“I am fine thank you”
“you were not yourself when we called to your house”
James smiled “you can say that again. But much better now” he stood up and Adams put the Iceberg back in the bag and into the box on the floor.
Laura had got up that morning and made breakfast for the four of them. she woke James and he had his in bed. Arlo had suggested he call the lawyer and present himself at the station because if push came to shove, they could come back with a warrant. James had rang the lawyer and arranged to go that afternoon. Laura had asked him if he wanted her to go with them. somebody had to drop Arlo and Matt back to their flat they had made that clear.
She dropped off the boys and said she would wait at the station for him to come out after he had been interviewed.
She had parked up the next street down as she could not get parking on the street. She had just missed James going in by minutes. She sat at reception reading a newspaper somebody had left behind. They had tried the crossword but they had made several mistakes. She had skipped to the agony aunt section. She loved the questions that were sent in. she had just read one about a young lady who wanted to have a child and wanted to know if it was wrong to tell her partner that she was on the pill, even though she had stopped taking it. And did the agony aunt think he would stay with her if she got pregnant.
“Laura Thomas?”
Laura looked up a lady Garda was standing in front of her.
“yes”
“can you come with me please”
“yes, is James okay”
“I am sure he is fine, we just want to have a word with you”.
Another garda, a man moved from behind the woman who had spoken and took Laura’s arm and helped her to her feet.
“what’s this about?”
“just a few questions” the hand went back on her arm and was directing her towards the interview rooms.
“well, I really think I should wait for my husband”
“it is fine we will let him know where you are” the lady garda said from behind her.
Arlo was drained he walked into his reflection room and sat on the floor. The day before had taken it out of him. It was the first time he had sent away a ghost. He was use to the feeling of them slipping away and had in the past tried to hold on to them, but it was the first time he push one.
When he had walked into his father’s house, he saw a figure floating about his father. It was a man, he was dressed in white, and he had white hair. Little rimmed spectacles like John Lennon had worn but without the tint.
The ghost had seen them come in and Arlo was sure it had seen Arlo’s face and the surprise, but it was oblivious to Arlo, he floated about Arlo’s father whispering to him to get them out of the house. (get them out of the house and finally have a real talk with that wife of yours. Show her what the gun is for.)
Arlo had taken Matt aside and told him what he had seen and what was going to happen and to move when it did. Arlo had gotten his father into the living room and then set Laura and Matt their tasks.
The ghost knew something was going on and tried to slip inside of James. Arlo could see it pushing against James’s skull. His father’s eyes had rolled up and you could just see the whites. Arlo clicked his fingers and the ghost looked at him. It stopped what it was doing and focused on Arlo. Arlo did not take his eyes off the ghost.
Before the Ghost knew it Arlo had his father’s feet in water. Water acts like an anker to the real world grounding his father to this room.
The candles helped solidify the ghost and make it more manageable. Arlo was winging it. He had never come across this before, so he was putting everything he learned to the test. He had cleared the room and told Laura and Matt not to come back in.
His eyes were still locked with the ghosts. Arlo spread his arms as far as they would go and felt energy build up as he slowly closed them. he pictured the energy wrapping itself around the ghost and squeezing. The look of surprise on the ghost’s face was a confirmation to Arlo that it was working. Then he felt the ghost pushing back.
It was like his arms were being forced apart, then he felt something move into his chest. He looked down and the ghost had what looked like a third arm growing out of its chest and the arm was now wrist deep in Arlo’s chest. He felt something clamp down on his heart.
Oh, fuck! Arlo thought then he pictured himself in a suit of armor. He pictured it being built up from the ground his toes, his legs, around his waist, his groin, his tummy then his chest, it felt like he had put on Armor he felt the weight of it lastly the helmet the visor slamming shut. The ghost screamed. Its arm came away there was no hand attached to the wrist. Arlo felt like he was part of a sumo fight. He felt arms push at him, he did the same. This went on for some time. Then it clicked with Arlo this Ghost was playing with him.
Nothing had hurt him from the time Arlo gathered his energy and was bring it full force down on the ghost. He had been playing all this time. Arlo took a mental step back gathered his energy and enveloped the ghost. Yet again he took the ghost by surprise. The ghost struggled but for real this time. Arlo felt the pressure clamp down on the ghost. He was winning. The ghost pushed and prodded it had found a small gap and slithered out from around Arlo’s grip from Arlo’s Father. Arlo filled up the room with energy and found the ghost he expelled it from the house. it left with a bang. The house shuddered. His father sat there on the sofa looking like he had no clue what the hell just happened.
Arlo knelt in front of his father and told him everything was going to be okay.
“what happened” James looked at his son.
“you just had a bad curry and have shit yourself but were going to change you soon.”
James looked down at himself then back up at Arlo “you fucker” the two of them laughed.
I have uploaded chapter seven , eight and nine. the story is still flowing nicely. I have slowed down on the bouncing from character to character maybe only doing it once or twice in a chapter. this gives you a chance to build the story, add more details. one of my faults that I am aware of, is dragging on sentences. so they might go on two or three lines. I know this so I brake them down and make sure to add full stops. sometime. when you write. adding a full stop. and creating short sentences. helps. build the pace. it adds tension. I would use this a lot when characters are talking.
when you are writing dialogue I find it helps to talk it out in your head. don’t forget everybody wants something. the Garda want the truth or at least to solve the case. an innocent person wants to be free and help if they can. a guilty person wants not to be found out and might go above and beyond to help the Garda if it stops the finger being pointed at them.
also details are important, you should keep a note book beside you when writing. small things like original I had written the iceberg had broken into two, then i had to go back and change it to three parts, i had written about Steve’s sister. after one of his dreams he is thinking about the last time he seen her. it was when he was eighteen and she was seventeen. I think earlier in the story I had said she was older than him so I will have to go back and change that. it just felt better to the story to have him as a legal guardian for her so she had to be younger.
Chapter Ten
Laura found herself sitting in a room all by herself. She checked her handbag and took out her phone. There was no reception in the room. She put it back in her bag. After ten minutes when nobody had come into the room, she opened the door and walked out. The lady Garda was sitting at a desk just opposite the room. She stood up when she saw Laura walking out. “can I help you?”
“no, I have decided not to wait I am going home” Laura put her bag on her shoulder and walked towards the reception area.
“I am sorry Mrs. Thomas you have to wait for the Garda in charge to speak to you”.
“no I don’t”
“sorry, yes you do”.
“am I under arrest?”
“what?”
“am I under arrest?”
“no Adams would just like”
“I don’t care what Adam’s would like; I am not sitting in a room waiting like a fool. When Adam’s is ready, he can come and get me he knows where I live”.
Adam’s as if summoned walked into Laura’s field of vision. “sorry to keep you waiting Mrs. Thomas. Would you follow me please” Adams walked into the room Laura had just walked out of.
Laura turned and followed Adam’s she was just about to close the door when Killeen put his hand on the door to stop her. “it’s a party I am afraid” he said with a smile. Pushing the door.
Adam’s pointed at a seat and Laura took it. “we won’t take much of your time”
“good”
“we have spoken to your husband, unfortunately he does not trust you”.
“what?”
“he told us that you have lied to him several times and if we wanted to know anything to ask you ourselves”.
“he is really hanging you out to dry” added Killeen as he sat down facing her.
“sorry I don’t understand”
“your husband told us you lied to him about meeting his ex-wife”
“no I never”
“well the first time we interviewed your husband he never told us that you dropped his ex-wife home” Adams was looking at his notes “then in our next interview he informed us that you had”
“I just had not had a chance to tell him”
“four days after you dropped her home you had not told your husband, he said you were both in the same house, together the whole time and you never said anything”
“well, we had a fight”
“okay he never mentioned that, was this about his ex-wife?”
“no”
“can you tell me what it was about then Mrs. Thomas”
“he thought I was cheating on him”
“ohh, and were you?”
“No I was not”
“okay” Adams had lifted his hands up.
“No I did not cheat on my husband”.
“why did he think you were cheating?”
“I had stayed out later than normal, I took his ex-wife for lunch before I dropped her home”
“does Mr. Thomas normally fly off the handle like that if you were out late”
“no, Not really”
“but he likes to know where you are and who your with”
“well yes”
“see my wife would not stand for that she is very independent what about you” he looked over at Killeen “my wife tells me nothing”.
“well, you must not have good communication in your relationship” Laura smiled for a second.
“like not telling your husband for four days two of them were after he had been arrested. No, we will have to work on that”. Adam’s smiled.
Laura said nothing she just looked down at her hands.
“so tell me, you know your husband likes to keep tabs on you and already thinks your cheating on him, why would you spend a night with another man?”
“what, what other man”
“I think you would call him your stepson”
“Arlo?”
“yes, if you know he is jealous why would you spend a night alone with his own son, he is a good-looking chap, tall, dark, Handsome”.
“he is also Bisexual, so if you like him that much I can put in a good word, if things are not going well with your wife”.
“no thank you Mrs. Thomas. I think I will stick with my wife, but your husband must have been mad. He must have been wondering where you were and who you were with”
“I don’t know what he was thinking”
“so did you tell him you spent the night with his son”
“it was not like that, nothing happened between me and Arlo”
“I never said it did, just wondering what were Mr. Thomas thoughts on it”
“as I said I don’t know his thoughts”
“your husband told us you were out looking for Arlo, he was missing at the time”.
“yes, we all were, sure his flat mate tried to open a missing person case with you I believe”
“turned out he was safe all along”.
“yes”.
“how did you come to find Arlo?”
“what?”
“how did you know where Arlo was? Did he text you or call you let you know where he was?”
“no”
“you just found him?”
“yes”
“at his dead mothers flat?”
“yes”
“and how did you know to look there?”
“well I didn’t”
“so you went there for another reason?”
“no, no that’s not what I am saying”
“why don’t you tell me how you happened to find Arlo at his dead mothers flat?”
“I saw him outside it”
“he brought you up then?”
“yes”
“was that the first time you were there?”
“yes”
“Mr. Thomas’s ex-wife did not invite you up when you dropped her back?”.
“no, it was my first time with Arlo”
“going into the flat or spending the night?” came from Killeen.
“going into the flat”
“so, you would regularly spend the night on your own with Arlo?”
“no, your putting words in my mouth”
“so did you give her the cufflink or did she take it herself?”
“she must have taken it, I don’t know”
“Mrs. Thomas I am going to ask you this just one time and believe me it is much better in the long run if you tell the truth. Did you kill your husband’s ex-wife?”.
Laura started to cry.
“did you kill her?”
No, it was not me”
“so, you know who did it?”
“No”
Adams stood up and walked to the door. “please consider what you are going to say to us next Mrs. Thomas, don’t leave this room until I get back. If you do, I will place you under arrest. Do you understand me?”
Laura nodded and Killeen followed Adams out and closed the door.
“I think we have her, she is close”
“she is not in the egg yet” Killeen smiled
“what?”
“you know. don’t count your eggs and all that”
“but that’s not a saying”.
“yes, it is”.
Adams walked away from Killeen and got himself a coffee. He heard Killeen talking to the Garda who had brought Mrs. Thomas in. “no it is, sure me own father use to say it, you musta heard it” she was shaken her head.
James was standing outside the Garda station with his lawyer, he had searched the street to see if he could see Laura’s jeep. There was no sign of it anywhere. He had tried to ring her several times and he had left texts, but she was not getting back to him.
He had rang Arlo to see if she was still with them, it had rang out twice and then Matt had picked up. Arlo was in his room and they had not seen Laura since she dropped them off.
James said good by to the lawyer and tried calling Laura a few more times. He sat in his car for about twenty minutes. He was worried but thought Laura might have gone home so he headed off.
He really started to get worried when he got home and there was no Laura. The jeep was not in the garden and he checked the house just in case. He sat there not knowing what to do. He thought about what the Garda had said to him. How much did he trust Laura? She had lied to him about his ex-wife, and she did keep secrets. She had wanted to take a brake just the day before she had packed a bag. Maybe she was gone. He walked up to the bedroom and checked her closet. None of her clothes were gone.
Arlo dragged himself off the floor. He sat in the chair and put his arms on the table. He had learned breathing control and channeling his energy from one of the many books he had read on Psychics. If his mother would shut the fuck up he could recharge himself. The only time he was free of her was when he went to his fathers house, she would not follow him in.
She had shown him everything up to her death, he knew all about the university in Scotland, the research she did there and how she manipulated her own DNA.
She had some psychic abilities before she started her studies, growing up in Africa that type of thing is not frowned upon. As a little girl her grandmother and her would talk to all the ghosts in the village. Her grandmother was a witchdoctor and well respected in their village. That was until she was killed. Her whole family were taken off their land, Drugs that’s what their land was used for. To grow them, pack them sell them. the bloodshed that happened scarred her. She saw her family and friends slaughtered. The only reason she was alive was because of the ghosts. They warned her, they told her to move and where to go, what to say, where to hide.
They got her on a boat to England. That was the only time she did not hear the ghosts when she was on the sea. They can’t cross water.
She was twelve when she reached England, she was taken in by a family there and they spotted her brilliance and sent her to school. She was hungry for knowledge and loved school. Once she left school she went to university and did not look back.
She had an interest in DNA from when she learned about it first in school. She found it fascinating that it was the Plan for everything. She looked at it like DNA was a cookery book with all the instructions for making all of life. It is what we are made of.
It was not till she saw the study they did in Scotland that she thought about her psychic abilities. She spent months trying to get the right combination and test and retest. Her professor liked her idea and let her run with it. If she could prove to the world that there was some kind of life after death, and she could prove it using the universities DNA as a platform it could double or triple their income.
The first time she had heightened her abilities was so exciting. She was lying on her bed after being in the lab all day she had tested a concoction on herself that day.
She heard a ghost and called it to her. She sat and talked to the ghost as she would normally. When the ghost started to form into a solid state in front of her eyes she was blown away. It was not until her dorm mate walked into their room and started to scream that Ramla knew that other people could see them too.
She up the dosage the following day and yet again her dorm mate sat shivering on her bed with the blanket covering her face telling Ramla to make them go away.
The following day she up the dosage again, the effect was almost immediate. Ghosts started forming in the lab. Ramla walked to the canteen, she gathered more and more ghost as she did. There was pandemonium. Students were screaming and running all over the place. One student died they had a heart attack, and several were injured in a stampede.
Professor Nilsson had caught the ghosts on camera and when he went to the board with this discovery, he was shocked to find out that they were not excited about this. In fact, they wanted this covered up. They had a death on their hands and a lawsuit could cost them millions. It could destroy the university. They told him to lose the video and shut down the study. He refused. He knew that this was the proof that people needed. He exposed the university to a reporter who was already covering the death on the campus. The professor was arrested and from there they sent him to an insane asylum. They branded him a lunatic and closed his lab. Ramla found herself out on the streets. The only other place she could go to finish her studies was Ireland.
The rest Arlo knew, she met his father. Fell in love. Had a son. Saw her best friend holding her son in his bedroom. Her best friend who she had not seen since she left Africa. Who was dead. She knew then she had to get as far away from Arlo as she could. For his wellbeing.
Arlo was sick of hearing this. She hammered it home again.
She told him about her work as a nurse, she never had any family. She worked all over Ireland. In homes and hospitals. She was happy with her life. That was up to two weeks before her death.
She had woke up one night screaming, in her dream she had injected herself with a vile, marked on the vile was SUPER DNA, as soon as she injected it into her arm. Her arm had started to burn the burning sensation had traveled up her arm, every second getting hotter and hotter. If felt like her arm was on fire. It moved up and then down into her chest. She could not breathe.
She screamed in her dream and also as she woke up, she screamed because the feeling in her chest did not go away. It had changed slightly. It was not heat, it was pressure. She felt like she had a weight sitting on her chest. Then she heard a voice come directly in front of her face. “you ruined me”
She tried to sit up but the pressure on her chest was too much it held her pinned to the bed. nearly twenty minutes she lay like that hearing that voice over and over “you ruin me”
Then it just stopped. The pressure was gone. She could move she ran to the window and opened it. Dragging in gulps of air. She had no idea what had just happened. She thought that she had dreamt the whole thing until she heard the voice from behind her. “I am going to make you pay”.
This harassment went on none stop for days and days. There was no easing up, she could not sleep or eat. She was losing her mind. She had move to a small flat thinking the ghost would stay where it was. That did not help. She had quit her job. She was lost. Then she thought of Arlo. She could not get rid of this ghost but maybe Arlo and her could. That is when she went to James.
Arlo pleaded with her to stop, just for an hour. He needed to boost his energy and he was mentally wiped from hearing his mother’s story. He had spent days fighting her. Telling her to get the fuck away from him. She was in his mind constantly. When he finally relented and let her in she bombarded him with information it was like a sudden download. He could not take it. When he heard Matt open the door he bolted. He ran from his flat he ran from his mother. He did not know where he was going but he knew he had to get away. He found himself at her flat. She had paid for six months. The Garda were finished with it and the landlord transfer the rental to him.
He slept the first night peaceful, then when he woke the next morning his mother was back. He was slowly processing the information she had dumped on him. What he had was fragmented and out of order.
He spent the days trying to work things out he spent the nights trying to get drunk.
Then Laura showed up, he was facing the lift when he heard his name being called. He knew who it was right away. When he turned and saw her face and the tears in her eyes, he knew he had to try and help her.
He had brought her up to the flat and they had talked. She had told him how his father had been acting and that did not sound like his father. When she told him about the gun he was surprised. His father was not that kinda guy.
He had poured drinks and they sat and talked. He remembered the way she had looked at him the last time they saw each other. He had just been wearing a towel fresh out of the shower.
Her eyes had been glued to his body and she had blushed when she dragged her eyes away. He was thinking about this while comforting her about his father. At one point she reached to get her glass and knocked her glass on to the floor. She had jumped up to grab some paper towel to dry the floor. She was on her hands and knees wiping the floor when Arlo looked at her from the sofa. She was wearing white jeans and a lose top he could see her bra when she moved her body in the swipe motion. He could also see the white thong she had on as the top separated from her jeans as she bent over.
She was in great shape for a woman of her age. He knew she was a lot younger than his father but compared to Arlo she was quite a bit older. She turned to get up and saw him staring at her ass. She blushed again.
“maybe I should just head home” the blush was slowly leaving her face.
“na, don’t be silly, you can’t drive and there is a bed back there with your name on it” Arlo pointed down the small hallway.
“are you sure, where will you sleep?”
“I will grab a few blankets and put them down here”.
“no I cant let you do that, sure I will fit on the sofa”
“no the bed is yours. That’s it.”
Arlo topped up her glass and handed it to her. “nightcap?”
She took the glass and had a sip and sat back down.
They chatted for a little while and when she finished her wine, she patted her legs and said she was off to bed. Arlo walked her down to the bedroom and grabbed some blankets that were in the wardrobe.
Arlo left her to sleep and made a bed for himself on the floor. He was just going to sleep when his mother piped up “she seems nice, I liked her, I hope James is treating her nice”
“I am not talking about my father and his wife with my mother”.
