The Palindrome Cult: A gripping, page-turning, crime suspense thriller, its fast pace takes you from London to New York, via Dubai and the Virgin Islands. (Hedge & Cole Book 1)

by Kevin Bradley

  He stood directly in front of Maddie. ‘Excuse me young lady, but I need to talk to you.’

  Chapter Fifty Eight

  ‘How did you know?’ the elderly man said.

  He was still standing in front of Maddie, but with a quizzical look on his face.

  Maddie just shook her head at him, as if to say she had no idea what he could be talking about.

  ‘How did you know?’ he repeated. ‘I saw the news this morning. That could have been us. You convinced me to change our travel plans.’

  Maddie shrugged her shoulders. ‘You are mistaken. I only suggested that you might have more fun travelling to England by boat. It was nothing more than that. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the trip.’

  With that, she turned and walked briskly back towards her cabin.

  It was a short while later that Hedge and his sister were sitting in the main restaurant having just eaten a very pleasant lunch. He wanted to ask her about the incident on deck earlier.

  ‘That white haired old man, what was he asking you about?

  Maddie raised her eyebrows. ‘I’m not sure.’

  ‘I haven’t known you for very long, but I can spot a lie when I see it. There’s something you’re not telling me.’

  ‘It’s nothing, don’t worry about it.’

  ‘So it is something then?’

  ‘Maybe, but it’s personal.’

  ‘And I’m your brother.’

  Maddie laughed. ‘I guess you are.’

  She leaned over towards him and squeezed his hand. Then she spoke in a low, soft voice.

  ‘I can’t really explain it. I get this voice in my head occasionally, and it speaks to me. Sometimes what it says doesn’t make any sense, but I listen anyway. It happens only now and again, maybe just two or three times a year.’

  ‘What does it sound like, this voice?

  She didn’t respond to this straight away, as if she was thinking about how to phrase an answer.

  ‘It’s a woman’s voice, soft and gentle.’ She hesitated a moment, then she looked directly at him as she continued. ‘Don’t you dare laugh, but I think it’s the voice of my mother. She’s been talking to me ever since I was a little girl. She used to tell me that I wasn’t alone, she said this quite often, and I assumed she was telling me that she was there for me. Now I don’t think she was telling me that, I think she was talking about you.’

  ‘Maybe she was. What else has she said to you in the past?’

  Maddie thought for a while. ‘Well mainly insignificant stuff, but there has been some very notable events also. Like yesterday, when she told me not to travel by air.’

  Hedge looked puzzled, so she explained about the report on the news earlier that morning.

  ‘That’s amazing.’ Hedge said.

  They called over a waiter and ordered some more drinks, along with two banana flavoured muffins. They sat quietly until the waiter returned with their order, genuinely comfortable in each other’s company.

  ‘Do you want to tell me about any other occurrences in the past, when the voice has said something to you.’

  He could sense Maddie didn’t really like talking about it, so he gave her time to see if she would respond. Eventually she started talking again.

  ‘It was near the beginning of summer, about three years ago, and I was walking back from college one afternoon. I was alone, and almost home when she spoke to me.’

  ‘Don’t let him go.’

  ‘That’s all she said, nothing more. I had no idea what it meant, so I ignored it. Then the next morning as I was brushing my teeth, the voice repeated the same words.’

  ‘Don’t let him go.’

  ‘It made no sense to me, until my uncle told me at breakfast that his brother Jake was going camping in the mountains with some friends next weekend. Was it connected to that, I wasn’t sure. So still I ignored the voice. Then on the morning of the planned camping trip, I awoke early, dripping with sweat, like I had some kind of fever. The voice said the same words again.’

  ‘Don’t let him go.’

  ‘I quickly got dressed and walked down the road, to where my uncle’s brother lived. He had a pickup parked in his driveway, and he was loading it up for the trip. We chatted for a couple of minutes – I always got on well with Jake, he was very easy going. Then suddenly, I just blurted out that he should cancel his trip. He laughed, and said he couldn’t and that he had been planning it for ages. I tried to convince him but he just told me to go home and annoy someone else. I didn’t have any good reason to convince him not to go, and I certainly couldn’t tell him about the voice.’

  Hedge was listening intently. ‘So what happened, did he go?’

  ‘No. I couldn’t think what to do, and then I saw a hunting knife sticking out of the side pocket of a bag in the back of the pickup. I grabbed it and before he could stop me I slashed one of the rear tyres of his vehicle. He was livid, but I just ran off home.’

  ‘So he didn’t go then?’

  ‘No. He couldn’t get a replacement vehicle, and his friends had already left. They went off without him. When my uncle heard about it later, he stormed into my room in a rage and asked what the hell I thought I was doing. I didn’t have an explanation, so he beat me as a punishment.’

  ‘He beat you!’ Hedge looked horrified.

  ‘Yes, he kept a collection of wooden walking sticks in the garage. He took one from the rack, dragged me by the hair into the back yard and beat me several times on the back. I wasn’t allowed to return to school until the wounds had healed, and the red marks had disappeared.’

  Hedge looked shocked. ‘How often did he do this?’

