The Cornelius Saga Boxed Set

by Tanya R. Taylor

  9

  _________________

  As they were having lunch at Old Joe’s, Wade’s cell went off and he quickly answered it. Within moments, everyone assumed it was Whitmore he was speaking to who had also been out there at the scene earlier that morning, helping out as much as he could.

  “Okay,” Wade said. “Friday would be fine; it’s our last day. I know you have your hands tied right now.”

  He told the doctor to hold the line and handed Mira the phone.

  “For me?” she whispered across the table.

  Wade gave her an affirming nod.

  “That’s really great news,” Mira said to Whitmore shortly thereafter. “Thanks so much.” She gave Wade his cell back.

  “What did he say?” Sara asked.

  “He said that your Pumpkin’s tests came back all clear.” She landed a kiss on Rosie’s forehead. “So, she’s in top shape just as I knew she was.”

  “Excellent!” Wade said, pinching Rosie’s nose.

  “Uncle Wade, I can’t breathe!” Rosie squealed in jest.

  Everyone laughed heartily, and Tommy much more loudly than the others.

  Although the atmosphere in town was undeniably bleak, the Cullens got in as much sight-seeing as possible before having to return to the hotel. Wade and Mira also wanted to get their minds, as much as possible, off the tragedy the little town would now have to declare as part of their history.

  On their way back to the Marietta, they took a little detour through some of the more residential areas. Most of the houses were fairly simple in design, but the yards were beautifully landscaped – all, except for one that they came across. This particular single-story dwelling was overgrown with weeds and shrubbery, and the place appeared to be abandoned.

  Mira's curiosity of the property was piqued to the extent that she asked Wade to pull over to the side.

  After getting out, she slowly walked through the front yard, and stopped in front of the porch.

  “What is it?” Wade shouted to her, still at the wheel.

  Mira stepped on to the porch and stopped again at the front door. There, a multitude of raw, painful emotions overcame her. She struggled to compose herself, wiping a tear that had suddenly escaped her left eye. With sheer will power, she pulled herself away emotionally and ran back to the van.

  “Let’s go!” She said, fastening her seat belt.

  “What was that all about?” Sara asked.

  “They all died in there,” Rosie said softly.

  “Mira, what is Rosie talking about?” Norma asked.

  “I can’t talk about it right now. We need to get back to the hotel.”

  “Do you want us to just cut our losses and leave this town?” Wade suggested. “There’s really too many things going on here. It’s probably best we leave.”

  “We can’t leave yet,” Mira insisted. “If we do, what’s been started won’t stop until they’re all dead.”

  “What?” Sara was shocked by the partial revelation.

  “Mom’s right,” Rosie said despondently. “We can’t leave yet. They need us.”

  No one dared to pose another question, and were silent during the remainder of the drive.

  Walking through the foyer toward the elevator, Mira noticed the manager chatting at the counter with a young man.

  “I’ll meet you guys upstairs,” she said, making her way over to Reception.

  “Why, hello, Miss Cullen… Doctor Cullen. How are you today?” Doris said, giving Mira her full attention. “I must apologize, yet again, for the electricity matter last night. I don’t know what’s going on, to be quite honest with you. But I’ve spoken to my superior and we’ve decided, because of all the inconvenience and trouble you’ve endured since coming here, to credit your charge card every penny you’ve paid for both rooms. And you get to spend the remainder of your time here for free! How’s that?”

  The entire time Doris was speaking, Mira could barely keep her eyes off the surname imprinted on the woman’s name tag, which was Black.

  Could this be the meaning of the ghostly scribble in sand?

  “Sounds good; thanks,” Mira replied. “Look, can I speak to you privately for a sec?”

  “Privately? Sure.” Doris stepped from behind the counter, wondering what this could possibly be about.

  The ladies went off to the side.

  “Yes, Miss Cullen?”

  Mira sighed, somewhat nervously. “Doris, what I’m about to ask you might seem rather odd, but I have to ask anyway.”

  “Okay.”

  “Um, I know I’m just a visitor here. I don’t know anyone and I certainly don’t know anything much about this town. But I’ve been having a strong feeling about some things lately and I was wondering if you can possibly give me some background information...”

  “Background information?” Doris was perplexed and a little thrown off.

  “Maybe that came out wrong.” Mira sighed again. “You remember telling us about the family from around here that was murdered recently?”

  “Uh huh?”

  “Is there something more you know about those people that you haven’t shared with us?”

  “Do you mean their private lives?”

  “I mean… is there something that happened to any of them that might have been really disturbing or suspicious – anything like that?”

  Doris thought for a minute. “I don’t think so. The Beesleys were a regular family just like any other around here, except Mr. and Mrs. Beesley were known to get into it even publicly at times. He had a bit of a drinking problem, but other than that, nothing. There’s nothing suspicious or otherwise disturbing,” Doris replied.

  “Are you sure?” Mira probed.

  “Of course. I’m sorry, but that’s all I can think of. Why is this so important to you?”

  “I’m not sure,” Mira said. “I’m not sure. Anyway, thanks, Doris and I appreciate the refund.” She hurried over to the elevator.

