Authors: D. T. Jones
A
table sat at the opposite side of the room with eight chairs and the pantry was twice the size of their neighbor’s. There was an attached laundry room with state of art appliances, also energy saving with a sorting table and built-in cabinets to hide all the cleaners. The kitchen was lined with so many cupboards and drawers Sandra didn’t think she would ever find enough things to stick in them. Fortunately for her, Maxine had already unpacked their many wedding presents and stowed them in logical places among the cabinets; all they had to do was locate them.
“So, as you’ve noticed there is no food,” Creighton said. “I thought we could go shopping together. I’m not sure what all you like besides pasta and that will be limited from now on.”
“Shall we make a grocery list and do the domesticated thing and go load up on junk food instead?”
“Not at all,” he smiled. “Only healthy food will be allowed in this kitchen until the garden is ready. You know, all the necessities like meat, cheese, eggs, ice cream, donuts,
crisps; that sort of thing.”
“Sounds very healthy,” she smiled in reply.
“Mum and Kristen are making supper tonight, now that Kristen is able to move around again. I guess having a caesarian section is harder than I thought, but she’s ready to get back into the game of being a mother and neighbor. They want to bring everything here so we can celebrate our new house as a whole family. Would you mind?”
“
I think that sounds wonderful; supper in our new home for the first time with family and friends, just like an old married couple.”
“
Let’s get our bags from the car and get unpacked,” he chuckled. “Bess and her husband will bring the rest of our luggage over in the morning. It will give Peter a chance to see Irena and I want to talk to Bess about the flat.”
“What about it?”
“I want her to continue taking care of it, but I won’t be using it as much as I always have. I plan on working out of this house from now on.”
“But you aren’t getting rid of it, are you?”
“No, I thought it would be the perfect place to stay when we go into town for an opera or the theater. Plus maybe Sabrina would like to take over the place while I’m not there. It will provide a more convenient place for while she’s working.”
“You are a very kind sir
, Mr. Ashford and a wonderful brother.” Sandra teased as she walked out of the kitchen with him and headed to the car to gather their bags.
“I just want everything
to be good for those I love.”
“So you do,” she smiled.
Supper was a
delightful display of food, children and laughter; exactly as Sandra liked it. Creighton’s family arrived barely ten minutes after they returned from shopping and helped bring in the groceries while Sandra held Justin, Derek’s newest addition to the family. He was a beautiful baby and unlike his siblings, he had the Ashford’s dark hair. Irena had bowed out of the evening’s festivities for a sleepover with her best friend Amelia Hardy, so the noise and excitement was much less chaotic.
The dinner was served in the dining room while everyone admired the old china hutch.
The children were set up at a small table near the adults and the mood was light and cheerful, even Harvey and Parker had come into the main house to share the meal of roast lamb, garden vegetables and salad, followed by fresh peach cobbler. Andrew arrived just as the food was being set on the table, followed shortly afterward by Sabrina who was very animated about her first day at work with her brother’s new textile firm. She had designed a number of uniforms and had managed to convince two private girls’ schools into trying them out for the next year. Things were looking up for her and she was excited about all of it.
“I have some news, but I’m not sure if this is a good time to bring it up or not,” Andrew said a little while later as they all sat down in the
sitting room to share coffee and dessert.
“About Bachmeier?” Creighton asked, watching the children through the window, playing in the front yard.
“We don’t know what happened, but he was in route back to London when the van carrying him veered off the road. The French police are investigating, but by the time they arrived, the vehicle was in flames. Three bodies were recovered; two armed escorts and Bachmeier. They were so badly burned, an autopsy will have to be performed to determine their identities, but there’s no question about it.”
“Do you know what happened?” Sandra asked with a frown.
“All we know is that an eye witness stated they passed the van a few minutes before the crash and all seemed fine. Next thing anyone knows, the bloody thing was on fire.”
“So I suppose this closes the case on him,” Creighton said, but with no
remorse in his tone whatsoever. “What about the bodies? Any more word on that side of the coin?”
“Forensics
has determined that they were killed within eight to fifteen years ago,” Andrew continued, relieved that his brother was freely discussing the details in front of the family; especially the woman he had spent so long trying to protect.
“
That means it couldn’t have been Miriam’s father,” Sandra said. “She said he returned to France for his sister-in-law’s funeral ten years ago and went back to Germany right afterward. He wasn’t in England eight years ago.”
“Not necessarily,” Andrew continued. “What Stone said was true; Lynette was pregnant and the DNA determined it was
Bachmeier’s. He had the motive and the means and after what his daughter wrote in her book, he also had the skills to kill her.”
“Have you found out anything on the other four bodies?”
Harvey asked from where he and Parker had been sitting next to the fireplace, listening in silence.
“Not yet, the only
thing the coroner can say for certain is that they had been tortured before their deaths. He suspected they had been assaulted for days, perhaps a week and all were sexually molested.”
“What about
the DNA you found on the one body?” Sabrina asked, joining the conversation. “Was that enough to say for certain it was the old man?”
“The tests are still running, but there is enough circumstantial evidence to indicate him as a serial killer. His military record shows he was very high in the KGB before he took his wife and left Germany. They left their families behind and came here. From what we’ve learned, he was wanted by his former employees for reasons they refuse to release. For many years, his family was under surveillance until the cold war ended and they no longer cared about him. He was also known by his comrades
for his unique interrogation techniques. The evidence is there, we just have to put it all together and close the case.”
“Too bad he isn’t alive to answer for his crimes,” Creighton said, his fingers caressing the back of Sandra’s knuckles.