  ‘It didn’t happen very frequently. Just as well, because it would hurt badly for days after. You have to understand, he was a good man but he did have some old fashioned ideas about raising children. He believed that a good thrashing was the way to teach a child a lesson.’

  ‘I’d like to give him a good hiding someday.’

  Maddie ignored this and carried on with the story.

  ‘Anyway, everything changed several days later, when the local news reported that three men had been attacked by a bear whilst sleeping in the forest. The reporter told how one man had died after having his head partially crushed in the animals jaw. Another of the campers had been mauled so badly that surgeons had to later amputate his left arm. The third man escaped relatively unscathed and had managed to raise the alarm.’

  Hedge thought he saw a flicker of a smile on her lips as she said this last line.

  ‘What?’

  ‘Sorry, it’s not funny really, but when the full story came out a few weeks later, it turns out that the uninjured guy only called for help the following day. Apparently he had believed that the bear was resting very close to where he had managed to find a secure hiding spot. It was what he described as a disgusting and vile smell in the vicinity that led him to think the bear was nearby. So he had sat motionless for over twenty hours, believing if he moved the bear would discover him.’

  ‘So what happened? How did he get away?’

  ‘The bear was nowhere near him. It was probably miles away by then. The awful smell it turns out was due to him being so terrified that he had soiled himself, but he didn’t realise it.’

  They both laughed, but Hedge stopped himself after a few seconds, as he wanted to hear the end of her story.

  ‘My uncle sat at home and listened to the news about the three men - Jakes friends. When the reporter finished, he slowly turned his head towards me. He was deep in thought, and he was shaking his head very slowly from side to side. He tried to say something to me, but no words came out of his mouth. I just smiled at him. A few minutes later he stood up and went out to the garage, and gathering up all his sticks, he laid them in a heap on the back garden. It took a little while, but eventually he managed to set fire to the bundle with his cigarette lighter.’

  ‘What did he say when he came back indoors?’

  ‘He said nothing. Not that
day, or the next. In fact, it has never been mentioned again. That was the last time he ever beat me too, he has never laid a finger on me since then. The only time he ever referred to it, was when I overheard him tell a neighbour that he thought I was psychotic. He meant psychic of course.’

  They chatted together for a little longer and then he headed out on deck for some fresh air. The ship was pushing its way through the sea, still heading east. They would be back in London in a few days time. Hedge wasn’t sure what would happen to him then, but he let the thought drift away, and turned his attention back to the swell of the sea and the spray of the water.

  Chapter Fifty Nine

  As he stood and surveyed the horizon, Hedge became aware of someone standing next to him. He turned and saw a well-dressed elderly man holding onto the handrail, also looking out to sea. He recognised the man as the person who had approached his sister earlier.

  ‘My name is Don Jackson. My granddaughter’s name is Amelia. We are both deeply indebted to your lady friend.’

  ‘My sister you mean.’

  ‘Your sister?’ The old man nodded to himself.

  He didn’t look towards Hedge as he continued to talk. ‘I don’t understand how she did it, but your sister may very well have saved my granddaughter from serious injury, or even death. We can’t hope to ever repay her, but I would like to offer a reward.’

  ‘That’s not …,’ began Hedge.

  ‘I know what you are going to say young man, but I am determined to do this. I am very wealthy. I couldn’t live with myself if this kind act went unrewarded. I was thinking of ten thousand dollars. It’s the least I can offer.’

  ‘That’s very kind, but that’s really not necessary.’

  ‘Listen young man. I am the Senior Medical Officer at a major New York state hospital. I can easily afford to pay you such a small amount. Please accept it on behalf of your sister. It would mean a lot to me.’

  Hedge stood silent for a moment. It was clearly not going to be easy to refuse the generous reward being offered. He smiled to himself as he thought of a way out of the dilemma.

  ‘We can’t accept your money Mr Jackson, but if you really want to be generous then there is something your hospital can do for a friend of mine.’

  ‘I’m listening,’ he said.

  Hedge explained what he was thinking and what would be involved. Don Jackson nodded several times as he listened carefully.

  ‘Yes, I think we can help. I have a particular expert in that field on the hospital staff. I’ll get our admin people onto it straight away and they can make the arrangements. Let me have the address details as soon as possible.’

  Hedge smiled, and held out his hand to Mr Jackson. ‘Then we have ourselves a deal,’ he said.

  It was just three weeks later that an international courier rang the doorbell at a fifth storey apartment on the outskirts of the city of Dubai. A young lady of Arabic appearance opened the door.

  ‘I have a special delivery for Asha Mahmoud and I need a signature please,’ said the courier.

  ‘What is in the package?’ said Asha, as she leaned forward and signed the delivery sheet.

  ‘No idea,’ replied the courier. He came across slightly abrupt.

  Asha took the package and closed the door. She studied the outside of the thick, brown envelope, but apart from some print saying it originated in the United States, there was no indication of what it was. Asha opened it carefully and emptied the contents onto the surface of the dining table. The first thing she saw was two first class return tickets to New York. Then she noticed a bundle of medical forms, all written in English, referring to a hospital called St. Josephs. Lastly she saw the typed letter, addressed to her, from the Senior Medical Officer of the hospital.

