Carruthers' Demise, chapters forty & forty one

Chapter Forty

Carruthers stood edgily by the door watching Noades’ slim figure merge with the darkness and then turned towards the women, the beam of his torch directed at their feet, its halo providing a faint circular light in the small lounge and revealing their hostile stances.
‘You heard what Noades said, if you two can manage to keep from pursuing this pointless hostility for a few minutes we’ll be out of here.’ He furrowed his brow, unable to hold the question back. ‘What’s been going on here, Chelsey?’
‘What’s been going on is bloody obvious. I’ve been held captive.’ Chelsey rifled a hand through her hair, gave a violent exhalation. ‘Look, I’d rather we were out of this godforsaken place – I can’t think straight let alone describe a total nightmare – right now let’s just say my half-brother was never what he seemed ...’ she paused, swinging towards Casey with renewed hostility, glaring between her and her husband. ‘And that sentiment might be extended towards you two.’
‘Oh for heaven’s sake ...’
‘No, let me speak before I flatten her.’ Casey waved aside Carruthers’ intended intervention. ‘I was being stalked, I called Marty,’ she said, her jaw clenched. ‘I had nowhere else to go – you needn’t think for one moment that you’re the only one who’s been hard done by. Oh poor Chelsey, let’s feel sorry for her. Huh! I might even feel some sympathy for the mad son of a bitch, even though I reckon now he was the one doing the stalking.’ Casey raised her voice, responding to the fury in Chelsey’s eyes. ‘Before you even attempt to lay a finger on me, answer me this – has your demented brother been with you all the time?’
‘Now how the hell would I know?’ Chelsey thrust her hands on hips, when Carruthers suspected she might lash out – ‘I’ve been tied to a flaming post, remember?’
Casey mashed her lips, her pupils like dark, hard diamonds. ‘Yes, well in the process of concocting his little trap he tried to get to me, I’m convinced of it – but the police turned up and thwarted him. He wants revenge on us all for some warped reason. And you’re at the hub of this. No doubt somewhere along the line you’ve played your part in the way he is.’ She took a step forward, her index finger raised as she glanced at Carruthers. ‘What I want to know – no, what we both want to know is why your brother lost his marbles. Something tells me you know the answer to that.’
‘If I do know, I’m sure as hell not telling you ...’
‘Oh ... so there is something you’re holding back on ...’
The sound of a dog, angry, snarling, drew attention away from the confrontation – and then two pistol shots had them twisting in alarm. Casey raced for the door but Carruthers caught her arm, hauling her back. ‘Don’t be a fool; you’ll be dead meat if you rush out there ...’
‘We could be dead meat full stop, let her go – blown off the face of the earth she’s one less problem to us all.’
‘Why you ...’ but Carruthers retained his grip on Casey’s wrist, preventing her forward lunge. ‘You’re staying right here – and curbing your temper. We don’t know what’s happened here but we do know the police have been informed ...’ and then Carruthers trailed off – indeed the police had been alerted by Casey’s quick thinking but several hours later there’d still been no response to her note. He saw Casey’s raised brows and thought she was reading his mind. A split second later he was sure of it. ‘I left them a note, remember? Where the hell are they?’
A slamming door sliced through the tension, they heard footsteps approaching the gatehouse – Carruthers’ stomach knotted in a sickly feeling they could be at a killer’s mercy.
He rushed at Chelsey, held her tightly enough to hear the pulsing of her heart. ‘Damn him, damn my brother,’ she uttered through clenched teeth.
But it was Robin Noades who strode through the door, switching on the light which for a second dazzled their eyes. Casey at the forefront drew back at first, mouth gaping, but then rushed at him, her arms hugging his midriff. ‘Whoa, whoa, he breathed, ‘that’s certainly a change of attitude.’
‘Is it over? I mean the shots ...’
