“It’s just for ten days,” he reiterated with impatience, “I will compensate you for everything. Just give me a figure, and I will draw a check. You are not going to regret it.”
And so, his duty began. Keeping an eye on a beautiful woman and getting paid for it, he couldn’t ask God for more. It looked to him as if his bad luck was finally turning after all. He had already sold the watch given to him by Dr. Edwards, and now he was thinking about whether to settle his debt or just gets vanished with it. If he were going to live in Mexico, he would like to have as much money as possible.
He came to Steve’s house every evening in a rented car, which he had taken from the local garage, and parked at the corner of the street to have a clear view of the house. For the first three days, everything went according to the routine that Steve told him. Lisa used to go for a walk daily in the evening and came back after an hour, which was an odd time to have a walk according to Tom. At night, she either went to a neighbor’s house or stay at home. Tom had a clear view of the front entrance, but he had no way to secure back door. It was the third night on his new job, and he was trying to come up with an idea to secure the back door when someone opened the front seat door and got in.
It was Lisa!
#
“So why are you spying on me?” She asked him curling her lips. She was looking even younger and more beautiful, with a fragrance oozing from herself, the likeness of which Tom had never smelt before.
“I am … not … spying.” Tom spluttered. He always felt nervous in the presence of Lisa. She had an air of knowing things about him, and that was really scary.
“Then what are you doing here at this hour?” Her eyes were twinkling, even in the musky darkness inside the car.
“No… Nothing.” He stammered, tried to hide his trembling hands under his legs.
“Look, Tom. I know you are in pretty bad shape lately, but it doesn’t mean that you have to do some pointless job to make a living. Steve always talks highly about you. I mean you have other options in life in case your shop is not doing well.”
“You … are right.” He swallowed noisily.
“If I didn’t know better, I would have thought that Steve put you on spying upon me.” Lisa suddenly looked grave, “but I know you will never do any such thing, not even for Steve.”
“Why do you think Steve would do such a thing? You two are an exemplary couple.”
“Oh please. There is nothing exemplary about us. You know, right from the second day of the wedding, he had started to think that I have a secret admirer. Can you imagine that? Only if I knew his real nature before marriage …” she sobbed.
Tom put his trembling hand on her shoulder, he was dreading that she might jerk off his hand, but she didn’t, “You should not take stress. The more you feel it; the more it hurts you.”
“How did you feel when Martha left?” she looked at him with curiosity.
Tom didn’t reply. He looked around, the street was deserted and getting darker with every passing minute.
“Don’t avoid the question, Tom.”
“Are you thinking of leaving Steve?” He asked her feeling scared and hopeful at the same time.
“I am confused. Logically, I should have left him earlier, but I don’t know how he would take it and my family might not support me either.”
Tom had never heard anything about Lisa’s family before. “You have a family?” Tom sounded really stupid to himself, “I mean who do you have in the family?”
“Parents and a sister.”
“And why wouldn’t they support you?”
“After my sister’s death, they are not ready to accept any kind of trouble in our personal lives.”
“I am sorry to hear that.”
“She was very lively, very chic, you know, but she had a bad judgment about people which took her life eventually.”
“How did she die?”
“Police said it was an accident, but I think her husband did it.” A drop of tear rolled down on her cheek which she quickly wiped off.
“Are you afraid that Steve might do something like that?”
“My parents wouldn’t be able to see a second death in the family.”
“Lisa! If you ever feel scared of Steve, you can come and stay with me.”
Several drops of tears rolled down from her eyes, and she looked at him with the helplessness of a wet kitten in a cold rain. Unable to control himself, Tom touched her face desperately.
“I am always here for you.”
Tom didn’t know what else to say to her to make her comfortable and secure with him. He always felt like a sitting duck with women. She turned her face towards him and, after contemplating for a moment, kissed him on his right cheek. He could feel her burning hot breath on his neck as she didn’t show any sign of retreat afterward.
“You smell really nice.” She whispered in her sweet sing-song voice. The next moment, her lips were on his, and he was kissing her like he had never kissed Martha before.
#
As the deadline approached, Tom grew restless.
Steve had come back after few days, and he was still spending weekends at his place. Neither Lisa nor he tried to discuss the events of that night. However, Tom remembered everything in exact details, and he was giving some thinking to the whole situation. He could not live in this town after the experiment; Lisa couldn’t live with Steve. The only logical solution for both of them was to get vanished together, but he knew that Edwards would never approve that. He had strictly told Tom to leave no trails behind and taking away someone’s wife would not only catch attention but might also invite police investigation.
After careful deliberation, he devised a plan.
