“Leave him alone he’s just a kid.”
“Get out of my way,” Glen attempted to push Ben.
“If you lay one finger on the boy I’ll shoot you,” Pat threatened him.
Glen backed off and looked at Anne for guidance.
“Take Kate and the boy out of the room Ben,” Pat spoke never taking his eyes off Anne’s gun, which was still pointing in his direction.
Ben hesitated, prompting Pat to speak again.
“Do it now man, what’s wrong with you?” he spoke through gritted teeth.
“If you attempt to leave the room I’ll shoot the boy,” Anne moved very slowly towards Glen.
“She’s bluffing Ben don’t listen to her; get out now.”
“If you take one step forward I’ll shoot.” Anne now trained her gun towards George as he stood up.
“I don’t believe you could kill a child Ann,” Ben was unconvinced of her threat, and shielded Kate as she held tightly on to the boy’s hand, and guided him towards the door. Her heart pounded heavily in her chest, and her palms were clammy with sweat as she edged her way forward. What occurred in the next few seconds, happened so quickly that Pat had no time to react as he raised his arm and cried out.
“No for God’s sake don’t do it!” his voice cut through the silence as a single gunshot rang out, and Ben dropped to the ground clutching his chest. A stream of smoke rose from the muzzle of the gun clutched in Anne’s hand, as an eerie silence enveloped the room. She expressed no outwards sign of remorse for the life she had taken; no hint of regret for the death of her daughters’ father. Her hard cold stare exposed her for the callous emotionless human being she had become.
Ben lay motionless on the ground as his blood seeped slowly from the wound. Kate turned round and stared in horror. She let out a pathetic cry of despair knowing Ben was dead, knowing he was gone forever. Dropping to her knees, she gently cradled his head in her hands as tears flowed down her face. Rocking forwards and backwards, she kissed his hair and stroked his forehead as Pat looked on in shocked silence, his face ashen.
“Have you lost your mind? What the hell did you do that for?” Glen was horrified and dropped down beside Kate.
“Get an ambulance quickly he’s badly hurt,” Kate sobbed.
“It’s too late for an ambulance; he’s dead.” Glen failed to find any sign of life.
“No you’re wrong he can’t be; we have to get him to hospital.” She was hysterical but Glen’s attempts to comfort her were rebuked as she lashed out at him, beating him with her fists.
“Get away from me you bastard,” she spoke through her sobs. Glenn backed away.
Kate lay on the floor next to Ben’s dead body and continued to stroke his face and whisper gently to him.
“Put the gun down now unless you want the same treatment.” Anne turned her attention to Pat, who was reeling with shock and revulsion at the scene before him. As if in slow motion, he placed the gun at the despised woman’s feet and stepped back towards Kate.
“I’m so sorry, I really didn’t think she would do it,” Pat sunk to his knees.
She stared at him, her face stained with tears and eyes wild with rage and grief.
“Why didn’t you listen to her; why?” she cried.
“You really should take me seriously Pat; don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Anne smirked.
“You’re an evil heartless bitch, and I’m going to make sure you pay for what you’ve done,” Kate yelled at her, then turned to Glen Meadows.
“And you are a cowardly wimp hiding behind a woman. Why don’t you stand up for yourself and be a man; if you are one.”
He had nothing to say; because he knew what Kate had said was true.
“Where’s the kid gone Glen?” Anne asked, frantically scanning the room.
“I don’t know; he was here a few minutes ago; perhaps he’s in the passageway outside.”
“Well go and take a look then.”
Glen left the room and began calling the boy’s name; he returned alone ten minutes later.
“I can’t find him anywhere. You must have frightened him with the gun.”
“I don’t bloody well believe this. Why weren’t you watching him you bloody idiot.” Anne snapped.
“Oh no, you’re not going to blame me for this?” Glen shook his head and backed away from her. “This is your shit; you shot an innocent man in front of the kid. What did you expect him to do, stand there clapping and cheering?”
“Oh so you’ve found your voice; well you’d better loose it again, quickly.”
“I told you I didn’t want any part of this Anne,” Glen continued to defy her
“I told you to keep your eye on him.”
“So you expect me to watch the kid, while you kill someone in front of me?
“I expect you to do as I say.”
“I’ve had it with you,” Glen picked up his jacket and proceeded to leave the room.
“Where do you think you’re going?” she raised her voice.
“Away from you, you sick bitch,” he stopped and turned round to face her.
“You’re not leaving; I won’t let you.”
“How do you intend to stop me; shoot me in the back?”
“Don’t tempt me,” she threatened.
“For god’s sake haven’t enough people died?” Pat intervened.
“You,” she pointed at him, “Shut your mouth; this is nothing to do with you.”
Kate slowly rose to her feet. For now, her tears had subsided and she experienced a strange sensation of detachment from the people in the room. Without warning, and with strength that surprised her, she lunged at Anne. The attack was so unexpected that it knocked the unsuspecting woman to the ground. The gun flew from her hand and slid across the wooden floor. Before she had time to react, Kate snatched it and stood over her as the startled woman attempted to rise to her feet.
“How does it feel now eh?” she taunted, waving the gun erratically over her.
