Underbelly (52 page)

Audrey Gaines was harder to find than Bill Gideon, known to fewer people, and Germaine was again kept out of it, the whole affair ugly and Grey deemed her involvement unsafe and inappropriate. The isolated log cabin was small but it appeared cosy and very tidy from the glimpse Grey got when Audrey opened the door to him. Audrey seemed an understandably morose woman, her hair greying at the front.

“
Good afternoon, ma’am. I was hoping I could talk to you about a delicate matter.”

“
I don’t have visitors in my home so you’ll have to make your pitch here,” Audrey said coldly.

“
May I first offer my condolences on the death of your husband.”

“
That was almost four years ago, and that’s my business, not yours.”

“
That’s part of the reason for my visit. I know a great wrong was done to you. I’m here on behalf of Allan Whitlow. I know he’s no saint, but he is concerned for his father and for himself.”

“
I’m sorry, you have the wrong house. I know who the Whitlows are but I know next to nothing about them.”

“
I know that isn’t true, Mrs Gaines. I know about the Alieus.”

Her glazed, bored expression changed instantly at this news. “What exactly do you know?” she said, narrowing her eyes in irritation.

“
I know what they are and the service they provide, service with a catch. Did they tell you what happens when the list is complete?”

“
I don’t know your name, and I don’t want to know your name. I have no quarrel with you, and if you know as much as you seem to think then you know why I did what I did. You aren’t part of this,” she said, trying to shut the door, Grey blocking it with his foot.

“
Vengeance isn’t a good solution. Justice is the better route.”

“
That might work for you, a white man. Move your foot or I will slam the door hard,” she said sternly.

“
I don’t think you will. That’s why you hired the Alieus, because you can’t bring yourself to inflict…”

Grey’s instincts were wrong, Audrey nearly breaking the door with the force she used to slam it into his foot, which he pulled away, wincing in pain, the flimsy shoes he was given to replace his burnt expensive ones offering little protection.

“
You don’t know me,” Audrey said. “I’m capable of things now I never thought I would be years ago. Hobble away and leave me in peace for your own sake. You haven’t done anything to merit having me as your enemy.”

“
A man is being tortured slowly and repeatedly less than five miles away from here and your actions put him there,” Grey said, trying to reach her conscience.

“
And my husband is decaying in the ground. They showed no remorse so why should I? Begone.”

“
This isn’t over, Audrey.”

“
I know. There’s one to go,” she said as she slammed the door shut.

The affair wasn’t going to run smoothly – he’d suspected that from the start and he wasn’t disheartened. He made an anonymous phone call to the police, informing them that two bodies were buried on Bill Gideon’s farm, making it clear that Bill wasn’t involved and knew nothing about it. Late in the afternoon as he and Germaine ate in a large diner he overheard the townsfolk talking about the commotion at the Gideon farm, about how Bill had been arrested after threatening the police as they dug up his crops and how his land was being systematically dug up with the use of heavy equipment.

“
Have they found anything?” Grey said, earning suspicious looks from the two men whose conversation he butted into, who both ignored him and turned back to look at each other and continued talking.

“
If the police do find them do you think they will be able to handle them?” Germaine asked quietly, briefed by Grey on the situation.

“
That’s something I should have thought through,” Grey said, suddenly nervous at what he might have wrought, a potential massacre. His fears were groundless, as after three days of investigation at the Gideon farm the only bodies that were excavated were those of the Gideons’ pets. Bill Gideon had lost his temper so severely during the upheaval, his subsequent arrest and incarceration, that he had ended up rushed to hospital where he was recovering from a mild heart attack, and Grey knew that at least some of the blame for that lay at his door. Good intentions were no use if others suffered as a result and Grey was relieved that he was said to be on the mend and that the police weren’t going to pursue charges against him.

Larry returned and Grey asked him what happened.

I heard the commotion. I thought I was going to be saved. That’s what Adelaide said, ‘You lucky, lucky man. You’re going to be the first of our victims to ever be saved’. And then they moved me, scurrying along underground like moles. I don’t know where I am now. You think that I’m a monster for what I did to the Gaines’, but I’m not like these two. They laughed for hours after they moved me when I broke down in tears after coming so close to ending this nightmare. It’s not even a nightmare; it’s an endless atrocity.

The end is in sight, I promise you. I’m going to get Audrey to recant her wish.

Can that even be done?

I don’t know; hopefully yes. I know it’s hard but try and stay patient, Larry.

Can you give me a time when you’ll rescue me by?

Not one set in stone. I’ll try my best for a week’s time.

Even that’s too long, but I’ll try and hang onto my sanity. I’ll tell the police what I did, I promise. Prison will be Heaven compared to this.