“just saying that she is nice, a bit young maybe but nice”
“goodnight mom”
The following morning, Laura walked into the living room Arlo was just waking up. he stood up wearing just his underpants and supporting morning wood. Laura did not know where to look. Well, she did but had to drag her eyes away again.
Arlo was just about to walk past her when her phone rang. Laura looked at the screen and showed it to Arlo. He took hold of the phone and spoke to his father. He past the phone to Laura with a thumbs up and walked into the bathroom.
Arlo had just finished in the bathroom and opened the door when he heard “FUCKKK”, and a phone went flying past him hitting the wall. He bent and picked it up. as he did, he knocked off the phone call.
“bad news?”
“your father just accused me of sleeping with you”
Arlo could not believe it; he walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her. She started to cry again. “don’t, its going to be okay. Maybe you need to take some space away until he sorts himself out”.
Laura lifted her face and kissed Arlo full on the lips. He was taken back, just by surprise and then he kissed her back. Passionately. He could feel himself getting hard again. Laura pushed him away. “sorry I can’t. That would make me as bad as he thinks I am” she ran to the bathroom crying.
Arlo was left standing there in his underpants with wood all by himself. (I need a fuck) he thought to himself. He got dressed and turned on the coffee pot.
Laura came out just in time for a coffee, she had stopped crying and had done her make up. “I am sorry Arlo I am ever so embarrassed”.
“let’s forget about it. Okay?”
“yes”
They had their coffee and Laura headed off back to James. Arlo was standing at the counter when his mother started again. “she would be more your age than your fathers”
“shut up”
“what do I know”
“shut up”
“its my funeral today”
“what?”
“my body is being buried today”
She told him where her body was being held. He thought to himself every movie he has ever watched the killer always returns to the scene of the crime or to the funeral. He made up his mind he had let Matt stew enough. he wanted his friend. Well we know what happened then.
Arlo’s mind was racing with everything that had happened, then he realized he could not hear his mother she had stopped talking. She had taken his plea. He hoped it would be longer than an hour. He closed his eyes and filled his body with energy he felt it building every time he took a breath.
He felt refreshed and energetic when he came out of his reflection room. Matt had told him that Laura was missing. Arlo tried ringing Laura’s phone. It had taken a hit against the wall the other morning, but it had seemed fine when he handed it back to her. Maybe it was acting up.
He phone his father, James was upset but Arlo did not think the ghost had come back, he was not worried about his father.
He told his dad to keep in touch and he would do the same. He was just turning after hanging up the phone to tell Matt what his dad had said, when his mother spoke to him “I can find her”
“what?”
“I didn’t say anything” Matt looked at him puzzled
“not you, shut up” Arlo turned away from Matt and was looking at the wall.
“How?”
“I just can, I got a sense of her when she was in my flat. I can find her”
“well then do it”
“I will if you do something for me”
“what?”
“take this serious, find out who killed me, you have been running around with your thumb up your ass. Stop drinking and concentrate on this”.
Arlo was shocked, he took a deep breath. Pushed it out “alright, this will be my main concern”.
Arlo felt her going, he turned to Matt “sorry she took me by surprise there, she is gone now”.
“whats going on?”
Arlo told him what his father had said and then what his mom had said.
“will she be able to find her?”
“I think so, better get a drink in before she gets back. Looks like I am off it for a while”
Arlo had knocked back two large Vodka’s and was halfway through a beer when he felt his mother. “ahh fuck” he put down the beer “I was not on the clock yet”.
Matt looked at him, Arlo’s eyes were looking away Matt went back to his phone he knew it was not directed at him.
“well, your on it now! She is in the station”
“what station?”
“the Garda station”
“bollox, give me the phone” Matt knew he was now talking to him.
He rang his dad and told him Laura was being questioned in the same station he had left that afternoon.
James hung up and rang his lawyer. He was already in town. Going to have a meal with his wife so he would swing by. James jumped in his car and made his way to the station.
Arlo and Matt left the flat and headed to the station.
Chapter Eleven
Adam’s had gone for lunch. He had enough of Killeen and his made up sayings and he wanted to give Laura time to stew.
Killeen was back at his desk waiting for Adam’s to come back. He was googling egg saying to check if he was right. he could not find it anywhere but that does not mean he was wrong.
Killeen looked up and saw Adam’s come back in the door. “you ready to do this?” Adams pointed at the door. Killeen nodded and followed him over.
Laura had composed herself and had a bunch of tissues in her hand. Her makeup was perfect again. Any crying she had done was erased. Adam’s did not like that. He was expecting to see tracks or mascara down her face a big red nose and puffy eyes.
He slammed a file down on the table it was a file he had taken off his desk. It was a thickish file. It related to a fraud case he was also working on. He was betting that Laura would not know that.
He tapped the file as he sat down. “we have it all. Your husband’s testimony, the evidence, the motive, the opportunity. Why don’t you give us the confession?”. Killeen sat down “if you confess that’s 5 years off straight away. The judge will take that into account”.
“I can’t tell you something that’s not true”
“what can you tell us?”
“I don’t know who killed that lady”
“I don’t want to hear about what you don’t know tell me something you do know”. Adam’s was almost shouting at this point.
Laura started to cry again. Adam’s felt better. He saw the tears running down her face and it somehow made it better.
A red light flashed in the room. Killeen looked at Adam’s
“this is your last chance. I am walking out that door and you will go to jail for murdering Miss Amaechi, NOW TELL ME WHAT I WANT TO HEAR”.
“I don’t know anything” Laura was sobbing. Tears crashed onto the table. Then the door opened and in walked her husband’s Lawyer. He was dressed in a black suit with a dicky bow. She was so taken back. She did not know what was going on. “GET OUT OF THIS ROOM NOW” he shouted at Adam’s and Killeen. He sounded pissed. The two Garda left. “are you alright Mrs. Thomas?”
“they are going to charge me with Murder”.
“no they are most certainly not. You have nothing to worry about”
“but they have a big file and evidence, everything”.
“Mrs. Thomas. Laura, please come with me we are leaving”. He put out his hand and Laura took it. He guided her out of the room. When they got outside Adam’s was at his desk and Killeen walked over to them “what’s going on, we are not finished”.
“trust me son you are finished, you might as well hand in your badge now because by the time I am finished with you AND HIM” pointing at Adam’s “you will wish you could just quit”. He pushed Killeen out of the way and walked past him holding onto Laura like a linebacker. He got to the door to reception looked around at the officer on duty “open this fucking door now”. The officer did and he walked out holding onto Laura.
Arlo and Matt had just got to the station when Laura was being walked out. Laura wrapped her arms around Arlo and cried. Once Laura had calmed down Matt got a taxi, They said goodbye and thanks to the lawyer and brought Laura back to their Flat.
Arlo rang his dad when they got into the taxi. He picked up right away. “I am about twenty minutes away”.
“dad, relax, we have Laura we are bring her to our flat”.
“okay I will meet you there, is she okay?”
“yes, she is. Don’t kill yourself getting here okay she is safe”. Arlo hung up.
James looked at his speed and eased off the pedal.
A little while later James pulled up outside Arlo’s flat. James thought he might have gotten there in record time, but the lift was taking forever he stood there pressing the call button for what seemed like an hour. Every couple of seconds he would look at the door to the stairs go to head that way and he would hear the lift moving.
He finally made it up to Arlo’s flat, the door was already open and in he went Laura was up right away when she saw him and the two hugged just inside the doorway.
“is this a bad time?” a voice came from the doorway.
Laura and James spun around. Arlo glanced over at the door. “not at all, come on in. now it’s a party”.
James moved aside holding on to Laura. Steve walked past him and into the flat. Arlo and Matt was sitting at the kitchen table. Steve put a file down on the table. “what I owe you”
“would you like a drink?”
“why not” Steve pulled back a seat and sat down.
Laura and James walked over to the table. Arlo had poured Laura a drink when they got back just to steady her nerves. Laura picked up her drink and sipped it. Matt had a drink. Now he poured Steve a drink.
All the time this was going on James was thinking to himself (that’s strange I have a bottle like that at home, as he got closer the penny dropped) “you little shit” he was looking at Arlo.
“what?”
“that’s my Grey goose Vodka”
“what really? Matt brought it home the other day. I had no idea” Arlo faked surprise and shock while looking at Matt.
“fuck off” Matt’s face had turned red.
“don’t worry Matt, I know what he is like” James patted him on the shoulder. “You better give me one before the bottle is gone, and who is this chap?”
“this is the reporter who tried to set Arlo up” Matt piped in.
Steve nodded at James.
“we are cool now” Arlo added.
Steve nodded in agreement. “good, nice to meet you reporter with no name” “Steve” he stood up and shook James’s hand. He nodded hello to Laura who had not left James’s side.
“Matt poured James a drink and James lifted his glass. “Pain makes you stronger. Tears make you braver. Heartbreak makes you wiser and vodka makes you not remember any of that shit”. He knocked back his drink. Everybody apart from Arlo knocked back their drink. “we are off” James bowed and waved. He took Laura by the hand and the two of them walked out closing the door behind them.
“he is a nice guy”
“he is” Arlo smiled.
“you not drinking tonight” Steve lifted his glass as Matt poured another helping into it.
“no, I am off it”. Arlo smiled.
“well, there is always a first” Matt scoffed.
Arlo dragged the file Steve had brought with him over to himself and opened it.
Adam’s had gone home after Laura had left. He felt he was so close and yet that Lawyer was a battle axe. If shit hit the fan Killeen was taking the fall. That was for dam sure.
He had just gotten into his car outside the station when he felt something like a spider crawl over his neck. He shivered and wiped at the back of his neck. He started up the car and drove home. Every now and again he would wipe his neck just to make sure there was no spider there.
He never put on the radio while he was driving. He thought it was a distraction and like phones in cars it should be outlawed. He was thinking about the case. About Mrs. Thomas. A voice came from the back of the car “maybe it was the two of them”.
Adam’s swerved the car, he pulled in and jumped out of the car. He opened the back door and was ready to fight. Nothing. nobody there.
“who is there” sweat was starting to form on his brow.
There was no answer. He checked the car again and slowly got back in. he started it up and drove on. He was just turning into his driveway when he heard the voice again “the two of them fucking did it”.
Yet again he nearly crashed just slamming on the brake before sending his car through his front window. “who the fuck is that?”
He jumped out of his car and stood looking into it. “who is there?” he pulled open the back door again, he bent down to make sure nobody was on the floor. Leaving the door open he took his key out and popped the trunk. Jumping back as it opened then slowly moving forward to investigate.
He rubbed his head, slamming the trunk and the back door. He locked up his car and walked into his house.
“hello hunny, I am home” he said as he walked into the empty house. his wife had left him years ago. He turned on the lights as he was passing from room to room. The voice had spooked him. He made his way to the kitchen and opened the fridge. He grabbed a bottle of beer and stood there looking into a near empty fridge.
“fuck this” he said closing the fridge and picking up his phone. “Pizza it is”. Adam’s would often talk out loud to himself at home. It broke the stillness since his wife left.
he was waiting on the pizza to come thinking about what the voice had said (the two of them) Adam had the wife pegged for it. What if the voice was right what if they both killed her.
“how do I prove it?”
“do you need proof?” the voice said.
“who is that?” Adam’s looked around picking up a kitchen knife. “tell me who you are?”
“I am you; You are me” the voice said.
“this is not funny, IS THAT YOU KILLEEN?”
“I am you, or the you, you want to be”
“I have lost it, I have fucking walked up to the edge and jumped over, what the fuck”.
“stop your whining, pull yourself together and let’s get those murderers”
“I am going fucking crazy”
The doorbell rang and Adams sprinted to it and flung open the door. “can you hear somebody talking?”
“yes, you are”. The pizza man took a step back thinking he was going to get a beating.
“no not me somebody else talking, go on talk now!”
The pizzaman pushed the box into Adam’s hands “no pal, just the two of us here. I am going now” he backed further away down the garden till his arse hit the gate then he turned and ran for his car.
“just the one of us” the voice came back and Adams nearly dropped the pizza. Adam’s opened a drawer in the kitchen. The drawer that held everything and anything from batteries to a comb to keys that he had no idea where they were for but did not want too through them out.
He pushed a few bits aside and found what he was looking for. A 1980’s Walkman/ radio. The earphones were still in it. He pressed the Radio nothing. he popped out the batteries and replaced them with new ones. He clicked the radio button again and noise came over the earphones. He adjusted the side switch to tune in the stations, but they were hit and miss. He opened the cassette player to find a cassette inside. Original Recipe by the Crash test dummies. He pressed play.
The voice asked him if he wanted to be the man who caught the killers. It asked him if he was man enough to do the job. It talked to him. No matter how loud he turned up the cassette player he could not drowned out the voice.
He had very little pizza that night, but he drank every beer he had in the fridge. He had twelve. He was swaying on his way to bed. he had stopped talking to himself, but the voice had not. He was trying to push the voice out of his head. He got into bed and the voice stopped. He thought to himself oh thank god. He was asleep in minutes but awake screaming minutes later.
He saw such horrific images when he fell asleep, dead people, injuries and blood, dead babies. He tried to sleep again. The same thing happened. He found himself drunk sitting on the side of his bed crying holding his head. This went on for hours. Finally, he drifted off and was enjoying his sleep. When his arm slipped off his knee dropping his head and sending him flying onto the floor. His nose took the impact. Blood sprayed his bedroom floor.
He collapsed where he was. He woke the following morning with his head pounding and his nose aching. He had dried blood caked on to his face.
this is not the end of chapter eleven but I am uploading what I have so if people are reading this they have something to read over the weekend.
Right the last two Chapters are getting exciting, i am starting the pay off. as I said before you want readers to get information so they can almost predict where the story is going. so the last two chapters I have filled in some of the back story. explained what happened in Scotland, how Arlos mom gave him this gift and why she left.
we are still progressing with the Garda investigation, Adam’s and Killeen are trying everything they can to pin this on somebody either James or Laura. I have added another non Saying by Killeen, I have a funny feeling he is going to Die right after he does a saying.
Adam’s is after meeting the same Ghost James had on him. i think this is greatly going to affect him a lot more than it did with James. Adam’s will be a lot easier to manipulate.
He made his way to the bathroom, he looked at himself in the mirror, his nose was bent to the left he reached up and touched it. Even resting his fingers on it hurt. He steadied his nerve put his toothbrush crossways in his mouth. And grabbed his nose and pulled out and to the right. He bit down on the toothbrush trying to alleviate the pain.
Tears ran from his eyes and the blood that had hardened on his face was covered with a new flow of blood from his nose. He bent forward and pinched his nose. He opened the cabinet above the sink. All his wife’s toiletries were still there. he had not moved anything when she left. He opened a pack of tampons. Removed the inserter and jammed one up his left nostril, he did the same with the right nostril.
He could feel them swelling with the blood and it cut off any air he was getting from his nose so he could only breathe from his mouth. He walked back to the bedroom and picked up his phone. He had forgotten to charge it but it had twelve precent left. He rang the station and told them he would not be in today.
He turned on the shower and moved the shower head down to his neck so it would not get in his face.
He had a shower from the neck down and dried himself off. He could not put it off anymore. He filled the basin with warm water, and he had two hand towels at the ready. He slowly withdrew the tampon from his left nostril. A clump of congealed blood hit the water. The waterfall he was expecting did not happen. He moved onto the right nostril. Blood poured from this one. He splashed water on his face and held one of the hand towels up to his nose.
His eyes watered again as he pushed the towel against his nose. He broke off some toilet paper and rolled it up, so it was about the size of his thumb. He jammed it up his nostril and washed his face. he went gently over his nose and wiped the crusted blood off with the clean hand towel.
He looked at his face in the mirror, his eyes and surrounding area was starting to turn black. He could see that deep purple shade under his eyes. He had not broken the skin when he hit the floor with his nose.
He wondered how much blood he had lost. He made his way to the kitchen and saw the pizza from the night before. One slice gone and one bite out of another slice. (that was a waste) he thought to himself.
He filled a pint glass with water and knocked it back not as easy when your nostril is blocked. He filled it again and sipped from the glass. He felt the wad of tissue he had up his nostril to make sure it was still in place. He had stopped tasting blood, so he thought that was good. The pain had eased a bit, another good thing. The crazy voice was gone so that was amazing. He let himself smile a little. The smile did not last long.
“Crazy, I am hurt you think that”. Adams froze where he was.
(don’t answer it. Its not real) he thought to himself.
“oh I am real buttercup”
(its all in your head, you took a nasty fall, that’s all)
“oh fucking stop it. You know the truth. That husband and wife are killers and its your job to stop them”.
Chapter Twelve
I have reached about the half way mark. this Chapter Arlo is going to read his report I have written a 3 page report before starting this chapter. I want the reader to read it along with Arlo. this report is from the Scottish university that Arlo went to get tested at for his Psychic abilities. he had never gotten the results.
Arlo is off the drink now until he solves his mothers case so he has an urgency to finish it. 1) he can get back to drinking 2) it will get rid of his mother.
Steve was searching the local library files for any mention of his sister. He was checking for Mallard. He found three Anne Mallard’s. he printed off the information and went to the first address. He knocked on the door and it was opened by a tall French lady. He asked her if Mrs. Mallard was there. she replied I am her. Strike one. He moved onto the second address. It was not as grand as the first address. It was a council house in a bad area. A dog tied up in the garden. There was a motorbike on its side with a thin, lanky man tinkering with it. He was heavily tattooed, just the type of man he could see his sister with. It was chilly this time of the day just before the sun rose up but the man was shirtless. “sorry sir, is Anne Mallard here?”
“why what has she done?”
“nothing that I know of”
“are you a pig?”
“no. I am her brother”.
“I didn’t know she had one, hold on pal”
He walked to the house and opened the door, “ANNE, THERES A FELLA HERE TO SEE YOU, SAID HES YOUR BROTHER”.
A fat lady walked out, short blond hair. Her fella was not the only one with tattoos. She had two dogs tattooed on her ample chest. One on each breast. They were barely staying in the undersized t-shirt she was wearing. “what who are you?”
Steve explained he had made a mistake and apologized for disturbing them. Strike two.
He got a taxi to the last address, it was a large house, in a posh area. Bray. The house was two story but spread the width of the land it was on. It was a flashy house Steve did not think his sister lived here but he had come this far so he might as well check.
He walked up the white pebbled driveway. His feet crunching under him. He rang the doorbell and waited. A few minutes later the door opened and there stood his sister. “hello how may I help you”. Her accent had changed but the last time he had seen her she was yelling curses at him.
“Anne?” Steve stood there smiling at her.
“yes, how can I help you?”
“its Steve”
“sorry I don’t have the time today to mess around, I am a busy lady” she went to close the door.
“its Steve your brother” Steve reached out and stopped the door closing.
“I know who it is, how can I help you?” her expression had not changed at all during their conversation.
“I want to reconnect with you”.
“sorry that ship has sailed”. She closed the door leaving Steve standing there with his mouth open looking at the front door. Strike three: your out of there.
