Carruthers Demise, chapters forty and forty one (standard:drama, 3007 words) [22/24] show all parts
Author: Brian Cross	Added: Jul 28 2013	Views/Reads: 2197/1600	Part vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
The killer is exposed in my drama. But is there more foul work at play?

Chapter Forty 

Carruthers stood edgily by the door watching Noades' slim figure merge
with the darkness and then turned towards the women, the beam of his 
torch directed at their feet, its halo providing a faint circular light 
in the small lounge and revealing their hostile stances. 

‘You heard what Noades said, if you two can manage to keep from pursuing
this pointless hostility for a few minutes we'll be out of here.' He 
furrowed his brow, unable to hold the question back. ‘What's been going 
on here, Chelsey?' 

‘What's been going on is bloody obvious. I've been held captive.'
Chelsey rifled a hand through her hair, gave a violent exhalation. 

‘Look, I'd rather we were out of this godforsaken place – I can't think
straight let alone describe a total nightmare – right now let's just 
say my half-brother was never what he seemed...' she paused, swinging 
towards Casey with renewed hostility, glaring between her and her 
husband. ‘And that sentiment might be extended towards you two.' 

‘Oh for heaven's sake...' 

‘No, let me speak before I flatten her.' Casey waved aside Carruthers'
intended intervention. ‘I was being stalked, I called Marty,' she said, 
her jaw clenched. ‘I had nowhere else to go – you needn't think for one 
moment that you're the only one who's been hard done by. Oh poor 
Chelsey, let's feel sorry for her. Huh! I might even feel some sympathy 
for the mad son of a bitch, even though I reckon now he was the one 
doing the stalking.' Casey raised her voice, responding to the fury in 
Chelsey's eyes. ‘Before you even attempt to lay a finger on me, answer 
me this – has your demented brother been with you all the time?' 

‘Now how the hell would I know?' Chelsey thrust her hands on hips, when
Carruthers suspected she might lash out – ‘I've been tied to a flaming 
post, remember?' 

Casey mashed her lips, her pupils like dark, hard diamonds. ‘Yes, well
in the process concocting his little trap he tried to get to me, I'm 
convinced of it – but the police turned up and thwarted him. He wants 
revenge on us all for some warped reason. And you're at the hub of 
this. No doubt somewhere along the line you've played your part in the 
way he is.' She took a step forward, her index finger raised as she 
glanced at Carruthers. ‘What I want to know – no, what we both want to 
know is why your brother lost his marbles. Something tells me you know 
the answer to that.' 

‘If I do know, I'm sure as hell not telling you...' 

‘Oh...so there is something you're holding back on...' The sound of a
dog, angry, snarling, drew attention away from the confrontation – and 
then two pistol shots had them twisting in alarm. Casey raced for the 
door but Carruthers caught her arm, hauling her back. ‘Don't be a fool; 
you'll be dead meat if you rush out there...' 

‘We could be dead meat full stop, let her go – blown off the face of the
earth she's one less problem to us all.' 

‘Why you...' but Carruthers retained his grip on Casey's wrist,
preventing her forward lunge. ‘You're staying right here – and curbing 
your temper. We don't know what's happened here but we do know the 
police have been informed...' and then Carruthers trailed off – indeed 
the police had been alerted by Casey's quick thinking but several hours 
later there'd still been no response to her note. He saw Casey's raised 
brows and thought she was reading his mind. A split second later he was 
sure of it. ‘I left them a note, remember? Where the hell are they?' A 
slamming door sliced through the tension, they heard footsteps 
approaching the gatehouse – Carruthers' stomach knotted in a sickly 
feeling they could be at a killer's mercy. 

He rushed at Chelsey, held her tightly enough to hear the pulsing of her
heart. ‘Damn him, damn my brother,' she uttered through clenched teeth. 
But it was Robin Noades who strode through the door, switching on the 
light which for a second dazzled their eyes. Casey at the forefront 
drew back at first, mouth gaping, but then rushed at him, her arms 


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