The Bridge (Para-Earth Series) Page 20

  Alex, blissfully unaware of all that had taken place, boarded a train at Grand Central station, eager to go home. He had been in the city all day and was glad to be leaving. He had met with clients, visited contractors, and then checked on a couple of jobs his office was overseeing. Then he’d met up with his sister and her husband for lunch.

  And as usual Sharon was in top form, going on about how tired he looked and that he needed to spend more time back on Long Island. Maybe go to the beach. Of course he could bring Veronica, but she’d heard that too much sun was bad for older skin, and so on and so forth.

  Now, he was comfortably settled in a seat on the train and allowed himself to lean back and relaxed. The gentle swaying and clicking sound of the wheels were soothing, almost hypnotic. His eyes slowly lowered and he fell asleep…

  … and once again found himself in the strange hallway with the four doors waiting for him. How had he gotten up here?

  Up here? Yes, this was an upper story that was rarely used anymore. A thin layer of dust covering the carpet was testimony to that fact. No one had been up here in some time.

  Brushing aside a cobweb he went over to the nearest door and tried the handle, it was unlocked. Suddenly it swung inwards, revealing a bedroom furnished in Colonial style. Though he was no expert, he was sure the furnishings were originals, not modern copies. And unlike the hallway, everything in here was immaculately clean and well cared for. There was some clothing laid out on the bed which indicated this room belonged to a woman.

  Instinct told him not to enter, so he decided to make his way towards the next room. As soon as he turned away, the door behind him slammed shut. Then the unmistakable sound of keys in a lock could be heard. Looking back, he saw the door was now bolted shut and thought he heard movement inside. Looking down at the lighted crack at the bottom of the door, he spotted the shadow of feet pacing back and forth from the other side of the barrier. He quickly went over to the other doors and saw no light or shadows coming from them.

  Coming back to the locked door he found wooden slats now covered the portal. At first he felt panic for the owner of those shadowy footsteps, but then he realized the room was now empty. He could sense no one within.

  From behind him came the sound of creaking. Turning he saw the door opposite this one slowly opening.

  He took one final look at the barred doorway and found it was now bricked up. And half of the brickwork was already covered by dark paneling that matched the rest of the corridor.

  There was nothing more he could do here. And the room behind him waited patiently. Taking a deep breath, he turned and headed over to the room across the hallway. He didn’t bother looking back, knowing that any sign a room had been there would be gone.

  On the old stone bridge over the stream, a woman stood silent and motionless. In her arms she cradled what appeared to be a small bundle. Her eyes were fixed on the line of tall trees surrounding the rear half of the great mansion. Their many branches practically obscured the entire third floor.

  Nearby, at the foot of the bridge a man wearing a white wolf skin knelt. His head was bowed as he chanted in a tongue not heard in centuries.

  Alex studied the second room from the doorway. This one was also immaculately clean, but the furnishings were from a later period, Regency perhaps? This time he entered the room, making sure to lodge a chair in front of the door to keep it from closing. He did not wish to become trapped, should this room suffer the same fate as its predecessor.

  As with the last room this one also belonged to a woman, although the clothing was more fine and delicate. He noticed there were two windows to this room. One was actually a door that opened onto a balcony. He stepped out onto it and found it was actually a large walkway that ran the length of the building. Something else caught his eye. There were a number of…

  A scraping noise caught his attention. It was coming from the room.

  Quickly he ran back inside to find the chair he’d lodged under the handle, was being pushed along by the door as it began to close. With the slowness of nightmares he struggled to reach the shrinking opening. Just as the chair became stuck in the doorframe, he managed to step onto it and leapt through the opening and somehow landed on his feet. A moment later, the chair broke and the door slammed shut.

  By the time he looked back, the entire doorway had been covered with wooden planks and was partly bricked up.

  He waited. Nothing happened.

  Off to his right, another door creaked open. With a sigh of resignation he turned and headed over to see what surprises awaited him in that room. Again, he didn’t bother to look back. He was confident the room he had escaped from was already covered up.

  The White Wolf-Man kneeling at the foot of the bridge had not moved

  But on the bridge there had been a change. A new figure had appeared, taking the place of the first woman. This girl had shorter, fairer hair, and she too cradled a small bundle in her arms. And like the woman before, she stared at the rear section of the Graham Manor.

  Alex did not try to enter the third room. Even though he was well aware this was a dream, he didn’t feel like taking chances. Nor did he try to wake up. Someone or something wanted to show him all of this, and he was curious to know why.

  Like the others, this chamber had belonged to a woman as well. And from the looks of things, she was well provided for. Glancing over at the windows he saw the trees were not as dense. In fact, he could see top of a long roof a short distance away. Frowning, he tried to remember what the view had been like from the room on the other side of the hallway.

  Suddenly the door slammed shut in his face.

  Another dark haired girl now stood on the bridge. Shifting the small bundle in her arms she too studied the building on the slope. But when the slamming of a car door nearby startled her, she vanished. The White Wolf-Man cursed under his breath. He could hear voices coming nearer.

