by Amy Cross
Eventually, however, I spot Ed coming back toward me, although I can see from the look on his face that something's wrong.
"Hey," I say. "How's it going in there?"
"The place is stunning," he says. "It's everything you said it would be and more. It's like stepping into a time machine and going back to a perfectly preserved town from the start of the last century." He pauses. "There's only one problem."
I sigh. "What's that?"
"Bill's not here."
I stare at him for a moment. "What do you mean? He has to be here."
"He's not," Ed replies. "We've looked in the hotel, and we've looked along the streets, and there's no sign of him."
I take a deep breath, trying to work out what all of this means. "He must have decided to hike out of here," I say, turning to look at the forest. "He must have thought that no-one was coming, so he set out on his own. He could be anywhere. The odds of him surviving are..." I pause, not wanting to acknowledge the possibility that Bill might be dead.
"There's something else," Ed says. "We didn't find Bill, but we found something he left behind."
"What?"
"It's a note," he continues. "A message. It doesn't really make sense, but it seems like he was trying to tell us something." He pauses for a moment, before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a piece of paper. "This was on a table in the hotel, along with what appeared to be a set of fingernails. We think this is Bill's." He passes the piece of paper to me. "Read that," he says, "and tell me you don't think there's something seriously fucked up going on in Devil's Briar."
Chapter Five
1925
As the clock strikes midday, I step into the reception area of the hotel and find, to my astonishment, that many of the local townsfolk have turned out to witness my marriage. I had expected just a small group of half a dozen, but now I find that thirty, perhaps even forty people have crowded into the hotel, and they all look so happy. Mr. and Mrs. Parkinson, Mr. and Mrs. Dixon, Mrs. Pressman, Mr. Porter... so many people seem to want to witness this happy occasion, and I'm immediately struck by the thought that Lilith was right: I'm becoming a part of the community here in Devil's Briar. Even my uncle looks happy, as if he genuinely wishes to see me married. And finally, standing over by the door, I see Mr. Albert Caster, the man whose wife I shall shortly become.
"Are you ready?" my uncle asks, taking my arm.
I nod, and we walk out into the town square, where an even greater crowd has gathered. It is as if the entire town has come to witness my wedding, and I feel rather overwhelmed by all the smiling faces. I even spot Dr. Collings standing some way off, although he does not look happy at all; rather, he has a scowl on his face that lets me see his true displeasure. I cannot help but wonder why he has come today, but I imagine he has some desire to torture himself, and perhaps he is a little drunk. Ignoring him, I focus on the fact that this is to be the happiest day of my life, and finally my uncle and I stop next to the large metal cross in the center of the town square.
"Do not be worried about John Saxon," my uncle whispers as we await the start of the service. "I have spoken to him, and we have reached an understanding."
"What kind of understanding?" I ask.
"An understanding between two men who wish to resolve a problem," he says. "Trust me; everything is going to be okay. This is the start of a new chapter in your life. You are free to go forward, without having to constantly look over your shoulder. The past is cut loose from your back. This is my wedding gift to you."
"Thank you," I say. "For everything."
The actual wedding service itself takes only a few short minutes. Since there is no priest in Devil's Briar, the job of conducting the marriage is left to Mr. Porter, who has long been ordained as a layman of the parish. He keeps everything simple, and after a brief speech about the importance of the institution of marriage, he gets to the most important part.
"If anyone here knows of any reason why these two should not be joined in holy matrimony," he says, turning to the crowd, "let him speak now, or forever hold his peace."
There is a short pause. I half expect Dr. Collings to call out some objection, but thankfully he remains silent.
"Then by the power vested in me," Mr. Porter continues, "I now pronounce these two to be husband and wife. Mr. Caster, you may kiss your bride."
Smiling, Albert steps toward me, taking my hand and gently kissing me on the lips. It is the most extraordinary feeling, and I feel a gentle tingle pass through my entire body. All around us, the crowd erupts into applause. Closing my eyes, I try to focus on this one fact: I am now Mrs. Albert Caster, the wife of one of the most eminent men in Devil's Briar. I am no longer a lost orphan, traveling the country with her uncle; rather, I am a married woman who expects to be carrying her first child within the year. As I open my eyes and look into Albert's smiling face, I realize that - although it has taken many years - I have finally found another home.
"I am afraid I cannot afford a grand honeymoon," Albert says. "As you know, I am but a humble man. However, I have booked us a room at the hotel for tonight, so at least we can experience something a little different. And then tomorrow, you shall move into my home and we can begin to get acquainted in a more familiar sense. After all, I wish that my home might come to feel more like our home after a while."
I take a deep breath, unable to quite believe that all of this is happening. "Actually," I say, "I have spent enough nights in the hotel. I think I would prefer to spend tonight in your home, Albert. In your bed."
He smiles. "Our home," he says after a moment, "and our bed. And yes, if that is your wish, then that is what we shall do."
