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NANOWRIMO STORY FINALE, part i
**~~NANOWRIMO STORY FINALE, part i~~**
Entry word count: 5410
For Story Notes, click here.
First a note about this chapter: I'd intended to post this chapter the way I'd visualized it, i.e. in 3 main parts. But the sections got too big for LJ so I had to break them into smaller sections. Hence, there are 5 parts instead of 3. Just to avoid any confusion, please note that the main parts are still sectioned inside the cuts as originally written. That's all.
Next a summary of the last chapter posted: Previously on Nanowrimo Story Chapter 17: Justin feels safer when Brian returns from the hospital. A link between Henry's missing wife and Lisa Marie Payne is discovered. Brian hires a detective and secrets his loved ones have been keeping from him are promptly revealed. The police find a link between an old house outside Pittsburgh and Henry. And someone is keeping an eye on the House.
Now on to Entry 19:
PART 1
71.
There was a grave in the basement where the three bodies were discovered.
An eight-foot deep hole, dug into the soft earth, and covered with heavy cement slabs which had further been covered with a slate green sheet of heavy tarpaulin.
Two of the corpses had apparently lain there for many years, and thus, not much had been left of the remains other than the desiccated bones. But Melina Sotheby was a much fresher addition, and the mutilated state of her remains seemed both to match the probable time of her demise with the timeline they’d worked out of her disappearance eleven days ago, as well as confirm the assessment that her end hadn’t come any easier.
A few feet away, a steel-enforced door separated a cordoned off area, which when forced open, revealed a soundproofed, quarantined lab space which appeared to have come out of some sadomasochistic horror fantasy flick. Gleaming steel manacles and restraints lined one wall, and a huge anodized aluminum cage occupied one whole side of the basement – as if this dungeon were a veterinary facility and someone had planned to keep a large wild animal locked inside. Except there were no animals to be found. Unless one took in the chilling sight of the carving knives and blades lined up in one drawer and the nylon and glass collection tubes and syringes of varying sizes neatly separated in another, and then considered the diabolical, subhuman thought process that must have gone behind the planning and laying out of everything here.
This was a torture chamber. That much was clear from the moment they’d stepped into the cellar. But it was the discovery of the large steel cabinet which opened up to reveal an inbuilt industrial-make deep freezer overflowing with plastic bags filled with blood samples of various types and groups that finally drove that point home. And just like that, everything else clicked into place.
This was the place where Melina Sotheby had been brought to donate the blood that had been planted on the axe found behind Babylon , and to become the sacrificial lamb –both literally and figuratively- to Henry Stanford’s psychopathic delusions. Everything pointed towards that: the manacles and restraints on the wall. The vet-sized cage large enough to hold one or two captives. The blood collection tubes and syringes. The biosafety cabinet next to the freezer containing the electrical centrifuge—the kind of equipment not usually found outside of medical labs—that had been used to isolate and separate the blood samples.
And the blood itself; frozen and coagulated, and irrefutably human. They’d collected all of it and sent it to the Homicide lab, along with the three bodies, and they knew what the results would reveal. That the two desiccated remains were of Madeleine Stanford and Lisa Marie Payne, and that the majority of the blood samples inside the freezer belonged to them. And that all the evidence pointed towards the chilling supposition that they’d been tortured and their blood drained from their bodies while they’d most probably been alive, to be processed in the centrifuge and stored in the freezer for the next five years.
They also knew that the same blood would match the traces of the human blood samples they’d collected from the tunnels eleven days ago.
The presence of Melina Sotheby’s body confirmed the fact that this was the last known place Henry had visited and that meant, the police were going to keep it under watch on the doubtful chance that he showed up again. In all probability, though, they were aware that Henry knew this hideout had been discovered, and it was unlikely he would return here again.
It was a dead-end. Henry Stanford Junior was to be found elsewhere for sure.
They just didn’t know where to look next.
72.
It was brunch at the Taylor/Osborn household and the boys were invited.
In reality, however, as it turned out, Tucker had to be at work and Brian was meeting his assistant for an update on some account, so it was really only herself, Justin and Molly for brunch--and even Molly had to leave for a class at ten thirty, so then it was just the two of them.
Still Jennifer was happy to have Justin home for a meal, even if it was for a short visit. Even if the gathering seemed a little incomplete without their significant others being present. She knew Justin had to go back in a while but she was going to make sure he relaxed while he was here. Molly had also seemed happy to have her brother around. After the events of the last few days, Jennifer felt they all needed a break--especially Justin. She couldn't imagine the strain he must be in, however cheerful he appeared to be on the outside.
She wished Brian had been able to come. She'd gone to see him at the loft since he'd come back from the hospital and he'd looked way too thin to her. Certainly a hundred times better than how he'd been at the hospital but Brian was on the thin side on his healthy days and now after the ordeal he'd been through, she thought he could definitely afford to put on some weight. Of course, she hadn't exactly said so in so many words. She doubted he'd appreciate her advise on realigning his dieting regimen with what she considered to be healthy eating. She'd just left the three containers of home made casseroles and soups she'd whipped up for their use and left them in the loft fridge without a word. For a man of few words, she was sure that would be hint enough.
But she still worried about him. And Justin. Her brave, strong son.
His courage had always gotten him through the tough times growing up. Coming out, leaving home. Going first to LA and then to New York and beyond. He'd never backed away from an opportunity or from facing a challenge. As a mother, this was one fact that had equally made her proud as well as exasperated her beyond anything she could imagine. Because even when he was little, Justin had liked to dare others. Whether it was on the playground or in the classroom, he was always challenging other children and accepting their challenges back with an eager smile. He'd been an over-achiever in school and in life, and while that had led to tremendous success for him on every front, she knew that success had come at a price.
And now she knew, he was all buckled up and getting ready for the next round of obstacles - whatever they may be. She didn't know what those obstacles were. She didn't know where they'd come from. Over the last twelve days, their lives had been turned upside down. Justin --and Brian-- had been through hell and back, and Jennifer knew it wasn't over. That psycho was still at large. The police had found all sorts of clues linking that man to even more heinous crimes than what he'd done at the theme park, but no real idea where he was hiding at the moment. She'd spoke to Deb last night. Carl had been staying in touch with the police and while they knew a lot more than they did when all this started, it was still not enough. They didn't know where he might strike next.
