Myriad of Corridors

by Stan Mason

  The priest stared at the two of them with wide open eyes and then he blinked twice to bring himself back to reality. He lifted the cross with one hand, holding the bible firmly in the other and started to utter the incantation. He had only just begun when the cross was suddenly wrenched out of his hand. Within seconds, the bible was wrested from his grasp and tossed to the other side of the room. He gasped in horror and stepped backwards in fear, staring at the broken cross which had been thrown against the wall, splitting into two parts.

  ‘Holy God!’ uttered the priest with fear showing all over his face. ‘This spirit is too strong for me! Far too strong!’ He retreated from the room as fast as his legs would carry him to run down the stairs and out of the house.

  Ellen and Hunter stood silently in the room for a few moments looking at each other. It was abundantly clear that the exorcism hadn’t worked and Ruth’s spirit was still there burning with anger.

  ‘Let’s get out of here,’ urged the architect, taking hold of Ellen’s arm and ushering her out of the bedroom. ‘We really don’t need this!’

  They went downstairs into the lounge which was relatively safe from the anger of the spirit and poured themselves something to drink. Then, much to Hunter’s amazement, Ellen burst out laughing.

  ‘What’s so funny?’ he asked reproachingly.

  ‘It’s the sight of that priest running out of the bedroom down the stairs and out of the house as fast as his little legs would carry him. He was such a nice man too.’

  ‘Yes,’ Hunter went on with a smile on his face. ‘He didn’t seem to have any resistance to the spirit world, did he?’ He became solemn for a moment. ‘But that hasn’t solved the problem. Jessica Harrow told me that it probably wouldn’t work because of the tie-up with Amy’s spirit. Anyhow... it was worth a try.’

  He felt quite disappointed at the failure to exorcise the spirit of his dead wife but he had been warned by the medium not to expect too much. After the incident, it became obvious to him that Ruth would be around for a long time. He reckoned there was going to be no way he could avoid her.

  ***

  Roger Watson had been perfectly correct when he predicted that numerous calls would have to be fielded by the architect. They came thick and fast the whole day and the day afterwards. Hunter became really fed up after the first seventy calls, realising that no one who telephoned had any real idea of the identity of the killers. And then came an unexpected call of real import. It was from the male killer who had threatened him on the telephone once before.

  ‘Look, Hunter,’ shouted the caller vehemently. ‘I told you before to lay off the case but you don’t seem to get it in that thick skull of yours, do you?’

  ‘Well, well!’ exclaimed the architect, recognising the man’s voice. ‘So you’ve come back. I’ve been waiting for you to speak with me again.’

  ‘This will be the last time,’ came the threat. ‘I’m telling you loud and clear, if you don’t stop carrying on with the case, I’m going to come after you.’

  ‘Oh, come on!’ taunted the architect. ‘You keep making such promises but you never carry them out, do you? Is it because you’re scared of me... you’re scared to face me?’

  ‘I’ll carry it out this time... and that is a promise,’ claimed the caller.

  ‘And how will you do that?’ demanded Hunter blandly. ‘You can’t rape me because I’m a man... unless you like doing that sort of thing... and I doubt whether you’ll be able to strangle me. You can only do that to women. But, of course, you can come here and try.’

  ‘How about a bullet to the head. How will that suit you?’

  ‘I don’t think you’re the kind of man who uses guns,’ rattled the architect still taunting the man. Nonetheless, the comment set him back on his heels. He had thought that contact with the killer would bring him within reach but he hadn’t considered being shot with a rifle from a distance. However he was determined to keep the man on the line for as long as possible in the hope of getting something of value.

  ‘I know a lot about you,’ remarked Hunter. ‘You wear a smart suit, a white shirt and a tie which indicates that you either work in an office or you’re a salesman of some kind. I also know that every one of your victims had an abortion shortly before you killed them. I also know that you rape and kill them on the third floor of a building which has a large Maltese Cross on the wall. Furthermore, the property you use has a permanent canopy in the front supported by two stout columns.’