Arlo was getting up, as soon as he opened his eyes his mother started talking. (well, what do we do now?)
“well, I have to take a piss and get something to eat so fuck off till then”. Matt heard him talking from the next room. Arlo went to the bathroom and Matt got up and put on a pot of coffee.
Arlo nodded as he came out of the toilet. He left the bedroom door open and got dressed. This was not a new thing. Matt and Arlo often held conversations while either one of them were getting dressed.
“your mom still here?”
“she is gone till I eat”
“good, I am sorry that I locked you in that room to confront her”
“it needed to be done”
“well, I am sorry”
“don’t sweat it”
“what’s the plan for today?”
“I need more information, I think it’s time to pay the Garda a visit, I need to know what they know”.
“is that wise?”
“it’s my only move”
Arlo walked out of his room closing his belt, “what culinary delights do we have for breakfast?”.
“ricecrispies, toast or eggs that go off this week”.
“everything sounds so delightful, pour us a coffee please”
“on it boss”
“oh no, we are not playing this game again. I am going to the Garda station your going looking for a new job, I am not your boss”
“ahh don’t be mean, I lost the job because of you”
“don’t make excuses”
“come on Arlo. Let me hang today I will start looking tomorrow”.
“fine but your cooking breakfast”
“no problem. what do you want?”
“sausages and fresh eggs” Arlo took out his wallet and put ten euros on the kitchen counter, Matt took it and walked into his bedroom. He walked out five minutes later dressed and headed to the butchers.
(at least you have a plan, that’s good)
“did you see me eat?”
(no I just thought)
“go away mom, respect my boundaries”.
She was gone. Arlo looked at the kitchen table the file Steve had left was still there untouched.
Arlo walked over to the table with his coffee and sat down. He opened the file and read it.
Report classified as Confidential.
Psychic test (ESP) Subject Arlo Thomas.
Conducted at Glasgow university.
Dark room test:
Conducted the test is Mark Baker, Ted Whip and Susan White.
the subject was placed in a darkened room. He was also wearing a blind fold during the test.
The three testers walked into the room and projected 3 images at the Subject in their mind.
Then left the room and looked at an image.
The subject was able to report two out of the three images sent to him. Mark and Susan both marked the subject as having gotting the images they sent and also the image they looked at after leaving the room. Tester Ted reported that the subject did not get the image he sent right but did get the image he looked at right.
The subject did make a complaint that the tester Ted would not settle on one image and sent him many.
Coin flip: Subject Arlo Thomas.
Conducting the test is Ruth Mannings.
A coin was selected by Mrs Mannings out of ten possible coins she chose the American silver dollar.
Mrs Mannaings flipped the coin ten times before she came into the room with the Subject. She notes how the coins fell each time.
She wore a mask entering the room and sat behind a glass screen while the subject told her what side the coin landed.
The subject correctly guessed ten out of ten flips right the probability of that happening is 1 in 1024.
Mrs Mannaings is confident the subject did not cheat.
Zener Card test: subject Arlo Thomas.
Conducting the test is Mr. John Smart.
Mr Smart’s name was not used during the test.
The test is to see if the subject can guess the right card.
Mr smart was sitting behind a glass screen so the subject could not mark or interfere with the cards, Mr Smart was also wearing a mask as not to give away facial expressions. 25 cards were turned over one at a time. The subject had to pick the design that was on Mr Smarts card.
Most people will guess three to seven cards right
The probability of getting eight or more is 10.9%
The probability of getting fifteen right is about 1 in 90,000.
Getting 20 out of 25 is about 1 in 5 Billion
The subject got 25 out of 25. The chances of that are about 1 in 300 quadrillion. Cheating is suspected but no evidents was found of this.
DNA test: results.
Results were screened against 33,000. Other candidates on file from out Psychic study that was developed in 1984.
A difference was observed in the intron (i.e., non-protein-coding region) adjacent to an exon in the TNRC18 gene in the fact it was not present in the Subject. This has shown before in people with Psychic abilities.
Noted abnormalities in what is called the god gene is also present in the subject. The vesicular monoaimine transporter 2 (VMAT2) is almost double then the last highest mark found in our studies.
There are also some abnormalities in gene structure. This requires future investigation, and we request to study the subject for at least six months.
It is our belief this subject is they most psychic person we have ever tested and would recommend detaining subject for more in-depth DNA testing and recommendation would be to do an Autopsy as a matter of public concern and welfare.
Due to his mother attending the university and studying under Professor Nilsson in DNA studies, the link is found to be an unacceptable risk.
The university has ruled that this report is not added to the results of the study and is not to be released in the public.
DNA on file should be destroyed and results be separated and kept on server 1Uni57*. Under restricted access.
All copies of this report should be destroyed, and subject should never get the results.
Arlo had just finished reading the report when Matt came in.
“won’t be long” Matt lifted the white butcher’s plastic bag onto the counter beside the cooker. “I got some white pudding as well”.
“nice from Steven’s butchers?”
“were else would I go?”
“good well get cooking pal, I will have two eggs with it”
“yes, my lord, anything else my lord?” Matt bent over in a grovelling stance.
“yes, now that you ask”. Arlo smiled.
Matt straightened up, worried that Arlo now had something planned he would not like. He was right.
Killeen was in the station; he had heard that Adam’s was not coming in. he thought to himself (happydays), Killeen had planned a lazy day. A day where he looked very busy, too busy to interrupt. If he got up from his desk, he walked with propose, he always carried a file with him. Sometimes it was an empty file. It was just for show. during the time he came in at 8am that morning up to the point when Arlo walked into the station, he had done sweet fuck all. What’s more he was enjoying himself doing it.
Killeen looked up from his phone when the desk sergeant called his name.
“WHAT, I AM ON MY OWN HERE TODAY, WHAT IS IT?”
“fella here to see you” he nodded just past the desk he was standing at.
Killeen saw Arlo and rolled his eyes. Puffing and complaining as he left his desk.
“what do you want?” he asked Arlo over the desk.
“want to make a statement”
“come back tomorrow”
“no, I am here today, take my statement or lose it”
“I said come back tomorrow”
Arlo walked over to the desk and lowered his voice, he leaned over so others would not hear him. “don’t you want to be the one who solves the case?”
“what?” Killeen had lowered his voice to match him.
“I can hand you the case on a silver platter, take my statement” Arlo straighten up and stepped back.
“let him in” Killen barked at the desk sergeant, who buzzed Arlo in.
Killeen showed him to an interrogation room. “got coffee?”
“you better have something good for me” Killeen turned and walked over and poured two coffee’s and brought them back to the room.
“what have you learned about my mother’s death?” Arlo took the cup Killeen had put down on the table. He was glad the other Garda Adam’s was not here. This would be easy now.
“I won’t be giving you any information relating to this case” Killeen sat down.
“that’s okay, I want you to listen to me, listen to my voice.” Arlo reached over and took hold of Killeen’s hand. His finger tapped on Killeen’s hand in time with his voice. “let my voice in. I want you to hear every word I am saying”. His finger tapping with every syllable. “you are feeling tired, your eyes are heavy, you feel them closing” sitting in front of him Arlo saw Killeen close his eyes. Arlo had learnt hypnosis while studying Psychic’s. it was a talent he used at parties and on the odd occasion like this. Killeen had taken to it very nicely.
Arlo kept talking for a while dragging Killeen deeper and deeper under. When he was ready, he snapped his fingers and Killeen stood up and walked out of the interview room. A short time later he walked back in with several files that related to his mother’s death.
Arlo spent the afternoon reading the files getting Killeen’s thoughts on the case, they really had Laura pegged for this. They needed a result.
Steve sat outside a coffee shop sipping on the coffee he had just gotten thinking about his sister. What was his father on about? She looked good. She was clearly doing well for herself. It looks like she had turned her life around. He felt proud of her but also a bit pissed she closed the door in his face.
He decided to write her a letter. She was not going to talk to him so he might as well say to her in a letter what he wanted to say to her face. At least she could not close the door in his face this time. He drank his coffee and stopped at a shop and picked up an A4 notepad and a pack of envelopes.
Steve spent the afternoon writing and rewriting the letter to his sister.
At first, he had started very nice. Soft and apologetic. Then he ripped that up and started again. This time not so soft and not apologetic at all. He ripped that up. His bin was getting full of attempted letters.
His mind kept going back to Arlo and his father saying (she is not doing good things and he can’t watch over her anymore).
What type of things was she doing? Their father had said she was like their mother who killed herself. That does not hold well for his sister. He put down the pen and stood up. (I will have to investigate her, tail her, see what there is to see).
Steve grabbed his coat, no time like the present. He had two days left of his forced leave from work he might as well use them.
Adam’s was sitting in his car crying. He had parked up at the side of the road. He knew his car was just out of sight from the main road. He could walk to the Thomas’s house within two minutes. He had scouted the house a while ago, but the curtains were down and there were no lights on. The Thomas’s had not been home.
When the voice had not taken over, he found himself crying. Tears flowing down his face. The taste of salt in his mouth. When the voice takes over it is like Adam’s is pushed into the back seat. He is no longer driving. He can see what his body is doing, and he is aware of everything. He just has no control over it.
Adam’s felt himself being pushed into the back seat again. He saw himself get out of the car and walk back around to the Thomas’s house. he saw his hand reach out and try the front door. Then his body walked around the side of the house trying to open the windows. While this was going on the voice was saying (if you won’t do what needs to be done I will) (I will get them) (they need to pay for what they have done)
Adam’s saw his hand turn the handle on the back door. It moved slightly. The hand tried it again, then shouldered the back door. Instantly a high-pitched Alarm started to sound. The noise drove Adam’s back into control of his body. He ran back to his car leaving the back door open.
Laura was swimming in the hotel pool and James was relaxing by the pool when his phone alerted him the alarm of his house was going off.
He was able to check the cameras and saw the back door was open. He left the alarm ringing and clicked out of the App on his phone. He dialled the security firm who looked after his alarm and told them to make a house call. They said they would send somebody right out.
They were having dinner later that day when he got a phone call from the patrol driver. He had stopped the alarm and he had the back door lock replaced. He had patrolled the house and surrounding area and had found nothing. He wanted to know if James wanted him to call the police.
The patrol man had said it could have been a wild animal that had charged the door, the alarm would have frightened him off. James agreed and told him just to reset the alarm and leave it.
James was really enjoying his time here with his wife. They had gone straight to the hotel after leaving Arlo’s flat. He had booked the night but had extended it the next day and took Laura shopping so they could enjoy their time together. They were reconnecting. No fighting, no jealousy, no craziness.
Laura looked up at him while eating her fish, “everything okay”
“yes, some animal set off the house alarm, nothing to worry about”. James picked up his glass and offered it as a toast to Laura. She picked up hers and they clicked glasses. “to good times”. Laura smiled at this.
Steve walked past his sister’s house, it was just after eight pm and the lights were on. He walked on and turned right there was a path that led up a small hill facing her house. he was passed by some hill walkers and gave a wave. They waved back.
Steve made it to the top of the hill and looked down to where his sister’s house was. He could see into the living room. His sister was sitting on a sofa watching TV and a man was sitting in a chair eating his dinner. He looked like he had come from the office. He had a nice dark blue suit on. He was still wearing his tie. He did have his shoes off. Steve smiled while he looked down at this. To him it looked like his sister had turned her life around and was doing well and had a good husband.
Steve heard the sound of feet above him, he pretended to be stretching when the runner past him. Once that guy was gone, he went back over to watch his sister again.
Her husband was just finished his dinner and his sister got up off the sofa and took his plate, she walked out of the living room. Nothing was out of place here. If Steve was pushed to report something the husband might have pulled back slightly when she walked over to him, but he was so far away he could not really tell for sure.
He watched them for another half an hour it was boring stuff. He could not stay there all night. He would be spotted by some passer-by if he did. He saw nothing out of the ordinary. He left for the night and came back the next morning. As he was walking past the house to head up to where he had been the night before the front door opened and his sister walked out and got into her car. Steve back tracked to the main road and got a taxi. He was just getting in the back seat when her car pulled out in front of him.
“where to pal?”
Steve guessed from the direction she was heading, she was going to town, he did not want to shout the old movie cliché follow that car. He just sat in the back of the taxi and said “town”.
The driver tried to make conversation but gave up after Steve only answered with a grunt or a no. Steve was looking out the front window and the odd time he would say “left here” or “turn up here”. The driver was getting pissed off with him. After the third instruction Steve gave the driver told him. He knew the way to town but if he wanted to get out here the driver would pull over. Steve looked at his eyes through the mirror that hung at the driver’s head. “see the red car up ahead”. The driver looked at the car then back into the mirror “yeah”.
“that’s my wife I think she is cheating on me”.
“ahh mate I am sorry. Say no more”
The driver kept his mouth shut and his eyes on the red car. “heads up pal, she is stopping” he drove passed where the red car had stopped and pulled over on the other side of the road. “do you need me to stay?” Steve took some cash out of his pocket and gave it to the driver “no thank you pal”
Steve got out and the driver rolled down his window “I hope your wrong”. “what?” Steve looked puzzled. “about your wife cheating” “oh yes, so do I”. Steve crossed the street and saw his sister walk into a building at the end of a block.
He slowly followed her. When he got to the building, he saw it was an old folk’s home. They had named it Sunnyside, but it looked far from sunny. He walked in and a receptionist looked up from her desk. “help you?” she muttered. “looking for a place for my dad”. “take a seat I will get Barry to show you around”.
Steve took a seat. A few minutes later a heavy-set balding man with sweet stains already on his shirt it was only five past nine in the morning walked in. “are you my ten o’clock?”
“no no sorry for the misunderstanding. I have just dropped in I am looking for a place for my father and I was recommended to try here”.
“oh right so you don’t have an appointment”
“no I have not made one yet”
“well you luck is in” said the fat man with a smile. “I am free till ten, I can take you on a tour”
“are you sure, I don’t want to put you out”
“not at all, I am Barry” he said sticking out his hand. Steve shook it. “Jimmy” he said back.
Barry welcomed Jimmy to Sunnyside and showed him around. They had just completed the tour when Jimmy asked Barry what was in there pointing to a door.
“Oh, that is just where we store the departed before they go to the morgue, we have a lady that comes in and makes them over.” He pushed open the door as he was talking. Steve looked in; his sister was standing at the steel table brushing a dead woman’s hair. There was two deep black shaded marks on the dead lady’s face. Steve saw his sister see him and she smiled. Barry closed the door “one of are departed there sorry about that”.
“no not at all, sure it’s part of life, I see the lady had some bruising on her face. What happened to her?”
“oh, I think she got mugged, not while she was in the care of Sunnyside I might point out. We would never let that happen to one of our residents” Steve nodded in agreement with Barry.
“is that the lady who does the make-up and gets the bodies ready?”
“yes, she is a god send. We have had a lot of residents pass away, all due to natural causes I will point out, but she is ever so good”.
“I bet” Steve saw her smile at him. It was the same smile she gave him when they were taking his father out of the house. he bet if he looked at the hem of her skirt, he would see blood spots. He was lost in this thought while Barry was talking away to him.
“what is your father’s name?”
“Steve gave him the first name he could think of “jimmy”
“Oh, so you are Jimmy Jr”
Steve looked at Barry not sure what he was talking about “sorry what?”
“your name is Jimmy as well, so you must be Jr and your father would be Jimmy Sr”.
“oh yes, yes your right. listen I don’t want to take up any more of your time here Barry. Thank you very much for showing me about. You have a lovely place here. I am sure my father will love it”. Steve shook his hand and left the building. He walked over to a Starbucks that was across the street. He got a large black coffee and had just sat down at the bench and was lifting up his coffee with a shaky hand when a voice came from behind him.
“you never knew when you were not wanted”. His head spun around to see his sister’s eyes only a foot away.
Steve did not know what to say “its, lets, I am”
“oh for god sake beefy spit it out” she sat down beside him. Never taking her eyes off him.
Beefy was a nickname she called him when they were kids. He never knew where it came from.
“listen I wanted to talk to you”
“so you followed me from my home to my place of work?”
“No I just, I did not want it left the way it was before”
“like the way you left me in that prison?”
“I did not leave you there, you would not let me visit”
“after the spectacle you made of yourself in court. All you had to do was say I was a good girl a nice girl. You could not even do that”.
“the judge would not let me”.
“I remember, she told you to stop talking, because you were saying all the wrong things.”
“that’s not how I remember things”
“why are you here?”
“dad asked me to keep an eye on you”
“he is dead”.
“I know, I saw a psychic and spoke to dad”
“oh for fuck sake, leave me alone, don’t come to my home, and don’t come to my work”.
“dad said”.
“I don’t give a fuck what DAD said, I never have. Don’t you remember? Unless you want to end up like him leave me alone”. She stood up and walked away. Steve watched her go just as she crossed the road he looked down at the end of her dress. No blood droplets he could see.
Chapter Thirteen
Matt knew he looked ridiculous. He looked down at his size 22 shoes his socks pulled over the end of the ballooned pants. The braces weighing down on his shoulders that support the large belly he was wearing. The feeling of the wig and the curly hair irritating him. To top it off everywhere he looked had a red hue, off the nose he had stuck over the top of his. (how do people do this all the time) he thought to himself. He put down the sign he was spinning when he felt his phone ring in his pocket. He pushed the belly aside and reached inside it to his jeans pocket and took out the phone.
“hello”
“hi Crusty”
“oh, what do you want?”
“just making sure you’re having a good time” Arlo laughed.
“you owe me for this, big time”.
“I know, but don’t forget to have fun, you are a clown after all” he stopped himself from Laughing.
“fuck off”
“alright heads up I just want you to keep an eye on who comes and goes just for the next hour okay?”. Arlo was just leaving the Garda station and looked at Matt talking on the phone opposite the station outside the garage.
“yeah fine”
“oh and make sure your nose does not fall off”
Arlo hung up before Matt could answer, Matt looked over at him and stuck up two large white glove covered fingers at him. Arlo smiled and walked off.
Adam’s had driven away as soon as the alarm in the house had gone off and he had gained control again. He was making his way to Dublin. He needed help. If he could make it to the station, he could get help.
(not going to happen pal) still from the back seat. Adam’s increased his speed a little. Twenty-five minutes later he pulled into the garage across from the station. Some idiot was blocking his way as he rolled into the garage court. Adam’s had beeped at the clown.
Adam’s parked up facing the Garda station lots of Garda did it. They had an understanding with the owner of the garage. The only problem was every time he tried to get out of his car the door slammed shut. He got as far as one foot out of the car when the door slammed into it. He let out a yell and dragged his foot back inside the car.
The clown had heard him scream and walked over to the car. The window was open, and Adam’s was holding a conversation with himself. “let go of the fucking wheel”, “I will break your fingers” “this is my body give it back” “Go fuck yourself”.
The clown looked in the window “are you alright pal?” his eyes went wide because he was answer by two voices at the same time telling him to fuck off. The clown did. He dropped his sign and took off down the road on his oversized shoes. Two very different laughs came from Adam’s mouth as they watched him run away.