And that fact made her very, very scared.
He could be anywhere. He was a nutcase, a psychopathic murderer who'd targeted Brian and Justin, had been targeting them for a better part of five years, and no one knew where he was right now. Or what he was planning.
She expected Justin to be more worried about this. But for some strange reason, she could only see relief on his face. Relief for having Brian back home, safe, and in one piece. It was almost as if he was taking everything on a day to day basis. Every step Brian took, his recovery from the frightening heart condition, his coming home, his returning to the task of running his business--even if it was from home--all of it was another reason, it seemed, for Justin to feel better. And in a way, Jennifer could see why he felt that way. She felt better because Brian was home too. Having your life partner go through something so harrowing, and then recovering from it, being given a second chance at life--all of it must be so reassuring.
What bothered her wasn't any of that, however.
What bothered her was the fact that Justin seemed to have forgotten that he had been down there in the tunnels too. That harrowing, horrible incident had happened to him as well. He'd been in close contact with that psychopath. Had in fact been dragged around by him through blood-soaked tunnels before being locked up in a room after going through God knew what. She hated not knowing what had happened to her baby. What he'd been through. But he would still not talk. And she didn't know if this was the right time to push him. Brian still was very much on his mind, that much she could see from his eyes. He may have been smiling and eating -- God, she was so happy to see him finally eating -- but she knew he wanted to get back to the man he loved as soon as possible.
Not that it was any different than any other time.
So they chatted for a while. Justin showed her a few of the new paintings he'd done before Halloween and which he'd brought to Pittsburgh on his return and it was almost like old times. It never ceased to amaze her how talented he was. Yes, she would always be proud of him. She would always worry about him too, and Brian as well, of course -- he was as much part of her family as Justin was -- but she hoped her son's courage would continue to see him through the tough times in his life. He deserved to be happy.
"Mom, thanks so much for brunch," Justin said. "No one makes hash browns quite like yours."
She grinned. "Don't let Debbie hear you say that."
"Deb's food is great, but your hash browns are the best." He smiled and then added. "Even Brian admits to liking them."
Jennifer sighed. This was his hint that he wanted to get going now. "Well, I've packed him a couple of boxes." She got up. "He can enjoy a late brunch."
"Thanks, Mom." Justin got up. "He makes a lot of noise about food cluttering up the fridge, you and Deb have kept it well-stocked, but I know he enjoys it secretly." He took the boxes from her and got into his jacket and then picked up his two portfolios.
"Let me get my keys," Jennifer said.
"Mom, I'll take the bus." Justin raised a hand to stop her. "You picked me up, I can at least get back by myself."
"Don't be ridiculous, sweetheart." She took one case from him and led him to the door with an elbow. "I can't let you walk to the bus stop carrying all those things. Besides, I have to stop at the grocer's on my way back, so it's no trouble."
The drive took less than fifteen minutes. She parked in front of the building and then the two of them carried the portfolios and the food into the building.
And that was the moment, when Jennifer felt something was wrong.
Maybe it was in the way Justin suddenly tensed up as he called for the elevator. She looked at her son's face and felt her brows furrowing at his anxious expression. Was it because he was finally coming back home to face Brian? But why would he be tense to get back to his lover? Were they having problems? Was Brian being difficult? She wanted to ask Justin what was wrong but opted to stay quiet and observe. As the elevator crept upwards, she watched him check his watch, looking fidgety, his fingers tightening around the handle of his portfolio, lips pressing tightly.
In the end, it turned out to be nothing more than sixth sense.
"Brian!" Justin called out as he pulled open the loft door. He dumped everything he'd carried onto the kitchen counter and hurried into the bedroom. "Brian!"
She stood frozen on the threshold, her throat tightening with fear of what he might find inside. She heard him call out one more time as she watched him go into the bathroom and back out, looking exasperated. She frowned as she took a step inside as Justin came down from the bedroom, already taking out his cell-phone and pressing speed dial.
They both jumped when the ringtone sounded from within the loft and their eyes were drawn to the object lying on the living room coffee table at the same time.
Brian's phone. Left behind.
He was gone.
73.
It was as if a hurricane hit the Novotny-Horvath home.
It was almost noon on Friday when Lindsay finally rolled out of bed, and as she strained her ears for the usual morning sounds around the house, it occurred to her that she'd slept right through the alarm, the snooze button and the good morning Toronto podcast on Mel's Archos 1200. As if that wasn't enough, she'd apparently also missed a major blow out between Gus and JR over a game of Ludo and a subsequent visit by Michael to spring away his sobbing daughter for a cheer up session. As she got into the shower and out and dressed, she wanted to blame it on the restless nights of the last many days, but she knew she wasn't the only one finding it hard to sleep. At the breakfast table, she blearily watched an alert looking Mel reading the business section, thanked Deb as she poured fresh coffee for her and tried to blink away the sleep from her eyes as she slowly sipped.
That was when the doorbell rang and Deb went to answer it and found Brian at her doorstep.
The sight of him showing up by himself was like a shot of dopamine up everyone's veins. He sauntered in, oozing his usual confidence, as if he hadn't a care in the world, and pushed an envelope in Lindsay's hands. She looked at him quizzically as she opened it, and then stared at the contents inside--instantly awake.
They were tickets back home -- for the four of them. For tonight.
"I thought they had the bookings for Monday." Deb looked between Brian and her, her brow furrowed.
"Well, they've been changed to tonight," Brian said calmly. "Ten-thirty flight to Toronto."
"Brian." Lindsay looked at him. "We had everything set for Monday morning."
He shrugged. "Well, you're just going to have to hurry up those plans. You have a flight to catch in..." --he looked at his wristwatch--"approximately ten hours."
"Dad?"
Lindsay hadn't noticed Gus come down the stairs and didn't know how long he'd been standing there listening to their conversation.
"Hey, Sonny Boy." Lindsay watched Brian walk over to his son. "How’re you doing?"
"I'm okay." Gus looked at him carefully. "Are we going home?"
"Yes, you are," Brian answered. "Tonight."
"I thought we were here till Monday."
"There’s been a little change in plans." Brian ruffled son's hair affectionately, then pushed the disheveled locks back from his face. "You have to be in school from Monday, that’s why you’re going early."
Gus looked up at him. "What about you?"
"I’ll come see you on Christmas," Brian said, his tone light. "Don’t worry."
