The Wallet

by Roger Rapel

  I sat with Rosanne in her office at home; we had papers all over the table and floor. I sat looking at Roseanne she desperately wanted closure on her mother’s disappearance and was looking for anything to help, but the lack of information was only adding to her frustrations keeping her spirits low.

  The time was getting late so I suggested going for a fast food meal. Roseanne shook her head as she went into the kitchen and turned on the oven as she took out a frozen pizza and said ‘this will be real fast when the oven heats up.’ I stood next to her as I selected a nice wine from the rack; I turned the label to her as she nodded in approval of my choice. I used one of her fancy wine cork opening devices; the cork gave that satisfying sound as the air finally went inside allowing the wine to breathe.

  Roseanne placed the glasses on the work surface as I poured the wine. The pizza was now in the oven as the timer was set. We looked at each other as we chinked our glasses and smiled, and then Roseanne said something that hit my very heart and soul ‘I love you so much; I was content to be a career woman looking for success, but not now I could settle down with you.’ She laughed then said ‘that sounds so corny.’ I contradicted her and said ‘not at all, I feel that way too.’ We hugged and kissed passionately then the oven timer pinged, as I said ‘saved by the bell, you were just about to get spanked and ravaged.’ She laughed and said ‘not an empty stomach you don’t.’

  Roseanne took the pizza out and sliced the triangles with a serrated roller, then placed it on the table as we ate chatted and drank the wine. The wine was good, it complimented the pizza well. When we finished the plates were loaded into the dishwasher as we sat in the lounge and watched TV. Roseanne cuddled up to me as she lay on my lap and drifted off to sleep.

  I watched some program or other not taking too much notice of what was on. We were both whacked out from all the paperwork including the running around all ending up in dead end alleys.

  We went to bed the idea of a sexual session had by now become a distant memory as we slept through till the alarm went off. We both showered and looked at each other and laughed as Roseanne said ‘spanking indeed, all talk you.’ ‘You wait till tonight then you’ll see.’

  We arrived at the Bugle then in a moment of inspiration I mentioned about going to see Clive’s son, the man I spoke to in the garden weeding. Roseanne confirmed after she had checked the overnight issues. After she’d checked-in she said ‘sorry there’s a potential scoop I need to look into; we’ll go later.’

  I sat the in the office assigned to me where I pondered over what had gone on; was Christopher as innocent as he made out he was, was the Camilla story true was Christopher even married to her as suggested by Roseanne? If it wasn’t true what had happened to Marsha and why the code of silence by everyone? Marsha had stumbled across something that had made her a target; she had paid the ultimate the price for it.

  Then my thoughts went to the affairs that caused the cover up in first place, the Police Chief and the Mayor in a love triangle. The Mayor with Camilla resulting in their love child who was also named Camilla; it must have been the love child, who is the savage killer if all the stories were true; her mother would be too old to be the young good looking woman as described by Christopher.

  Then I thought of Angela being killed the same way as described by Christopher. Could Christopher be some psychopathic killer using an alter ego to kill women and eat them? I felt quite sick at that stage as I thought about what he had told me; but that didn’t explain the store, Molly’s kitchen and Clive. Christopher wouldn’t have been around then; there was no doubt in my mind, he was the victim rather than the killer or was he?

  I then re-read the notes in the A4 pads that Marsha had written, going over the ground as before. I had no idea how long Roseanne would be, so I sat back and re-read my notes and Marsha’s A4 pads.

  I was getting tired as I re-read the notes so took a break, as I stood up I knocked over a bundle of papers. I said ‘oh fuck it.’ I bent down to pick up the papers then saw a piece of paper I hadn’t seen before. I picked it up and read the message. ‘Clive’s son knows more than he’s saying.’

  I was pondering the message when Roseanne came back ‘Okay be with you in a moment let me just type this up, then I will be ready.’ I smiled and nodded.

