The Girl Must Die: A Suspense Thriller With a Supernatural Twist

by Peter Repton

  ‘Lisa my sweet baby girl, the good Lord, would not have put the stars in the Heavens if he did not intend them to shine bright, now would he?’

  ‘No daddy he wouldn't do that.’ He then asked.

  ‘My baby, have you noticed some of them stars don't shine anywhere as bright as the others?’

  ‘I have noticed they don't Daddy.’ He grunted with satisfaction and continued.

  ‘My baby, did the good Lord also make bright coloured beautiful birds that fly as well as the little brown ones?’

  ‘Why yes daddy, he did too.’

  ‘Well don't you think if some stars are shining brighter than the others and some birds are prettier than the others, then you being as lovely and attractive as you is might just be the way the good Lord intended you to be? I think you should rejoice he made you this way instead of just making you a little old brown bird.’

  ‘Oh, I am grateful to him daddy, but some of the boys and men say real dirty things to me. The kind of stuff they used to say to Mom, she got into a lot of trouble.’

  ‘But you ain't your Momma baby, you have got a great mind, Lord only knows where you got it. You can use your wit to stop these guys in their tracks. You were born to be a beautiful lady; you should cherish and maximise your gift.’ Lisa fell silent now as she felt embarrassed at just how much she told Nick. She had never opened up to a man like this before.

  ‘Hey, what about that lunch you almost promised me?’ Lisa decided to change the subject adding, ‘All this therapy has made me hungry.’

  ‘Fine by me,’ Nick beamed and he turned, summoning the waitress to ask for the bill. He gave the waitress a tip, who appeared pleased, if only because Lisa was leaving her workplace. Then she could resume being the centre of attention once more. Lisa was leading the way as the couple walked out of the door and the young waitress began to clear their table.

  Lisa turned to Nick, noticing him look back at the young girl's butt as she stretched out over the table to wipe it. She felt annoyed and a little upset but decided not to react, saying to him,

  ‘We can order and while I eat you can tell me some more about yourself Professor.’ Nick laughed,

  ‘You never give up do you,’ and he shook his head in admiration.

  ‘My Father would never forgive me if I did,’ She joked but Nick West had gone down a notch in her estimation. Lisa suggested a smart little bistro restaurant two blocks away that looked inviting. They sat at a table near an open window. Lisa studied the menu and decided to order when Nick's phone rang and he moved as if to cancel the call then he noticed the caller was Bob Staples and apologised,

  ‘I am sorry Lisa, but I need to take this call.’

  ‘Hey Bob can I call you b…’ Nick never got the chance to finish his sentence as Bob interrupted,

  ‘It’s started already,’ he gushed in an excited, nervous voice.

  ‘I phoned Indonesia and got through to our Sumatra office. I spoke to one of our USGS observers out there, to warn him to check on any unusual activity in the Toba caldera vicinity.’ Nick heard his friend take a sharp intake of breath and Bob said,

  ‘He told me that a swarm of earthquakes rattled the dome of Samosir just an hour ago. There was already considerable damage,’ another gasp of breath and he said.

  ‘It is true Nick! It is all true! His visions are correct. Toba's caldera is rapidly filling with magma again after all this time!’

  ‘Whoa! Just calm down old buddy I don't want you to bring on a stroke or anything,’ Nick tried to sound soothing as Lisa looked up at him. She could sense something was wrong by the frown on Nick's face. That scowl made him look an awful lot older she thought.

  ‘That is the least of my fears right now,’ Bob said.

  ‘I think it may the end for us all!’

  Then he hung up on Nick again.

  ‘Goddamn him!’ Nick cursed, ‘That is twice he has done that. He phones me up just when he feels like it then hangs up on me!’

  ‘Who was that?’ Lisa asked, forgetting all about food.

  ‘It was my old buddy Bob Staples. He is a geologist and hmmm...’ Nick offered then mentally fumbled with what to tell her next.

  ‘And....’ Lisa persisted.