We spend the rest of the afternoon at the hotel, however, as Mr. Porter has laid out a fine selection of food and drink for the entire town. Perhaps I am getting a little ahead of myself, but I cannot help thinking that in some way my wedding has brought everyone together in a manner that has not happened for a very long time. Devil's Briar has always seemed like a rather quiet, isolated town, with people tending to get on with their own lives, but now it is as if the townsfolk are happy to congregate and talk. There is a feeling of life and vitality that seems utterly alien to this place. It is one of my dearest hopes that this change will become permanent, and that Devil's Briar can prosper and thrive.
"You must accept my congratulations on your happy day," says a voice behind me, and I turn to find that John Saxon has joined the celebrations. "I hope you'll be very content in your new life," he continues with a curious smile.
"Thank you," I say, a little shocked.
"Please forgive my behavior earlier today," he says. "As I am sure you will appreciate, my quarrel is with your uncle, not with you, and I am afraid I should have been a little nicer when I encountered you over breakfast."
I stare at him for a moment. There is something completely different about the man's countenance, and I must admit that I am a little uneasy about this change. For so many years, John Saxon has been a sneering, vile presence in my life, and now he seems to be happy for me. I feel a shiver pass through my body as I try to understand what, exactly, my uncle must have promised this man, in exchange for him to so happily and willingly drop his animosity toward me.
"I know what you fear," he continues. "You fear that I'll tell your secrets to this town, but I can assure you that I will not. I have what I came for." He pauses for a moment. "I'm sure you know, Victoria, that I possess the ability to look into a person's eyes and know their darkest secrets. But do you also know that, when I do this, I can see other things as well. For example, I can see how a person will die." He smiles. "Would you like me to tell you how you will die, Victoria?"
"I already know how I shall die," I reply. "I shall die in my husband's bed, surrounded by our children, at the end of a long and happy life."
He stares at me for a moment. "You will live to be a very old woman," he says. "By the time you die, the world will be a very different place. You will die in the rain, in
the arms of a young woman who is trying to help you." He narrows his eyes for a moment. "As you pass, you'll be trying to warn her of something, but you'll struggle to get the words out and I'm afraid you will fail. After your death, the young woman will ignore your warning."
"I do not believe you," I tell him. "I simply -"
"Must I remind you of my abilities?" he asks, glancing across the room. "There is a man here named Dr. Collings. I have looked into his eyes and seen his secrets. Did you know he still has the body of his dead daughter stored in his home? She has begun to rot, but he uses smelling salts to disguise the odor. At night, he sits and stares at her." There's a pause. "And what of Mr. Porter, the man who conducted your wedding service? Do you never wonder what happened to his wife?"
"Your poison is not welcome here," I insist.
"Or Lilith Haynes?" he continues. "She lost a child recently, did she not? A daughter? Oh, she gave the appearance of grieving, but the truth is that Lilith despised little Gilly and is glad she is dead. Lilith wants only sons." He laughs. "The people of this town are so messed up." Turning, he looks over at Albert, who is engaged in conversation with Mr. Dixon. "And then there's your dear husband," Mr. Saxon says. "A man who has been through a great deal, and who now seems totally cured. But he hides the darkest secret of them all, Victoria. You should ask him about Lawrence Evans some time. Ask him why he stuffed handfuls of money into Lawrence's arms, and why -"
"I'm sorry," I say, taking a deep breath. "I must go and speak to some of the other guests." Turning and walking away, I find myself filled with dread. This change in John Saxon's attitude is so great, and his promise to leave me alone so unexpected, that I cannot help but worry about the cause. What has my uncle promised this man? Searching the room, I realize after a while that my uncle is nowhere to be found. I become increasingly frantic as I look for him, and finally I reach the door and look out across the town square. Some of the guests are milling around outside, but my uncle is not among them.
"And what is my dear wife doing?" asks Albert, coming over and putting an arm around my waist.
"I was just looking for my uncle," I say.
"I'm sure he has just stepped out for a moment or two," Albert says. "Don't worry, my dear, I am quite certain he will be back soon."
Glancing across the room, I spot John Saxon standing alone by the desk, and I notice a curious smile on his lips. I cannot help feeling that something has been agreed between that man and my uncle, and it is quite clear that Mr. Saxon feels he has finally got what he wants. Perhaps I am worrying needlessly, and perhaps my uncle has everything in hand, but I am becoming worried that in his rush to ensure my own safety, my uncle might have made a deal with Mr. Saxon that he will come to regret.
"My darling," I say, turning to Albert, "I believe my uncle might have returned to his office for a short while. Would you mind awfully if I go over and check that he is okay?"
"Of course," Albert says, kissing me on the cheek. "Don't be too long, though. I believe Mr. Porter has prepared a cake to mark this momentous occasion."
Hurrying from the hotel, and still wearing my wedding dress, I make my way across the town square and into the mayoral office. The place is dark and quiet, and at first I fear that perhaps I was mistaken and my uncle is not here at all. After a moment, however, I hear movement off in one of the other rooms, and I wander through to find that my uncle is sitting at his desk, with a glass of whiskey on the table. He seems lost in thought, and as I stand in the doorway I realize that he has not noticed I am here. Finally, I step into the room and he at last turns to look at me.
"What are you doing here, Victoria?" he asks. "You should be with your husband."
"I was worried about you," I say.