‘More by luck than anything,’ Noades nodded. ‘Adrian spotted me, as I feared he’d found out that Chelsey had been freed. As I approached the car he ran out of the woods setting the dog on me. The dog bounded towards me but collided with his knee. He had the gun in his hand and as he lost his balance it went off ...’ Noades broke off, grimaced. ‘I reckon the bullet passed straight through his neck.’ He sighed, released himself from Casey’s hold. ‘I really didn’t like that dog. It had grabbed my leg in its jaws but I’d had hold of the pistol by then.’ He wiped his brow, soaking from a mixture of dew and sweat, ‘So folks I guess it’s all over. All we need do now is wait for the police – no need to bolt ...’
‘Have you got the gun?’ Casey asked, ‘I mean in case he isn’t dead?’
‘No. I tossed it somewhere or other. Perhaps I should have held on to it, the police will want it no doubt.’ Noades shrugged. ‘But believe me, he’s dead alright.’
Carruthers gave Chelsey a hug, nodded. ‘We all owe you hugely ...’ and then frowning, ‘but I still can’t understand your association with him.’
Noades raised his head, expelled air as he forked a hand through his fair hair. ‘Worst thing I ever did, offering to repay a favour.’
‘Repay a favour?’ Casey narrowed her eyes. ‘What do you mean?’
‘In a minute. I need to call the police from a land-line, mobiles are no good here as you’ve probably found out, the only place that gets a signal is the hayloft where Chelsey was ...’
‘Then why the hell didn’t you call from the hayloft? Or for that matter why wait until now when you could have made it when you first guided us here?’ Chelsey, ashen faced in the light of the lounge lamp, eyed him with suspicion.
Noades halted by the passageway door, his impatience showing through. ‘Because time was of the essence for heaven’s sake – as it was, it was only luck that saved the day.’ He strode into the passage, snatching the phone from its wall mounting as Carruthers, fingering his chin, turned to the women. ‘That would explain the phone conversations I had with Adrian, there was sometimes the sound of a dog in the background – and then the time I heard Chelsey shout. I thought it was my mind playing tricks on me but ...’
‘But you were right.’ Chelsey bit her lip. ‘I managed to loosen my gag, it slipped. I tried to call you ...’
‘Can’t he hurry up,’ Casey interrupted, constantly clenching and unclenching her fingers. ‘I want to get this whole sorry business over with ...’
‘Huh, that’s a laugh!’ Chelsey tossed her head back. ‘You want this over with, what about me? I’m the one who’s been through hell here – whereas you ...’
‘Damn you!’ Casey raced across the room, launched a punch before Carruthers could intervene but Chelsey, although weakened by her ordeal, saw it coming and reeled aside.
Before she had a chance to lash again, Carruthers had grabbed her around the waist, lifted her off her feet and as she struggled furiously, carried her away from Chelsey.
‘You wanna try that again? Chelsey scowled, surging forward, thrusting her face out tauntingly.
‘Stop this!’ Carruthers bellowed, and Chelsey, surprised by the fury in his voice dropped her aggressive stance, while Casey, her breath drawn by Carruthers firm grasp, merely scowled back before all heads turned as one, as Noades re-entered the room.

 
Chapter Forty One

‘The police are on their way; all we need do now is wait.’
Chelsey crossed her arms, closed up to Noades and looked him in the eye. ‘Okay, if we’re to wait here until the police show up – and this time let’s hope they do – then we might as well have your explanation – for what it’s worth.’
Noades shoved his hands in his pockets, tilted his head. ‘Alright. I’m a journalist by profession, as was Adrian. My career was going nowhere until he got me my first big break a few years back. He had contacts with a local newspaper in Dorset and put a first class recommendation in for me. I figured I owed him a favour for starting me out on the road, and so when he called asking that I arrange a rendezvous location with his cherished sister ...’ Noades broke off for an instant, looking apologetically into Chelsey’s furious eyes – ‘I’m sorry, those were his words – I agreed to oblige. I suggested the location to you at the hotel and then advised Adrian.’