  Some 20 minutes later Roseanne came in as she said ‘let’s go and see Clive’s son.’ I showed her the piece of paper with the note on. ‘Where did you get that from?’ ‘No idea it just dropped out of some papers.’ ‘I never saw that before. Anyway let’s go.’ The Mustang burst into life, I just loved that sound, the low-down growl of the exhaust note. In no time we were outside of the house where I had spoken with Clive’s son.

  I saw he was in the back yard, I called out to him, but he was operating some machinery so couldn’t hear me. We entered through the white picket fenced gate; then we made our way round to the back yard. Just as we rounded the side of the house the machinery stopped. So rather than making him jump out of his skin by tapping him on the shoulder, I coughed. Clive’s father turned around as he smiled and said ‘hi there you, and hi Roseanne I’ve been reading all your stories in the Bugle, you take after your mother.’ Rosanne smiled as she thanked him for the compliment.

  She said ‘did you know my mother Adam?’ ‘No not really, only what my dad had told me. Now then how can I help you, as if I didn’t know?’

  Rosanne was going to put her investigative head on, but before she could get into full flow he said ‘come inside and have a coffee.’ We entered the ranch style house with a nice front porch with an old rocking chair on. We sat in the kitchen as the coffee pot was taken off the stove as Adam poured two mugs inviting us to help ourselves to milk and sugar.

  ‘Now then, you want to know about 64, the Avenue, let me get my father’s papers.’

  Adam appeared with a box folder then placed it on the table as he said ‘help yourselves I got some more yard work to do.’ Roseanne and I started looking at the papers. Clive had certainly amassed a load of documents, some were just comments about the local area and some poems about Molly’s pies and how she was a lovely woman.

  Then they found other papers; he certainly had his suspicions regarding the infidelity of the Police Chief and the Mayor. He had made his comments known in various quarters, but he was quietly seen as an old fool, so no one took any notice of him.

  Whilst looking inside an envelope Roseanne found a picture of her mother Marsha standing outside of Molly’s kitchen with her arms around Tom Snr. it looked like they were very happy together. Roseanne smiled as she said ‘I knew they’d had a fling together, Tom looked after her financially so I suspected they had been lovers at some time.’ Roseanne smiled as she continued looking through the papers. Then she found something that made her shiver, it was a note from Clive to Tom snr, it read ‘Oh Tom I told Marsha not to go and stir things up with Camilla, she is some evil bitch, she could certainly bring trouble to Marsha with the Police Chief and the Mayor on her side,’ that was it nothing else.

  Adam came back in as he said ‘I will have to be getting some tea soon, how are you getting on?’ I said ‘just about finished it has been a great help.’ Roseanne put on her reporters head ‘tell me Adam did your dad ever talk about the Police Chief and the Mayor?’ ‘He did but I was bit young when all that was going on, but he said that it would end in trouble.’ ‘It’s a shame both of them are dead as I’m sure they knew what happened to Marsha.’ ‘Well thank you for your help Adam,’ Roseanne said as she folded up the papers placing them back in the box.

  I started to walk towards the door then Adam said ‘there is one more thing, one more document that’s not in that box.’ I saw his hand shaking as he lifted a picture on the wall and took an envelope from behind it then handed it to Roseanne. ‘Please forgive me Roseanne, I should have said something before, but I was so scared of what might happen, I had forgotten all about it till you came around.’

  Roseanne looked at Adam as she carefully opened the env
elope. There she saw a picture of the Mayor and Camilla in bed together, ‘My dad had taken it; he had followed them to a motel and through an open curtain had taken this picture.’ There was also a note that read ‘I gave Marsha the negative to use as she wanted.’

  Roseanne said to Adam ‘wow this is dynamite do you know what my mother did with the negative, did she use it?’ ‘I think she did as my father said not long after he gave her the negative she went missing.’ I looked at the expression on Roseanne’s face it was a look of shock and sadness.

  We thanked Adam for his help and asked if we could retain the picture? He nodded as he led the way out then smiled as we shook hands saying our goodbyes.