#
Traveling was something Tom had never looked forward to and moving abroad was something he actually dreads about. He had spent his childhood in San Felipe and also his teenage; he even got married in the local chapel, and now he was getting ants in pants with the idea of moving out for good.
The shop was sold, and he had got around thirty thousand dollars in sale, and Edwards would pay him fifty thousand more for being his subject. He had no clue whether it would be enough to start a new life in Mexico, but he was not concerned about it because Lisa had agreed to come with him. Tom knew one thing for sure that Lisa must bring some cash and securities with her as she was very good with managing finances. No one in his right mind could be financially depending upon Tom because he was as poor as a church mouse.
Finally, he gave a last glance at his shop and home, the only place in the world he knew like the back of his hand and started walking. Some of his neighbors had watched him bringing out his luggage, but none of them said anything, except for Mr. Hudson. He not only bid him adieu but also wished him luck for his new journey in life.
Edwards had specifically asked him to make it public that the shop was sold and he was moving to Mexico. He had also asked him to leave in the daytime in plain sight of neighbors and onlookers to witness his departure. The only thing Edwards didn’t know was that he was not leaving alone, Lisa would join him in a motel in Houston. He was supposed to go to Houston in broad daylight, took a room in a motel over there and tell as many people as he can that he was leaving for Mexico. At midnight, he had to check out, a car would be waiting for him outside of the motel, sent by Edwards, which would bring him back to the Lynch Street.
Everything went according to the plan.
He had left the town early in the evening and reached Houston by nightfall. Now he had nothing to do except wait for Lisa. According to the plan, Lisa would stay in Houston. He had to go alone to Edwards’ house and then come back after the experiment, and when the coast would be clear, they would together go to Mexico by road.
By the time clock struck eleven, his anxiety level had started to rise. Lisa had promised to reach the motel before midnight. What if the car comes first? He scrolled his chat with Lisa on his cell in agitation. At that moment, a message popped on the
screen.
“Can’t come now. Steve is still awake. Meet u @ Edwards. Luv u.”
He reread the message, and then he read it one more time. Meeting at Edwards meant telling Edwards their entire plan, and he would be really pissed with the idea that Tom got Lisa before him, but it was already eleven fifteen, and if Lisa had not left San Felipe yet, she could not have reached Houston by midnight. Tom couldn’t do anything except taking a long breath and leaving it all to his fate.
At twelve o’clock precisely, he went to the reception and checked out. Edwards had advised him to travel light, and he followed his advice. He had only two bags with him which he could carry easily. When he came out of the building, the rain had started pouring down heavily, and the winter air had turned cold enough to rattle his bones, but there was no car in sight.
“Mr. Rodgers!” Someone addressed him nearby. In the darkness, he was only able to see the silhouette of a man holding an umbrella, but he didn’t recognize the voice. “Please follow me.”
The car was parked far from the motel and looked deserted. The lights were off, and the windshield wipers were also not moving. The torrential rain was pattering against the roof of the car. His companion took the driving seat and asked him to put his luggage in the back seat. It was Dr. Edwards’ brand-new Volkswagen indeed.
The journey was silent, and Tom felt that his companion liked to have tight chops. He was unable to see out of his window as it was smeared by raindrops. Finally, after an hour-long drive, the car stopped on Lynch Street outside the house of Dr. Edwards. Tom’s guide had to honk before the main gate was opened.
“Leave the luggage in the car.” His companion said and went inside. Tom followed him impetuously. His mind was still buzzing with questions about Lisa. The inside was almost same as when he last visited the place. It was still drenched in darkness.
“Where is Dr.?” He whispered to his companion.
“He will be here soon.”
The guide brought him to the same room in which he had conversed with Dr. Edwards on his last visit.
“Want something to eat?”
“What’s on the menu?” He set down on a couch and stretched his arms. God knows how much time will it take?
“Just desserts.”
“Hmm. No thanks. I would like some coffee.”
The coffee he had was a little harsh for his likeness, but he forced it down his throat to stay awake. God knows how long this night was going to be. The last thing he remembered was stretching his legs and resting his head on the back of the couch.
-
He didn’t remember how long he had slept on the sofa, but it must be very late because when he finally woke up, his whole body was aching and he was finding it difficult to move a muscle. The light was still on, and he could hear people muttering somewhere nearby, but he was unable to distinguish words. Lisa might have come over finally.
He tried to stand up but his legs trembled, and he slumped to the floor. He thought about screaming but then considered it inappropriate. There might be other people in the house as well. Finally, he moved himself to the door by taking the support of his hands, dragging his legs behind and turned the handle. It was locked. He tried again but to no avail. Thinking about calling Edwards on his cell phone, he searched his pockets. There was no mobile, though he remembered putting it there when he was leaving the motel. He cursed himself for being negligent on such an important night of his life. What if Lisa called? What if she came over to the motel after I left? What if Steve caught him leaving? His mind started hurling questions at him again. He looked through the keyhole to call someone for help.