"No, I mean…" Lindsay could feel Gus wavering. "...you just got home from the hospital."
"And I’m fine." Brian shrugged. "So it's time you got back home now." He put his hands on his son's shoulders and looked into his eyes. "Everything's fine. Now I want you to go upstairs and start packing your stuff. Okay?"
Gus stared at his father for a moment and Lindsay didn't know what he saw in his eyes but after a second or two, he nodded. "Okay."
They watched as he shared a quick hug with Brian and then bounded upstairs to his bedroom.
"Brian, what’s going on?" Deb started again.
"Why such a hurry?" Lindsay asked. "We had plans for Monday. There was no need to change them."
"Yeah, what the fuck is up with you?" Deb huffed and then narrowed her eyes at him. "And what are you doing here in the first place? Did you drive here yourself? Where the fuck is Sunshine?"
Brian sighed. "Would you two please shut up and not argue with me for once."
"You should not be driving in this condition, Brian." Lindsay started. "The doctors said---"
Brian cut her off. "Fuck what the doctors said." He gritted his teeth. "I’m all right and I don’t need you or anyone else babying me and taking care of me. I can take care of myself."
"Honey, we know you can," Deb said soothingly. "We’re just a little concerned."
"Well, stop it already. I’m fine."
Lindsay looked in his eyes and realized that maybe he wasn't really as calm as he'd initially appeared to be. There was something in his eyes, something wild and dark which he appeared to be restraining with effort.
She stole a glance at Mel and realized she'd been quiet throughout the entire exchange. Which was totally uncharacteristic for her. But then nothing had made sense these past few days. Mel watched the three of them from the dining chair, quietly taking everything in and Lindsay wished she'd say something. Talk to Brian about how crazy he sounded. Tell him off like she always used to do. This calm and collected Mel who seemed to be willing to let Brian get away with whatever he wanted to do was driving her nuts.
At least Deb had no qualms about speaking her mind. "Where the fuck’s Justin?"
Brian turned from them and walked into the living room. "He’s busy."
Deb's voice rose in volume. "Does he know you’re here?"
He swung around and faced them again, his lips pursed together. "Listen! What’s with the third degree? He has things to do himself. It’s not like he has to tag along with me everywhere I go."
They were interrupted by the kitchen phone ringing. Deb answered it and then sighed, her eyes boring into Brian's.
"Yeah, sweetie, he’s here." Justin. "He’s fine, don’t worry. Yeah, I think he brought the corvette. Oh, I see, well, there’s nothing to worry about. Yeah, I'll tell him to go back home." She rolled her eyes dramatically. "I'll tell him, yes, but you know how he is. Don't worry, all right?" She replaced the phone on the cradle.
"Brian!" Lindsay felt incredulous. "You didn't even tell Justin you were coming here?"
He shrugged. "Well, now he knows."
"He said you left your fucking cell phone at the loft." Deb admonished him. "He’s worried sick about you."
He ignored her accusation and raised a finger at Lindsay as if to remind her. "Tonight. At ten-thirty. Which means you have to be at the airport at least an hour before. Start packing." She watched him throw a glance at Mel before he turned around and walked out.
They watched from inside the window as he got into the 'vette and drove off.
"Well, I'll be damned," Deb muttered.
"Now what?" Lindsay looked at her wife who'd finally gotten up from her chair.
Mel took the glasses off her nose as she put the paper down. "Now we start packing."
"But Mel..." she started but was interrupted.
"Let him do what he wants, Lindz." Mel looked at her. "He needs it right now."
Lindsay watched as with that, Mel turned and climbed up the stairs. She looked at Deb and for once found her silent--a contemplative look on her face.
74.
Matty knew he shouldn’t have been in Dalcy’s by himself.
Mommy had asked him to wait for her or Daddy to come pick him from the school. But both of them were late and he’d been hungry. Dalcy’s sold the best caramel candy hoops in the whole wide world and he’d been asking Mommy to buy a pack for him for the last four days and she hadn’t been listening. That was the only reason he was here. He knew Mommy would understand when he told her. She knew how he felt about Dalcy’s caramel candy hoops, and the shop was just around the corner from the street next to St. James.
Still he knew he shouldn’t have been here by himself. Especially if Daddy was the one who eventually showed up to pick him up. He had a feeling Daddy was going to be a little upset if he didn’t find him at the school gate waiting for him.
He didn’t get why Daddy was so angry these days. He frowned as he readjusted the flap of his backpack. No, angry wasn’t the right word. Sad? Freaked? Yeah, Daddy just seemed a little freaked these days, and Matty didn’t know why that was. All these lectures about not going out of the house alone, not even to cross the street by himself. It was all making him mad. Heck, Mommy and Daddy didn’t even let him go to Sammy’s birthday party last Sunday, even though all his friends got to be there. He wasn’t a little baby anymore. He didn’t get why Mommy and Daddy acted like he couldn’t do anything by himself. He could cross the street alone if he wanted to, and if he wanted to go to Dalcy’s to get the candy caramel hoops, he could most certainly do that.
Resolved with the decision he’d made, Matty continued to rummage through the candy section. He’d saved four dollars and twenty cents from last week’s allowance and he knew he could buy loads of extra goodies with it. He was going to hide it in his backpack, though. He didn’t want Mommy to find all of this stuff. She was always on his case about too much sweet and candies rotting teeth and making his stomach upset and he didn’t want to hear the same ol’ lecture again. His teeth were just fine and his stomach would only be upset if it remained empty for much longer. He took out the money as he grabbed a single caramel candy hoops packet and waved at Gina at the counter, indicating he was eating one right away. She waved back at him to go ahead and he ripped open the packet and greedily munched on the candy, sighing in pleasure as the delicious taste of the caramel hoops broke on his tongue. Mmmm, yes, it really, really was the best candy in the world.
It was one-thirty in the afternoon and there were only a few people in the shop. He just hoped he didn’t see anyone that knew his Mommy here. He didn’t want anyone reporting back on his goodies because that would only mean her confiscating all his stuff and he couldn’t afford to lose any of it. With this in mind, he quickly made his decision and grabbed all the candies he could afford with his money and turned to the counter.
"There you are!"
The voice startled him, making him drop the candies in his hands in surprise. Matty instinctively took a step back from the man as he bent down to pick up the candies, before he looked up and found himself looking into familiar eyes.
