Abra-Cadaver

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Abra-Cadaver Page 19

by Matt Drabble


  “Welcome home Tommy,” a high squeaky familiar voice greeted him.

  ----------

  Dixon headed back to town. His dreams of saving the day and being the hero shattered by hours spent sitting like an idiot in the middle of the woods. He drove too quickly and with malice. A rabbit nudged its way out into the road and prayed for it to try and pass, but the animal mocked him by ducking back into the hedgerow.

  Adrian Todd had been ringing him all afternoon but he had been ignoring the calls. He had far bigger fish to fry than his concerned employer. Let the old man sit in his bunker and shake like a baby.

  During his routine phone checks on his walk back to his truck, he had been told that today’s shipment hadn’t gone out on time. Apparently Todd had called almost all of his employees out to the farm. Dixon was currently on his way to one of their warehouses in town to find out just why the shipment was still sitting there.

  Dixon chuckled to himself at the thought of Todd surrounding himself with the armed protection of a bunch of college nerds. Those kids wouldn’t know one end of a gun from the other. No doubt Todd wanted him at the farm to supervise, but Todd could go to hell. A rarely used part of Dixon’s brain had suddenly kicked in during his wait in the woods. The silence had been perfect brewing conditions for an idea to form. What if Trotter got to Todd first? What if Todd went out the same way as the others? Dixon had seen a glimmer of light, a crack of a dawning future for himself. Todd had shown him everything to do with running the business. He knew all of the contacts and he personally dealt with most of them. If Todd was gone, then why couldn’t he fill that void? All he could do was hope that Trotter got to Todd first, and if only he could help make that happen.

  ----------

  Tommy looked up into the mad eyes of Arnold Trotter. All of the doubt was now categorically removed from the situation. Gaines wasn’t hunting shadowy masked indeterminate figures. He wasn’t chasing figments in dreams. Trotter hadn’t perished in the fire at the asylum. The magician was loose and he had come home with only the darkest of intentions.

  He hadn’t seen the man in over two decades and time hadn’t been kind. He was wearing the tattered remains of his stage costume. A long black cape billowed over a black tuxedo and a top hat completed the ridiculous look. Only it wasn’t ridiculous. Standing under the moon’s cascading light he was everything that Tommy had feared and more. He looked hairless under his crooked hat and his face was a shrunken skull. His forehead gleamed with a sheen of insane sweat and his eyes were dark pits of emptiness devoid of life.

  “Where’s PJ Arnold?” Tommy asked shakily to his nightmare incarnate.

  Trotter stood tall and moved slowly to one side. He flipped on an overhead heat lamp meant for drying the leaves. The light was enough in the blackened warehouse to illuminate the stage. There was a long counter and three buckets were upturned on it, lined up on parade. Tommy felt 12 years old again standing before the magician. Trotter wearing his old stage costume, his black cape and top hat were a sick perversion of their original intentions. His face was up lit by the lamps and his eyes were sunken. His face was deathly white and his expression gleamed with insanity.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls,” The Captivating Cosmo X announced to the almost empty warehouse. His arms stretched out wide and his stance open.

  Tommy stood rooted to the spot. All fight or flight responses were gone. He could do nothing for now but watch the show.

  The Captivating Cosmo X placed his hands on the two outside buckets. “This is an old favourite, but with a twist,” he cackled. He began to drag the buckets around, swapping their positions in a metallic shuffle.

  Tommy winced as the buckets scraped across the metal table. The sound touched the very nerve in his soul. He opened his mouth to speak, but there were no words to be spoken, no pleas and no begs, only the show.

  “Round and round and round he goes, where he hides nobody knows,” Trotter screamed to the heavens as he moved the down-turned buckets faster and faster. “I’m going to give you a chance young Thomas. If you pick correctly then I will sit here quietly and wait whilst you go and get the authorities. This is your chance to save her Thomas. A chance that I never had,” he said as his mad smile faltered. “Round and round the mulberry bush,” he sang in his high voice as he stared off into the distance.

