The Deadliest Game

by H E Joyce

  ‘Oh, it was okay.’

  ‘Just okay?’

  ‘Yeah.’ He paused for a moment and sniffed the air. ‘Have you been smoking, Mom?’

  Laura looked at him and smiled. ‘I can’t keep any secrets from you, can I kiddo? Yes, alright, I admit it, I had one cigarette, but that’s all,’ she said, tousling his mop of thick fair hair.

  ‘But they’re bad for you – you said so.’

  ‘I know, but it was only one.’

  Laura prepared herself for an onslaught, but to her relief, he let it go. ‘Mom, could we go out on the boat at the weekend?’ he asked.

  ‘Not if this weather keeps up, honey.’

  ‘But we haven’t been out on it for ages.’

  ‘Well, we’ll just have to wait and see. Besides, I think it needs some repairs.’

  They were about halfway up the road to the house when she saw the headlights behind them; they seemed to appear from nowhere and she accelerated to pull away from the vehicle, which drew ever closer. As she did so, the car seemed to ease off and pull back, allowing her to reach the house. When she stopped, agitated, she told Jody to get out and run to the house. She got out and quickly followed him, and fumbled for the house key just as the car pulled up next to hers.

  ‘What’s wrong, Mom?’ asked Jody, puzzled again by her behaviour. ‘It’s only Michael.’

  She stopped and looked behind her. A wave of relief washed over her as she saw Michael getting out of the car holding his coat collar up around his neck.

  ‘Are you okay, Mom?’

  ‘Yes, I’m fine.’

  ‘Hi, honey,’ said Michael, joining them at the door. He kissed her on the cheek. ‘Well, shall we go in?’ he said, looking at Laura oddly.

  ‘Good idea,’ she said, unlocking the door.

  ‘What was all that about?’Michael asked, hanging his coat on the rack.

  ‘I’ll tell you later,’ she said to him quietly. ‘Anyway, what brings you home so early?’

  ‘Well, you know, I thought I’d finish early today – make up for the other night.’

  ‘That’s nice,’ she said, a little dismissively.

  ‘Well don’t sound so excited.’

  ‘I’m sorry, no, it’s great – really!’ She turned to Jody. ‘Hey, why don’t you get out of those wet things, honey, and I’ll make some hot chocolate for you.’

  ‘Okay, Mom.’

  Laura traipsed into the kitchen with Michael close behind her. ‘So, what’s wrong?’ he asked.

  ‘I didn’t want to say anything in front of Jody. I got a little freaked I guess, there was someone creeping around near the barn a while ago, just before I picked him up. I got scared. I tried calling you at your office and on your cell phone.’

  ‘Oh, honey, I’m sorry.’ He took her in his arms and held her. ‘Did you get a good look at them? Was it anyone you recognised?’

  ‘I couldn’t tell,’ she said, burying her face into his shoulder. ‘It was too dark, what with the rain and everything…’

  ‘Sure, honey, sure.’

  ‘And yesterday, I could have sworn I saw someone at Jody’s bus stop. It might even have been the same person. And just now when I saw a car following us up the driveway, well I guess I panicked.’

  ‘Well everything’s okay now,’ he said, his hand firm on the nape of her neck. Do you want me to check the barn?’

  ‘No, not tonight, maybe tomorrow though, in the daylight before you leave in the morning.’

  ‘Of course I will. Now, stop worrying and try to relax. I’m here now. Everything’s fine.’

  Laura pulled away and looked up into his eyes. ‘You do believe me, don’t you?’

  ‘What, that you saw someone out there? Of course I do, why wouldn’t I? Although… well, it is possible it was just a trick of the light or something like that.’

  ‘No! No, this wasn’t a trick of the light, Michael. In any case, the lights of the barn came on and then went off again; explain that. No, there was someone out there alright. There was definitely...’

  ‘Okay, okay, I believe you, sweetheart,’ he said, pulling her close again. Calm down. Look, let’s just have a nice lazy evening by the fire. Just try to put it out of your mind for now – I won’t even do any work tonight, alright?’