  The mustang roared into life again as Roseanne began to drive, I knew she wasn’t headed back to the Bugle; it was when I saw the barn I knew she was headed to 64, The Avenue. I looked at Roseanne she looked back and said ‘I must go and look for myself now I know that Adam gave that negative to my mom. I just need to see for myself the place where she might have died.’

  I stayed quiet for a moment contemplating my last visit then said ‘there is something evil in there, so just be warned before we get there.’ Roseanne smiled ‘I know you told me, but let’s look anyhow, with two of us using each other for strength it should help.’ I knew she was on a mission; she was at the wheel so I had no choice.

  I looked at the house as we entered the drive it looked even more daunting than when I had visited before, or was it that my previous visit had scared the living daylights out of me.

  We arrived at the front door I never wanted to feel that evil again, that thing that went inside me. I felt the crucifix around my neck then felt the bottle of holy water in my pocket. I took it out and dabbed some on my finger as I put some on Roseanne’s forehead then blessed myself; Roseanne smiled at me.

  We negotiated the step to the front door my knees were already knocking with anticipation, the anticipation of the evil presence reaching out with cold fingers, reaching into my very soul.

  Roseanne reached for the door handle I could see her hesitation, as she touched it she looked at me as she turned the handle. The door was open, she pushed it then there was a rushing sound, as something cold pushed passed us. Roseanne shivered as she put her hand to her mouth and looked at me with wide open eyes, she was dumb struck she couldn’t speak, neither could I; we were stuck to the spot, it was the same feeling I had as before. No matter how I tried I couldn’t move. The presence was circling us; we were being corralled like sheep. Then it was gone, all of a sudden we could move again; I blessed myself twice.

  Roseanne looked at me as she continued inside, then she took control as she shouted ‘Camilla I know it’s you, it’s over, I know you killed Marsha my mother, just show me where she is!’ Roseanne stood still as she opened her arms raising her head with her eyes closed as if she was being bathed in warm sunlight. Then she said ‘Thank you, you are now free to go.’

  Roseanne looked at me as she smiled, but for a moment I saw an old woman’s face looking back at me. That made me shudder as I stepped back away from her, then Roseanne’s face returned as she looked at me and said ‘I think my mother is buried in the grounds of the house, let’s take a look.’ I was till frozen cold, whatever presence was in the house was still there circling us, but to my surprise Roseanne was not bothered about it, she just kept smiling at me.

  We began to walk the grounds when all of a sudden Roseanne stood still and did a 360 degree turn, first one way then the other. Then we walked towards a wooded area, all of a sudden she stopped dead; she looked down, then a white mist came out of the ground it surrounded Roseanne, it had hold of her, but whatever had hold of her didn’t appear to be a danger as she was smiling. Then the mist disappeared back into the ground as Roseanne turned to me saying ‘she is here, just here I’m standing where she is buried; my mom just spoke to me and told me she would be free to go soon.’

  I held Roseanne as she started to cry as she hugged me tight. ‘I saw my mum, she spoke to me, she wants me to find Camilla because she had killed her; she will help me, and protect me from her evil.’

  The house no longer seemed as evil as before; then Roseanne drove away. We went back to the Bugle where the determined Roseanne began phoning around various departments then contacted the police requesting an appointment with a senior detective.

  The police department had somewhat changed since the retirement and death of the old chief. Roseanne smiled at me and said ‘let’s not talk about Christopher or the other 64 and leave Camilla to me for the moment, you’re just a friend helping me okay?’ I smiled and lightened it by saying ‘spanking partner.’ Roseanne smiled as she grabbed her keys.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  The drive to police headquarters was about a half hour away, although with Roseanne’s heavy right foot we made it in less time. We arrived as I looked at the daunting building; we walked up the steps to the entrance and spoke with person at the reception desk, who invited us to take a seat.