  ‘He is pretty worried about a whole mess of volcanoes that appear to be getting active all at the same time. He sounded really scared to me. I have known him an awfully long time, but I have never seen him behave in this manner. It's just not his way. Not his way at all.’ Nick did not feel like eating anything right now, he just stared through Lisa with a vacant faraway look in his eyes. In an attempt to bring him back to earth she asked.

  ‘What volcanoes?’ No answer. Lisa tried again in a louder voice,

  ‘I know about the horrors of Hawaii recently. But what else are you holding out on?’ Still, there was no answer from West.

  Lisa then stood up and shouted at him.

  ‘HELLO! I am still here. Are YOU with me?’

  Nick startled out of his temporary trance with a jerk. He gazed up at her as people in the restaurant glanced towards them.

  ‘Hey, I am so sorry Lisa what did you say?’

  Lisa sat down again and repeated, ‘What volcanoes, apart from Hawaii that is Nick?’

  ‘Well, Iceland for starters, Yellowstone for the main course. If that alone were not enough, throw in Toba as a desert. Then you have a whole bunch of volcanoes kicking off, all at the same time. My buddy Staples seems to think it's the end of us.’

  ‘Us,’ Lisa asked ‘Who are us?’ and inquired again confused.

  ‘You don't mean just “us two” do you?’

  ‘He means all of us,’ Nick replied, ‘I think he could be right,’ he added as an afterthought.

  Lisa looked stunned. Her mouth gaped open and her jaw dropped.

  ‘You are shitting me?’ she said the incredulity clear in her voice.

  ‘That is what he just told me. You were sitting right there,’ Nick replied.

  ‘Shit,’ was all she could manage as she crossed herself then added,

  ‘I pray to the Holy Virgin and all the blessed saints in Heaven he is not right.’

  ‘I expect knowing my old buddy Bob he is doing a whole lot of that kind of thing himself right now,’ Nick added.

  ‘I guess now you know this much you should hear the rest,’ he raised his eyebrows at her for a cue to continue.

  ‘There is more!’ her eyes were popping now. If they were big and beautiful before now were brown saucers full of honey.

  ‘Bob claims some guy from England has been communicating with him for a couple of weeks now. Here is the real kicker though, he has been predicting all these events before they even happen. The Toba deal he only forecasted early this morning,’ Nick paused to see Lisa's reaction. She said nothing and just stared real hard at him, but he could see her quick mind was racing.

  ‘Bullshit!’ she cried, ‘I don't believe it. The old guy has either gone nuts or is just a plain liar.’ Nick objected,

  ‘Hey, I have known this man for the best part of ten years. He is a kind and religious man. I have never known him to lie. He has no reason to lie; it has been all over the internet about this guy in England. If Staples says the guy was in contact, I will stake my life he is telling me the truth.’

  ‘The man in England is a suspected murderer,’ Lisa said with a trace of anger in her voice. I read about him on my Macbook this morning. No one spoke for a few moments. Then it was Nick who made the truce.

  ‘Hey, Lisa I am real sorry for raising my voice at you. I agree it sounds like bullshit. But it's all we have. I was only telling you what he said and what I knew. I don't want to quarrel with you.’ Lisa smiled and replied, ‘Me too,’ then she held his hand.

  ‘Now are we gonna eat or what? Or did you just invent that whole crock of shit just to put me off my appetite? I think better with food. It calms me down.’

  West laughed out loud at that. This girl was amazing.

  32

  Just as soo
n as David finished typing, ‘It’s going to be Toba,’ and sent the message, then he blacked out again hearing the familiar voice speaking to him from his earlier dreams.

  ‘So, you are ready at last for your next enlightenment David?’

  The question just came out of the air seeming to originate from all directions at once, as if David was between several unseen loudspeakers. He was about to ask a hundred different questions, all at once, when heard the sweet voice again.

  ‘I know you will have many questions; I will answer a few in due course. Your first was going to be, “Who are you,” am I correct?’

  ‘Yes,’ David answered in his mind. ‘Who are you and what do you want?’

