Carruthers' Demise, Chapters Thirty Six and Thirty Seven

Chapter Thirty Six

‘Oh well done old chap, you’ve finally guessed it.’ The unwavering smile on Adrian’s face bore total contrast to the harshness of his eyes. His right hand now gripped a small black pistol, and Carruthers, horror burning through his inners like acid didn’t doubt it was the genuine article. With fleeting eye movement to where Casey now stood frozen he added, ‘I have a notion the delectable Miss Jennings got there sometime before you.’
Adrian sniffed, sneered, his finger caressing the pistol’s trigger. ‘Though I can’t say it surprises me …’
Oh I might have.’ Casey folded her arms, looked at Adrian askew, her rich throaty voice pierced the momentary silence. ‘I reckon you’re going to tell us you’ve got Chelsey here somewhere – and it wouldn’t surprise me one iota to learn that you killed the tramp – now the question is why you’ve lured Marty here …’
‘Shut the fuck up! I’ll come to you in a moment.’ Adrian gave a lop-sided snarl as he leveled the pistol at Carruthers’ chest. ‘You always were a dim one Carruthers. I guess you promote other people’s books because you can’t write your own.’ He sniggered at the consternation on Carruthers’ face. ‘Like I say, you’ve been ignorant of the facts; it’s time to enlighten you.’
Adrian leaned forward, his teeth biting into his bottom lip. ‘Fact – if it hadn’t been for you, my sister wouldn’t have got involved in this sickening self-satisfying fiction fiasco; fact – she’d have led a normal, stable life, one where she’d see reason, one that would have provided a future for her, that I could have arranged …’
‘What codswallop are you ranting, man? Chelsey was already an established writer before …’ Carruthers broke off, because Adrian wasn’t listening –
He’d narrowed his eyes, emitting a curious incandescent aura in the glow of the oil lamp, and glanced at Casey, her eyes still burning defiance as she perched alongside Carruthers on the edge of the Chesterfield sofa where they’d been prompted to sit.
‘And you –you plagued my sister with your sexual desires,’ Adrian said plainly.
‘Don’t be so disgusting.’ Casey rose from the couch, shrugging off Carruthers’ restraining arm and he feared she would charge him, but Adrian extended the gun, his finger curling tighter around the trigger. ‘Stay where you are.’
‘Why should I?’ She scowled, contorting her mouth in bitterness. ‘If you’re going to use that thing get it over with – or face me without the weapon, let’s see what a big boy you are then.’
‘Do you deny it?’ Adrian growled, ignoring her remark.
‘Of course I damned well do.’
‘Then you’re a liar. Don’t think I haven’t observed you playing up to her …’
‘Give me one example,’ Casey snarled, baring her teeth.
‘Goldhawk’s function last month, to name but one – I watched your hand clawing hers …’ stabbing a finger at Carruthers he added, ‘… while he was distracted. I saw the way you followed her around the room …’
‘Yes – to keep her away from you …’ Casey said, jutting out her chin.
‘Oh for goodness sake, let’s stop this,’ Carruthers said desperately. He shook his head; thrust a hand through his hair. ‘Why are you doing this, Adrian? Because you have some kind of warped desire for Chelsey? Just what is going on in your sick little mind – and what the hell have you done with her?’
‘What have I done with her? You’ll find out soon enough – no don’t shift a muscle either of you if you truly value reconciliation with my sister.’ Adrian, having spotted Carruthers’ agitated shift forward trained the pistol on him. ‘There, that’s better.’
‘And why did you kill Goldhawk?’
‘Kill Goldhawk? I …’
Suddenly the low growl of an engine and splashing of tyres on wet concrete engaged Adrian’s attention, forcing him bolt upright. He lunged towards the window, eyes and pistol still trained on the pair as it braked sharply. ‘Who the hell – don’t either of you damned well move.’
But Adrian’s damp shoes lost their grip on the threadbare carpet as he headed for the window; slipping and struggling to retain his balance his knee caught the coffee table bringing forth an enraged yell.
Carruthers shot a quick glance at Casey, was of a mind to take advantage of Adrian’s slip and tackle him, but although momentarily unbalanced the man still retained his grip on the pistol.
There was another option and Carruthers elected to take it. ‘Now!’ He yanked the startled Casey to her feet, deciding not to pass Adrian in the race for the door, but to head in another direction – in the shadows he’d spotted another door standing partially open, where the room led off at right angle.
Hoping against hope that it led to a way out, Carruthers pulled Casey with him in a run for it – he heard Adrian shout, expected to hear a shot, feel the heat of a bullet, but nothing came. Instead they found themselves in a long narrow scullery with no light to guide their path – expecting to hear Adrian’s scurrying footsteps in pursuit at any second – but again heard nothing.
