Chapter 5
“Bam, Bam, Bam!”
“What’s that?” Tamika broke the wordless silence of the room.
“It couldn’t possibly be anyone at the front door? It’s still pouring rain.” Patrick said.
“I’ll go check.” Willie flicked his flashlight on and unsnapped his holster.
“I’m going with you.” Patrick volunteered.
“Maybe it’s Agnes!” Tamika said looking around at the group.
“Well we won’t know unless we go check, now will we?” Elva blew her nose, stood up and pushed her shoulders back. A habit she had developed from long years of dealing with stress.
Willie and Patrick arrived at the door when another series of Bam, Bam, Bam, hit. Willie grasped the handle and jerked it open.
There standing before them was a hideous glob monster. Willie jumped back and Patrick audibly shrieked. The dimming beam of the flashlight outlined the grotesque form of mud standing before them. A streak of lightning ripped the sky and the flash outlined the blackness of the thing there before them. Both men stood frozen.
“Get that damn light out of my eyes!”
“Agnes?” Willie screeched.
“Move aside you damn fool! I’m cold and nasty.”
“Patrick. Get a blanket out of that closet over there where we got the sheet from earlier.”
“Agnes, where have you been?”
“Here’s the blanket.” Patrick helped Agnes wrap up.
“Let’s get her back to the parlor.”
As they passed the receiving room Willie glanced in at Nicholas’s body and came to a dead stop. Nicholas’s body was gone! “Take Agnes to the others and I will be there in a few minutes. I need to check something.”
“Sure but what’s up?” Patrick agreed.
“I’ll fill you in when I get back, you two go on ahead.” Willie waited until they had turned the corner and pushed the double doors open to the room and scanned the room. His light went out and he used his hand to smack the side of it until it came back on. “Damn cheap flashlights.” He muttered.
Willie was careful to examine the entire room for Nicholas’s body but found nothing. The doors had been shut he was sure of it. He found that was odd. For the body to have been removed from the room the doors had to be opened and then shut again. There was an unknown person prowling around.
He pulled the doors shut shaking the handles to make sure they were fastened. He then made his way back through the dim light provide by his failing flashlight.
Upon entering the parlor he looked around and noted that Elva, Sarah and Agnes were not there. He assumed the ladies were helping her clean. Hopefully they would be back soon he wanted to question Agnes more.
“Unbelievable isn’t it Willie.” Tamika said.
Willie watched the door and softened his voice. “Don’t tell the sisters but Nicolas’s body is gone.”
“What?” Tamika and Patrick asked at the same time.
“Are you sure, of course you’re sure.” Karalina corrected herself.
“Somebody has taken the body, just like they took VD’s body. There’s somebody in this house and we have to find them. I’m going to go check in with the office and see what’s going on. Please don’t mention this to the ladies. Not yet anyway.” He turned and left.
Tamika looked over at the Reverend and nodded to Patrick. “He’s still passed out.”
“I can’t understand any of this.” Patrick said. “Are you sure you…?”
“We’re back,” Elva said pushing the door open. “You can recognize her now.”
Agnes trudged along behind them. The dress they found was a poor fit but it was sufficient to make her feel comfortable.
Sarah followed Agnes. “Agnes, I’m just glad the hot water held out.”
“If it had been pure cold it would have felt warmer than the way I felt. I believe I’ll have some of the coffee now if it’s still hot.” Agnes said.
“It’s hot.” Sarah said. “I’ll get you some. How do you take it?”
“I thought you could remember how people took their coffee or tea.” Agnes smirked. “I’ll fix it myself.”
“Agnes,” Tamika said. “You haven’t heard have you? Nicholas is dead.”
“What?” Agnes cried out and dropped the cup. “I’m so sorry I didn’t know.”
Willie returned to the room. “I just spoke to the office. She said the bridge is still flooded and they don’t know when the power will be back on. They believe a terrorist group blew up the transformer before the storm started.”
“Who said that?” Agnes asked.
“What terrorist group?” Patrick asked at the same time spoke.
“Gay Wright.” Willie answered.
“Gay rights terrorist blew up the transformer?” Patrick exclaimed. His eyes got huge.
“No, Gay Wright is our dispatcher. She told me that they believe a terrorist group blew up the transformer. I was answering Agnes. She asked who said that.” Willie chuckled. “They don’t know who the terrorist group is but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t a gay rights group.”