"Sorry, buddy, didn’t mean to scare you," the curly-haired man said, a friendly smile on his face, as he joined him on the floor, helping him gather his stuff. "Your dad asked me to come pick you up as he got stuck in a meeting. I’ve been looking all over for you." A teasing look came on his face. "If I’d known you’d be here, bringing in all this loot, I wouldn’t have gone round and round the block in circles, looking for you."
Matty felt a frown form between his brows. Was he going to tell Daddy about the sweets? He was pretty sure Daddy would be even madder than Mommy about it. Then another thought occurred to him. Why had Daddy asked him to pick Matty up?
He narrowed his eyes as looked at the man. "How come Daddy isn’t coming? He told me he would pick me up."
"No." the man shook his head. "He’s in an important meeting and couldn’t be here in time, so he asked me to drop you home." He looked into Matty’s eyes. "We better hurry up. I spoke to your mom and she’s got lunch ready for you and is waiting for you."
And he'd now seen all the candies. Darn. Matty was now sure his Mommy would be mad at him for buying all this stuff. But it wasn’t his fault. He only came here because Daddy had been late picking him up and he’d gotten hungry. His fists clenched around the wrapped candies as he sighed helplessly. He’d only gotten to eat one of them. Double darn.
But the man laughed. "That’s okay, buddy. If you promise to hurry up, I promise I won’t tell your mom about the loot." There was a mischievous grin on his face as he looked at Matty. "I’ll even pay for these so that you can save your money."
"Really?" Matty exclaimed, allowing the first smile to break on his face.
"Absolutely!" The man grinned as he got up. "Hurry up now. We got places to go."
And just like that, six year old Matthew Richard Taylor, picked up his caramel candy hoops from the floor and followed the man to the counter and then out of Dalcy’s candy shop.
75.
Ed Stanley called him up when they got the confirmation on the blood match.
They met at the station where reports from the crime lab were just starting to come in. Initial DNA scans had already confirmed the identity of the two dead bodies in the graves to be what they'd suspected. The blood tests also confirmed that the blood found in the freezer was indeed the same left in the tunnels--especially on the shirt worn by Justin. The twisted logic that must have gone through Henry Stanford's fucked up brain to execute that scenario wasn't something Carl could ever hope to unravel. What went on in the minds of psychopathic murderers? How did serial killers make their decisions? He was just a plain ol' cop --a retired one at that-- but he knew why he'd never gone into homicide.
There was a mélange of prints in the basement that basically linked Henry to the scene of the crime. Ed also told him they'd traced the property documentation of the company that owned the Crafton theme park with a law firm in Saracuse that, at one point, had done some outsourcing work for Taylor Electronics. Which, of course, Craig Taylor denied knowing anything about. The noose kept getting tighter and tighter around the man's neck. Ed said if they didn't already know Henry was the killer and the instigator of the crime scene in the Crafton tunnels, he would've thrown Craig Taylor into the slammer for the sheer incompetence and irresponsible behavior he'd displayed over the weeks. Carl tended to agree.
Ed also told him Kinney had been in touch with enquiries of his own. Not to mention he'd apparently hired a private detective to do some independent sleuthing because the PD had been contacted by sources that had been traced back to him. Carl realized he should not be surprised at this. It would've been far more shocking if Kinney had sat quietly and waited for the police to tell him what was happening. A lot of victim's families hired private detectives to help with a case if they felt they were not being helped or informed by the police. Granted two days out of the hospital was a bit short time to come to that decision for normal cases, but he could he also understand why Kinney probably felt he was not being informed. They all had been a little stingy with the information lately. As long as the guy he'd hired did not interfere with the PD's work, which he wasn’t likely to do, Carl could see nothing wrong with what Kinney was doing.
He wondered how much Kinney had managed to dig out, however. And if his friends should be warned.
Then Ed pulled another set of prints on the screen and Carl shook himself out of his thoughts. He had a feeling, now that Kinney was aware of the dangers, he could take care of things for a while.
He just hoped his instincts were correct.
76.
In retrospect, it was easier to calm the kids down than it was Michael.
Melanie had never thought the day would come when she’d be sitting down with the father of her daughter and explaining Brian Kinney’s motives to him. In defense.
But then a lot of the things she’d never imagined had happened over the last few weeks.
In any case, it took a little while, but once Deb and her were through with him, Michael was almost okay with the abrupt change in plans. It was only a difference of two days, after all. They would’ve left on Monday regardless and this way, they’d reach Toronto in time for the kids to join school from the start of the week. And Brian was springing for first class, not that he didn’t always do that for Gus when he was visiting him in Pittsburgh.
Besides she did feel she was in a better position to understand Brian’s motivations than most other people. The instinct to protect and to keep his family safe --- that was something she could relate to. After the hell he’d been through, Melanie figured the least they could do was not make too much noise when Brian was doing whatever he felt was necessary to help restore his confidence in his own ability to make things move.
She knew what it felt like not have any control over circumstances.
The three big suitcases they’d brought were at Michael’s and she told Lindz that she’d pack them up and bring them over to Deb’s before they had to leave for the airport. But right at the last moment, Emmett –who’d just heard about their flight tonight– called Lindz to remind her about picking up the two prints she’d chosen at the new gallery he’d acquired as a client. She could’ve delayed the whole thing but the paintings had already been paid for so Mel told her to go ahead and pick them up. And since Michael’s place was on the way, they decided Lindz would also bring the suitcases from there.
In the end, Melanie was the one who ended up taking the kids to the House.
She could’ve taken Michael with her. Or Ted. Or Deb. Or anyone else who could’ve helped her tag their bags out of the upstairs bedroom and into the car and back the Deb’s.
But there was only so much space in the rental and they did have bags to cram into the backseat and there was no way the kids were going to miss the chance to say goodbye to Mr. Pumpkin and the horses and make one last farewell tour around the grounds and the tennis courts and the backyard rock garden.
At least, that was what she told herself as she pulled into the driveway to the House.
She noticed the blue sedan parked in front of the closed garage and recognized it as the one belonging to Walter, the caretaker who looked after Brian’s property. As Melanie removed her seatbelt and unlocked the car doors, she looked at her watch. It was five-thirty pm and they had approximately an hour to wrap things up and head back to Deb’s.
She grabbed her purse and the three of them got out of the car.
