Duet

by O'Gorman, Brian

  “Yeah, I know,” said Greg. It came out sounding off hand, but secretly inside he was breathing a sigh of relief, Louis had said exactly what he needed to hear. Some of his appalling visions of the future began to fade somewhat. Louis nodded as if she understood that he didn’t want to be pushed on the issue any further.

  “So, what did old mama June tell you, anything interesting?”

  “She had plenty to say. It’s weird Louis, because she is supposed to have some sort of dementia right?”

  “Right,” said Louis and slurped her tea.

  “Well, today she was talking to me like everything was perfectly normal. Do you think she could possibly be faking it?”

  Louis shrugged, “Well, if she is, she is doing a damn good acting job.”

  Greg nodded in agreement. “Today she was talking to me like there was no problem with her at all. She was telling me that she used to do psychic readings and all that spiritualist shit. Do you know anything about that?”

  Louis smiled, “Yes indeed, she is a bit of a local legend there Greg. My Mum had a reading done with her. She never told me what went on but she said she had nightmares about it for weeks. She never went back to her again I can tell you that. But she did tell me that what June told her changed the entire course of her life.”

  “Well, you should have heard what she had to say today. She almost had me convinced that she could read minds and hear thoughts and all that bollocks. She told me that Tina, the woman on reception wanted me to go down on her in one of the empty bedrooms.”

  Louis laughed. She came close to spilling her tea down her front with the force of her chuckles. “Christ, perhaps I should pay her a little visit myself.”

  “She said that there was something in the water and that she was going to have to go and face it sooner or later. She told me to go back tomorrow and she would be able to tell me more about it.”

  Louis frowned, “Why would she make you wait until tomorrow? If she is as psychic as she makes herself out to be then she should have been able to tell you there and then.”

  Greg frowned, his cup of tea paused halfway to his mouth. “Yeah, why make me wait? Unless…”

  He looked over at Louis, realisation creeping through his body. He saw the same expression drawing itself over Louis’s face as it was on his own. They both had the same thought.

  “She going to do something stupid,” they both said in unison.

  They both stood up, putting their half-drunk tea on the table.

  “Wait, what if Soames…” began Greg, but Louis put her hand up to silence him.

  “Don’t you worry about Soames, I will take the heat from him. This is far more important than Soames’s ego,” she said.

  They went for the door, grabbing their jackets as they went. Louis got the car started whilst Greg locked up. He got into the car and they screeched away leaving black tyre marks on the road as they did so.

  15.

  By the Time Louis and Greg had realised what was happening June had already set off. She had managed that cup of tea and it certainly hit the spot, that was for sure. She had been about halfway through it when she looked over at the empty seat next to her and saw Francis sitting in the chair. June had to focus for a moment, just to make sure that Francis was actually sitting there or had come to visit in another way. She was real alright and she wasn’t projecting herself. June offered her a warm smile. The fog in her mind was still there but it wasn’t quite as dense as it had been a few moments ago.

  “I wondered when you were going to show up,” said June.

  “I don’t really know why I’m here at all. Something just told me to come,” said Francis.

  June chuckled. “Probably not something, more likely someone.”

  Francis looked puzzled. “Well, if it was someone, I have no idea who.”

  “I don’t suppose it really matters. The message was clear enough for you to be sitting here right now. They obviously told you exactly where I was.”

  Frances nodded. “They didn’t tell me anything. I went to sleep last night and I got woken up by someone screaming, only the screaming was inside my head. It was a man but I didn’t quite catch his name. Then there was something else June, something reaching out to you, something that scared me to a point where I had to go downstairs and sit drinking tea for the rest of the night just in case I dreamed about it. I needed to come and find you, just to make sure you were alright and perhaps find out what was going on. Is something coming for you June?”

  June looked out of the window at the reservoir.

  “I think my fate is already sealed. If I sit here and do nothing, events in this tiny little village could get right out of hand my dear. I have to go and see what it was that hurt that young man. It has bad intentions, whatever it is. I have to find out what it wants.”

  Francis stood up. “Is there any way I can help you? I know this might sound strange, but I feel like our fates are somehow entwined, so here I am. I don’t really understand why.”

  June looked up at her, “His name was Bentley, the man you heard screaming. He reached out with his mind my dear, and it looks like he reached further than I had realised.”

