The Hill - Carla’s Story (Book Two): A Paranormal Murder Mystery Thriller. (Book Two)

by Andrew M Stafford

The once rational and level headed man was now an illogical nervous wreck. He hadn’t washed or shaved for the past three days. His friends and work colleagues were concerned for him. His wife, Anne, was particularly perturbed as the man she once relied upon as her rock was crumbling like sandstone in front of her very eyes.

  It hadn’t occurred to Mason how unreasonable he’d become over the past few days. But perhaps things weren’t as illogical as they seemed. He was sure that there would be something on the video he’d heard Broderick and King discussing in the pub that would incriminate Broderick. He was certain it would contain something that would prove to him that Broderick was some kind of threat to his beautiful daughter.

  The call he had received from Hodges just over an hour ago must have proved he was right. Why else would he have called so soon after yesterday’s meeting?

  Mason was rudely whisked away from his deep thoughts by Don Hodges, who was standing over him.

  “Sorry I’m late Terry……..there was an accident on the other side of Barrow Gurney. The police have blocked the road and I had to go the long way round.”

  Terry looked up and saw Hodges but hadn’t heard a word he had said.

  Hodges looked into his empty eyes.

  “I said sorry I’m late.”

  “Oh, that’s OK, I was miles away, I didn’t notice what time it was…………can I buy you a drink?”

  “No thanks Terry, I just want to keep this brief.”

  Hodges pulled up a chair and sat beside Mason.

  “I’ve got your video,” said Hodges as he put his hand in his jacket pocket and pulled out a brown envelope which he handed to Mason.

  “…..And, was I right?” asked Mason.

  “I don’t know what Broderick has to do with what’s in the video, but it definitely concerns your daughter, but it’s more to do with her past than her present.”

  Mason looked at him with a puzzled expression.

  “Why?”

  “Just watch it and see for yourself. As far as I’m concerned there’s some strange shit going on, which I don’t want to be part of.”

  Mason picked up the envelope and viewed it with suspicion.

  “The memory stick is in there and I’ve printed the email to which the video clip was attached, the email was sent to someone called Tom Judd.”

  “Judd…..Judd, I know that name,” said Mason in low voice.

  Mason was trying to work out why the name sounded so familiar, then he remembered Connor, Connor Judd the man he employed to head up the team which Broderick was part of.

  His paranoid mind was beginning to consider that another member of his company was a threat to his daughter.

  “Oh, and there’s this,” said Hodges handing Mason another envelope.

  “What’s this?”

  “It’s an invoice.”

  Mason took the envelope and put it in his pocket.

  “I’ll send you a cheque,” said Mason, without even bothering to look at it.

  “Terry, whatever all this is about, be careful,” said Hodges as he stood up to leave.

  Mason said nothing as Hodges walked out of the building.

  A few minutes later, Mason put down his unfinished drink and left the building. He held the brown envelope tightly as he walked to his car. His black Audi TT was parked in the corner of the car park. He looked around to make sure he wasn’t being followed before getting into the car.

  He put on his seatbelt and before starting the engine he opened the brown envelope and took out the memory stick and the copy of the email between Broderick and Tom Judd. After placing the memory stick on the passenger seat he unfolded the piece of A4 paper and read the email.

  --------------------------------------------

  Subject - Enhanced Video

  Dear Tom,

  I’ve managed to get the video of Christopher enhanced and have attached it to this email.

  It’s now clear that Ben’s words were just as you said.

  Sorry for doubting you.

  See you soon,

  Campbell

  --------------------------------------------

  Mason read the short message twice and wondered what it could mean. Who was Christopher and Ben? He needed to watch the video for it to make any sense.

  He drove fast through the country lanes, forgetting what Hodges had told him about the accident which had resulted in the road through Barrow Gurney being closed. He slammed on the brakes as he turned a bend in the road. He saw an upturned car. The fire brigade were cutting the door to free the driver from the wreck.

  A policeman slowly strolled over to Mason’s car.

  “In rather a hurry sir?” asked the policeman as he spoke to Mason through the open window of the driver’s door.

  “I’m rather keen to get home officer, my daughter is in intensive care at Southmead and I’ve been with her for most of the day,” lied Mason.

  Mason spotted the memory stick which was on the passenger seat and was worried that the police officer would start asking questions about it. The officer didn’t even notice it, but in Mason’s current state of mind anything could happen.

  The officer was concerned that such a dishevelled looking man was driving a brand new Audi TT. The TT was one of six cars owned by Mason. He was going to drive his Porsche Boxster, but it was too much of a faff getting it out of the garage, so opted for the TT which was in his driveway.

  “Can I see your driving license please sir?” asked the officer.

  Mason fumbled in his wallet and handed over the license.

  The officer examined the license and saw Mason’s vague resemblance to the man in the photograph. He spotted his luxurious Sneyd Park address. It was an area he knew well as he’d been called out on several occasions to deal with burglaries in the location. He knew that Mason could well afford the Audi if he could afford to live at the address on his driving license.

  “What’s the matter with your daughter, if you don’t mind me asking?” enquired the officer.

