The face and head were blackened and charred, covering shiny pink and red seared flesh that was darkening to a deathly purple. Only lips were discernible on the face, no other features. There was no way Goddard could identify the body as that of Cory Chase.
“I’m done,” he said, stepping away and allowing the paramedic to zip the bag closed. The gurney proceeded to a second ambulance that waited outside the open gate—one that was en route to the coroner.
The gush of fire hoses became sporadic as the fire had died down to small, fading flames. Smoke wafted from across the vast lawn, carrying with it the ashes of an eerie history. Goddard spotted Jerry Bishop alone and seized the moment. It was cold and it was late-night, Christmas Eve; he had no intention of staying out here much longer. He approached Jerry Bishop and stood alongside him.
“We need to have a word, old pal,” he said, looking around in case anyone was listening.
“What’s up?” Jerry said.
“I’m positive that this fire was caused by that old furnace in the basement,” he said, keeping his tone a casual one.
“Nah,” Jerry said. “This fire started on the top floor, see up there?” Jerry pointed. “That was the first floor to go.”
Goddard paused for a moment before he spoke again.
“But that’s not what the story’s going to be.”
Jerry turned and looked at him.
“What do you mean?”
Goddard lowered his voice.
“Our office owes a past debt of gratitude to that girl. I’m hoping you’ll work with me on cashing in.” Goddard wasn’t about to burden him with the various reasons it would look better for his office, about how if the whole truth came out, it would be yet another embarrassment for his entire department.
“Tom, I can’t just—”
“Listen, Jerry,” Goddard interrupted him. “What happened tonight to that person they wheeled out of here was an accident. I know that as a fact. But if those kids reveal what they discovered in that house tonight, we’re going to have every tabloid, newspaper, and talk show down on this little town faster that you can say ‘shithole.’ It’s going to bring up years of how Marlowe got away with murder right under our noses! And if that happens, it’ll never go away, understand me?”
Goddard also told him about how if it weren’t for Leah Leeds and her memoir, they wouldn’t have found the bodies in the first place. Now, it was vital to her privacy and the reputation of Green Valley that the fire be as ‘natural’ as possible. Jerry’s expression turned to one of concern, and he cast his eyes to the ground.
“Look,” Goddard said. “We’ve known each other a long time, but don’t do it for our friendship, do it for the sake of the whole damn town. Hasn’t this recurring saga of Cedar Manor and the Marlowe’s enraptured enough of this town already?”
Jerry sighed and shrugged as his old friend patted him on the shoulder and walked away.
“So, the fire started in the basement,” Jerry said to himself. He shook his head. “I can’t wait to retire.”
* * * *
“He’s in a room already,” Susan said, as the team walked through the doors of the ER.
“Where is he? I want to see him. Is he alright?” Leah was anxious to see her father, so Susan reassured her.
“He’s fine, Leah,” she said. “No panic attacks, breathing problems, or otherwise. He’s suffering from shock, but he’ll be fine.”
“What did you tell them?” Her voice lowered.
“I told them he had a severe panic attack,” she said. “What else could I say? I requested an MRI of his entire body and stressed the need for quick results. I doubt anything’s wrong, but just to be on the safe side. I want to study the results of that scan, especially following what happened.” Her eyes searched for eavesdroppers as she spoke.
“I want to see him,” Leah said.
“Of course,” Susan said. “But first, you have to fill me in on what happened up there. It sounded like Hell unleashed above us. We heard the crash of glass shattering and then what sounded like an explosion. That’s when your father woke. He was responsive, asking about you. That’s when I decided to get him out of there and wait for the ambulance.”
“Thank you, Susan,” Leah said, “for everything. But, there’s so much to tell.”
The team moved to her office, where they sat and described everything that had happened in detail: Sidney calling out, recreating the ritual with the mirror, discovering the gateway. They went into further detail about what happened to Cory.
“He saved my life,” Leah said. “I couldn’t believe it. There it was, the hideous figure, exactly as it had appeared in my dreams. He pushed me out of its way; he saved me.”
Susan’s hands formed a steeple over her mouth through which she exhaled an exasperated sigh of final tension, as well as remorse.
“I can’t say I liked Mr. Chase,” she said, “but he certainly didn’t deserve to die.”
Then, Leah told her how she’d thrown the flashlight at the mirror, shattering it into a million pieces, how Tahoe had pulled her out of the way, and the lightning that had erupted from the broken mirror, the gateway that Leah had left exposed.
“The lightning was part of the gateway’s soul,” Tahoe said. “It was the source of light for those who were damned and imprisoned within its opposite realm. It was seen before, some years ago, when the man entered the gateway.”
“You mean that’s what happened to Angus Marlowe?” Susan gasped as she spoke. “He walked through this gateway?”
Tahoe nodded.
“And was never seen, or heard from again,” Leah said.
“Where could he have gone?” Susan’s voice was grave.
“A living soul trapped in an unearthly realm,” Tahoe said. “There is no other answer.”
Then, Sidney mentioned something they’d almost forgotten.
