by Mark Tilbury
Dave took several pictures of the corpse for insurance purposes and turned away. What the fuck was this? The last time he’d had to clean up Duggan’s waste had been bad enough, but this was beyond imagination, and Dave had a pretty vivid one of those.
He took several deep breaths and tried to calm his racing heart. The corpse smelled disgusting enough to require a mask to even begin to clean it up.
A thought, both vile and grisly: had Duggan consumed the missing parts?
Dave thanked his imagination for making his stomach feel like a greasy ocean. He consoled himself with the more likely answer that Duggan had fed the flesh to the fish.
‘Why can’t he clean up his own mess,’ Dave said. ‘I’m supposed to be a driver, not a fuckin’ undertaker.’
He trudged back upstairs and entered his flat. He dressed in overalls and a plastic apron, then donned surgical gloves and a face mask. He shoved some spare gloves and masks into his pocket and went to the immersion heater cupboard which housed several knives and a small electric chainsaw.
He returned to the basement and set about cutting up the corpse into manageable chunks. He put the parts into airtight bags and added them to the already generously stocked chest freezer.
Task complete, he set about stripping the bed of its sheets, duvet, and mattress topper. He walked to the laundry room and deposited the soiled mess on the floor. It would probably have to go in the incinerator later, but he’d have to ask Duggan first. He’d once made the mistake of burning a bloodstained shirt and been told he’d be next in the burner if he failed to ask permission first.
Taking a mop and bucket and a bottle of bleach from a built-in cupboard, he went to the sink and filled the bucket with hot, soapy water. This wouldn’t be any forensic job, far from it, but at least the basement would appear clean to the naked eye. After that, well, it was none of his business.
Back in the basement, he put the cleaning products on the floor near the bed. He then sat on the ottoman, took a rolled cigarette out of his tin, and lit up. He shuddered to think what that poor fucker had gone through.
Not that Dave was of a squeamish nature, but some things crossed the thin line between necessary murder and downright sadistic cruelty. A bit of fun with the boys was one thing, and killing them when they were too old to satisfy the needs of Duggan’s clientele was a necessary evil, but torture for torture’s sake? It was beyond his comprehension.
Dave finished his cigarette. ‘I’m definitely gonna blackmail the bastard when I get to Spain.’
With thoughts of diamonds and extortion in mind, he walked to the wall, removed a painting of Duggan’s grandfather, and let himself into the safe. Only a brief peek for now. Something to take to bed with him while he dreamed of life beyond the walls of Thorndike House.
Chapter Eighteen
Tommy sat beside his sister in her old Vauxhall Corsa. As they headed into town, he caught a glimpse of a young woman who looked like Bella. Not the spitting image, but close enough to make his heart beat faster.
They pulled up in a small car park at the back of the Wellbeing Centre. A strong wind blew rubbish across the tarmac.
Danielle switched off the engine and yanked on the handbrake. ‘You all right?’
Tommy wasn’t. He wanted to go back to his room and put the bed in front of the door again. Shut out the world and all the dangers lurking in it. ‘I suppose.’
She reached out and grabbed his hand. ‘It’ll be fine. I promise.’
Tommy didn’t know how his sister could promise anything, but he liked her too much to disagree. She was the only person in the world who genuinely seemed to be on his side.
They got out of the car and were immediately attacked by the vicious October wind. Tommy followed his sister up the fire escape to the back door of the clinic. She held the door open for him, then followed her brother into the reception.
She walked to the desk and said, ‘Tommy Scarlett to see Dr Marks.’
The woman smiled. ‘Go right through. He’s expecting you.’
‘Is it okay if I go in with him?’
‘Of course. You might have to leave if Dr Marks asks you to, but other than that, we actively encourage clients to come to the clinic with someone.’
Dr Marks opened the door before Tommy had a chance to knock. ‘Hello, Tommy. Welcome back. Do come in and take a seat.’
Tommy sat on the plastic chair near the yucca plant.
