Revelations 12

by De Freitas

  “Would you mind if I went through his possessions”

  “No, I don’t think that would be a problem, Sheriff.”

  “In fact, Larry I’m not driving all the way back to Sidon, do you have a spare apartment I can rent for the night?”

  “Yes, I’m sure we do.”

  “Great, if you have one near the store room, I’d like to have it. I’ll look through his stuff and I’ll check out in the morning.”

  “Hang on, Sheriff. Let me have a look in the book here and see what would be the best room for you.”

  “I have one upstairs from the storeroom, that’s about the closest I have available.”

  “Perfect, Larry. Thanks so much. If you could take me to your store room and show me which are his boxes, that would be great”.

  Sheriff Amos went for lunch and then spent the rest of the day and into the night going through Dr Brookman’s belongings item by item.

  *

  “Well, Sheriff, did you get some sleep last night?”

  “I got a bit, thanks.”

  “Did you find anything interesting in the boxes?”

  “Yes and no, actually. I have a photograph here; can you confirm this is Dr Brookman?”

  “Yes, that’s him. Quite a handsome, clean-cut guy. It must have been taken a while before he died; he didn’t look much like that in the last few weeks.”

  “Do you know if he ever spoke about Sidon, or visiting Sidon?”

  “I don’t believe so, Sheriff. Why do you ask?”

  “I have a 1968 journal of his here. He kept a good record of his life. He has an address listed in Sidon. Would you mind, Larry, if I took both the journal and this photo of him?”

  “I’m sure, after this long, no one is going to miss them. Not a problem, Sheriff.”

  “The other thing I noticed is there wasn’t a single magazine, or even an item, that would connect him with being interested in canoes, rivers or the outdoors. I found that quite strange for someone who would go off in a canoe at one of the most challenging times.”

  “Yes, that is a bit strange, Sheriff. But, like I said, he was an absolute gentleman when he arrived here. I’ve no doubt something really strange happened in the apartment that affected him badly. I take it you’re leaving us today?”

  “Yes, I’m going to head back to Sidon shortly. What do I owe you for the night?”

  “Oh don’t be silly, it was a pleasure having you, Sheriff. Just leave something in your room. I have a young girl who does the cleaning, single mother. She would really appreciate it.”

  “Consider it done, Larry, and many thanks again for all your assistance with this.”

  Sheriff Amos jumped into his car and placed the photo of Dr Brookman behind his steering wheel, almost completely covering the speedometer. This is a face he wanted implanted in his memory. He then flicked through the journal one last time before he drove off. He had not actually been honest with Larry when he said he got a bit of sleep; in fact, he was up all night.

  The journal detailed the life of a young man who had gone from a dedicated medical professional to becoming something akin to a paranoid schizophrenic. It was not written by someone with a wild imagination, it was an actual account of demonic possession and this young doctor’s experiences were recorded in detail. It was truly frightening.

  The journal started on January 1st, 1968. It contained the neatest handwriting, which recorded courses, lecture dates, daily routines and medical books for reference. Suddenly, on March 5th, 1968, the handwriting changed completely, as if it belonged to someone else; there was no similarity. It was untidy and unreadable in places. The words were written with such pressure the pen went through the pages and then the next day the handwriting returned to normal.

  By the third week in March, there were numerous entries written with untidy handwriting. There were torn pages, followed by pictures drawn of faces contorted in agony. One particular demonic figure had his hand held high above his head and in it was a knife that was dripping with blood. The pages with the neat handwriting were getting fewer and fewer.

  At the beginning of April, there was a picture drawn of a young woman holding a baby with an address in Sidon. Then, for the remainder of April, to his last entry, there was no neat handwriting. The pictures drawn became more horrifying. Sheriff Amos thought, if this is what the young man was seeing it’s no surprise he was screaming out. The last entry was dated April 6th, 1968, the day before he died.

  Sheriff Amos was absolutely shattered when he got to the outskirts of Sidon. He had driven with the windows down most of the way to try and stay awake. As much as he wanted to go straight home and sleep, he could not. He had to visit the address in Sidon. With the sun just setting, he turned off the tarmac and made his way through the fields along the bumpy dirt road.

  “Good evening Ma’am, my name is Sheriff Amos. I’m sorry about coming by at this time, but I wanted to have a word with you, if that’s alright.”

  “Sure, Sheriff, my name is Annamae. How can I help you?”

  “I’ve a photo here. I want to know if you recognise this gentleman.”

  The sheriff showed Annamae the photo of Dr Brookman and looked closely to see her reaction.

  “I’m sorry, Sheriff. I’m pretty sure I don’t know him.”

  Sheriff Amos was not convinced; her words came out strong but her face said otherwise.

  “Are you sure, Ma’am? Why don’t you take another look?”

  Annamae did not look at the photo a second time. “I’m excellent with faces, Sheriff. If I tell you I don’t know him, then I don’t know him. Now, why would you come to my house just before dark asking if I know this man?”