Audrey worked the late shift at a bowling alley in the centre of town, which Grey chose to visit as he continued to attempt to prick her conscience. She recognised him and knew why he was there and she stayed through the back for most of her shift the first night, Grey unable to wait for her after her shift as he had his own job to go to. There were tasks that Audrey needed to do in the public area of the alley and on the second night Grey approached her when she was at the snacks kiosk.

“
Everyone’s talking about the Gideon farm, wondering what they were digging for there. I think we’re the only two people who know,” Grey said, letting her know that he wasn’t going to let the matter rest and was actively trying to rescue Larry Whitlow.

“
If you want food I’ll serve you. Otherwise, go away. The police would be interested to know who was responsible for all of the time they wasted and the upset,” she threatened emotionlessly.

“
Tell them if you want and I’ll tell them some tales too.”

“
Neither crime was reported so as far as the police are aware I have no motive.”

“
You didn’t report your husband’s murder?” Grey said, finding this strange.

“
No, I did…this is nothing to do with you, you don’t even come from round here. I didn’t report who was responsible because I knew nothing would come of it. What’s wrong with you? Why isn’t it registering that this is something you’re better off staying out of?”

“
I’m already involved.”

“
I don’t see how, and if you are your involvement is tenuous. I’m in this up to my neck and I accept that.”

“
I believe that there are ways out of this for everyone.”

“
I know that, and the way out is death. You want to play games go and pick up a ball and bowl instead of hounding me because this isn’t a game. What would you like to order?” she said, forcing a fixed smile as she closed the topic forever.

“
Larry and Allan will go to the police.”

“
Larry and Allan who? Would you like a burger, a hot dog…”

“
The pretence is pointless. If you’re not bothered about them what about yourself? Isn’t your own torture worth preventing?”

Audrey looked at him quizzically and said, “I’m sorry, sir, but I have no idea what you’re talking about. If you persist in acting so strangely I will have to have a word with management who may be forced to exclude you from the establishment.”

“
If you did I’d make something up to make you lose your job. I wouldn’t really want to but I would be prepared to. I’ve been talking to Howard and he told me what they did to him and I’m going to share it with you,” Grey said, wanting her to know the level of abuse and torture that those she had condemned to death faced and which she herself would ultimately experience.

“
You truly are a lunatic if you think you’ve talked to him. Oh, good, here comes a proper customer,” Audrey said, serving the young lady who came over and after she had given her her order she said, “Could you please ask Phil to come over? This man is pestering me.”

The girl nodded and Audrey said to Grey, “Phil has a temper, or he will have by the time I’ve finished telling him what you’ve done to me. Leave now – there’s an exit to your left.”

“
You can’t get rid of me that easily.”

“
Fine, be it on your own head,” Audrey said. Her co-worker came across and was already clearly on Audrey’s side from his hostile body language directed at Grey.

“
What’s going on here then?” he said crossly to Grey before turning to look at Audrey.

“
He tried to grab my breasts,” Audrey lied.

“
No, I didn’t. I came here because I was told that Mrs Gaines had information regarding several missing people,” Grey said, also able to play hardball when he had to.

Audrey shook her head, looking completely baffled by his statement. “I wouldn’t have had a problem with that, Phil, not that I know anything about any missing people, but he said nothing of the sort. You know me, and you know that I’ve put up with a lot here over the years without complaint but groping is going too far.”

“
Without a doubt,” Phil said, nodding in agreement. “Out!” he shouted at Grey, pointing with his thumb to the door.

“
I’ll be in touch,” Grey said as he walked away, realising he’d been outplayed.

“
You’ll stay away from her,” Phil said protectively.

“
I don’t understand how she can be so cold about it. If she really doesn’t care I don’t know how I can reach her,” Grey said to Germaine after coming back from his night shift, unable to even think about sleep until Larry was out of his tomb. “I don’t know how to make her see that two wrongs don’t make a right.”

“
She isn’t interested in making a right,” Germaine observed. He could only view her choice by his own humanitarian views, and while he claimed to understand why Audrey had been driven to such drastic measures, the truth was that he couldn’t grasp her mindset. Germaine could, and she knew that James would never reach Audrey. She waited until he had gone to work and she made her way across town to the bowling alley, charming her way inside even though it was due to shut within half an hour. Germaine recognised Audrey from Grey’s descriptions, spotting her mopping the floor, and she went across to her and said, her manner friendly, “I used to hate doing that in my old job.”

“
I find time goes quickly when I get the mop out,” Audrey said with a smile. “The kiosk shuts in five minutes so if you want anything it would be best to order now.”

“
I’m not that hungry but my husband always says I’m eating for two so I suppose I probably should.” Audrey put her mop down and walked to the kiosk where Germaine ordered a hot dog, and as Audrey cooked it she said, “My husband told me about you and I wanted to meet you. He’s a very good, kind man but he doesn’t understand you and I think I do.” Germaine was surprised by how confident she sounded, finding it helped that Audrey’s back was to her.