Don’t Close Your Eyes, page 54
That was stage one, the smaller part. Leaning on the bath, he took a moment. Sweat plastered his shirt to his back and he took a deep breath to calm his nerves.
“Hurry.”
“Damn it, sis, give me a break.”
“I know, but I hate just standing here, doing nothing. Why don’t you hold the bag?” She shook the black plastic for emphasis.
Joe gave her a look that said for fuck’s sake and dropped to his knees. Carefully, he eased under the plastic bag cover with a fresh bag and started to gather the pieces of glass. The car mirrors were easy and he wrapped each one in plastic and dropped them into Lara’s waiting bag.
Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he went under again and scraped the first of the shards together. Then he wrapped them over and over in the plastic until all the reflections were covered. Pulling them out, he placed them into Lara’s waiting bag. This time she didn’t pick on him and he noticed the set of her jaw. She was afraid.
With a wink, he sank back under the cover and repeated the process. As he pulled out the next batch, one large slice of glass pierced the plastic. It blinked in the light and Joe could have sworn a shadow flickered behind them.
Adrenaline surged through him and he almost slung the package into the waiting bin bag. Without looking at Lara, he slammed an extra bag on top of them, and then another.
That was close.
He leaned on the bath and clenched his fists to hide the fact that his hands were shaking. The urge to run was back, to grab Lara and get her away from here. Why had he let her come with him?
“Damn it, get a move on,” Lara said, her voice tight with tension. “Tally will need a walk soon and you’re just dawdling around.”
Joe wanted to scream at her to leave, but he knew that her bitching was just nerves. It was her way of dealing with fear. “All right, all right,” he said, and dipped his hands back under the cover.
As he raked the shards together, they made an inhuman shriek that sounded like demons scraping against the ceramic of the bath. Stop it, Joe. He worked on, ignoring the sweat that trickled down his back until he had another mirror-filled parcel. “Ready?”
“Bag lady on standby.” Lara’s voice told him she was sorry for snapping, and he grinned at her.
This time as he pulled the parcel out, he checked that none of the shards were showing. It was clear.
Now there were just a few pieces left and, with a sigh of relief, he went under again.
Slowly, he scraped from the top of the bath down to the plug, circling round and round until he had all the pieces. Then he touched the plug chain. For a second, he was a child again, sitting in a pitch-black cupboard with a snake hissing and spitting between him and the door. A shudder ran down his spine and he froze.
“Joe … Joe, are you all right?”
The sound of her voice grounded him as it always had and he shook off the past and gathered up the glass pieces along with the plug chain. The bundle was slipped into the waiting bag. How can I get the last slivers?
“There are just a few bits left. I have an idea on how to get them.”
He reached for his supplies and grabbed some bodega tape. He wrapped the tape around and around his left hand, sticky side out, and then did the other. Lara giggled at the sight he made. He winked before sticking his adhesive paws under the cover and starting to pat the glass from the bath. Once done, he tore off the tape and pushed it into the bag.
Standing up, he unscrewed the cabinet doors and bagged them up as well.
With all the bags secured, he was satisfied that they had all of the mirror pieces. They were safe. “At last,” he said.
“Just one more thing.” Lara switched on the taps and let the water run into the bath, washing away any remaining slivers. “Now what?”
“I have an idea,” Joe said. He hoped it was enough because he had a bad feeling that things had only just started and the shit was still going to hit the fan.
Chapter 102
Lara led the way into a small garden. A light came on illuminating neatly trimmed borders and a lawn that looked like it sported a military haircut. To her right stood a shed; Joe stopped before it and handed over his keys.
While Lara fumbled with the lock and opened the door, Joe held the package clasped to his chest. With white knuckles, he clung on tight, as if it was about to escape and rip his throat open.
Looking up, he could see her mocking smile. Normally it would have eased his tension but not tonight. Tonight it only ratcheted it up. Still, he plastered a smile on his face.
“Are we going in?” Her eyebrows were raised.
