Dead Souls Volume Four (Parts 40 to 52), Page 2

  “I'm not a murderer,” she told herself, as she read through the surprisingly simple list of ingredients required for a mixture the book described as untraceable. “I'm not -”

  Already, in the back of her mind, she was working out where she could find each of the ingredients. A surge of hope filled her body as she realized that everything was readily available.

  Pausing, she imagined what it would be like if Kate simply slipped away as a result of her injuries. After all, the bump on the head had been enough to knock her out, and she figured Nixon might just have been wrong about the severity, so the slightest of little pushes could well be enough. On the other hand, if she didn't do anything, Kate would wake up and eventually remember what had really happened, that Estella had hesitated and let her fall.

  “I'm not a murderer,” she said again, as she took another look at the list of ingredients, “but she's almost dead anyway. All I'd be doing would be... nudging her over the edge. It wouldn't be my fault if she happened to die as a result.”

  ***

  The corridor was clear.

  With Edgar and Benjamin still tending to Madeleine, and Nixon downstairs in the library while Jacob worked in the basement, Estella knew that she had a free run. There was no-one around to stop her, no-one to catch her in the act, and Kate should still be unconscious. Still wearing her wedding dress, and with a vial of black liquid in one hand, she hurried to the door that led into the guest room.

  “Forgive me,” she whispered, stopping for a moment as she looked at the vial. “I'm not a bad person, really I'm not. Everyone will be happier once Edgar and I are married. I'm simply getting one rotten apple out of the way. Dear God, you know, don't you? You can see into my soul and recognize the truth.”

  She paused a moment longer.

  “If you think I shouldn't do this,” she added, “give me a sign.”

  She waited.

  Nothing.

  “As I thought,” she said with a smile.

  Opening the door, she stepped into the room and saw that Kate was still unconscious on the bed.

  For a few seconds, Estella felt herself reconsidering the plan. There was a part of her that knew she could never undo what was about to happen, that she still had time to turn around. Then again, by letting Kate fall the previous night, she'd already gone further than she ever expected, and she felt as if administering a dose of poison would only be a small step over the line. She loved Edgar, and she'd always sworn to do anything to protect their relationship.

  She told herself that once Kate was out of the way, she'd become a good person again. It would be that easy.

  “Kate?” she whispered.

  No reply.

  “Are you...” She took a step closer, determined to make absolutely certain that there was no chance of her victim waking up. “Are you sleeping?”

  As she reached the bed, she saw that Kate's ankles had been secured in a pair of splints.

  “Kate, are you... Can you hear me?”

  Reaching out, she nudged Kate's shoulder.

  No response.

  Taking a deep breath, Estella opened the lid of the vial and held it toward Kate's lips. She paused for a moment, wondering whether she could really bring herself to commit cold-blooded murder by pouring the liquid, but then she told herself that it wouldn't really be murder, not if she was simply helping Kate to reach a better place. The same argument had raged in her mind on the way to the room, but she knew she had to commit to a decision.

  “I'm sorry,” she whispered, as she began to tilt the vial. “This is for the best.”

  She watched as the black liquid slipped between Kate's lips, until finally it was all gone.

  “Rest in peace,” she added, taking a step back. “Don't hate me, I did the best thing for all of us. You were a problem, a disturbance, it was only fair that I should -”

  “So it's true,” a voice said suddenly, from over her shoulder.

  Freezing for a moment, Estella tried to tell herself that she was imagining the presence, that her guilty conscience was causing her to hallucinate. As she turned, however, she saw that it was true: Edgar was standing in the doorway.

  “My darling,” she stammered, “I -”

  “I waited to see if you would really go through with it,” he replied, staring at her with dark, furious eyes that belied the sense of calm in his voice. “When Benjamin told me that he had suspicions, I told him he was imagining the whole thing, but then I realized there was just a chance that you'd grown so desperate, and so bitter, that you might resort to such a thing.”

  “Edgar, you've got it all wrong -”

  “I gave Kate an anti-toxin just before you arrived,” he continued. “The liquid you gave her will have no effect whatsoever.”

  Pausing, Estella realized that there was no way she could persuade him that her intentions had been innocent. Instead, she made her way over to him, as her mind raced with the possibilities.

  “I was doing it for you,” she told him, placing her hands on his chest as if she was about to lean up and kiss him. “For us, my darling, and for our future children.” She waited for him to reply, but he was simply staring at her with cold, dark anger. “I'm wearing my wedding dress,” she continued, “can't you see?” Turning, she gave him a twirl, while forcing a smile. “It's for you. Today is our wedding day, Edgar. After we are married, everything will be okay. I thought that getting Kate out of the way would be the best thing for both of us. I know you've always thought me to be somewhat weak and obedient, but aren't you just the slightest bit proud of me for come up with the plan all by myself?”

  She waited, searching his expression for any hint of understanding, but no reply came.