Matt ran most of the way back to the flat then pulled his phone out and rang Arlo. “I think you need to see this” he panted down the phone. “you lost your nose didn’t you I knew this would happen” Arlo still joking around. “the cop. He is. Not him-self. Two voices.” Arlo realized something was wrong and headed for the door he had made it to the ground floor door and saw Matt walking towards him.
“what’s going on?”
Matt caught his breath and told Arlo about Adam’s, his face being messed up and then about talking to himself and he saved the best for last. Two different voices came out of his mouth.
Arlo did not ask him to explain it, but Matt continued “two separate, completely different voice. At the same time told me to Fuck off at the same time. Maybe split seconds apart. Like there was two different people living inside one body.
Killeen looked up from his desk when Adam’s limped in. his face was black and blue. His nose was swollen. He looked like he had been in a car crash. “what the fuck happened to you?”. Adam’s looked at him “I got a nose job”.
“are you okay?” Killeen thought he sounded different, the fact that his nose had been move to the other side of his face and back again might have something to do with that.
“yes just in to pick something up”.
“can I help you”
“no go back to whatever you were doing I am fine thanks”
Killeen walked back over to his desk but kept an eye on Adam’s. he was at his desk; Killeen saw him open his desk drawer and take out the strong box that he kept in there. he opened it and tucked the gun into the back of his pants and locked the strong box again and put it back into the drawer.
Killeen was back up and walked over to Adam’s. “right, what’s going on?”.
“what nothing”
“listen boss, let me know what’s wrong I won’t say anything. I know you have just taken your gun. You have not signed it out. We are not on detail. What’s going on?”
“okay come with me. it’s the Thomas’s. I think they did it together”.
Killeen’s ears picked up. “why don’t you just sign the gun out”
“no time I have to move now. Are you with me?”
“Killeen knew something was off, but he had known Adam’s for almost two years, and he respected him. “I am with you”.
The two men walked out of the station. Adam’s headed for his car parked across the road and Killeen followed him. Adam’s put the car in gear and headed back towards the Thomas’s house. Killeen sat in the passenger seat. He did not say anything to Adam’s but when he had gotten into the car, he could have sworn Adam’s let out a small cry for help. When he looked at Adam’s he was focused on the road and thought he had imagined it.
Laura was sitting at the bar of the hotel when James walked in wearing a black suit. She looked him over. His shoes shining brightly his tie perfectly straight. The cut of the suit hung perfect. (that’s a man) she thought to herself. James sat three seats down from her an ordered a whiskey on the rocks. She twirled the little plastic sword in her cocktail and flagged the barman. “another please” she said.
When the barman drop her drink to her, he pointed at James and said “compliments of the gentleman”. Laura nodded at the barman and raised her glass in the air towards James “thank you sir”.
“do you mind if I join you?” he lifted his glass up and started to walk towards her not waiting for her reply. “I don’t mind, but my husband might” she smiled.
“I am sure he would not mind me keeping you company until he gets here” James put his glass down beside her. The barman had moved so he could hear what was being said.
“business or pleasure?”
“I am here in the city for Business, but I will take pleasure if it comes” James smiled at Laura.
“I am sure your wife would not like to hear that” Laura pointed at his wedding ring.
“”my wife is not here with me unfortunately, what about you…. Business or pleasure”.
“oh all business” Laura picked up her drink and took a sip.
“you should learn to enjoy yourself while you can”.
“maybe I need somebody to teach me how” Laura stood up and pushed her chair back. James stood as well. “will you excuse me while I powder my nose”.
James nodded at her and sat back down once she had moved off. He sat smiling at the bar.
“if she comes back, I think you’re on a winner my friend” the barman stood in front of him.
“What do you mean if she comes back?”
“I have seen this before, sometimes the lady will slip out and not come back”.
“oh she will be back” James smile got bigger.
“your very sure of yourself”
“will we put a wager on it?” James put out his hand to the barman.
“your tab, if she comes back and you two kiss, before you leave the bar together. Or you owe me fifty” the barman shook James’s hand. “deal” James was still smiling.
A few minutes later Laura walked back into the bar and sat down beside James. “I was thinking about what you were saying to me”.
“about learning to enjoy yourself?”
“yes”
“what conclusion did you come too?”. The barman was scrubbing the bar counter right in front of them.
“I think you are right I have to enjoy myself while I can”
“well I am glad you said that”
“I have something for you as a reward for awaking this free feeling inside me”.
“should I close my eyes?”
“just put out your hand” Laura was smiling. James stuck out his hand on top of the bar. Laura put something in his hand and closed his fist around it.
James looked down at his hand and back to Laura “why don’t we get a drink and head to my room?”
“I would like that” Laura stepped down off the chair she was on picking up the drink in front of her and finishing it off.
“bottle of champagne please, can you have it sent up to room 326 please. Its on that tab of mine”. James winked at the barman. “I think you have forgotten something sir” the barman looked at him.
“oh, a tip, here you go” James opened his hand that Laura had closed over after inserting something into it. Laura’s panties fell onto the counter and the barman grabbed them up.
James curled his arm around Laura and kissed her. The two walked out of the bar and into the lift. This was a fantasy of Laura’s that they had talked about and chosen tonight to play it out.
They made it to the room before ripping each other’s clothes off. There was a knock on the door about ten minutes after they entered the room. James dragged himself away from Laura and opened the door. The barman was pushing a trolley with a bucket of ice and a bottle of champagne sticking out of it. “thought I would drop it up myself Sir. Complements of the hotel sir” he pushed the trolley into the room. Clothes were all over the floor. Laura was lying on the bed naked, she pulled up the white sheet just after the barman got an eyeful.
“enjoy your evening” the barman backed out of the door leaving the trolley. He shook his head, and his eyes were wide “you are one lucky fucker” he whispered to James. James shut the door smiling. “now where were we”.
Arlo just made it to the station as Adam’s was pulling off from the garage. “fuck” he looked back to see Matt’s shoes slapping off the ground as he ran.
“well that was a waste of time” Matt was still panting.
“not completely, I got to see your funny run” Arlo patted him on the back and started to walk home. Matt turned and followed after Arlo. When they were back at the flat Matt was taking off his outfit. Arlo flung a pack of babywipes at him. “great for getting that stuff off your face”.
“thanks” Matt did not look impressed.
“so his face was one big bruise, his nose was out of place and he spoke with two voices?”
“yes” Matt was wiping the white makeup off his face.
“okay I think whatever was attached to my father has found a new home, or something like it”.
“what are we going to do?”
“nothing yet. Me dad and Laura are still at the hotel, he rang me saying they were staying an extra night, earlier”.
“what about the copper ummm Adam’s”
“well I will pop back to the station tomorrow to see if I can talk to him”.
“what do we do now, fancy a drink?”
“no. still off it for now, the garda have fuck all really on my mother death. I am still trying to figure out what happened”.
“talk me through it”
“she was in the flat, the door was locked. All the windows where locked. She was hit on the back of the head by a large paper weight. It caved her skull in. she died almost right away. Now reports from neighbors said they heard shouting, my mother’s voice and a man’s voice. There is no DNA, not a hair not a single skin cell from anybody else. The only reason they have not labeled it suicide is because of the angle she was hit. There is no way she could have done that to herself.”.
“what does your mother remember about what happened”
“very little she said, she remembers shouting at somebody, but they weren’t there. she was getting ready to have another sleepless night and then everything went black”.
“did you ask her about who she was shouting at?”.
“yes of course, her memory is not great on the last few weeks of her life”.
“can I talk to her?”.
“what? Now like”
“yes, why not”
“Hello Matt, it is nice to meet you” Arlo’s facial expression completely changed.
“oh, hi Mrs. Arlo’s Mom”
“you can call me Rose”
“hello Rose, do you mind if I ask you some questions about the time leading up to your death?”
“you fire away love”
“do you remember the night that you died?”
“bits, little bits here and there”.
“okay can we go back before that then, when is the last full day you remember”.
“It would have been weeks ago”
“okay weeks that’s good, can you tell me what you did that day”
“not every little thing”
“no just a breakdown of your day please”
She proceeded to tell Matt about her day, starting off getting up at 5.30am and heading to work. she got in for 7. She did the handover with the nurse who had been on the night shift. She had lunch about 1pm she finished off her shift at 7 that evening. Stopped off and picked up some shopping and went home. She had a ready meal and went to bed early about half 9.
“perfect and you remember the whole day?”
“yes”
“what about that night did you wake up”
“yes, I did”
“why?”
“I had a bad dream; I remember it was horrible”
“can you tell me about the dream”
She told Matt the dream, it was full of dead people, she was young, and it was Africa, she was running from all the dead bodies. Then the small kids, all dead. Shot and cut up into bits, like a river of blood she could not get away from. A man stepped in front of her and lifted his machete he swung it down and her friend step between them. the machete made a dull thud sound as it lodged into her friend’s shoulder.
Her friend screamed so did she and then she woke up.
“did anything else happen that night?”
“no I don’t think so I splashed water in my face and went to the bathroom then got back into bed…. Arlo’s face froze. The voice, that was the first time I heard the voice”
“okay do you know who the voice belongs too?”
“I have heard it before, but I don’t know who it is. It’s a man he told me I ruined his life. I remember thinking James must be dead, but it was not him”.
Arlo’s face contorted again “ahh, okay what did you learn”
Matt looked over at Arlo. “I think whatever grabbed hold of your dad was your mother’s visitor first, now they are attached to Adam’s”.
“I think we better try and find Adam’s before its too late”. Arlo stood up and Matt followed his lead.
Killeen was a little worried about the speed Adam’s was going. He kept stealing glimpses at the speedometer. “what makes you think it’s the two of them?” it was the first thing said in the car.
Adam’s jerked like he had forgotten Killeen was in the car with him.
“You need to get out now”
“what?”
“we will be there now” it sounded like a different voice said the first line.
“tell me what your plan is?” Killeen was getting worried now.
“we arrest them”
“with what, what evidence have you got that they did it, because that lawyer is already gunning for us, I don’t want to give him the rope that hangs us”.
“what about them having a gun”
“we could arrest them for that, but that woman was not shot to death she had her head bashed in with a paper weight”
“we squeeze them till they tell the truth”
“we have tried that before it won’t work”.
“FOR FUCK SAKE SHUT UP”
Killeen sat in his seat thinking to himself it was a bad idea to come along.
“Adam’s, I want you to pull the car over and stop, you are not yourself today, I don’t know what happened to you but I think your cheese might have slid off your burger”.
“it’s cracker”
“what?”
“cheese slid off your cracker” the car was pulling over to the side of the road. Killeen let out a breath he did not know he had been holding.
“cracker burger what’s the difference?”
“well one is the right way of saying it and one is the wrong way of saying it. Like all your sayings”.
“it does not change the fact that you’re not well”. The car had come to a stop. “right change seats with me” Killeen opened his door and walked around the other side of the car. Adams opened the car door. As Killeen got to the door he saw Adam’s sitting there with the gun in his hand.
“hold on, I am only doing this to protect you, we are friends”.
“I don’t need your protection and we were never friends” Adam’s drew back the hammer on the gun.
“we can work it out”
“I wouldn’t count your eggs on that” the hammer fell. Adam’s felt the recoil on the gun in his hand. He put his feet back in the car and closed the door. Killeen had fell backwards into a bush, only his feet still stuck out.
well we are on page 172, 40968 words, we are doing well. we are coming to the solution of Arlo’s mothers death. the final big showdown between the Ghost and Arlo and his mother is on the way. the ghost seemed to have his eyes set on James and Laura. I see the Ghost using them as bate to get Arlo and his Mother.
we also have Steve and his sister to talk about. what bad is she doing? is she defiling the dead bodies or is she killing the old folks in the home. how does Steve find out. is he back working full time.
Matt has more to add, he will step it up when his friend is in trouble.
start to think how do we finish this story? who wins? not always the good guy, what do we want readers to take from this story. is this the end of Arlo or could this story lead to another Arlo story.
don’t forget the twist. what is that going to be?
I am going on holiday with my beautiful wife, during this time I will not be writing and more importantly I will not be scolding myself for not writing. remember you want this to be your job, your work. treat it like that. show up and put in the time. when it comes to taking a break take it and enjoy yourself. I know I will. then when I come back I will start again.
Adam’s was lost. He had no control. He cried until his tears were cut off. Then just sobbed like a small voice inside a very big room.
Laura woke to an alarm going off, she shook James awake. He finally hit the alarm going off on his phone. It was two. Twenty-two in the morning. James blinked his eyes open and looked at the screen. The house alarm was going off again. He clicked on the App and up popped the security cameras. A man was walking into his back door that had been kicked off the hinges. James sat up in bed and coughed. He pressed a button on the screen. (THIS IS THE HOME OWNER, WE CAN SEE YOU IN THE HOUSE). The figure froze. (THE GARDA HAVE BEEN CALLED PLEASE STAY WHERE YOU ARE) James could hear his voice blasting out in the house. he expected the person to bolt from the house. it looked like the person was holding something in the air. James zoomed in. it looked like a wallet.
(WHAT ARE YOU SHOWING ME)
“it is my badge; I am a member of the Garda. I have responded to a call out”
James thought he know that man, (IS THAT YOU ADAM’S?)
“yes, just me”
Laura sat up beside her husband looking at the screen now as well. “why is he there?”
(WHY WERE YOU CALLED”.
“long story, do you want to call off the cavalry, or will I?”.
(I HAVE NOT CALLED THEM YET)
“can you come home please so I can talk to you face to face?”
(CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT THIS IS ABOUT?)
“the fact that a firearm was found in your house”.
(fuck) Adam’s heard as James moved the phone away from his mouth.
“you said you have gotten rid of it”.
(CAN WE DO THIS IN THE MORNING?)
“yes of course, you can bring your lawyer and we can arrest you, or you can just come now without the lawyer and we can talk”.
(I WILL BE THERE AS SOON AS I CAN)
“perfect and don’t forget to bring your wife, I want her take on this”. Adam’s wave goodbye on the screen and walked back out of the door he had kicked in.
Chapter Fourteen
Arlo had headed out early. He was heading to his mother’s old house to see if she had left any clues as to who might have had it in for her.
His mother had lived in Portlaoise, Arlo had taken a bus just after six that morning it took just under two hours to get to her home. He was stopped by an older lady just as he got to his mother’s house asking him who he was and what he wanted. (oh this noisy old bag, June. She never liked me) Arlo’s mother piped up.
“hello June, this was my mother’s house. my name is Arlo” he put out his hand. The lady took it. He shook her hand and read her.
She had not known his mother had passed away. She was more concerned about how he knew her name.
“my mother told me I would not make it to her house without being stopped by a lady called June. She said you were better than any neighborhood watch”.
June blushed a little bit. “has anybody else been about my mother’s house?”.
“not that I have seen”. Arlo took that as a no. this lady would not miss much.
Arlo was holding a conversation internally with his mother at the same time. “would anybody have a key?”. He could pick the lock but not with June watching him. (no do you think I would trust any of these with a key?) “is there a spare key anywhere?”. (no the only key is in my handbag in the flat or at the Garda station now).
“June would you be able to spare a few minutes for me? I would like to get some breakfast I am starving, and I would be happy to treat you if you will join me. I would love to hear all about my mother”. Arlo moved away from the door and towards June. The lady smiled. “oh, I have had my breakfast much earlier”. “can I offer you a coffee or tea?”.
June walked them just two streets over to a small café, Arlo just got toast and a coffee and a pot of tea for June. She was the type of lady that did not need encouragement to talk. She went on and on starting when his mother first moved to the area. Arlo nodded and said Yes, the odd time just to make sure she thought he was listening.
Arlo had just finished his coffee and June was rattling on about how good his mother was and how respected she was because she was a nurse even with her being black. Nobody here held that against her, sure she could not help where she was born. But the people she helped in the hospital all had very nice things to say about her. Arlo looked at his watch. He faked surprise,” oh my god, how is it so late already, June you have just been so good. I am sorry I am going to have to run, I don’t have much time before the bus back home and I have to pick up something in my mother’s house. kinda like her dying wish. Will you please excuse me if I head off now”. Arlo put twenty euro down on the counter. That would well cover the toast and coffee and tea. His mother bet she would take it and pay them out of her own money so she would get the few euros that was meant to be a tip.
June waved him on, and he said it was lovely to meet her as he headed out of the café he looked back and saw her pick up the twenty euros and put it in her pocket.
With nobody looking over his shoulder he was able to pick his mother’s lock and he let himself into her house. Picking a lock was something he learned to distract himself from the voices and Ghosts that came to visit him. He found that he had to concentrate so hard on picking the lock that the voices would disappear for a while. It worked until he started getting good at lock picking and did not require that much concentration. He tried safes but it was a whole different skill set that he just could not get.
He let himself into his mother’s house and looked around. It was a small house with not much clutter. It was clean but there was a bad smell in here. Arlo opened the window in the kitchen and let the air circulate. He knew the smell was coming from the fridge. His mother showed him where the black bags were, and he opened the door to the fridge and swept whatever was in the fridge into a double lined black bag. There had been some cooked meat and he saw maggots as his hand moved away from the bag. He quickly tied a knot in the bag and opened the front door and put the bag in the bin.
With that done he sprayed the fridge with some disinfectant and left the door open for a while.
He took this opportunity to search the house. he looked in the two bedrooms upstairs. Apart from some clothes there was not much of anything. He checked the bathroom. And then he went into the living room. There was a cabinet in the corner, and he opened it. The first book he took out was a scrap book. He looked at pictures of himself when he was small. Running around playing, Laughing, there was even one of him crying just outside the school. His lip pulled down and tears on his cheeks he was in his gray school uniform and tie on. He had hated that uniform the tie always pinched his neck. He looked at the picture again and right there beside him was Matt. He smiled and flicked to the next page. Him and Matt playing football. Then a newspaper clipping talking about the football team, he was not even mentioned by name, but he was pictured beside all his teammates. Then the book came to an end. The last clipping was Young Irish Psychic Arlo helps Neighbor find dead husbands wedding ring seven years after he passed away. There was a picture of Arlo and Mrs. Treacy.
He pulled out some other books, but they were all medical and far beyond his comprehension. He ran his hand over the fireplace and along the shelves in the room they held nothing but dust. There was a small cross about an inch and a half long on the top shelf and Arlo picked it up and looked at it. There was a snow white long haired muscled man nailed to it. Not the type of thing he thought his mother would have been into. (it’s a joke, white, how many white men are born around that area. Look how tall he is. Not to mention the six pack. I always pictured Jesus like Danny da Vito personally) Arlo laughed he had questioned this himself, but his mother had articulated it and framed it in a picture nicely. He pocketed the small cross.
Arlo guessed he had waisted his time here, he had found nothing just like his mother had said he would. June was outside waiting on him as he left the house. “did you get your mothers keep sake?”.
“I did thank you” Arlo closed the door behind him and took out the small cross and showed it to June.
