Artificial Flowers

by J. A. Hailey

  Goodfellow had permitted them to have a concert after sentencing, ‘when it stops being a courtroom, and reverts to being a hall, and I cease being a judge, and become again the HC boss.’

  The mortified girls moved away, and the POPs stopped cringing and took up position at the ready-to-play musical set-up revealed by removal of the ultra-light walls creating their ‘decoding chamber’.

  Esmeralda, Candice, Jennifer, Betty and Ingrid sportingly forgave the POPs, and agreed to their request to lead the dance, at which announcement more females raced onto the stage, to form lines behind them.

  The Screensiders began playing, and dancing commenced. ‘No, no Noxi, Noxi Norton, no, no’. It was near midday, but this mad party, which would enter their historical records as a renowned Screenside ‘do’, would go on till dawn.

  Lines began forming in all population centers, as they danced their ragdoll dance, in genuine relief at the throwing out of Screenside’s first POP case. Noxi Norton danced. Johansson and Ericsson danced. Goodfellow, still in his judge’s robes, was dragged back from the bar, and pushed into a dance line. BC, Singh, Chang, Maria, Caesar, Jeremiah… all danced. Beer and wine flowed like water, as Screenside celebrated. BC quickly danced his way to Esmeralda. “There’s big trouble,” he said.

  “Home, then, quick,” she responded, and both slyly danced out of sight, and went home instantly, virtually.

  Screenside partied on. “Who is Noxi? Maker of the wild beast. Where is Noxi. Hiding in the Far East. Oh, no, Noxi, Noxi Norton, no, no.” And so on. The Screensiders created a cunning medley, that included the hit, ‘The Loveliest Girls in the World’, in which rendition, everyone gave full throat to the chorus ‘Screenside girls; the most beautiful girls in the univerrsse’.

  And the simple, loving beings of Screenside partied, and partied, soon moving out of the Great Hall, and out of their homes, pouring into the streets of their world.

  It was over.

  They had examined themselves with brutal honesty.

  And had found no evil!

  63

  “What to do? What to do?” Esmeralda was in utter panic, having heard BC’s report of events. “Send an anonymous email to the cops?”

  BC smiled wryly, shaking his head.

  “Yes I know,” said Esmeralda, despairingly. “Thousands of anonymous accusations daily, from people with enmities, hoping to settle scores. The cops don’t even read them.”

  “Your family’s at home,” said BC. “That should keep her safe. And maybe Zineb’s murder can be used by us, in some way, to warn her against Riad. We could get a day or two to plan, especially after discovery of the body.”

  “He wouldn’t be able to kill three, would he?” Esmeralda asked, anxiously. “Could he?”

  “That would be a stupid attempt. They’ll fight back, scream, and alert someone. And why should he? Killing Diana would only be his natural brutality, not a desperate emergency. He can wait. Think of it; she hasn’t tried to contact Zineb yet.”

  “I know Diana. Another few hours to Paris,” said Esmeralda, gloomily.

  In due course, Riad got to Paris, and took a taxi to near his girlfriend’s house. Abandoning the cab, about half a kilometer after the house, he walked back. As he walked, he called Diana. “Darling, I’m back in Paris. Appointment was called off, and I found myself frantic to be with my blonde beauty. I’m near the house now. Five minutes.”

  “Slow down a bit. Mum and Jane are going out in a moment, and I want to meet you alone. We have some matters to discuss.”

  Her mother and sister were running late, and yet to leave when Riad arrived. Diana met him alone, outside the house door, and proceeded, in accordance with her nature, to rage at him. But, probably ashamed to reveal to her family members that she had been wrong about him, she kept her voice down.

  “How dare you have a wife, whom you’ve brought to France?” she hissed, furiously. “I was not supposed to know? Well, bad news. Your wife, Zineb, has emailed me, and sent me your marriage certificate and photos of your wedding. How dare you hide her and use me? Why?”

  Riad was a regular murderer, and hardly one to take anything from a woman, thereby completely surprising the two Screenside watchers with his response, delivered calmly.

