by Brett McBean
“Do you know what happened, John?”
Wayne grinned. “Not much.”
The Inspector reached into his pocket and pulled out a pad and pencil. “Mind?”
Wayne shook his head. “Not at all.”
The Inspector started writing on the pad, but then sighed and scribbled furiously. “Wrote the thirty-first instead of the first,” the Inspector said as he wrote the day’s date on the pad.
Wayne smiled politely.
“Now, John. Tell me what happened.”
“Is this, like, on the record?”
Wayne could see that the Inspector was becoming just a little impatient, but he spoke in a calm manner. “Yes, John. This is official. On the record.”
“Okay. I was driving along the Maroondah Highway at around...five-twenty this morning, when I saw a big ball of light in the mountains, just as I was passing the motel. Figuring that it could be a fire, I quickly turned onto the road and drove up to the motel.”
“Why didn’t you drive to a petrol station and call triple zero?”
“I didn’t know how far it was to a public phone or a town, so I figured that I had to see if I could help. You know, maybe rescue a trapped person or something. Call the fire service from the motel.”
“Okay, so you decide to drive up to the motel. What did you see when you arrived?”
“What do you think? I saw the cabin in flames. I parked far away, near the office and hopped out.”
“Did you see anybody at this point?”
Wayne shook his head.
The Inspector stopped writing and looked up. “Can you please answer either yes or no, for my sake?”
“Sorry, Inspector. No,” Wayne said. “I didn’t see anybody at that point.”
“Continue,” the Inspector said.
“Well, I hopped out of my car and saw one of the cabins with its light on. I was walking over to it when all of a sudden these two people come running out. The first one was a large woman, I’d say mid-to-late thirties. The woman behind her was an old woman. Well, at first I thought there was another fire starting up, but then I saw that the old woman was holding a gun.”
“What? She was carrying a gun?”
“Yes. And that’s when I realised that the first woman was screaming. I know it sounds silly, but I didn’t hear her right away. Anyway, I soon guessed that she was being chased by the old woman.”
“And they didn’t see you standing there?”
“No. But you gotta remember, this all happened in about two seconds. As soon as they came out of the cabin, the woman screaming, the old woman shot her in the head. Just like that.”
The Inspector stopped scribbling and took a moment before he asked, “So what happened after the old lady shot the woman?”
“I ran up to them, to try and stop the old lady.”
“But she had already shot her.”
“Yeah, I know. But I figured that as soon as she saw me, she wouldn’t hesitate in shooting me. I was a witness.”
“So you didn’t try and run away?”
“Why? She would’ve just shot me in the back. I figured my best chance was to try and get to the old woman before she had a chance to fire at me.”
“It didn’t occur to you that maybe the younger woman was a criminal or something and that the old woman was protecting herself?”
“No. Why should it? When two people come running out of a cabin in the early morning, high in the mountains, with a fire blazing away just behind you, and one of them shoots the other in the fucking head, what would you think? That the shooter is the innocent one and doesn’t intend to kill you as well?”
“Okay,” the Inspector said. “I’m not saying what you did was wrong. I’m merely trying to get all the facts.”
“Sorry,” Wayne said. “I’m just a little emotional. I’ve never seen a person killed before.”
“I understand,” the Inspector said. “So you decided to try and get the gun away from her, right?”
“Yes. Now, I was only about four metres away, so it wasn’t that big of a distance. But in that time, the old woman managed to shoot at me. And you know where she hit me.” Wayne huffed.
“Where? For the record, John.”
“Oh yeah, sorry. I was shot in the left shoulder.”
“Okay, then what happened?”
“I was shocked to say the least, but I kept on running towards her, and before she had another chance to shoot again, I was at her and managed to grab the gun from her. Well, she kept on wrestling with me even after I had the gun, and while we were fighting the gun just went off. And she fell to the ground.”
“So you didn’t mean to shoot the old lady? It was an accident?”
“Correct. I had never held a gun before, so I guess I forgot to keep my hand away from the trigger. Trust me, it was just as much a shock to me as it was to her when the gun went off.”
“I doubt that,” the Inspector muttered.
