An Impossible Dilemma: A Psychological Thriller Novel (26 page)

“Have you been giving your Grandad the runaround, miss?” I tickled her until she begged for me to stop. “Right then, I’ve got things to do so can you start your schoolwork for me?”

“Aw, I don’t like schoolwork.”

“Nonsense, you’re being silly today. Tell you what, why don’t you draw me a beautiful picture?”

“Tea okay for you, Vic?” Michael said from the kitchen.

“Please, unless you’re ready to go?”

“No, you’re fine. They’ve just poured a drink and Dad’s got to go home in a few minutes. There’s a guy coming round to give him a current market valuation of the farm.”

“Oh?” I said, puzzled.

“Yeah, if we’re going in together, we need to do it fifty-fifty, otherwise our Ronnie will accuse me of robbing her inheritance.”

I laughed. I knew he was right. Ronnie, his sister, was a tight-fisted, money grabber. We’d never really hit it off. I suspected she’d had her eye on Jonathan before I came along and scuppered her plans.

“So it’ll be just us for the grand tour,” he continued.

“Dunno about grand but that’s fine,” I said, my stomach fluttering at the thought of being in the truck with him, alone. I didn’t know if I could cope with another crazy sensation on top of the already teetering pile of guilt, paranoia and dread.

David left once he finished his tea. They’d all discussed a price for the farm and everyone seemed happy with the deal. Michael intended to take over next Monday. He’d pay a nominal rent until the subdivision was through and he’d buy all the stock and livestock at cost.

I thought they were getting a bloody good deal, but I wasn’t complaining. It would be fantastic not to have the headache of the farm any more.

“Right then, you ready?” I asked.

Michael stood up and took the cups to the kitchen.

“Very house-trained,” I teased.

“You didn’t meet my wife, did you?”

“No. I take it she was a tough nut?”

“That’s being mild.”

“Okay, Em, be good for Grandad, I won’t be long.”

I glanced around the room—no sign of her.

“Emily?” I raised my eyes to the ceiling and exhaled loudly. “Hang on a minute,” I said to Michael. I could hear giggling coming from behind the sofa again. “Right, Emily. Come out. Now!”

There were a few bumps and thuds before Emily stomped out wearing a pair of men’s shoes.

“Where did they come from?” I asked as the answer dawned on me.

“They’re Alex’s,” she said.

I remembered taking them off him after he had fallen asleep.

“Take them off!” I snapped, adrenalin surging through my veins.

“Aww.”

“Off!”

She slipped out of the shoes and handed me her drawing. A person with lots of curly brown hair and red scribbles all over the chest.

“What’s this, Em?” I asked, horrified.

“You.”

“Then what’s all this red stuff?”

“Blood.”

My heart leapt out of my chest. I glanced at Frank before placing the drawing in front of him on the table.

“I don’t have time now, but we’ll discuss this later. Now you be good for Grandad.”

Chapter 35

I gave Michael the promised tour of the farm, pointing out the existing boundary plus where we intended the new boundary to be. We strolled around the henhouse and introduced him to the hens. These girls were the only things I’d miss about the farm—I’d grown quite fond of them. 

The cattle had never really been my thing, and when Michael asked me a question about them I looked at him blankly and shrugged. “You’ll have to ask Frank. I’m sorry.”

Next stop, the pigsty. I thought I might scream as Michael looked around.

He seemed happy with everything. The pigs squealed to be fed again which made my stomach lurch.

“Are you okay? You look very pale?” Michael asked.

“I hate pigs.”

“Do you? I love them.”

I shuddered and headed over to the butchery.  He and his dad were planning to set up a local home kill and butchery service.

He inspected all the tools and, considering the smile on his face, seemed impressed. “When was it last used?”

“Dunno.” My mind flashed up the image of Alex flailing around, one arm gone and the other grasping me before being pinned to the wall. My eyes rested on the hook. I froze, horrified to see blood and tissue still attached to it.

My hand grasped my locket.  “I’ve gotta get out of here.” I spun around and raced to the door.