  “How dare you conceal her email, surely filled with lies? You’re my love, and you have broken my trust by believing what some unknown whore has written to you. She’s all paid for. She’s a drug addict from my hometown, and her family has been pleading with me to cure her. Drugs are easy back home. So I look after her. Marriage papers? Joke. She didn’t send you the divorce papers, too, did she? All created together; all fake. To cheat the French Government and get her into France. She has no claim on me. You must travel with me to Algeria, and see me returning her to her parents – in front of an entire town! My wife? You believe? I am holding her in France for her family’s sake, and she’s frantic to return home to her drugs. So she’s creating trouble for me with you, in the hope I’ll put her on a plane back to her paradise of drugs. But you know me. I’ll first cure her completely, and then throw her back. Maybe my family’s got another marriage lined up; another druggie. You are to be chief guest.”

  “So, not your wife?” asked Diana, giggling now.

  “You crazy French blonde. I am in love with you.”

  “Oh, Riad.”

  “Who have you told? Diana, don’t spoil a good man’s name, please.”

  “I haven’t told yet, but I’ve called Marcel over. I want the woman investigated. I am not stupid, to believe without checking.”

  “Find out when your mother and sister are going out. I’ll come back then. They hate me, and now you hate me too.”

  “I don’t hate you. They’re off to Aunt Sophie’s farm for the night. She’s not well, and alone tonight, as her daughter, Sabine, is in Nice. Claude’s driving them to Aunt Sophie’s. Leave in an hour or so.”

  Riad kissed her, lightly. “I have to meet Hosni. Be back in an hour.”

  “What’s his game? What’s his game?” Esmeralda was beside herself, with worry.

  “Too many people in the house,” said BC. “And he’s got no weapon.”

  “So, no murder?” asked Esmeralda, nervously.

  “Looks like. He may try to convince. Seems like he might be succeeding. He’s leaving now.”

  “Back, BC. He said he’s coming back. He has heard her plan to include Marcel in her investigation. Where’s he going? He’s walking. Track, track, satellite, satellite…”

  “Just took a taxi,” said BC, as usual holding maps open.

  Fifteen minutes passed. “Not good,” said BC. “He’s stopped the cab just next to Kindal. It’s a shop selling knives. Camera, let me find a camera. Here’s a few in the shop. There, he’s entering. Knows his way around the place. Gone to the counter. Watch. Speaking. The shop woman nods, and is moving with something to the scanner. Riad’s handed her money, cash. Ping. Read the transaction. It’s a knife. Find catalog ref, find, find…

  “Bad news, darling. Riad’s just bought a six inch, spring-loaded switchblade!”

  “Now, he’s taking a cab again. Back to Diana? I’m sending a message on her phone. Riad is coming to kill you. Run. He has just bought a knife to murder you with. Sent. But she’s watching the little telly in the kitchen. Phone’s in her room. And now mum and Jane are leaving. Sent a message to Jane’s phone too. Mum has no phone; hates them; disturb. Jane’s very careless. Battery’s dead most of the time. Anyway, her only interest is Claude, and he looks in more than ten times daily, whenever he’s passing by on his motorcycle. Her phone’s not on. Probably dead again.”

  A few anxious minutes passed.

  “He’s on the house road now,” said BC. “Seems to be out of the cab, and walking. Heading in the direction of your family home.”

  “Oh Diana, look at your phone, and run.” Esmeralda’s agitation was terrible to behold. “Message to Inspector Marcel. Riad Mubarak has murdered his wife in Marseille. Her name
is Zineb. Check it out. Address is in the attachment. He intends to murder Diana Talbot. Hurry to her house. Murder attempt in progress. Hurry, hurry! Sent. Too late?”

  “He’s walking very slowly, Esme.”

  “That murderer thinks he is too early,” she said. “He’s now killing time…”

  Diana met Riad just inside the door to the house. Screenside had the computer camera view.

  “Alone?” he asked.

  She nodded.

  His mind was made up, and he was utterly helpless, as far as controlling his murderous rage went.

  “Answer me. Why did you not immediately tell me that Zineb had sent you that email?”

  “What is this attitude Riad? You can’t use that tone on me.”

  “You’re my paid for French whore,” he raged, no longer keeping his voice down. “You have to take whatever I choose to give you.”

  “Whore? You fucking Arab bastard pimp,” Diana screamed. “Get out of here,” She flung open the door, pointing the way.