“Grab me a shovel.” Joe pointed in the shed then turned back to the garden. He couldn’t hold her eyes but figured she wouldn’t miss it. It was straight in front of her as she walked in, next to a fork and a garden rake.
Walking away, he fixated on a small apple tree directly opposite his neighbor’s window. Despite the dark night, he could see her looking at him through the window and he shuddered. Shaking his head, he placed the parcel on the ground then smiled and waved. “Mrs. Marshal,” he said.
“What?” Lara said as she handed him the spade.
In the semi-light, he struck the spade into the ground and started to dig. “My neighbor. Couldn’t remember her name. It’s Mrs. Marshal.”
Lara laughed. “Does she still think you’re the anti-Christ?”
Joe nodded as he dug deeper and the spade bounced back as it hit a root. “Yeah, ’cause I cheated on my wife.”
Lara’s eyes, like a laser from a sniper’s rifle, focused on Mrs. Marshal.
“Forget it, sis,” Joe said. “In her mind all men are bastards.”
“But someone should tell her. Wait, you said ‘I cheated on my wife’?”
“Yeah, but she cheated first.”
The look on Lara’s face filled him with more guilt and he took another shovelful.
“It was a stupid mistake.”
“Jesus, Joe, you’re an asshole.” Lara stamped her feet and grabbed for the shovel, but Joe kept hold and carried on digging.
“I know,” he said, keeping his head down to hide the moisture in his eyes at the reminder that he had destroyed his marriage.
“Forget it, she deserved it. In fact, I was always amazed you stayed with her as long as you did.”
“Yeah, well, I’m no angel.”
The hole was ready and Joe placed the shovel on the pile of dirt next to it. With more trepidation than he cared to admit, he lifted the parcel and placed it into the hole, flashing a smile at Mrs. Marshal as he stood upright.”
“Jesus, with a face like that she’ll think you’re Dexter.”
“Oh, just great. There’s a bag of ready-mix in the shed. Let’s bury this baby good.”
As they buried the mirror, he believed it was over. If the spirit had escaped from Lara’s then he would never have let them bury the mirror. Somehow they had done it. They had won.
* * *
Joe stumbled into Stuart’s flat carrying a takeaway bag. He was halfway through the door when Lara raced past him.
“Tally, oh Tally, we’re home, sweetie.” She pulled the dog into her arms and immediately turned around to take him for a walk.
Joe felt good; they had done it! The room had stayed sealed until all the pieces were hidden and now they were buried in concrete. They had solved the problem. So why were they at Stuart’s? Why did the thought of sleeping in his own bed curdle his stomach? As he walked further into the flat, he spotted his reflection in the mirror. The shock was instant and fear caused the hair on the back of his arms to stand at attention. Rushing forward, he searched through Stuart’s linen cabinet and grabbed a handful of sheets and towels. Next he prowled the flat and covered all the mirrors and anything else that gave off a bright reflection. When he was done, he breathed a sigh of relief just as Lara walked back in.
Without acknowledging him, she went to the kitchen and searched the cupboards. Finding a can of sardines and a saucepan, she fed the dog.
Joe dished their food onto plates and they went into the living area. They ate the curry in silence.
“Now what?” Lara asked, wiping the dregs from her lips.
A beer would be nice, was the first thing to go through Joe’s mind, but the question needed answering. Surely it was over so they would go back to their normal lives, after explaining what happened to Brain.
“Jesus, won’t you just answer?” Lara said.
“I, err … Well, I was thinking.”
“Yeah, I realize that could take a while.” Lara’s smile took the sting out of her words. “Tell you what … let’s look into where you got that mirror.”
“Why? It’s over.” Joe didn’t want to hear any more about this. It was over. It had to be. Hoping that Lara would drop it, he grabbed a beer and headed for the bedroom. “I’m gonna call and check up on Brain.”
Lara stuck her tongue out at his back and fired up Stuart’s computer.