“Oh.” Patrick exhaled and chuckled lamely. “I thought that was a bit extreme. I thought maybe they were getting serious about this wanting to get to married thing.”
Willie laughed out loud and then glanced over at the sisters and cleared his throat.
“Pop!” The loud sound came from the direction of the dining room or the kitchen.
“What was that?” Tamika said.
Elva picked up a lamp and headed into the kitchen.
“Let me go in first.” Willie said.
Elva paused and let Willie take the lead. She held the lamp up high to brighten the way. Willie placed his hand on his gun and un-snapped the catch. Sarah fell in behind him, followed by Tamika and Patrick. Agnes stayed in the parlor with the still sleeping Reverend and Karalina who had leaned back in a soft high back arm chair and closed her eyes.
“Who’s in there?” Willie called out. As the group entered they looked around the area and saw nothing. “It must have been from the kitchen.”
Willie pushed the swinging door open slowly between the two rooms into the darkened room and stepped in.
The group followed with lights and looked around.
“I heard a pop. Didn’t you?” Tamika looked around at the group.
“Yes.” Patrick said. “Do you smell lighter fluid?”
“It is a peculiar smell.” Tamika sniffed. “But I can’t put my finger on it.”
“Sarah, come here dear.” Elva pulled her sister aside and whispered very softly. “Look, look at that.” She pointed at several bread crumbs on the counter and a lone case knife in the dish drainer.
“What is it?” Sarah asked.
“That knife wasn’t there earlier and look it’s been cleaned but what does that look like?”
Sarah picked up the knife and examined it closely then sniffed it and said, “Peanut Butter.”
“Nicholas!” They both said simultaneously.
“Shh!” Elva said. “Something’s wrong or he would have come back to the parlor, but he’s alive. I’m sure of it. Let’s not tell the others yet. I really don’t think that knife was there before.”
“Sister, I agree. It is him and he’s alive. I’m so happy I think I might cry.” Sarah closed her eyes and took another deep sniff at the knife and a tear of joy ran down her cheek. “You’re right of course. We won’t mention anything.”
“I know I heard a loud pop sound. It came from this direction.” Patrick said. “What’s through that door? Or that one?” He pointed at several doors in the back of the room.”
“Oh, the one on the left goes to the outside and the one on the right is a small pantry.” Elva answered. “And that one goes to a series of closed in porches that lead around the edge of the house.”
“And through the pantry ar
e the steps that lead to the upstairs study and the hall.” Sarah added.
Patrick shook his head. “I knew this place was big I just didn’t know how complicated it is.”
They stopped still as a piercing woman’s scream rattled their nerve endings.
Willie took off toward the parlor followed by everyone else. He burst through the door, his gun drawn.
Upon entry he surveyed the room. Karalina was standing over Randy who had slumped over and fallen out of the chair.
“Good grief!” Agnes said. “You’ll wake the dead.” She glanced over as the sisters came into the room, turned pale and mumbled an apology. “I’m sorry.”
Elva glanced at Sarah and cackled with heavy laughter.
“Oh! Elva! I know you’ve had a long day. I’m so sorry.” Agnes apologized again.
“I’m so sorry too.” Karalina explained. “The Preacher fell, face forward just as I dozed off and it startled me, so.”
The group that reentered the room breathed a sigh of relief.
Willie walked over to one of the loveseats and picked up a pillow, lumbered over and squatted beside Randy. He lifted his head and slid the pillow behind it then lowered it slowly.
“Would somebody bring me some light?” Willie said.
“Why? What’s wrong?” Tamaki picked up a lamp and edged reluctantly closer.
Willie placed two fingers on his neck and shook his head. “He’s not breathing.”
“You’re not serious?” Patrick hurried over and squatted down. “This is crazy.”
“I agree Patrick.” Willie stood up fastened his holster snap and ran his hand through his hair. “I need a drink.”
“I’ll get it for you. What would you like?” Patrick offered as he headed towards the bar.
“Maybe something light, don’t want to fuzzy my mind. How about a little white wine,” Willie said. “Would somebody get a blanket? I don’t know if we can move him. He’s pretty fat.”
“Now Willie, that’s not a nice thing to say about our poor portly preacher.” Elva grinned.
“Elva I want you to….” Agnes stopped when the decanter Patrick had in his hand slipped, crashed to the floor and shattered.
“Oops!” Patrick grunted. “I’ll pay for it and clean it up.”
“I’ll get it dear boy!” Sarah said cheerfully and hurried to the broom closet on the far end of the room and dug for broom and pan.
