Halversham (22 page)

“He’s the one who got Corrine pregnant,” Andy said, closing his eyes.

Aunt Magda nodded. “When she found out I had caused her miscarriage, she hated me even more. I stole parsley, blue cohosh, and other herbs from your mother’s garden and made tonics for her to drink so that she’d miscarry naturally.”

“So Corrine was right. She was right the whole time and she tried to tell me. I should have believed her.” He shook his head. “I was so stupid, I didn’t suspect a thing when Mort told me his herbs were gone. It was you.”

“I had no choice, Andy. I couldn’t let this be the talk of the town or let Corrine spin crazy stories about the father of her child. I was convinced she had slept with some boy and was putting the blame on her father.”

“You’re a monster who killed a baby. Why did you kill her too?”

“I didn’t. Matt did. That night when you fell asleep at the Doynes’, he went to her room and raped her again.”

“I knew it. I knew she had come home.”

“How?”

“I saw her sling bag in the room. She never goes anywhere without it.”

“Ah! The only piece of evidence I left out. Your uncle strangled her when she resisted.”

“And where were you this time? Baking pies?” Andy asked in mock derision.

“I was asleep in my room and I swear I didn’t hear a thing until it was over. He was standing in the shadows when I woke up and he admitted he had gone too far again.”

“Again?”

“Yes. The first was that Doyne girl two years ago. She was going home from school one day when he saw her. He had the truck back then, if you remember. He kidnapped her, brought her home, and raped her in Corrine’s room before strangling her to death. I wasn’t home, but he confessed when I came back and found her sprawled on Corrine’s bed, lifeless. He threatened to kill me if I didn’t help him get rid of the body. That’s when I knew he had raped Corrine too. I tried to tell her I believed her, but the wedge between us was already the size of the universe.”

“Did Corrine know about Emily?”

“I don’t know. Maybe. But by then she had become silent and withdrawn. She dropped out of school and refused to come home except at night.”

“I only saw their heads in the freezer. Where are the rest of their bodies? Did you cook them too?”

“Emily Doyne’s body, yes. It was easy, since I had already started cooking dogs for him. He never knew. But I couldn’t do that to Corrine. So I cut her up and froze pieces of her. The packets you saw. And there’s more in the freezer next to the one you opened.” Andy shook his head again. It was all he could do. “It’s not easy, sawing and hacking in the middle of the night in the bathroom without leaving bloodstains or smell. But you do it often enough, you know how to keep it clean and quick.”

“You people are monsters,” Andy said in a calm, even tone. “You had so many chances to turn him over to the police but you kept covering for him.”

“I had to, Andy. He threatened to kill me if I didn’t. And I’ve seen what he’s capable of. So I did what I could. Kept the room locked and pretended everything was normal.” Then she dropped her gaze and cried as Andy watched without feelings. Moments later, she sniffled and looked up at him. She looked tired and her eyes were red. “It’s sick. I know it is. And I’m done. I’m done with this. I’m ready for lethal injection or electric chair or whatever is the punishment for my crimes. I’ve been waiting to unload this burden in my heart for so long. So feel free to call the sheriff. But if you want Matt as well, you’re going to have to wait another hour. He brought a few of our goats to the fair to be auctioned off.”

“I will.” He did not feel sorry for her in the slightest. “The bones in the crate, they’re from those you killed?”

“From those your uncle ate. I never threw any of them away. I figured the police would want them for DNA or something.”

“How very kind of you,” Andy spat.

Aunt Magda dropped her head and stared into her coffee again, running a finger along the cold rim. “Now you know everything.”

“My father was going to take her to the city with us to start over. She was so happy to finally get out of Halversham. She was excited to be given a second chance. She was so smart. We were even going to take her to Europe with us for a holiday. But you ruined everything. You allowed this to happen.”

“I’m sorry, Andy. I really am,” she said.

Andy sighed and sat on the floor, staring at her for a long time, unsure what else to say.

