The Hill - Carla’s Story (Book Two): A Paranormal Murder Mystery Thriller. (Book Two)
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The Hill - Carla’s Story (Book Two)
A Paranormal Murder Mystery Thriller
By Andrew M Stafford
‘The Hill reveals the world for what it is; a place where the impossible is real, and the dead speak with the living’
Text Copyright © 2014 Andy Stafford
All Rights Reserved
All the characters in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is purely coincidental.
Please note: This is the second in a two part series. The story begins with Book One and concludes with Book Two.
If you prefer, alternatively you have the option to purchase an Omnibus version containing both Book One and Book Two.
Reviews from Amazon for The Hill (Omnibus edition containing both Book one and Book two).
5.0 out of 5 stars Best book I've read on kindle, 21 April 2015
I loved this book, I felt as though I was there with the characters. Full of suspense and would love to see it made into a film. Can't wait for more by this author. Well done Andrew Stafford.
5.0 out of 5 stars Superb! 19 April 2015
This is a truly excellent book and a page turner from start to finish. It has a gripping plot and holds the attention all the way through. I can thoroughly recommend it as an excellent read.
5.0 out of 5 stars would make good viewing, 12 April 2015
Can't wait for his next book. Why don't they make films or TV dramas, would make good viewing
5.0 out of 5 stars A truly amazing read best book I've read by far, 7 April 2015
A truly amazing read best book I've read by far and I read a lot. A fantastic story of which you feel every emotion cannot rate it highly enough truly brilliant.
5.0 out of 5 stars I loved this book and couldn't put it down, 28 Mar. 2015
I loved this book and couldn't put it down. .would make a fabulous mini series or film.. highly recommend. .
5.0 out of 5 stars one of the best books read lately really enjoyed it... , 28 Mar. 2015
One of the best books read lately really enjoyed it both story and writing ,HOPE that there will be another book soon.
5.0 out of 5 stars The Hill best read I have had for ages. brilliant., 13 Mar. 2015
This book is amazing kept me glued all the way through.. I would love to read another book by Andrew M Stafford. Hope it will not be too long to wait. Great stuff. Keep writing Andrew.
Please note: This is the second Book in the series ‘The Hill’.
The story below continues directly from where ‘The Hill - Ben’s Story (Book One)’ finished.
If you have not already read Book One, please return to Amazon to find details.
Table of Contents
Chapter seventy six
Chapter seventy seven
Chapter seventy eight
Chapter seventy nine
Chapter eighty
Chapter eighty one
Chapter eighty two
Chapter eighty three
Chapter eighty four
Chapter eighty five
Chapter eighty six
Chapter eighty seven
Chapter eighty eight
Chapter eighty nine
Chapter ninety
Chapter ninety one
Chapter ninety two
Chapter ninety three
Chapter ninety four
Chapter ninety five
Chapter ninety six
Chapter ninety seven
Chapter ninety eight
Chapter ninety nine
Chapter one hundred
Chapter one hundred and one
Chapter one hundred and two
Chapter one hundred and three
Chapter one hundred and four
Chapter one hundred and five
Chapter one hundred and six
Chapter one hundred and seven
Chapter one hundred and eight
Chapter one hundred and nine
Chapter one hundred and ten
Chapter one hundred and eleven
Chapter one hundred and twelve
Chapter one hundred and thirteen
Chapter one hundred and fourteen
Chapter one hundred and fifteen
Chapter one hundred and sixteen
Chapter one hundred and seventeen
Chapter one hundred and eighteen
Chapter one hundred and nineteen
Chapter one hundred and twenty
Chapter one hundred and twenty one
Chapter one hundred and twenty two
Chapter one hundred and twenty three
Chapter one hundred and twenty four
Chapter one hundred and twenty five
Chapter one hundred and twenty six
Chapter one hundred and twenty seven
Chapter one hundred and twenty eight
Chapter one hundred and twenty nine
Chapter one hundred and thirty
Chapter one hundred and thirty one
Chapter one hundred and thirty two
Chapter one hundred and thirty three
Chapter one hundred and thirty four
Chapter one hundred and thirty five
Chapter one hundred and thirty six
Chapter one hundred and thirty seven
Chapter one hundred and thirty eight
Chapter one hundred and thirty nine
Chapter one hundred and forty
Chapter one hundred and forty one
Chapter one hundred and forty two
Chapter one hundred and forty three
Chapter one hundred and forty four
Chapter one hundred and forty five
Chapter one hundred and forty six
Chapter one hundred and forty seven
Chapter one hundred and forty eight
Chapter one hundred and forty nine
Chapter one hundred and fifty
Chapter one hundred and fifty one
Chapter one hundred and fifty two
Chapter one hundred and fifty three
Chapter one hundred and fifty four
Chapter one hundred and fifty five
Chapter one hundred and fifty six
Chapter one hundred and fifty seven
Epilogue
Message from the author
Other Books by Andrew M Stafford
Please note: This is the second Book in the series ‘The Hill’.