“At least this is all behind you,” William smiled. “Now maybe with the case closed you two can move forward.” Sandra stood up and paced her way to the window, looking out to the children playing with a soccer ball on the grass. There was a nagging sensation in the back of her mind and she couldn’t shake it. This was wrong; the theory behind the murders was sane enough and she was sure it would hold up in any court of law, but it was all wrong; she could feel it. In her heart she knew Miriam’s father was not guilty of killing anyone, but she didn’t know how to convince anyone of it.
“Darling, are you alright?” Creighton asked from the sofa where they had been sitting together. She drew a deep breath; it was no or never and she wasn’t feeling like keeping her mouth shut any longer.
“I don’t want you to close the case,” Sandra told Andrew as she turned from the window and looked back at the group staring at her.
“Why not?” Creighton asked with a frown.
“I can’t put my finger on it, but I just don’t think Miriam’s father killed those women.”
“She gave him the scenario to do it, in writing, remember?” Creighton insisted. “She admitted that he beat Lynette Stone and raped her when she passed out. How much more of a confession do you want?”
“He didn’t beat her, he played with her and I know of a lot of people who like to play the same way,” she said staring at the man as though to accuse him without admitting to their perverted love affair. “And he didn’t rape her. She wrote that he took her to bed and lay with her all night. That is not the act of a murderer.”
“Sandra,” Andrew interrupted. “What makes you think he’s not the killer?”
“I just have a bad feeling about it,” she said with a heavy sigh. “I can’t put my finger on it; maybe it’s Bachmeier’s ghost whispering in my ear, or maybe the women’s spirits are trying to seek justice, I don’t know. I just know it wasn’t him, I’m sure of it.”
“I can’t go to the courts and tell them I want the case to remain open based on a feeling.”
“Maybe it’s because of all the books and biographies I’ve read, but I know there is something missing. Please give it time? Just a few more days, I’m sure something will be found to point to the real killer.” Creighton growled softly under his breath as he looked up at her.
“Look,” she continued. “I’
ve spent a lifetime learning to read the events around me. I know when someone is lying to me and I know when there is danger. Anyone who has lived through as many tornadoes as I have learns to sense a change in the air. This is no different. I know there’s something that’s being overlooked and if we rush through this, those women will never have peace.”
“Sandra, this is ridiculous,” Creighton snapped
, drawing a deep breath to control his anger.
“You’ve told me to trust you on countless occasions,” she said
softly. “All I’m doing is asking you to do the same. Please, just until the DNA report comes back. What’s a few more days going to hurt?”
Creighton locked gazes with her as the room returned to a deathly silence; everyone waiting for the next word. He watched the emotion dance in her eyes and frowned. She had never begged him before
… not like this, but there was something desperate in the way she stood her ground. He drew another deep breath and stood, walking to where she remained in front of the window. He gently caressed her cheek with is thumb, looking into her pleading green eyes.
“Keep the case open until the tests come back,” he told Andrew without breaking eye contact with his wife.
“Thank you,” she said softly as he wrapped her in his warm embrace.
“I think you’re wrong, but I do trust you and I trust your instincts. There is no harm in waiting a bit longer.”
“I can keep the case open only until all the evidence is collected,” Andrew said with a heavy sigh as he stood and walked around the sofa to the main entrance of the room. “But I’ll need more than instinct to keep it from going to the magistrate. The tests should be back by Friday, we’ll have more answers then.”
“Thank you,” Creighton said, as
he turned to leave.
“Thank you,” Sandra added
softly. Andrew drew another deep breath and she thought that this must be a family trait in order to collect their thoughts. He smiled to his sister-in-law and nodded.
“I’ll be in touch.” Sandra looked out the window as Andrew closed the front door and stepped down the porch steps, hugging his nieces and nephew good-bye before getting in his car and driving
away from the house.
“Well,” Emma said as she stood from the chair she had been sitting in, silently listening to the conversation and feeling less than comfortable with all the talk of ghosts and spirits. “I think we’ve all had a bit more excitement for one day than we were counting on. Let’s leave the newlyweds to
enjoy their new home in peace.”
“Sandra, try and relax,” William said, hugging the girl to his chest. She felt very comfortable, realizing that his son had inherited the same nurturing tendencies as his father. “You’re home now and all will be fine.”
“Thank you for coming,” she said, kissing his cheek before hugging Emma. “And thank you for supper.”
“It was our pleasure. Now I expect to see both of you the day after tomorrow. Your grandparents will be here Saturday and I would like for us to go shopping
before they get here to make certain they have everything they’re going to need to get settled in.” Creighton smiled and kissed his mother good night before exchanging hugs with Derek and Kristen.
“I’ll be home the rest of the week if you want to do anything,” Sabrina told Sandra. “Maybe we can go to London and leave the old man behind, just a
girl’s day out.”
“We’ll see,” she
answered gently. She didn’t want to hurt her feelings, but she really hated to be away from Creighton any longer than she had to be and shopping was not her favorite pastime. “I have a lot of unpacking to do and your brother has been teaching me how to be an eco-crazed executive.”
The room erupted in laughter and just like that, the comfortable feeling of home was back. Harvey and Parker shook Creighton’s hand and smiled, nodding to Sandra as they left and returned to the flat above the garage. The children all rushed inside to hug their uncle and new aunt before being ushered back to their own home with the threat of baths and bed.
Sandra stood in Creighton’s embrace as they waved good-bye from the front porch, her back against his torso, his arms around her waist. The sun had set and the moon was full, illuminating the area with a natural light that shone brightly overhead. It was a very peaceful evening; the sounds of crickets chirping could be heard on the opposite side of the porch and birds fluttering in the trees overhead assured them the day was over and all was right with the world at that one moment.