“That’s about it,” Wayne said. “I think I dropped the gun as soon as I shot her.”
“You think?”
“Right. I don’t actually remember letting the gun go. I don’t know how long I stood there, in shock, I guess. The next thing I can remember was hearing the sirens and then you guys arrived.”
“So that’s the whole story? You can’t think of any other details?”
“That’s it. It all happened so quickly. I go up there to see if I can help, the next thing I know I’ve shot a woman in the head and I, too, have been shot.”
The Inspector pocketed the pad and pencil.”Thanks, John.”
“So is that all?”
“For now, yes.”
“Okay. I’m sorry, Inspector, but I’m feeling very tired. Do you mind if I get some rest?”
The Inspector nodded. “Sure.” He stood up. “You know that old lady you shot, the one you say went crazy and shot the woman?”
“Of course,” Wayne sighed.
“She was a friend of mine. I had known her for about thirty years. She was the wife of an old detective.”
“So?” Wayne said.
The Inspector shrugged. “I just can’t believe that Madge would do something like that. She was one of the nicest and most gentle people I knew.”
“Well she obviously wasn’t too gentle and kind.”
The Inspector nodded. “Guess not.” He gave a quick smile. “Well, rest easy, John. I’ll be in touch soon.”
He turned around and headed for the door. “You’re a lucky man. Got yourself your own hospital room.”
“Aren’t I lucky,” Wayne said.
There was a knock at the door. The Inspector opened it and stuck his head out.
Wayne cocked his head but couldn’t quite make out who it was.
“I’ll be back in a moment,” the Inspector said and left, closing the door after him.
“Fucking pig,” Wayne muttered.
He looked at the sling that held his left arm and shoulder. He smiled. His story had worked. He was free.
Damn I’m brilliant, he thought.
He heard the faint murmur of talking. He wondered what was going on out there.
Soon the door opened and the Inspector slipped back in.
“Sorry about that, John.” He held up a set of keys. “One of my men has just dropped off your car.”
He wandered to the bed and handed them to Wayne.
“Great,” Wayne said. “Thanks for that, Inspector.” He placed the keys on the side table.
The Inspector nodded, then headed for the door. He had one foot out in the corridor when he turned back around. “Oh, I almost forgot.”
Who the fuck is this guy, Columbo?
The Inspector dug into his jeans pocket. “I believe this is yours.” He hurled an object at Wayne. It landed on the bed.
The Inspector grinned. “I’ll be seeing you soon...Wayne.”
He left the room.
Wayne stared at the door, grinding his teeth together until his eyes watered and he
felt the gritty sensation of broken teeth in his mouth.
He eventually pulled his eyes away from the door and gazed down at what lay nestled in the bed cover.
He had found his knife.
CHAPTER SIXTY-EIGHT
MacDonald picked up the handle, slipped in some coins and dialled. He waited three rings before it was answered.
“Wilkes.”
“Harry, it’s me. I’m at the hospital. You’ll never guess what.”
“What is it, Jason?”
“My suspicions were correct. That guy, John, was responsible.”
There was silence. Finally, “How do you know? I mean, the man was shot...”
“Get this,” MacDonald said. “He told us his name was John. Okay. You remember how that guy was still alive for a bit? Ah…Edward…something...?”
“Yeah, yeah I remember.” He sounded positively worn out.
“Well I never told you what he said to me.”
“Yeah I know. Why the secrecy?”
“He told me one thing. One name. Wayne.”
“Yeah, so?”
“Jesus, Harry. For a detective, you’re not very quick.”
“Fuck, Jason. I’ve been up all night. Plus...with Madge and all.”
MacDonald felt a tightness in his stomach. “Yeah. Poor old thing. I’m gonna miss her.”
“Anyway, are you gonna spit it out?”
“Oh yeah. Anyway, I had one of the constables bring over John’s car. As you know, I had my suspicions about the man right from the start. So I had him check out the papers. And sure enough, the car belongs to a Wayne Lanceford.” Again silence. “Wow,” Wilkes finally said.
“Quite a coincidence, huh? Plus, he had a box of Magnum cartridges and a Goddamn hatchet in the back.”
“Jesus. How about that knife we found?”