  Mason’s sad eyes met with the policeman’s.

  “She has pneumonia and she’s also in a coma.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that sir. What happened, was she involved in an accident?”

  “No, she was attacked and left for dead over two years ago, you may remember the incident, her friend was murdered in the attack.”

  “Did it happen in Badock’s Wood?” asked the officer.

  Mason nodded.

  “I do remember it,” said the officer.

  He’d been one of the foot soldiers looking for evidence in the woods and remembered it well. Now he appreciated why Mason looked the way he did. The poor man must have the weight of the world on his shoulders thought the officer.

  “OK Mr Mason, you’d better be on your way, please drive carefully sir.”

  Mason nodded, turned the car around and headed home the long way round.

  -------------------------------------------

  By eleven o’clock Mason was sitting in the snug at his home. It was his little office where he could keep himself to himself when he needed a little quiet time away from the worries in his world. Anne, his wife, was upstairs and already in bed.

  He poured himself a glass of 16 year old Lagavulin whisky and took the memory stick from his pocket. His computer was already turned on, he’d left the thing in a rush to get to the meeting with Hodges.

  He plugged the memory stick in and waited for the drive to open.

  When the folder opened he hovered his mouse over the file icon and waited in anticipation as he wondered what could be on the video. He double clicked the icon and impatiently tapped his fingers on the desk as the video loaded.

  The clip started playing and Mason squinted his eyes to make out what was happening.

  He watched the clip that Hodges, Judd, King, Garraway and Broderick had all watched earlier.

  The whole thing made no sense. He couldn’t understand why a little boy was recalling the events of Ben Walker’s
death, and was talking as though it had happened to him. He was tired and stressed and his brain couldn’t compute what he was seeing.

  The snug was hot, which was making him feel weary. He stood up and opened a window to let some air circulate around the small room. He sat back down and was about to take a sip of whisky, but instead he pushed the glass away.

  He got up again and walked out of the snug and across to the downstairs bathroom. He ran the water until it was as cold as it could get and scooped a handful as it surged from the tap and threw it over his face in an attempt to lessen his tiredness. After wiping his face with a hand towel he returned to the snug to watch the clip again.

  He felt a little more awake and hit the replay icon.

  Terry Mason had met Ben Walker several times and had liked the boy. He seemed a kind and honest person. Mason had found out that Ben would have become a police officer had he lived to see the next day. He knew Liz liked him a lot, she’d never actually told her parents, but it was her body language that gave her away. Liz was always laughing and giggling, but when she was around Ben she laughed and giggled even more. Terry Mason liked Ben because he made his daughter happy and he had secretly hoped that they would become boyfriend and girlfriend and so did Anne.

  He played the clip again and this time he was more alert.

  That little boy has been hypnotised he thought as he watched the video for a second time.

  He listened closely to the boy’s voice and in particular he paid close attention as the little boy stated that he’d been killed.

  “It is strange, and you need to understand what it’s like from my point of view, you’re the only person I’ve spoken with since I was killed.”

  He moved the slider on his screen back several frames and played it again.

  “It is strange, and you need to understand what it’s like from my point of view, you’re the only person I’ve spoken with since I was killed.”

  He moved closer to the speaker on his computer and played the section a third time.

  “It is strange, and you need to understand what it’s like from my point of view, you’re the only person I’ve spoken with since I was killed.”

  “That’s Ben Walker’s voice,” said Mason out loud, in fact he was so loud, he gave himself a fright.

  He turned around to make sure he was still on his own, he was worried that he’d woken his wife, although the bedroom was up on the next floor.

  He let the video clip continue until the end and listened closely to the enhanced section, the section for which he knew Naomi King had been responsible.

  “OK Ben, let’s find out more about you and something which everyone in this room wants to know……..how did you die?”

  “Ben, can you hear me, how did you die? ………………………….Ben, it’s Tom, I need to know how you died, where did it happen and who killed you, concentrate please…….don’t fade on me now.”

  “Tom, sorry, I…… I …….. can’t quite find the……….”

  “Please Ben, try, please try your hardest.”

  “I’m trying………I was killed in……..I was killed in the ……..woods.”

  “Did you say you were killed in the woods?”

  “In the woods.”

  “Which woods, can you remember the name of the woods?”

  “Badock’s…………..”

  “Badock’s Wood, were you killed in Badock’s Wood?”

  “Ben, stay with me, please stay focused….just one more thing and then you can sleep.”

  “Ben, how did you die, what did the murderer do to kill you? Please Ben.”

  “He killed me with a rock.”

  “Ben, say that again, I didn’t hear you…..how were you killed?”

  “With a rock Tom ………he killed me with a ………rock.”

  As Mason listened to the enhanced sections, especially the very last line, “With a rock Tom ………he killed me with a ………rock.” he froze.

  The first time he’d listened to it, his tiredness had prevented the significance of what he’d heard from registering in his fatigued mind.

  But this time he was alert and the enormity of what he was watching became apparent.

  It was clear to Mason that the hypnotist had somehow found a way to speak with Ben Walker, but what he couldn’t understand was why the hypnotist would have gone out of his way to do such a thing?