  Doris headed back to the counter and watched quietly as Mira entered the elevator.

  10

  _________________

  The third night - 2:12 am:

  Slopes of luscious greenery was a sight for sore eyes. Mira hadn’t seen anything quite like it before. The perfectly manicured grass was a resplendent shade of green that seemed to burst with life and sheer merriment. The landscape and the winding streams of water that ran through it were calming to the senses.

  “Come, let me show you.” She felt someone touch her hand. It was him – the boy. He was nicely groomed and donned an all-white designer suit which sparkled as bright as diamonds.

  Mira walked with him, bare-footed, dirt sliding between her toes. They stopped at the edge of a stream.

  “Here, it is,” he said, staring into the water.

  Mira looked down and observed a slimy green liquid that bubbled as if it were boiling. Soon, small fish and frogs were surfacing and floating in the water. Mira grimaced at the sight of it.

  The boy then leaned in and whispered, “Help us!”

  Mira awoke from the dream and sat up in bed. She glanced at the alarm clock which read: 3:05, then instinctively, she pulled off the white sheet, and what she saw startled her: Her feet were soiled as if she had walked in wet dirt. A second later, the power went out.

  Mira grabbed her cell phone and hurried into the bathroom. She switched on the faucet and watched and waited. At first, the water was clear, then approximately thirty seconds later, it emitted a foul odor and changed to a slimy, greenish hue.

  “My God! They’ve contaminated the water supply. This could be a catastrophe!”

  Just then, Sara appeared at the door. “Here we go again, huh?” She referred to the power outage.

  “Mom, come here!” Mira pulled her inside the bathroom. “Watch this.” She switched on the tub faucet this time and allowed the water to run. The same thing happened.

  “What’s going on, Mira?” Sara asked worriedly.

  “They’ve contam
inated the water supply. If anyone drinks this even while it’s clear, it can really harm them, I’m sure.”

  “Who did this?”

  “Mom, from the first day we arrived here, Rosie and I have both seen some people – two women and a young boy who say they need my help. The younger woman has always said: They will pay – nothing more. I think something happened to them that the townspeople are aware of and they want some sort of retribution or something. I’m not sure what they want. They’re responsible for the bridge mishap too.”

  Sara’s eyes widened with shock. “Why didn’t you tell me about this sooner?”

  “There’s nothing you could’ve done, Mom, except worry. I’m only telling you now because you mustn’t, under any circumstances, use this water. We’ll go to the store and get bottled water; hopefully, they’ll be okay.”

  Sara was shaking her head. “Honey, in light of all of this, I think it’s high time we leave here.”

  “We can’t yet, Mom. Remember what I said in the car? If we do that before these entities get whatever it is they want me to help them with, the people here will suffer terribly. I couldn’t live with myself if that happened.”

  “Okay.” Sara shrugged. “We must warn your brother and as many people as we can.”

  “Precisely what I was thinking.”

  “The water smells horrible, but only after it’s already been running a while.”

  “That’s how they wanted it to be, Mom. That way, more people would have used it before it’s obvious that it’s contaminated. I’ll call Wade. You call the front desk,” she said.

  Wade’s heart sank when he heard what was going on and actually went and checked the water for himself. He, too, felt like they should get out of Sogog as quickly as possible, but Mira’s explanation against it seemed worthwhile.

  “We have to be very careful. You understand that though?” he said.

  “I do.”

  “We can purchase drinking water, but how do you propose we take care of general hygiene until this is all cleared up?”

  “We’ll have to use bottled water for both – as little of it as possible until...”

  She heard Wade’s sigh through the phone. “Um… you know what, you all can go on ahead of me and I’ll just catch a flight out whenever I’m finished here. All that bottled water is gonna be pricey and I don’t know how much longer we’d have to stay here,” she said.

  “Don’t even go there, Mira,” Wade rebutted. “There’s no way we’re leaving you in this God-forsaken place. We came together and we’ll leave together. Let’s hope you get this wrapped up soon, just in case the bottled water isn’t good or runs out completely and we’re jacked!”

  Sara was able to convince the front desk clerk to check the water faucets, who immediately alerted the proper authorities. She also sprung her people into action to go door to door on each level of the hotel to warn guests not to use the water supply. The Cullen family, including the children, also went door to door on their floor using hand-held flashlights and those of their cell phones. They assisted on other floors as well in order to get the word out as quickly as possible.

  Hours later, the power was restored and news of the contamination had already spread like wildfire. Authorities shut down the town’s main water supply and advised everyone to use store-bought bottled water with seals, as it appeared to be the only safe source for consumption and topical use.

  Relevant government departments from surrounding areas put their laboratory scientists to work in order to conduct major testing of the main water supply in Matthew Town. Their intention was to identify and remove the contaminant as quickly as possible.

  In the meantime, the Cullens were one of the first to arrive at the food store, even before the announcement, and they stocked up on boxes of bottled water.

  “Shouldn’t the hotel have supplied these for the guests?” Sara suggested.

  “Sure, they should, but just in case they don’t, at least we’ll be fine either way,” Mira said.