‘Here …’ Casey’s voice, urgent, hoarse, penetrated the silence. She’d found a frosted-glass door. Carruthers rushed to her, tried the handle but it wouldn’t budge. He fumbled below it, whispered a silent prayer as he located the key, turned it and slid the handle down freely.
They were out in the open – but only God knew where.
‘Now what?’ Casey breathed at him.
‘We find Chelsey.’
‘Just like that?’
‘She’s here somewhere. You said so yourself.’
‘In case you haven’t noticed, there’s a maniac with a gun about to burst upon us at any minute – and it’s as black as hell out here.’
‘I’m not leaving without her – come on, let’s get clear of this place; we’ll find some cover somehow.’
Carruthers jogged through the undergrowth bordering the side of the house, once presumably a large garden but now a soggy, squelching bog. Casey, close behind him, slipped, but quickly corrected herself. Some forty metres beyond, the garden gave way to woodland and they ploughed through squelching mud and grass towards it. Once under cover of the trees Carruthers glanced back at the house, sweeping a hand across his eyes to clear them of the droplets they deposited.
The rain had stopped; a half-moon produced partial light, enough for them to spot any emergence from the dwelling. They waited several minutes, their rapid breathing slowly diminishing. And still there was no movement.
‘What’s going on?’ Casey whispered. ‘How come he’s not charging after us?’
Carruthers turned his head to her, brow creased in puzzlement. ‘I’ve no idea.’
‘The vehicle we heard draw up – do you think it might have been the police?’
‘How would they have known what was happening here? It’s hardly the hub of civilization.’ Carruthers sighed. ‘Never mind, whoever it was saved our skins – at least for the time being.’
‘Because… Casey stalled, drew breath. ‘Because before we left I handed the details of our journey to reception. I asked for it to be passed to the Sergeant – it’s just possible …’
‘Well done you.’ Carruthers bit his lip. ‘You might not be quite as worthless as I’ve come to believe.’
‘Don’t you dare speak to me like that …’
‘Let’s not argue now!’ Carruthers lowered his voice. ‘We need to find out whether it is them, or get some idea of what’s going on.’
Carruthers emerged cautiously from the cover of the trees. With the side of the house no more than forty metres away there was just enough moonlight to observe it.
But they needed to see the front and that meant joining the concrete road that the vehicle must have approached on. It would mean leaving themselves exposed, but it was the only way.
‘Let’s go …’ Carruthers looked questioningly back at Casey. ‘You don’t have to come.’
‘Don’t I? I’m not staying here.’ There was anger and resentment in Casey’s eyes, no doubt on account of Carruthers’ remark but he bit back any reaction to it.
They managed to keep inside the cover of trees until upon reaching the road, the woodland fell away. Emerging into the clearing Carruthers cast his gaze sharp left, down to the building’s front entrance, outside which two cars were now parked.
One belonged to Adrian, but despite the poor light Carruthers had no difficulty in identifying the other. And to his dismay it didn’t belong to the police, but to Robin Noades.
Carruthers gazed at Casey, aghast. ‘I might have known it.’

 
Chapter Thirty Seven

‘Now what?’
Carruthers shrugged, tensed. He tried his mobile once more before slamming it deep into his pocket in resignation. ‘This explains why Adrian hasn’t come after us, for whatever sick reason they’re in this together. They’re no doubt plotting – they’ll know we’re unfamiliar with the terrain, that in this wilderness we won’t get far and they’re right. But it’ll be daybreak in a few hours and then it’s a whole new ball game – we’ll find a high point where I can use the phone and summon help. In the meantime we need to backtrack, to find ourselves some decent cover.’
‘They’ll stop at nothing to find us,’ Casey said dubiously. ‘Let’s hope they’re as unsure of their bearings as we are.’
‘Adrian might be.’ Carruthers scratched his soaked scalp and gave an exasperated sigh, ‘But I’ll bet that Noades is familiar with the area.’ He stared across at the house, now a barely visible black hulk, merging with the night as the moon slipped behind clouds.
Leading off from the house’s main entrance though undetectable in the darkness, lay the rough road they’d come in on, heading off through the woods towards and beyond the cluster of outbuildings, ending at the point where they’d been forced to abandon their immobilized car. From where they stood now, they could head into the woodland, making their way north-west under cover of the foliage until they were parallel to the road and farm buildings.
‘I suppose we could cut through the trees,’ Carruthers began, voicing his thoughts, ‘and maybe take shelter amongst the crop of outbuildings we saw.’
Casey hung her head, shook it. ‘It’s the first place they’ll look. We need more substantial ideas, Marty – perhaps lying low outside the boundaries of this place until it’s light is our best bet …’
‘I’ve told you, I’m not leaving this place without Chelsey.’ Carruthers had to raise his voice, the wind had risen again.