The story below continues directly from where ‘The Hill - Ben’s Story (Book One)’ finished.
If you have not already read Book One, please return to Amazon to find details.
Chapter seventy six
Devon
Sunday 6th May 2012
Eighteen months later
Maria and Campbell were returning from a long weekend in Devon. The Sunday afternoon traffic on the motorway was nose to tail due to an accident on the other carriageway.
“Bloody rubber-neckers,” said Campbell in his soft Southern Irish accent
Friday had been a brilliant day. Campbell had done the right thing and even got down on one knee when he presented Maria with a small red box wrapped with a gold ribbon.
She’d said yes without giving it another thought, as he slipped the diamond engagement ring onto her finger.
He’d booked a cottage in the small seaside town of Brixham and arranged for Maria’s mother to look after Christopher.
Campbell was working for TM.I.T. He’d left the coffee shop just over a year ago when the I.T. c
ompany offered him a position working as a programmer in a small team who were designing an on-line shopping website for a high street supermarket. After finishing his PhD he had been holding out for a position as a Cyber Security Consultant, but decided to take the web design job as a stopgap until the post he really wanted came up.
The last couple of days had been wonderful and it was the first time Maria had been away from her son. She missed him terribly, but embraced the freedom of a couple of days where she and Campbell could do whatever they wanted.
They’d woken early that morning and went for a walk around the town. At eight o’clock they were hand in hand on the harbour wall watching the fisherman prepare the boats to go out to sea. Maria watched as the small town came to life. Shops were opening, the streets were being cleaned and a lorry was slowly making its way up the narrow harbour road with a delivery for a grocery shop.
For a short period of time she was able to forget about Christopher and his strange behaviour.
She huddled against Campbell before getting to her feet to return to the cottage for breakfast.
The traffic on the motorway was slowly beginning to move. Each time their car inched forward she felt the pangs of anxiety return.
Things hadn’t ended well between Maria and Peter Phelps. After spending a stressful week in the London hospital, which seemed to have made Christopher’s RMD worse, then waiting six months for Phelps to analyse the data, only to be told that he could find no reason why her son was chanting was too much for her.
She’d accused him of being an unprofessional time waster and even suggested that he’d used the grant he’d been awarded to fund his own lavish lifestyle.
Her accusations had been unfounded as Phelps had worked tirelessly to get to the bottom of what was causing Christopher’s behaviour, but after six long months and after the grant had been spent he had to admit defeat. He just couldn’t find anything wrong with Christopher. He’d applied for additional grant money, but had been turned down.
Phelps was disappointed that his research had yielded no results. It had been a stressful time which had put pressure on his marriage and caused his other work to suffer.
He hoped that someone else could carry on with the work he’d started and was frustrated that it was unlikely to be him who’d find the answer to the strange new abnormal variant of Rhythmic Movement Disorder which affected Christopher Jameson so severely.
Campbell looked at Maria from the corner of his eye and saw that she was crying. He didn’t need to ask why, he knew Christopher was on her mind and she was dreading returning home.
He had moved in with her in January and was as affected by Christopher’s disorder as much as she. Most nights were made up of interrupted sleep listening to whatever new mantra he would be chanting that week.
Over the past eighteen months Maria and Campbell had written down and recorded over sixty different chants. Most of them were four or five words long and every chant was delivered with the same laborious head banging.
Every chant followed the same theme. It was always a ‘cry for help’. Either he was asking to be heard, to be answered or he was pleading to be set free. As Christopher had grown older, the voice he used at night had matured.
During the day he was a different child. He was happy, intelligent and loving. He had accepted Campbell as his father and the two had formed a close bond. Christopher played well with other children and was adored by his friend’s parents.
His speech was developing and Maria enjoyed their little chats.
He seemed to be the perfect son, until the evening came.
Having Campbell in her life had been a blessing. She loved him dearly and would not have been able to deal with the horrors of the night without him. He had a calming influence on her. Just having him next to her during Christopher’s bouts of RMD reassured her that somehow everything would be alright.
Campbell was a levelheaded and rational man who rarely raised his voice. He complemented Maria’s fiery character and provided the antidote she needed to lower her stress levels and reduce her anxieties.