Anne laughed out loud.
“Do you really think I’m scared of you; you look like a child pointing a water pistol.”
Kate was seething.
“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t blow your head off right now?” she waved the gun close to her head.
“Because you don’t have it in you; and I’ve disposed of your cheating husband,” she taunted.
Engulfed by intense loathing and pain, Kate squeezed the trigger with a trembling hand and fired the gun. The bullet caught the despised woman’s shoulder, causing her to cry out as she fell to the floor writhing in pain.
“You bitch, you’ve shot me,” she attempted to stem the flow of blood with her hand.
“For fuck’s sake Kate, what have you done?” Pat rushed over expecting to see Anne lying dead.
“Far less than the vile murdering bitch deserves.” Kate glared at her, the gun still in her hand.
“Give me the gun Kate?” he held his hand out.
“She needs help. You’d better phone for an ambulance Pat,” Kate smiled.
“There’s no way I’m going to a hospital; you know I’ll be arrested.” Anne attempted to get to her feet, but the pain forced her back down.
“You’ve got something right then; I’ll phone the police myself,” Kate reached for her phone, and switched it on.
“Glen stop them now; do something,” she pleaded desperately with him.
“This is the end Anne; you have to be stopped,” he refused to help her.
“We’ve come too far Glen, don’t throw it all away,” she made one last effort to drag herself to her feet, but the pain forced her down and she beat her clenched fist on the floor.
“I’ll make sure you go down with me Glen; you’ll be sorry for what you’ve done,” she continued to chastise him as Pat wrapped a towel over the wound.
“You’re hurting me you big oaf,” she grimaced in pain as Pat tied a tourniquet around the wound.
“Sorry; but I have to stop the bleeding
as best I can until the ambulance arrives.”
“You should let her bleed to death; it’s all she worthy of,” Kate sneered.
“If I did that I’d be bad as her,” Pat replied giving the tourniquet an unnecessary twist. He despised the woman, but he was already responsible for one death; he didn’t want another on his conscience. She had to be the most monstrous individual he had ever had the misfortune to meet in his entire life, and he had met some evil people. Still pondering on the evils of Anne Parish, Pat was unaware of the paramedics and police officers who were attempting to gain access to the hotel
“The police and paramedics are here do you know where the keys are Kate?” Pat asked.
“They’re in reception,” she muttered.
“You will tell them that I wasn’t responsible for Ben’s death won’t you?” Glen pleaded with him.
“Get out of my way; you’re as bad as her,” he snarled, brushing him aside.
Six police officers accompanied by Inspector Salt, arrested Anne Parish and led her to an awaiting ambulance. She made one last attempt to free herself from the clutches of the two policemen who held her- due to her injury they were not allowed to handcuff her- but she was overwhelmed, and eventually gave in. Glen Meadows made no attempt to escape; secretly he was glad it was all over.
Kate looked down at the dead body of her husband, and took his hand. His skin was cold and beginning to turn blue; he was losing his gentle expression and she found it too much to bear. She felt someone place a hand on her shoulder.
“I’m sorry love, but we must take the body away now,” a man’s voice informed her.
“The body is my husband; his name was Ben, Ben Preston, remember his name,” she began to cry again as his body was covered and placed on a stretcher.
Pat was talking to Inspector Salt, but their voices sounded distorted and distant. Kate suddenly felt light-headed as the room began to spin and a veil of darkness descended on her, as she fell heavily to the ground.
CHAPTER 23.
SUNDAY 9TH OCTOBER
It was an unusually warm and bright morning, allowing the sun to flood through the thin curtains. Kate sat up and opened her eyes. She was aware of a figure sitting in a chair positioned by the door. Her heart fluttered as the events of the previous evening came flooding back into her head. Ben was dead, and truth of his death hurt so much she thought her heart would burst. Her eyes burned from crying, and her skin felt tight and dry. Could she possibly have any more tears left to cry?
“How are you feeling this morning?” Pat got up slowly from the chair; he had barely slept a wink.
“I don’t feel anything Pat, I’m numb with pain,” she replied absent-mindedly.
“What happened last night; I can’t remember anything after the police arrived?”
“You fainted; the doctor said it was due to shock. He gave you a sedative to help you sleep.”
“What time is it?”
“Ten thirty in the morning.”
Kate sat up and looked around the room.
“Are we still at the hotel?”
“Yes; but we’re free to go home whenever we want to.”
“Home; I don’t know where that is any more.”
“It will get better Kate.”
“You mean I’ll get used to being alone, don’t you?” she closed her eyes and lay back.
“I wish I could just close my eyes and never wake up again,” Kate buried her head in the pillow. Pat moved slowly forward and sat down beside her.
“It’s alright to cry; you have to release your grief,” he held her tightly.
He felt useless; there were no words to take away her pain. This was a process she had to endure in order to move on with her life, but it would be a long hard ordeal for her. She was still quite young and had time to start again, after the initial grief had left her.