Then she took out the keys and headed for the front door.
*****
Continued next.
Entry word count: 5410
For Story Notes, click here.
First a note about this chapter: I'd intended to post this chapter the way I'd visualized it, i.e. in 3 main parts. But the sections got too big for LJ so I had to break them into smaller sections. Hence, there are 5 parts instead of 3. Just to avoid any confusion, please note that the main parts are still sectioned inside the cuts as originally written. That's all.
Next a summary of the last chapter posted: Previously on Nanowrimo Story Chapter 17: Justin feels safer when Brian returns from the hospital. A link between Henry's missing wife and Lisa Marie Payne is discovered. Brian hires a detective and secrets his loved ones have been keeping from him are promptly revealed. The police find a link between an old house outside Pittsburgh and Henry. And someone is keeping an eye on the House.
Now on to Entry 19:
PART 1
71.
There was a grave in the basement where the three bodies were discovered.
An eight-foot deep hole, dug into the soft earth, and covered with heavy cement slabs which had further been covered with a slate green sheet of heavy tarpaulin.
Two of the corpses had apparently lain there for many years, and thus, not much had been left of the remains other than the desiccated bones. But Melina Sotheby was a much fresher addition, and the mutilated state of her remains seemed both to match the probable time of her demise with the timeline they’d worked out of her disappearance eleven days ago, as well as confirm the assessment that her end hadn’t come any easier.
A few feet away, a steel-enforced door separated a cordoned off area, which when forced open, revealed a soundproofed, quarantined lab space which appeared to have come out of some sadomasochistic horror fantasy flick. Gleaming steel manacles and restraints lined one wall, and a huge anodized aluminum cage occupied one whole side of the basement – as if this dungeon were a veterinary facility and someone had planned to keep a large wild animal locked inside. Except there were no animals to be found. Unless one took in the chilling sight of the carving knives and blades lined up in one drawer and the nylon and glass collection tubes and syringes of varying sizes neatly separated in another, and then considered the diabolical, subhuman thought process that must have gone behind the planning and laying out of everything here.
This was a torture chamber. That much was clear from the moment they’d stepped into the cellar. But it was the discovery of the large steel cabinet which opened up to reveal an inbuilt industrial-make deep freezer overflowing with plastic bags filled with blood samples of various types and groups that finally drove that point home. And just like that, everything else clicked into place.
This was the place where Melina Sotheby had been brought to donate the blood that had been planted on the axe found behind Babylon , and to become the sacrificial lamb –both literally and figuratively- to Henry Stanford’s psychopathic delusions. Everything pointed towards that: the manacles and restraints on the wall. The vet-sized cage large enough to hold one or two captives. The blood collection tubes and syringes. The biosafety cabinet next to the freezer containing the electrical centrifuge—the kind of equipment not usually found outside of medical labs—that had been used to isolate and separate the blood samples.
And the blood itself; frozen and coagulated, and irrefutably human. They’d collected all of it and sent it to the Homicide lab, along with the three bodies, and they knew what the results would reveal. That the two desiccated remains were of Madeleine Stanford and Lisa Marie Payne, and that the majority of the blood samples inside the freezer belonged to them. And that all the evidence pointed towards the chilling supposition that they’d been tortured and their blood drained from their bodies while they’d most probably been alive, to be processed in the centrifuge and stored in the freezer for the next five years.
They also knew that the same blood would match the traces of the human blood samples they’d collected from the tunnels eleven days ago.
The presence of Melina Sotheby’s body confirmed the fact that this was the last known place Henry had visited and that meant, the police were going to keep it under watch on the doubtful chance that he showed up again. In all probability, though, they were aware that Henry knew this hideout had been discovered, and it was unlikely he would return here again.
It was a dead-end. Henry Stanford Junior was to be found elsewhere for sure.
They just didn’t know where to look next.
72.
It was brunch at the Taylor/Osborn household and the boys were invited.
In reality, however, as it turned out, Tucker had to be at work and Brian was meeting his assistant for an update on some account, so it was really only herself, Justin and Molly for brunch--and even Molly had to leave for a class at ten thirty, so then it was just the two of them.
Still Jennifer was happy to have Justin home for a meal, even if it was for a short visit. Even if the gathering seemed a little incomplete without their significant others being present. She knew Justin had to go back in a while but she was going to make sure he relaxed while he was here. Molly had also seemed happy to have her brother around. After the events of the last few days, Jennifer felt they all needed a break--especially Justin. She couldn't imagine the strain he must be in, however cheerful he appeared to be on the outside.
She wished Brian had been able to come. She'd gone to see him at the loft since he'd come back from the hospital and he'd looked way too thin to her. Certainly a hundred times better than how he'd been at the hospital but Brian was on the thin side on his healthy days and now after the ordeal he'd been through, she thought he could definitely afford to put on some weight. Of course, she hadn't exactly said so in so many words. She doubted he'd appreciate her advise on realigning his dieting regimen with what she considered to be healthy eating. She'd just left the three containers of home made casseroles and soups she'd whipped up for their use and left them in the loft fridge without a word. For a man of few words, she was sure that would be hint enough.
But she still worried about him. And Justin. Her brave, strong son.
His courage had always gotten him through the tough times growing up. Coming out, leaving home. Going first to LA and then to New York and beyond. He'd never backed away from an opportunity or from facing a challenge. As a mother, this was one fact that had equally made her proud as well as exasperated her beyond anything she could imagine. Because even when he was little, Justin had liked to dare others. Whether it was on the playground or in the classroom, he was always challenging other children and accepting their challenges back with an eager smile. He'd been an over-achiever in school and in life, and while that had led to tremendous success for him on every front, she knew that success had come at a price.
And now she knew, he was all buckled up and getting ready for the next round of obstacles - whatever they may be. She didn't know what those obstacles were. She didn't know where they'd come from. Over the last twelve days, their lives had been turned upside down. Justin --and Brian-- had been through hell and back, and Jennifer knew it wasn't over. That psycho was still at large. The police had found all sorts of clues linking that man to even more heinous crimes than what he'd done at the theme park, but no real idea where he was hiding at the moment. She'd spoke to Deb last night. Carl had been staying in touch with the police and while they knew a lot more than they did when all this started, it was still not enough. They didn't know where he might strike next.
And that fact made her very, very scared.