It was Aunt Magda who broke the silence. “I suppose you want to get cleaned up. Take a shower. I think there’s vomit on your t-shirt.” Andy glanced at his t-shirt and the large stain on his chest. “I’ll mop your vomit in the store room and close the door before your Uncle Matt comes home so he doesn’t suspect anything.”

“You’re not going anywhere. And neither am I,” Andy said coldly.

“You’re afraid I’ll run.” Aunt Magda smiled and nodded. “I won’t. I want this to be over more than you know. But please, at least rinse off and change your shirt.”

Andy eyed her for a minute and rose. The stain on his t-shirt was beginning to feel disgusting now that she mentioned it. He took it off, grabbed his towel, and headed for the bathroom for a quick rinse.

“If you run, my dad and I will scour every corner of the earth until we find you. And then I will kill you.”

She nodded. There was nothing left for him to say, so he actively numbed his emotions. He wasn’t even thinking. Like a zombie, he went into the bathroom and hooked the towel on a nail on the wall.

“Oh, Andy,” her voice came from behind him and he paused. “We ran out of soap. Here’s a new bottle.” Aunt Magda appeared with a tall bottle of lavender-scented body wash. “Why don’t you put this on the ledge there and hand me that empty one?”

Andy took the new bottle from her and placed it on the ledge without a word. When he reached for the old one, a wiry hand gripped his arm and twisted it behind him. He screamed as pain shot through his arm and a steel knife glinted before his eyes. Andy squirmed and tried to push the hand away but it was too strong. He couldn’t see his assailant but it had to be Aunt Magda, trying to slit his throat. The blade inched closer to his neck with every ticking second, and he used every ounce of his strength to keep it away. Aunt Magda twisted his arm again and the pain almost knocked him out. The blade grazed his skin and warm, sticky blood trickled down his neck.

Then a loud thump rocked his attacker. The knife slipped and clanked into the tub, and the grip on his hand loosened. The body behind him went limp and finally slid to the floor as Andy pressed a hand to his bleeding neck.

“Son, are you all right?” It was his father’s voice, filled with fear and panic.

Andy turned around and saw Aunt Magda lying unconscious on the floor while his father stood holding her rolling pin. Andy shivered, and the pain on his neck finally registered in his brain.

“I’m fine, just a little grazed.” Andy said as his father held him. “How come you’re back?”

“It’s your birthday. I couldn’t miss it again. I’m a little late, but I’m glad I didn’t disappoint you this time.”

Andy’s eyes misted and he hugged his father, basking in his warmth for a long time before pulling back with a sniffle. “Corrine is dead. They killed her, Dad.”

“Who killed her?”

“Uncle Matt, Aunt Magda. They’re both responsible. They’re evil.” Andy was shaking his head. “We’ve got to call the sheriff and tell him what happened. We’ve got to...”

“Calm down. How do you know this?” His father’s eyes narrowed.

“Aunt Magda told me. I saw Corrine’s head, the cut-up flesh in the store room. It’s there. I can show you.”

“Okay, okay.” His father displayed his palms. “Do you have the sheriff’s number?”

“Yes. Can you tie her up while I get it?” Andy said. He went into Corrine’s room, rummaged through his backpack, and pulled out the card Sheriff Calaway had given him. When he came out again, his father was tying Aunt Magda’s hands with a twine. She was stirring.

“Here.” Andy handed the card to his father and he wasted no time making the call. Andy sat on the floor and watched Aunt Magda sit up.

She stretched her legs in front of her, blinked a few times, and grinned at him. “So you got me,” she said.

Andy kept quiet. A few minutes later, his father was off the phone, standing right beside him.

“Paulie,” Aunt Magda said. “You’re back. Didn’t expect you here so soon.”

“Shut up, Mag. You tried to kill my son.”

Aunt Magda bit her lip, threw her head back, and let out a maniacal laugh. Seconds later, she stared at her brother. “I didn’t think it’d bother you. I mean, you practically abandoned the boy. Just like you abandoned Patricia and me.”

