Chapter Sixty Six

Rosemary and Gerald were feeling very secure with each other and had decided, on the way back from the restaurant, that the engagement would only be a short one. The following Saturday they were intending to drive into Cheltenham to shop for the ring, but that night they were both excited about the engagement and full of nervous anticipation about spending the night together in the same bed for the first time, especially as it had been quite a few years for both of them.
As they entered the Gables from the cool night air they at once felt the warmer air inside.
"Come through to the lounge and we'll have a cognac. Let me take your coat."
She slipped it off. It had no sleeves and was really nothing more than a large shawl.
He didn't bother to hang it up, he merely laid it over the back of one of the armchairs.
He went over to the small drinks bar, poured two cognacs and took them over to her. "I
might need my coat back," she said as he sat down next to her, "it seems to have turned cooler."
"Yes it does," he got up, "let me check the thermostat."
He looked at it and gave it the tap that most people consider will fix anything. He returned to her.
"It's showing sixty-nine, but it feels forty-nine."
He went up to the gas fire and pressed the button to turn it on.
"Soon warm up now," he said and sat down with her again. The fire went out. "It does that sometimes when it's first lit," he explained.
He got up again and relit it.
He picked up his cognac and almost immediately put it down again.
"Can you feel it?" he asked, looking around the room.
"Yes I can," she replied as she too looked around her.
The fire had gone out again and the temperature had dropped even lower. They were both now standing. She reached out to him and he put his arm around her.
"Gerald, I think he's here."
"There's certainly something untoward happening."
"It's Rod, I know it is."
He instinctively held her tighter.
"Gerald, please don't be upset or offended but please, would you leave me for a few minutes?"
She could sense his reluctance.
"It's all right, he would never harm me, I'll be fine."
He still did not want to leave.
"Gerald, honestly, I have to speak to him. I have to try and end this. Please trust me and have faith in me."
The way she had put it he could no longer refuse her.
"Be careful, I'll be just outside. Call me if you need me."
"I will."
He kissed her gently on the forehead and went out of the room closing the door behind him. She still could not see the glow that she was looking for, but she could feel his presence somewhere in the room. She sat down.
"Rod," she said softly. "I know it's you and I know that you are watching out for me, but I no longer need you to. I'm sure that if you care about me you would want me to be happy – well I am happy with Gerald. He is a good man and you should be pleased that I've found someone like him who will look after me. You have to let go, I want you to let go. Please Rod, please leave Gerald and me alone. Please."
She looked around the room as if expecting him to miraculously appear.
She waited quietly for a few minutes. There was no reaction of any kind and no glow anywhere in the room. She could still sense his presence, but not so strongly. There was something else that she could sense. She couldn't quite figure out what it was.
Then it hit her. It was grief, the kind you feel at a funeral. She didn't feel that way herself, but it was all around her.
She went over to the door and opened it. Gerald was pacing up and down. He turned.
"Are you all right?"
"Yes, I'm fine."
"What happened?"
"I don't know whether anything did or not," she said, and then told him what she had felt. They went back in.
"I don't feel anything," he said.
"Nor do I now." She was still looking around as if still expecting to see some kind of manifestation. There was still nothing to see.
"Gerald, do you mind if I go home tonight? I so much want everything to be right between us and this has really spoiled it for tonight."
"I understand fully," he said. "I'll run you round to the Manor."
"Thank you. I'd better ring Vic first so that he can let me in."
As they left, neither one of them noticed that the fire was now burning.
Vic had opened the gate and was waiting for them as they drove up. Gerald walked her up to the front door as if to hand her over to Vic's custody and then kissed her and left. They had decided on the way round that he would not come in. Vic offered his congratulations to Gerald before he left then led Rosemary into the lounge where he had a pot of tea waiting for her. Rosemary was pleased by the way he enthused over her engagement to Gerald and the fact that they had decided not to wait for very long before getting married.
"I knew he was the man for you the moment I saw you together."
She smiled. It was a tired smile. "I more or less guessed that. Subtlety is not your strongest point."
