And now for the exciting conclusion of The Tragedy of Sutterbury Manor - and if you haven't already read part one - go here and do that now! Also thanks to fellow Gothic addict Barrymore Tebbs for giving Cindy her own cover!
'It's got to be coming up soon!' I thought desperately. 'I can't have passed it!'
My father had taught me to 'always pay attention,' particularly as travel and directions were concerned. And when Gerard had navigated me through this tunnel a few weeks ago, I'd paid attention. But of course we hadn't traversed it out of fear for one's life; we'd been together, both possessed of strong flashlights with fresh batteries, and Gerard definitely knew his way around.
The fear of getting lost down in this dark, dank tunnel renewed a near panic of claustrophobia. But the estate wasn't extremely vast; surely at some point I'd simply wind up at some other door. But that door would lead into the house...and I definitely wanted to avoid that at all costs.
I trudged on. Then the flashlight's low-density red beam wavered. I cursed under my breath. "No, please, don't go out!"
I had no choice but to leave it on. There could be no sparing of the batteries; without it, I'd be completely blind.
And then I stumbled. I caught myself, but not before hearing a sickening crunch. I'd stepped on something fragile. But what?
I shone the red beam onto a small wrinkled mass of black cloth. I frowned while instantly recalling Gerard and I having passed it. He'd been surprised, had lifted its edge and then it'd seemed as though a measure of disgust and shock briefly disturbed his handsome features. "I'll clean this up later," he'd murmured without bothering to remove the cloth to allow me a glimpse. "Let's move along."
I'd been a bit irked by his sudden bossiness. And suspicious...
Thunder again growled overhead. The drip-drip around me continued. I grimaced as a fat wet drop splashed my shoulder. I stared down at the cloth, wondering if I should.
I hesitated just a moment. What could have caused that sickening crunch beneath my shoe? I warily leaned over, pursed my lips together (disliked touching this cloth/fear of what I'd find) --
A startled cry choked my throat. I nearly dropped the flashlight. With a gulping sob I redirected its beam onto what had been concealed beneath the cloak: A baby's skeleton!
I'd stepped on and crushed one of its tiny leg bones.
I broke down weeping. Whose? When? The baby had been deposited here after death; discarded! A wave of nausea crashed into me.
Gasping and sobbing, I hurried away. Tears stung my eyes. 'Mustn't miss the branch-off tunnel! Must get out of here!' Once safely in town I'd inform the police about the remains of the dead child.
***
Finally! Just when I was dreadfully certain I'd somehow missed the turn, there it was. Heaving a sigh of relief I stepped into the tunnel branch...
...and halted dead in my tracks. I dropped the flashlight; it flickered violently then went dark.
I was shocked to see her standing there, dressed in a white gown, holding a flickering blue candle aloft. She smiled gently.
"Nell!"
We'd befriended each other quickly when I'd arrived at Sutterbury. A geneologist in my profession, I'd been hired to come and reside a while, to help update the family tree with photos and documents. Nell had immediately been attracted to me in friendship. She'd often been a late-night confidant regarding Marcus' interest in me and Gerard's outright advances. She sometimes seemed a bit too friendly, including insisting one evening on sleeping in my room rather than returning to her own. I'd found her request very odd, but it was 3:00 a.m.; the mansion was dark and cold and her suite of rooms was 2 flights up a very drafty staircase.
"Hello Beth."
I smiled. I began to speak when a feeling of trepidation stole over me. She simply stood there, like a statue: Unblinking. As if this were a perfectly normal, routine meeting and nothing amiss had occurred upstairs to bring her here.
I didn't know what to say next. She waited patiently.
Finally I spoke up. "Nell, we've got to get out of here."
"Why?"
An explosion of fear erupted in my gut. I peered more closely at her pretty and serene face awash in the candle's gentle glow. Was it serenity or...insanity?
"Um, because -- well, I simply need to get to town."
"You've picked an odd route for leaving Sutterbury."
I had no choice but to risk taking her by surprise. If she attacked me, I was stronger; likely I could subdue her and still manage to get away. I stepped to the right...then immediately froze upon seeing the gleaming black barrel of a pistol leveled at my heart.
"Oh Nell," I whispered.
She nodded slowly. "Marcus refused my love. And so have you."
"What??"
Marcus was her uncle! And I? I was a woman obviously.