‘I’m not talking about quitting, just using common sense.’ Casey’s teeth were barely parted, brilliant white in the darkness as she hissed, ‘You seem to have forgotten that guy’s armed. For all we know they both are, though I don’t see where Noades comes into this.’ She cocked her head, angled it at him. ‘You’re not so insistent he’s run off with Chelsey now, are you Marty? Like I’ve said, I’m sure of one thing – Adrian’s got her here somewhere – either that or she’s already dead!’
Casey’s last remark was too much for Carruthers, he snatched her shoulders. ‘You’ve hardly helped in this, if bedding Goldhawk wasn’t enough you swing in the other direction and lust after Chelsey – you’re nothing but a …’
‘Don’t say it Marty.’ Quickly Casey used her forearms, breaking his grip and slapping her hand against his mouth. ‘I swear if you do I’ll punch your lights out – don’t think I can’t do it!’
Carruthers gritted his teeth, thrust his hand on her wrist, managing to lever her arm down. ‘You can try – your true colours are really flying now.’
The whites of Casey’s eyes flashed, she drew back her arm, launched a punch, managing to curtail it just short of his chin. She turned to stomp into the woods, made a few strides and then stopped, slowly turning and flinging out her hands. ‘Oh look, I’m sorry, I admit I did make advances but it didn’t lead anywhere. If she had of responded I can’t be sure I’d have gone the whole hog.’
‘Am I supposed to be impressed by that?’ Carruthers fumed. He thought he could see a tear on her pale cheek as she placed her hands on his forearms but it could have been moisture from the trees. ‘Now look,’ she said, ‘I know I’ve behaved less than admirably but the least we can do now is stop arguing. It won’t help Chelsey and it certainly won’t help us.’ She bit her lip, gripped his arms. ‘I was about to become dead meat in there once he’d finished having his say, with Chelsey’s diary page stuffed down my knickers most probably, and you wouldn’t have been far behind. He would have saved the worst for you. Being her husband and all …’
‘But why the hell should he?’
‘Because he’s her half brother, dimwit. My guess is he’s had some fatal fascination for her all along. He practically admitted as much just now. If we were to dig into his past we’d probably find that one out. He was always hanging around her but you just let it ride – and right now you need to understand that you won’t help Chelsey by dithering. Now let’s head out the way we came in, eh? Applying caution, obviously.’
Carruthers dropped his gaze, took a deep breath. What was done was done. Taking it out on Casey now wasn’t going to help anyone. And perhaps she was right. Perhaps they should make tracks out of the place, the way they’d come in.
He led her across the road, into the woodland on the far side. Initially it was dense, with tree branches depositing their moisture all about them with intensity akin to a score of running feet.
‘This is terrific.’ Carruthers felt Casey’s hand on his back, urging him on. ‘Not only is this scary but I’m getting another soaking into the bargain.’
‘That could be the least of our worries,’ Carruthers spluttered over his shoulder. ‘Listen, you’re probably right. We’ll head north-west until we meet the track out, and keep parallel to it, under cover of the woods. We’ll keep going until we’re off the farm and then take it from there.’
Casey shrugged, seeming almost disappointed, but then she nodded. ‘You’re on,’ she said, perking up. ‘I guess it makes more sense than sitting waiting for Adrian to find us, which he surely would before daybreak.’
Carruthers took Casey’s hand, guiding her as they battled their way through the tangle of trees and undergrowth with the light of an intermittent moon as their only help. He felt the thrust of twigs and bracken around his legs and ankles, and was certain that Casey must be experiencing the same, though she made no protest. Eventually as Carruthers was beginning to despair the woodland relented somewhat, one small clearing leading into a larger, man-made one – and with a sigh of relief he saw the shadowy outlines of the farm outbuildings ahead.
And then a thud – two thuds from somewhere behind them that couldn’t be attributable to either the wind or trees. There followed the deep roar of a powerful engine and then globes of light began to bounce off the trunks of the oaks, unmistakably from a vehicle negotiating the uneven road. Carruthers pulled Casey to him, away from the clearing. His heart beginning to gallop he forced her to crouch with him, as headlights illuminated the enclosure.
They were too close for comfort; this had all gone horribly wrong. Some twenty metres was all that separated them from the compound – that, and a handful of thinly spread trees.
The vehicle began to pull in, to turn full circle and park. The beam from its headlights was a second from revealing their presence when Carruthers dragged Casey into dense undergrowth, stifling her anguished yell as she fell into the bracken.
Holding Casey tight to him, Carruthers heard the crunch of footsteps on rough shingle, followed by the deep bark of a dog and the scrape of a door being yanked open.
He crooked his head as far as he dared; shielding himself with his free arm from the headlights’ glare he saw Adrian vanish into the large, rectangular barn.
And then he heard a scream –
Chelsey’s scream.