"Calm yourself," he replies. "There is no reason to worry, and even if there were... Your proper place is by your husband's side, not standing in a dark office with me." He pauses for a moment. "You look absolutely beautiful, Victoria. Your parents would be so proud if they could see you. I only wish they had lived long enough to share this joyous day with you and to see how far you have come since that morning when I first found you at the orphanage."
"What have you promised to Mr. Saxon?" I ask, trembling with fear. "What have you given him?"
My uncle stares at me, as if he had never expected me to ask such a direct question. "All things must end," he says finally. "All men must eventually meet their fate, and must decide whether they will do so with honor, or with cowardice. I have been running, Victoria. I have been running for so long, I have almost forgotten how to stop. For many years, I made you run with me, but now you are settling in this place and suddenly I realize that I can run no longer." He takes a sip of his whiskey. "I could get up right now and leave Devil's Briar, and go to another place, and then another, and another, but one day I have to stop. I do not want to give John Saxon the satisfaction of continually tracking me down, so I am going to give him what he wants, but..." He smiles. "I shall do so in a way that does not benefit him."
"What are you going to do?" I ask, with tears running down my face.
"I am going to trust in my own work," he says. "I am going to see if my experiment will work."
"But you're not ready," I reply. "Surely you're not ready to -"
"I'll never be ready," he says. "I could spend a thousand years tinkering and thinking, and I'd still not be ready. I feel I must finally be brave and take a risk. You've seen all my calculations, Victoria. Pages and pages of notes and numbers. It's time to draw them all together and see if I'm right. Devil's Briar is the site where it shall all take place. The cross is in place. Either I shall be shown to be wrong, or I shall be hailed a hero. I wish I could say I feel confident of success, but in truth I am not. I have a very great fear that I shall do such harm to myself, that I can never recover, but now is the time." He drinks some more whiskey. "You must have known this day would come."
"Does it have to be today?" I ask.
"It does," he replies. "My agreement with Mr. Saxon is very clear on that point."
"And does it have to be right now?"
"I cannot wait," he says. "Even if I did wait, there would be no point. Everything is in place. All the wires. All the electrodes. All the ideas and numbers. Everything is ready and waiting for me to make the final move, and then... and then we shall see, won't we?"
I stare at him for a moment. He is right; I have long known that one day we would reach the point where he has to test his ideas. I just hoped to delay the moment for as long as possible.
"Don't be sad, Victoria," he says, reaching into the desk drawer and taking out a small revolver. "You know how hard I have worked for this moment, and you must remember that I have checked and double-checked every calculation. There is no reason to suppose that I am wrong, and there is every reason to believe that I am about to change the world. If this works, then soon we can celebrate. You, and me, and all the people around us."
I take a deep breath. "I love you," I say finally. "I love you with all my heart."
"Not all your heart," he replies. "Your heart belongs to your husband now. But I know you love me, Victoria, as I love you. If my experiment fails, you must know that you have given me more joy than I could ever have believed possible."
I nod, unable to speak through my tears.
"You should go," he continues. "I do not wish you to be present when I begin the experiment."
I pause for a moment, determined to find some way in which I can argue with him, but the truth is that I know he is a man who cannot be made to change his mind. I have watched him work so hard over the years, and finally the day of truth has arrived. It is certainly possible that he will be shown to have been wrong, but it is also possible that he is correct, and I can only trust in his brilliance.
"Go," he says again, as he finishes his whiskey. "Victoria, go!"
I turn and walk out of the office. With tears pouring from my eyes, I emerge from the building and start heading back across the town square, but
moments later I hear a single gunshot. I turn and look back at the door, and I realize that the moment has arrived. My uncle's greatest experiment has begun, and perhaps it shall be the greatest experiment the world has ever known. All his hard work, all his time and money, and his planning, and now he has reached the point of no return.
"Good luck," I say quietly, before turning to see concerned people running out of the hotel to see what has caused the noise.
Chapter Six
Today
I swore I wouldn't let this happen. I swore that no matter what anyone said, I'd never again set foot in Devil's Briar. But here I am, once again standing in the town square, once again looking up at the huge metal cross. It's weird, but I feel as if the town has somehow reached out and dragged me back here, and maybe it's never going to let me go. Even after we find Bill, will Devil's Briar find some other way to make me stay?
"Is it how you left it?" Ed asks, standing next to me. "This is important, Paula. Has anything changed at all?"
I turn and look across at the hotel on the other side of the town square. "Nothing's changed," I say. "It looks exactly the same."
"Then what the hell does the note mean?" Ed asks.
Sighing, I look down at the note in my hand. 'Everything is changing', it reads. 'Try not to wake him up'. I feel a shiver run up my spine. The handwriting definitely belongs to Bill, but what really bothers me is the mention of not waking someone up. Those words sound strangely similar to the final words that Victoria Paternoster spoke to me when she came to my house in the rain. Although my gut instinct is telling me that Bill must have lost his mind while he was alone up here, the note makes me think that something else is going on. How could Victoria Paternoster and Bill leave the same warning?
"Maybe he's hiding," I say, looking at the windows of the buildings around us. "Maybe he's watching us right now."