He could be anywhere. He was a nutcase, a psychopathic murderer who'd targeted Brian and Justin, had been targeting them for a better part of five years, and no one knew where he was right now. Or what he was planning.
She expected Justin to be more worried about this. But for some strange reason, she could only see relief on his face. Relief for having Brian back home, safe, and in one piece. It was almost as if he was taking everything on a day to day basis. Every step Brian took, his recovery from the frightening heart condition, his coming home, his returning to the task of running his business--even if it was from home--all of it was another reason, it seemed, for Justin to feel better. And in a way, Jennifer could see why he felt that way. She felt better because Brian was home too. Having your life partner go through something so harrowing, and then recovering from it, being given a second chance at life--all of it must be so reassuring.
What bothered her wasn't any of that, however.
What bothered her was the fact that Justin seemed to have forgotten that he had been down there in the tunnels too. That harrowing, horrible incident had happened to him as well. He'd been in close contact with that psychopath. Had in fact been dragged around by him through blood-soaked tunnels before being locked up in a room after going through God knew what. She hated not knowing what had happened to her baby. What he'd been through. But he would still not talk. And she didn't know if this was the right time to push him. Brian still was very much on his mind, that much she could see from his eyes. He may have been smiling and eating -- God, she was so happy to see him finally eating -- but she knew he wanted to get back to the man he loved as soon as possible.
Not that it was any different than any other time.
So they chatted for a while. Justin showed her a few of the new paintings he'd done before Halloween and which he'd brought to Pittsburgh on his return and it was almost like old times. It never ceased to amaze her how talented he was. Yes, she would always be proud of him. She would always worry about him too, and Brian as well, of course -- he was as much part of her family as Justin was -- but she hoped her son's courage would continue to see him through the tough times in his life. He deserved to be happy.
"Mom, thanks so much for brunch," Justin said. "No one makes hash browns quite like yours."
She grinned. "Don't let Debbie hear you say that."
"Deb's food is great, but your hash browns are the best." He smiled and then added. "Even Brian admits to liking them."
Jennifer sighed. This was his hint that he wanted to get going now. "Well, I've packed him a couple of boxes." She got up. "He can enjoy a late brunch."
"Thanks, Mom." Justin got up. "He makes a lot of noise about food cluttering up the fridge, you and Deb have kept it well-stocked, but I know he enjoys it secretly." He took the boxes from her and got into his jacket and then picked up his two portfolios.
"Let me get my keys," Jennifer said.
"Mom, I'll take the bus." Justin raised a hand to stop her. "You picked me up, I can at least get back by myself."
"Don't be ridiculous, sweetheart." She took one case from him and led him to the door with an elbow. "I can't let you walk to the bus stop carrying all those things. Besides, I have to stop at the grocer's on my way back, so it's no trouble."
The drive took less than fifteen minutes. She parked in front of the building and then the two of them carried the portfolios and the food into the building.
And that was the moment, when Jennifer felt something was wrong.
Maybe it was in the way Justin suddenly tensed up as he called for the elevator. She looked at her son's face and felt her brows furrowing at his anxious expression. Was it because he was finally coming back home to face Brian? But why would he be tense to get back to his lover? Were they having problems? Was Brian being difficult? She wanted to ask Justin what was wrong but opted to stay quiet and observe. As the elevator crept upwards, she watched him check his watch, looking fidgety, his fingers tightening around the handle of his portfolio, lips pressing tightly.
In the end, it turned out to be nothing more than sixth sense.
"Brian!" Justin called out as he pulled open the loft door. He dumped everything he'd carried onto the kitchen counter and hurried into the bedroom. "Brian!"
She stood frozen on the threshold, her throat tightening with fear of what he might find inside. She heard him call out one more time as she watched him go into the bathroom and back out, looking exasperated. She frowned as she took a step inside as Justin came down from the bedroom, already taking out his cell-phone and pressing speed dial.
They both jumped when the ringtone sounded from within the loft and their eyes were drawn to the object lying on the living room coffee table at the same time.
Brian's phone. Left behind.
He was gone.
73.
It was as if a hurricane hit the Novotny-Horvath home.
It was almost noon on Friday when Lindsay finally rolled out of bed, and as she strained her ears for the usual morning sounds around the house, it occurred to her that she'd slept right through the alarm, the snooze button and the good morning Toronto podcast on Mel's Archos 1200. As if that wasn't enough, she'd apparently also missed a major blow out between Gus and JR over a game of Ludo and a subsequent visit by Michael to spring away his sobbing daughter for a cheer up session. As she got into the shower and out and dressed, she wanted to blame it on the restless nights of the last many days, but she knew she wasn't the only one finding it hard to sleep. At the breakfast table, she blearily watched an alert looking Mel reading the business section, thanked Deb as she poured fresh coffee for her and tried to blink away the sleep from her eyes as she slowly sipped.
That was when the doorbell rang and Deb went to answer it and found Brian at her doorstep.
The sight of him showing up by himself was like a shot of dopamine up everyone's veins. He sauntered in, oozing his usual confidence, as if he hadn't a care in the world, and pushed an envelope in Lindsay's hands. She looked at him quizzically as she opened it, and then stared at the contents inside--instantly awake.
They were tickets back home -- for the four of them. For tonight.
"I thought they had the bookings for Monday." Deb looked between Brian and her, her brow furrowed.
"Well, they've been changed to tonight," Brian said calmly. "Ten-thirty flight to Toronto."
"Brian." Lindsay looked at him. "We had everything set for Monday morning."
He shrugged. "Well, you're just going to have to hurry up those plans. You have a flight to catch in..." --he looked at his wristwatch--"approximately ten hours."
"Dad?"
Lindsay hadn't noticed Gus come down the stairs and didn't know how long he'd been standing there listening to their conversation.
"Hey, Sonny Boy." Lindsay watched Brian walk over to his son. "How’re you doing?"
"I'm okay." Gus looked at him carefully. "Are we going home?"
"Yes, you are," Brian answered. "Tonight."
"I thought we were here till Monday."
"There’s been a little change in plans." Brian ruffled son's hair affectionately, then pushed the disheveled locks back from his face. "You have to be in school from Monday, that’s why you’re going early."
Gus looked up at him. "What about you?"
"I’ll come see you on Christmas," Brian said, his tone light. "Don’t worry."
"No, I mean…" Lindsay could feel Gus wavering. "...you just got home from the hospital."