  “You dare think you can order me out, whore?” Riad slapped her.

  Riad Mubarak was an experienced murderer, and with massive attitude problems, but the girl was very high-spirited, and utterly oblivious to the mortal danger posed by him. She instantly slapped him back, and it was a terrific slap.

  The rest happened in a blur of spontaneity, seeming almost natural and rehearsed to the helpless, terrified Screenside spectators. Riad snatched the switchblade out of his pocket, held it up to eye level, and, in front of Diana’s incredulous face, instantly deployed the blade, locking it into position with a sharp click.

  “Die, bitch. Die, unfaithful whore!” He screamed, and stabbed her in the stomach, almost as soon as the blade was ready for use.

  Riad looked down at the knife, seeming confused, as he pulled it out to stab again, Diana’s blood already on his hand, staining her white shirt.

  To her credit, she reacted instantly, pushing him aside forcefully to step past him, and into the garden through the open door. Holding a hand over her stab wound, she ran through the garden, heading for the closed gate, dripping blood.

  The stab injury had disorientated her, and she was unable to summon up a scream, which may not have been of any use in that deserted section of their street. She slipped and fell just short of the gate, in a position visible, in Screenside, only through the camera that Jane had set up. BC had switched on the microphone on Riad’s smart phone, and now, after exiting the range of the microphone of the house computer, it was their sole source of sound.

  Esmeralda, beside herself, horrorstruck at what was being done to her beloved Diana, was crying helplessly at her impotence. “Help her, help her, but how? I must help, no matter what. Find something. Something.”

  Riad had now taken total control of the helpless Diana, first dragging her behind a bush and adjusting her body position to conceal her from Robert’s cameras. “I had plans for us,” he raged. “But you betrayed me. Pity I cannot take you to Arabia for training before death, bitch, but we have some time for me to teach you a lesson here itself. Your slut mother and whore sister are not coming back. No one’s coming here. Plenty of time to deal with you and teach you some respect for your man. When he slaps you, you accept his right to do so. It is for your good. Yes, that camera. Think I don’t know of it? I did, from the day it was set up, bitch, and I’m going to enjoy a beer, as you die slowly, while I erase everything now being recorded on your home computer.”

  He stood, bent over his girlfriend and slapped her hard, thrice. “Technique number one is, slap the bitch until her face swells up like a balloon; and number two is, use a knife to slice her nose off, starting the incision at the nostrils. What have you been eating, bitch, to gain such a hard stomach? Pork?”

  He lifted her bloody shirt and saw the corset. “Ah, that’s why the blade didn’t go all the way in. It will, the next stab, when I change the angle of the blade, rip your guts out and send you to God. Not in the mood to be bothered with slaps. I’m going for the nose.” He knelt, knees on either side of her and placed the blade under her nostrils. “It’s very sharp. Brand new. Nose sliced off, leaves disgusting monster with two holes. Just punishment for a disobedient betrayer whore, who dares raise her hand on her man. Let’s start.”

  Esmeralda, frantic in Screenside, shrieked and swooned. “What to do? What to do? Yes. Yes. Cally, Cally. Robert,” she said in instant computerspeak. “BC, Robert. Give me all his computer controls, all, no time, no time to check.”

  BC gave them, instantaneously.

  “Asimov, POP, out, out,” she ranted, now close to abandoning physicality, in her desperate haste. “Screenside kill in Humanside. Open, open, open doors; no time to check, this one that one, Colombia, Kenya, Malaysia, world, open, open. Take it, take it, poor Kenyans. Robbers inside, not outside, robbers guarding loot with guards. Sister, sister, family matter, no punishment too great…”

  BC looked into the Kenyan arena, and saw every locked gate under Robert’s control being opened, as his beautiful girlfriend sent the signal.

  And then he saw a head appear, through one of Robert’s garden cameras, of a dog looking over the middle wall. The garage roll-up gate was still going up.

  Esmeralda had let the murderous pitbull out!

  From Caligula’s point of view, Diana’s feet pointed at him, and Riad’s back was turned to him. Diana whimpered, a small sound, and Caligula executed a standing jump over the wall.