  A few moments later, two uniformed officers appeared from around some bushes and froze. Standing on the opposite end of the bridge was a large dog or wolf of pure white. It looked at them for a moment barked urgently, then trotted off into some brush nearby.

  After a moment, the pair shrugged and went about their business and searched the area for the signs of the missing groundskeeper.

  Now, there was only one more door left. Alex watched it open, but instead of going over to it he turned away and stared at the empty corridor. This wasn’t right. While on the walkway he had seen how far the building stretched. And there had been a number of windows.

  “I disbelieve,” he called out, his voice echoing as if he had shouted down a long tunnel.

  The only answer he got was the creaking noise of wood and masonry settling.

  “I know there’s more than just this,” he said loudly.

  More echoes and creaking.

  He decided to try using his mind instead, “SHOW ME!”

  Suddenly, the two ends of the hallway pushed away from him. Farther and farther away they stretched revealing door after door on both sides.

  “What the…” Alex began, but then the cries began. From behind each door he could hear the screams and cries of women in pain. He was forced to cover his ears thinking, ‘So many…. so many…’

  Then, the chill hit, followed a moment later by the WAIL...

  Alex woke up with a gasp and looked around. He was still on the train. The car was almost empty, and no one was paying him any attention. He slumped back in his chair, just as a conductor came by.

  “Are you all right, sir?” the man asked.

  “Been under the weather,” he replied, “nasty flu bug.”

  The conductor nodded sympathetically, “I understand, my wife’s got it. Let me know if you need anything.”

  Alex thanked him and tried to gather his wits. Someone was trying to reach him. But there was also something dark at work. Of that he was certain. But, did he want to get drawn into whatever was going on? “We all know how well it worked out the last time,�
� he sighed.

  “How did it work out?” asked a voice next to him.

  Turning Alex found himself staring into the face of Jason Cloudfoot. “Not bloody well,” he replied honestly.

  The Native American nodded in sympathy, “Four dead and two others still institutionalized.”

  Alex frowned, “And how do you know all that?”

  “From you,” the man answered his eyes full of compassion. “It’s always there in your mind. You try to push it back to the furthest corners, but it’s always there, waiting.”

  “For what?”

  Jason leaned close, “For you to lower the walls you’ve built around those memories. They wish to be acknowledged and remembered.”

  “I can’t,” the younger man shook his head. “I didn’t have any walls to protect myself back then. I was wide open and that place had a field day with me. With all of us really, we never stood a chance.”

  “To be able to put up walls to protect yourself is a good thing. But to leave them in place all the time?” the old Seneca shook his head, “That can leave you just as vulnerable. There are things out there that must be recognized for what they are, especially if they represent a danger.”

  “So what do you suggest?” Alex asked quietly.

  Cloudfoot looked at him kindly and said, “Do not hide from your past. Open yourself to it. Embrace it. Learn from it. And wake up…”

  Alex felt a hand touch his shoulder. Startled he looked up into the friendly face of the conductor. “You dropped off again sir. Your stop is next.”

  “Thank you,” he told the man, and started gathering his things. Once the conductor had moved on, he reached a hand over to the empty seat next to him. It was warm.

  ominous rumblings

  “And then there were four,” Chief Peterson sighed, as the county coroner’s vehicle drove away carrying the owner of the dry cleaners.

  “Are you all right Roy?” Veronica asked. She’d been the first to arrive after he called in to the station.

  “Better than that poor son of a bitch,” her old partner replied shaking his head.

  “Did you get a whiff inside?”

  She nodded, “Same smell as at the Impound Lot. Was he drowned too?”

  “No, he died of fright. He saw something and his heart gave out.”

  “How do you know?”

  Roy looked at her, “You didn’t see the expression on his face. It was like he saw the doors of Hell opening up to take him.”

  “I’m sorry,” Ronnie said, putting a hand on his shoulder.

  “I’d like to ask you something, Sergeant. It’s about Alex and the Morgue.”

  Veronica rolled her eyes. Was this never going to end? “I thought we agreed the handprint got there when he pushed on the door and collapsed,” she sighed.

  “We did,” her boss nodded. Then he fixed her a stony glare, “What I want to know, is why he was there with you in the first place?”

  Two hours later Alex emerged from a taxi, paid the driver, and then began walking up the long driveway to his house. He had just reached the garage when he noticed the sounds coming from the old ‘Cathouse’. Obviously his lady was home early and was having a good workout. He could also sense she was highly agitated about something, so he went to see what was up.

  As he drew nearer he could hear some very colorful language, mixed with the sound of savage blows raining down on her workout dummy. He paused at the door, wondering if it was safe to go inside. Eventually, he decided it should be and opened the door.

  At that moment there was a particularly loud crack and something round went flying past his face. The object bounced off the walls and rolled to a halt several yards away. It was a head. To be precise, it was the head of a practice dummy, who had taken one blow too many.

  “I’m having flashbacks to that ‘Cloverfield’ movie over here,” he called out.

  “And here I thought you’d pick it up and start reciting Hamlet’s speech in the graveyard,” his lady replied coming out of the workout room. Her hair hung wet and limp around her face, while her tank top was plastered to her skin.