MacDonald chuckled. “I’m certain it was his. You should’ve seen the look on his face. I threw it to him. Real dramatic. He looked about ready to tear my throat out.”
“You got some men guarding him?”
“Yeah. That constable is here. Adams. But I’ve got more coming. Don’t worry, he won’t get away.”
Wilkes sighed. “For an old timer who’s supposed to be off duty, you’ve done real well.”
“Thanks, Harry. Well, I thought I’d just ring to let you know. I’ll be filling out a full report tomorrow. Get some sleep.”
He heard Wilkes give a small laugh. “I’ll try. But I’ve got paperwork up to my nose. What a night, huh?”
“You’re telling me.”
“You going home now?”
“Maybe. I dunno, there’s something I want to take care of. Anyway, I’ll be seeing you.”
“Yeah, see ya Jason. Thanks. And well done.”
They hung up.
MacDonald stepped away from the phone and headed down the corridor. As he passed the constable, he nodded. “I’m off. Watch him. He’s a complete psycho.”
The constable nodded back.
“There are some damn sick people in this world.” He shook his head. “Some more officers are on the way. Take care, Constable.”
“I will, Sir”
MacDonald smiled. He turned and walked down the corridor, his footsteps loud but hollow on the hospital floor.
# # # #
GALLERY OF IMAGES
For more information on the story behind The Last Motel visit here:
http://lastmotelthemovie.com/
An exterior shot of the cabins where much of the filming of The Last Motel took place
Hal Briinger (Simon) preparing for a scene
Hector van Gaalen-Prentice as the menacing Wayne
Stella Darcy trying to get comfortable in between takes
Imogen Dawn as Madge enacting revenge
A still moments before the infamous nipple removal scene takes place
Moments before the infamous ‘foot stab’ scene
The famous sign for the Lodgepole Pine Motel
Lance Dogeson and Imogen Dawn reportedly became romantically involved off screen
A publicity shot featuring Lance Dodgeson as Morrie and Stella Darcy as Judy
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brett McBean was born and raised in the suburbs of Melbourne,
Australia. A child of the ’80s, he grew up on a steady diet of He-Man cartoons, Steven Spielberg movies and cassette tapes such as Summer Hits ’88. And yet, somehow he managed to turn out normal (well, kinda…). He started playing the drums at age ten and after high school, studied music at Box Hill College, one of Victoria’s most renowned music schools, where he earned an Advanced Diploma. Shortly after completing the music degree, he turned his attention towards writing, and he now prefers to pound the keyboard rather than the drums.
His books have been published in Australia, the US, and Germany, and he’s been nominated for the Aurealis, Ditmar, and Ned Kelly awards. He is a member of the Australian Horror Writers Association, where he has been a member of the judging panel for the Australian Shadows Award (2008), the AHWA Flash & Short Story competition (2010) and a mentor in their mentor program. He still lives in the wilds of Melbourne with his wife, daughter and German shepherd.
LEGUMEMAN BOOKS
www.legumeman.com
Extreme and/or Unusual Fiction for
Extreme and/or Unusual People
Also by LegumeMan
Spare Key by R. Frederick Hamilton
A Million Versions of Right by Matthew Revert
Archelon Ranch by Garrett Cook
Dinner Bell for the Dream Worms by Jason Wuchenich
10 A BOOT STOMPING 20 A HUMAN FACE 30 GOTO 10 by Jess Gulbranson
The Place In Between by The Reverend Steven Rage
Snake Jaw by Andrew Gallacher
Tales of Sin and Madness by Brett McBean
Should Have Killed the Kid by R Frederick Hamilton
Love Lies Dying by Steve Gerlach
#.#.#.#.#
Table of Contents
Title page
THE LAST MOTEL
PART 1: THE CONVERGENCE
CHAPTER ONE.
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
PART 2: THE STORM
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
CHAPTER THIRTY
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
CHAPTER FORTY
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
CHAPTER FIFTY
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE
CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX
CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT
>
CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE
CHAPTER SIXTY
CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE
CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO
CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE
CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR
CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE
CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX
CHAPTER SIXTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER SIXTY-EIGHT
GALLERY OF IMAGES