  Laura nodded her head against his chest, finally allowing her heartbeat to settle into a steady rhythm. ’That sounds pretty good,’ she mumbled, as his fingers teased the curls of her hair.

  ‘Good, that’s settled then. And you can start right now,’ he said, easing her away from him. ‘Go and put your feet up and I’ll make us all some of that hot chocolate.’

  ‘Don’t fuss, honey, I’m fine.’

  ‘That’s an order, go on, get going.’

  She smiled. ‘Well, if you insist.’

  ‘I do,’ he said, kissing her on the lips.

  She did as he said and went to the living room and curled up next to Jody. He had already changed his clothes and was watching an old cartoon on the T.V. He looked up at her and smiled lovingly for a moment before returning his gaze to the cartoon and laughing sporadically. She felt a warm glow inside; it was a feeling that reminded her of the many long evenings they had spent like this in the past, before Michael had come into their lives. And although during those days there were many times she had felt great loneliness, somehow, she had never had such a huge feeling of security. Not that she regretted marrying Michael. It was a decision she hadn’t taken lightly. She loved him and she knew he loved her and Jody, it was just different, an adjustment that’s all.

  As Michael prepared the hot chocolate and waited for the milk to boil, he looked out to the barn, which in the growing blackness and the heavy rainfall, appeared as nothing more than a vague dark outline. When a small vibration alerted him, he turned away from the window and reached into his pocket.

  A few moments later he strolled into the cosy living room where the warm, open fire was flickering, to the sound of the phone ringing. Laura reached down to the coffee table, picked it up and answered.

  ‘Hello.’

  Michael paused, hot chocolate in hand, and looked at his wife.

  ‘Who is this?’ she asked. ‘Look, please talk to me. If you need help…’

  Laura pulled the phone away from her ear, stared at it for a moment and then placed it back on the table.

  ‘What was all that about?’ Michael asked.

  ‘I’m not sure,’ she said, dropping her head into her hands. ‘I’m really not sure.’

  Michael put the mugs on the table. ‘Well who was it, honey?

  Laura sighed. ‘There was nobody there.’

  Five

  The frequency of the calls, and the caller’s steadfastness not to speak, were beginning to have an unnerving effect on Laura. She wondered if that was the intention, or whether there was another motive behind the silence. It wasn’t until later, after Jody had gone to bed, that she finally spoke about the phone calls with Michael.

  ‘So what was that all about earlier? Is something going on that I should know about?’

  ‘I’ve been getting these strange calls for the last couple of days. Whoever it is never speaks, but I know there’s someone there. It’s probably nothing, I know, but...’

  ‘Look, I saw your face when you took that call, it didn’t look like nothing to me. I’m worried about you, honey, what with you seeing things near the barn and…’

  ‘Seeing things?’ Laura snapped, pulling away from him. ‘Look, I’m not seeing things, Michael. I saw someone out there today, okay, and I saw someone at the bus stop yesterday.’

  ‘Hey, steady on there, I didn’t mean…’

  ‘I’m sorry,’ she said, allowing him to pull her back to the warmth of his chest. ‘I didn’t mean to snap, I’m just a little jumpy, that’s all. I mean, I used to get the occasional crank call when I lived in the city, but it never really worried me, but here in Brooksville? I know it may sound stupid, but it seems different somehow.’

  �
��Would you like me to have a word with the sheriff tomorrow?’

  ‘No, absolutely not, but I’d still like you to check out the barn.’

  ‘Of course I will,’ he said, refilling the wine glasses. ‘Now try to relax.’

  She smiled unconvincingly. ‘I’m relaxed. My new client’s coming to see me again tomorrow,’ she said, in an attempt to change the subject. ‘I’ll have to start billing her.’

  ‘The one you saw the other day? Victoria, something or other?’

  ‘Victoria Hanson, yes. She wanted to see me today but I told her she couldn’t. She’s an odd character. I even wondered if...’ She stopped and sipped her wine.

  ‘What?’

  Laura sighed. As much as she tried to talk about something else, it always came back to the same thing. ‘I wondered if these calls were something to do with her, but no, I’m sure they’re not.’