Chapter 103
Joe tutted that the covers were thrown back and he made the bed before throwing himself onto it. It was a functional room, with no character, and Joe’s mind started to plan what could make it better. Stopping himself, he grabbed his phone and speed-dialed Brain’s mobile. It rang for ages and he was just about to hang up when a shaky voice answered.
“I was beginning to worry,” Brain said.
“You worried? Hell, man it’s so good to hear your voice.”
“Eye’m fine.” Brain put the emphasis on the word almost spelling it out. “Eye’m wondering how are you doing?” Brain sniggered and then continued, “DUDE. All the eye jokes are going to be killers …” Brain’s laughter trailed into a silence that stretched.
Joe wanted to say something, wanted to tell his mate how sorry he was and that he would do everything he could to make it up to him, but his treacherous mouth refused to move.
“Did we get it?” Brain asked.
“Yeah, we got it, mate. You sound a bit funny. What they got you on?”
“Morphone, phyne, phine or something. It’s awesome. I’m getting out tomorrow.”
“Want me to pick you up?”
“Would you?”
His voice was starting to fade; Joe could hear him falling asleep. “Sure I will, bud. Look, Brian, you can come here. Lara’s still in research mode.” Shit, I called him Brian, not Brain. What will he think? “I’ll see you tomorrow, buddy.”
“Hey, Joe, wait …” Brain’s voice drifted off.
“Don’t worry, mate, you rest.”
“No … J … Joe, I had a dream … It was important. I need to tell you … something.”
“Brain, don’t worry, mate. You get some sleep.”
“I can’t remember … important … sleepy, so sleepy.”
“Good night, mate. I’m so pleased you’re all right,” Joe said. Strange meaning of all right. He lost an eye all because of me.
Tossing his phone on the bed, Joe grabbed his beer. Lara was in the next room and he could hear her moving around. Was she safe? As the question hung in his mind like a jellyfish in the ocean, its tentacles reaching out with guilty little stings, the bulb popped and pitched the room into darkness. Joe froze. He hated the dark and wanted to run and check on Lara, but in the gloom he heard a long, slow, hissing sound.
Joe was six again, locked in a small, pitch-black cupboard with one of his father’s Indian cobras. From a young age, he had been indoctrinated that his father’s snakes were deadly, though now he knew they were venomoids— snakes whose venom sacs had been removed—but back then he hadn’t known any better and they’d filled him with a terror he could never conquer.
Outside the door, he could hear the soft thunk as his father punched Lara, followed by the sharper slaps that would mark her face. She was crying now and Joe tried to move, but his legs wouldn’t obey. He tried to scream but all he managed was a croak. As he heard more and more slaps, Lara’s cries reached a fevered pitch. His anger grew inside him and he screamed.
The door burst open and light flooded in, chasing away the terrors. Lara flicked the light switch but nothing happened. “Joe, are you all right?”
The hissing sound was still there but now he could tell it was the sound of water as it trickled into the toilet cistern. Embarrassment and guilt flooded through him. How could he still be affected by something that had happened so long ago? What would have happened if Lara was really in danger? It seemed he was still unable to protect her. “Oh shit,” he said. “It’s been a long day.”
Lara rushed over and touched his arm. “What is it? Come on, you can tell me.”
“The light blew. I thought I heard a snake.”
She patted his arm and laughed, but not unkindly, as she said, “I can ssssssee you are upssssssset.”
“Bitch.”
They both remembered those days and understood each other’s demons. Lara continued, “I can’t even take a piss in peace. Come on, I think I’ve found something.”
Joe followed Lara to Stuart’s computer. He peered over her shoulder. The queasiness in his stomach hadn’t quite departed and it was about to get worse. The headline on the screen read, Family Slaughtered in Bringles Bloodbath.’
“Is that the house?”
“I think so,” Joe said as acid burned deep in his gut. “The neighbor told me the man had murdered his family.”
“And you took his junk?”