"I wanted you both. And you both betrayed me. I've killed Gerard and I'll kill Marcus when he returns from the nut house."
My head whirled. The dark and ominous walls surrounding us seemed suddenly to be melting, oozing down...ready to suffocate me. The smell of death began permeating the oppressively humid air.
"Nell, you're not feeling well. Let me -- "
A shadow suddenly loomed up behind Nell. She noticed the movement of my eyes. I threw my body to the left just as the shadow pounced on Nell. She screamed. The candle winked out at the same second a deadly flash erupted from the pistol. My ears rang wildly; the pistol shot was nearly deafening.
Cowering against the wall, I panted in terror. I didn't care about slime nor vermin -- all I knew was being trapped in this hellish tunnel with two crazy people!
A blinding light burst forth. Gasping, I squinted. The light flickered briefly on me (no! no!) and then swerved down. I glanced fearfully there and saw Nell's inert body lying on the damp tunnel floor in a circle of light. A huge crimson splotch had bloomed on her abdomen; it continued spreading. She was dead.
"It's okay Beth, it'll be all right." The man held the flashlight away and shone the periphery of its bright beam on himself. "It's me -- Marcus; you're safe, Beth. We all are."
***
I stood huddled next to Marcus as he gave an official statement to the police. Two police cars and an ambulance had arrived; their red emergency lights split the night and washed repeatedly against the somber old mansion like the beacons of distress they were.
The dogs had been contained.
Gerard had survived being shot, thank God. I watched his white-draped form on the stretcher as ambulance personnel loaded him up in the hearse-like vehicle.
Patsy and Niles were sitting in the back of a police car. Patsy was weeping and Niles sat staring at nothing.
Nell was formally pronounced dead. Her still form lay on the porch, draped in black.
The doctor who'd gone into the tunnel to make the pronouncement was still there, now examining and collecting the remains of the dead infant. We'd later learn from Gerard that Nell had been pregant two years ago...by him. Her own uncle! It'd been consentual and he'd believed she'd gotten an abortion. After learning of the illicit pregnancy he'd been so shaken he'd taken off to Tahiti for half a year. The pregnancy had never been discussed in the household and upon his return Gerard had made no inquiries. Marcus -- absorbed at the time in a volatile divorce and the current financial distresses upon the estate -- had been given to believe by Nell that she'd carried the child (father's identity "unknown," much to Nell's disgrace) to term and had surrendered it for adoption. He too had never brought up the subject again and made no inquiries. It'd shocked him to the core to learn of the infant skeletal remains.
I glanced around as Marcus continued speaking with the cop. A night wind was picking up; the thunderstorm was passing off to the west. An occasional crack of thunder set my frazzled nerves on edge again.
Marcus drew a strong, comforting arm about my shoulders. The policeman bent his head down to carefully check something on the clipboard he held; at that moment Marcus surprised me with a warm and passionate kiss.
We parted. I reached my arm about his back and pressed the side of my body more tightly against his. In response, Marcus held me tighter.
As the cop continuing jotting down information Marcus explained to me he'd faked having had a nervous breakdown. He suspected Nell was insane and to the breaking point. By taking himself out of the equation he hoped to slow the process and get the jump on her before she finally broke. He'd nearly been too late. But only nearly.
"So it was you who was stalking the estate? We figured it for a bum new to the area."
Marcus chuckled. His warm brown eyes glittered down into mine in the relentless sweeps of the red emergency lights as officers consulted with each other. He scooped me up for another passionate kiss.
The formal statement process continued. I sighed but waited patiently, letting my attention wander about.
And then a pale white movement caught the periphery of my eye. I gasped, glanced over at Marcus and the cop who were intent on the clipboarded paper and the signing of something. I turned back to stare in disbelief at the phantom watching me benignly from a ground-level window. I began fretfully poking at Marcus' shoulder so he too would turn and see the watchful male ghost.
"What??" Marcus asked in a mildly irritated tone.
He and the policeman turned to follow my gaze. But the ghost had vanished.
***
Six months later I became Mrs. Marcus Sutterbury. Gerard confessed his crime of incest to us. Nothing more was said of it; they'd been consenting adults after all, even if the matter did privately sicken me. Patsy returned to her native New Hampshire, vowing and swearing never to set foot on the Sutterbury estate again. We somehow miraculously retained Niles; I was especially grateful, as he was a marvelous chef.
And I never saw the ghost again.
[ +the end+ ]
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