Smile - Episode Six

The Land Rover screeched to a halt across the funeral parlour’s driveway. Barbara and Christopher both jumped out and ran to the entrance. The door locked but Barbara noticed it was very old and made of wood; so she backed up a little then charged towards it with all her might and all her weight behind her. The door didn’t stand a chance.

After Christopher helped Barbara to her feet again he located and turned on the light switch. It wasn’t particularly bright but was enough to let them see what they were doing.

“Which way do you think it is to the basement Chris?” Barbara asked.

“I think I went past the door when Jacob took me to see the caskets.” Christopher looked this way and that to get his bearing. 

“Through there I think?”

“Right let’s go then, there doesn’t seem to be anyone up here anyway.”

The door to the basement was unlocked. There was no trepidation for the two of them when they threw open the door and ran down the stairs, hopefully to find Peter and Betty in fine form.
 

At the bottom of the stairs they found a large room with only a few boxes stacked here and there; but at the far end was another door. 

Christopher had the oddest feeling in his stomach. He knew what ever was on the other side of that door would change everything. Now he was down here he wasn’t sure he was ready.

“Are you coming then?” said Barbara; placing a hand on his shoulder. “It’ll be alright. No one messes with Huxley and Finch and gets away with it.”

Barbara’s words seemed to be enough for Christopher. He strode forward, swung open the door and walked straight into the room.

“Christopher, are they in there?”

No answer.

“Chris?” Barbara called again, this time stepping into the room. The first thing she saw was Christopher rooted to the spot; he seemed to be shaking.

“Chris what’s the matter?” Barbara allowed herself a chance to look past Christopher; to whatever image had rooted him to the spot.

Around a large table sat six people that Barbara could tell instantly were dead. Christopher finally spoke.

“What the hell is this?” Christopher cried. “What has Jacob done to these people?”  He was bent over; clutching his stomach.

“I don’t know Chris” Was Barbara’s honest answer.

Barbara studied one of the corpses, and then another, and another. She was quiet and it seemed in deep concentration. Finally she spoke.

“Hmm some of these are quite old. But they don’t smell off” Barbara turned to Christopher. “Do you smell anything Chris? My senses may be deceiving me? Wait; there is; like a sickly sweet smell?”

Christopher was again silent and still, he didn’t even seem to acknowledge that Barbara was talking to him.

“Chris I said can you smell anything, it is important” still no answer. “Christopher you will snap out of it right this minute!”

“Snap out of it? I guess this is all fun for you ah, just another Huxley and Finch adventure?”

“What?”

“It’s just a job isn’t it? You don’t even care, do you?”

“You’re getting hysterical”

“Hysterical. I can’t believe what a cold insensitive bitch your being.”

Barbara’s arm swung round quicker than Christopher could comprehend. But the sharp pain when her hand made contact with his face was difficult to ignore. Christopher pulled away putting his own hand up to where she struck, as if that could do anything.

“And that’s the only chance you get to speak to me like that. You think this doesn’t affect me. You think I’ve seen things like this so often that it no longer has an impact?” Barbara’s eyes almost seem to glisten as she spoke. “I’ve seen more things then you could ever fathom. And every single time; every single sight I see; I feel; and it hurts. Sometimes it really hurts. But I can’t stop it. I can’t change what has happened. All I can do is try to find who did this; rescue Pete and Betty and finally give Adam a proper burial. That’s all I can do and that’s all I can offer.”

“I’m sorry Barbara it’s just. Why would Jacob do this? I don’t understand. Is this what is going to happen to Peter and Betty..? And what the hell have they done with Adam.”

“It won’t come to that. We’ll get to them before anything happens. If Jacob just wanted them dead, we would have found them down here. But it could just be that he has to follow some kind of ritual and he didn’t have enough time because he knew we were coming.” 

Barbara went back to studying the corpses. Her vision was so tunnelled with the work at hand that she didn’t notice Christopher grab her mobile and sneak off into the previous room.

The bodies seemed somehow preserved. Their skin still looked as though life pulsed just under the surface. Though their eyes might have been replaced; a couple of pairs looked distinctly marble-y. The most disturbing thing of all though and the thing that all the bodies had in common were their mouths. Each and every one had a smile just like Jacob.

“This is more Betty’s expertise than my own, but whoever did this is amazing at what they do. If they were going to do this to Betty or Peter they’d need some kind of cold storage unless they’ve got the equipment to do it straight away?”

“You say whoever did this, might it not be Jacob?” asked Christopher, who had managed to sneak back into the room and the conversation without Barbara being any the wiser.

“I think Jacob’s probably the front man so to speak, the top dog. In which case I’m guessing he had one or two accomplices depending how important the red herring was we followed earlier. It’s sometimes the case that the loudest isn’t always the one with the physical skills. It's more than likely that someone else did the work on these poor people.”

“They’re probably long gone by now.” 

“Even if Jacob has got someone else with him, it’s still two people unconscious or not and a body they’ve got to move in pretty quick time. I’m assuming they didn’t just knock Betty over the head or something similar; so she must have got them talking for a bit before she went down. How strong is Peter by the way?”

