Death is the Beginning - Chapter Fourteen
Suzette Costello was feeling all of her 85 years tonight.
She was worried about Gray, He seemed obsessed with the young men he was helping at the moment and Suzette couldn’t help but worry that the shadows from the past where catching up with them.
Gray told her it was them and they were back for their revenge. He was hell bent on keeping them apart and Suzette was afraid at what he would do next. She had long since given up the pretence that her son was sane and she had a bad feeling about what what he would do next.
She heard a noise outside the lounge where she was watching the TV and without getting up she called out, “Gray? Is that you?”
“Sorry to disappoint, Mrs Costello.”
“What do you want? Gray....”
“Is not here. You know who I am?”
The old woman nodded.
“We haven’t got much time then, and before I call the authorities you need to tell me why you killed Margaret Strauss?”
“What?”
“I know you were the only one who was at that house capable of....”
“You don’t know anything. But I am tired of carrying this secret...tired of...”
“Then tell me, tell me what happened?”
“I never thought I was in love with Roman until he met Margaret. We were happy before we came to Wales. Margaret was good for Roman and for a while she was good to Gray and I but when they got married it all went to hell”
“What do you mean?”
“She took over, she and Gray never got on. Gray despised her for stealing Roman away and he loved to play tricks on her. The day she was killed I had decided to tell Roman how I felt about him but Roman told me he could never love me, could never give Gray and I what we wanted because his love for Margaret was too strong.”
Ianto could see it all....so clearly.
“Roman, I’m so sorry. I was foolish listening to Hart.”
“I’m sorry too, I just felt so useless. I couldn’t finish my opera....no money....was like I failed you.”
“No my darling, you could never fail me. I was afraid you where unhappy with me.” Her eyes where downcast, admitting her insecurity and it made her feel naked under his gaze.
“Unhappy with you? I could never be unhappy with you. I love you Margaret, with everything I have.”
“So Roman loved Margaret and I tried to explain that to Gray but he couldn’t see it. All he could do was blame Margaret for the fact he never loved me. I just didn’t know how deeply he hated her until that night. Roman’s opera played that night through the house for the first and final time.”
Ianto was there, in that four poster bed.
Margaret was aware of a presence in the room as the last vestiges of sleep started to leave her.
“Hello? Who’s there? Is that you Roman?”
She was now sitting up in the bed as she saw a shadow fall across the curtain hanging around the bed.
The curtains drew back as a small boy raised a pair of scissors in his hands.
“THESE ARE FOR YOU!”
Before she could scream out, the scissors plunged into her flesh over and over again. She tried to fight but her blood made it too slippery to gain purchase on the attacking figure and she grew too weak to fight as the child plunged the scissors in one last time before plucking the anklet from her foot and walking away with a cruel smile.
The next thing she knew she was in Roman’s arms as he cradled her, desperately yelling for help.
She raised her hand to his face, until darkness flooded her mind and she lost her fight to live, his tortured face the last thing she saw.
Ianto shook as he concentrated on Suzette, eager now to hear the rest.
“I never knew what had happened until it was too late. After the murder, Gray went into himself. We moved to America and I took him to a doctor there who used hypnosis on him, told him all about past lives. Since then he became obsessed with the idea Roman and Margaret would exact revenge on him. When he saw your advertisements for your friend he knew.”
“Oh god...Jack’s there alone with him, I’ve left him alone with Jack... I have to go, I have to warn him”
“Wait!”
She stood and pulled a little box from the side table near the couch. He watched impatiently as she pulled a beautiful gold anklet from its box and handed it to Ianto.
“I’m done protecting him.”
Ianto nodded and left without further ado, anxious now to get to Jack.
Suzette sighed as she watched him leave and for the first time since that terrible day, felt like a weight lifted from her shoulders. She had kept this secret for too long.
“Time for bed, mother.”
“Gray....Oh Gray, I’m sorry I had to tell him. I had to tell someone the truth.”
“It’s all right mother, let me help you to bed.”
She let herself be led and Gray helped her under the covers, stroking her forehead as he kissed her goodnight. Her eyes slid closed and she drifted off to sleep.
Gray looked forlornly at his mother, the woman who had protected him for so long. He leaned down to her sleeping form and whispered in her ear.
“I love you, mother”
Picking up the pillow he held it down over her face until she stopped struggling.
****
Jack squeezed out the teabag and threw it on his sink. He was still trying to get used to this space as his own. There where flashes of familiarity about this place but it still took him ten minutes to locate the coffee mugs. He had given up trying to find the coffee so settled for tea instead. It would probably be better for him anyway.
He was already on edge.
He’d checked that the doors were locked three times alone in the last hour. Every sound from outside had him jumping up to the window, terrified that Grayson’s prophecy would come true but at the same time disappointed when it hadn’t.
A loud knock on the door had Jack spill tea all down his front as he jumped.
“Jack, let me in!”
Ianto’s voice shouted through his letter box and Jack panicked in the kitchen unable to move.
“Jack you gotta let me in!”
Jack moved quickly to the desk and grabbed the gun out of the drawer where Grayson had placed it earlier that day. He said Ianto would come with some story, he said Ianto wouldn’t be able to stay away and it could only end in violence and death. Jack still had those flashes from the past. Still felt the same fear that had him waking in the dead of night, a vicious scream on his lips and his heart racing to burst out of his chest.
He was panicking as it all came crushing back to him. The fear he felt, the feeling that someone was going to kill him.
Here it was....here was the threat.
Oh shit....he’s here.......he’s trying to get in.......oh god what am I going to do.
Jack’s breathing came in gasps, his heart was racing and his lungs felt like they were on fire.
He heard a click of the front door as it opened. He gripped the gun tighter as he heard footsteps down the hall, certain he was going to be killed.
****
When Ianto had left Suzette the only thought he had was to get to Jack and make sure he was safe.
Ianto made a call as he rushed back to his car.
“Hello Tosh? Are you with Jack?”
“No, Ianto, why?”
“Tosh, its Grayson, he’s gonna kill Jack. I’m on my way there now can you meet me?”
“I’m on my way, Ianto.”
“I’ll meet you there. Hurry Tosh.”
“Quick as I can, Ianto, be careful.”
Banging on Jack’s front door he could have screamed when Jack wouldn’t answer. He had to get in and talk to him.
He took out his lock picking kit and sighed in relief when he found Jack’s door a relatively easy pick.
“Jack, I’m coming in. Please you have to listen to me.”
Ianto rounded the hall and came face to face with a panicking Jack, a gun pointed straight at him.
“Listen Jack, please. I have something I need to show you. Something about this story that’s important.”
He watched as the gun shook in Jack’s hand. The older man looking like a caged animal.
****
A part of Jack’s conscious screamed at him that this was wrong but his body gave him no choice. He had to kill this man before he hurt him.
When Ianto’s hand reached inside his breast pocket Jack’s brain roared as his finger squeezed the trigger and the bullet hit its target. The younger man hit the ground with a half scream, his body as still as death.
Chapter Fifteen