~ DEATH IS JUST THE BEGINNING ~
 JM Dragon 2003

© 2003 by JM Dragon
Email: jmdragon@jmdragon.net

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Love/Sex:..This story features strongly implied consensual relationship between adult women. If this bothers you, is illegal in the State, Province or Country you live or if you are  under the age of 18, find something else to read. There are loads of general stories out there.

Language:..Some strong language.

Violence:..Some violence in this story.

Hurt/Comfort:..There are scenes of heartache to be dealt with by the characters.

Dedication:..This story could have been my final one, but isn’t. Thank you to all those readers who offered genuine support and continue to read, not only my stories, but others too, we all appreciate your wonderful feedback. This story is simply for you.

Acknowlegement: My beta readers, Alice, Packer and Mel thank you as always, special thanks to T and Ephany for reading over the final draft as a double check.

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Part Seven

“You’re not coming? Why? It’s the breakthrough we wanted and Pru knows something!”

“She might, then again it might well be speculation. We’ve been there before. I suggest you go with them, Violet; I’ll stay here with Miss Gilmore. Perhaps she might do something that will put her at the right place at the right time when we were murdered.” Milly turned back to the older woman in the house, who had sunk heavily into the brocade armchair by the fireplace, her head hung and muttering to herself.

Considering the situation, for once she had to agree Packer might be right. Someone had to monitor from this angle and who better. “Right, I’ll follow Charlie and Pru. If you find out anything, will let me know immediately?”

“Yes, of course.” The tone of voice didn’t indicate she would. Knowing that woman, its probably only lip service.

“I mean it, Packer, we are partners in crime here and I want to know!”

“Yes, I said so, didn’t I?”

Violet gave her a stern glance and left the house. She had her own spying to do at the local pub, eavesdropping on the other two women.

As Violet left the room, Milly watched the schoolteacher who looked visibly shaken at the question posed by the detective. If she were innocent, that would be understandable, if she wasn’t…now what was going on in her mind?

Milly didn’t have to wait much longer as Jenny stood up, her aged body protesting at the sudden movement. At the older woman’s expression, a grimace crossing her face at the movement, Milly could imagine the creaking of the joints and the pain that caused. Walking stiffly over to the telephone on the small teak table beside the door, she dialled a number and waited several moments for the call to be answered.

“They’ve been here.”

Milly was intrigued at the one-sided conversation. How would she find out who the other person was?

“I told them nothing at all, it wasn’t my place.”

“No, of course I didn’t say anything incriminating. They were obviously not satisfied, especially that female detective. She could be dangerous.”

“Bootle is being led astray by this woman. You wouldn’t think that after she has known me all these years. She hangs on every word this detective says regardless of how ridiculous it sounds.”

“It isn’t safe to meet at my place, the old rendezvous would be wiser…yes, this evening at eight.”

“Goodbye.” Dropping the receiver on its cradle, a thoughtful look crossed the teacher’s features, which had now gone from shock to resignation.

Well, there was nothing else for her to do, but stay here with the woman until this so called rendezvous. It had been difficult following the conversation as she only heard one side of it.  Violet would have to wait that bit longer for her update.

* * * * *

“Please, Pru, tell me what you know or believe you have found. I heard nothing to convince me for certain Miss Gilmore was involved.”

Smiling at her friend, Pru tapped the end of her nose, “that’s why I took up detective work. Always had a good nose for scenting out when someone was lying.”

Charlie conceded the point easily. It was true she was only a country girl after all. “Well, oh great detective, please, will you share your invaluable knowledge with a poor country girl?”

A hearty chuckle echoed in the small alcove of the pub they had settled in for privacy. A few people at the bar turned to see who was enjoying themselves this early on a Sunday evening. Tipping their heads, they smiled indulgently at the female detective. She’d made a few friends with the locals last evening or at least her money had. Her dad was going to ask some rather pertinent questions about her expenses when she went back home.

“Okay, we asked her a perfectly valid question, albeit it was a little out on a limb after twenty years. However, did you notice that she answered with a question, protesting her innocence rather than pointing out that she wasn’t aware the original inquiry into Milly and Violet’s deaths was reopened? After all, the evidence at the time reflected a tragic accident only, no mention of foul play. Not only that, she spoke of Violet, not Miss Reed, as if she knew her well. No old fashioned person like Gilmore would do that.”

“Yes, but how does that make it significant? I might have answered the same way under the circumstances. It must have been a shock to her to be blatantly accused of being involved.”