Agnes scrunched her eyebrows up. “Elva,” she hissed quietly. “Has she lost her mind? She seems happy.”
“Que sera sera!” Elva sang and literally skipped across the room.
Sarah caught the tune and began humming along with Elva as she began sweeping broken glass and placing a towel down to dry the floor. She slowly picked the towel up to avoid broken shards.
“You’ve both gone mad.” Agnes accused and everyone stared dumbfounded by the sisters’ attitudes.
“Here’s some red wine Constable.” Patrick said. “Seems as if I spilled all the white wine, sorry to say.”
Willie took the wine, sniffed it, not because he was a connoisseur but it was just a habit, then he turned it up and sucked it down. It was at that moment a suspicious theory hit him. There were some odd goings-on and he began to get some strange suspicions. Willie squinted his left eye and brought the wine glass up to his nose and sniffed the empty glass.
“More?” Patrick asked.
“I’m good.” Then he mumbled. “I hope I’m good.” He told himself he was getting too old for this job. He wasn’t paying attention to things which were right in front of him. Then he caught himself when he almost chuckled out loud. He was giving himself more credit than he deserved. This was a small town. He had been appointed the job by the mayor, his grandfather, many years ago and he had never been much of a cop because there had never been any need for one.
“Agnes, when you feel up to it, I need to ask you a few questions.” Willie walked over to her and sat down.
“Sure, there’s not much I can tell you. I was with Randy… I can’t believe he’s dead. Nobody liked him but I didn’t want him dead. Anyway, we were upstairs looking for Nicholas… I can’t believe that the boy is dead. What the world is going on around here?” Agnes sipped at her third cup of black coffee. “So there I was upstairs, and I started feeling dizzy, and a little nauseated so I went out on the porch to get some air. The next thing I knew I woke up in the mud ― cold, covered with slime and somehow I managed to make it back to the porch.”
“What have you had to drink tonight?” Willie said in a low voice.
“I wasn’t drunk!” Agnes declared indignantly.
“I’m not saying you were but what if there was something uh, — bad about what you drank. Maybe something in the drink or even food was bad.”
“Well I ate the same thing everyone else did.” She paused, laid her chin in her hand; her index finger tapped a thoughtful rhythm at her temple. “Let me see. I drank wine.”
“What color wine?”
“White of course.”
“That’s all I need for now. Agnes, just rest.” Willie got up walked over to where Sarah was still cleaning the broken glass and whispered into her ear.
She nodded and pointed absent-mindedly at the kitchen.
Willie pulled out his flashlight and tapped it a couple times until the weak light popped on and left the room. He was gone for several minutes and then came back with a white trash bag. He went over to Sarah and dumped the glass and the towel she had used to clean up into the bag.
“I’ll be back in shortly.” Willie left the room towards the hall that led to the library and the front door.
“I have to go to the bathroom.” Tamika announced. “Would somebody walk me there? I’m afraid to go alone.”
“I’ll go.” Patrick offered he picked up a lamp. “I’ve got to go too. All this rain outside makes me want to go.”
“I need to go too.” Karalina got up. “And it’s not just the rain, it’s the drinks.”
A bright flash of lightning and an earsplitting snap of thunder shook the room.
“I sure hope Willie’s okay.” Sarah worried.
“Where did he go?” Tamika asked casually.
“He took that broken glass out. I guess to the trash can. I told him it could wait until after the storm.”
“Are we going to go pee? Or what?” Karalina stretched and yawned.
“Lead on Macbeth.” Patrick said.
“Macbeth, McDuff, McDonalds. Who cares I’ve got to go pee.” Karalina complained.
Quietly they made their way through the corridors to the bathroom. “I’ve got to go bad.” Karalina declared. “Please let me go first.” She took a candle and lit it with the lamp. “I’ll take this candle.”
Once she was gone Tamika whispered. “What are we going to do?”
“I don’t understand any of this.” Patrick whispered back. “What do you think the sheriff is up to taking that bag out? I bet he took it out to his car.”
“What I can’t understand is what’s up with Agnes. And the boy, what the hell happened to him? And now the preacher’s dead.” Tamika said.
“I’m not so sure the preacher’s dead. First the deputy went down then her body disappeared. Then the boy was dead and Agnes recovered from being passed out.” Patrick shook his head back and forth. “I’m just not so sure the preacher’s dead.”