Marks turned to Danielle. ‘So, you must be Danielle. It’s really nice to meet you.’ He gestured for her to sit next to her brother.
Marks smiled. ‘So, Tommy, how have you been?’
‘Not too good.’
‘Would you care to elaborate?’
‘He’s been seeing things,’ Danielle interrupted. ‘And he locked himself in his room.’
‘Is that so? What did you see, Tommy?’
‘The usual shit. That stupid girl.’
‘Where did you see her?’
Tommy hesitated. It sounded absurd now he wasn’t caught up in the middle of it.
‘Tommy?’
He took a deep breath. ‘She was floating outside my bedroom window.’
Marks nodded, as if it was common practice to hear freaky shit every day. ‘What was she doing?’
‘Dancing about like she always does. Talking a load of crap.’
‘Like what?’
‘Going on about all the men she’d… done it with. And women, too. Then she asked me if I wanted to put my thing out of the window.’
‘Gross,’ Danielle mumbled.
‘Did you consider it real or imagined?’ Marks asked.
‘Real at first. But afterwards, I knew she couldn’t have really been there.’
Marks stroked his nose. ‘Did anything else happen?’
‘Yeah. There was this bloke’s voice coming outta the wardrobe. Telling me to set fire to my room. I saw smoke coming outta the wardrobe door. Smelled it, too.’
‘Did you investigate the source of the smoke?’
‘Yeah. But there was nothing in the wardrobe. Just my clothes.’
‘Did you recognise the voice?’
‘It was the driver I see when I’m in the back of a car.’
‘Okay. How do you feel about me taking you back under hypnosis to see if we can’t make sense of this?’
Tommy shrugged. ‘Is it dangerous?’
‘Not at all. I’ve been doing this for over twenty years, and I haven’t had a single setback. I can bring you out of it at any time, so if something’s really making you uncomfortable, I’ll terminate the session.’
Danielle fidgeted. ‘Is it all right if I stay with him?’
Marks nodded. ‘If that’s all right with Tommy. All I ask is you keep quiet and refrain from asking questions until the session is over.’
Danielle looked at her brother. Squeezed his hand. ‘I’ll be right here with you.’
‘Thanks.’
‘Okay, Danielle, if you remain seated during hypnosis, Tommy can lie on the couch beneath the window.’
Danielle ran a hand through her recently dyed black hair streaked with pink. She smiled at her brother.
Tommy walked to the couch and stretched out on soft green leather.
Dr Marks stood a few feet away. ‘If it’s all right with you, Tommy, I’d like to record our sessions to allow us to go over what we discover.’
Tommy nodded. He closed his eyes and tried to tell himself this was going to be all right. Dr Marks knew what he was doing. Had done it a zillion times before. But, there was always an exception to the rule, and the way his luck was running, it was bound to go wrong.
‘I want you to take three deep breaths,’ Marks instructed. ‘Slowly count to three on the inhale, and three as you exhale.’
Tommy did the best he could with his cracked ribs.
‘Keep breathing deeply. Let all thoughts leave your mind and concentrate on your breathing.’
Tommy’s mind calmed with each breath.
&nb
sp; ‘Imagine a white light enveloping your body from head to toe. This is a loving light sent to protect you. I want you to focus on your current plight and the problems affecting you.’
An image of Bella popped into his mind. Her teasing smile and long blonde hair blowing in the wind.
Marks continued. ‘Now imagine yourself and the top of a long staircase. I want you to walk down the steps slowly, one at a time, and let all problems fade away with each step.’
He descended the stairs. The image of Bella faded and disappeared. There was a row of small purple suns sitting inside the top of his head, blinking and beaming yellow light down from their centres. His breathing slowed considerably as he drew closer to the bottom.
‘When you reach the bottom, imagine a room with dim lights. This is a place of serenity and peace. I want you to visualise the room in detail.’
Tommy walked across a narrow hallway and entered the room.
‘What does the room look like, Tommy?’
‘It’s made of glass.’
‘Even the floor?’
‘Yes.’
‘What about the furniture?’