‘He called me at the picnic spot,’ Chelsey cut in, turning to Carruthers. ‘I was heading to the toilets, he said he wanted a chat in private but when I met him at the car he seemed agitated, insisted we took a short drive – he said it wouldn’t take long. I couldn’t call you – I couldn’t find my phone but I didn’t think a lot of it – I mean that’s the way Adrian was.’ Chelsey shrugged, forked her fingers across her temples. ‘Prelude to a nightmare as it turned out. I ended up in this godforsaken place, hadn’t a clue where it was – but before we got here he insisted on that chat being over coffee – so he pulled in to a roadside café. Worse thing that could have happened; I guess he slipped something into my drink because I don’t seem to recall a lot thereafter – not until I ended up bound in that barn.’
‘For you and me both,’ Carruthers snorted. ‘We found your phone at the spot.’ He groped for his cigarettes, lit one without asking Noades’ permission and fixed his stare on him. ‘You came back to look for her with me – you knew how concerned I was. Why couldn’t you at least have told me what was going on?’
Noades gave a sigh. ‘Adrian said he wanted time undisturbed. I had no way of knowing things would turn out the way they have – I merely thought I was giving him time.’
‘Even to the extent of arranging his stay on the farm?’
‘I tried to find him suitable accommodation, searched long and hard …’
‘Even to the extent of using an alias, Robert Bodes I believe, wasn’t it?’ Carruthers cut in edgily.
‘Now look, I know I took alternative lodgings for a while, if there was to be any comeback from this, I didn’t want it falling on me. I knew what I was doing was underhand, that was why I took the precautions I did, but no way could I have known it would come to this, don’t think I feel good about this – dammit I’m not prepared to be cross-examined by you!’ Noades blasted in his first flash of real anger. ‘I might not have handled things very well but I never expected this – Adrian didn’t seem the type.’
‘And I never suspected my brother was capable of this – this ...’ he was always simmering but never ...’ Chelsey broke up, thrusting her palms over her eyes.
‘Didn’t you Chelsey, didn’t you really?’
Chelsey gazed at Carruthers, open-mouthed, wide eyed. She looked so abject he didn’t push the question. ‘Well never mind, but the police will be sure to ask, they’ll need some pointers to what caused him to act this way.’ His eyes roamed the room and then he frowned. ‘Where the hell’s Casey gone?’ He glanced towards the passageway.
‘Wrong direction.’
His frown deepened. ‘What?’
Chelsey lowered her head in the direction of the door. ‘She slipped out while we were arguing.’
Carruthers strode for the door. ‘Why didn’t you say?’
Chelsey threw out her hands. ‘Why should I? She’s a free agent.’
‘She’s not been in a good frame of mind, lately, not herself at all. We can’t let her walk back alone.’
‘Why not?’ Chelsey’s voice, harsh in his ears, but Carruthers ignored it, stepping out into a dawn throwing fingers of light that were beginning to lift the darkness.
He looked right, through the trees to where the driveway would hit the open road, but saw nothing. But Casey couldn’t have been gone for more than a minute or two and even in the poor light he would have seen something.
Carruthers glanced to his left, towards the farmhouse and thought he saw a small figure move, as if someone had crouched down.
Hunching his shoulders in the chilly morning air Carruthers headed towards the house, where Adrian’s car stood, and just over to the right on the waterlogged drive where a body lay prostrate, sure enough he saw Casey’s figure stooped over it.
She rose to her feet upon laying eyes on him, thrusting her hands deep into her jacket pockets. ‘Casey, what the hell are you doing here?’
‘What does it look like?’ Casey’s reply was frosty, as if she resented his presence. ‘I was making sure he was dead; for all we know it might have been a trick.’
Casey brushed past Carruthers as he stared at the motionless body sprawled on the ground. ‘Looks like the police have finally turned up.’
‘Thank heavens for that.’ Carruthers glanced along the drive and then raised his head skyward as if to endorse his thoughts. ‘And now perhaps we can all go home.’
‘Except one …’ Casey gazed back at Adrian’s body and Carruthers raised his brows.