“But who grabbed the boy and locked him up?” Tamika said. “And Willie acted suspicious over that wine decanter taking the remains out. And you broke it.”
“You’re right I did. Shit, I had no idea he would do something like that.” Patrick fretted.
“I know one thing Willie was right about the gun. The Deputy had her gun. I noticed it when she came in. I wonder where it went. Did you take it?” Tamika said.
“Next, darling,” Karalina said opening the bathroom door. The candlelight fl
ickered from the breeze the door made. “So who wants the candle?”
“I’ll go next.” Tamika said taking the candle and entering the door closing it behind her.
“What are you two whispering about?” Karalina also whispered to Patrick as the flames of the lamp light vibrated the shadows under her eyes.
“We were just talking about all the craziness going on.” Patrick answered. “Everything has just been too weird.”
“Did I hear Tamika asking about the missing gun?”
“Yes, she said the Deputy did have a gun and then it was gone. I didn’t notice it myself.” Patrick replied.
“I know who took the gun.” Karalina said cryptically.
A high pitch scream echoed through the corridor where they stood waiting. The bathroom door flew open and Tamika hurried out still zipping up her slacks. “What was that?” She whispered.
“It was a woman’s scream.” Patrick answered. “It must be one of the old women in the parlor.”
“I wonder if the sheriff’s back.” Karalina said. “Maybe the preacher came back alive.”
“Zombies?” Tamika giggled. “Now that’s beginning to make sense. They haven’t started eating people yet. At least I don’t think they have. That was roast beef we had for supper, wasn’t it?”
“Give me that candle.” Patrick grabbed the candle and went into the bathroom. “The scream can wait. I can’t.”
“Maybe the crazy old lady croaked.” Karalina said.
“I love those two old ladies, please don’t talk like that. Now Agnes, that’s another story.”
“I’m sorry.” Karalina apologized to Tamika. “What is it with this Agnes, woman. So much mud… She looked like the Swamp Thing with all that mud on her. Is she your Aunt? I thought I heard you call her that?”
“Well not really. She is my father’s fourth wife. My father died this past January.” Tamika’s eyes welled up. “He fell out a window. They said it was an accident.”
“But you don’t think so?” Karalina patted her arm lightly.
“I don’t know. It’s just….”
“It’s just that she received all of the inheritance?” Karalina asked.
“Well something like that. She inherited everything but I can stay there as long as I like.”
“I sense there is more. What is it?” Karalina said.
“If something happens to her I inherit everything.”
“And there is a lot to inherit?”
“Oh yes. Dad owned most of the town.” Tamika said.
“Well darling. If I were you I think I would be worried.”
“What do you mean?” Tamika furrowed her brows.
“Oh, I’ve been watching everything that has been going on.” Karalina adjusted her clothing as they waited. “The Deputy died, something happened to the boy, and Agnes was knocked out. The cop takes the broken wine decanter. If you asked me he’s suspicious of something. Maybe somebody set all this up just to kill Agnes. And even then she didn’t have the sense to die. Now who do you think limp Willie might suspect?”
“Gees, I never thought of it like that. Limp Willie? Now that was funny. I can’t believe she said that.” Tamika giggled. “She is a trip.”
“That’s what the old lady said. What was her name? The short one.”
“Elva. She’s a dear. I’m afraid she’s becoming a little senile.”
“A little?” Karalina laughed. “That’s like calling Niagara Falls a trickle of water.”
Patrick came out and closed the bathroom door.
“You take longer than a woman.” Tamika complained.
“No comment.” Patrick grinned. “So what are we talking about?”
“Karalina seems to think the Sheriff will think I tried to kill Agnes.”
“What? I figure he thinks something is wrong with the wine and I’m the one that broke the jug.” Patrick said. “Why would he think you might try to kill Agnes?”
“She’s my stepmother and she inherited everything my father left. That sort of thing, get my drift?” Tamika explained.
“Yeah, but she’s not dead.” Patrick clarified.
“But if the others are dead, and she was poisoned.” Tamika worried.
“Awhile ago you said you knew who had the gun. Who is it? Who took the gun?” Patrick insisted.
“You saw it?” Tamika added.
“Yes darling, it was the old lady that took the gun.” Karalina said.
“Bang, bang.” Gunshots rang out and then distant screams startled them.
Both ladies screamed and they all stopped still and held their breath.
“I want out of here.” Karalina whispered. “If I make it through until morning, I’m out of this place.”
“Same here,” Patrick added.