  After about 10 minutes a senior detective invited us into an interview room. Detective Martin smiled and said ‘how may help you?’ Roseanne handed over her business card as she smiled at him then started the story about her mother who had also been a reporter on the Daily Bugle; she had uncovered the love triangle of the Mayor’s wife and the old Police Chief plus the Mayor and Camilla. It was the Police Chief who had declined to investigate her mother’s disappearance; then she produced the photograph of the Mayor in bed with Camilla and how her mother had threatened to expose the Mayor for his affair with Camilla and also expose the Police Chief for the affair with Mayor’s wife. It was after that her mother Marsha had gone missing and never found.

  Detective Martin looked at us and said ‘wow some story, but that was some time ago now, most if not all the witnesses and suspects are either dead or probably have moved on. Is there something specific you have in mind?’ ‘Yes there is, Camilla had a love child with the Mayor who would have been alive at the time Marsha went missing. Also there have been rumours that my mother’s body is buried in the gardens of 64, the Avenue, I would like you to investigate the grounds. I know you have some sophisticated equipment now that can scan under the earth for remains.’

  Detective Martin nodded ‘I can see that my predecessors did nothing to establish the whereabouts of your mother, so the least we can do is investigate the grounds of the house.’ ‘That would be great as it would put the police in good light if human remains were found after all this time, the paper would be very complimentary.’ Detective Martin nodded as he thanked Roseanne. He then made a phone call to the dept. with the equipment. He confirmed the availability. Detective Martin said he would call in the next couple of days when the team was ready. Roseanne smiled then shook Detective Martin’s hand as she expressed her thanks.

  When we got back to Roseanne’s house she looked at me and said ‘right mister let’s see how good you can spank me, I’m up for it now.’

  The evening was spent romping around the bedroom engaging in sexual activities. Roseanne did indeed enjoy being spanked, it unleashed the animal in her especially just before or at the time of her orgasm, as she would scream and shout obscenities at me.

  Afterwards Rosanne lay in my arms, it felt so right, we didn’t talk we were content as we dropped off to sleep.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  After a couple of days waiting Roseanne received a call from Detective Martin; we got up after a rest then had a late breakfast. We made our way to 64, the Avenue, arriving as arranged at about midday where we saw numerous police cars and vans.

  We were greeted by Detective Martin who shook our hands as we walked around the back of the house. I knew not to speak and let Roseanne do all the talking; after all it was her mother they were looking for.

  The garden was full of men with things that looked like metal detectors sweeping the ground in a pattern which had been marked out in a grid. I could see Roseanne busting to go and point to the spot where she had stood be
fore, but was holding back. Once the sweeping had finished the guy in charge opened up a lap top computer and ran a program that brought up the images from the sweep. The grid pattern was looked at one section at a time.

  Then finally there was something at the exact spot where Roseanne had stood. Roseanne tugged my arm with excitement as Detective Martin explained that there was something unusual at the spot indicated.

  A team of men then began to excavate the area; it took some time to remove the earth. I could see Roseanne was becoming more and more agitated as she was tugging my arm and burying her head into my shoulder as each shovelful of earth was removed.

  After a couple of hours there was a commotion at the dig site; then confirmation was made that human remains had been found. Rosanne began to cry, I wasn’t sure if it was due to the relief or sadness, perhaps a combination of both.

  Detective Martin came over to us as he explained the find, also the next procedure, which included informing the coroner’s office and working with a forensic team. He quietly asked us to leave the site to allow the teams to proceed with their work.

  Then he invited us to Headquarters later the next day, where he would take a statement from Roseanne. Roseanne looked at me with a satisfied expression on her face then she smiled at me and said ‘thank you, this has been a great help hopefully we have put my mother to rest and I can now move on, me and you together. I smiled back hugging her close as we walked to her car, then she started it up and blipped the throttle before moving off, she leaned over and kissed me; then she buckled up as we sped off down the road; she waved her hand out of the window to Detective Martin. There was an extreme sense of relief in her manner and expression.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Detective Martin sat opposite us at the table as he made notes listening to the story of the Police Chief’s affair with Mayor’s wife and the Mayor’s affair with Camilla and their love child also called Camilla.