“That’s just it, Charlie! It wasn’t a shock to her that we thought it foul play, only that we had the audacity to ask her if she was involved. By definition, doesn’t that strike you as odd?” Pru watched the differing facial expression of puzzlement, concentration and then a dawning of appreciation of the remark.

“She already knew it was foul play.”

“Precisely and the only people who would know that must have been involved.”

“My God, Milly was murdered!” Charlie breathed out in shock. She had been going along with the detective hoping, in many ways, that it had been a terrible accident and not the sinister event Pru appeared to think it was.

“She was and we need to tread carefully.”

“Can’t we go to the local police, tell them what we have found out and let them take it from here?”

“We have no direct evidence, Charlie…how would you say that the only lead was a voice from someone who’s been dead for twenty years?”

“I was telling the truth!” Violet muttered as she watched the two women go over what they had and that was precious little evidence. Hopefully Packer was having more luck with her surveillance.

“Point taken, what do we do?” Charlie was anxious now to see the people who had committed this dreadful crime brought to justice.

“Drink up, we need to go back to Miss Gilmore’s home and stake her out. If I’d been thinking properly and not being carried away with my deductions, I wouldn’t have left in the first place. Hopefully she hasn’t gone anywhere or we might be scuppered before we get started.”

Glancing at her watch, which read seven fifty, Charlie wondered how long this would take. She had to be up at four a.m. to supervise the week’s activities at the manor farm holding.

“Is there a problem?” Pru had seen the anxious look at the wristwatch.

“No, not really. Come on, let’s not waste anymore time.” Charlie stood up grasping the two empty glasses and placing them on the bar as they left.

“Going so soon, ladies” Captain Riddle asked with a wink of the eye.

“Yes, see you later, Captain, and you can tell me about your exploits in the Great War.” Pru winked back at the man and left the pub to follow her friend who had already left. She really did need to ask why Charlie didn’t like the publican.

Violet had watched the two women and their discussion, but had also taken time to survey the room and occupants, particularly anyone who had taken a keen interest in this corner of the room. There had been only the odd glance in this direction and that was by the publican who was probably wondering if he might sidle over for another free round of drinks. Thankfully he hadn’t or that would have delayed their departure. Packer had been right, for once, to stay behind and watch over the teacher. Wonder if she’s found anything out that might help? She would soon know as she followed the other women out of the pub.

* * * * *

Jenny Gilmore paced slowly up and down the small barn on the outskirts of Manor Farm. Over the years they’d been able to have their secret meetings in fairly amiable surroundings. Who would ever questioned that they were other than upstanding citizens, certainly not anyone in authority. Now, after all these years, a young woman had by chance been given a slither of information and projected it all out of proportion or so the rest of the villagers appeared to think. However, the young woman was right. The premeditated murders had been carried out, not the first, and now, potentially not the last. Those two meddlers would wish they had never heard of Snagglenook when their time came to meet up with their deceased friends.

Not even the relatively warm and secure barn could eliminate all the draughty holes that a building of this age eventually succumbed. The schoolteacher pulled her scarf tighter around her neck to ward off the cold chill that the evening, this time of year brought with it.

At last! She turned as she heard the creaking of the barn door. It was a quarter after eight, late as usual.

“I thought you had decided not to come?”

“No, something came up and I needed to make sure the coast was clear. Tell me again what happened.” A deep male voice asked with authority.

Shrugging her shoulders in the wool overcoat, that kept her aching bones from feeling even worse than they did, she narrated exactly what happened word for word.

Milly had been waiting high up in the hayloft sitting on a bale of straw doing something she never would have when she was alive, chewing on a piece of straw in boredom waiting for the accomplice to arrive.  Now, as she watched and listened to them speak, her jaw was sitting beside her on the hay bale, her eyes virtually bulged as the man entered the barn.

“Is that all? What a fool you are, old woman; age must be numbing your intellect. If the detective is even remotely wily, she will have picked up on your mistakes.”

Surprised at the acid comments, “You have no need to talk about age! It was your idea to terminate them in the first place.”

Milly’s attention was caught by another deliberate mistake by the woman, them? That could only mean one thing, it was meant to be a double murder or was it a play on words?

“We had orders, as simple as that. I carried them out as leader of the cell. How did they come to you, that is the interesting part?”

“I don’t know that. To the best of my knowledge, I’ve never said anything about that incident from day one. Why would I mention it now? It should be dead and buried as the two women are.”