She blessed herself and smiled Arlo told her he was late for the bus home and had to run. He got back to his flat about half one. He had called out to Matt, but he got no answer. Arlo kicked off his shoes and sat on the sofa.
About ten minutes later Matt walked in. he pointed at the phone and Arlo saw the flashing light. He picked the phone up and hit the message button. “hi Arlo, I have them, why don’t you bring your mother this time and we can all sit down and have a chat”. It took Arlo a second to register who was talking and what they were saying.
It was the copper Adam’s. he did not sound himself. What did he mean he had them, must be his Dad and Laura. He pulled out his wallet and checked how much money he had. it was enough. he ordered the taxi and away they went.
Arlo looked over at Matt “sorry I got you in to this Pall”. Matt smiled and put his hand on Arlo’s leg.
“you alright back there?” came the voice from the taximan.
“yes” they had sat in silence most of the journey. “could you pull over here please” Arlo tapped on the Perspex dividing the driver from the back. He handed him fifty euros and told him to keep the change. The meter was already at €42.75. the taxi man pulled over at the side of the road and They got out.
The taximan did a U-turn and headed back towards Dublin. Arlo walked over to Killeen who he had seen standing at the side of the road. Arlo looked down and saw his shoes sticking out of the bush.
“What happened to you?”
“he shot me; I was only trying to help”.
“I know”. Arlo bent down and took hold of the Deadman’s leg. An image of the two of them in a car played for Arlo. Something did not feel right about Adam’s.
“you don’t have to wait here Killeen; I will look after this you are free to go” Killeen nodded but looked like he was unsure what to do.
“its up to you what happens now, if you want to see a bright light with all your friends and family who have passed over already that’s what will happen, if you want to be reunited with your first love that can happen as well. Think about it. Don’t worry it will be nice”. Arlo walked off and Matt followed him.
“you stay out of this don’t get involved okay”.
Matt nodded and pointed to the house up the road.
Arlo walked around the back of the house looking in the windows as he went. “you’re on the invite list Mom so you’re going to have to come in this time”.
“I don’t like it”
“nobody is liking this trust me”.
The three of them walked into the kitchen the backdoor was open bits of wood from the lock and the frame lay around the floor.
“come on in guys” came a voice from Adam’s in the next room.
When Arlo looked around the wall from the kitchen into the living room he saw his Father handcuffed to a chair his face was badly beaten. Laura was tied to the sofa she had a spilt lip and a cut over her right eyebrow. There was a body lying on the floor. Then there stood Adam’s. he had a gun pointed at the wall where Arlo was. Arlo could see the same ghost sitting high up on Adam’s back. The ghost had his hands deep into Adam’s body like he was operating a toy crane. When his mother floated into the room Arlo heard two gasps one from his mother and one from the ghost. “its you” shouted Arlo’s mother. “hello, my dear, nice to see you again”.
Arlo questioned his Mother “Who”
“my professor I had at Scotland university. Professor Nilsson”.
James moved and looked over towards Arlo “is she here?”
“yes my mother is here”
“tell her to get this madman out of my house”, blood dropped from his mouth.
Adam’s slapped James across the face with the back of his hand. “shut up”.
Arlo walked into the room he lifted his hands in the air “what’s going on? What do you want?”.
“what, what do I want? I WANT MY FUCKING LIFE BACK”
“well, that’s not going to happen, and this piggybacking shit your doing here is not going to last, so why don’t you tell me what the plan is”.
“your mother ruin my life, I got fired, disgraced, I could not get a job in a college as a janitor”.
“Let’s cut the shit. Just tell me what you want. We can compare how my mother fucked up our lives after”.
“YOUR NOT LISTING TO ME! I WANT HER TO PAY FOR WHAT SHE HAS DONE”
“killing her was not enough for you? I know it was you that killed her, you were with her from the start, tormenting her like you tried to do with my father”.
“no, no its not enough. that woman turned my life upside down and then rejected me”.
Arlo rolled his eyes “is this what this is about, unrequited love, give me a brake”.
“FUCK YOU” the gun was in his hand pointing at Arlo.
Matt had gotten behind Adam’s somehow without anybody seeing him, anybody apart from Arlo and Arlo was moving forward the whole time, the gun was about two feet away from him Adam’s had it pointed at his chest.
Arlo’s mother spoke up again from behind Arlo “Professor Nilsson, that was not my inten”
“DON’T GIVE ME THAT CRAP YOU KNEW WHAT YOU WHERE DOING”
“I stopped the treatment because they were shutting us down what else was I meant to do”.
“I didn’t stop, I took the treatment for nearly ten years”.
“it was not designed for you”.
Arlo nodded; the gun had slipped down as the professor shouted at Arlo’s mother. Matt Grabbed hold of the professor that was protruding from the back of Adam’s. at the same time Arlo grabbed the gun that was in Adam’s hand. Matt pulled as hard as he could, Arlo pushed Adams back and fell on top of him and Matt. Arlo pulled the gun free from Adam’s hand and flung it to the side of the room.
He pushed himself up and started to pound on Adam’s face. Matt was standing behind Adam’s still pulling at the Ghost as if Adams was wearing him as a backpack. Arlo heard a scream and his mother appeared and charged right at the Professor. She launched herself at him and Matt fell backwards as the professor and Arlo’s mother went flying across the room. Arlo stopped beating on Adam’s who was barely registering what was going on. His eyes blinked a few times and closed. Arlo stood up and uncuffed his father Adam’s had had the key on his waist. The screams of his Mother could still be heard well by him and Matt everybody else just looked startled.
“he has my gun as well” James said as Arlo uncuffed him. Arlo had turned his back on Adam’s while helping his father when he turned back there was a gun pointed at his head and Adam’s eyes were very much open.
“Arlo you are under arrest for the assault of a Garda”
Arlo put up his hands “I am not sure it counts when the garda had captured your family and killed his own partner”.
“what?” it was like somebody flicked a switch Arlo could see the sudden realization of what he had done in his eyes. The gun lowered then just as quick came back up but this time further. Adam pulled the trigger and Arlo saw part of Adam’s skull fly off and embed itself in the ceiling. Blood sprayed the window and curtains behind Adam’s head.
James had freed Laura and the two of them hugged then Laura reached out and grabbed hold of Arlo and pulled him into the hug.
Chapter Fifteen
Arlo was back in Meath. He had spent several days at the Garda station along with his father and Laura.
He had found out his Mother was a ruthless woman and Ghost. She spent hours ripping the professor apart. In the end Arlo was able to contain him and bound him to his mother, the professor fought it the whole time, but he was overpowered by Arlo and his mother. Then it was a simple choice on his mothers’ part, she had to let go and move on. She decided she was not bring that prick of a ghost to heaven with her, so she brought him to purgatory.
Arlo did not have the same view of Death as his mother, but it did not matter. The only thing that matters is if you believe in it when your alive it becomes reality when your dead.
Arlo was not a fan of funerals, it’s a silly thing to say because nobody likes them but standing at the graveside looking down at the coffin Arlo cursed himself and this whole situation. Arlo stood up and lifted a rose over the whole in the ground and dropped it in on top of the coffin. He turned and walked away. Matt followed him and they got into the funeral car.
His father and Laura followed shortly. Matt looked from Laura to James and Arlo “where to?”
“Pub” said Arlo and James and Laura smiled.
Matt sat back in the car and a smile came over his face (pub it is).
Steve had gone back to work. it was not the same, it was like he was starting all over again. Every story he wrote was first passed to an intern, who prof read it, then it was passed to an undersecretary, who then passed it on to an editor. The third day the intern walked up to him and handed his story back to him saying he wasn’t feeling it. Steve made him feel it. Several times before Steve was dragged off him.
He did not wait to be called into the managers office. He just walked. Two days later the paper issued a notice saying he had left.
so chapter Fourteen and moved on to fifteen. we have solved the case of Arlo’s mother, we will come back to it and explain it fully and stick a bow on it but everybody knows what happened. the professor done it 🙂
something very important happened in this last two chapters, it is something that will affect Arlo deeply, he has not come to terms with it yet but in the next few chapters we are going to explain what happened to Matt who is now dead.
in the last chapter I had him pulling at the ghost (he had never seen a ghost) I did not explain it or how he was able to do that. people reading it might think it was a writing error. it is not. I am going to write it as if Arlo still thinks of Matt as being alive for the next while.
He was very disappointed reading it. There was no fanfare, no dig at him, no scandal. Just Steve Banks has left the paper. We wish him well.
We wish him well. He had read that several times. (Pricks) he thought to himself.
He spent two days getting drunk, nearly four days recovering from his two-day bender. Six days waisted, he knew he had a story he just did not know if he wanted to explore it. He opened his laptop and checked his emails. Six days out of action he thought he would have hundreds of emails, no such luck.
He spent ten minutes looking at the seventeen emails that he had built up. one was a job offer, a friend of his in a small-time paper had reached out and offered him a weekly spot. He thought about it for two seconds and then skipped the email. He had bills and an email had slipped by the spam emails and the heading said CANADIAN PHARNACY under it in smaller writing was Cialis—pri-$0.59, Viaggra Pri – $ 0.78
He deleted it, thinking to himself god it’s been so long since I have had a ride.
Next, he googled the old folk’s home his sister worked in. there was a little tab at the top that had a link to a website call RIP. He clicked on the link and all the people of Dublin who has died in the last week were posted on the site. It did not give the details of what happened to them or where they were before they died.
He clicked back onto the website of the old folk’s home. There was even a picture of her on the website. He zoomed in on the picture. She was smiling at the camera. Her hand was on the shoulder of an older woman who was in a wheelchair. Steve looked at the older lady she had a strained smile on her face. like she wanted to smile but was in pain.
He wondered did his sister hurt her, her hand was on the older lady’s shoulder, but it did not look like it was clamped there.
At this point Steve was really questioning what his father had said. he rang Arlo and asked to see him again. Arlo told him to drop over anytime. Steve took that as come around now.
He walked to Arlo’s flat. Arlo had the look of a man who had pickled himself in alcohol. His eyes were bloodshot, his clothes looked like they had not been changed in days.
“hi Arlo, are you alright”
“just peachy” Arlo slurred.
“I can come back another time if you want”
“Steve I could not give a fuck, have your reading don’t have it I don’t fucking care”.
Steve sat down at the table Arlo was sitting at. “I don’t have any money, I brought the original tape of our first meeting, you can destroy it”
Arlo did not seem to register what Steve had said he just held out his hands. Steve reached across the table and took Arlo’s hands. His hands were wet and sticky, and Steve’s first reaction was to withdraw his hands, but he didn’t. he left his hands where they were. He felt like he was taking advantage of Arlo, he felt dirty. “are you sure you want to do this?”
“shut up”
About thirty seconds passed and Arlo looked at him “what do you want to know”.
“is she killing them, or just messing with the bodies or what the fuck is going on why do I have to deal with it”
“the sound of two voices came from Arlo, his voice and Steve’s fathers voice (you are her only blood left that’s why it has fallen to you. She is a bad person, and you have to stop her. She needs to be stopped)
“but I don’t know what’s going on, I don’t know what’s she is doing”
(get into her house, the basement you need to see it)
“how?”
(like I always said, Do your homework)
Arlo let go of his hands “he is gone”
“what should I do?”
“how the fuck do I know, whatever he told you to, fancy a drink?”
“no, no think you” Steve stood up and put a brown bag on the table with a reel in it.
“what’s that”
“it’s the original recording”
“oh, oh yeah”
“Yeah” Steve said backing out of the flat he closed the flat door and walked to the lift.
“do you think he feels bad about that recording”.
“what who?” Arlo looked behind him to Matt.
“Steve, do you think he feels bad?”
“I don’t know”
“I bet he does”
“yeah maybe” Arlo took out half a naggin from his pocket and undid the lid there was only a mouthful left so he downed what was left.
“you’re going to have to stop, clean yourself up”
“really what good will that do?”
Matt left Arlo drinking alone, he was thinking about leaving altogether but Arlo needed him. If Matt was honest with himself he needed Arlo.
James was worried about Arlo; he had driven up to see if there was anything he could do to help. He had parked across the street from Arlo’s place, and he saw Steve coming out. James walked over to the building and watched Steve walk away. James made his way to Arlo’s flat; Steve had shut it behind him. James had to bang on the door just to get some response, he heard Arlo coming towards the door.
“oh dad, I thought it was Steve”
“I just saw him leave, Arlo you look like shit”
“thanks Dad”
“I am sorry, but I have seen better looking dog shite”
“don’t hold back, tell me what you really feel” Arlo smiled. It broke James’s heart.
“son you need help why don’t you come stay with us”
“no I don’t think so”
“what about a hospital?”
“do you want to lock me up in one of them places that my mother used to work in?”
“never, but maybe they could help you”
“trust me dad, they cannot help me”
“I want you to give up the drink, its not doing you any favor’s”
“it stops some of the voices, it dulls the ghosts. Without it I will be overcome”
“Bullshit, and you know it. You are afraid. I understand that. Its okay to be afraid”.
“Thanks for stopping by dad give Laura my love”
“Arlo you have to find peace”
“Peace, my wallet, shoes” Arlo wiggled his toe that had poked through his sock.
“if you need my help ring me” James left with tears in his eyes he hated seeing his son like this.
Steve decided not to go home he headed out to his sister’s home. He yet again had walked past the house and up the hill so he could look over the house. He was there for about ten minutes before he heard a jogger coming down the hill. Steve leaned against a large bolder and pretended to stretch. Not the most plausible excuse as he was wearing his jeans and his biker jacket. He saw the jogger go by looking at him strange. He could only stay here for a little while.
He looked over the house nobody was in that he could see, he waited another ten minutes and headed back down the hill. He could see the house as he walked down and kept his eye on it. As he got to the end of the hill that met the road, he heard gravel being kicked up, he looked behind him and saw a car moving towards him. It was a fancy electric car, no engine to hear, without the sound of a big engine purring as it aimed for him, there was no fear. Then the car struck him. Steve went flying in the air and landed on the bonnet of the car. The car stopped and Steve rolled off.
Steve had just gathered himself together making sure he had no broking bones, he heard footsteps coming his way. He was going to look up and tell who every it was that he was okay when he saw the carjack in the man’s hands. Steve tried to back away, but the man lifted the carjack and swung. Steve felt the pain in his head for a second then passed out.
“Arlo wake up, Arlo, Arlo wake the fuck up” Matt was screaming. Arlo had fallen asleep on the sofa. Arlo lifted his hand to his head before opening his eyes.
“oh what is it Matt”.
“Steve is in trouble you have to help him”
“I don’t think so, not today”
“get up you prick, have a shower and get dressed” “NOW”
Arlo held his hands to his head “I fucking hate you”
“I know, I hate you too, now we have a friend to help “.
Arlo headed for his bedroom and Matt stood in the doorway. “at least put your head under the shower for fuck sake”
“is he in trouble or not?”
“Well, we don’t want to add to it with your smell”.
Arlo went into the shower and had a wash for the first time in nearly five days. He was expecting Matt to have his clothes laid out on the bed when he was finished but not today. He grabbed clean clothes out of his presses and added sneakers. Matt was at the door.
Arlo could feel himself sober up as he was going down in the lift. He did not like that feeling. He hailed a taxi when he walked outside and jumped in the back. Matt had told him the address and he past it on to the taximan, telling him to drop them off before they get to the house.
The taximan kept looking back at them in the mirror as they were talking about what happened to Steve. Arlo was getting pissed off the more sober he became.
The voices were coming back, the onslaught of voices. So many dead people. And that prick was still looking back at him. “keep your fucking eyes on the road pal”. The taxi man pulled over “GET THE FUCK OUT”
Arlo was going to split him, and Matt put his hand on his arm “leave it we are nearly there”.
“FREAK” the taximan shouted after him once he was in his car and far enough away that he know Arlo would not come after him.
“PRICK” Arlo stuck his middle finger up at the taximan as he drove off, he looked at Matt and the two of them started laughing.
They walked the rest of the way it took eight minutes. Arlo stood outside the house there was a car parked in the driveway. He was just about to walk in the garden when a jeep pulled up at the front. Arlo bent and pretended to tie his shoelaces. Matt had gone up to the house, but he could not be seen.
A lady got out of the jeep and walked past Arlo and shook out her keys from her bag as she got to the door. That must be Steve’s sister he thought. He straighten up and looked back at the door. The lady had gone in but left the door open, he saw her looking out at him as he focused on the door. The door slowly closed. Arlo walked on a bit Matt was beside him again and told him not to look back she was looking out the window. The two of them marched on and up the hill Steve had been up so many times.
They had reached the look out point and Arlo sat against a big rock. Matt told him that Steve was in the basement, he looked in a bad way. He had a nasty cut above his right eye and cuts elsewhere. What was freaking him out was that Steve was tied to a cross. Not one like you see in church but it was more like a large wooden X. “like in a sex dungeon?” asked Arlo.
“I would love to say yes. Unlike you, my knowledge of sex dungeons does not go that far” yet again the two of them were laughing.
A jogger past them and gave them a funny look. Matt stopped laughing. “Okay pull yourself together. This is not like the professor. No Ghosts involved this time. You should just call the cops”.
“yes, great idea, because they love me at the minute”.
“they know you had nothing to do with Adam’s or Killeen”
“yes, that’s why they held me for three days and wanted to pin it all on me”.
“they know, they can’t piece it together as they want you, but they know what happened”.
They were deep in conversation when she rounded the corner. They never even heard her until she put the knife under Arlo’s neck, “do you want to live?”.
“to be honest I am not quite sure” Arlo stood up when she pulled him to his feet. The knife pulled down on his neck as reached his full height. “fucking big boy you are” she whispered in his ear.
“I keep meaning to get bigger pants can you tell from there”.
“oh, you’re a funny one, we will see if that will last”
She pulled his arm back towards the house. “come on big boy”. Arlo went along. Even with the knife to his neck he was sure he could have gotten free. She backed into her house and pulled Arlo in after. He did not wait to be told he locked the door when he got in.
“fucking smart Arse” she took the knife from his neck and brought the handle down on the back of his head. She hit him full force. Not strong enough to knock him out but she did not know that. Arlo dropped to the ground.
okay so the next part goes a little strange, I like it, but there is no getting away from it. strange.
Chapter Sixteen
Steve opened his eyes as he heard movement Anne and her husband were dragging someone big across the floor. Who the fuck is that Steve thought. Then he saw his face. Fuck what is Arlo doing here mixed up with this.
He tried to talk but Anne had put a ball gag in his mouth and tied it behind his head with a leather strap. Looks like his sister was fucked in the head just like his father had said.
“why is he following you?” Anne asked, she clicked her fingers at her husband and pointed at the ball gag. He walked over to Steve and undid the gag.
He took some big gulps of air, and spit fell to the floor. “I don’t know”
“you don’t know him, or you don’t know why he was following you”.
“I don’t know why he was following me”
“So, don’t leave us in suspense dear brother, who the fuck is he” Anne had walked up in front of Steve and was poking him in the forehead.