The room adjacent to his own room was nicely decorated with couches and large indoor plants. Two people were sitting on one of the couches, talking to each other. The girl’s face was towards the door and easily recognizable. It was Mary, the girl who wanted to buy the shop for his husband. She was sobbing with quiet whimpers. The man’s face was not in view, but seeing Mary was a setback for Tom. What is she doing here? Finally, the man also turned his face and came in sight. It was Sam—Tom’s assistant.
He was unable to think of a single reason about how they both knew each other and most importantly, what they two were doing here together? How do they know each other? How do they know Edwards? What Sam was doing here? And why didn’t he go back to his home country?
He heard the footsteps of a person approaching the door. He tried his best to move away from the door, but with the legs not supporting his resolution, he was unable to reach the couch in time. The man entering the room was Dr. Edwards himself.
Tom felt the same anger boiling inside him which he felt when Edwards used to come to his shop. His fists clenched and mouth curled in a smirk.
“So, what is the conspiracy? If you wanted my shop, you could have asked me directly.”
Edwards looked at him without showing any type of emotions.
“We didn’t need the shop. We need you.”
“We? Who are we?”
Edwards didn’t reply. Instead, he turned towards the door and yelled, “Smith!”
The man who brought Tom from the motel came running in the room.
“Everything is ready?” Edwards asked him.
“Yes, Sir!”
“Great! We need to take him down.”
Down?
“I am not going anywhere.” Tom tried to fight with the men when they were lifting him from the floor, but he had never been physically fit enough to fight with two men, especially when his legs were not supporting him. They took him out of the room and moved to the deeper part of the house. The house was well lit, and Tom felt that there were more people in the house talking ... talking about him. He thought about his home, his shop and Lisa. Why did he trust this godforsaken man at all?
They brought him in the open air, but they were still inside the house. It must be a courtyard. Tom could smell the roses once again, but now the scent was stronger than usual. He could see the walls around the edges, and tall trees were reeling under the sky. Edwards and Smith walked for few minutes and then suddenly when Tom was least expecting it, they threw him down.
The fall was not from a great height. The pit was five to six feet deep, and it should not have hurt so much, but Tom felt as if his soul had just left his body upon falling.
He could see Edwards and Smith standing above him, but slowly people began to join them. The first person was Sam, then Mary, then came Steve and last came Lisa. Six individuals with six silhouettes. He should have felt shocked upon seeing Lisa at least, but his mind was unable to make sense of what was happening.
“You should have thanked God that we are not like you.” Edwards’ face was grave. Mary was still crying in a quiet voice. Steve and Sam’s faces were full of disgust. Lisa was looking carved of stone. Smith had a torch in his hand, so he was unable to look at his face directly.
“Why?” Tom cried in hysteria. “What have I done to you?”
“Do all criminals are like you? Do they all suffer from memory loss?” Lisa asked him in a calm voice. Who is this woman? What happened to her sing song voice?
“I have not done anything. I swear to you, Lisa.”
“Then where is Martha?” This time it was Steve.
“Martha has left me, for her lover,” Tom yelled at full voice. All the sudden, someone threw a fabric at his face which smelled heavily of Concrete Dissolver.
“Then whose dress Sam found in your basement?” Lisa screamed back at him.
“I don’t know. I don’t know.” Tom screamed again like a maniac; he had sounded like a stranger to himself.
“There is no use of confronting him, just kill him,” Steve spoke to Edwards.
“No, no, please no.” Tom cried, “I have done nothing wrong to you, Edwards. Don’t listen to these people. Martha has run away with her lover.”
“This is strange because she never reached my home,” Edwards spoke in the same calm voice. It was like he was doing some kind of experiment wh
ere only facts and results matter, and nothing else, but his silhouette looked more sinister of them all.
“What? What are you saying?”
“I was the man who loves Martha, and she never told me that she was leaving you. In fact, we asked her several times to leave you, but she refused, Tom, despite all the abuses she faced at your hands. When Martha’s father told me that, according to you, she ran away with someone, I made a plan to bring the truth out, and for that, I need Sam because he was the only one with the access to your home. Sam found pieces of fabric, drenched in Concrete Dissolver and bones, that matched with the DNA of Lisa. I could have killed you in your sleep, and it would be a lot less painful for me, but I was afraid that the blame would go to poor Sam and if police started investigation then they would come to know that Lisa and Martha were sisters and it would open a Pandora box. I had to make sure that the official story remains unsusceptible.”
The House on the Lynch Street Page 3