“There is only one way to find out, of course, and we will need the help of the others.”

“Is that wise, what do they really know? If they had hard evidence I would be questioned by the police, surely.”

“How do we know that this so-called private detective isn’t working for the police…or even the government? It is our duty to remain secret as we have for over thirty years. I will not go to prison or worse, the gallows, because of these women. What about…?”

“The gallows? They would kill us? I always thought they would send us back to our homeland.”

There was a loud curse as the other man shook the teacher by her frail shoulders. “No one would have us back, Jenny! We were on our own thirty years ago and remain so now and in the future. The only people we know to trust are the cell, beyond that everyone is suspicious. I will call the others to a meeting at midnight.”

“Where shall we meet, here?”

A few moments passed before a reply was heard, “No, the best place is the Forest Green. After all, if we take immediate action, where better. I will see you at midnight and make sure you are not followed.”

The barn door opened and the person left as he had entered, speedily. The teacher looked around her, pulling up her scarf and collar against the chill wind, and left two minutes later to follow her own path home.

Milly, transfixed on the spot, was unable to decipher all that had been said. The major worry now was not that they had been killed and her need for vengeance. No, they had to ensure Charlie and the detective wouldn’t come to any harm because of the case. She had to tell Violet and somehow they had to reach Charlie again through Pru. How that was going to happen would be another mystery. At this moment, all they could hope was that someone up there was watching and listening and would give them that helping hand.

* * * * *

Pru was grateful for Charlie’s bulk; the woman made a marvellous windbreak and this evening there was a chill northeasterly passing their way. She didn’t have much in the way of heavy clothing, tweed trousers, a brushed nylon blouse and the gumshoe raincoat that her brothers had presented to her when she entered the business as a rookie. Charlie, on the other hand, had a pair of warm denim trousers, serviceable, in her eyes, with the work she did, a wonderfully warm woollen sweater and an even warmer looking overcoat. She gave a discrete peek at the larger woman who was huddled next to her behind the thicket keeping them from view of everyone who neared the Gilmore property.

“Brrr… it’s getting cold don’t you think? One thing I hate about this job is night surveillance.” Pru muttered as she rubbed her hands together to try to keep them from freezing.

Charlie hadn’t felt the chill wind. She was used to far harsher wind chill factors so this was very mild to her and anyway, she was dressed for this part of the world. Glancing to her left she smiled when she saw the huddled and shivering figure of the detective. The woman needed more meat on her bones to counter the cold. That, and she needed more serviceable clothes for this kind of operation. Raincoats were all well and good in the movies, however, this was England and at this time of year the weather was decidedly changeable, especially in the evening.

“Here, take this,” shrugging out of her warm coat she placed it over Pru’s shoulders and heard the satisfied sigh which made her feel pleased that she’d offered.

“I can’t take your coat, Charlie, you will freeze.” Though the words were meant sincerely, Charlie laughed softly seeing Pru pull on the oversized coat that practically drowned her in its depths.

“I’m made of stern stuff, remember. I’m the country girl here.” She reminded as they captured each other’s gaze and stared intently into each other’s eyes.

Violet let out her own sigh as she saw the two, totally different women, finding a middle ground that encouraged their growing friendship. Pity that she hadn’t found a suitable situation with Packer. All that ever ended up between them was adversarial, except once…and had that been a surprise!

Her thoughts drifted to the mystifying Packer wondering if she was holed up in Gilmore’s place nice and toasty beside the fire. Not that it mattered to them. They didn’t feel things like they used to, sensations were somewhat strange and perplexing. Possibly why secretly she wasn’t revolted by Packer’s kiss, not that she was going to tell Packer, because in the old days, she might have been. At no time had she ever considered being intimate with a woman. Guess here, on this plane, it was all mixed up; so why not her feelings towards the ill fated kiss and she didn’t want to go there again, no way.

Then a thought struck her, what was she doing here thinking about Packer! She might as well go inside and check, these two weren’t going anywhere fast.

Walking inside the small house she was amazed that there were no lights showing, it wasn’t that late! Moving through the rooms the silence prevailed, where was her partner in crime and more importantly, where was Miss. Gilmore?

Damn, Pru had been right. She’d made an error of judgement and Gilmore had presumably left the building soon after they had. Why hadn’t Packer told her? She was going to have some choice words with the woman. What a pain she was turning out to be!