“he is the psychic I went to see”
Anne looked down at Arlo on the ground with distain, she spat on him and turned to her husband, “Get him tied up”. the husband walked over to a press and opened it. Inside was all different types of rope. He picked up a length of rope shaped like the number eight. As he turned back to Arlo who was meant to be unconscious on the floor he was greeted with a fist swinging towards his head. Arlo caught him right on the chin, his head snapped backwards, and he was knocked out before he hit the floor. Anne and Steve heard the punch. Both of them looked around. Arlo advanced on Anne. She backed off Steve. She never took her eyes off Arlo. He walked past Steve ready to neutralize the threat that was Anne.
She hit the back wall and her hand went behind her. Arlo moved forward and extended his large arm getting ready to grab her by the neck when she took out her hand and Arlo felt and energy he had never felt before pulsing in him. He was unable to move. He also heard a strange sound, like static. He only realized she had a cattle prod when she let go of the trigger and he dropped to the ground. He looked up from the ground at Anne, she moved so she was standing over him and zapped him again this time in the neck. He felt himself blacking out. He was thankful for that.
Laura was waiting on James to come home; she saw his face when he did. His eyes were red. He had been crying. She went over to him. No words were needed she flung her arms around him and hugged him. She knew Arlo was in a bad way. He had held it together so well while he was in holding with the Garda. She had expected him to crumble as soon as he was out. That did not happen. Even at the funeral Arlo was composed and gave a beautiful speech. Then when he was left alone, the gravity that his best friend had died because he picked up a phone first hit him. He had been drinking for nearly two weeks now. Laura had checked in with him. His dad, Matt’s mother tried. He was just getting worse, for Laura it hurt the most to see James like this. To see him going through the pain of seeing his son like this and not being able to do anything about it.
Laura could feel her shirt getting wet from her husband’s tears. “we have to get him in somewhere”.
“he won’t go”
“he will have to”
“I can’t have him locked up they will pump him full of drugs they won’t understand him. They will think he is crazy, and he will never get out”.
“what can we do then?”
“I don’t know, I really don’t know”
Anne slapped her husband across the face. his eyes sprung open. “he is awake”.
“not anymore, get him tied up. now.” Her husband dragged himself off the floor rubbing his chin, he picked up the rope that had fallen under him as he went down. He hogged tied Arlo on the ground then looped a second rope around his feet and then up over a pully they had in the ceiling. Both Anne and her husband had to pull the rope to hoist Arlo up in the air.
Steve was glad to see Arlo especially when he punched his sister’s Husband, and he was knocked the fuck out. He let himself hope for a minute, until he heard the crack of the cattle prod. Now seeing Arlo dangling upside down Steve’s heart sank.
“you can just let him go, he knows nothing” Steve’s mouth felt dry as he pleaded with his sister.
“now, now that is not what you said before. I take it this is the psychic who told you all about me”.
“I want to see if he can tell the future?” her husband added.
“shut up Andrew”.
He has a name Steve thought to himself. As Andrew made a face behind his wife’s back. Looks like there is trouble in paradise. Maybe that is something Steve could use.
Anne and Andrew left; Steve tried the cuffs around his arms. He tried moving his legs, he could move his left leg about in inch. His right leg was locked in place. He was just looking around the room they had them in when he saw Arlo looking at him. “are you awake?”
“yes”
“did you call the cops?”
“slipped my mind”
“we are fucked”
“maybe”
“do you have a plan?”
“yes, a plan not to be hanging upside down. It’s really unsettling”.
“trust me it’s not much better this way up”.
“yes but at least I would be able to see all the ghosts in here” Arlo was straining his neck trying to turn his head. Every time he did the rope would bite deeper into his neck.
“Matt can you help me here”
“I was sorry to hear about your friend, I know he meant a lot to you”.
“Yes, he does, could you stop talking for a while, I don’t mean to be rude but I need you to shut up, okay”
Steve did not answer. Arlo took that as okay.
“Matt can I take your eyes?”
“fuck me”
“oh, this is strange”
Steve looked over at Arlo his eyes were white or rolled back it was freaky to look at. He was smiling.
“thanks pal, scan the room, okay how many is there, eight, nine- fifteen, sixteen. Right sixteen altogether”.
Steve had no idea what the hell was going on. He was just about to ask when he heard the door opening again. He heard woman’s footsteps. Steve looked over at Arlo again his eyes were still white, he had no idea what Arlo was doing but he needed more time to do it.
“sis” “hey sis, come talk to me”
“what is it you want big brother?” Anne came into Steve’s eyeline.
“I really want to know what is going on, how you turned out like this and how you ended up with Norman bates wherever he is”.
“oh so you’re the normal one is what you’re saying”
“dad said you took after our mother”.
“what, when did our father say that. He never talked about her”.
“my friend you have hanging upside down here is able to speak to our father why don’t you turn him the right way up and chat with Dad yourself”.
Anne looked at Arlo “oh fuck what’s wrong with this cunt, ANDREW, GET IN HERE”.
Andrew came running in, looking around the place.
“loosen the rope on his neck, look at his eyes. I want him to feel everything not fucking brain dead, hang him by his arms”.
Andrew lowered Arlo and slacked off the rope around his neck, he undid the Hogtie and Anne and himself pulled Arlo’s hands above his head tied the rope off and left him like that. Arlo’s eyes came back to normal as they were finished.
“thank you” Arlo whispered as if his throat was sore.
“we have plans for you, I would not thank us yet” Anne grabbed Arlo by the hair and pulled his head back. “you’re going to be my big bull tonight”
“I think I would prefer to be dead thanks”. Anne walked away Andrew followed her just as they got to the door Andrew looked back at Arlo “that comes after” he smiled and shut the door after them.
“what’s the plan Arlo”
“I don’t have one yet, but I don’t fancy being your sisters Bull tonight”.
“they would not make me watch? That’s sick”
“no, no they wouldn’t, your Andrews”.
Steve looked at Arlo and smiled. Arlo shook his head back in a I am not joking way.
“what? What does that mean”
“they are a couple that plays together, she gets me, and he will have you”.
“you’re making this shit up”. Steve was worried now more so than at the thought of being killed.
“there are sixteen/ seventeen dead people in this room, one is my friend Matt. Everyone of the others were sexually abused and then killed here in this room”.
“oh, oh bollox”.
“Matt had given me his eyes; it was the strangest feeling spinning the right way up and seeing all them people. This started five, six years ago. She had picked up a stranger. She fucked him for a while, two days, then she killed him, slit his throat while the hubby watched. Then he started getting involved. They would pick people and watch them for a week or two then either grab them or forget about them”. Steve felt somehow worse.
Anne did very little bad stuff in work, she might administer a sly punch in the back or trip someone, but she had not killed anyone. yet. She did like looking at the dead ones. She could sit for hours just looking at them. brushing their hair, filling out their cheeks to make them look a little normal. She liked looking after the dead. Her passion was killing. She had found a sole mate who came around to her way of looking at things. She had him over a barrel before she showed him. She had his laptop checked out by a friend of hers and they found some pictures that should not have been there. the pictures were of young boys and girls in compromising positions.
They have a kinky sex life from the start. Toys and gags and rope were almost too vanilla for them. Andrew got off on seeing her with another man even if he was tied up and begging to be let go.
Things amped up for Anne when she slit the guy’s neck. She orgasmed when the blood hit her. Andrew had ran from their room. When she composed herself, she went after him.
She convinced him he knew what was going to happen, that as soon as she brought that man home, he knew that he had to die. He was in shock. He did not know what to do. Then came out the pictures she had found on his laptop. It did not come to blackmail but talk of taking a child just for him was brought up.
Andrew had known for sometime that he was mentally unstable, in meeting his wife, she showed him that how he saw himself as a bad man was wrong. Who could tell them what was wrong and what was right. let the person with no sin cast the first stone was one of Anne’s favorite sayings.
The second time she brought home a woman in her twenties. They both played with her for almost three days. Then Anne got Andrew to slit her neck. He did not leave right away that time or anytime after that.
“who gets to play first?” Andrew poured two drinks.
“I think I will go first this time. I want to see my brothers face while I fuck that nigger”
“Anne you can’t say that”.
“I am going to fucking kill him if I can’t say nigger now when can I say it”
“I believe it’s just Black now”
“I am going to call him nigger”.
“I really am not comfortable with that darling, why not just call him your big black bull”.
“well, I did drop that earlier. If it makes you feel uncomfortable, I won’t say it then”.
“thank you darling” he handed Anne a drink. She took two ice cubes and added them to her whiskey.
“I don’t think my brother has had anal before; he will be super tight for you”.
Andrew smiled and lifted his glass the two of them clinked and drank.
They had their rules, they never daytime played. To many variables, god knows who could knock at the door. Deliveries, charities, neighbors, they have their image to look after. Andrew is head of the neighborhood watch.
They host meetings in their home. Anne has a book club and does a spinning class twice a week. Andrew has started the process of being a scout leader. He just got his Garda check back and it was looking good he would be placed in a scout den shortly.
To look at Andrew and Anne from the outside you would think them the perfect couple. They never play in their own area. When a plaything does come home with one of them, they are standing on their own two feet and voluntarily walking into the house.
Laura was having a shower and getting ready to go to bed, the glass on the shower door had steamed up. she had just rinsed her hair when something caught her eye. She stepped back from the door and pushed her back up against the cold shower wall. Words were being written on the glass of the shower.
Slowly she saw ARLO NEEDS HELP.
Laura screamed and James came running into the bathroom. He did not need to ask her why she screamed he could see the writing on the shower door.
Under what was written came an address. Then very slowly GARDA
James opened the shower door and grabbed Laura out they went into the bedroom and Laura toweled off. James had pulled open a drawer on his night dresser he was frantically searching it. “ahh here it is” he said lifting a card up to show Laura.
She nodded pulling a top over her head. James noticed it was a sweatshirt she was putting on. He started to strip off as he was already in his pajamas “ring her first”
James dropped his top on the ground and picked up his phone. He dialed in the number on the card, it rang two or three times then a lady’s voice “hello Grace O’Reilly here who’s calling?”.
“it is James, emm Arlo’s father”
“James is everything okay how can I help you?”
“we got a message that Arlo was in trouble and an address”
“Have you tried to contact him?”.
“no”. he looked over at Laura who was trying to listen “have we rang him?” he mouthed to Laura. She picked up her phone and rang Arlo. His phone rang out.
“no answer”
“you might want to try to ring him first James it could be a prank”
“my wife just tried, there is no answer”
“can you forward me on the message, don’t delete it maybe we can trace it”
“I don’t think you will”
“sorry? Why”
James walked over to the shower door, the message was already fading, he took a picture and hit send. He heard the beep on Grace’s end.
“hold on, what” there was a moment of silence then she came back on. “your son is the Psychic”
“yes that’s him”
“when did you get this message”
“just now less than five minutes ago.
“Officially I can’t send anyone, it would have to be 24hours after Arlo went missing. In saying that I have some experience in the unexplained and unusual. Give me a few minutes I will call you back. Keep this phone with you”. Then the line went dead.
James dropped the phone on his bed and pulled off his pants, Laura was already handing him a pair of jeans. He slipped them on, Laura tossed him a pair of socks.
They had just sat in the jeep when James’s phone rang. It was Grace.
“hello” James hit the Loudspeaker button.
“James I am on my way to that address now I should be there in about fifteen minutes. I will check it out and let you know what I find”.
“okay we will see you there in about forty minutes”.
“no James stay where you are, this could be a dangerous situation, or it could be nothing”
“okay are you sure?”
“yes, stay where you are, I will call you”
“great, thank you Grace” James hung up.
He started the jeep and headed for Dublin.
Well what did I say. strange. you can clearly see that Anne is the boss. the most dominant one in the relationship.
I wrote the augment between Anne and Andrew, Anne calling Arlo a nigger, because I want to show the reader that to Anne and Andrew Killing is not a big deal, that Andrew would be more offended if Anne did not use the proper vernacular than with her killing somebody.
Race is still a big issue these days, speaking as a white person I have heard conversation that will start with (I am not racist BUT) then something clearly racist will come out after that statement. (I am not racist BUT Black guys have no respect for their women) (I am not racist BUT don’t all Indians smell the same) (I am not racist But) I was never sure why putting BUT allowed you to be racist.
Then again (almost the same a BUT. if you have seen the Movie The Gentalmen, there is a part in the movie where Colin Farrell is questioning a young Black guy in a gym and somebody shouts at the guy. you black cunt!.
- Ernie : Did he just call me a black cunt?
- Coach : Yes, he did.
- Ernie : He can’t do that. That’s racist.
- Coach : But you are black and you are a cunt, Ernie. Those are the facts. I don’t think Primetime cares what race you run in.
- Ernie : The fact that I’m black has nothing to do with the fact I’m a cunt.
- Coach : He didn’t say black people were cunts, Ernie. He was being specific to you. One has nothing to do with the other. And I’d go a step further and say it was a term of affection
- Ernie : Primetime’s a Gypsy. I wouldn’t call him a pikey cunt.
- Coach : Why not? He might be very understanding. Only if it comes from a place of love, of course.
I think this is some of the best writing out there. it tries to separate the issue of racism from fact. it is played brilliantly.
Chapter Seventeen
Steve was stiff when his sister came back into the room. He had been stuck in the same place for several hours.
“prep time” she sounded happy like she was dishing out cake.
“hi sis, I can’t move can you be a doll and let me go”
“oh, can’t do that big brother but your moving shortly. Have to get you comfortable for the show”. she went over to the corner and wheeled what looked like a leather trestle over to Steve. Anne walked behind Steve and undid his left arm. She walked back over to the trestle and push it right in front of Steve. Then she released his right arm. Steve slumped forward onto the trestle. Anne walked around front and pulled his left arm to the front and tied it off in another leather cuff that was in place. Same with the right arm. Anne set free his feet and then reached around him and undid his belt and the top buttons in his jeans. She slid his jeans down to his feet and strapped his legs onto the back of the trestle. Slowly she fished off his jeans and shoes.
Arlo began to sweat; Matt had gone missing for quite a bit of time he suddenly manifested in front of Arlo. “hey, what the fuck is she doing with Steve”
(looks like she is getting him ready for her husband)
“well not to worry I have saved you all”
(why am I not filled with hope right now)
Matt told Arlo what he had done on the shower door, he finished with “I know she is your stepmother, but she has cracking tits”
“I know” Arlo smiled.
“you know what? Anne snapped at Arlo.
”I know something you don’t know” Arlo smiled as much as he could.
“like what big boy” Anne had lost interest in Steve he was ready for later. She walked over to Arlo.
“well, I know you killed your father with a hammer, I know you aimed for the same spot on his cap when you were smashing his head in”.
“is that right?” Arlo could tell she was getting nervous; people don’t want to hear about the bad things they have done.
“I know you have killed sixteen people here in this room”
“sixteen, I thought it was more”
“I know your mother hung herself because she was afraid you would turn out like her, but you have anyway”.
Anne grabbed him by the neck he could feel her nails digging into his skin.
“say one more word about my mother and I will rip your neck out” her face was almost against his.
Arlo smiled even more “and miss out on the shit sex with you? Okay your mother was a whore. She sucked cock for money. You are probably some punters child”.
She let go of his neck and pushed herself away from him.
“I have something for you” she reached inside her pocket and took out a blue diamond shape pill and pushed it into his mouth. “swallow big boy. Want to make sure your up for the task”. She held his nose and Arlo gasped for air, in doing so swallowed the tablet. “that’s a good boy” Anne walked away from Arlo and out of the room.
“we need to get out of here now” Steve was almost pleading with Arlo.
“we have to buy sometime. Help is on the way”
Steve looked strained. “Arlo, I don’t want to get raped”.
“what about killed? I think the plan is to have her fuck me in front of you, then kill me and then her hubby has his fun, so I think your safe enough till I die, I am planning on that not happening”.
Anne and Andrew walked into the room. Anne was wearing a school uniform and Andrew was wearing a black pvc suit from his feet to his neck.
Anne had her hair in two ponytails one on each side. Arlo looked at them both and started to laugh, Steve took a deep breath and whispered fuck.
“maybe I should play with him” Andrew said opening up a press behind them and taking out a very large dildo that he attached to a harness at the front of his suit.
Arlo laughed even more looking at him. “alright donkey cock, I have never had a blue one before”.
“NO, he is mine” Anne snapped at her husband. Just then the lights flashed. “for fuck sake. You wait here”. she pointed at Andrew.
She stormed out of the room. She was gone about five minutes and Andrew started to get worried. He was pacing the floor. “she is most likely dead, shot lying upstairs in her own blood”. Arlo was trying to irritate him. It was working. “shut your fucking mouth or I will gag you”.
“you know I am right they are just waiting on you to show your face so they can shoot you”.
“Shut up”
“what do you think Steve, there both goners”
“Shut your nigger mouth”
The door opened just as he had spoken. “you prick” Anne walked back in. “we talked about this very thing. Your uncomfortable, it rolled off your tongue”. She was not quite shouting, but her voice was raised.
“he said you were dead” Andrew pointed at Arlo.
Arlo smiled. “wishful thinking”.
Anne took two bobbins off her wrists and tied her hair up again she took off a robe she had covered her schoolgirl outfit with.
“right where were we” she walked towards Arlo. He started to shake as much as he could until she walked over to the wall and picked up the cattle prod. He stopped before she got to him, but she still zapped him in the side. It was only a short burst. Just to let him know who was boss.
He reeled from the zap and steady himself. She leand the prod up against the wall and knelt down and took off Arlo’s shoes. He did not have the movement on his legs to kick her, so he didn’t even try. Next came his trousers, she shimmed them down and off his legs. She had just grabbed the rubber band of his underpants and the lights flashed again.
“FOR FUCK SAKE” you could see the disappointment in her eyes. She stood up and grabbed the robe as she walked towards the door and the cattle prod.
She was only out the door when Arlo started talking. “oh she is a goner this time for sure”.
“its not going to work this time”
“not calling me nigger ?”
“my apologies for using that language in front of you”.
“hey don’t sweat it Cracker, I would say a whole lot worse if my wife was going to die”.
“Shut up”
“I think I see her Ghost”.
Andrew smiled and bent down and took the ball gag off the floor that he had used on Steve. “anything else to say?”
“your next”
Andrew put the ball gag on Arlo, he tied it at the back there was lots of mh mhhh mhhhs. He stood smiling at Arlo.
“he is right you know. My sister is being killed out there. you should go help her”.
“maybe I should just start playing with you” he walked towards Steve the large blue strap on dildo he was wearing waggled from side to side like a dog’s tail. Steve could not help but laugh.
Laura was holding onto the grab bar above the doorway of the jeep. James was really going fast. Every corner they came to Laura was grabbing hold of the door or the side panel to make sure she was not spilled out of the seat. Even with her seat belt on.
Grace had made her way to the address that James had given her. She sat outside for a few minutes building up the courage to knock on the door. She opened her phone and went to the app. She tapped the app and spoke. (hi what is the probability that this is a joke and there is nothing going on inside that house). there was a moments silence then a lady’s voice came back to her (hi Grace, nice to hear from you. The probability is low. I have examined all the information I have on Arlo and I suspect he is the real deal. If he is in the house the percentage of nothing untoward going on is about 17%. Proceed with caution).