  “Actually, it seems like most of the guests have packed up and are leaving,” Norma noted.

  “Can’t say I blame them,” Mira responded softly.

  “Don’t worry about what I think, Mira.” Norma placed her arm around Mira’s shoulder. “We are going to be fine. We’re family and we stick together.”

  Mira looked at her and smiled. “Thanks, Norma. You’re my favorite sister-in-law.”

  “Oh, stop it! I’m your only sister-in-law.”

  Laughter erupted.

  Sam, the porter, was kind enough to transport the boxes of bottled water upstairs for the Cullens. Equal amounts were divided between both rooms and the plan was that if any remained unused before they left, they would give all to Sam to take home for his family. Wade even gave him a hundred dollar tip to help him get some boxes of his own if he needed to.

  By noon, countless reports of Matthew Town residents having to seek emergency medical care flooded media outlets – not just in town, but city-wide. Men, women and children had fallen ill with symptoms of diarrhea, vomiting and high fever. Extra medical personnel came in droves from surrounding parts of Sogog to assist Dr. Whitmore and his staff with the influx of patients. Wade had called offering to assist, but Whitmore declined, stating he now had sufficient personnel in place to handle the dilemma. Some persons had to be air-lifted, as was the case when the bridge collapsed the day before.

  “I hope you’d still come by for dinner tomorrow,” he said to Wade, who almost couldn’t believe his ears, knowing that Whitmore had more than his hands full. “Well, we still have to eat, don’t we?” He added after sensing Wade’s hesitation. “I’ll be sure to provide clean water. “

  “Sure, we’re still on. No problem.”

  “Tomorrow’s your last day. Won’t want you to leave without having you taste some of Ruth’s delicious cooking. That’s how she was able to keep me all these years, you know.”

  Wade chuckled. “I’m looking forward to it, Doc.”

  * * *

  Mira was half-asleep on the couch when the phone rang. She had been glued to the news all day and had learned that at least ten people had supposedly died as a result of water contamination.

  Having no desire to be out and about that day, the Cullens remained indoors after purchasing water from the store. Sara had taken Rosie and Tommy downstairs to the game room, instead of having them cooped upstairs in their rooms all day.

  Doris Black was on the other line.

  “Can you come to my house this evening after I get off work?” she asked Mira. “I don’t live far from here. You can bring someone along if you like.”

  Mira was listening.

  “I’ve been giving some thought to what you said recently and I think there’s something you should know. My husband, Clyde, will be there too.”

  Mira readily agreed and Doris gave her directions to her house. They would meet there in one hour.

  * * *

  Mira pulled up in front of the Blacks’ residence at 4:15. She was alone, but had left directions with Wade as to where she would be.

  She noticed the cemetery directly across the street and the light, darting movement throughout.

  After stepping out of the van, she started up the walkway toward the front door and before she was able to knock, it swung open. Doris stood on the other side. Her facial expression was one of worry and perhaps, fear. A large man was standing directly behind her.

  “Miss Cullen, please come in,” Doris said.

  “Thank you.”

  “This is my husband, Clyde.”

  He quickly extended a hand to her.

  “Nice to meet you,” Mira said.

  “Please, have a seat.” Doris led the way to their dining table. “Clyde has something really important to tell you first.”

  11

  _________________

  Wade and Mira sat quietly the following evening as they drove to Dr. Whitmore’s house. By then, the death toll in Matthew Town due t
o water contamination had risen to fifty and the town was swamped with the assistance of outside agencies to help fix the problem.

  Whitmore’s house, a sprawling white, ten thousand square foot mansion, was set atop elevated land with large trees that dotted the landscape. Wade and Mira had not seen another house during their tour that even looked remotely similar to Whitmore’s.

  When the iron gates parted, Wade drove at least one hundred yards through before they made it in front of the tall, mahogany double doors.

  “Come in! Come in!” Whitmore greeted them with a wide and proud smile. “Where’s the rest of the family?”

  “I’m sorry, they couldn’t make it. We had a long day today, seeing that it’s our last,” Wade explained.

  “I completely understand.”

  “We hope you had no trouble finding the place.” A thin, old lady dressed in a lavish two-toned purple and blue gown stood several feet away near one of the decorative columns.

  “No trouble at all,” Wade said. “Doctor Whitmore gave perfect directions.”

  “Please pardon my husband’s rudeness.” She quickly made her way over, extending a hand. “I’m Ruth.”

  “Nice to meet you,” Mira and Wade both said.

  Ruth seemed pleasant enough, but was clearly the no-nonsense type. Whitmore appeared to mind his Ps and Qs as they all sat at the long, rectangular dinner table. Ruth did not have to lift a finger after having cooked the special meal, as their domestic help, Larry Pickstock, who seemed to have a dominant, but warm, feminine side, took care of everything with sheer delight.

  “Mira’s daughter is the little one I told you about, darling,” Whitmore said to his wife.

  “Oh, really?” Ruth rested down her glass of champagne after having taken a sip. “I do hope she’s completely fine now, dear.” She was looking at Mira.