  ‘If you know so much,’ countered the killer, ‘how is it I’m still free? You tell me that!’

  ‘The net’s tightening, my friend,’ continued the architect. ‘It’s tightening very fast now especially as your photograph has been printed in the national press.’

  ‘You think you’re so clever, don’t you?’ savaged the caller angrily. ‘You just got lucky with that photograph. But let me tell you your luck’s running out fast.’

  ‘How long have I got before you come to get me?’ teased Hunter trying to annoy the killer.

  ‘Very soon,’ came the reply. There was a long pause before the caller continued. ‘How do you know about the abortions?’

  ‘We know a lot more,’ returned the architect. ‘As I said, the net is closing on you and your sister.’

  There was an even longer pause before the killer continued the conversation. ‘Okay, so you know it’s me and my sister. You still don’t know who we are, do you?’

  ‘Not yet... but it’s only a matter of time.’

  ‘Okay, you know a lot about us but that’s where it ends. I’m going to appeal to you to drop out of the investigation. Let the police handle it. They’re incompetent enough never to catch us.’

  ‘You’re probably right there,’ concurred the architect.

  Silence prevailed for a short while and the architect thought that he had lost the killer, but the man was still there on the line. ‘I’ll do a deal with you, Hunter,’ he said in due course. ‘I won’t kill women for six months if you stop meddling in the case. How do you feel about that?’

  Hunter smiled to himself. The man was clearly scared of the architect’s continued progress in establishing his identity. ‘I can’t go along with a deal like that,’ he told the man point-blank. ‘That’s tantamount to me agreeing that you can go on raping and killing women.’

  ‘It’s up to you,’ returned the caller continuing with his threat. ‘Either you agree to the deal or I come after you. One way or the other I’ve got to get you off my case.’

  ‘Let’s see what happens, shall we?’ Hunter knew that the man was rattled by all he had been told. Certainly he was shocked when the detail that they were brother and sister was revealed. The killer hadn’t expected the architect to know his secret.

  ‘Okay,’ replied the man after a while. ‘We’ll play it your way. But don’t say I didn’t warn you. You’ll pay the price for your treachery.’

  ‘My treachery!’ gasped the architect with incredulity. ‘You’re the one who’s committing these crimes... you and your bloody vile sister!’

  ‘My bloody vile sister,’ repeated the killer miserably. ‘I think we’re right in doing so. You see, you care nothing about the loss of life when women have abortions. They actually murder the child inside them. They’re murderers! You obviously don’t care.’

  ‘Where do these women go for the operation?’ Hunter posed the question in the hope that the killer would provide him with the answer but the man was not riled up enough to reveal the location.

  ‘That’s for you to find out, Hunter,’ he snarled angrily. ‘I’m not telling you anything else!’

  ‘Because you’re scared I’ll find you, aren’t you?’

  He could hear the man breathing heavily at the other end of the line. ‘This is the last time I’m going to call you, Hunter,’ he muttered with fury building up inside
him.

  ‘Give my regards to your evil sister,’ said the architect believing that he had scored a Pyrrhic victory. ‘Tell her I’ll be seeing her soon in person... very soon!’

  The line went dead and Hunter returned the mobile telephone to his pocket. He had undertaken the conversation in a cavalier fashion which clearly annoyed the killer. There was no point in shilly-shallying about with the man. One had to deal with him as though he were a child even though most psychopaths were extremely clever people. Unfortunately, the architect didn’t upset him enough for the man to reveal any further details that might help him solve the case once and for all. Indeed, Hunter needed to guard himself in future from an attack. The killer firmly intended to put an end to his personal role in the investigation... and he meant it!