  “Kate wouldn't be right for you,” she added, trying not to panic. “She just wouldn't, Edgar, everyone can see that. If you want children, and a family, and a good home and a legacy, those are things that only I can give you. We've been working toward this moment for too long, my love, to let anyone stand between us. Maybe I was wrong to try to kill Kate, but we have to get rid of her somehow. I mean, you can't have failed to notice that all these bad things only started to happen after she arrived. Why, for all you know, she might be a spy, sent by that horrible Quill man to get into your company and relay information back to him.” She paused, as her eyes filled with the possibility. “My God, it actually makes sense now, if you think about it! All that talk of coming from the future was just a way to distract you. She's working with Quill!”

  Again she waited, but again Edgar offered no reply.

  “Quill sent her ahead,” she continued, as fear began to build in her chest, “to pave the way for his arrival. God knows what other tricks she helped him set up but, I mean, how else could he have got into the house so easily last night? She's only been pretending to stand against him, so that you won't suspect anything, but they're working together! You have to see that, Edgar! And now she's trying to tear us apart, and I'm the only one who saw through her vile plans in time!” With tears in her eyes, she waited desperately for him to tell her that he agreed. “She's so dangerous,” she whimpered. “Surely you can see that. Until she arrived, everyone was happy. We'd be married by now if she hadn't come, you'd be... I'd be... We'd be happy.”

  As she began to sob, she put her arms around Edgar, but he simply looked down at her with disgust.

  “Madeleine is going to live,” he said finally.

  “What?” Looking up at him, she wiped some tears from her cheeks.

  “My sister,” he continued, pushing her away, “is going to live. I couldn't help but note your concern.”

  “Oh Edgar, I'm so glad -”

  “You're very lucky,” he added. “In normal circumstances, after what you just tried to do to Kate, I would end your miserable life here and now. As things stand, however, I have seen enough blood for one day, so I will let you walk away.”

  “Walk away?” She took a deep breath, trying to hold back more tears. “Edgar, it's our wedding day!
”

  He shook his head.

  “It is, silly,” she continued. “Please, Edgar, don't let one little mistake push you into ruining the most important thing of all!”

  “If you have any sense left,” he replied, “you will quickly gather your possessions and then you will leave my home, and you will never, ever return. If I so much as see your pathetic, disgusting face again, I cannot be held responsible for my actions.”

  “Edgar, why are you saying these things?” She paused, before forcing a smile. “Listen. Here's what we'll do. It's bad luck for the bride and groom to see one another in the hours before the ceremony anyway, so I shall go to my room and get ready, and I shall fetch the priest too, and you can take some time to calm down and see things from my point of view, and then at three o'clock this afternoon we shall be married by the fountain!”

  “Estella -”

  “Four o'clock, then,” she added. “Any later and the light will start to fade. We wouldn't want that, would we? Why, it'd ruin the atmosphere!”

  “Get out of my sight.”

  “Everything will be okay, my love. You'll see.”

  “Get out of my home.”

  “Four o'clock,” she continued, taking a step back. “I can't wait to see you there, my darling. It will be the happiest moment for both of us, and then we can start to think about having children!”

  “Get out!” he shouted, stepping toward her.

  Turning, she hurried out of the room, leaving Edgar fuming by the door. Glancing over at Kate, he paused for a moment before walking over and placing a hand on the side of her neck, checking her pulse. The anti-toxin had done its job, and she was continuing to recover from her fall.

  “You need to rest,” he told her, “but when you wake up... I think it's time we get to the bottom of why you're really here.”

  III

  “I honestly don't know what this island is coming to,” Muriel Wetherly muttered as she stood on the street corner, talking to Emma Lowndes. “Old Joe was probably drunk again last night, but still, he shouldn't neglect his duties. If he can't keep the lighthouse running, he should retire and hand the job over to someone who -”

  “Oh my God!” Emma said suddenly, her eyes widening with horror as she spotted something on the other side of the street.

  Turning, Muriel had to squint for a moment before she realized what she was seeing.

  “Morning, ladies,” Jennifer said, hurrying past them.

  “Was that...” Muriel began, before turning to Emma. “But... It can't have been! It's just not... She... There's no...”

  Staring at Jennifer as she walked away, Emma paused for a moment, open-mouthed. Turning to Muriel, she was about to say something, before finally fainting.

  ***

  “Where is he?” Jennifer asked, standing in the doorway.

  Looking over at her, Joshua paused for a moment.

  “Where is he?” she asked again, storming across the room and grabbing Joshua by the collar, before slamming him into the wall with such force that a framed photo fell down, smashing on the floor.

  “He's gone!” Joshua gasped. “I haven't seen him since last night!”

  “If you're lying to me...”

  “I'm not, I swear!”

  “Then where is he?”

  “If you let go of my throat for a second -”

  “So you can play hangman again?” she hissed.

  “Okay, I understand why you might be annoyed -”

  “Annoyed? You pulled on my legs to make sure I was dead!”

  “And how about that, huh?” he continued, struggling to breathe and she squeezed his throat tighter. “You're looking very healthy for someone who's supposed to have been dead for the past twenty-four hours.”

  She stared at him for a moment longer, before letting go of his throat and taking a step back.