  “Answer me this June: What happened to me on that day I came to see you? Since then I can hear and see things that I want to go and tell a doctor about, but I think if I did he would put me in the nut house.”

  “I just opened your mind a little. I opened the door just a crack. Sounds like you went and booted it open. It’s not all bad though is it? Things have changed for you since the last time we met. I can feel it. You are a different soul than the one I met before.”

  Francis sat down again and she took one of June’s frail hands in her own.

  “That meeting we had changed my life. I mean that as no exaggeration June, it changed everything for me. My whole perspective on the world was altered. I started to see it as the most beautiful place, full of good and wonderful people. The next day I phoned Robert and he was still single. We got together and have been so happy ever since, and last year we finally tied the knot. Even Caitlin loves him to pieces.”

  June laughed. “You see, you can’t fight fate any more than I can.”

  Francis smiled. A single tear ran down her right cheek. “I can’t help but believe that this is going to end badly.”

  “Your instincts are probably right my dear. I’m an old fucker now, not got many miles left in the tank. It might not end well kiddo, but you know as well as I do that it won’t be the last time we speak.”

  “Can I do anything for you June? Anything at all?”

  June puzzled a moment and then she smiled. “Just be strong when you need to be kid, that’s all you have to do. I don’t think fate is finished with you yet. Oh and you can give me a lift if you like. Got somewhere I need to be.”

  Francis looked around at the few members of staff dotted around the room. “Will they let you go?”

  June wheezed out a laugh. “Don’t worry about that, I have my little tricks to deal with them.”

  Francis knew what she meant. She knew exactly what she meant.

  Twenty minutes later. June was beginning her walk across the reservoir bridge. She was making her way to the water’s edge where the remains of the ducks and the fox had been found. She was taking in the day as she walked. The sun was high, giving the day a warm springtime edge. There was a slight chill which made the air feel crisp and fresh as she breathed it into her ageing lungs. There was a slight haze hanging over the water which only added to the beauty of the surroundings. As she walked and looked out at her surroundings she knew that there was something amiss, something not quite right and she needed to find out what it was. If there was to be any hope of the village surviving, then she needed to find out what was going on. Once she did that, then she could pass it on to the nice young police man when he came back to visit later.

  She finished crossing the bridge, passing the little platform for duck feeders. There was still a police sign up on
the platform appealing for witnesses to the duck shredding incident. She walked round the edge of the barrier and down the rocky incline that led down to the water’s edge. She stood there for a moment trying to open up her mind to whatever was out there. She tried to visualise the shooting star that fell into the water early on that fateful morning. She had felt its presence then and she wanted to feel it now. What was it? What did it want? The questions blurred round her mind over and over again. She began to speak them out loud, wondering if this thing in the water had any capacity to think. She stood for almost half an hour repeating the questions in her mind and out loud. Then she stopped, wondering why there was nothing coming back from the thing in the water, after all it had drawn her here.

  Then she saw something moving out of the corner of her eye.

  She turned her head towards the movement and saw that there was a steady stream of water moving up the incline. The stream was no more than ten centimetres wide and it left no splashes or drips as it ran upwards over the rocks. It shot over the crest of the embankment and began to run down the other side. June went carefully up to the top of the embankment and saw that the stream of water was making its way up the pathway that headed towards the village playground. Before it made it to the end of the pathway it suddenly banked left and into one of the grids that were dotted along the concrete pathway. June saw it and then she began to realise what it was they were dealing with. She allowed the blockage in her mind to be free again and Eric whispered it in her ear.

  She began to make her way across the bridge again as fast as her legs could carry her. Her heart pounded in her chest and the sickening taste of fear flooded her mouth and her stomach. She had to get back to the home, the police man was going to be there soon. But she could hear the water behind her. She let out a scream and forced herself to move faster. Her stupid old legs wouldn’t co-operate with her and she almost fell. She kept moving as fast as she could go, think that at any moment the water would come and engulf her and drag her out into the reservoir. She managed to make it to the end of the bridge and she turned around. There was no water following her but the reservoir looked like it had shrunk. She turned and started walking back towards the hill that led up Reservoir Road and the care home. About halfway back up the hill her legs began to feel like they were turning to jelly. Her breath started to come in short hitches. The world around her began to swim in and out of focus. She thought that her heart was finally giving up the ghost and she was going to drop dead right there at the side of the road.