“Shh! Listen?” Tamika paused and held her breath. “What the hell’s going on? Karalina think now. Which old lady took the gun?”
“It was the one you call Agnes.” Karalina answered.
“Agnes.” Tamika repeated. “Should we go see what the shooting was about?”
“I’m afraid too but I suppose we don’t have any choice.” Karalina answered.
“Hand me the lamp. I’ll lead the way.” Patrick offered.
They slowly moved along the hallways, quietly trying to listen for anything that might indicate additional hostility. Patrick stopped at the threshold of the parlor and held the lamp high. The room was dark except for the light his lamp cast into the room.
“There are no lights in there.” Patrick whispered. “Nobody is here.”
“What?” Tamika moved closer to the door peering in and shaking her head. “This doesn’t make any sense. Where did everybody go? And they took the other three lamps.”
“I think I want to go sit in my car.” Karalina whispered over their shoulders.
“Come on, let’s go in.” Patrick said holding the lamp high casting thick shadows through the room. An occasional flash of distant lightning created an additional disorienting mental distress. Patrick continued to the bar and counted the candles and holders left. There were five left and they had one. That made six. He paused trying to remember, he felt sure there had been eight. That meant two were gone plus three lamps.
“There are two candles and three lamps gone.” Patrick mused. “Wonder where everybody went?”
“What are you getting at?” Tamika asked.
“Nothing, just thinking out loud but if you look over there you will notice the Reverend’s body is missing.”
Tamika ran over to the spot and whipped around, the candle she was holding almost went out from the movement. Then a puff of air blew the candle out.
“What the…?” Tamika stopped still. “There’s air blowing in here. Bring that lamp over and relight me. I think the curtain’s moving. There’s air coming in.”
Patrick walked over relit her candle and continued over to exam the floor to ceiling windows. “You’re right. The curtain’s wet and moving.” He shoved the curtain aside and held the light near the window pane.
“Bam,” lightning then thunder rumbled the room. Patrick screamed as he stood face to face with a horrible face pressed against the window pane. The eyes were wide, mouth contorted in agony, rain dripping in torrents across the face, the horrendous misshaped mouth opened to speak.
Karalina ran towards the window stopped and screamed. “Zombie!”
Tamika stared for a moment then inhaled before crying out. “Who is that?” She moved closer to the window and held up a candle. “For God sakes, it’s the Reverend. He’s alive. Open the doors.”
“Don’t open those doors.” Karalina screamed out. “What if he’s a zombie? He was dead ― now he is alive. Or is he just animated?”
“For goodness sakes, get some sense about you.” Tamika pushed Patrick to the side and reached for the door handles.
Patrick backed up a bi
t and pointed at the broken glass. “It looks like that’s where the air was coming in. The pane is shattered like it’s been shot out.”
“Argh,” the agonizing muffled sound of the preacher chilled them to their bones.
Tamika’s eyes widened and her hand shook as the word zombie and the image resonated through her mind. She entertained the thoughts a moment then shrugged it off and opened the French doors.
The Reverend stumbled in, soaking wet. Tamika pulled the doors shut as fast as she could, the wind and rain was so hard it was pushing at the doors.
“Reverend, how did you get out there?” Tamika grabbed a highland plaid crocheted spread Elva had made and wrapped it around the Reverend. “I can’t believe you’re alive.”
“Is he real? Is he alive?” Karalina asked wearily.
“I most certainly am.” Randy answered, “But I feel like I’m going to freeze to death.”
“I doubt there is any hot water left. The power has been out way too long.” Patrick observed. “Let me see if there’s enough wood to start a fire.”
“How did you get out there? How did you get back alive?” Tamika bombarded him with questions. “Where did everybody go? Who shot the gun?”
“Tamika, let the man collect his wits.” Karalina suggested.
It wasn’t long before Patrick had a small fire burning in the fireplace thanks to one of the instant light logs.
“Wow that was fast.” Karalina praised.
Patrick grinned, “I wished I could take the credit.” He held up the wrapper the log came in and then tossed it into the fire. “Ladies did you see any more of those spread things? I think the Reverend could use some more warmth.” With a hidden grin he asked, “Reverend would you like a drink?”
The Reverend groaned loudly and just shook his head no. Tamika found another spread stuffed down in Elva’s bag and draped it over the Reverend. He moved to a chair near the fireplace and stuck his hands out to warm them.
“Reverend, we know you’ve been through a lot, but we need you to clear up and help us. We’re frightened.” Tamika said.