  “So who brought you back?” he continued. “One of the Le Comptes?”

  “I don't know,” she replied. “All I care about is my daughter. Has Quill ever mentioned an orphanage to you?”

  “Not that I recall.”

  She took a step closer.

  “Wait!” he said, flinching slightly. “There was a woman here, she came to the island for a few hours, I think maybe she's the one who took the little girl.”

  “What's her name?”

  “Emerham, or... Eversham, something like that. I don't remember, not exactly, but she had, like, this V-shaped scar on her face. To be honest, she was the kind of woman you tend to keep away from, if you know what I mean. There was just something icy about her, like she could freeze your blood with a glance.”

  “And no-one thought to keep her away from Anna?”

  “It was a busy time,” he replied. “Besides, Quill... He seemed to have everything under control. How was I supposed to know that he was bad news?”

  “So you're not working for him anymore?”

  “I came here this morning to tell him I'm done,” he continued. “I've made a huge mistake by taking that man's money, I allowed him to cloud my judgment and fill my head with visions of...” Sighing, he reached up and rubbed his neck, which was still sore after Jennifer's firm hold. “Even my own brother probably isn't talking to me now. I thought none of that stuff mattered, but I was wrong. Now look at me, I can barely even go home. Everyone on this stinking island hates me.”

  “Boo-hoo,” she muttered, looking over at Quill's desk. “Let me guess, he didn't exactly leave a lot of paperwork.”

  “I don't think he's coming back, either.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  “Just the way he acted last night. It was as if... I don't know, I just got the impression that he was making plans to head off.”

  She paused for a moment, before turning back to face him. “If I find out that you've held back even one scintilla of information,” she said firmly, “I will track you down and make you pay. Do you understand?”

  “Gonna kill me, are you?” he asked. “The same way you killed Tarud and Evangeline?”

  “I kill Tarud in self-defense, and I had nothing to do with Evangline's death.”

  “Self-defense? That's a novel excuse.”

  “I think I've paid for it now,” she replied, heading to the door, “and I sure as hell don't have time to stand here and argue with you.” Making her way out to the front of the station, she stopped as soon as she saw that a small crowd had gathered, with word having apparently spread regarding her miraculous resurrection.

  “It's true!” Eva Shaw gasped, taking a step back.

  “I told you,” Muriel said, her eyes filled with fear. “You all thought I was mad, but I told you!”

  “What do you want?” Jennifer asked, realizing that the crowd of people had more or less encircled her. Starting to worry, she turned to look around at each of their faces in turn. “I should warn you, I'm looking for my daughter, so it wouldn't be wise for any of you to try to get in my way.”

  “It's them, isn't it?” Tom Graves said, looking up at the mansion on the hill. “One of those monsters brought you back. It's inhuman!”

  “It's unchristian,” added Leonard Mediaci, stepping forward. “You killed my daughter -”

  “I didn't,” Jennifer replied. “Really, I swear, I had nothing to do with her death.”

  “And why should we believe you?” a voice called out.

  “Because -” Pausing, she saw the sea of angry faces and realized that nothing she said was going to convince them of her innocence. “I don't have time for this,” she said finally. “My daughter has been taken to an orphanage. You were all so busy watching me hang, none of you thought to stop Quill taking her. I was convicted and sentenced by a corrupt judge who was simply using the law to enact vengeance. I'm innocent, but I paid the price anyway. If you want to talk about technicalities, Quill sentenced me to hang from the neck until I was dead, and that's what happened. I did die.”

  “It's not right,” Leonard continued. “You shouldn't be allowed
to -”

  “Then stop me!” she said firmly, stepping toward me. “Apparently Quill has vacated his post in a hurry, so he's not here to lead you all in your crusade anymore. The noose is still in the town square, though, so if you want to hang me a second time for a crime I didn't commit, you'll have to do it without having him around to goad you on and whip you up into a frenzy.” She waited, but it was clear that the locals were too shocked to make a move. “If you change your minds,” she added, slipping past them, “you know where to find me.”

  IV

  Sitting next to Madeleine's bed, Benjamin suddenly flinched as he realized he'd been on the verge of falling asleep again. He looked up and took a deep breath, before glancing over at the bed and seeing that Madeleine was still unconscious, with bandages still covering her eyes and most of her torso.

  “I'm here,” he told her, reaching out and taking her hand in his. “I won't leave your side, I swear.”

  Glancing at the bandage over her belly, he thought for a moment about the child they'd lost.

  “Everything's going to be okay,” he continued, his voice trembling a little. “Somehow...”

  Realizing that he was on the verge of falling asleep again, he let go of her hand and got to his feet. Rubbing the back of his neck as he wandered over to the window, he took a deep breath and looked out at the peaceful island scene. For a moment, his thoughts wandered and he imagined he could see himself and Madeleine out there on the mansion's lawn, playing with their first child. He kept telling himself that they had plenty of time to start a family, but deep down he feared that he would never stop thinking about the life that had been lost. As if to mirror his darkening mood, a rare cloud chose that moment to briefly block the sun.