  Come on old girl, you ain’t finished yet.

  “It’s too far, I’m too tired. I just want it to be over,” she said out loud.

  You know that’s not your style, now get some air in those lungs. Stick those fun bags out.

  “They’re not fun bags anymore Eric my love, just knots on a piece of string,” She said and then she closed her eyes and drew in a long flowing breath in through her nose.

  That’s my girl.

  She held it for three seconds and then let it out slowly through her pursed lips, counting to five slowly in her head as she did so.

  Good stuff, now do it again.

  “Bossy,” she said and then closed her eyes again and drew a breath in through her nose, slowly and carefully filling her lungs. She held the air again for a count of three and then she let it go, the air hissing out of her lips for a count of five. She opened her eyes.

  Better now?

  The world was back in focus. Her legs felt as strong as they could be for a woman of her advancing years. “Better now.”

  Good, now let’s get moving, just slow the pace down a little there’s no rush. He will be here soon. No flirting this time O.K?

  June started walking again, a smile breaking out on her face. She wished Eric was here in physical form so she could slap him across his face for being a cheeky bastard.

  You’ll get your chance missy.

  She walked on at a more comfortable pace, taking each step as it came. She was nearly at the door to the care home when the police car with Louis and Greg pulled up. Greg almost fell out of the car when he saw June standing there. He raced over to her with Louis right behind him.

  “June, are you O.K?” he said.

  “Oh I’m just fine young man, I need a cup of tea, but other than that I am just fine and dandy.”

  “Why don’t we get you inside and get you sorted out,” said Greg.

  “That’s a good idea young man, we need to have a little chat,” said June.

  Yes, I think you do.

  16.

  “June? How on earth did you get out?” said Tina in her usual over-the-top high pitched way. It sounded like she was talking to a five-year-old that had done a shit in their pants.

  “Oh, I’m a sneaky old bird,” said June, tipping Tina a wink.

  “Thank you for bringing her back,” said Tina to the two police officers.

  “Oh no worries,” said Louis. “I think she has definitely taken a shine to young Greg there,”

  “Why don’t you bring me and the young man a nice cup of tea my dear,” said June pointing at Tina. “Perhaps she could show you the rooms eh?” she said to Louis. Louis looked at Tina and saw that her cheeks had coloured. Greg stifled a laugh.

  “Come on June, I’ll get you settled,” said Greg and led her towards here usual little spot by the window. Louis took the hint, she had to keep Tina busy whilst Greg talked to June.

  June’s spot by the window was unoccupied as per usual. It was almost an unwritten rule in the care home that the space was reserved for June. She had never come to the space to find it occupied by somebody else. She sat herself in the chair and invited Greg to sit in the chair next to him. Greg looked up to see if Louis was anywhere to be seen.

  “Don’t you worry about her son, Tina will keep her occupied for a little while. Our Tina likes to bat for both teams if you catch my drift. What’s really going to bang your noodle is; would anything have happened with Tina if I hadn’t said anything?”

  Greg’s eyes widened and June laughed. “Come on, you knew all about Louis, don’t let it be such a surprise to you. Anyway, I gave you your chance and you passed. Looks like you passed the test, you are a man to be trusted. Now, make yourself useful and set us up with a pot of tea. I’m gagging here.”

  Greg stood up and nearly ran into one of the auxiliary staff pushing the tea trolley towards them. Greg heard June utter a wheezy laugh again. He sat down and allowed the auxiliary to serve them. June took two big mouthfuls of tea from her china cup and rolled her eyes with pleasure.

  “Now that’s what I’m talking about boyo,” she said and set her cup down.

  “June, you said yesterday that…”

  “I know what I said yesterday, that I would have some more information for you, that I would know what was in the water. Be patient sonny, I am an old woman you know.”

  “Sorry June,” said Greg mournfully.

  “It’s alright Greg, don’t you worry yourself about it. I got things to tell you about it and they can’t keep much longer. Time is running short for this little village of ours Greg and not just this one but the towns that neighbour us and use the water supply from the reservoir. We are in some pretty deep shit boyo.”

  “What is it June? What’s in there?”