“It does stink a bit,” he said, amused, and followed me out. “Are you all right?”

“Fine.” The cold air was exactly what I needed. “Okay, so if you’re satisfied?” I said, looking down at my mum’s locket, dangling from my fingers. The chain had snapped.

“Perfectly, thank you.”

I tucked the locket into my pocket. “I’ve got to get back to the clinic to relieve Steph for lunch. Shall I drop you home?”

“I can walk if it’s easier.”

“It’s no problem. I’ll drop you.”

We got back into the truck.

“So you’re taking control on Monday?” I asked.

He nodded. “Yeah. You don’t mind, do you?”

“What do you think? I can’t bloody well wait.”

“I thought so. You’ve got a lot going on.”

“It should be okay now.”

“And we’ll be neighbours,” he said.

“Yes,” I said, not really knowing what he was getting at.

I pulled up outside his parent’s house.

“Thanks, Victoria,” he said. His gaze didn’t leave my mouth, making me self-conscious. He stayed a half second too long and licked his lips before jumping from the truck.

My heart raced. What just happened? I wasn’t ready for feeling like this. I definitely didn’t expect it. Yet I felt lighter than I had in ages. I took a few deep breaths before driving back to the clinic.

Stephanie and Sally-Ann were laughing as I walked in.

“What’s so funny?”

“I was telling Sal about Mrs Taylor and Fifi yesterday. Did Frank get hold of you?”

“Frank? What for?”

“Dunno, he rang a few minutes ago.”

“Rang here?” I picked up the phone and dialled the house. “Shit, no answer.”

“I’m going over there now,” Steph said. “I need to pick up my handbag, so I’ll check on them I’m sure it’s nothing. He didn’t seem upset or anything.”

“Okay, call me if …” I was over-reacting.

“I will. Back soon,” Steph gripped my shoulder, then left.

“Have you had a break, Sal?” My voice sounded normal again.

She nodded. “We had a cup of coffee and a biscuit.”

“What do you want for lunch? I bet you didn’t bring anything did you?”

“No, but I’m okay.”

“Don’t be silly. I’ll make you a sandwich when Steph gets back,” I said. “Have there been any customers this morning?”

“Somebody came in for some antihis—antihismins—something like that for his dog.”

“Antihistamines?”

“Yeah, antihistamines.”

“Any calls?”

“Just the one from your father-in-law.”

I nodded. “How did you get on with Steph?”

“She’s lovely. I can’t believe she’s going out with that sleazy Steve, though.”

“Oh. She told you? You don’t mind?”

“Mind? You must be joking. I only agreed to go out with him because he kept asking me. I felt sorry for him, and it’d been ages since I’d been out for dinner.”

“Oh well, he’s too old for you anyway. You need someone your own age.”

“Like that Alex bloke.”

“Yeah, like that.” I began rummaging through the drawer as though I’d misplaced something.

“Steph said he’s not here any more,” Sal continued.

“Who? Oh, Alex. Yeah that’s right.” I itched to change the subject. “Did Steph show you how to record payments?”

“Yeah, briefly. She said she’d get me to do it when we had one to record.”

“Good.”

The phone rang. I nodded at Sally-Ann. “Okay, here you go.”

She picked up the phone. “Farm vet’s. This is Sally-Ann.”

I continued nodding and smiling.

“No, it’s Sally-Ann, she is, hold on please.” She placed her hand over the receiver. “It’s someone for you.”

“Hello, Victoria speaking.”

“Vic, Angela Anderson here. Have you seen the news?”

“No, why?”

“That young guy, the one you’ve got working for you, what’s his name?”

“Alex?”

“What’s his full name?”

“Alexander Snow, why?”

“Well there’s an Alexander Finnegan on the news right now, he’s the spit of him.”

I reached for the remote and changed the channel from the continual local adverts. “What channel?”

“One.”

A second later Alex’s lovely face stared back at me.

“Oh my God. What’s he done?” I said.