  ‘I would have thought that being odd was a prerequisite for anyone needing a thera… I’m sorry, honey, I didn’t mean…’

  ‘I know.’

  ‘It was a different thing altogether where you were concerned, I mean with what you went through and everything.’

  Laura looked up at him. ‘You’d be surprised how many people think that just because a person needs therapy, they’re a bit cuckoo. I guess you have to have been through a breakdown to understand.’

  ‘I’m sorry, it was a stupid thing to say.’

  ‘Don’t worry about it. You’re not the first to think that way and you won’t be the last either – heck, even my own sister thinks I’m crazy.’

  Michael raised an eyebrow. ‘Really? You’ve never told me that before – but I’m sure you’re wrong, honey.’

  ‘Uh, no I don’t think so somehow.’

  ‘Oh, come on,’ he said, rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand. ‘I know she can be a little plain-spoken, but I can’t believe she thinks that of you.’

  ‘You don’t know her. You see, although she doesn’t always get on with people, she thought the world of Patrick – it was obvious. And then when… well, I think secretly she’s always blamed me for what happened.’

  ‘Honey, I’m sure she doesn’t.’

  ‘Yes, well, it doesn’t matter. It’s not like anything’s going to change.’

  Michael reached for his wine. ‘Of course it matters. Why don’t you invite her down to stay one weekend, mend some bridges?’

  ‘She wouldn’t come.’

  ‘You’ll never know unless you ask.’

  Laura sighed. ‘Maybe. We’ll see.’

  ‘Well, there’s no time like the present,’ Michael said, picking up the phone. ‘Give her a call.’

  She grabbed him and pulled him back to the sofa. ‘Not now, eh?’ She looped her arm through his and snuggled against it, closing her eyes. ‘It was a nice thought though, thank you.’

  Laura could feel the tension in her shoulders lessening and her mind becoming more at ease as she curled up next to Michael in front of the flickering fire, his arm around her, and holding her tightly. The T.V was on, but the volume turned low as they simply stared into the flames, occasionally sipping their wine. Everything seemed right again and she felt foolish about the suspicious thoughts she had harboured over the past few days. She even began to wonder if being so overwrought had in fact brought about such anxiety that she had imagined seeing the figure, first on the road, and then by the barn, though she quickly dismissed the idea. Her logical self told her it was not her imagination.

  Michael reached for the remote to increase the volume on the T.V. It was a weather report that had caught his eye. The weatherman warned of severe storms and gale force winds that would arrive the following week and hit the east coast. The areas most likely to be hit the hardest were New York, Massachusetts and Maine, although it seemed that Brooksville would escape reasonably lightly, whereas New York and Boston would most likely see the worst of it.

  ‘Well, at least it’s not a hurricane,’ Michael said. ‘Still, it does look like it’s going to get pretty bumpy out there.’

  ‘I’d better give my parents a call – I hope they’ll be okay.’

  ‘They’ll be fine, I’m sure they’ve been through worse.’

  ‘Yeah, you’re right – as always.’

  ‘Well, not always,’ he laughed, but in this case, I am. You know what, I’m a little tired, I think I’m going to turn in. You don’t mind, do you?’

  ‘No, you go ahead.’

  Michael leaned over and kissed her. ‘Goodnight, honey, don’t stay up too long.’

  She flicked off the T.V and sipped her wine, mesmerised by the dying flames of the fire that danced playfully for a few moments before withering away to nothing. She stared at the few remaining embers glowing in the fireplace and then picked up the empty glasses and made her way to the kitchen, thinking about Michael’s suggestion of inviting Sally for a weekend. On the face of it, it seemed like a good idea, but she knew her sister well, and wasn’t sure she would see it in the same light. Even if she did accept, Laura could not help but think it would be an unmitigated disaster. It was almost certain to end up with them arguing and could possibly make their rift wider still.

  They were two very different personalities, and even as adults, when they spent more than a few hours in each other’s company, it was inevitable the mood would quickly become unpleasant. Laura didn’t want it to be that way, she would have much preferred them to get along like other siblings seemed to. She wondered if Sally felt the same way but simply couldn’t bring herself to be friends. Maybe it was the case that they were both too stubborn, she thought, and if that were so, perhaps she should make the first move towards improving their relationship, or at least trying to.

