by Tim Heath
Robert thought he sounded crazier than ever, utterly evil.
“You sound like the Anti-Christ.”
“But I’m not, though, am I. And rather like God, you also get to choose what happens.”
“Go on,” Robert said, not wanting to play along with Nigel's game but doing so anyway.
“I can offer you your life back. I don’t even need to know who you are if you want to take that chance. I’ve rounded up a list of people convicted of murders dating back to around your parents’ deaths. I’ve given it a wide range because unless you tell me, I don’t know exactly when to look. Some are men that it took years to find, people who went on to make many orphans just like yourself. If they were gone, think of all those crimes that would be undone. Think of your parents being alive. If you went back through that Door and I did this for you, your world would suddenly change around you, without you knowing it. You would have your parents and a home. Of course, if you trusted me with the details of who you are and where you were born, I could guarantee that I got the killer.
“I would even open an off-shore bank account for you here, now, giving you the details to take back with you, putting a few million in it for you. Think of the interest it would earn through all those years. You’d go back, have the bank details, and even if you didn’t remember it, you would have the piece of paper and would soon realise it was yours. You would be rich and have your parents. You would have all the memories of childhood. You would have all that you never had before, all that you’ve no doubt always wanted, and you would save millions of people from being killed here. Give up the chase Robert, admit defeat. Go home. You can’t win. You can’t undo what’s already been done. Don’t you see? I can give you your life back. You could just walk back through that Door and never return, and it would all be okay.”
Robert was lost for words, amazed at the level Nigel was now going to, to get Robert off his tail, and yet it was an offer to end all offers. Here was everything being put on a plate for Robert. It was very tempting. Robert realised that there was no way he could completely trust Nigel, no way on earth that he would ever let on who his parents were or his own identity, for fear that Nigel would just kill off Robert's relatives, as that would be the much more straightforward solution.
29
Robert had asked for some time to think, more so to work out what he was to do than seriously consider the offer, because as good as it was, there was no way of being able to trust such a man to keep his word. Even if he was to accept it somehow, everything inside Robert was suddenly in turmoil, his emotions interfering with his mind to make getting a bright take on things much harder.
Putting down the phone for a moment, with Nigel set to call back in around ten minutes, he went out for a walk, beginning to collect his thoughts. Nigel’s offer on some levels, if believable, was quite astonishing. His parents’ killer taken out of the scene, along with many other killers, in what seemed like from Nigel a final act of kindness, if he dared call it that, though a kindness linked to Nigel getting what he precisely wanted, which was always his real motivation. And not only his parents back, but money in the bank, and lots of it. But even if he chose this option, he saw straight away a few flaws. Firstly, though he wouldn’t give any specific details of who he was, so as not to endanger himself, it was only assumed that his parents’ killer was one of those on Nigel’s list. And even if they were caught, and Robert had these memories back, they were only like pictures of events he had never actually participated in, things that he’d never had the pleasure of actually experiencing. They could never truly replace what he had lost, or could they? And even with the money in the bank account, he’d have the paper copy of the bank details, but it was a long time for Nigel not to withdraw such a large amount himself, though Robert guessed that actually, Nigel would leave it there. With so much money already it would surely mean very little to him and would not be missed. However, could Robert trust the man who had done so much damage at every turn? Cool air swept past Robert’s face as the wind picked up a little. He looked around and saw the beautiful countryside that surrounded him, wondering if Nigel would carry out his threat. If Nigel did, Robert doubted that Nigel was ready to attack right now but knew he probably had one or at most two days to get out of the place.
Everything in Robert now reminded him of the reason why he had come back and as a result, had lost everything he once had. The chase was all that remained, his pursuit of this criminal was now his only constant in a world where everything was changing. And besides, there was hope, which Robert now reminded himself of, if indeed a third and more importantly, original Door existed. There was only one way to find this out, Robert needed to get out to Switzerland, to finish his investigation, and for that, he needed to buy himself some time with Nigel.
Robert was now back from his walk, his phone in hand and waited just a moment for Nigel to call him, which he did, right on time.
“So, what have you been thinking about?” he asked Robert.
“Look, as unlikely as your offer sounds, I’d like you to show me some proof that you can do all that you are boasting that you say you can. You’ll need to have the account set up as well, all ready to go within a day or so.”
Nigel was a little suspicious, aware that this could just be a delaying tactic but at the same time wanted to give him a chance if he was considering accepting his offer.
“Look, I’ll give you a day, Robert, no more. Everything I’ve said, I can do, I have no need to boast. And though you’ll have to trust me that I’ll carry it out for you, that’s all you’ll have. Remember what’s at stake if you try anything else. Their blood will be on your head, Robert. You’d have forced me to attack, to use these weapons.”
Robert knew this was classic denial tactics, the removal of guilt from one person onto the other so that they could carry out what they wanted to, justifying it as best they could by making someone else responsible, pretending that they didn’t have an option.
“Okay, we’ll speak again tomorrow then?”