‘Just a bed.’
‘Okay. Now I—’
‘The room’s really bright. It’s blinding me.’
‘Where are you?’
‘In isolation.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Where you go when you’ve done something wrong.’
‘In what way?’
‘Disobeyed orders.’
‘So, it’s like a punishment?’
‘Yes.’
‘How did you end up in isolation?’
‘Dunno.’
‘Do you remember the day you disappeared after arguing with Danielle?’
‘Yes.’
‘Can you tell me what happened after the argument?’
‘I went to my room and slammed the door. I really believed her. I mean, it was such a weird thing to say if it wasn’t true. I waited until they were all watching telly and went back downstairs to the kitchen. My dad had a stash of whiskey under the sink from when he lost his job. It was hidden right at the back behind all the cleaning stuff. So I took one and went to the park.’
‘On your own?’
‘Yes.’
‘What happened next?’
‘I sat round the back of the cricket pavilion and drank some of it.’
‘How did you feel?’
‘Fuckin’ angry. I thought I’d been lied to all my life. It was as if they all had a great big secret and they’d kept it from me. I wanted revenge. To do something to hurt them back. That’s when I decided to get a bus to Oxford. Fuck school, fuck life, and fuck the lot of ’em.’
‘Did you never consider Danielle might have been winding you up?’
‘No. She never really liked me much, anyway. Thought she was so grown up, and I was just her annoying little brother. Someone she had to put up with. I mean, arguing over a stupid hairdryer? What the fuck did it matter? I only used it to blow-dry my hair ’cos I was late for school. I meant to put it back. But she kept going on about it as if I’d nicked her jewellery or something.’
‘Did you see anyone else in the park?’
Tommy shook his head. ‘Only a few people walking dogs up near the bank.’
‘How long did you stay in the park?’
‘About half an hour. Then I walked into town and hitchhiked to Oxford.’
‘Did you get a lift?’
‘No.’
‘Can you tell me what happened when you got to Oxford?’
Tommy was silent for a moment. ‘I sat on a bench outside a church and carried on drinking.’
‘Did you get drunk?’
‘Yeah. I drank about half the bottle. It was cold, and I didn’t have a coat.’
‘What did you do?’
‘Staggered round the back of the church and went to sleep in the doorway. Got woken up the next day by the warder. He took me in and made me a cup of coffee. Then I went back outside and sat on the bench again.’
‘Why didn’t you go home?’
‘Partly because of Danielle, and partly ’cos I was still a bit pissed. Then I met Bella.’
‘Who’s she?’
‘She works for The Master.’
‘Doing what?’
‘Scouting for boys.’
‘What did Bella say to you?’
Tommy took a deep breath. ‘She asked me what I was doing, so I told her about the argument. How I never wanted to go back home, but I didn’t have no money. She took me to a café and bought me sausage, chips, and a black coffee. She told me I could stay with her for a while until I decided what I wanted to do.’
‘Can you describe Bella?’
‘Long blonde hair, nice eyes. A lot of makeup, and dark-red lips.’
‘So, you went back to Bella’s house?’
‘Yeah. She ordered a taxi, but I fell asleep on the way. She must’ve put something in my coffee, ’cos I didn’t wake up until the afternoon.’
‘At Bella’s?’
‘No. In isolation. And my body was aching all over and my head was pounding. I thought I was coming down with the flu.’
‘Was Bella with you?’
‘No. I didn’t see her again for ages.’
‘Who did you see?’
‘Just The Master?’
‘Does he have a proper name?’
Tommy shrugged. ‘Dunno.’
‘Can you describe him?’
‘Tall, dark hair, dark eyes.’
‘What did he say to you?’
‘Asked me if I wanted anything to eat or drink. Did his best to sound nice. When I asked him who he was, he said I’d find out soon enough.’
‘Okay. What happened next, Tommy?’
Tommy didn’t hear the question. He was now in the presence of The Master.
‘Strip out of your clothes, boy.’
Tommy shivered. ‘Why?’