  “Well, here’s the story as it goes. That thing out there, it drew me to the water. It wanted me there. It wants us all there Greg, every one of us. It came to this earth from such a long way away, far beyond anywhere people like us could even comprehend. It didn’t even know what it was when it got here, it didn’t have a clue. It dropped right there into that reservoir and that was the only existence it knew. It found itself surrounded by all this lovely cold stuff that we call water and it began to grow. Then it found those ducks just swimming about on the surface and it got hungry Greg, it got real hungry. It hadn’t ever had an urge for food before, so it began to eat those poor little duckies, and all of the fish and anything else that it came acro
ss. It grew bigger and bigger and consumed and consumed until there was nothing left. Nothing at all Greg, nothing at all. Now it wants more. It’s so hungry, it’s so damn hungry.”

  Greg looked out of the window. He saw the reservoir glistening in the mid afternoon sun. “Is it an alien?”

  “It was an alien and I guess in some ways it still is. But as far as the reservoir is concerned, you might be able to look right out of that window and see it Greg, but you can rest assured that the water is no longer there.”

  Greg shook his head. “I’m lost June.”

  June pointed a crooked finger at him. Her eyes looked like they were filling with darkness. “That thing that fell in there, it will do anything to survive, it can adapt and it can change. Just sitting in that hole out there is not enough for it anymore, it’s going to make a move on us. You tell me that you can’t see it, but you can young man, you can. It’s been hiding right under your nose Greg. It’s not in the water….”

  Inside Greg’s mind, it all fell into place and his body pulsed with horror. “It is the water.”

  “That’s right young man, and it’s coming for us, it’s coming for us all.”

  Part Two

  1.

  D.C.I Jack Soames was bloody furious. He had been bloody furious before, but this was on a totally new level of blood-pounding, sweat-raising, shitty-arsing fury. For many long years he had kissed arse and done as he was told against all his better instincts just to get to the level in his career that he had achieved. He couldn’t for the life of him work out why it was so hard for anyone else to see that it was the only way to get things done. You had to have a certain level of discipline to get on in this job, you had to, otherwise you would eventually end up as a desk jockey and where was the fun in that?

  His anger was being directed right in the direction of Greg Farnham and his immediate superior Louis Nelson. They had both already been in shit with him for disobeying orders that had come directly from him. He had told them, and he remembered specifically telling Greg Farnham that he must stay with the injured victim until they all knew what they were dealing with. If it had been another human that had caused the injuries to Bentley, then it would be an attempted murder case. But Greg had taken it upon himself to disobey the orders and go and talk to some senile old bitch at the old folks home. How a crazy old fart like that could help them solve what was going on was beyond him, sure she might have seen something, but how much of it was she likely to remember? Even worse than that his senior officer had fallen asleep on the job and Bentley had ended up dying on the floor of his room. Christ, that was bad enough for him to send them both home with a bollocking. He would have to take some shit from the Super just to save their jobs and he was going to make sure that shit got passed on good and proper. But that wasn’t the end of it. Something nagged him about that old fart in the home, perhaps she could at least give him a bit of a clue whilst he was waiting for post-mortem results for Bentley. He decided to take a little drive up to the home himself. Could he even begin to imagine the blind fury that he felt when he saw Farnham and Nelson’s car parked outside of the home? Hell no, not for a moment, but it was enough to make his hands shake like a parkinsonian. He had been buzzed in by one of the staff and asked to speak to Louis Nelson. She had been taken off for a tour of the bedrooms in the home by the assistant manager Tina. He had been taken to the only available room that was available in the home and found them there. Louis had been lay on the stripped bed, naked from the waist down, her head stretched backwards in the throes of pleasure. Tina had her head buried between Louis’s thighs and her right forefinger plunging in and out of her. They were so preoccupied by what they were doing that they never heard the door open and Soames stood there watching Louis hit her climax and for a moment wondering what would happen if he closed the door behind him and got on top of Louis himself. Then, as Louis came back down from the dizzying heights of passion that she had been taken to she had opened her eyes and seen Soames standing there in the doorway. They had made brief eye contact and that was all that was needed. He turned and went out of the door. He almost ran into Greg who was obviously on his way to try and intercept Soames before he found Louis. Greg tried to say something but Soames cut him off.