Joe let his gaze scan down the screen. Two children, a boy of nine and a girl of six, along with their mother, were found butchered in different rooms of the house. The police described it as a slaughterhouse. The officers stated they had never seen anything like it. In another room, they found the father who had turned a gun on himself.
Joe walked away and dropped onto the sofa switching on the TV. “Leave it alone. It doesn’t matter now.”
Chapter 104
Lara lay in Stuart’s bed with Tally curled in her arms. She looked peaceful but her sleep had been intermittent and restless at best. When she first climbed into the bed, breathing in the scent from the covers had calmed her. Stuart was reliable, steadier than Joe, and she had to admit that she missed having him around. She shook off the thought, angry with herself. Stuart wasn’t interested in her. She was just Joe’s annoying sister.
Eventually she fell asleep but macabre thoughts haunted her dreams. They chased her down into terrors and then followed her as she came awake, sweating and shaking in the dark.
Tally hadn’t moved and his slow breathing was comforting by her side. There was nothing to fear, it was over … only there was a movement near the door.
Her heart rose into her throat and she froze on the bed, waiting in the dark. The light switch clicked, on and off and on again, but nothing happened since they hadn’t changed the bulb. Instantly awake, she cowered under the covers. Should she jump up and run? Stay still, or fly at whatever it was hoping to take them by surprise and gain an advantage?
Heavy footsteps shuffled toward the bed. They were getting closer. She knew it could not be the spirit, it moved too heavily. Besides, it was dark and there were no reflections.
Another thought formed in her mind and she shook Tally. The dog moved and she felt him sit up. Softly, so only he could hear, she whispered, “Speak.”
Tally barked over and over; he wouldn’t stop until Lara told him to, as he loved this game. “Joe, get in here and bring your gun,” Lara shouted at the top of her voice.
A male voice let out a girly scream.
Joe dove into the room with a flashlight and shined it on a bemused and naked Stuart who was hopping around the room, trying to hide his assets. Lara’s shock turned to giggles and Tally dropped back on the bed. Stuart screamed and dove for his clothes.
“I’ll leave you two to get acquainted,” Joe said, closing the door.
“Very funny,” Lara huffed and, with Tally dancing around her feet, she followed Joe from the room.
Soon they were all sitting on the sofa, holding tumblers of whiskey.
“I’m sorry,” Stuart said for the hundredth time. “I didn’t know you were here.”
“No, it was my fault, mate. I meant to ring you but with all the trouble … I just forgot.” Joe scratched his head and tried not to laugh. It was the first bit of amusement since this started. Stuart must have come in the back way to the flat, or in the dark he had walked past Joe’s truck and not noticed it. The sight of him hopping about on one foot, thinking he was alone, would stay with Joe for a long time.
“And Brain’s gonna be okay?”
Joe and Lara shared glances but Joe couldn’t hold it for long. A gut-wrenching pang of guilt overwhelmed him and he lowered his gaze. A lump in his throat stopped the words he wanted to say and Lara beat him to it.
“As okay as he can be, considering. The doctor said that apart from his eye, the wounds were superficial. They looked like freezer burns, rather than bruises … but she said he will recover.”
“Jesus!” Stuart sat back and shook his head.
Joe understood, it was too much to take in, too much to believe.
* * *
Joe stepped from the shower in Stuart’s en-suite. It was taking all of his self-control to not tidy the room and scrub down the glass panel. He needed order since it gave him a feeling of security in his life. It was something he found hard to control. Often his fingers would twitch, his shoulders tighten, but he realized that not everyone was such a neat freak.
Drying himself down, he reflected that they had made it through the night and all was back to normal. But as he entered the room, he saw the mirror opposite the bed was uncovered. Beneath it, on the flecked blue carpet, a sheet lay curled on the carpet. Ignoring a shudder and a sudden feeling of cold, he replaced the sheet. Had he seen a shadow?
Shaking off the feelings of dread, he dressed and walked into the kitchen, still trying to tease his hair into shape. A smile filled his face as he saw Stuart with his back to him, cuddling Lara.