“That’s bullshit and you know it. I love my son more than you’ll ever know. You killed your own daughter.” A chill ran up Andy’s spine as his father said this. “And you were stupid enough to stay here with your dear husband.”

Aunt Magda laughed again and then stopped abruptly. Her eyes were like steel and filled with fury. “It’s easy for you to say these things now, isn’t it, Paulie? You have no idea what I had to deal with. You didn’t care. You just took off when you found greener pastures.” She shook her head, her lips curling menacingly above her teeth. “I wish I’d killed your son. That would have taught you a lesson.”

Andy shuddered at her proclamation and glanced at Paul, who was eyeing his sister coldly. A car screeched in the yard and Andy ran out. His father’s car was parked outside, but there was no sign of Trevor. The sheriff parked next to the Porsche and got out.

“Where is she?” Calaway asked Andy.

“In the kitchen.” Andy led the way to the store room first and Paul joined the two of them.

“Hello, Paul. I haven’t seen you around here in a while,” the sheriff said.

“Yeah.”

The two gentlemen shook hands before the sheriff turned his attention to Andy.

“So, tell us what happened.”

Andy proceeded to tell the story without skipping a single detail as Calaway opened the crates and freezers one by one. Paul picked a jar and inspected the bones inside, shaking his head in disbelief. Both men remained quiet as horror upon horror revealed themselves in the dark little room. When Andy finished explaining fifteen minutes later, Paul leaned his back against the wall and closed his eyes.

“I’m sorry, Dad.”

Paul nodded, but his eyes were still closed.

“Let’s go see her,” Calaway said and Andy led him to Aunt Magda in the kitchen. She was still on the floor with her hands tied behind her back. She offered the sheriff a wide smile as he took a long look at her and placed his hands on his hips. “Guess I have to arrest you, Magda.”

Aunt Magda smiled. “Do what you must, Sheriff.”

“What about Matt?” Paul asked, emerging from the store room.

“My men are looking for him at the fair as we speak. If he’s there, we’ll get him.” Calaway approached Aunt Magda and helped her up. “In the meantime, I’ll take Magda in.”

Andy and Paul followed the sheriff and Aunt Magda to the car, relieved it was finally over. She gave her brother one last look before the sheriff opened the door and there was a trace of sadness in her eyes. A lone tear ran down her cheek but it did nothing to move Paul. He stood erect, holding Andy’s hand. The radio blared in the car and a voice crackled through. Calaway sat her in the back seat and walked up to the front. He picked up the radio, spoke into it, and placed it back in the car.

“They got him. They’re taking him in now,” Calaway said, looking at Paul and Andy.

Paul nodded. “That’s great. Thanks, Sheriff.”

“You better get your son to the hospital, Paul. The kid’s bleeding.” He tipped his hat, got in the car, and drove away.

Andy went back in and came out with his bag, his belongings shoved haphazardly inside. Paul held his son by the shoulders and steered him to the Porsche. “Ready to go?”

“Yeah, but first, I need to stop by the Doynes’ for a minute. There’s something I need to do before we leave. I promise I won’t be long.”

“How’s your neck?”

“It’s not bad. We can go to the hospital right after.”

Ten minutes later, they were at the Doynes’. Paul watched from his car as his son walked up to the door and knocked. The young man they had passed by at the field two weeks ago came out and said something, pointing at Andy’s bloody neck. Andy touched the cut absently and lowered his eyes, explaining. The boy’s face turned ashen with every word from Andy’s mouth and his shoulders slumped. A second later, he closed his eyes and cried. Andy shook his head and hugged him for a long time.

When Andy came back to the car twenty minutes later, his eyes were red.

“Are you all right?” his father asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Let’s go.” Andy closed the door and watched as Jared slumped to his knees on the ground, his shoulders shaking. The car pulled out of the yard, and Andy blinked away tears, gritting his teeth. “Dad?”

“Yeah?”

“I don’t want to come back to Halversham. Ever”

“You and me both, son. You and me both.”

THE END