  ***

  After the incident with the priest who failed to exorcise Ruth’s spirit, Ellen and Hunter became extremely concerned that their child might be born before they were married. It was something that was likely to cause problems at a later date. Consequently, they decided to go ahead with their plans to marry at the earliest opportunity. The arrangements were carried out at an extraordinary fast rate over-lorded by The Lady Dowager who took absolute control of the forthcoming wedding. She was assisted by the fact that Hunter had no family, therefore she could send out the invitations to her relatives and friends without needing to wait for names and addresses of the architect’s family. Subsequently, after having the invitations printed and sending them out, she contacted the milliner for a white wedding dress for her daughter as well as the bridesmaids dresses, a baker for a three-tiered cake, a florist for the bouquet and flowers, a caterer for the food and wine at the wedding reception, a car company for a chauffeured vehicle, aa jeweller for the rings the bride and bridegroom would give to each other at the service, a chauffeured car, a photographer, a four-piece band, a ladies hairdresser, waitresses for the reception, and even a toastmaster. The whole wedding had been booked in an extremely short period of time and the only delay was the finish of the dresses for the bride and bridesmaids which needed to be fitted.

  The large lounge became the venue for the ceremony and the reception. Indeed, it was a distinct advantage that no church would be required because the Masters decided to adopt the American method for weddings and have the service and the reception in their own home. Outside, they had arranged for the erection of a large white marquee with seats and tables in which the guests could sit to enjoy the wedding breakfast. Certainly the Masters house was large enough to cope with the wedding and a hundred guests and a canopy was raised at one end of the large lounge where the priest would conduct the wedding ceremony. Seats inside the lounge had been set out for the guests, leaving a lane down the centre for the bride to walk when she entered.

  The guests arrived shortly. The men were smartly dressed in tuxedos and bow ties, the women wore expensive extravagant gowns, embellished by diamond ear-rings, necklaces and bracelets. The photographer snapped everyone as they arrived the scene which would not have been out of place had it been depicted on the front cover of a major glossy magazine.

  Hunter stood in front of the canopy accompanied by his best man who was Todd’s brother. They shuffled their feet impatiently until the band struck up the Wedding March whereby the bride, wearing a beautiful white dress with a veil and a glittering tiara, entered the room to walk down the central path, her three bridesmaids carrying the long train behind her. In this stately fashion, she reached the front and stood beside Hunter who raised her white veil to expose her beautiful face.

  The priest cleared his throat and, without delay, started the ceremony.

  ‘Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the wedding of Jeffrey Albert Hunter and Ellen Blakeney Masters.’

  The bride and groom looked at each other lovingly almost unheeding the words of the priest who was about to marry them. As the ceremony continued, they made their vows, consented to marry each other, and then signed the marriage register. Following that, the guests surrounded them to kiss the bride and shake hands with the bridegroom, congratulating them on their union. The reception took place immediately afterwards whereby everyone was handed a glass of wine and canapes were offered on trays by waitresses. Shortly afterwards, the toastmaster requested that all the guests left the house to be seated in the marquee in the garden for the wedding breakfast.

  When the meal had ended, Todd Masters tapped a glass a number of times to obtain silence and then offered his speech to the bride and groom.

  ‘They say a man is incomplete before he marries,’ he began whimsically, ‘then he’s really finished.’ He paused at the titter of laughter among the guests at the joke before continuing. ‘I’ve only known Jeff for a short time but he’s a man after my own heart. I know I can trust him with my daughter ... or he’ll have me to deal with... and, in effect, he’s going to join me to work as an architect in my company. We’re going to have some good fun together, Jeff. I can feel it in my bones. As for Ellen, my daughter, she a blessing to her mother and myself. We love her very much and we’re very proud of her. Very proud. All I can say is that I wish you both good luck and lots of happiness for the future. So in order to keep this speech short, which I know is the wish of everyone here, I ask you to stand up, raise your glass, and toast the bride and groom. To Ellen and Jeff!’

  The guests rose to their feet, raising their glasses, and drank a toast to the happy couple. Then they all returned to the lounge where the chairs and the carpet had been removed to allow them to dance. The band played popular songs to which most of the people in attendance danced and everyone seemed to be happy and contented, especially two of the guests who had far too much to drink.