  “I’m sorry,” Tommy mumbled. “Take me but leave her alone. Please Arnold.”

  “Oh I’m afraid that Arnold’s not here right now, would you care to leave a message?” The magician said sadly.

  Abruptly Trotter’s hands stopped moving and he stepped back from the table. The three buckets were still and he offered his hands forward. “One chance young Thomas, one chance to save them all, choose.”

  “What’s under the buckets?” Tommy asked quietly through a dry mouth.

  Trotter only stared through him and off into the distance and Tommy didn’t dare to think.

  “How do I know that if I guess right you’ll do as you say?” He asked.

  “Why you have my word,” Trotter said surprised. “The promise of a man of the magic circle is not one given lightly.”

  Tommy walked forward with shaky legs. “Where’s PJ?” He begged with a teary voice. “Where is he?”

  “One chance young sir,” Trotter grinned.

  Tommy reached the table. The three upturned metal buckets lay in front of him and there was a thick coppery smell in the air. His stomach lurched at the thoughts that ran through his head. All he wanted to do was something, anything that was not in Trotter’s script. Run, fight, attack, scream, yell, anything that was his own. Instead he reached out with a trembling hand and pointed to the centre bucket playing his part. His heart was full of hope as Trotter stared back at him in surprise.

  “Well that was unexpected,” The Captivating Cosmo X exclaimed. “I guess that I hadn’t thought this through enough,” his forehead crinkled in puzzlement and confusion. He reached up and stroked his chin. “Ah well, you can’t really expect me to stick to my word, I am nuts after all,” he laughed as he whipped the bucket away.

  Tommy groaned loudly as PJ’s head rolled off of the table and towards him. Without thinking he caught it as it reached the edge of the table and threatened to hit the dirty floor. PJ’s eyes were open and he stared endlessly onwards. Tommy fell to his knees with his friend’s head cradled in his lap. His hands were already wet and sticky with fresh blood that began soaking through his jeans. He looked up to see unsurprisingly that Trotter was gone. He sat that way until he heard footsteps behind him. With tears running down his face he turned to see a figure walking towards him. He squinted in the gloomy light before he recognised the man.

  “Dixon? Is that you?” He asked.

  The only answer that he got was a hard blow across the back of his head with something hard that sent him into the welcoming oblivion beyond consciousness.

  ----------

  Dixon had watched the grisly scene unfold from his vantage point outside the warehouse. It was somewhat of a relief to finally see Trotter made flesh. The bogeyman from all of their childhood nightmares was real. But being real also meant that he was bone and blood. Arnold Trotter was instantly recognizable. The aging process had not been gentle to the magician. Dixon had been rooted to the spot when the Captivating Cosmo X had made his grand entrance. The very site of their collective nightmare walking and talking was at least a little comforting, as it proved that they weren’t all crazy.

  His first instinct had been to rush in with his fire up and his gun out. But his newly found intelligence had stopped him. He waited for the whole thing to play out and for Trotter to leave. This was the perfect setting to his plan and it had landed in his lap.

  He grabbed the baseball bat from the boot of his car and walked in once Tommy was sitting alone. He could see the bloody head of PJ and felt a small amount of sorrow. But it was only a small amount. It had been a long time since any of them were really friends.

  He had cra
cked Tommy over the head with some relish and watched as his former friend slumped to the floor. He calculated the time that he would need to empty the warehouse contents and got to work. After he was finished as quickly as he could manage, he reached into his pocket and called the police.

  The whole scene was picture perfect. He had spoken to the deputy Henry Trinder during his check up calls that afternoon. Trinder had told him that the whisper was that Gaines was now looking into Tommy. It was all too easy. Tommy would now be taken into custody with tales of ghostly apparitions. Regardless of just what Gaines was thinking about Trotter, he would have no choice other than to take Tommy in. Dixon could offer a false witness statement that would contradict Tommy’s assertions that it was Trotter who had killed PJ. Dixon could implicate Tommy in committing the act. This would mean that Trotter would still be loose and free to go after Todd. It would also mean that Todd’s defenses would be lowered when he heard that Tommy had been arrested. All Dixon had to do was to make sure that Ally was safely out of harm’s reach. Perhaps with Tommy arrested she would fall back into his arms again for comfort. He was dreaming of such when the sirens grew closer and the dark warehouse was suddenly illuminated with flashing blue and red lights.