Christopher just shook his head.

“Right; we’ll factor in two minutes for that.” Barbara was quiet for a moment. “Maybe half hour approximately; so they’ve had half hour to make their getaway. They can’t drive around too much in case we’ve called the police and they’re on the look-out.”

“I did call the police.”

“You did what?”

“When you were examining the bodies. We couldn’t go to the police before because we didn’t have any proof” said Christopher defensively. “We have now.”

“Damn. We’ve got to go.”

“We can’t just leave all this?” Christopher protested.

“You just watch me.”

“I’m not leaving. They need to know what Jacob has done. We need to get proper people to look into this.”

“You’re saying Betty and I aren’t Proper, I resent that observation.”

“By your own admission you’re not the police, you're just two nosy old ladies who are now in way over your heads.”

“Chris please, you don’t mean any of this.”

“I’m sorry, you’re both nice ladies and you mean really, really, well. I get that I do. But it’s time to let the professionals do their job.”

“If we’d left everything to the professionals in the past you wouldn’t even be standing here now my boy. None of us would. It’s not that they are incompetent, it’s just this isn’t their field of expertise I promise you.”

“I’m sorry but it’s not just about getting back Adam’s body anymore. They’ve got Peter.”

“This is what it’s all about really isn’t it? Admit it, guilt.”

“What do you mean?”

“I think before Adam died you were going to end it weren’t you, and his death suddenly got in the way of all that. So you thought you’d be the dutiful partner and be by Pete’s side, his rock. But it didn’t work out like that did it.”

“Peter never wanted a rock, he never cried. He never does. He just gets on with things the only way he knows how.”

“So feeling useless once more you decided to give it a bit of time after the funeral and then leave. But All-smiles got in the way of even that. How could you leave then?”

“That's not true. I stayed because I wanted to help.”

“You stayed through guilty; not love. Admit it.”

“Okay. I came with him to your cottage because of guilt.” Christopher finally admitted to Barbara and himself.

“See that wasn’t so hard.”

“But since I was in your garden; that’s changed; it’s stirred old memories in me. But not just the thoughts; the feelings I felt then to. I remember why I fell in love.”

“Finally, he gets it. Now stop letting your guilt get in the way and think sensibly.”

“I’ll try.”

“You see the police will only slow us down. Let’s just say we’ve had a few run-ins with them before. Betty may have had to stop overnight in the cells a few times” Barbara explained. “They’ll ask too many questions Dear-y. We’ve broken into a building and we’ve got no proof that we didn’t do; well; any of this. And the longer they question us; the longer Jacob has to get away. Do you understand?”

“Yes”

“You can stay here for the police if you want but under no circumstances are you to mention Betty or myself. Or you can come with me; get Peter back and get the man who did this. What is it?”

“Okay I’m coming”

Barbara smiled then grabbed Christopher his hand.

“Let’s get out of here” she said as they raced back through the basement then up the stairs to the hallway. As they ran back through the waiting room Christopher stopped.

“Wait” He said refusing to budge.

“Not again.”

“There were some files in the safe weren’t there? We can take them back and have a proper look.”

“Okay but hurry; they’ll be here any minute” Just as Barbara finished speaking and as if on cue; sirens could be heard in the distance; and they were getting louder.

Christopher dived into the office. Thankfully the safe was open and it seemed Jacob hadn’t had time to grab anything. Christopher grabbed all he could plus some random files off the desk and ran back to Barbara.

They both ran to the front door as the sound of sirens became deafening. There was the screech of several brakes just outside the smashed doorway and the room filled with flashing blue light.

“Bugger” Barbara cursed. “They’re here.”

“We can get out the side window Betty opened earlier.”

“I can’t; the Land Rover is out the front. They know my Land Rover.” She turned to Christopher. “You’re on your own kid.”

“What?”

“I’m going to be honest with you now Chris. It wasn’t Betty who's been in trouble; strangely. It was me. They told me if they caught me again there would be consequences.”

“So let’s get out of here.”

“There’s no time; not for me. But you can get away; I’ll give you the time.”

“But?”

“Run!”

Before Christopher could react Barbara turned and walked through  the open doorway and with her hands held high. Christopher could hear the sound of footsteps rushing towards Barbara. He had to go so he turned to the open window and climbed out.

The rest all seemed a blur to Christopher. He vaguely remembered running; lots of running. If anyone noticed him or gave chase he had no idea; all he knew was he had to keep running.

Sometime later Christopher’s legs could no longer do his bidding. He stopped and took in a quick three hundred and sixty degree view before realising he was alone then collapsed to the floor.

While Christopher tried to catch his breath a hundred thoughts swam around his head. He didn’t even know where to begin. He was alone. Betty and Peter could be dead for all he knew, Barbara had been taken in by the police and Jacob had vanished.

Could it possibly get any worse?

As soon as Christopher thought it, he wished he could take it back. But it was too late, and now he was certain....

Things were probably about to get a hell of a lot worse!

To Be continued...