"And I’m fine." Brian shrugged. "So it's time you got back home now." He put his hands on his son's shoulders and looked into his eyes. "Everything's fine. Now I want you to go upstairs and start packing your stuff. Okay?"
Gus stared at his father for a moment and Lindsay didn't know what he saw in his eyes but after a second or two, he nodded. "Okay."
They watched as he shared a quick hug with Brian and then bounded upstairs to his bedroom.
"Brian, what’s going on?" Deb started again.
"Why such a hurry?" Lindsay asked. "We had plans for Monday. There was no need to change them."
"Yeah, what the fuck is up with you?" Deb huffed and then narrowed her eyes at him. "And what are you doing here in the first place? Did you drive here yourself? Where the fuck is Sunshine?"
Brian sighed. "Would you two please shut up and not argue with me for once."
"You should not be driving in this condition, Brian." Lindsay started. "The doctors said---"
Brian cut her off. "Fuck what the doctors said." He gritted his teeth. "I’m all right and I don’t need you or anyone else babying me and taking care of me. I can take care of myself."
"Honey, we know you can," Deb said soothingly. "We’re just a little concerned."
"Well, stop it already. I’m fine."
Lindsay looked in his eyes and realized that maybe he wasn't really as calm as he'd initially appeared to be. There was something in his eyes, something wild and dark which he appeared to be restraining with effort.
She stole a glance at Mel and realized she'd been quiet throughout the entire exchange. Which was totally uncharacteristic for her. But then nothing had made sense these past few days. Mel watched the three of them from the dining chair, quietly taking everything in and Lindsay wished she'd say something. Talk to Brian about how crazy he sounded. Tell him off like she always used to do. This calm and collected Mel who seemed to be willing to let Brian get away with whatever he wanted to do was driving her nuts.
At least Deb had no qualms about speaking her mind. "Where the fuck’s Justin?"
Brian turned from them and walked into the living room. "He’s busy."
Deb's voice rose in volume. "Does he know you’re here?"
He swung around and faced them again, his lips pursed together. "Listen! What’s with the third degree? He has things to do himself. It’s not like he has to tag along with me everywhere I go."
They were interrupted by the kitchen phone ringing. Deb answered it and then sighed, her eyes boring into Brian's.
"Yeah, sweetie, he’s here." Justin. "He’s fine, don’t worry. Yeah, I think he brought the corvette. Oh, I see, well, there’s nothing to worry about. Yeah, I'll tell him to go back home." She rolled her eyes dramatically. "I'll tell him, yes, but you know how he is. Don't worry, all right?" She replaced the phone on the cradle.
"Brian!" Lindsay felt incredulous. "You didn't even tell Justin you were coming here?"
He shrugged. "Well, now he knows."
"He said you left your fucking cell phone at the loft." Deb admonished him. "He’s worried sick about you."
He ignored her accusation and raised a finger at Lindsay as if to remind her. "Tonight. At ten-thirty. Which means you have to be at the airport at least an hour before. Start packing." She watched him throw a glance at Mel before he turned around and walked out.
They watched from inside the window as he got into the 'vette and drove off.
"Well, I'll be damned," Deb muttered.
"Now what?" Lindsay looked at her wife who'd finally gotten up from her chair.
Mel took the glasses off her nose as she put the paper down. "Now we start packing."
"But Mel..." she started but was interrupted.
"Let him do what he wants, Lindz." Mel looked at her. "He needs it right now."
Lindsay watched as with that, Mel turned and climbed up the stairs. She looked at Deb and for once found her silent--a contemplative look on her face.
74.
Matty knew he shouldn’t have been in Dalcy’s by himself.
Mommy had asked him to wait for her or Daddy to come pick him from the school. But both of them were late and he’d been hungry. Dalcy’s sold the best caramel candy hoops in the whole wide world and he’d been asking Mommy to buy a pack for him for the last four days and she hadn’t been listening. That was the only reason he was here. He knew Mommy would understand when he told her. She knew how he felt about Dalcy’s caramel candy hoops, and the shop was just around the corner from the street next to St. James.
Still he knew he shouldn’t have been here by himself. Especially if Daddy was the one who eventually showed up to pick him up. He had a feeling Daddy was going to be a little upset if he didn’t find him at the school gate waiting for him.
He didn’t get why Daddy was so angry these days. He frowned as he readjusted the flap of his backpack. No, angry wasn’t the right word. Sad? Freaked? Yeah, Daddy just seemed a little freaked these days, and Matty didn’t know why that was. All these lectures about not going out of the house alone, not even to cross the street by himself. It was all making him mad. Heck, Mommy and Daddy didn’t even let him go to Sammy’s birthday party last Sunday, even though all his friends got to be there. He wasn’t a little baby anymore. He didn’t get why Mommy and Daddy acted like he couldn’t do anything by himself. He could cross the street alone if he wanted to, and if he wanted to go to Dalcy’s to get the candy caramel hoops, he could most certainly do that.
Resolved with the decision he’d made, Matty continued to rummage through the candy section. He’d saved four dollars and twenty cents from last week’s allowance and he knew he could buy loads of extra goodies with it. He was going to hide it in his backpack, though. He didn’t want Mommy to find all of this stuff. She was always on his case about too much sweet and candies rotting teeth and making his stomach upset and he didn’t want to hear the same ol’ lecture again. His teeth were just fine and his stomach would only be upset if it remained empty for much longer. He took out the money as he grabbed a single caramel candy hoops packet and waved at Gina at the counter, indicating he was eating one right away. She waved back at him to go ahead and he ripped open the packet and greedily munched on the candy, sighing in pleasure as the delicious taste of the caramel hoops broke on his tongue. Mmmm, yes, it really, really was the best candy in the world.
It was one-thirty in the afternoon and there were only a few people in the shop. He just hoped he didn’t see anyone that knew his Mommy here. He didn’t want anyone reporting back on his goodies because that would only mean her confiscating all his stuff and he couldn’t afford to lose any of it. With this in mind, he quickly made his decision and grabbed all the candies he could afford with his money and turned to the counter.
"There you are!"
The voice startled him, making him drop the candies in his hands in surprise. Matty instinctively took a step back from the man as he bent down to pick up the candies, before he looked up and found himself looking into familiar eyes.