“I wonder if the gateway was somehow responsible for what was happening in that house on Halloween night. It’s as though the house reawakened at the same time Leah began having the dream. I also wonder what happened to the opaque mirror, not to mention the handheld one that disappeared from the police evidence room.”
“I doubt we’ll ever know,” Dylan said.
“The mystery lies with the man who walked into the abyss,” Tahoe said.
Leah clutched Tahoe’s hand as he sat beside her.
“How do I ever begin to thank you for being here when I needed you?”
Tahoe smiled.
“There’s no need,” he said. “I knew you would overcome this. I’m just glad that your friend found me.”
“I’m still astonished at how fast he found you,” Leah said.
In the ER, Susan had thanked Brett for driving her car back to the hospital. Now, as her eyes swept the room, she noticed the restless angst that stirred within him. He seemed even more edgy as the night wore on, and she wondered how quickly he would put holes in her carpet with his pacing.
“Brett,” she said. “Why don’t you fill us in on Cory’s past activities? I heard you make quite a cryptic statement before Goddard approached us.”
Brett explained to them how he’d discovered that Cory had hacked into their system at the university, how he must have retrieved his information from accessing both their email accounts, and their private files.
“After pulling off a few technological tricks of my own, I traced a virtual path that I’m positive led right to Cory,” he said. “It would’ve taken me a bit more time to gain documented proof of it, but he broke under the heat of my bluff.”
Susan could hear the tone of remorse and something like guilt in Brett’s voice.
“Let’s remember, Brett, Cory’s fate was determined by his own actions,” she said. “He wasn’t even supposed to be there, but his overwhelming desire for big headlines with his byline underneath put him in a place where he shouldn’t have been.”
“It’s the effect of karma that returns to us what we have already sent out
,” Tahoe said.
“What goes around,” Susan said, offering the start of an old phrase.
“Comes around,” Leah said, finishing the phrase, her eyes staring and motionless in thought. She looked up at Susan.
“I want to see my Dad now.”
* * * *
Paul lay dozing in the hospital bed, his eyes opening wide every so often, every time he saw the monstrous face in his dreams. Yet, every time he woke, he felt a certain peace, a reassurance. He’d seen Cedar Manor burning. Leah had made it out. He wasn’t aware of the whole story yet, but he was almost certain that it was over.
He fought the sedatives that sought to render him docile, trying to recall the final images of the night, but they would merge together into a cohesive blur, eluding him. The panic he usually felt was gone and his breathing became a calm, subdued respiration. He recalled hearing Susan’s soothing voice in the ambulance...
“It’s okay now, Paul. Everything will be alright. It’s over.”
Then, as he lay in the hospital bed with his mind fighting to recall the fading events, the beautiful, familiar face he’d always known appeared in the doorway. She smiled at him; she was okay. She walked over to his bed with Susan behind her.
“Dad,” Leah said. “You’re awake.” She bent forward and kissed his forehead.
“It’s done, Dad,” she said. “It’s over. I fought it and won.”
He tried to form words, but the sedatives only allowed his main point to reach his lips.
“Cedar Manor—”
“It’s gone,” she said, “burned to the ground. I destroyed the mirror, once and for all.”
Her voice quivered when she told him this. He knew what she meant—the mirror that had destroyed her mother’s life. Guilt and regret seemed to momentarily overwhelm the sedatives that coursed through his veins.
“Leah,” he said. “I’m sorry. I wanted my little girl to have a mother. This is my fault. She may not have been your mother, but she did love you.”
Leah was crying.
“I know, Dad,” she said. “This was not your fault. It wasn’t her fault, either. She was possessed by the evil of that house, the evil that drew her toward the mirror. She had no idea what came upon her. We had to do this for her because she didn’t deserve what happened to her. Now it’s over. That house is history. It’ll never claim anyone’s soul again.”
He smiled at her through a shimmering haze.
“That’s my girl,” he said.
“Do you remember what happened to you, Dad?”
He thought for a moment, trying to recall the few, brief images he remembered before waking on one of the sofas on the second floor. Susan had been sitting alongside, watching over him. He’d heard her speaking to him.
“Paul, if I try to get you downstairs, can you walk just a little?”
That was how they’d made it out, but why had he been on the sofa? Brief images swept through his foggy mind; all of them were of his daughter in danger. In the images, he was moving quickly toward her, and that was all he could remember. His clouded mind fought back in frustration.
“I remember trying to help you,” he said. “And then, there’s nothing. The next thing I remember is waking on the sofa and then Susan and I making it down the staircase.”
“That’s alright, Paul,” Susan said. “You don’t have to remember. It’s over now, for good. All you need to do is rest, so you can go home. It looks like we have much to celebrate this Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas, Dad,” Leah said, kissing his forehead. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Goodnight, sweetie,” he said.
“Rest, Paul,” Susan said. “Who knows, you may even get out of here tomorrow.”
He felt himself slowly fading back into euphoric oblivion.
* * * *
“He doesn’t seem to remember what happened,” Leah said, once they were back in Susan’s office, where the rest of the team sat waiting for them.
“As is so often the case with demon possession,” Susan said.