She proceeded to tell him about their strange experiences in Spain and the events earlier in Gerald's house.
"That doesn't come quite as much as a surprise as you might expect. There are times since I've been here that I've noticed inexplicable drops in temperature although I've seen nothing. I thought it was just me sitting in a draft or something, even though I couldn't find where it was coming from. Mind you, it didn't happen once while you were in Spain."
They chatted about it for another half an hour while they drank their tea and then went to bed.
"If you're up first, tell Connie that Gerald is coming around for breakfast at nine o'clock, before we go into Cheltenham."

Chapter Sixty Seven

Bill and Jennie had slept the sleep of the contented. It was only the alarm going off at eight o'clock that stirred them. Jennie rolled over into Bill and he put his arm around her. They lay together listening quietly to the radio for a while before getting up.
They didn't lay in for long as the forecast the previous evening had announced that the day was going to be a good one and he wanted to show her around the Cotswolds. They were dressed, had had breakfast, and were driving through Wulfrum High Street just after nine o'clock.
He took her first to Broadway where they parked and walked up one side of the main street and back down the other side. As they were walking up and down, Bill told her that during the coaching era, Broadway, despite being nothing more than a large village, had twenty-three inns, the most important one being the White Hart, which is now called the Lygon Arms, after the general who purchased it some time in the first half of the eighteen hundreds. He had read up on the Cotswolds before she came. He knew quite a bit of the history of the area anyway, but thought that reading up on it would do no harm and would impress her.
Then they took the short drive to Snowshill and looked around Snowshill Manor with its collection of Japanese armour. The manor dated back originally to about thirteen hundred but was altered in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries with final restoration work in the nineteen twenties. Bill explained all this to her as they approached the door of the manor. In the entrance hall the family motto, "Nequid Pereat," was displayed.
"What does that mean Bill?" she asked confidently expecting him to know.
He did. "It means 'let nothing perish.'"
"That's a strange motto isn't it?"
"Normally, yes, but the owner, a man named Charles Paget Wade, was an avid collector whose wealth allowed him the luxury of being able to collect almost anything that he wanted to – so you see the motto really suited him."
"Yes, I suppose it did. Come on, let's go in," she took his hand and pulled him after her.
Inside, the rooms were packed with musical instruments, toys, spinning tools, clocks, weaving tools, Tibetan scrolls, lamps, and, of course, the Japanese armour. One room, which Bill told her was called The Room of a Hundred Wheels, was just that, except that there were now well over a hundred. They came from all old forms of transportation.
"Where do the owners live?" she asked, as it seemed that every room in the building was given to one kind of exhibition or another.
"They don't. The owner bequeathed it, before his death, to the National Trust and they now control and run it as a museum."
"It's beautiful," she enthused patting his pockets.
"What's wrong?"
"Just checking to see where you've hidden the guide book."
He smiled, "Well I must confess I did read up on the places I wanted to take you so that I could tell you all about them."
"That's sweet," she reached up and kissed him on the cheek.
"Come on, let's have a walk around the garden."
This time he took hold of her hand and lead her outside. The garden was terraced and consisted more of plants than flowers. At least it did at this time; whether flowers bloomed at other times of the year even Bill did not know. They sat for about half an hour in the quietness of the garden before continuing.
By lunch time they were in Bourton-on-the Water where they had a light lunch by the side of the River Windrush. It was more like a wide stream than a river. As they were eating Bill told her that the Romans had built a bridge here and that it was probably the one almost opposite to where they were sitting. He didn't have too much knowledge about Bourton but told her that it was known locally as 'the Venice of the Cotswolds.'
After lunch they walked around the town and then went to the Slaughters. The two villages of Upper and Lower Slaughter are less that a mile apart. In Lower Slaughter he took her to see the nineteenth century corn mill which still had its tall chimney standing and its water wheel, which used to be worked by the Slaughter Brook in which it was set. The unusual thing about the mill was that for some reason it had been built with red bricks instead of the customary Cotswold stone, as all the other buildings were.