  The rain was still beating down hard against the kitchen window as she peered out, and the wind was already increasing in strength as if as a precursor to the coming storm. She looked in the direction of the barn but it was too dark to see anything, not even an outline of the building. She double-checked that the doors were securely locked, flicked off the lights and headed upstairs.

  *

  By morning, there was a lull in the weather. The day was bright, the sun was shining and although cold, it was really quite pleasant. After Michael and Jody had left the house, Laura prepared for her consultation with Victoria Hanson. Michael had checked out the barn as promised and found nothing untoward. His search was enough to reassure her, and when he reiterated his offer to contact the local sheriff as a precaution, in the light of day, she still felt it unnecessary.

  Victoria Hanson arrived a few minutes early wearing a black suit, a patterned silk scarf and the same camel-haired coat she had worn on her previous visit. The bag that hung from her shoulder looked expensive, not the sort that Laura would buy for herself. She looked awkward and nervous as Laura invited her in.

  ‘Thank you for seeing me, Laura.’

  ‘Not a problem, Victoria, let me take your coat.’

  ‘Thank you.’

  ‘Why don’t you go through and make yourself comfortable. I’ll make us some camomile tea and join you in a moment.’

  Laura entered her consulting room carrying a tray with the tea in fine china cups and saucers. Victoria was standing by the fire and looking at the assortment of family photographs that adorned the mantelpiece.

  ‘Hope you like camomile?’

  She turned to Laura. ‘I must admit, I can’t say I’ve ever had it.’

  ‘It’s very good for soothing the nerves. You should get some, I recommend it to all my clients.’

  Victoria smiled nervously, her fingers twirling the ends of her hair. ‘Yes, I’ll do that.’

  ‘Please, take a seat,’ Laura said. ‘So, how are you feeling today?’

  ‘Well, It’s quite embarrassing – I feel much better than I did yesterday.’

  ‘That’s fantastic! Don’t feel embarrassed, it’s not unusual for someone to feel terrible one day then great the next.’ She passed Victoria her tea. ‘Why do you thi
nk you feel differently today? Can you think of anything that might have caused the change in your mood?’

  ‘No, nothing that I can think of,’ Victoria said, looking around her.

  ‘Try your tea,’ said Laura, sipping hers.

  Victoria took a tentative sip. ‘Yes, it’s very nice.’

  ‘Okay, now look, don’t worry, this isn’t hypnosis, but I’d like you to lay back, close your eyes and think back to yesterday. Just relax, and think about what you were doing when the feeling of anxiety took hold.’

  Victoria leaned back in the chair and closed her eyes. She said nothing, but her eyes tightened as she looked to be concentrating deeply. She clasped the arms of the chair, her well-manicured nails digging in as if clinging onto life itself. The tension began to show in her face as it contorted slightly.

  ‘Is anything coming back to you?’ asked Laura.

  ‘I don’t know, I can’t remember.’

  ‘Okay, take your time.’ While her client’s eyes were closed, Laura observed her behaviour closely. She also noticed the diamond ring on the third finger of her left hand. There was no wedding ring.

  ‘Try to think about exactly what you were doing when the anxiety struck.’

  ‘I was at work.’

  ‘Okay, where is work exactly?’

  ‘I have my own business in… in Ellsworth.’

  ‘And what kind of business do you have?’

  ‘I… I buy and sell antiques.’

  ‘That must be very interesting.’

  With her eyes still closed, Victoria just nodded.

  ‘Okay, so you were at work.’

  ‘Yes, but this wasn’t yesterday, it was the same day I saw you, but later in the day.’

  ‘Go on.’

  ‘I saw someone, someone from my past. I didn’t like it, I felt angry. He was…’ She stopped, her fingers digging into the arm of the chair.

  ‘Carry on Victoria, you’re doing fine. Who is this person? What was he doing?’

  She suddenly opened her eyes and sat upright as if coming out of a trance. ‘I don’t want to do this anymore, Laura,’ she said, raising herself from the chair.