  One primal thought went through Alex’s brain, ‘WANT HOT SWEATY WOMAN!’

  It must have shown on his face because she shook her head, “Don’t get your hopes up, we’ve got trouble.”

  “Now what did I do?” he asked.

  “Technically nothing, but Roy believes you’ve been trying to do some amateur sleuthing and he wants you to stop.”

  Alex frowned, “Where did he get an idea like that?”

  Ronnie placed a hand on his shoulder and said apologetically, “Because I told him.”

  He stared at her. “Why?”

  “Because it was easier than telling him you’re a psychic who’s been having a bunch of weird visions,” she replied taking his arm and leading him outside. She quickly told him everything that had happened while he’d been in the city.

  “Bloody hell,” he muttered when she’d finished. “This keeps getting more convoluted by the minute.”

  “What do you mean?” she asked, eyeing him curiously.

  He proceeded to tell her all about the dreams he’d had on the train. Including the one where he’s spoken to the missing groundskeeper. “The one with Jason seemed so real that I checked with the conductor before I got off the train. He told me no one had sat next to me at any point of the journey,” he finished.

  A puzzled look crossed his beloved’s features, “Do you think it was just a dream?”

  Alex shook his head, “Jason is another psychic and he contacted me in my dreams for a reason. He wants me to open myself up again and start using my powers. He knows a lot more about what’s been going on and can’t deal with it himself.”

  “I’m getting that impression too,” nodded Veronica, “and it’s obvious he believes you’re the person who can put a stop to it all. And I think he may be right.”

  Alex stared at her, “Come again?”

  She looked at him and said, “How would you feel about using your abilities to help me with the investigation?”

  “Seriously?”

  She nodded and raised a finger, “But, only under my supervision! No going off on your own. This way, if you do find something, then you’ll have a solid alibi and we can finally get you off the suspect list.”

  Even without his psychic talents, Alex could tell this hadn’t been an easy decision for her to make. Undoubtedly the fact that he’d been falling under suspicion had forced her hand. And now it was forcing him to do something he’d been trying to avoid for the last eighteen years.

  Finally he said, “Okay, but I warn you I haven’t done anything like this in years”

  Veronica was shocked. “You’ve done investigations before? You never said...”

  “They involved spirit sightings and haunted houses, not crimes,” he pointed out and then added, “Although one or two did lead to arrests.”

  “Really?” his lover smiled, obviously impressed, “So why the reluctance?”

  His voice became more solemn as he answered, “During the last investigation I was involved in, four people got killed. One of them was my cousin. I only got out alive, thanks to one of the members of our party. His name was Eric Chalmers, the man that book you found was dedicated to. He dragged me out of the place even though he was bleeding to death. You see, the house literally tore one of his legs off at the knee.”

  “Oh my God!” Veronica gasped and started shaking her head, “Maybe this isn’t a good idea…”

  “Doesn’t matter,” Alex interrupted, “Like it or not, I’m already involved. One person is already reaching out to me, while someone else is trying to make me the fall guy for all these deaths.”

  “Which means they think you’re a threat,” Ronnie mused. “Okay, so where do we go from here?”

  “First, I need to talk so some old friends. I’m a bit out of practice and could use a bit of a refresher in using my full powers,” Alex replied. Then silently he added, ‘I als
o want advice on how to keep both of us safe.’

  Things were quiet at the station the next day, almost too quiet. It felt as if the town had buckled down for an approaching storm.

  Ronnie was making her way down the corridor to grab some lunch when, Roy called out to her. “Got a moment Rookie?”

  “Sure Old-Timer,” she replied and detoured into his office. “Just make it quick, I’m starving, and I’ve got a to-go order waiting at Rosa’s.”

  “In that case you can grab my order while you’re there,” her boss replied. “That way I don’t have to tip the delivery person.”

  “Don’t be too sure about that, you old Cheapskate,” she smiled evilly. “What’s up?”

  “Did you have a word with the Youngster like I asked?”

  “Yup, and he’s promised to behave and stop looking into thin…” she began when there was a knock at the door.

  Before either of them could speak Alex popped his head in saying, “Begging your pardon, Guv, I was wondering…” and stopped when he saw his lady and smiled. “Hello, hello, if it isn’t my favorite lady sergeant, who forgot to give me a kiss when she left this morning.”

  Putting her hands on her hips, Ronnie protested, “I did not. I gave you a peck on my way out.”

  “Exactly,” Alex cried entering the room. He was carrying a large cardboard tube that he put down on Roy’s desk. Then he grabbed Veronica before she could protest, put her into a dip, and kissed her hard.

  After a few moments, Roy loudly cleared his throat.

  “Oops, sorry, forgot my manners,” the young man apologized, righting his girlfriend. Then he leaned over the desk and planted a kiss on Roy’s cheek.

  “GET OUTTA HERE!” roared Peterson, pushing him away. “Do that again and I’ll be filing an accidental shooting report. I’ll tell everyone I was cleaning my gun when you startled me. Now, what do you want?”

  “Permission to head over to the Graham place,” Alex replied picking up the tube and opening it.