“Same time. You have twenty-four hours and know this Robert, any tricks and I attack. If you aren’t in a position to leave tomorrow at this time, I attack. Anything other than this plan of action and its over. You understand?”
“Loud and clear, Nigel, loud and clear!”
Robert hung up, looking to the heavens for some divine help, knowing that it all hinged on what happened in the next two days. Time was now crucial as was his ability to leave the country and get to Switzerland. He needed help, of course, and immediately thought of the only two people he knew to call on.
Jessica’s world had changed beyond recognition in the last twenty-four hours. She awoke feeling sick and walked around in a daze all morning.
It was a pleasant surprise therefore when Robert came knocking at the door again, all eager and all action, something very pressing. He’d already called Tommy and explained the urgency of the situation briefly, which made Tommy decide to leave the office and come home straight away to join them where they could talk through all that Robert had come to discuss.
Robert had not been in long when Tommy pulled into the drive, appearing in the doorway just a minute later, an expression of concern on his face. He kissed Jessica on the cheek, checking how she felt before they both sat down to hear what Robert had to tell them.
There had been no beating about the bush––Robert told them everything that had been discussed with Nigel just a couple of hours before, mentioning Nigel’s offer to him as well as his threat to the nation.
“He’s gone crazy!” Tommy said, now falling back into the big sofa he was sitting on having been on the edge of his seat up to then, straining to hear every last detail of what he was being told. Jessica felt faint, excusing herself, she left the room to get some fresh air.
“Is there no end to the lengths he’ll go to?” Tommy continued. “I mean, talk about over the top!”
“He’s an unstable individual, that’s for sure.”
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br /> “But that must have been one hell of an offer to turn down?”
“I’ve not turned it down, yet.”
Tommy looked up a little concerned before Robert added:
“It’s brought us some time. I’ve got a day before we are due to speak again. Every minute counts now.”
“So, what’s your plan?”
Robert stood up, stretching his arms high into the air. He hadn’t felt as tired in a long time and yet there was now so much relying on his ability to press through these next days without stopping. He walked over to the window before replying.
“I believe it all rests in Switzerland. I need to get there today if possible and check out as much as I can. As soon as I know the location of the Door, I’ll need to find it again in my time.”
“I don’t understand. Can’t you just use that one?”
“Well, eventually I will be using that one. But the Door works as a link between two points in time, so I need to come back to it from my time to establish the two-way link. That Door, if there is one and if indeed I find it, will only work when it is fired up from the future, thereby creating that link. That would then enable me to walk out of the Door in its original time, which for us now is the past.”
“I think I follow,” Tommy said. Robert, not at all convinced, did not have the time to explain further. Tommy added, “Then how do you get back to your time if you can’t use that Door?”
“That’s something I’ve been aware of the whole time. I’ll have to take my chances with my Door again, and I’ll explain that one when we get there. I’ll need your help doing so, assuming it’s still around.”
Tommy looked puzzled and knew there was just too much to be explained than either of them had time for.
“It sounds like an awful lot of things need to fall into place for this to work, Robert.”
Robert was completely aware of that exact fact but smiled anyway. As Jessica re-entered the room a moment later, he said:
“Well, I know, but I’ve got to have a go, because if I don’t, its all over, isn’t it?”
Both men looked up at Jessica, now back with them.
“Are you okay, sweetheart, you look pale?” Tommy asked.
“I think I need a lie-down, do excuse me,” and she was off again.
“Oh,” Tommy said when she was gone, only just remembering that morning’s phone call. “I had a call from Brendan today, threatening things in his now usual style. He wanted to meet up with me. I think he was aware of you coming to see us. I encouraged the meeting though, thinking there were some things I needed to say to him too, especially concerning Jessica and her family.”
There was anger in his eyes now, Robert could see it, a kind of ruthless edge that Robert was well aware lived inside the man.
“You be careful there, Tommy. He could cause you a lot of trouble. If he was willing to help us properly though, it might change a lot.”
“After what he tried to do to you, you’d still get him on board?”
“We don’t have much choice now, do we? I need all the friends I can get if I’m to do all I need to. So go easy on him, hear him out. When are you meeting him?”
“Tomorrow morning, first thing.”
“Okay, maybe keep Jessica out of it. I think she’d kill him!”
“She’d have every reason to. Wouldn’t you?”
“We have to put these things to one side. If I succeed none of that will ever happen, remember, and now it looks like our only hope, don’t you think?”
“Robert, I don’t know what to think anymore. Two days ago I was none the wiser, content in my little world, doing a job I felt privileged to be in, with my girl back by my side. Now, I don’t know what to believe.”
Tommy got up and joined Robert at the window.
“So, how do you propose to get to Switzerland?” Robert hung on that question for a moment, refocusing his eyes on both their reflections in the window as they stood next to each other, looking out into the afternoon gloom. In the faint mirror image that Robert saw, with a bit of imagination, only now did Robert spot a slight resemblance between them both, and smiled as the thought formed itself.
“I’m not going, Tommy Lawrence is!”
Tommy turned to him in wonder. “Come again?”