  “He was reported missing so we we’re just asking in the area, that’s all, Ma’am. In fact, may I ask how long have you lived on this property?”

  “I moved here in 1964. I like the isolation and, for the most part, people don’t disturb me.”

  “I feel the same way, Ma’am, I’m not a city person myself. If I could, I’d move the office out of town but, anyway, thank you for your help.”

  “Good night, Sheriff.”

  “Sorry, Ma’am, I’m a bit tired and I’m trying to remember, but have we met before?”

  “No, I’ve not met you. I’ve seen you in the local paper, but we have not met before.”

  “And one other thing: do you have any children?”

  “No, Sheriff. I live alone, no husband and no children.”

  “Okay, thank you Ma’am and have a good evening.”

  Sheriff Amos got into his car and drove off. He knew without question the woman was lying to him but his training always taught him never to show it. Allow the person to think you believe them, while you try and figure what reason they have for lying. There is something that connects this woman to the picture, drawn in the journal, of the woman holding a baby at this address, he told himself. Anyway, it’s time to go home; it’s been a long two days.

  *

  Robert and Beth sat outside, enjoying a cup of coffee, whilst watching the sun setting below the fields.

  “Robert, I don’t wish to sound negative. We have been so busy these last few months, however, I feel we are running out of leads to follow-up on. We really need to turn up something from the murder weapon. If that fails then we are down to just hoping to find Dr Brookman, whoever he is.”

  “I’m aware of what you are saying, Beth, I’ve been thinking the very same thing myself, but we can’t give up until we exhaust every possibility.”

  “Is it time to take a break from this? Perhaps go off for a week somewhere and get away?”

  “I don’t know, Beth. Let’s see what Amos comes up with from his follow up on Dr Brookman and we’ll take it from there. You know, I’m really sorry the way I reacted the other day. I
’ve been so convinced all along that it was Holman and, honestly, I’m beginning to have doubts. As Amos said, whenever we look into something it gets really strange. Not to mention the murder weapon, I mean, what the heck is that doing in a place like Sidon?”

  “I know how you feel, Robert. It’s so difficult to be objective when it’s about Julia. I guess that’s only natural. Anyway, as we said at the start, we’ll do our best and it’s all we can do.”

  CHAPTER 13

  Sheriff Amos woke suddenly and looked at the alarm clock, it showed 10:38am. Good thing I’m the sheriff, he thought. He had a shower, ate breakfast, jumped into his car and looked at the photo through the steering wheel. I’m going to get you, Brookman, he thought. On the way to the police station, it suddenly hit him and he knew exactly why he found Annamae familiar.

  At the next junction, he turned around and headed back into the country. He drove down the path towards the old house. He walked over to the parked car, put his hand on the bonnet, and it felt warm. He walked up and knocked on the front door.

  “Good morning, Ma’am. I’m sorry to trouble you unannounced like this. My name is Sheriff Amos, I have a few questions I’d like to ask you if you have a minute.”

  “I just got back from the library, Sheriff, and the house is a bit of a mess, but you’re welcome to come in.”

  “Thank you, Ma’am.”

  “Call me, Martha. Would you like a coffee, Sheriff?”

  “That would be great, Martha.”

  “So how can I help, Sheriff? I really hope it’s nothing to do with Simon. I’ve answered enough questions about him over the years.”

  “No, Martha, it’s nothing to do with your son. I have a photo of someone and I wanted to see if you could identify them for me.”

  “Sure, let me have a look.”

  Sheriff Amos watched Martha’s expression suddenly change.

  “I take it you know this man?”

  “Yes, Sheriff. His name is Dr Brockman.”

  “Can you please tell me what you know?”

  Martha then told Sheriff Amos the times she had seen him but avoided telling him about his gift of the Bible and cloth, or anything to do with the fact that the clergy were also looking into him.

  “Can I ask how you came across that photo?”

  “It’s a long story, Martha.”

  “I’ve got a lot more coffee here.”

  Sheriff Amos smiled. “I’m not sure, actually, if you want to hear the full story as there are some disturbing elements to it.”

  “Sheriff, you must know what I have been through with my son. There is little that can be as disturbing as what I have witnessed. Please, I’ve shared with you my experience of Dr Brockman, and the difficulty I have had trying to find him. I really would like to know the background to this photo.”

  Sheriff Amos assessed Martha. There was something very likable about her. He decided to tell her what he knew, hoping that perhaps it would encourage her to share any information that she had, but he avoided any mention that he was helping Robert and Beth investigate Julia’s death. He spoke about the demonic pictures in the journal but thought it best not to mention the picture of a woman holding a baby whom he was certain had to be Simon.

  “So it’s Dr Brookman? That is unbelievable. That explains why I could not find him. That account in his journal is truly frightening. I’m not sure what to make of all of this. However, I know for sure that is the man I saw on the occasions I mentioned, so he must be alive, but why do you think he would fake his own death?”

  “Yes, I’m trying to understand that myself, Martha.”

  “And why is my address in his journal?”