  Riad looked back and saw the dog beginning to come at him, fangs bared. He snarled at the dog and waved it away. Caligula wheeled smartly around and leapt back over the wall. Without a backward glance, he headed meekly into the garage.

  Esmeralda began sobbing, saying, “No, no, no, doggie afraid of Riad. Must have bullied and tortured in the past. Oh, Diana, our lovely Diana! Helpless to save her, her sister in the net.”

  “Nose job time,” laughed Riad, beginning to cut through the girl’s skin under her nose “I like to do neat jobs. Professional. Get the position right. Pull the nose up.”

  The horror-struck Esmeralda, weeping, swaying on her knees, kept moaning through a flood of tears. “Doggie frightened, all frightened, obeys murderer, goes back in, nose will slice, make two holes, beautiful sister, innocent sister, but, but, but… what’s that… what’s happening? Look, look, BC, garage door closing. How closing? Why closing? Who closing?

  “Riad nothing. It’s Robert. It’s Robert. Knows not. Saw doggie outside.” Esmeralda rattled through at lightning speed in computerspeak. “Saw Cally crossing wall. Can’t see murder, no camera angle. Can’t see nose slicing. Called Cally back. Now locking him in. Disconnect, disconnect, BC, disconnect. Instant, now, no time, disconnect. Knock out all Robert connections from his life, not from garage, only from him, from Robert, landline, mobile, dongle, wifi, everything! We need gate control, up down, up down. Switch Robert off. Done, done, thank you thank you. No more dog control, speakers off, no more voice command. Bye, bye Asimov. Someone’s killing someone. Look, look. It’s dog eat dog. Go Cally, quick, quick, fooder’s getting two-hole nose job.”

  Caligula, sitting bolt upright in the garage, was facing the roll-up gate, his lips pulled back, looking every bit the killer he was, collecting sounds from the murder in progress. He made no move as the gate began rolling up, but waited until it had gone up high enough to let him through without the need to bend.

  The serial killer mutt had retained all the information of a short while back. He knew exactly what was going on. He knew precisely where it was. And he knew absolutely what he had to do.

  He made no sound as he exited the garage at murderous pitbull pace and swerved a hard skidding left, to clear the wall in his stride, flying over it with feet to spare.

  Just before Caligula made contact, Riad became aware of his reentry into the equation, and raised his knife-wielding hand in the same dismissive gesture as before, snarling the same command.

  Caligula, using the chance given him to employ his aerial
skills, instantly bit the wrist, in full flight, with such ferocity and power that he locked on and actually executed a mid-air corkscrew, breaking bones in the hand, and pulling Riad’s arm out of its socket. The man screamed at top volume.

  “Shut up, shut up. We Talbot girls don’t make a sound when you’re slicing our noses off, and you, nose slicer and roof pusher, howling like a howler monkey over a mere dog bite? Yes, Cally, darling, bite wherever you want. Better eat him. Lovely Diana, Cally fooder is badly injured. Hungry days ahead. Hide his arm in garage. Not go hungry.” Esmeralda had regained full physicality, and was back to voice mode, standing, now, and excitedly cheering the mutt on, like the most beautiful avenging angel the universe had ever seen.

  Riad, scrabbling on the grass, found his dropped switchblade, and picked it up with his good hand. He was trying to position it for a strike on the pooch, but Caligula, showing that he was not just a sharpshooter, but also a fast gun, instantly latched onto the threatening hand, breaking bones there too. Riad, screaming like a man being roasted in hell, was then dragged around on the grass, both arms covered in blood. He passed out from the pain, and, after biting him in random spots a few times, and shaking him about, Caligula went to stand beside Diana, looking down at her bloody face. Two policemen arrived, and the mutt bared its fangs, becoming protectively aggressive instantly.

  “He’s killing the girl,” screamed a cop. “Look at what he’s done to her face.” As Caligula put his head down to inspect Diana, the policemen, unaware of the drama, shot him.

  “Stop, stop! You’re shooting the hero,” screamed Esmeralda, gesticulating in excitement. It was a body shot, and, using a coat to muzzle him, they got the dog under control. Ambulances arrived and took the players away, including Caligula, and then many detectives and reporters trooped in to dissect the data captured by the cameras, including Robert’s.