“Do you have your passport handy? I think with a little bit of work I could pass for you and use it to get through customs.”
Both men went off in search of the passport, Tommy shaking his head at the sheer humour of it, knowing that he’d be laughing if it all wasn’t so deadly serious.
Nigel was now off the phone, walking around his lounge, looking out through the tall windows into the mountains, pondering his next move. In anticipation that Robert would turn down his proposal, Nigel had made plans to get everything mobilised anyway, to be ready without delay.
Slightly dismayed at being told that things would take thirty-six hours to get into position, Nigel had shouted home his point to no avail and ended things reluctantly, telling them that a minute over the thirty-six hours and they were all fired.
Standing still now, he realised he’d know before then what the situation would be. The early evening light was starting to disappear, long shadows covering the valley due to the imposing mountain range only a few miles away. He wondered what Robert was doing at that precise moment, aware that either way, the next two days would see things change for good. One way or the other Nigel would be free at last and left to carry on doing whatever he wanted to do without the constant never-ending fear that someone was around the next corner waiting to get him, to expose him, to kill him. Maybe the nightmares would stop as well once Robert was gone. Nigel stood at the window for a long time, thinking very little now, just watching the trees, the birds and the fading light.
Robert had left the Lawrence house just after three, his hair cut a little, and some dye added, the transformation subtle but remarkable nonetheless. He hoped that he would be gone only the night, booked onto the 16:15 flight from East Midlands airport, heading to Switzerland. Tommy had wished him all the best, hugging him like an old friend as he left the house, Jessica still in bed though he hoped they’d both be able to meet him again tomorrow, Robert being unsure as yet what flight he’d be heading back on.
Getting through the airport was a lot easier than Robert had feared, helped no end by the fact that in those parts, of course, Tommy was a well-known name now and Robert found himself treated very well, upgraded to first class, his one oversight in his rush to buy the tickets. Clearly, a man in his position would only travel that way anyway. Robert determined not to make any more mistakes and buried his head into his research the whole flight, knowing that he’d have to be working all night once on the ground, as time wasn’t something he had much of now. Part of him wanted to be back for when Tommy met with Brendan, and while that was risky, it was also highly unlikely due to the early meeting time. He’d grown a genuine concern for the couple, their natural warmth having already worked into him so that he felt he wanted to protect Tommy from Brendan, should there be a more sinister motive to their meeting.
Robert knew such thoughts, if not forgotten, would need to be pushed far to one side for now if he was to have any chance of finding what he needed to that night.
After twenty minutes of going over everything he already knew, Robert sat back in his seat, taking the food and drink when it was served, now aware that he just needed to be on the ground to confirm what he hoped he would find. As his starting point, he knew the village where he was to head, the building he was expecting to still there which just beyond. It was nearly dark when the plane landed, the last traces of light leaving the sky beautifully red, a freshness to the air that was refreshing without being cold. He got through customs and was out of the airport within thirty minutes, having travelled light, with just his hand-luggage checked in as he didn’t intend to be too long. Not that he had much else on him anyway. Robert rushed to a car rental booth and was driving off twenty-five minutes later,
everywhere dark now, though for the moment the roads were well lit, the country looking clean and ordered, and once in the mountains, the air was fresh and crisp. He could understand why Austin would have been sent there. Not only was it quiet and very much off the beaten track, but it was also one of the most stunningly beautiful places you could ever hope to see. The mountains and tree-lined valleys interconnected with fresh water rivers and pools, the very occasional traditional wooden mountain cabin hidden among the trees, the fat dairy cows with their bells around their necks no doubt not far away, but it was too dark to see any of them as Robert drove now.
He’d made tremendous progress, but it was still gone ten before he drove through Vers-Cort, the small community halfway up the mountain a few miles off Route 9 which ran south down the eastern side of Lake Geneva. That was the village that Austin Wentworth had mentioned in one of the few documents, as being the nearest village to the asylum, which was, or had been, just a mile further up the road. Robert had no clue whether the shelter still existed in its previous state.
The signs were good though, as he pulled the car over just after a big bend in the road. There was a small forest of trees flanking the way and Robert picked up the torch that he’d purchased at the airport. Having had it on charge the whole time in the car, it was surprisingly bright, and he made his way through some small trees, making out the apparent shape of a building of some kind, his heart picking up a beat. Robert had read so much about the place, that somewhere inside him it now felt as if he was coming back to a childhood home as if the memory was faint, but it all still seemed somewhat familiar.
His first piece of luck was that it was clear from the boarded windows and poor condition of the place that it no longer was a domestic residence. That would mean, surrounded by trees on every side as it was, Robert wouldn’t be intruding on anyone’s life, and therefore at that time of night, he hoped nobody would spot him there. Going in closer for a further look, Robert saw a dirty nameplate on the door. Once he had given it a lot of rubbing, the years of neglect visible, it revealed the name of the asylum. It was the same name from all those years ago, and from all those entries Robert had read about the man he believed was Austin Wentworth. Austin's was the only record of admission for that year, and it said that he was an Englishman from the south of the UK.