From there they walked upstream along the brook to Upper Slaughter. He told her that the real name of Slaughter Brook was the River Eye, but did not know why it was not referred to by its real name as it ran through the Slaughters. One thing he had read was why the Slaughters were called by that name. He was sure it was a question that she would ask. He was a little disappointed that she didn't, not that the answer was exactly a revelation, it only meant wetlands and was derived from the old English 'slothre.' Still it would have been good to sound clever and impress her.
During their stroll around the Cotswolds they were oblivious to anyone else and all those who saw them had no difficulty in seeing that they were in love.
About three o'clock they were headed back to Cheltenham for a couple of hours around the shops before dinner. As they drove through Cheltenham he swerved towards the middle of the road. Thankfully the traffic was moving slowly and he had time to stop before running into the car in front of him, which had stopped due to red traffic lights about six cars further on.
"What happened Bill?"
"Did you see that blue Escort going the other way?"
"No."
"I'd almost swear that Terence Cragge was driving it."
They both looked behind them but the traffic on the other side was moving quicker and the car had gone. He took out his phone and pressed the quick dial button for Gavin. Gavin answered and he told him that he thought he'd seen Terence and to let the Cheltenham police know.
"I'd have gone myself but there was no way I could turn around."
"No, I didn't get any of the number. It was a blue, dark blue Escort, that's all I saw."
"Ok Gavin let me know if they find it."
"Well, we'll just have to wait and see," he said, returning his attention to Jennie, "but I'm sure as hell not letting it spoil the rest of the day."
He pulled into a car park.
"Come on then, let's shop."
"Are you sure you're up to such excitement?"
"I'll manage." She reached over and kissed him before they got out. A car horn went 'beep, beep' as it drove past them. They ignored it.
"We'd better get off the road Stan."
"Why, what's wrong?"
"That car, back there, the one that swerved, I'm sure the driver was looking at me. The way he swerved over, I'm damned sure he recognized me. That does it for me, we've gotta get that film tonight and then get the hell out of here. This bloody country's far too small for me."
Stan looked over his shoulder as Terence said, "They're well gone now. We'll go back to the bed and breakfast until it's dark and then we'll head over to Wulfrum."
For the first time in his life Bill was actually enjoying shopping. Jennie found it easier than in London as the shops, although full, were not packed. They were in Marks and Spencers when Jennie picked up a sweater.
"Bill, you've got to have that."
"You're joking. The only time I could wear that was if I was sitting on top of a Christmas tree."
"I was only joking," she said, breaking out into a grin.
"Wow, thank God for that. I though you were serious, that was scary."
They walked on to the lingerie section. She stopped and looked up at him. Realising what she wanted, he said, "No way, absolutely no way. You're on your own."
She held his arm and turned him around. "Ok, I'll wait till I get back to London."
He let out a sigh of relief. They shopped until six. Jennie bought a few small presents for her folks and friends back home and a pair of jeans, a pair of sneakers and a couple of shirts for herself.
They finished up shopping and retired to the nearest city centre pub. The didn't even notice what it was called. It was fairly full but they managed to find a table. She sat down while he went to the bar to get the drinks.

Chapter Sixty Eight

Gerald, as always, was prompt. He rang the bell, after trying the door only to find it still locked, at exactly nine o'clock. Connie opened it.
"Sorry Mr. Arding, but after the break-in I always lock it behind me when I come in."
"That's all right Connie, and please don't be so formal. I would rather you called me Gerald."
"I will," she held the door open for him. "Vic and Rosemary are already in the kitchen."
He preceded Connie into the kitchen.
"Good morning" he beamed and then looked directly at Rosemary, "how are you this morning?"
"I'm fine Gerald," she said standing up as he went over and kissed her.
"I didn't have a lot of time last night Gerald, but I want to offer my congratulations again and tell you how delighted I am and how happy I am for you both."
"Thank you Vic," said Gerald, offering his hand which Vic readily took and shook warmly.
"Mind you, there is one thing."
A look of concern came across both of their faces as they looked at him. He shook his head solemnly.