Life was very cruel; Pat knew that alright; but Ben’s death seemed completely pointless. There had been no reason for it other than a rash and cruel act from a crazed woman. All it had achieved was to expose Anne Parish as a brutal murderer who didn’t have a compassionate bone in her body. Paradoxically, her compassion for the suffering of animals manifested itself in harming human beings. There was nothing she could gain from Ben’s death other than control; but she would pay dearly for her deluded image of self-importance. Kate’s tears eventually subsided and she pulled away from Pat feeling slightly embarrassed by the closeness of his body.
“Feeling a bit better now?” he asked.
“Better than what Pat; I feel numb.”
“I’ll leave you to get dressed. Would you like a cup of tea? I could make you one if you like?”
“I’d prefer a coffee.”
“No problem.”
Pat was about to leave the room when Kate suddenly remembered something.
“What happened to the little boy?”
“George? He ran away when the gun was fired,” Pat replied cautiously.
“When he heard the police sirens he thought his dad had come to get him. He was hiding in the kitchen.”
“Is he back with his father?”
“Well, not yet, “Pat was reluctant to tell her the full details.
“What do you mean; has something happened to him now?”
“No, he slipped on the floor when he rushed out of the kitchen. He caught his head on the corner of a cupboard. It needed quite a few stitches I believe.”
“So is he still in hospital?”
“Just overnight as a precaution; concussion I think.”
“He was a nice boy; I’m glad he’s safe. Let’s hope he can forget about his ordeal.”
“He’s young; he’ll be alright,” Pat assured her.
”Yeah; I suppose so.”
“I’ll make that tea for you,” Pat stood up to leave. “Coffee,” she corrected him.
When the door closed, she dragged herself out of bed, slipped her dressing gown on, and headed towards the bathroom. She emerged ten minutes later, and dressed in the only clean clothes she had left. Outside her room, the silence of the empty hotel added to her already solemn mood. Only a few days ago the place was buzzing with life, now it was silent, and marred by death.
At the bottom of the stairs, Kate could see the kitchen door was open and Pat was moving around. As she entered the room, he placed a pot of coffee on the table as she took a seat.
“You left your handbag in the lounge last night. I think you’ve got a few missed calls on your phone,” he slid the bag across the table.
“Thanks,” she took it and searched for her phone.
“I can never find the damn thing.”
“I always know where mine is, but I keep forgetting to charge it,” Pat smiled.
“I’ve got it,” Kate said noticing three missed calls from her mother.
“Could you do me a favour Pat?”
“Of course; just name it,” he leaned forward.
“Can you phone this number and tell my mother what’s happened?” she pleaded.
“I really think it’d be better coming from you.”
“I know but I really can’t face her; not yet; she’ll only upset me, please Pat,” she begged.
Reluctantly, he took the phone and left the room.
When he returned, Kate looked up at him with an anxious expression on her face.
“How did she take it?”
“It’s hard to say she didn’t say much, I think she was too shocked. I told her you would call her later.”
“Thanks Pat.”
He just smiled at her, and picked up his drink.
Kate stared vacantly at the wall deep in thought. She was so engrossed in her misery that she failed to notice someone enter the room.
“Morning Sebastian,” Pat spoke to Alex’s brother.
“Is it?” he replied bluntly and added, “is the coffee still warm?”
“Freshly made, shall I pour you one?” Pat offered.
“Please,” Sebastian took a seat.
“Reasonably well, but the bed was a little too soft.”
“This is Kate Preston?” Pat introduced her
Kate looked up.
“Hello, you must be Alex’s brother,” she smiled faintly, “when did you arrive?”
“Late last night, Pat let me in. I’m sorry about your husband,” he laid a hand on her shoulder.
“Thank you and I’m sorry for your loss,” she whispered.
“Did you know my brother well Kate?” Sebastian looked across the table at her.
“Reasonably well, he was a real gentleman,” Kate was thoughtful.
“I wish I’d have seen him one more time before he died. I should have made more effort.”
“We all have regrets when someone dies,” Kate agreed, her head was over-loaded with regrets. Why had she been so stubborn with Ben? He had tried to apologise and begged for forgiveness, but she just wanted to watch him squirm, and now she would have to live with her regrets for a long time.
“Are you alright?” Sebastian was staring at her.
“I was just thinking about my husband,” she replied vaguely.
She studied his features; he was very much like his brother; but a younger version. Unlike Alex however, his clothes were very casual. He wore denim jeans and a polo shirt; Alex certainly wouldn’t approve. His biceps and pectoral muscles were well defined, giving the impression he was a regular visitor to the gym.
“How long do you intend to stay in England?” Pat asked.
“I’m leaving after the funeral on Tuesday. There’s a flight in the afternoon; I intend to be on it,” he replied bluntly.
“Do you know if Alex left a will?” Pat asked.
“Yes his solicitor has already phoned me about it. I have to see him in the morning.”
“I suppose he’s left everything to you?” Pat asked as he poured another drink.
“I shouldn’t think so; he’d been living with his partner Simon for nearly twenty years; I imagine he’ll get most of the properties and assets. I assume someone has told Simon?”
“I think the police will have seen to that,” Kate replied.
“It’s a terrible blow for him; I don’t know how he’ll cope so soon after his accident.”
HIDDEN SECRETS Page 24