‘Because I said so.’
‘But—’
‘Let’s get one thing straight, boy. You must never question anything I say, is that clear?’
About as clear as the bottom of a swamp.
‘You’re going to do exactly as you’re told from now on. Unless you want to face the consequences.’
Danielle, forgetting her instructions to remain quiet, said, ‘Why’s he not responding?’
Marks put a finger to his lips. ‘Can you hear me, Tommy?’
Tommy couldn’t. In his mind, he stripped out of his jeans and tee-shirt. This had to be a dream. One he’d soon wake from and wonder what the fuck it was all about.
‘Take off your boxers.’
A simple instruction with complex ramifications. ‘But—’
‘Do it. Now!’
Tommy peeled down his boxers and let them fall to the floor. He stood naked and exposed before the stranger with the Devil’s eyes.
The Master took half a dozen snaps of him on his phone. ‘Turn around and put your hands against the wall.’
Tommy did as he was told. How could he argue when he was completely at the mercy of this vile man?
The camera flashed again and again as The Master moved around him taking pictures from every conceivable angle.
‘Get on your hands and knees and put your bottom in the air.’
Tommy bit his lip to prevent any unwanted, dangerous words popping out. He sank to his knees and did as the man had asked.
The Master took about a dozen more pictures of Tommy, then put the phone in his pocket and kneeled behind him. ‘How old are you?’
‘Fourteen.’
‘Ever had sex?’
‘Please, I need to go to the loo.’
‘Answer the question. Are. You. A. Virgin?’
Tommy’s heartbeat pulsed in his ears. ‘Yes.’
‘Close your eyes and relax.’
‘I…’
The Master sank his teeth into Tommy’s backside.
Tommy screamed as pain roared through h
is body. He beat his fists against the floor.
Danielle stood. ‘What’s happening to him?’
Tommy screamed again, head rolling from side to side. ‘No. No. No. Leave me alone.’
Dr Marks frowned. ‘Tommy, I want you to leave isolation. Go straight out the door and back up the staircase.’
‘Get off me. Get the fuck off me.’
‘Listen to me, Tommy,’ Marks said. ‘I’m going to count to three, then I want you to leave the room and go straight up the steps.’
‘Help me.’
‘It’s all right. It’s Dr Marks. I’m right here with you. There’s nothing to be afraid of. You’re perfectly safe. Leave the room on the count of three. One… two… three.’
Tommy stopped writhing. The pain vanished. The brightly lit glass room was now replaced with a steep staircase.
‘Have you left the room, Tommy?’
‘Yes.’
‘Okay. Now I want you to walk up the steps.’
Tommy slowly ascended.
‘When you reach the top, I want you to open your eyes. You will be fully awake and fully aware of your surroundings.’
Thirty seconds later, Tommy opened his eyes and found himself lying on the couch.
Danielle stood in front of him, a frown creasing her forehead. ‘Are you all right?’
He shook his head.
‘It’s all right, Tommy,’ Marks said. ‘You’re perfectly safe.’
So why do I feel as if I’ve been eaten alive?
‘Where did you go?’ Danielle asked. ‘Jesus, Tommy, where did you go?’
‘It’s best we analyse the session at a later date,’ Marks said. ‘Tommy needs to go home and rest.’
Tommy looked from his sister to Dr Marks. Familiar faces. Well-meaning faces. But they didn’t have a clue what it was like to step into the past and face unimaginable evil.
Danielle held out a hand and helped her brother off the couch. ‘At least we’ve made a start.’
Tommy stood. Steadied himself. Some start! If being abused by The Master was anything to go by, he definitely didn’t want to finish. This had only served to strengthen his resolve to jump from the building and end this nightmare once and for all.
Chapter Nineteen
Three days after his hypnotherapy session with Dr Marks, Tommy was still refusing to leave his room. He’d not locked the door or placed furniture in front of the window again, but he was ready to do so at the first sign of any pressure to make him return to the Wellbeing Clinic. There was no way on earth he would go near that place again.