"What is it Vic?" Rosemary now looked worried.
"Well, I can only fully sanction this marriage," they both looked really worried.
Vic paused for dramatic effect, "if I am the best man."
"That's a given," said Gerald.
"We've already decided on that," said Rosemary.
"What do you think about it Connie?" Vic said, realising that she was being ignored.
"I think it's the best news I've heard for a long time. Now I don't mean to rush you but you'd better sit down, breakfast is ready."
They were a little later getting to Cheltenham than they had intended as Gerald had wanted to call in to the Rising Moon to tell Pru and Mike in person. They too were delighted with the news.
They stayed with them until just before opening time at eleven o'clock, which meant that it was near to midday when they eventually pulled up and found a parking space in Cheltenham.
Neither one of them was in a rush, they both wanted the ring to be the right one. The first jeweller's was huge and didn't appear to have any real quality items so they went looking for smaller, more personal shops. It seemed to work as each one they went into had some very interesting rings, but none of them seemed to shout out at them.
The fifth shop was different. She saw the ring she wanted before the assistant even approached them. It was a large solitaire that Rosemary thought had a better shine than the others. It was a little too big for her, but she was told that if she came back in a couple of hours that they would have it ready for her.
"Do you want to look anywhere else?" he asked when they were outside.
"No, that's perfect. There's something about that one that seemed to draw me to it."
"Then if that's the one you want, that's the one you shall have. Now what do we do for the next two hours?"
"Let's go to the cinema," she said, pointing down the road.
"The cinema?" he was surprised. "Ok, then why not? Let's go and see what's on."
They headed for the cinema with a bounce in their step. There were several films showing at the various cinemas within the complex and with very little discussion they decided on 'The Green Mile.' Having bought their tickets they entered the cinema with a certain amount of excitement and expectation. Neither one had been to a cinema in over twenty years.
The street was still busy with both traffic and pedestrians when they came out.
"Do you know?" Gerald said, "I had forgotten just how enjoyable a trip to the cinema could be."
"Me too, we should do it again."
They were both well aware that they probably would not.
The ring was ready and the fit was now perfect. It looked really good on her finger. She had got Gerald to slip it on for her.
"Now it's official," she said, kissing him tenderly on the lips.
The whole show in the cinema had taken longer than they had anticipated and the time was fast coming up to six o'clock.
"I don't know where the time's gone," she said. "I suppose we should consider finding somewhere to eat."
"Soon. Let's just walk for awhile."
She was hugging his arm as if she was afraid that she would lose him. They walked for the best part of an hour, slowly, looking in shop windows without really caring what kind of shop it was. They were not far from where they had parked the car when Rosemary pointed over to a pub with several hanging baskets along the front of it each with a profusion of flowers growing out of them at every conceivable angle.
"Let's go there. I really like the look of it and we won't have far to walk after dinner."
"You took the words right out of my mouth."
They were lead over to a table towards the centre of the room and as they sat down were each handed a menu.
"The wine list is on the back of the menu. Would you like a drink while you are waiting?"
"Give us a minute while we look."
"Certainly sir."
They were looking through the menu when they heard their names. "Mr. Arding, Mrs. Van der Velde." They looked up and towards the table behind Gerald. They didn't recognize the woman.
"Sergeant Allington, how are you?" Rosemary said.
They look as happy as us thought Bill.
"Please join us," Gerald invited.
"We'd love to, we only came in minutes before you and we haven't even ordered yet." They moved across to the other table.
"Jennie, this is Rosemary Van der Velde and Gerald Arding."
They shook hands with her as she sat down.
Gerald looked at Bill. "I believe it's Bill, isn't it?"
"It is."
"Well, please let's not be official, let's stick to Gerald and Rosemary and Bill and Jennie." . Sounds like a good title for a film Bill thought to himself.
"I hear congratulations are in order."
"News certainly travels fast around here," he looked at Rosemary who was positively glowing. "How did you know?"
"I spoke briefly with Vic."
"Ah!"