  Walker was dead and that was that. As horrific and upsetting as it had been, there was nothing that could be done to bring the young man back.

  His mind was swimming in Confusion Lake. The video was clearly showing it was possible to communicate with the dead, and the hypnotist, Tom, who he assumed was the brother of Connor Judd, had the means to do such a thing.

  He needed to clear his mind, consider the content of the video, link it to the people around him and figure out the threat to his daughter.

  He ejected the memory stick, turned off the computer, left the untouched whisky and walked out of the snug.

  He wearily climbed the stairs to his bedroom, passing his daughter’s old bedroom on the way. The one in which she’d spent most of her years since she was a little girl. He opened the door and looked in. He turned up the dimmer switch so her bedroom was illuminated in a half light. He looked at her bed and her posters on the walls. There were get well soon cards on the top of her chest of drawers that had been there since she’d returned home from hospital over two years ago. He walked over and opened one of the drawers and took out a T-shirt. It was white with the Tae-Kwon-Do emblem on the back. He held it to his face and breathed in. He could smell a faint fragrance, a smell which reminded him of her at a time in her life when she was happy, full of youth and with the rest of her life ahead of her. Now she was alone in intensive care at Southmead Hospital. He desperately wanted her back in the house, just so he could sit beside her, talk to her and hold her hand.

  He had barely set foot in Liz’s bedroom since she had been moved to the newly built extension in late two thousand and ten.

  Her bed was made and the duvet cover lay neatly on top. It looked ready for her to walk right in and climb into for a good night’s sleep. But sleeping was about all she had been doing since she was attacked.

  On her pillow was a fluffy toy dog. She’d had it since she was a baby. Terry walked over to her bed and picked up the toy. Memories of her childhood came flooding back and when they did a floodgate opened as his emotions spilled over. He dropped onto her bed, clutching her toy dog close to his chest and cried.

  Eventually the crying stopped and he lay in the half-light still holding the fluffy yellow dog. He was tired, but too tired to sleep.

  It was late and he didn’t want to disturb Anne by climbing into their double bed. She’d been through as much as he had and needed as much rest as possible. He decided to sleep on Liz’s bed. Just being in her room, on her bed, brought him closer to her.

  He thought about the video and considered its significance and the potential threat that he was certain it had upon his beautiful daughter. Whoever was behind all of this clearly needed to know something about Ben Walker. Perhaps when Ben had been alive he’d known something about someone, or had some information which was important to these people. Perhaps this was the reason why he’d been murdered. If his memory served him well, nothing had been taken from Ben, his wallet, watch and phone had been found on him.

  The more he thought about things, the more he was certain that the same people would come after his daughter. Perhaps she also had access to some crucial information that they needed, and if they couldn’t extract it from the small boy whilst he was under hypnosis, then surely the next thing that would happen is that they’d come after her.

  Then he thought about Campbell Broderick. He knew he was heavily involved. He wasn’t in the video, the edited section Mason has seen only showed the hypnotist and the boy. Mason considered the fact that Broderick must have infiltrated TM.IT to get close to him and then move on to his daughter.r />
  Mason knew it was up to him to put an end to all of this. He had to stop Broderick, stop the hypnotist, stop the little boy and stop anyone else who was involved in whatever was happening.

  Eventually tiredness enveloped him and he slept soundly until the sun shone through the open window at six fifteen the following morning.

  --------------------------------------------

  Terry Mason awoke and felt a little better after having five hours of continuous sleep. It had been the longest uninterrupted rest he’d had in weeks. He was still clutching the fluffy toy dog. Quietly and calmly he got out of bed and walked downstairs to the kitchen. As he prepared himself a cooked breakfast he instigated his plan.

  He sat at his breakfast bar and ate the plate of bacon, eggs, fried bread and hash browns. He washed the food down with a glass of fresh orange juice, rinsed the dishes and loaded them into the dishwasher.

  He casually strolled outside and onto his driveway and looked at the TT he’d driven the night before. He turned to face one of the two double garages and flicked a remote which was in his pocket. The large garage door slowly opened revealing a gold Porsche Boxter and a silver E-Type. He looked at both cars and then slowly walked towards the Porsche.

  He climbed in, started the car and inched it onto the driveway. He shut off the engine and walked back to the garage, returning with a bucket of soapy water and a bag containing a sponge, polish and a chamois leather.

  He spent the next hour cleaning the car and polishing it by hand until it looked as if it had just been driven out of a showroom.

  He locked the car and closed the garage and went back to the house. After a shower and a close shave, he trimmed his unkempt hair with a number two razor.

  He looked at himself in the mirror as he cleaned his teeth.

  Mason crept into his bedroom, Anne was still sleeping. He opened the walk-in wardrobe and looked for a suit. He hadn’t worn one for over two weeks and had been lulling around in untidy jeans and T-shirts. He rifled through his selection and carefully removed a grey Italian William Fioravanti. Next, he walked over to the chest of drawers and chose a light blue shirt and a grey tie. He dressed in front of the full length mirror and after straightening his tie he walked over to Anne who was sleeping, bent forward and kissed her on her forehead.