* * * * *

Considering the options open to her, surprise flooded her face as she came face to face with the Custodian.

“Hello, I wasn’t expecting to see you until the morning. We do still have until the morning to solve the case?”

A glint of something that Violet didn’t exactly recognise shot out snaring her eyes like a rabbit in a trap and making her shiver in fear at its intensity. “Are you closer to coming back with me?”

Taking a deep breath Violet turned away from the piercing gaze, he hadn’t been like this up there! “I think we have a breakthrough and would you believe I contacted Charlie.”

“You did, how?” The voice asked slowly its tone abrupt. Violet had the distinct impression that the Custodian wasn’t happy about that event. Perhaps they weren’t supposed to do that kind of thing.

“Oh, I got mad and somehow she heard me. I still haven’t quite worked that one out yet.” No way was she going to tell him that between her and Packer they thought they had solved the puzzle, she would keep that to herself.

“Where is Millicent?” the Custodian asked moving closer to her. Violet stepped away keeping as much distance as she could between them.

“Are you afraid of me, Violet?” the pleasure she felt he got from those words scared her more than anything she’d felt since dying and that had to be saying something.

“No! No of course not. Why would you say that?”

Her skin crawled as the man shot out a hand placing several threads of her hair between his fingers and insidiously pulling her closer and closer to him as he whispered. “Oh, but you are Violet, and you should be very afraid of me. Here, in this half way life, I become what I used to be. The longer I stay, the harder it will be to go back. I was not a nice person when I lived on Earth. It would defeat all that my superiors have tried to teach me should I fall from grace now.”

Unable to resist the temptation, Violet asked the dangerous question, “who were you when you lived here before?”

The man’s eyes rolled in contemplation and a spark of hatred tinged with pleasure flashed before her. “Some would say I was a deliverer, others a vile monster.”

“What did you do?”

“I cleansed the world of the heretics, those that did not pray to my God I slaughtered as I would animals for food. So many heretics back then; though there’s more now and what fun it would be to start again. If I came back again, I would begin to cleanse the world and soon the place would be fit for my God to reign.”

This had to be the ramblings of a madman. How the heck had they managed to end up with him as their only way back up there! “Oh, I’m sure you’re exaggerating and if you’re not, shouldn’t you go back now, immediately? Please don’t wait for us.”

A malicious laugh echoed in the silence of the room as tormented eyes flashed at her with an evil essence. In fact, the whole ambiance of the man was one of controlled evil. Had the Custodian the strength of character to remain on his own leash? “I need at least one of you to return or my superiors would fail my quest and I would be back to the first shift of my penance. Do you know how long it has taken me to get this far?”

Shaking her head, the ex-spy wondered where this conversation was actually going. Did it mean what she thought it meant? “Are you asking me to go with you and leave Packer here alone?”

Not so long ago she would have jumped at the prospect, now she wasn’t keen on the idea not with this madman. It would be like abandoning the woman to walk the Earth alone in the spiritual world. She might deserve a few minor penances, but not that! No one deserved the prospect of being alone for that length of time.

“I’m asking you to save my soul from this hell.”

Violet exchanged direct eye contact with the man. His words held the gentleness that she had first associated with him and the realisation that she could help him. It would mean sacrificing Packer at this critical stage in the investigation, could she do that?

“Will we get Packer back in the morning as you said earlier?” The silence that invaded the house was worse than when she had first arrived. The Custodian merely turned walking a few paces away from her.

“Are you going to answer me?”

“I cannot wait for her. If she comes now then all will be well… if not, she will have to find the key to requesting removal from this half life.”

“What? What if she never finds the key, as you call it?” This was stupid. Packer was intelligent when she didn’t get emotionally disturbed. However, no way was she going to work it out on her own, the woman would become hysterical, another feeling she had about her partner in death.

The man held his hands in the air with a gesture of resignation. “Are you coming with me?”

“If I said no and we waited until the morning as you indicated earlier, what will happen to you?”

“I cannot say.”

“Of course you can! You’ve said this much, tell me the worse case scenario, please! It’s not like I don’t deserve the truth?” Violet was angry, angrier than she had ever been before. She could feel the pressure building with each word she spoke.

“I have powers given me by my superiors. Knowledge, you might call it, which allows me to use those alive in whatever way I choose.”

“Are you crazy! What are you saying, that you can control people and they will do what you want?”