(nice) Grace thought to herself, she opened her car door and walked up to the front door. There was no sign of life, she walked around the side of the house it was blocked by bushes and trees halfway down the house. the other side was attached to the house next door.
She rang the doorbell and waited. She heard the bell ring and then a while later she saw a woman walking towards the door. She was wearing a robe that was tied up to her neck and it flowed to her feet. Grace thought it strange the woman was wearing slippers, but Grace could see fishnets stocking just at the top of her feet.
“hello” the woman opened the door
“hi, I am looking for my friend” Grace smiled.
“sorry you have the wrong house, its just me and my husband here. we are in bed”.
“oh, I was given this address, he said there was a party”
“what is your friends name?” Anne stuck her head out the door looking left and right.
“Phillip its his going away party”. Grace looked around there were a few people walking up the street.
“you have the wrong place”. Anne went to close the door.
“sorry” Grace had her phone in her hand, what number is this?”
“what number are you looking for?”
“eighteen”
“this is five, try up the road”.
“oh could you talk to my friend”
“sorry I am going back to bed eighteen is up that way” Anne pointed to the right past the outstretched hand with the phone in it.
“okay thanks” grace turned away from the door.
She got back to her car. She still had her finger on the app button. She let go.
(that lady is a killer do not enter that house you will not leave it alive)
“fuck”. Grace said to nobody but herself.
(I would recommend to call this one in as a possible child abduction)
“What why?”
(response team would be armed, use a burner phone and make up a story)
Grace had a burner phone in her car. It was not the first time she had bent the law. Strange for a Garda but she was more interested in saving people then crossing the t’s and dotting the I’s.
She placed a call saying she had seen a couple bundle a small child into the back of their car and she followed them to their house. she saw them again forcing the child out of the car and into the house. she relayed the address.
She knew that a call like this would be bounced around for a while before it got to the right place, she thought she had about 40 minutes to an hour before anybody showed up.
That might be to late. Grace took out her phone and held the app button down for Matilda, this was a machine she had come across about two years ago.
Grace had been investigating a murder case. A father and son were in the frame for the murder. It turned out to be the father. He died in a holding cell at her station during a storm. He had told her this wonderful story where he and his son who were both chemists bought a dispensing machine for their shop. Grace was not sure if it was alive or sentient, but they said the machine could tell what was going to happen. They had customers come in and the machine would only dispense let’s say eight tablets because the person was only going to live eight days.
Grace had thought it a lovely story of an old man who had lost his mind. She changed her mind. The machine had been reclaimed by a mercenary crew. It is now in a shipping container hidden from the world. The only way to communicate with it was from this app on her phone.
Now she pushed the app button and spoke “Matilda how long does Arlo have to live.”
(Arlo has two days, six hours and seven minutes till his life is expired)
“oh that’s grand”
(he will be raped and tortured very shortly)
“Fuck, is there anything else I should know?”
(he is not alone, there is another unknown man with him who has two hours, twenty-five minutes left to live, he will also be raped and tortured)
“oh, think I better stop it”
(ringing that bell again will decrease your chance of surviving by forty three percent)
“thanks, wish me luck”
(luck has nothing to do with anything)
Grace nodded her head she could not wait much longer, she opened the door, walked around the back of her car. She opened the trunk and took out the lug wrench.
She walked back to the door and rang the bell again. A few minutes past and she rand the bell again. The woman in the robe opened the door again. She did not look happy. She stuck her head out the door and looked left and right then something Grace never expected. She stood back and opened the door to let Grace in.
in this chapter we have learned a bit about Anne and Andrew and how fucked up they are. at the moment things are not looking good for Steve and Arlo.
Chapter Eighteen
Laura thanked all the gods there ever was and will be that they got to the address safe. She had thought they were dead several times. That was no reflection on James’s driving, but he was not a professional driver and the roads on the way to Dublin are pothole city.
James was already out of the jeep before Laura could take her seatbelt off. “James come back here”
James turned and waited for Laura to join him.
“what is your plan? Call Grace see where she is?”
James took his phone out of his pocket and redialed the last number. It rang out. “she is not picking up.
“what will we do?”.
“you stay in the jeep I will go knock on the door”.
Laura walked back to the jeep. James walked over to the house.
Anne came back into the room dragging a woman. Steve had never seen her before. Arlo remembered her sitting opposite him during the interviews at the station. Anne dropped the woman on the floor. Andrew looked up then down at the woman on the floor. “what the fuck is going on?”
“she had an iron bar on her. She dropped it when I zapped her” Anne said with a smile.
“we really are having a party; I think we should take some time off work and really enjoy it”. Andrew moved to drag the woman. Anne walked over to the end of the room and wheeled out a chair with stirrups.
“emmmmhhhh”
Anne looked over at Arlo “oh you gagged him “what are you saying big boy”. She reached behind his head and undid the strap. Arlo spit the gag out of his mouth.
“I would not put that woman in that chair”
“really why is that?”
“well, you don’t want to get caught with a Cop bound up like a turkey on display”
“what she is a cop?” Andrew let go of her legs
“relax sweetheart, he is a liar, he is not going to stop our fun”
“should I search her” Andrew walked around the woman.
“do whatever you want, just get her tied up I want my fun”. The robe came off again and fell to the floor, the bobbins came off her wrists and her hair was put up. she walked over to Arlo and grabbed the front of his pants. Arlo could feel the effects of the tablet she had gave him. His eyes felt itchy and his balls felt ackey. He felt himself getting hard when she rubbed his pants.
She knelt in front of Arlo and grabbed the rubber band of his underpants and yanked them down to his feet. His cock sprung down and back up with the force she used and she had to move her head back before she was hit in the face.
“oh yes, now this is what a real cock should look like, come here baby look at it. It is nothing like your tiny cock”. Andrew left the woman on the floor and walked over to see what there was to see.
Anne was just about to take hold of Arlo when a phone rang. “WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT”. Anne spun around to see where the phone was.
“GET IT NOW”. She pointed at the woman on the floor. Andrew went over to her and fished the phone from her pocket. (James) was the name that showed up. he put the phone on the ground and let it ring once it had stopped, he opened the phone and turned it off, while he was kneeling beside the woman, he searched her pockets. As he flipped her over, he found her wallet in her back pocket. He opened it and his heart sank.
Anne had moved back in front of Arlo she knelt down in front of him and pulled the leather trestle over to her so Steve’s head was about twelve inches’ away from her and Arlo.
Anne looked at her brother “enjoy the show”. she winked at him. She moved her head towards Arlo. Them Andrew called her “Anne, we have a problem. Anne, I need to speak to you NOW”. She pushed off Arlo’s legs and walked over to Andrew. He lifted up the wallet in front of him almost in a don’t hit me way. Anne grabbed the wallet and looked at the Garda badge in it.
“get her the fuck tied up now and don’t interrupt me again”.
She had turned to walk back to Arlo when the lights flashed again. Someone was at the front door. Anne’s fingers curled and Arlo could see her nails cutting into the palms of her hand. She was almost shaking with Anger.
She grabbed the robe she had let fall to the floor and marched up stairs.
James had thought about lots of different ways this could go. He came up with a plan. He was waiting and saw some movement then he heard the lock slide over and the door moved inwards. A face popped out of the door. James did not wait. He punched the face. the two bobbins on either side of her head had him confused. He had thought he had punched a schoolgirl.
The woman fell backwards, and the door swung open. The robe she was wearing opened, and James felt better knowing he had not punched a teenager. He saw a large silver bar it had a trigger on one end and a barb on the other. He picked it up and pressed the trigger sparks fly between the barb and the top of the gun.
He placed it beside the woman’s neck and hit the trigger again. Her eyes opened for a few seconds then closed. Her body had jumped. James was happy in the knowledge that she was knocked out for a few minutes.
He quickly went from room to room he was in the kitchen when he noticed the big painting hanging away from the wall. He walked over and looked behind the painting. The painting was a door. He swung it opened and saw light coming from the other side of a door facing this one.
Laura had seen James punch the child when she opened the door then she had seen him prod her with something silver. She stepped out of the jeep and walked over to the house. when she pushed the door open her heart beat a little faster. (Oh thank god my husband did not punch a child in the face) Laura thought. She stepped over the unconscious woman.
James pushed in the doorway opposite the painting and light flooded the hallway. He walked in holding the cattle prod in front of him. He saw a man on his knees, slinging rope around Grace. He brought the prod down on the back of his neck and hit the trigger.
James looked around the room and saw Arlo and Steve he was just going towards them when a hand fell on his shoulder. James jumped and so did Laura with the fright of it all. James went to Arlo and undid the cuffs. Laura walked around the trestle and untied Steve.
Grace was just starting to wake up and saw Andrew drooped in front of her with a big blue dildo pointing at her. She looked past him and saw James helping Arlo down and His wife untying some other guy.
Grace pushed the dildo man out of the way and stood up Arlo and Steve had been in the same place for a long time so needed help walking. Arlo pointed at his trousers and Laura picked them up. she bent down and slipped them on his feet. She pulled them up and his underpants to his knees and Arlo took over from there.
Steve dismounted the trestle and staggered but kept his footing. As they were leaving the room Steve lashed out at Andrew and kicked him in the side of the head. He was still out from the cattle prod, but he will feel that when he wakes up.
Grace found Anne still on the floor, but she was starting to stir, James held her while Grace went for her cuffs that she had left in her car. Once Anne was cuffed everyone relaxed. Grace could hear the whopping on Garda cars on their way. She had picked up her phone on the way out and stashed it in her back pocket.
It would be better for her if she was not hear when the Garda showed up but life is shit even if she did a runner now everybody saw her. Even the evil fuckers they would say she was here.
Arlo walked up to her and handed her back her cuffs. “you don’t need to be here”
“I am stuck in this now but thanks anyway”
“go no one will remember you, no body but me. I won’t forget what you did, now go before they get here”.
Grace took her cuffs and walked to her car. She just pulled out of her parking space when the first Garda car turned the corner. She drove past the car.
“your up pal” Arlo looked at Steve.
“what why me?”
“there armed cops coming, I am Black, you’re going first”
“you’re not fully black” Steve smiled and turned towards the cars pulling into the garden.
“put your hands up you gobshite” Arlo added.
Steve shot his hands up in the air as the first Garda got out and aimed his gun at him.
“everything is under control”.
It was another long evening for Arlo and his family in a garda station. There was no sign of Grace.
so a much smaller chapter this time just to wrap up the Steve and Arlo holding. we are getting towards the end. time to wrap things up and explain a few things. put a bow on things. I hope you like it.
Chapter Nineteen
Arlo was able to tell the Garda were Anne and Andrew had buried the bodies. Steve was able to collaborate his story up to the point where the bodies were Steve had no idea.
Anne was sentenced to twelve years, light in Arlo’s opinion. Andrew got four, Twenty-seven years sentences. He was shown as the master mind of the whole thing. Anne was seen almost as a victim. Even with Steve and Arlo testifying against her. People just don’t want to think or see that a woman can do as worse as a man. The jury was blinded by big words from lawyers and Anne sat like a sheepish little lady that jumped when the judge banged his gavel.
Everybody expected Arlo to fall back into the drink the way he was before. This reawaken something in Arlo. He had taken the death of Matt badly. This situation had given him a chance to give closure to sixteen different families. To give them a body that they could grieve over, a body they could bury, a place they could go to show their love.
Grace was sitting at her desk about two months after the trial, she had kept an eye on the proceedings her name never came up. the desk sergeant called her and told her there was a man to see her.
She walked to the front of the station and there stood Arlo. She brought him in and offered him coffee. He declined. Grace brought him over to her desk and they sat down.
“I was wondering when this time would come”
“what time is this?”
“you want something, for letting me go that night”
“no, I do want something. It is not blackmail it’s a request?”
“oh what is it you want”. Grace looked at Arlo his face looking towards the floor he looked worried.
“I want a case”?
“what you want to become a Garda?”
“no for fuck sake I don’t know why anyone would want that” he looked up and smiled.
“take a file out and put it on your desk don’t even look at it”.
Grace opened her drawer and took up a casefile she knew what it was without even opening it.
Arlo put his hand on top of the file and closed his eyes.
“right well you have solved this one, her body was cut up fed to pigs, but you found traces of human DNA in the pigs”.
Arlo put his hand on top of Graces hand. He closed his eyes.
“ohh, that’s interesting, I would love to meet her/it. Grace, I want to help. I don’t want to be a Garda, but you can call me in if you’re dealing with someone who has passed over, I am sure I can help”.
“stay where you are”. Grace got up and walked off. After ten minutes Arlo was getting worried she was playing a joke and had just left him there.
Arlo had started shuffling his leg, tapping on Graces desk. He was getting looks from other Garda who was passing him. One even came over to him and asked him if he had been seen. Arlo told him he was fine just waiting on Garda O’Reilly.
Grace came back with an old looking file. She put it on her desk. “I am going to share with you my first murder case, this case has bothered me for nearly twelve years. I am not saying it is the only case I have not solved but it is one that meant the most to me. will you look at it please”.
Arlo smiled and put his hand on the file. He got faint readings from it. Slight images. It was a young lady who was dead, missing. They never found her.
“this is a very old case, is it okay if I read what happened”
Grace smiled “I did not think you would be able to just get it from the front cover. You can take the file; I want it back. Nobody is going to know it is missing this case has been closed for years. “a young”
“I got that a young girl went missing no body ever showed up, is there any evidence, I mean of hers, clothes, hair band, teddy bear”. Arlo looked up at Grace when he said teddy bear. She nodded.
“give me ten minutes, have a read while I am gone” Grace pointed at the file. Arlo nodded.
Arlo opened the file. The first thing he saw was a picture of a young girl staring back at him. She was beautiful. She was sitting on a swing one arm holding onto the chain and one arm wrapped around her teddy bear. Arlo put his hand on the picture. He could feel the wind blowing through his hair and his tummy giving him that sensation when you take a hill to quickly and you catch air then the car touch’s down. He felt like he was on a swing, he felt the bear in his arm. The steel chain in the other arm.
He opened his eyes and moved the picture over and started to read the case file.
Her name was Maggie stone, she had been nine years old when she went missing. Her mother had seen her in the back yard on the swings with her bear and then the next time she checked she was gone. The whole family had been investigated, everyone of them came up clean. The mother had been looked into but she had her hands full with a baby so why would she 1) kill her daughter 2) kill probably the only help she got, it ruled her out.
Matt looked over Arlo’s shoulder “ahh she was lovely”.
“I know it is a shame, she went so young”
Arlo kept reading the file, there was no evidence linking anybody to her. It was like she clicked her fingers and went away. Arlo had his hands moving over the pages and his eyes closed when he heard somebody coughing near by. He opened his eyes and Grace was sitting there with a teddy bear wrapped in an evidence bag. “sorry I did not want to disturb you”.
“that’s okay I am finished with this” he handed the file back to Grace. “can I take that away with me?” Arlo pointed at the teddy bear.
“yes but I will need it back”
“I understand. I think I will get a bigger reaction off that then the file. Maybe not the best to have that reaction here” Arlo waved his finger around to indicate the Garda station.
Grace smiled and handed him the teddy. “would you have a bag maybe I could put it in?”
Grace pulled open her drawer and fished out a shopping bag Tesco’s finest. She dropped the teddy into the bag and handed it to Arlo.
“can you call over tonight?” Arlo stood up holding the bag.
“your place?”
“yes, just ring the buzzer I will let you in.
They said goodbye and Arlo walked home.
When he got back to his flat, he placed the bag on the table. He opened the press and took a bottle of vodka down. He poured a glass of vodka and he opened the fridge and poured a glass of orange juice. He sat down and picked up the glass with the juice “to your death good sir”
(that is getting old pal, you know you don’t have to pour me vodka you’re just wasting your money).
“Matt if I could drink it for you I would”.
(so tell me about this girl)
Arlo filled matt in about Maggie. Matt pointed at the bag. (You going in the room?)
Arlo nodded, he finished the juice and picked up the bag. “time to go to work”. Arlo walked into his room and locked the door. He took the teddy out of the Tesco bag and pulled the chair up to the table. He opened the evidence bag and could already feel Maggie. Even though the case was over twelve years old it was the nine-year-old Maggie that came to him. Arlo sat in the chair with the teddy in his arms. He cried. He sat and listen to Maggie telling him what had happened to her. She had not clicked her fingers and disappeared. She had been taken by three men, she was brutally assaulted and killed. She showed him where they buried her. It was not that far from where she lived. Only one of the three men if you can call them that were still alive.
He was a father now himself, he has a good job, he never thought about that day when they took Maggie. He had moved to England while the investigation was going on just to be safe. He moved back ten years ago. When the story came on the news, he would sit on the sofa with his wife and scratch his head in disbelief that somebody could have hurt that poor girl.
Arlo decided then and there he was going to change that. He heard the buzzer going in his living room and unlocked his room he took the teddy with him. He clicked on the buzzer and spoke “did you bring your car Grace?”
The buzzer clicked and crackled “yes I drove here”
Arlo hit the button again “stay where you are, I will be down in two minutes”.
Grace waited at the door, she heard the lift reach the bottom floor and saw Arlo walk towards her with the teddy bear held like Maggie would have held it.
“what’s going on?”
“Maggie wants to show us where she is. You can just mark it tonight and go back with a team tomorrow. Arlo walked towards the most Garda looking car he had ever seen.
“do you know what happened to her?” Grace looked at the back of Arlo’s head as she talked and followed him to her car.
“yes I do are you sure you want to know?”
Grace clicked the door release and Arlo sat in the passenger side. Grace slid in behind the wheel “yes I want to know”.
“do the names John March, Stuart McGrath and Patrick Burns mean anything to you?”
“I think I interview Patrick Burns”
“they all took turns beating raping and murdering Maggie”
Grace let go of the wheel and put her hands to her face. her right hand lashed out and hit the wheel.
“right where are we going?” she looked over at Arlo and wiped her eyes.
“we will go to her house, don’t worry we don’t have to go in. she knows how to get there from her house”. Arlo hugged the teddy a little bid closer. “it will be okay sweetheart”. Grace knew he was not talking to her. She started up the car and drove to Maggie’s home she did not have to look at the case file to remember it, she had it instilled in her brain. She had gone there so many times during the investigation that it was like second nature.
Twenty minutes later Grace was stopped outside Maggie’s home. She looked at Arlo “where to champ?”
“down past the school” Arlo pointed towards a street and Grace drove, every now and again she would hear (left here- Right here) then her heart sank when she heard (Stop here). Grace stopped her car and put on her hazard lights. She had driven past here hundreds of times. It was an old house that had been abandoned at the start of the century.
It had been investigated at the time of Maggie’s disappearance.
“it would not have made any difference Grace they had a roll of industrial plastic they covered the walls and floor before they took her. The clean up was as simple as rolling up plastic. It was not your fault.” Arlo stepped out of the car still hugging the teddy.