  The sweet almost childlike voice cut in again,

  ‘You may call me Raphael, I had other names throughout the ages, but Raphael will suffice for now. I want to try to help you to save many of your kind. Their fate may be in your hands and your hands alone. If you fail, the entire human race will perish. It all rests with you. I have come here to instruct you what you need to do.’

  ‘What I need to do? What the hell do you mean? Why choose me? I am just a Doctor, an ordinary guy. Why do you say you have come to me? I cannot see you.’

  ‘You will see me soon. You are an excellent communicator. People have been listening to you as you dispersed the foresight I bestowed upon you.’ So soft and even higher pitched the tone was becoming.

  ‘You say you are responsible for my insights and my frantic attempts to warn the masses. How do you know I have been doing that?’

  ‘Because I have been watching you,’ the voice sounded pleased.

  ‘But why me?’ David begged.

  ‘It is my task to enlighten you, to give you some insight.’

  ‘Look, just go and get somebody else to enlighten okay, I want to go home to my wife. I am going to see Sarah tonight. I have taken enough of this shit; I don’t need any enlightenment or anything today thanks. Please just let me go,’ David pleaded with a strained voice.

  ‘I won’t tell anyone about this, just let me go, please. I don’t know anything. I was just living my life, minding my own business, then all this shit just started. Look, Raphael or whatever your name is. I don’t even want to know who you are, or what you are, just let me be. Okay? Just let me go!’ The rising panic gripped David hard now; he started to sweat and tremble.

  ‘Don’t you want to try and save Sarah?’

  ‘Hey! You leave her out of this. If you...’ David’s voice trailed off as he realised how ridiculous any threat was. He could not see anything in the dark guest house bedroom. All he could focus on was this soft, sickly sweet, melodic voice that came from out of nowhere. It sounded like a little boy.

  ‘David, do not fear. I know this is difficult for you. It was for the many others before you. It will be much easier once you understand. I have come to give you extra insight and understanding so you may undertake your challenge. If you do not accept it, something terrible will happen to Sarah and everyone else. The headaches you have experienced together with the nosebleeds, these past two weeks are the result of your mind expanding. Your brain is growing and being uplifted to enable you to receive and see the truth. If you are ready, I will reveal to you a little of it now.’

  33

  Jack Ford paced his office. The copious amounts of strong black coffee he had drank hoping to keep alert, now at last negated the effects of the three-quarters of a bottle of Johnny Walker Black label that he knocked back the previous night. The local convenience store did not stock his favourite Glenlivet. Surprised how the alternative whisky gave him a different hangover, he was now awaiting any news about David Kempston's whereabouts. The case looked a lot better after tapping into the communications Kempston made with Staples.

  His US counterparts had told him they were monitoring Staples ever since he had converted to Islam especially since the World Trade Centre tragedy and the George W. Bush's homeland security programme. Muslim’s in the US came under much closer scrutiny now. The phone rang, and Ford picked it up in an instant.

  ‘DCI Jack Ford,’ he answered.

  ‘Hello Chief Inspector Ford,’ a clear young voice spoke.

  ‘It is Police Constable Daniel Quill here sir,’ then silence followed. P.C. Quill was transferred on loan to the Grimsby police door to door team to boost their numbers. Coppers on the beat were cut in numbers severely by the government’s austerity measures.

  ‘For God's sake, Quill do you have something to say to me or not a man?’ Ford snapped far more harshly than he intended.

  ‘Yes Sir I think I do,’ Quill continued sounding unruffled. Danny had gotten used to Ford's aggressive manner over the last few months.

  ‘The landlady of a guest house that I visited reckoned that Kempston stayed there since last Tuesday night. He remained right up until yesterday suppertime when he checked out just after dark.’

  ‘Fantastic work you have done young Danny!’ Ford enthused.

  ‘I knew you would make a great copper. What else can you tell me? Is she sure it was him?’

  ‘Yes Sir, she is a bit of a lively character called Dot but she confirmed it was him. I showed her a still image of a CCTV picture we got from Freshney place. She said he was a lovely bloke, and that he reminded her of her next door neighbour’s son who was blown up in Afghanistan. But there is some more Sir,’ Danny paused. Ford heard how happy young Quill sounded to have received his superior's praise. But he couldn’t contain himself. The boy was in no hurry.