  ----------

  Gaines was the first to arrive on the scene. He was out of the car almost before it had stopped moving. His gun was out and he swept the immediate area outside of the warehouse carefully. He left the car’s headlights on full beam to chase back the shadows and hopefully dispel any hiding places. It had been a lifetime since he had felt his heart race and his body throb with such pounding adrenaline.

  He could hear the approaching engine of either Trinder or Katy and prayed that it was Katy. He paused despite his instincts telling him to rush into the warehouse alone. There were old cops and bold cops, but no old bold cops. He turned and was pleased to see Katy pull up alongside his cruiser. He hadn’t gotten around to arming any of the deputies yet and he cursed himself for his seemingly slipping mind. Perhaps retirement would be a blessing rather than a curse.

  He waved Katy over and took the small 22 from his ankle holster. He checked the safety was on before he handed it to her. She took the gun with wide eyes and a scared but determined look on her face. He felt fatherly proud of her at that moment and hoped that he could keep her safe.

  He raised a finger to his lips and she took the sign and remained silent. He pointed twice to the left and she drew up alongside him. They approached the warehouse opening side by side. Two guns drawn and one held with a shaky hand.

  Gaines ducked his head through the open door and peered into the darkness beyond. He could make out two silhouettes down at the front of the building. One was kneeling over the prone second.

  “POLICE!” Gaines shouted with authority. “REMAIN WHERE YOU ARE AND DON’T MOVE.”

  He waved Katy in alongside him and they approached the shadows cautiously.

  “Take it easy Gaines,” a man’s voice called out. “It’s me Dixon,” he waved an arm to indicate. “I’ve got a baseball bat which I’m laying down.” The metallic object clattered to the floor.

  “Who’s on the floor Dixon?” Gaines demanded.

  “It’s Tommy, I think he went nuts and killed PJ,” Dixon answered.

  “Are there any lights in here dammit?” Gaines yelled.

  “How would I know, it’s not my warehouse,” came Dixon’s smug reply.

  “Katy,” Gaines whispered to the side. “Scan your way along the wall and see if you can find a light switch.”

  As Katy slipped off to one side Gaines walked forward towards Dixon.

  “Got it, watch your eyes,” Katy warned.

  The overhead lights detonated and shattered the darkness. Gaines opened his squinted eyes as they grew adjusted to the sudden difference. He could now see Dixon standing over the fallen Tommy Marsh. There was blood seeping from a serious looking head wound from the motionless man. More disturbingly there was a streak of blood that ran from a long table under drying lights and down to the floor where the head of Peter Joffre rested. Gaines could see that Marsh’s shirt and crotch were stained with dark blood that had not come from his own wound.

  “Tell me what the hell happened here Dixon,” Gaines ordered.

  “I came in to find Tommy holding PJ’s head in his lap and covered in blood.” Dixon recited. “I smacked him over the head and called you guys, end of story.”

  “Bullshit end of story,” Gaines snapped. “What were you doing here in the first place?”

  “I was worried about PJ. He called me the other day saying that Tommy was acting nuts and he was scared.” Dixon said.

  Gaines moved closer whilst maintaining his vigilance. There was no way that he was going to take the word of a man like Dixon about anything. The warehouse looked empty now, but there was an unmistakable odour that hung in the air.

  Tommy Marsh began to stir from his slumber and Gaines rushed forward. He motioned for Katy to watch Dixon as he knelt down and flipped Tommy onto his front. Deftly he pulled the man’s hands behind his back and slipped on a pair of cuffs. On closer examination the head wound looked superficial and appeared to have been struck from behind.

  He barked into the radio on his shoulder for backup. He called for Trinder, Burns, and Doc Norton. Only in his deepest corners did he hope that Marsh was the source of all of their problems. If Marsh was the killer, then there was a lot of blame that would be absolved, not least from his own shoulders.