  The person most delighted with the affairs of the day was The Lady Dowager. She was over the moon with the wedding but the day moved to another level when Ellen took her to a corner towards the end of the evening to reveal her secret.

  ‘By the way, mother,’ she said slowly, watching the older woman’s face carefully. ‘I’m pregnant. You’re going to be a grandmother.’

  Mrs. Masters gaped with astonishment. ‘Is that true?’ she managed to say, her blood-pressure rising rapidly with excitement. ‘Is that really true?’

  ‘I wouldn’t be saying it if it wasn’t,’ retorted her daughter smoothly. ‘Oh, Lord! I wish I had a camera to show you your face.’

  The Lady Dowager slumped into a chair and fanned her face with a serviette. ‘What a perfect day!’ she exclaimed with delight. ‘A perfect day. I must tell your father.’

  She hurried off to find her husband in order to tell him the news as Hunter came over to her and took her gloved hand, kissing her gently on the lips.

  ‘Good evening, Mrs. Hunter,’ he uttered with a smile on his face. ‘You can call yourself that now.’

  ‘No,’ she laughed, ‘I think I’ll stick to my own name.’

  His face turned to one of concern and a frown appeared on his forehead. ‘You’re kidding, of course,’ he rallied.

  ‘Of course,’ she laughed, hugging him closely. ‘Most of the guests have gone. I think we should go to bed.’

  ‘I don’t think you’ll get in our car with that wedding dress,’ he told her. ‘We’ll have to order a large taxi.’

  ‘Don’t be daft, darling,’ she chided gently. ‘We’re staying here for the night. I’ve arranged it with Mum and Dad. It’ll be our honeymoon hotel in a sense as we’re not going anywhere else for a while.’

  ‘I feel really bad about the lack of honeymoon arrangements but I’m getting so near to the end of the case,’ he explained. ‘If we wait just a short time longer, we can go to Barbados or some other exotic place. You can choose it.’

  ‘I definitely will as long as Dad gives you the time off. He’s very patient, you know. He’s been waiting for you to start work on his new project for some weeks now.’

  He kissed he
r again on the lips. ‘Enough shop talk,’ he uttered, walking up the wide sweeping staircase with her.

  As they went along the landing, Ellen pointed to one of the bedrooms. He stopped, opened the door, lifted her up, and carried her across the threshold.

  ‘This used to be my bedroom,’ she told him, kissing him on the lips warmly.

  ‘I love you,’ he cooed, putting her down inside the room.

  ‘And I love you,’ she responded, pushing him roughly onto the bed. ‘And you’re going to prove it to me time and time again. Is that understood?’

  Euphoria suddenly took hold of her mind. She pulled off her gloves, ripping off her beautiful dress without bothering to undo the buttons on the back and stepped out of the gown in a flash. Then she started to undress her husband quickly. She was married now and had the right to do what she liked with her husband in her own bedroom... and she intended to make the most of it. This was definitely going to be a night to remember!

  ***

  During the next four days, as a consequence of a spate of excellent sunny weather, the newly-married Hunters went out on day trips enjoying each other’s company immensely. They went on long walks, tramped through the countryside in the Home Counties, and picnicked in the local park. Everything in their lives was rosy and both of them were extremely happy. Then, suddenly, out of the blue, the architect received a call on his mobile telephone.

  ‘I’m ringing you to tell you I know the identity of the man you’re looking for,’ stated the caller bluntly.

  Hunter considered it to be another one of the crank calls he had received in the past and responded without any emotion. ‘You do, do you? You really know his identity,’ he responded flatly.

  ‘Yes I do,’ stated the caller.

  ‘Okay,’ retorted Hunter quickly. ‘Tell me his name?’

  ‘I don’t want to say anything over the telephone,’ whispered the caller softly. ‘If we could meet, I’ll tell you...’