"It's great news, it's something that I . . ." he stopped abruptly, realising that he had said too much too soon. He could feel Jennie's eyes on him. In fact all three pairs of eyes were on him waiting for him to continue.
He didn't.
Jennie picked up at once what he had started to say.
"Yes."
"Yes, what?" Bill said after a pause and realising that all three of them were waiting for him to elaborate.
"My answer to the question that you almost got round to asking is 'yes.'"
"Really? How do you know what I was going to say?"
She held his hand and glanced at Rosemary.
"Call it woman's intuition."
Rosemary smiled back and nodded.
"That Jennie was just about exactly the same way that Gerald asked me."
"Men" said Jennie receiving a second knowing nod from Rosemary.
She turned back to Bill. "In any case I had made my mind up almost as soon as I met you. From that moment on your time was up."
Bill looked from face to face. All of them were beaming. He looked up half expecting to see some kind of bright aura shining above them, probably caused by the huge beams on all their faces.
"This kind of celebration deserves only one thing," said Gerald, catching hold of a waiter's arm as he passed the table.
"A bottle of Moet please."
The waiter shuffled off to get it.
Gerald turned back to Bill and Jennie. "Now it's our turn to offer congratulations."
Rosemary went round to Jennie and hugged her. Both women had tears in their eyes and before they picked up their menus, went off to the bathroom to repair their makeup and obviously to indulge in a bout of women's talk..
When they returned arm in arm a bottle of Moet was sitting in its cooler at the centre of the table, Gerald had already poured champagne into the four flutes. He picked his up.
"A toast." The other three picked up theirs.
"A toast," he repeated, "to the four of us, that we may all have many years of happiness."
Bill was looking directly at him and saw what he thought was a momentary flicker of wariness in his eyes as he lifted the glass. They all put their glasses back down and turned to their respective partners.
Gerald was relieved as he kissed Rosemary that the temperature had remained steady and no other occurrence had happened to suggest that Rod was in any way present. He could tell that Rosemary felt the same way.
The rest of the evening went exactly as it should.. The talk was of engagements and of marriage planning. They lingered over coffee, all enjoying each other's company, seemingly putting off the moment of departure as long as possible.
When they did leave they found that they were, coincidentally, parked in the same car park and on the same level. After their good-byes they found themselves driving out of Cheltenham and on to the road to Wulfrum in a mini convoy.
They continued in this way until they came to the turn off into the Manor, when Bill wound down his window, extended his arm out into the cool night air, and waved. Gerald flashed his headlights in response and his car vanished from Bill's rear view mirror as it turned into the Manor.
Bill had barely driven a quarter of a mile when his cell phone rang. It was Rosemary.
"Bill, I think you should come back here, something doesn't seem quite right. The outside light is not on, Vic always turns it on, always, and the front door is slightly ajar.
Instantly Bill stopped.
"I'm turning around right now and I'll be with you in a minute. Wait outside for me."
He turned the phone off, pressed a quick dial number and handed the phone to Jennie.
"When Gavin answers, tell him we have some suspicious goings on at the Manor and to get some bodies out here straight away."
As they turned into the Manor, Jennie was talking to Gavin. She had finished before they pulled up behind Gerald's car.
"He's on the way," she said as they got out of the car.
Gerald and Rosemary were standing at the bottom of the steps.
"Stay behind me," Bill said as he started up the steps. Gerald was close behind him and the women were behind Gerald.
As Bill neared the top step the door swung open and Vic appeared. Terence Cragge was right behind him with a gun held against the side of his head.
"Get back down."
Bill stopped in his tracks. He couldn't see Terence's accomplice anywhere. Should he try and take him down on his own or should he wait till Gavin arrived?
He looked at Terence's eyes. From the light in the hallway he could see enough to know that Terence was desperate and he was sure that he would use the gun if he had to.
Vic looked terrified. It flashed through Bill's mind that Vic had been in this position before. He decided to wait and to try and keep Terence calm.
"Vic," Rosemary was scared for her brother.
"I'm okay."