“Is it him?”

“Yes, shush a minute.”

             
… and to recap. He is dangerous. Do not

              approach him. I repeat, do not approach

              him.

“What’s he done, Angela?”

“He’s only gone and killed his whole family in America. They’ve just had a tipoff that he’s living around here.”

“I’ve gotta go …” I left the phone dangling and ran from the clinic. I didn’t bother with the truck and ran to the house.

I burst through the front door. “Hello?” I called.

Silence.

Hello, Frank? Emily?” Emily’s giggles came from the snug. Still playing hide and seek no doubt.

“Frank?” I popped my head into the kitchen.

Stephanie sat half-on, half-off a dining chair. Her head lay on the table. Vacant eyes stared at nothing—a gaping wound in her neck.

She was dead.

Chapter 36

I couldn’t move.

Could barely breathe.

Found it impossible to tear my eyes from the awful scene before me. A bump from the snug followed by more giggles compelled my feet forwards. I slowly shoved the door open and braced myself.

All my fears were realised.

Frank lay on the floor on his back. Emily straddled him. Striking him repeatedly with a large carving knife.

“Emily!” I screamed.

“Hi, Mummy.” She giggled again. Her eyes flashed evil as she lunged for me, the blade barely missing my face.

I grabbed her by the arm and twisted her little hand until she dropped the knife. An inhuman sound escaped her.

“What have you done? What have you done, Em?”

“We were playing hide and seek.”

She dug her nails into my hand and I twisted her wrist again.

“Arrgh, you’re hurting me.”

“What have you done, Em? What have you done?”

My legs gave out on me and I fell to the ground, dragging Emily with me.

“Mummy?” She suddenly seemed normal again. “Mummy, what’s wrong?”

I managed to get to my feet and pulled her from the room and over to the stairs. I had no idea what to do.

“Upstairs, Em,” I said, still holding both of her wrists until we got to her room. “Take your clothes off, Emily.”

“What’s this? Why is it red?” She clearly couldn’t remember what she’d done.

“Take them off. Now!”

I shoved her towards the bed, and got a pair of trousers and a top from the pile of ironing on the top of the chest of drawers. “Get changed,” I said. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

I closed her door and ran back to my bedroom where I found a pair of tights in my bedside drawer and raced back to Emily’s room. I tied the tights to her door handle and then to the door handle of Steph’s room next door before running back downstairs.

The knife lay where it had fallen, on the floor of the snug. I rubbed the handle with the sleeve of my sweatshirt. I had to get Emily’s fingerprints off it. I would say that I’d murdered Steph and Frank if I had to, but I couldn’t allow them to take Emily away, to spend the rest of her life locked up like a monster.

I had just picked up the phone to call the police when I heard sirens. I ran back upstairs to Emily, untied the tights and found her lying on the bed. I knelt at her side and wrapped my arms around her tightly.

“What happened, Mummy?”

“I don’t know, my baby.”

The sirens came to a stop on the driveway and the sound of police radios surrounded the house. The front door wasn’t locked and after a few bangs, they crashed it open. I walked to the top of the stairs. The hallway heaved with uniformed officers.

“You’re too late,” I said. “They’re dead.”

They all stopped talking, probably stopped breathing, as they looked up at me.

“Where is he?” a tall, burly cop asked.

“Who?” I asked, puzzled.

“Alexander Finnegan. Where is he, miss?”

I’d forgotten all about Alex. Of course he was the reason they were here. “He’s gone.”

The cops went off in different directions. There were several shouts as they found the bodies. “Can you come down, miss?” the same officer asked.

“I’d rather not right now. My daughter is up here—she’s not well. I just came home and found them all. She’s the only one still alive.” Which was the truth—of sorts.

An officer came through to the hallway. “Two dead and no sign of the suspect down here. We need to search upstairs but it looks like it’s just the same as before.” Several officers ran up the stairs and searched through all the rooms.

Emily began to scream when they opened her door, but I ran in behind them and pulled her to me.