  “Actually, it’s not your correct address. It’s a house not far from here. I’m guessing it’s your sister that lives there?”

  “Yes, Annamae, but why then would her address be in his journal? I definitely need to ask her that.”

  “Actually, I went there last night and spoke with her. I only realised this morning that the reason I thought I recognised her was that you two look similar and, of course, because I was dealing with Julia’s murder, I had seen your picture in the files. As soon as I made the connection that you two were related, I came by here to see you.”

  “So, what was her explanation when you showed her the photo?”

  “Unfortunately, she said she did not recognise him.”

  “Annamae said that?”

  “I’m afraid so, Martha.”

  “She knows exactly who he is, she knows him better than I do. On Simon’s first birthday, he sat in the chair you’re sitting in and Annamae sat opposite him. So why is she telling you she does not know him?”

  “I don’t know. I don’t understand a lot of what is happening.”

  “I’m just thinking, Sheriff; how do I approach this with Annamae? I’m guessing she does not know you came here?”

  “She does not know that for certain, but she may suspect I’d figure it out and I’d come here eventually. As to what you say to her, I’m not sure whether you should confront her or not, that’s entirely up to you.”

  “Sheriff, you know, just when I thought I’d put this whole thing behind me and moved on, you have opened it up again.”

  “I’m really sorry about that Martha.”

  “No, I did not mean it like that. It’s not your fault. I am happy that you have answered some questions I’ve always had, but you have certainly created a lot of new ones.”

  “Speaking of moving on, do you mind if I ask you how Simon is doing?”

  “No, I don’t mind you asking, Sheriff. Actually, he had a very difficult year after Julia’s death but he slowly got back on his feet in time to finish high school. He graduated with honours. He has just started university now and is doing really well.”

  “I’m really pleased to hear that. I can’t imagine what both of you must have gone through.”

  “Sheriff, I lost my husband, who I loved dearly, but that pain could not compare to what I watched my son go through. I thank God every night that it is behind us now.”

  “Martha, thank you for the coffee and the chat. I don’t want to influence your decision either way but, if you do end up speaking with Annamae regarding Brookman, do you mind letting me know what she says?”

  “I’m not even sure how to answer that question. Annamae and Simon are all I have in this world and I don’t want to promise you anything – you do understand, don’t you?”

  “It was an unfair request. I’m sorry. I should not have put you in this position.”

  “That is okay, Sheriff. If I were in your place I would likely have asked me the same.”

  “You are a very honest person, Martha. In my line of work I don’t come across that quality very often.”

  “Thanks for the complement, Sheriff. You have a safe journey.”

  “Bye, and keep in touch.”

  Martha closed the front door and stood in the hallway. All the memories came flooding back of Annamae denying that it was Dr Brockman coming out of the operating theatre. Now she was denying she knew him. Suddenly, she thought, how did he show up on the night of Simon’s birth, who called him? Why have I not even thought about that before? And Simon’s words I can never forget. ‘You do realise, Mom, he is not a doctor.’ Why did he say that?

  Martha spent the next few hours trying to understand what she should do. The hours went by quickly, she needed more time to think this through but she had to leave and pick-up Simon at the bus stop.

  “Hey, Mom.”

  “Hi, son. How was your day?”

  “Great! I’ve got a big assignment to work on when I get home, but it’s an interesting topic so I don’t mind too much. It will probably take me about a week to complete.”

  “Well, the main thing is to do it right.�
��

  “Do you mind if, perhaps, Linda came over and worked on it with me tomorrow after university”

  “No, not at all. Finally, I’ll get to meet her. Will she stay for dinner?”

  “I’ll ask her, but make extra just in case.”

  Martha drove the remainder of the journey home without saying much. The memories of Annamae from years ago just replayed over and over in her mind.

  “You’re pretty quiet today, Mom. Everything okay?”

  “Yes, I’m good. I went to the library this morning. My typing is not too bad after all these years and I’m learning about the computer as well.”

  “That’s good to hear. When do you think you will be ready to start applying for jobs?”

  “I’m not sure. I want to get a bit more proficient, not so much with the typing, more with the computer.”

  Later that night, Martha had thought enough about it. She was still unsure if she should confront Annamae, but she decided Simon was old enough now and he would not be too affected with questions about the doctor. Simon had already gone to bed but she knew he would be up reading so she knocked on his door.

  “Can I come in?”

  “Sure, Mom. What’s up?”

  “Ah, I just wanted to ask you about something.”

  Simon sat up in bed and Martha sat next to him. “Do you remember, a long time ago, you were about ten and you went into hospital to have your appendix removed?”

  “Yes, I remember it well, Mom.”

  “When I came to see you the next day in the hospital, you told me that you knew I had seen a particular doctor and you said ‘you realise, Mom, he’s not a doctor.’ Do you remember what I am talking about?”

  “The reason I said he is not a doctor, was because the individual that owned that body was no longer there. That body you and others saw as a doctor was possessed by a demon.”

  Martha tried to stay calm as she felt a chill run through her body. “How do you know this?”