  ‘The same night Kempston checked out one of her live-in staff never came home from work. Lucy Higgins set off for work at a nearby restaurant an hour after Kempston left. She then disappeared, Sir.’

  Ford was stunned by Danny's revelation. Could this be the second one? He feared it might be. Ford moved into fifth gear, the whisky dullness from last night now vanished.

  ‘Stay right there young Danny. You just tell me the address, and I will get some more officers to you immediately. Excellent work young man, well done Danny.’

  ‘Number 42, St. Mary's Gardens in Cleethorpes sir.’

  Danny beamed at old Dot who stood in her doorway smiling toothily back at him. Door knocking was never this much fun he thought. Even if the cheeky old bugger did feel his arse as he walked past her to phone his boss. Danny was so happy his boss had heaped praise on him. Tomorrow his team Manchester United would be champions again if they beat Sunderland. His life would be complete if they stopped Liverpool winning the title. Ford animated now said,

  ‘I want a crime scene team now at 42, St. Mary's Gardens, Cleethorpes. We have a young woman a Miss Lucy Higgins missing from that address. Our prime suspect has been living under the same roof as her for most of the last week. Get photos of her and check the reception CCTV footage since last Monday. I need a second team as well right now at Lucy Higgins’s place of work. Check all local CCTV cameras. Show them Kempston's picture. Don't hang about guys. We are on to him now I can feel it in my bloody guts.’

  Ford looked at his Rolex watch. It was 6.45pm.

  ‘It's time for a snifter,’ Ford thought he deserved it. They had got a lucky break, and he knew it. But it was good old-fashioned police work that did the job, he thought sliding open the bottom drawer of his desk, reaching for an expensive bottle of Chivas Regal. Ford kept it there for the rare times he and his squad got lucky like this.

  34

  David was waiting to collect a takeout meal that he ordered from the fast food menu the pub next door provided. He looked at his watch. It was just past 7 pm. It would be dusk in about two hours he thought as a spotty young man passed him the white carrier bag containing his food.

  ‘Enjoy your meal,’ he said to David who thanked him, hastening back to his lodgings. David even managed a smile for the blonde horror Laura at reception as he passed her desk, making his way upstairs. Laura called after him,

  ‘If you are eating in your room make sure to take your rubbish out tonight. We can't have you stink
ing the place out and upsetting the landlady.’

  For most of the day, he was agonising about what to do after his profound experience in the early hours of the morning. David already uploaded a video of himself to YouTube. He emailed Staples the link telling him of the Raphael development. David also decided he would eat before calling Sarah. She was worried sick; he needed his wife to know he was still alright.

  David went outside a little after 8 pm. Passing the blonde horror Laura again, raising his rubbish bag and rattling it at her on his way out.

  ‘Taking out the trash as you instructed,’ Laura grunted an acknowledgement. He walked to the bins around the back of the pub, throwing the waste into it. Then dialled his home number knowing that the police would be tapping any conversations now. But he needed to do this, the phone in his home was answered on only the second ring.

  ‘Sarah must be sitting next to it all the time,’ David realised.

  ‘Hello,’ the voice he loved spoke and his heart missed a beat.

  ‘Sarah it's me. David,’ he felt silly telling her who he was as she would know.

  ‘Oh my God, David I have been going out of my mind with worry…’

  ‘Sarah please,’ he cut her off, ‘I am going to give you a phone number. I want you to get in your car then call me in thirty minutes from a public phone. Do you understand me?’ He spoke with far more calm than he felt.

  ‘What do you mean?’ she gasped ‘Where are you. Tell me where you are I need to ...’

  ‘Sarah. Just get a pen, please write down this number. I must go, but I promise I will tell you everything later,’ David cut in again feeling cruel as he too was really desperate to talk with her. Just listening to her voice lifted his spirits. He heard her footsteps as she walked to her handbag to find a pen. After what felt like an age she spoke again.