  She started to read.

  Dear Asha

  I have made arrangements for you to travel to the United States with a view to receiving specialist treatment for any current medical conditions that you may be suffering from. I do not wish to go into the nature of any potential treatment in this letter due to the personal nature of such details. However, St. Josephs is a world class hospital with an excellent record of medical success in a number of areas.

  Please note that there is no financial limit being placed on this offer, and so you will not be liable for any charges that result from treatment, now or in the future. I sincerely hope that you will take advantage of this opportunity, and I have enclosed two return air tickets in anticipation of you doing so.

  Please contact the hospital on the below number to make further arrangements.

  Yours Sincerely

  Don Jackson

  PS – Your friend Mr. Hedge sends his best regards.

  Asha’s husband came into the room just as she had finished reading the letter. He had a look of shock on his face, and he rushed over towards her. She was crying so much that he could only assume it was very bad news indeed.

  Chapter Sixty

  When Hedge and Cole eventually arrived back in London, they were immediately summoned to Downing Street. After going through the usual security procedures, they were shown into a side room where the Prime Minister was waiting.

  ‘Very sorry to hear about Fuller,’ he said. He had a genuine look of concern on his face. He was well aware of the risks these people took on behalf of their country, and he was a family man himself, and so understood that somewhere people will be grieving badly.

  ‘Please sit gentleman. Let’s get some tea brewing and then you can give me a full debrief,’ he continued.

  They waited for the refreshments to arrive, and then Cole began the story. He tried to be as succinct as possible, but occasionally had to provide more detail when the Prime Minister asked specific questions. Finally Cole fell silent.

  The Prime Minister nodded his approval. ‘I would say a job well done, but sadly not without some cost.’ He was clearly referring to the loss of human life.

  ‘It seems that most of the members of this so called Palindrome Cult have been eliminated then, but with one significant exception?’ he asked, but it was said more as a statement rather than a question that required an answer.

  ‘So what about the leader, it would appear that he is still at large?’

  He looked across at Cole, this time expecting a response.

  Cole stiffened. ‘We have no leads for this person, but I will liaise with my contacts at MI5 and see what we can do to track him down.’

  The PM seemed unmoved by this, but after a few seconds of silence he went on to say that he was pleased that all the money has been recovered and so any potentially embarrassing situations had been avoided.

  Hedge and Cole were given the final task of ensuring all the money was returned to the rightful owners, with the compliments of the British Government. The most important of the victims was of course the American Ambassador. They were to visit him at his London residence at the earliest opportunity.

  A short while later the two of them sat together having a drink in a cocktail bar not far from Downing Street, as they reviewed the list of victims. The bank accounts in the British Virgin Islands had held some fourteen million US dollars. Add to that the two million that was in Robinson’s wife’s account, made a total of sixteen million dollars. At current exchange rates that equated to around eleven million British pounds. The next step was to reconcile this to the initial list they had been given at the outset of the mission.

  The American Ambassador had been defrauded out of just over two million pounds. The British Foreign Secretary had lost one and a half million. Four other members of the British government had lost close to one million pounds each. Three leading businessmen in the City of London had been cheated out of around three and a half million pounds between them. That made up the total of eleven million pounds.

  They finished their lunch. Cole laid some notes on the table and grabbed his coat.

  ‘Let’s go and give some money away,’ he said as he headed for the door.

  Chapter
Sixty One

  They drove through London in silence. Cole sat in the front of the car alongside the driver. Hedge sat in the back with the Director of MI5. Hedge felt nervous. Despite all that he had been through in the last few weeks, he was not used to this kind of life and these types of people.

  The car pulled up outside the residence of the US Ambassador. They got out and walked towards the gate. Two black uniformed men moved out from under the shade of a sycamore tree and approached the group. They both carried automatic rifles. The Director of MI5 moved forward and offered up his security pass.

  ‘Please go right ahead sir,’ said one of the uniformed men.

  Hedge and Cole followed the Director up the pathway. The front door opened before they reached it and another uniformed man let them in. He closed the door firmly behind them.

  ‘Wait here please,’ the man said, and walked through to another room.

  They waited in silence for around two minutes. The hallway was painted white and several old pictures hung on the walls. They seemed to be mainly scenes of London from a bygone age. There was a shelf along one side of the hallway and it was full of photographs. Hedge stooped over to look at the nearest one. It was a picture of the Ambassador himself, photographed sitting in a grassy field with a dog sat next to him. Hedge knew little about dogs, but he suspected this was some kind of Spaniel. Amazingly the dog was looking directly at the camera.

  ‘Well trained dog,’ Hedge muttered to himself.

  ‘Lincoln. My King Charles Spaniel,’ said the Ambassador from close behind Hedge.

  ‘Apologies, I didn’t mean to snoop,’ said Hedge, startled by the sudden presence of the American Ambassador.

  ‘No problem. Snoop all you like. I owe you a debt of gratitude, so I am led to believe. I understand you helped to recover two million dollars that was stolen from me. For that I am very grateful to you. I hear you have had quite an ordeal. You are to be congratulated on a job well done.’