Grace followed his lead, he walked into the old house there was no front door. He looked around, Grace could not see much it was dark. She did see tears flowing down Arlo’s face.
“tell me what happened here Arlo, please I have to know” Grace reached out and touched his arm.
Arlo lifted up his arm and took Grace’s hand in his. “I can show you”. Grace nodded and slowly she started getting images. Maggie on her swing. Waving at her mother who looked out the window and her nearly falling off the swing because she did not want to let go of ted so she let go of the chain that held the swing.
Grace felt the man putting his arm around her and trapping his hand over her mouth. Him lifting her off the swing. She let go of ted then. Grace felt and saw it all. When Arlo was finished showing her what happened they were both crying.
Grace walked out of the house and walked to a small wall bent and got sick. She had seen hundreds of aftermaths of crimes and murders. She had never seen anything in her life like that.
Arlo walked a short distance away and knelt on the ground. It was a grassy area just behind the house. Grace followed him when she was finished. Arlo had laid the teddy down on the ground. He looked up when Grace walked over “X marked the spot”.
“are you sure” Grace hated having to ask but she would hate even more if she called a team out here in the morning and there was nothing there.
Arlo nodded, “I can feel her, she is about three feet down”.
Grace took out a Garda sign and pegged it in the ground when Arlo moved the teddy bear. “I will drop you home. Come on”. Grace helped Arlo to his feet.
“I think this is the most I have ever touched somebody I was not having sex with”.
“I really don’t know how to take that. Thanks”
“ha, ha, don’t be a smart ass now. What I was going to say was. You are one of a very few people I have met that are actually good, down to your core. You worry a lot that you’re getting ahead using, is it Matilda the app you have. I can tell you to stop worrying. The good you are doing outweighs anything you have ever done or could do”.
“can I ask you about your mother? What happened there?”
“with her death?” Arlo looked over at Grace. She nodded.
“long story short, a ghost killed her”.
“I think I would like to hear the long story if you don’t mind”.
Arlo told her about his mother messing with her own DNA to make her a stronger psychic, all that mess was passed down to Arlo. He told her about the professor and how his reputation and life was ruined how he took what His mother had started and injected himself with it.
He was not psychic to start with and it did not sit well in him. Arlo had looked into his life after everything was over. His wife and kids left him. He could not get a job sweeping up in a college. He was getting his makeshift injections supplies off the black market and he created this imaginary relationship between Arlo’s mother and himself. When he did die, it was his turn to shine.
Most Ghosts can’t cross water and stay on the continent they are on. The professor had really done a job on himself. He was like a ghost on steroids. He found Arlo’s mother and torments her, he tried to control her, but his mother was too strong for that when he found he could not control her he wanted her to pay for what she had done to him.
He killed her, but he had found Arlo’s father to torment by then and know it would hurt her even more than killing her.
Arlo told grace how he had displaced the ghost off his father and then it found Adam’s. the rest is in the case file really. It was the ghost running the show and Adam’s took the blame. Matt paid the price.
“and Killeen”.
“yes him too”.
Grace pulled up outside Arlo’s flat “what about cold cases?”
“for me to solve?”
“yeap, I could bring you in as an adviser, it would be a small fee, can’t see you buying a house, but it would pay your bills”.
Arlo smiled, “consider me your go to dead guy solver” he stuck out his hand.
Grace hesitated for a second “if we touch again do I have to sleep with you”.
“fuck off copper”. The two of them laughed and Grace took his hand.
so we are wrapping up the story, I am going to show you there are no set rules when writing. by this I mean I am going to introduce a new character in the last chapter. as I said before the reader wants all the questions answered and tied off with a little bow.
in writing this story and developing Arlo I have grown to like him. we could have a big show down and he could die. there is a lot of questions there. what happens when a powerful psychic dies? that is not how I am going to end this story. we have just started to knew Arlo and we could revisit with him. see how he is getting on in 5 years or ten years.
Chapter Twenty
Arlo felt like everything was falling into place. He sat on the sofa and had a list of names in front of him. “NEXT PLEASE”.
A man walked in to the flat. Arlo pointed to the seat in front of the sofa. “Martin take a seat; I will make this quick. Can you tie a necktie?”.
“yes”.
“do you drink?”
“yes”
“could you lift that fridge?” Arlo pointed and Martin looked over at the fridge. “yeah, I think so, what does this have to do with renting a room”.
“one more question, do you believe in Ghosts?”
“No”.
Arlo looked at Matt, Matt shook his head.
“sorry martin this would not work out”.
Martin sat in the chair for a second wondering what the fuck just happened “what, you are a fucking headcase, I wouldn’t want the place anyway”.
“good cause you’re not getting it now fuck off”.
Martin walked out of the flat.
“NEXT”.
“I am getting fucking sick of this” Arlo looked at Matt who smiled. A tall blond lady walked in she sat in front of Arlo without him even pointing to the chair.
“hi”
“oh sorry there must be some mistake, we are not looking for a female tenant”
“you very seldom get what you’re looking for. That’s what I find anyway. I am Charlie. I am next on your list”.
“okay Charlie, can you tie a necktie?”
“no”
“can you lift that fridge over there?”
She did not even look “not a chance”.
“do you believe in Ghosts?”
“I believe in what I can see”
“I don’t think this flat is for you”.
“are you not even going to ask your mate”? she pointed at Matt. Arlo started to laugh. “you’re in, but if you clog up the drain your clearing it.
“okay same goes for you curly”.
(I like her) Matt said
“thank you. I like you too” she said.
(you can sleep in my bed)
“I think you will find its my bed, the dead don’t own anything, but you can snuggle up if you want.”
“fancy a drink?” Arlo stood up.
“Juice if you have it, I don’t drink”
“either do I” Arlo said almost sad.
“tell the rest of them the room is gone”.
“oh yeah”, Arlo walked over to the door and looked out there was about ten people lined up against the wall waiting their turn. “sorry the room is gone”.
Some cursed, some banged the wall, others just walked away. Arlo was just about to close the door. One man was still standing there.
“can I help you?”
The man looked at Arlo, he was in his forties, thinning on top, a bit of a pot belly. He was wearing Jeans and a check shirt. “yes, I want to talk to you” he lifted himself off the wall and walked towards Arlo.
“the room is gone” Arlo stood with his hand on the door.
“not here about the room”. The man was only three feet away.
“I am not doing readings today”.
“don’t want one of them either”. The man put his hand on the door.
“what is it you do want?”.
“I want you to have a word with your friend. Tell her she is barking up the wrong tree”.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about”.
The man reached out and took hold of Arlo’s arm.
Right away Arlo knew who this man was. Arlo snatched his arm back and closed the door with a slam.
“I would say you look like you seen a ghost but that would sound wrong” Charlie was looking at Arlo.
“Matt do me a favor, see if there is still a creepy dude standing outside?”
Matt was back in a few seconds (na he is gone).
“thank fuck for that” Arlo really did not look well. He did have a beautiful blond lady standing in front of him who just became his flat mate.
“so when can you move in?”
“now, I have two bags in my car”
“can you pay rent?”
“most of the time” she smiled.
“how long have you seen ghosts?”
“long time, and you what are you?”
“what am I?”
“I know your a psychic, but your something else, I feel when people have abilities. Never read somebody like you.”
“I will take that as a compliment, to be honest I have no idea what I am. Let’s say an experiment”.
“That sounds like an interesting story, can’t wait to hear it, right I will grab my bags”. She headed for the door. Arlo was a bit nervous when she opened the door, he expected to see that man there.
Arlo rang Grace while Charlie was grabbing her bags, he got her voicemail telling him to leave a message. He just left (call me) no its Arlo, no Hi.
He then rang Steve, asked him if he wanted to meet their new flat mate. He told Arlo he was already on the way.
Charlie had made herself at home within an hour. Arlo liked her so did Matt. She was English, she spent most of her life in a boarding school. Her parents did not know what to do with her, so they sent her off to boarding school to learn how to behave like a lady.
She sat with her legs apart and a smoke hanging off her lip so Arlo guessed the schooling did not work. There was something about her that Arlo could not put his finger on. Matt hit it on the head later that night. She was cool. Effortlessly cool.
She was in a band, she played bass, wrote her own songs and sang. Arlo had not heard of her band but when Steve came over, he told Arlo they were very well known on the UK/Ireland scene. Steve was a little smitten with her. She flirted with him for a bit. She heard all about his trouble with his sister and the time he spent with Arlo in their house.
She doubled over as Steve tried to explain Andrew walking towards them with this big blue dildo strapped to him, “you’re laughing now but it wasn’t funny while it was happening” Steve stood up and grabbed a bottle of water off the table and mimicked walking towards her with the bottle waving from side to side.
Just after five there was a knock on the door. Arlo was still a bit jumpy, so he sent Matt. Matt smiled on the way back. (it’s your cop).
Arlo let Grace in, she was surprised to see Steve. “I did not know you two were friends”.
“well when you share a sex dungeon you develop a bond”. Arlo smiled
“who is your new friend?” Grace pointed at Charlie.
“Charlie this is Grace, Grace Charlie”. Charlie looked up and waved at Grace she did not make any movement to get up and shake her hand. Grace just looked at her and smiled.
Arlo told her about the man who was at his flat earlier today. About the warning he had given him. Then about when the man grabbed his arm. It was the same man who took Maggie, John March. He was the only one left out of the three of them because he had killed off the other two.
He was not a man who left witnesses. Grace sniffing into the case and the little girl’s body being found disturbed him a lot. the fact that they used a psychic on the case to find the body, disturbed him even more.
He had a wife and children of his own. He would do anything to protect the lie he had built up around himself. He knew there would be no evidence on the little girl that could link him to the case. The only spanner in the works was the psychic. He thanked the newspaper who named him. After that Arlo’s own advertisements led him to Arlo’s flat.
Grace sat there and listened to Arlo. “can you describe the man”.
Arlo took hold of her hand. He sent a mental image of the man to Grace.
Grace sat beside Arlo thinking for a while. “he is most likely situated outside your flat someplace he can see who is coming and going. He will be nervous now that I have showed up to your flat. I have left my other phone in my car. The question is what is he going to do?”.
“yes, go for it”
“sorry what?” Grace looked at Arlo who had just spoken.
“oh, Matt asked if he would scout the area and find our friend” Charlie piped up for the first time.
“you speak to ghost too?” grace turned to Charlie.
“yes, it’s a gift” Charlie smiled.
“Matt will you let us know where he is?” Grace said aloud. Charlie started to laugh; Arlo sniggered.
“what what’s so funny” Grace looked from one to the other.
“Matt left as soon as he suggested it, you’re talking to nobody, you should really leave the talking to dead people to those who can see them”.
Grace took a dislike to Charlie, she smiled at her. “how long do you think Matt will be?” she directed her conversation to Arlo.
“I don’t know it depends where your man is hiding, hopefully it won’t be long. want a drink?”
“yes please”
“I have vodka, gin, whiskey, beer, cider, stout” Charlie looked over at Arlo with a puzzled look
“any chance you have tea?”
“every chance” Arlo stood up and walked over to the kitchen area.
“why do you have so much booze?” Charlie asked.
“just because I don’t drink anymore does not stop me from being a wonderful host” Arlo smiled over his shoulder at her.
The kettle boiled and Arlo took down a cup and added a t-bag and poured the hot water. He took a bowl out of the press and the milk out of the fridge. He put a small plate beside the cup and added the last and most important thing a t-spoon. “have at it Grace, sugars in the bowl if you want it. I might even have a bickie, if you want one”.
“Ahh go on, you twisted my arm” Grace stirred the T-bag in the cup. Arlo handed her a pack of chocolate biscuits from the press. She added a small drop of milk and took two biscuits. “you’re a great host” Grace nodded taking a bite.
“he is back” Charlie spoke again.
“what’s going on? “Grace was looking at Arlo
“give me a second” Arlo put up a finger.
“Matt had checked ever car and van in the whole block no sign of him” Grace looked down heartened. “he was checking the sightlines to the building here and spotted an open window across the street. He had a look and there is our man. He is lying on top of a dresser; he has a small mat under him. He has had a small peek into the scope that is mounted on his rifle every time somebody leaves the flat.”
“this is perfect, do you know what number flat he is in across the street?”
Arlo waited for a second, he smiled “it’s the top flat 427”.
Grace walked away. She took out her phone, turned around and put her finger to her lips. they all nodded.
She hit the call button, “SHOT FIRED, SHOTS FIRED, I AM AN UNARMED, GARDA. SEND ARMED BACK UP TO FLAT 427, RINGSEND RD, DUBLIN 2. I REPEATE SHOTS FIRED REQUESTING ARMED BACK UP. GARDA GRACE O REILLY”.
She flipped her phone closed, walked over to the table and drank what was left in her tea. “Thanks Arlo have to go hide by my car now. Fingers crossed he does not fire at me” Grace smiled but Arlo knew she was worried.
“what if I go with you?”
“then he would have the two of us, NO absolutely not. You stay here”.
Grace left and got the lift to the ground floor, she stood by the main door peeking out. She could see the curtain flapping at the window across the street but that was all.
An old couple came from behind her “are you alright dear” the older woman asked. “yes, thank you” Grace smiled at her and held the door open for them, she quickly followed them out the door. She had just made it to her car when she heard the first siren and got flipped around with a bullet in her shoulder. She grabbed the underside of her car and pulled herself close to it. She pressed her hand onto her shoulder. There was a lot of blood.
The first squad car showed up within two minutes. She shouted for them when they got there. she had a makeshift dressing applied to her shoulder and she told them where the shot came from.
When Arlo saw the cars pull up, he made his way downstairs. He told Matt to keep an eye on their friend. Arlo was helping Grace into an ambulance when Matt came back and told him that the man was now dressed as a garda and walking away. Arlo shouted and pointed at the man. All Garda turned looked at Arlo and then the way he was pointing. One Garda made a run for it.
He was tackled and brought down. Arlo rode in the ambulance with Grace, she had a gunshot to the shoulder, it had fractured her clavicle and she had a nice scar but within a month she would be back at it. For now, it was rest.
Two months past. Grace was back at work. Arlo was still taking cases for the Garda, every cold case he worked on he got results.
The trial for John March was coming up the following week. He had been a smart man. The gun he used had been wiped down and he left it in the flat, he had worn a wet suit and a hair net.
The only reason they linked the gun to him was an eyelash on the scope. When the Garda tackled him, he had a knife and a can of mase on him both illegal in Ireland.
He was being tried for attempted murder of a Garda and several other smaller charges like resisting arrest and being in possession of a deadly weapon.
He was not being charged with anything related to the missing girl Maggie.
Arlo and Charlie were sitting in the flat drinking tea. Charlie was strumming a tune. Matt had been missing for a few days. He was exploring his new life. He would check back in every few days, but he was drifting away from Arlo.
Arlo had hoped he would find what he was looking for.
Charlie stopped singing as John entered the flat. Arlo’s phone rang and he answered it just as he saw John.
Grace was on the phone. “did you hear”.
“he killed himself”
“how did you know?”
“he is here, I will let you go Grace I want to talk to this one” he hung up the phone and put it back in his pocket.
“John this is the second time you have made the mistake of coming to my home”.
John came towards him, Arlo reached out his arm. John stopped. Charlie was looking at it all.
“you were an evil man, now you’re an evil Ghost, the things you have done in your life will come back to you.”
“I am free of all that now” John smiled.
“oh really”, Arlo smiled back at him.
Arlo brought his extended fingers in, somehow crushing the Ghost. John felt it. If he had breath in his body, it would have been crushed out of him.
John’s face distorted with pain, “what are you doing?”
Arlo released him, “I thought I was getting payback for that poor beautiful little girl you raped and murdered. I wasn’t. I was making myself feel better by hurting you. Maggie has moved on. If she was here, she would not care about you so why should I”.
John steady himself he looked at Arlo “you are a coward”
“John be gone with you”. Arlo batted a hand at John, and he forced John away. Like he had been swatted like a tennis ball.
“how did you do that?”
Arlo turned to Charlie. “I just feel it so I can do it”.
“I would have hurt him some more”
“I thought about it but what’s the point he will hurt himself more than I ever could went he comes to realize he is stuck he can’t pass over”.
“is Matt Stuck?”
Arlo looked at Charlie and smiled “no that fucker just loves me, closet Gay I always thought.”
Matt had felt the Ghost and came back to help. he heard what Arlo said and Laughed “you wish you fucking queen”.
that brings us to the end of the story. what did you think of it? was this helpful if your writing? did we follow the plan? mostly. did we include what we wanted, yes. I will continue with the process. getting it edited uploading it on amazon. so you get the full scope of writing and publishing a book.
I have one book at the editor already, I have another two books written so this will have to take a back seat for a little bit. the reality of writing is it costs money. time and effort.
days when you don’t have time, or the energy to do it, you still make time and do it. 5 pages.
now it will sit here till i have the money to get my editor to have a look at it. that will take time itself. my editor will go through it one word at a time. correct any spelling or grammatical errors. he will also suggest changes. some might be small some might mean rewriting a chapter or taking one out. please stay subscribed to my you tube channel to follow the rest.
so small update, I have gone on Fiverr and hired somebody to promote my books on Amazon. it is a very slow start and has not translated into any sales. this is my first time doing this so I will combine it with some free eBook promotions and maybe some bought advertisement. I spent €130 euros on fiverr for the amazon advertisement that does not included every time somebody clicks on your add you pay for it. I will keep you updated on how the add goes. wish me luck.
new update: so I will start to take you through the process of what to do once you have a finished book. I have a book that I have written, that I sent to my editor. he has sent me back the word document with notes and spelling changes. as I am dreadful at spelling I just accept all his changes in spelling, punctuation etc. I then work my way through his suggestions. he might have highlighted a section with a note telling me this is not needed or to change it but he will justify why. don’t forget this is just one persons opinion. he is very good so 95% of the time I listen and either take the part out or change it. then there is that 5% where I will leave it but answer his note with my own stating why I have left it in.
my editor will also leave notes like (that line makes your character unbelievable) or (does her husband have a name) or (why would they say that) sometimes you can explain where you were coming from or why you had it as it was other times to look at it again and think yep he is dead right. editing is subjective. take your time and think about what is best for the story.
once you have finished send the edited document back to the editor so he can read your comments and go over it one last time. they might come back with recommendations or other changes. if you have a good relationship with you editor it can be handy to jump on a call while your sitting in front of your screen and hash it out. once you are happy stop the tracking and accept all the changes or not. save your story as a final draft.
the next thing you have to do is the book cover, I have tried making my own and now will have to go back and get new covers done. spend a little bit of money and get a book cover done fore you. also don’t forget you little blurb. I am bad at this. I can sit down and write a 300 page story but writing a 10 -15 liner about what the story was about is beyond me. thankfully my editor is good at this and does not mind helping me write them.
I use Fiverr to do my book cover my next update will be the process of doing that and final uploading your book for people to read.
hayesbooks 