"All of you shut up. If you do as I tell you, he'll be all right."
"Please do as he says," Rosemary begged. She knew full well what he was capable of.
"It's cool," said Bill, "just tell us what you want. There's no need for anyone to get hurt."
"That's right, be smart," he said, edging forward. "Whose is the front car?"
"Mine," said Gerald.
"Give me the keys."
Gerald hesitated.
"Now." Terence shouted as he dug the gun into Vic's head. Vic winced.
"Give him the keys Gerald," Bill advised.
Gerald took the keys out of his pocket.
"Hand them to Rosemary," Terence barked out the order.
Gerald did so.
"Bring them here."
She approached him and offered the keys at arm's length.
"Closer."
As she moved closer he pushed Vic away and grabbed her instead. The gun was now pressed against her head.
Vic had stumbled forward on to his knees. Bill and Gerald helped him up. Jennie's training had taught her to stay as far out of it as she could and to keep quiet. She was prepared to leave it to Bill.
Bill had never been in this situation before but knew that he had to say something.
"Why don't you just take the car? We'll all stand back and let you go."
"Do I look stupid? How far away are the police? She's coming with me and if I'm not followed I'll let her go. If I am followed then you'll have to accept the consequences," his tone was ominous.
"If you harm one hair . . ." Gerald started forward, but was made to stop when the gun was pointed at him. "Shut up – now."
"Please Gerald, don't," Rosemary thought that he was thinking of jumping Terence. He was, but Rosemary's plea restored his common sense.
"Now, move over there, all of you." Terence gesticulated to the right. They all moved, albeit begrudgingly, as instructed.
All Terence had left now was to get away. He knew from Vic that the police had the film. If he was caught he was finished, if he could get away he at least had a chance. It didn't matter any more what he did, he had nothing at all to lose.
If he could hide for awhile he could get to South America. He had plenty of money hidden away and if he could get there they would never find him.
"Come on," he nudged Rosemary forward towards the top step. Slowly they descended to the gravelled drive. All the time his eyes were on the others. None of them moved, Rosemary's life was too precious.
By the time they were down all the steps they had completed a half turn and were now facing the house and the others, who now had their backs to the house. It was then that Rosemary heard it.
A slithering sound.
At first she wasn't aware of what it was, but suddenly she knew. It was a sound she had heard before.
The others heard it but were much too concentrated on what was happening in front of them to look away.
Rosemary glanced upwards. She saw a small dark shape silhouetted in the light of the open door. It was moving quickly, very quickly. She would have had no idea what it was had she not witnessed it before.
No sooner had she seen it than there was a heavy thud that seemed to echo loudly through the stillness of the night. As Terence's arm dropped away from her neck and the gun fell from the other hand on to the gravel she jumped clear of him. Turning round she saw what the others could see.
Terence was still standing, his eyes were wide open as if staring at something beyond them.
By the time she had thrown herself into Gerald's welcoming arms, Terence had slumped lifelessly to the ground. In his head, almost half buried, was the slate tile that had come from the roof above. The force of the impact had almost sliced his head in two.
It was no natural force.
All but Rosemary were looking at the body in total shock and amazement. Only she could see behind them the glow that had taken more definition than ever before. This time she could recognise the shape.
It was Rod. He was smiling and he gave her a gentle nod of his head.
Bill was the first to notice that she was looking at something but as he turned around, there was nothing left to see.
Rosemary knew then and there that it was over, that Rod had given his blessing to her.
Bill was now bending over the body as blue lights flashed their way up the driveway.
Had Bill, that night, continued another two or three hundred yards towards Wulfrum he would have seen a blue escort parked in a gateway. He didn't, but one of the police cars that raced to the Manor had, and had stopped and picked up Stan Kuyper.
Stan was only too happy to clear up any loose ends for them.
A couple of months later Charlie called and told Bill that the micro film had been instrumental in closing down every remnant of the Van der Velde empire.
Another month later, Bill was in South Africa and with Charlie offering a job in the South African police he didn't come back.
There was of course another reason to keep him there.

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