The traffic was now moving and their journey home continued. Maria was in the front passenger seat with her head turned to the left as she watched green fields and farmland pass by. She was quietly weeping and looked away from Campbell so he couldn’t see her. Campbell knew she was crying and not just because he happened to see the first tear roll down her cheek. He could sense her body language. The way she held her head as she looked away from him, and her slightly laboured breathing, told him she wasn’t happy.
They were fifty miles from Bristol and had about an hour to go until they were home. Campbell saw the sign for the services.
“Do you fancy stretching your legs?” he asked as he gestured to the sign.
Maria shrugged her shoulders.
“I need a comfort break and could do with a drink,” said Campbell as he indicated and pulled across to the nearside lane.
He pulled into the service station car park. Maria was still looking out of her window. He put his hand on her shoulder.
“I just can’t face the thought of going home,” said Maria, who was still looking the other way.
“I know, but we can’t stay away forever and despite what he does when he’s sleeping, he’s your little boy and he needs us.”
She turned to him and wiped her tears with her sleeve.
“I know, I’m being stupid.”
He stroked her cheek and shook his head.
“No you’re not.”
Campbell got out of the car and walked round to Maria’s side and opened the door for her. They walked slowly hand in hand to the service station building and made their way to the restaurant.
“I don’t want anything,” said Maria as she sat at the nearest table.
“I need coffee, I’m I was almost falling asleep at the wheel.”
She sat and watched him as he ordered his drink. Maria briefly pondered where she would be had she not met him.
He made his way to the table with two coffees on the tray.
“I said I didn’t want one.”
“I know, but I thought ahh, what the heck,” he said as he slid her coffee across the table.
Campbell had something he needed to speak to her about, it was about Christopher and he knew she wasn’t going to like it.
Maria didn’t want anyone to know about her son. There were a handful of friends, family and doctors who knew about Christopher’s sleep talking, and that was the way she wanted it to remain.
Campbell had been talking to a work colleague about Christopher. He hadn’t intended to, but the conversation had just steered around to something that he thought could help get to the bottom of what was happening.
“Maria, I think I may have an idea of how we can find out what’s happening to Christopher.”
She looked up from her coffee and put her cup on the table.
“I think we should consider hypnotherapy.”
“No, no, no. He’s not being hypnotised. He’s not even three for Christ’s sake. Anyway you couldn’t hypnotise a child.”
Samreen had also suggested hypnotherapy and she had dismissed it then, and she was dismissing it again.
“Please hear me out” said Campbell gently.
“I’ve been talking with Connor in the office…….”
“You’ve been talking to your friends about my son?” said Maria in a raised voice.
“Please listen Maria, let me finish.”
Maria pushed away from the table and sat upright with her arms folded. He waited for her to relax before continuing.
“Connor was telling me about his brother who is a professional hypnotherapist and I was asking him about the sort of work he does.”
Maria let him continue.
“Connor was telling me about how hypnotherapy works. According to him the subconscious mind does not forget anything at all. It is all stored there, neatly filed away.”
Maria said nothing.
<
br /> “The subconscious mind is far more powerful than the conscious one.”
She picked up her cup and took a sip of coffee. Campbell waited for her to speak, but she said nothing.
“I’m just saying, give it some thought.”
He’d planted the seed of thought in her mind. He was a clever man and knew when to stop talking. If Maria was going to come around to the idea of letting her son be hypnotised, she’d do it on her own terms.
Campbell had hardly mentioned Christopher to Connor. He had skipped the finer details and brought up that his partner’s son had trouble sleeping at night, spoke when he was sleeping and that some of the things he said were unusual.
Connor had given his brother’s details to Campbell and suggested he should think about giving him a call.
They finished their drinks and left the restaurant. Maria was quiet and still wasn’t in the mood for conversation.
Before leaving the service station Campbell bought a bunch of flowers for Claire to say thank you for looking after Christopher.
It was quarter past five when he parked their car outside the flat. Maria left Campbell to get the cases from the boot whilst she opened the front door.
She turned the key in the lock and could hear Christopher running down the hall shouting, “mummy’s home, mummy’s home”. The door swung open and he was jigging up and down with excitement waving Misty over his head. She bent down to hug him and he jumped into her arms. She gave him the biggest hug she could remember giving anyone.
“I’ve missed you darling.”
Christopher wouldn’t stop kissing her.
Campbell struggled with the cases and dropped them with a thud in the hall.
“Daddy!” squealed Christopher as he wriggled down from Maria and ran to cuddle Campbell.
After another long hug, Campbell put him down.
Christopher was jabbering excitedly about all the things he’d been doing with his nanny.
“Nanny got me ice cream and we went to the swings and nanny got me a train and nanny let me play on my bike and………..”
“So you’ve had a nice time with nanny?”