Tahoe agreed.
“Those who are possessed rarely recall the incident, though they may remember the evil that perpetrated the occasion.”
“That’s right,” Susan said. “Paul will never forget the evil of Cedar Manor, or Janet’s death, or coming along tonight. But, the moment when the demon left your body and entered his is something that’s, in all probability, lost forever.”
“So, he won’t actually remember being possessed?” Leah said.
Susan shook her head. Leah was relieved; hopefully enough time would pass that if her father ever did remember, it wouldn’t matter anymore.
“So, I take it Snake and Hollywood made it back home?” Susan said. “I’ll bet they found some relief at knowing what happened tonight, not to mention actually watching the flames destroy that house.”
“They did,” Leah said. “They felt vindicated, especially after I tore into Goddard about not believing them in the first place.”
“I’ll bet they enjoyed that,” Susan said. “But tell us, Leah, how do you feel right now?”
Leah thought for a moment, mustering all the words that could possibly describe how she felt at this moment in time, but only one seemed to be an appropriate fit.
“I feel like I’m free,” she said. “I feel like the worst part of my life, the highest debt I’ve ever owed has been erased, wiped out forever. I feel ready to move on with my life, my work. I’ve faced my demons, literally, and I’ve won. I also know that we’ve freed those who were unable to move on.
“But one of the things that hurt most was Agnes,” she continued. “All of these years I assumed that the woman I saw was the spirit of this kind, gentle woman, my friend, when in fact, it was a demon in disguise.”
“That may, or may not be true, Leah,” Susan said. “What you saw when you were a child may have been the spirit of Agnes Marlowe. You just don’t know.”
“She’s right,” Tahoe said. “Demons are deceptive; they may take whatever form they want. The demon may have appeared as Agnes later to lure you into the ultimate trap. But as you said, you faced your demons and won.”
A hand touched her shoulder.
“I, for one, am extremely proud of you,” Dylan said. “I realize now why this had to be, why it was so urgent.”
“We’re all proud of you,” Sidney said.
“Here, here!” Susan stood from her desk, raising her hands, about to speak.
“I think this calls for a celebration,” she said. “I realize it’s late, but it’s Christmas Eve. Why don’t we all go back to my house for a holiday gathering? I certainly have enough guest rooms for those of you planning to stay. After tonight, none of us should be home alone on this Christmas Eve.”
“Okay, but I have one last question,” Leah said. “Do you think the dreams will stop now?”
Susan laughed at the lighthearted question.
“I should definitely think so,” she said.
“Great,” she said. “Then let’s go.”
* * * *
At Susan’s house, Christmas carols played softly from a CD, a fire crackled in the fireplace, and the merriment of gleeful tones seemed to forget the previous hours. They’d broken out the champagne from Susan’s wine cellar and celebrated to a safe holiday and another case solved, but not before they’d held a moment of silence to pray for Cory Chase.
As they did, a renowned song played in the background...
Silent night! Holy night!
All is calm, all is bright,
Round yon Virgin Mother and Child!
Holy Infant, so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace!
Sleep in heavenly peace...
The song played out as glasses were poured and the toasting was about to begin. Susan raised her glass and toasted first.
“To Leah,” she said, “for her bravery, her courage, and her strong heart. And here’s to another year of peace, health, and prosperity.”
“Here, here!”
Glasses clinked in agreement, and they drank, surrounded by the lights and decorations of the season. But, one of them silently stirred among their peaceful gathering. Brett felt the time approaching...fast.
Epilogue
Brett had left Susan’s house in an abrupt, yet casual, manner, explaining his need to rise early on Christmas morning. He now returned to the same spot in the woods where he and Cory had arrived earlier, the scene of the beautiful winter splendor that he remembered. All through the night the building tension and raging emotions had surged within him, and now, as he returned to that same peaceful spot, it was not as himself.
The chaos that brewed inside of him had ultimately released itself, and this time, it avoided the shape of the great hawk. Before he’d ever reached the woods, he felt himself go down on all fours as the shift of the wolf took over. Suddenly, he’d been running faster and faster as the sounds of the night amplified to the highest definition in his pointed ears.
Now, he felt a great peace, an ultimate freedom that the shape of the wolf had provided. There were no thoughts of that night’s mayhem, no recollections of ghostly images to fill his mind, only the stillness of the woods and the night, and the snow that blanketed the towering trees with beauty.
On all fours, the wolf simply enjoyed the splendor, watching nature at its most picturesque. Serenity had eclipsed all chaos, leading to this peaceful, private joy. The moment belonged only to the wolf as it watched the snow come down faster, painting the landscape with its perfect touch.
Then, the wolf’s deep, deafening howl broke from the woods, piercing the otherwise silent night...
Legal Disclosures
Christie, Agatha. Destination Unknown. London: Collins Crime Club, 1954.
Night of the Living Dead. Dir. George Romero. With Duane Jones, Judith O’Dea, and Karl Hardman. Image Ten, Laurel Group, Market Square Productions, 1968.
The Third Eye of Leah Leeds Page 25