‘You sound as if you’ll miss him. Come on, let’s join the party,’ he said wearily. Ahead he saw Higginbotham emerge from a squad car accompanied by three uniformed officers, whilst behind, flashing blue lights indicated another response unit.
Higginbotham spotted them, gestured to his officers to attend Noades’ house and then hurried in their direction. The response unit swerved round Higginbotham’s car and followed the sergeant along the drive, passing him and pulling to a halt alongside Adrian’s body.
‘If you’ll wait here, please.’ Higginbotham laid a hand on Carruthers’ shoulder before striding forward and examining Adrian, the occupants of the response vehicle soon joining him.
As Higginbotham got to his feet, Carruthers saw Noades and Chelsey emerging from the gate house in the company of the remaining officers. Higginbotham, returning to Carruthers’ side, waited for the approaching party to reach them before he spoke.
‘I’m pleased to see you’re well, Mrs. Carruthers, it seems you’ve had a harrowing ordeal.’ He turned to Casey. ‘We did despatch a unit to a location given by Miss Jennings in a note, but unfortunately it proved to be a little wide of the mark.’
‘I can hardly be blamed for that; I’m not a native of the area.’
‘Nobody’s blaming you, Miss Jennings,’ Higginbotham said, switching his attention to Noades. ‘I understand from what you say that Frampton-Williams shot himself whilst in the process of trying to shoot you.’
Noades looked towards the body and nodded. ‘His dog sprung forward, lunging for me and collided with him. He stumbled, the gun went off and the bullet passed right through his neck. I shot his dog. No apologies.’
Higginbotham looked to the ground behind them, the light was still poor but his men were searching for something. ‘The weapon, Mr. Noades, I take it you have it in your possession?’
Noades shook his head. ‘No, I tossed it aside. I’m afraid I’ve no idea where it landed.’
Higginbotham took a deep breath, let it out slowly. ‘Well, no doubt we’ll find it once the light improves.’ He turned to Chelsey. ‘I’ll need an account from you, Mrs. Carruthers,
something for the Inspector to go on when he arrives here – he’ll no doubt require statements from you all – we need to understand why this man acted the way he did.’ His eyes travelled over Casey and Chelsey as they glared at each other but neither spoke. ‘In any event,’ he
continued, ‘we appear to have found the killer of both Mr. Goldhawk and Mr. Foulkes, but I’ll leave such judgements to the Inspector.’
‘Alexander, dead?’ Chelsey squinted.
Carruthers nodded. ‘You’ll find fragments of Chelsey’s diary inside the house, sergeant.’ He threw an apologetic look in her direction. ‘Sorry, I haven’t had a chance to tell you – but yes, and you were prime suspect thanks to Adrian’s sick mind.’
Higginbotham sniffed, addressed the gathered party. ‘Well, you’re all at liberty to go about your business. I’m sure you’ll be more than happy to do that.’
‘Won’t we just.’ Chelsey, her face pale and drawn in the gathering morning light looped a hand around Carruthers’ arm. ‘Let’s get our stuff together and go ...’ shooting a glance at Casey, she added, ‘just the two of us.’
‘I wouldn’t dream of intruding,’ Venom flared in Casey’s eyes as she stared out Chelsey, and then Higginbotham broke into the exchange. ‘The Inspector will of course be in touch with you, sooner rather than later, no doubt. However it does seem that this unfortunate business can be concluded.’
‘We can’t let Casey walk back,’ Carruthers protested.
‘Why all this concern about her?’
‘Will you …’ Carruthers’ anger rose at the continuing hostility between the two but Higginbotham intervened. ‘If I might suggest in the circumstances that I drop Miss Jennings off? We are returning to Lyndhurst when all said and done.’
‘Thanks Sergeant.’ Carruthers turned away, glad that another potential flashpoint had been avoided, and then he had a thought. ‘I’m afraid we’re stuck here for a while, Chelsey.’
‘What do you mean – this is no time to play ...’
‘He means that one of Adrian’s little tricks was to immobilise the car.’ Noades ventured forward, leading the way along the track towards the back entrance to the farm. ‘But I might have an answer to that.’