"Sorry, buddy, didn’t mean to scare you," the curly-haired man said, a friendly smile on his face, as he joined him on the floor, helping him gather his stuff. "Your dad asked me to come pick you up as he got stuck in a meeting. I’ve been looking all over for you." A teasing look came on his face. "If I’d known you’d be here, bringing in all this loot, I wouldn’t have gone round and round the block in circles, looking for you."
Matty felt a frown form between his brows. Was he going to tell Daddy about the sweets? He was pretty sure Daddy would be even madder than Mommy about it. Then another thought occurred to him. Why had Daddy asked him to pick Matty up?
He narrowed his eyes as looked at the man. "How come Daddy isn’t coming? He told me he would pick me up."
"No." the man shook his head. "He’s in an important meeting and couldn’t be here in time, so he asked me to drop you home." He looked into Matty’s eyes. "We better hurry up. I spoke to your mom and she’s got lunch ready for you and is waiting for you."
And he'd now seen all the candies. Darn. Matty was now sure his Mommy would be mad at him for buying all this stuff. But it wasn’t his fault. He only came here because Daddy had been late picking him up and he’d gotten hungry. His fists clenched around the wrapped candies as he sighed helplessly. He’d only gotten to eat one of them. Double darn.
But the man laughed. "That’s okay, buddy. If you promise to hurry up, I promise I won’t tell your mom about the loot." There was a mischievous grin on his face as he looked at Matty. "I’ll even pay for these so that you can save your money."
"Really?" Matty exclaimed, allowing the first smile to break on his face.
"Absolutely!" The man grinned as he got up. "Hurry up now. We got places to go."
And just like that, six year old Matthew Richard Taylor, picked up his caramel candy hoops from the floor and followed the man to the counter and then out of Dalcy’s candy shop.
75.
Ed Stanley called him up when they got the confirmation on the blood match.
They met at the station where reports from the crime lab were just starting to come in. Initial DNA scans had already confirmed the identity of the two dead bodies in the graves to be what they'd suspected. The blood tests also confirmed that the blood found in the freezer was indeed the same left in the tunnels--especially on the shirt worn by Justin. The twisted logic that must have gone through Henry Stanford's fucked up brain to execute that scenario wasn't something Carl could ever hope to unravel. What went on in the minds of psychopathic murderers? How did serial killers make their decisions? He was just a plain ol' cop --a retired one at that-- but he knew why he'd never gone into homicide.
There was a mélange of prints in the basement that basically linked Henry to the scene of the crime. Ed also told him they'd traced the property documentation of the company that owned the Crafton theme park with a law firm in Saracuse that, at one point, had done some outsourcing work for Taylor Electronics. Which, of course, Craig Taylor denied knowing anything about. The noose kept getting tighter and tighter around the man's neck. Ed said if they didn't already know Henry was the killer and the instigator of the crime scene in the Crafton tunnels, he would've thrown Craig Taylor into the slammer for the sheer incompetence and irresponsible behavior he'd displayed over the weeks. Carl tended to agree.
Ed also told him Kinney had been in touch with enquiries of his own. Not to mention he'd apparently hired a private detective to do some independent sleuthing because the PD had been contacted by sources that had been traced back to him. Carl realized he should not be surprised at this. It would've been far more shocking if Kinney had sat quietly and waited for the police to tell him what was happening. A lot of victim's families hired private detectives to help with a case if they felt they were not being helped or informed by the police. Granted two days out of the hospital was a bit short time to come to that decision for normal cases, but he could he also understand why Kinney probably felt he was not being informed. They all had been a little stingy with the information lately. As long as the guy he'd hired did not interfere with the PD's work, which he wasn’t likely to do, Carl could see nothing wrong with what Kinney was doing.
He wondered how much Kinney had managed to dig out, however. And if his friends should be warned.
Then Ed pulled another set of prints on the screen and Carl shook himself out of his thoughts. He had a feeling, now that Kinney was aware of the dangers, he could take care of things for a while.
He just hoped his instincts were correct.
76.
In retrospect, it was easier to calm the kids down than it was Michael.
Melanie had never thought the day would come when she’d be sitting down with the father of her daughter and explaining Brian Kinney’s motives to him. In defense.
But then a lot of the things she’d never imagined had happened over the last few weeks.
In any case, it took a little while, but once Deb and her were through with him, Michael was almost okay with the abrupt change in plans. It was only a difference of two days, after all. They would’ve left on Monday regardless and this way, they’d reach Toronto in time for the kids to join school from the start of the week. And Brian was springing for first class, not that he didn’t always do that for Gus when he was visiting him in Pittsburgh.
Besides she did feel she was in a better position to understand Brian’s motivations than most other people. The instinct to protect and to keep his family safe --- that was something she could relate to. After the hell he’d been through, Melanie figured the least they could do was not make too much noise when Brian was doing whatever he felt was necessary to help restore his confidence in his own ability to make things move.
She knew what it felt like not have any control over circumstances.
The three big suitcases they’d brought were at Michael’s and she told Lindz that she’d pack them up and bring them over to Deb’s before they had to leave for the airport. But right at the last moment, Emmett –who’d just heard about their flight tonight– called Lindz to remind her about picking up the two prints she’d chosen at the new gallery he’d acquired as a client. She could’ve delayed the whole thing but the paintings had already been paid for so Mel told her to go ahead and pick them up. And since Michael’s place was on the way, they decided Lindz would also bring the suitcases from there.
In the end, Melanie was the one who ended up taking the kids to the House.
She could’ve taken Michael with her. Or Ted. Or Deb. Or anyone else who could’ve helped her tag their bags out of the upstairs bedroom and into the car and back the Deb’s.
But there was only so much space in the rental and they did have bags to cram into the backseat and there was no way the kids were going to miss the chance to say goodbye to Mr. Pumpkin and the horses and make one last farewell tour around the grounds and the tennis courts and the backyard rock garden.
At least, that was what she told herself as she pulled into the driveway to the House.
She noticed the blue sedan parked in front of the closed garage and recognized it as the one belonging to Walter, the caretaker who looked after Brian’s property. As Melanie removed her seatbelt and unlocked the car doors, she looked at her watch. It was five-thirty pm and they had approximately an hour to wrap things up and head back to Deb’s.
She grabbed her purse and the three of them got out of the car.
Then she took out the keys and headed for the front door.
*****
Continued next.