  ----------

  Dixon watched the cop carefully. He had spoken to PJ on the phone but it was only when PJ had been hassling him to come out for another drink. The useless prick had gotten it into his mind that they could all go back to being best friends again just like the good old school days. Of course it was all possible now that Tommy was back in town. Another revolution of the wheel powered by Tommy, always Tommy.

  His mind was racing along at a rate never seen before. He knew that Todd could use his influence around town to declare the murders solved and that Tommy was the perpetrator. Todd would also be extra grateful that Dixon had subdued Tommy and effectively saved Todd’s life in the process. Surely Gaines would find the whole bow and ribbon just too damn attractive to pass up. All he needed was to give Trotter enough space to finish his work. Enough time to work his way around to Todd and give Dixon a free run to take over the business. The police investigation would grind along slowly, further complicated by the ineptitude of the local officers. Only Gaines was worth a damn and Trinder and Burns were already in Todd’s pocket. It was almost perfect and it had a good chance of working. There was just one piece of the puzzle left. He heard the car drawing close outside and hoped the last piece had just arrived.

  ----------

  Ally stepped in through the warehouse door before Gaines or Katy could stop her. Under the bright lights she could see the grisly scene from her distance. She could see Tommy lying prone on the ground and PJ’s head sitting lost and lonely on the floor. Dixon had called her saying that he was worried about Tommy state of mind, but she had been skeptical. She knew that Dixon still carried a torch for her, but his was not the face that she held in her heart.

  She could see Tommy lying flush on the floor and rushed forward with concern. Her concern turned to confusion as she noted the restraining handcuffs.

  “What the hell is this Gaines?” She asked irritably. “Why is Tommy cuffed? He looks like he should be in the hospital not custody.”

  “I’m sorry Ally,” Dixon said sadly and she turned to him. “But it was Tommy all along. He’s the killer and he took poor PJ.”

  Ally wanted to laugh aloud at the absurdity, but no-one looked like they were about to share her sense of humor. Dixon looked away. Gaines and his young deputy busied themselves with cordoning off the scene.

  “It can’t be,” she said, shaking her head in disbelief.

  “I’m sorry Ms Chambers,” Gaines said softly. “But I’m afraid that there is an awful lot of history to Mr. M
arsh that I am guessing that you are not aware of.”

  “What kind of history?” She demanded defiantly.

  “A medical history, or more specifically a psychiatric history,” Gaines said and left the implication hanging in the air.

  Ally stood in horror among the remains of one of her friends and her dreams, as the night closed in around them and swallowed them whole.

  18.

  PLANS FROM UNLIKELY SOURCES

  Tommy woke to ringing bells and beeping machines. His head throbbed monstrously and he desperately tried to gain his bearings. He eased his head slowly up off of the crisp freshly laundered pillow and fought the invading rising tide of nausea.

  He pressed the nurse call button above his head and waited for attention. Eventually after a couple of minutes soft shoe footsteps whispered along the corridor. He sat up to welcome his visitor and put his best foot forward. The shadow paused outside of his room and seemed taller than a nurse would be.

  The door suddenly exploded inwards with great force and the shadow stepped inside. Tommy scrambled as far backwards as he could whilst chained to the bed. His feet scrambled against the crisp white sheets as Arnold Trotter stepped inside the room. The man towered over the bed blocking out the light from the window. Tommy screamed for help as The Captivating Cosmo X set a large black bag down on the floor and grinned insanely. He bent forward and slipped a smooth ivory pale hand in to the bag and brought out a saw that was entirely too long for the bag to hold. The glinting metal blade just kept coming and coming with vicious hungry teeth. Tommy screamed again as he lay in the bed helpless. He looked down at his handcuffed arms bulging against the restraints as he desperately tried to free himself. Trotter tiptoed over to the bed with theatrical exaggeration. Tommy screamed again as the saw bit down into his flesh and tore his stomach open as Trotter threw his head back and laughed riotously but silently.

 

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