“Yes. I’m not a good man, Violet, I never was. It all comes back while I’m here and now, with all the world has to offer, I could wreak havoc. Can you allow this to happen for the sake of your friend? She may find her answers and also the way back. Which world would you choose to live with on your conscience?”

Dragging a hand through her already untidy hair she closed her eyes. What a choice and she really didn’t have one, did she? She and Packer weren’t exactly on the best of terms and with Charlie and Pru, she would find the answers maybe a way back too, she had to hope that was the case. Deep in her heart she knew she couldn’t let the Custodian loose on the world not if he had been evil once before. That was asking too much of her humanity, even if she was dead and he couldn’t do anything to harm her.

“Okay, can I try and tell the others?”

“No, we must go now. Take my hand, it is time.” Taking the hand offered tentatively, Violet felt the same sensation she had when she first arrived, the whooshing of the senses and the darkness it brought along with it.

* * * * *

Milly followed the teacher back to the house. As the older woman opened the gate to her path to the house, she decided it was time to seek out Violet and try to get in touch with the others.

About to make tracks to the pub she was astonished to hear familiar voices. Seeking out the sounds she found Charlie and Pru huddled behind a large thicket like two thieves waiting to pounce on their prey. Her heart missed a beat noticing how close the pair was, very close to each other and it appeared to welcome the comfort and security of the other. She didn’t blame Charlie, being celibate all these years must have taken its toll. Look at her track record, she hadn’t felt like they’d been away more than a week and she’d hit on Violet…yeah, Violet and where was she?

Searching the area she failed to locate the pretty spy. Where could she have gone? As she’d come across all the action of the evening it was highly likely that Violet could have got into a situation. Anyway, what situation could they possible get into that anyone would notice them, they were dead already!

“Damn, Charlie, she did go out, we’ve lost our chance!” Pru announced as both women gave out exasperated sighs at the sight of the schoolteacher walking down her own path to the house.

“Yes, it would appear so, although there is another option.”

Extremely irritated at this turn of events Pru could do with options. “Okay, out with it.”

Charlie gave the much smaller woman a wry smile. It was always the same when people were cold, uncomfortable and she guessed with Pru, hungry as well. They lost their sense of perspective and humour. “We could go in there and ask her where she’s been.”

Pru gazed at Charlie. Oh how simple the much larger woman made things and the truth of the matter was it was about the only possibility they had. “Yes, we could. Better yet, we could tell her we followed her and we know what she’s up to. Are you game, Charlie?”

“Isn’t that rather dishonest? She might call the police and tell them we are harassing her.” Charlie wasn’t sure at this point if lying to the teacher was the best course of action. They still didn’t have anything concrete to go on other than Pru’s gut feelings.

“I’ll do it on my own, Charlie. I shouldn’t have brought you into this, I’m sorry….” Trailing of despondently. It hurt her deeply that the other woman wasn’t as enthusiastic. She’d really thought that Charlie was going to go all the way on this one.

“No! Pru, I’m just erring on the side of caution I was brought up that way. You can’t always teach an old dog new tricks overnight.” She gave the detective a wide smile. The answering bright smile she got in return buoyed her sagging nerves at this current situation.

“Did you throw caution to the wind when you met Milly?”

Charlie considered the question. Yes, her one and only rebellious time and she never regretted one minute. Perhaps it was time for her to do the same again. “I did and it was worth every precious moment, no matter her flaws.”

Milly listened intently to her old lover’s comments. How she wished she’d never been so false with her love. Charlie only deserved the very best in a relationship. She’d never been totally honest and certainly didn’t deserve this much consideration now.

“We all have flaws, Charlie, I have lots, its part of being human. We just hope that our good points outweigh the bad in the long run. Are you coming with me or do you want to go home?”

Charlie stood up towering over the still crouched woman. Pru gazed up at her like she was an ant under threat. A single footstep could crush the life out of her and in some ways; Charlie’s answer could do that in an emotional way.

Holding out her hand, the detective clasped it gratefully grinning as she was given a wink from Charlie. “Let’s go find out the truth Pru, its time.”

Milly had watched the exchange fascinated, realising that Charlie might well be on her way to losing her heart again. Although she was sad at the realisation, Milly was happy for her. Moving on was the only way forward and Charlie appeared to be taking the opportunity and steaming ahead.

Now, where was Violet when she needed her? This situation could turn nasty if they didn’t at least try to get a message to Pru. So little time with far too much to accomplish!

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Continued In Part 8