Nothing Ordinary, M J Marlow [ebook and pdf reader .TXT] 📗

“You’re really here?” he asked his parents. “I’m not dreaming you?” “What’s happening,” Annie asked as the older couple threw their arms around him and cried in relief. James helped her up. “James?” “It would seem that the first victim was Thomas McManus, Annie,” James told her. “These are his parents, Thomas and Margaret McManus, Sr.” “Then who was the madman who’s been terrorizing us all this time?” Annie asked him. “We’ll find that out when that old woman and her son start talking,” James replied. He looked at the McManus family. “You ready to go. We have a face-to-face with them at the police station back in Broderick.” He saw their faces. “I wish we could give you more time…” “No,” Thomas Sr. shook his head. “Let’s get this all settled. We have all the time we need now to get reacquainted with our son.” They got in the car and drove back to Broderick. Willy and his mother were in the only cell as they entered and the man’s face fell as he saw Annie and Thomas Jr. walking in the door. His mother went pale as she realized who the older couple had to be. “I admit to being fairly stumped here, folks,” the Sheriff said as he settled his large form into his chair. “The Bassett family has lived in these parts for five generations. When Wilma’s husband died ten years ago, they started to have hard times. But then they came into a windfall and things picked up.” “Five years ago?” Agent Taylor asked as he came into the office. He showed his credentials. “Sheriff, that was when this all started. Jed Bassett accepted work as an assassin for hire from a very nasty outfit and he’s been hurting people ever since.” “But we buried Jed Bassett five years ago,” the Sheriff replied. “You buried an empty box,” Thomas Jr. stated. “I was the one who was forced to dig the grave.” He remembered it all now. “Jed had a surgeon give him my face and then his mother drugged me and had a psychiatrist tell her how to brainwash me. She turned me into a replacement son and told me my name was Jared. For the past five years, I have been living on that farm doing their menial labor and field work while the real son was out there murdering people with my name!” “These people certainly went to an awful lot of trouble,” the Sheriff frowned. “What was it all about?” “Annie’s grandfather was approached by the FBI when we got a tip that his employers were up to some very illegal activities,” Taylor told him. “He was not in the least bit hesitant to spy on them.” He looked at Annie. “He was going to turn over the files he’d compiled on them, but then they killed his son and daughter-in-law and threatened his granddaughter, Annie.” The Sheriff looked at the girl in question and he could see why Bassett had been obsessed with her. She was an angel. She had the kind of beauty that made a man want her. He saw her husband’s eyes go a little cold and he looked away. “Willy shot his brother,” Annie told him, “when he was leaving the farm because he had slapped his mother around.” “Wilma always was a mite too greedy for her own good,” the Sheriff nodded. He looked at the stenographer in the corner. “Got all that, Doris?” “Word for word, Sheriff,” his wife smiled over at him. “I’m certain there’s more but Mrs. Owens looks like she’s ready to fall asleep and I’m sure her husband would like to have her to himself after their separation.” She got to her feet. “The hotel is ready to put you all up for the night. It’s just down the street.” “You have a very perceptive woman there, Sheriff,” James smiled at the perky redhead. “I like her,” the Sheriff nodded. “Tell Jacob to give you rooms on the same floor and next door to each other if possible. Be easier to find you if we need any more from you in the morning.” He saw Annie shaking her head. “Mrs. Owens?” “You need to ask that woman how to remove these lenses, Sheriff,” Annie told him. “I don’t want to be blind any longer.” “Blind?” James hissed. He looked at her eyes more closely and wondered how he had missed it. “Oh, God!” He tried to remove one. “They don’t come out!” “I’ll get Wilma,” the Sheriff nodded and left the office. He came back with the woman, who eyed them all coldly. “Tell the girl how to remove those lenses, Wilma.” “No,” Wilma replied. “Serves her right for getting my Jed killed.” She glared at Annie, but the girl couldn’t see her anger. “He would still be alive if it wasn’t for this little bitch! Let her stay blind!” “We’ll figure it out,” Annie said to James as she felt him ready to strike. She looked in the direction of the woman and her compassion was quite evident. “I’m sorry your son is dead, Mrs. Bassett, but I’m not the one who shot him.” She leaned against James. “Can we go, please?” They all got up, eager to be away from the nightmare for a while. Annie still could not believe that the man who had been stalking her for the past five years had been someone her own uncle had sent after her to punish her grandfather. Had he known the man was insane? Did it even matter to him how much damage he had done to her and her family to keep his secrets safe? “I need to call Eliza,” Annie said to James as they entered their room and she found her way to the phone. He took the receiver out of her hand and hung it up. “James!” “You have been missing for nearly a week, Anneke Leisel Owens,” James said as he picked her up in his arms and carried her to the bed. “I am not letting you out of this bed for the next day, at least.” “James MacArthur Owens,” Annie sighed as he set her down and she pulled him to her. “I don’t think one day is going to suffice.” They had only been alone a few hours when there was a knock on the door. James cursed and pulled on his pants to go answer it and found someone shoving a wailing bundle into his arms. He looked up to see his brother with a very annoyed expression on his face. “Next time you want me to baby sit,” he said tightly as he went to hug his sister-in-law, “I want permission to use a whip and chair.” “What is that nasty Uncle Jeffrey talking about, little man?” James smiled down at his now quiet son. He turned and Karl saw his mother. He launched himself out of his arms to get to Annie. She laughed as something small and smelling like pears hit her square in the chest. “I think he missed you, darling.” “I certainly missed him,” Annie laughed and pulled her son to her. “How’s my little man?” “Mommy red,” Karl said as he tugged on her short curls. “I’ll be gold again soon, little man,” Annie promised him. “Okay?” “Kay,” Karl smiled and snuggled against her. He fell asleep instantly and Jeffrey looked very annoyed. “Now that is not right,” Jeffrey protested. “He screamed the whole way here for us.” He looked at Marcy. “I swear, Marcy; if our baby is as much of a pain as this one is, I’m trading it in!” “Your baby?” Annie looked from her brother-in-law to his friend. “What have I missed while I’ve been away?” “Our brother and Marcy got married while you were gone, darling,” James told her. “But that’s wonderful!” Annie smiled in their general direction. She did not see Jeffrey’s and Marcy’s stunned expressions. She closed her eyes and rocked her son as he slumbered in her arms. “Annie,” James said hesitantly. “I’m going to talk to Jeffrey for awhile. Will you be all right with Marcy?” “I have a feeling an army couldn’t get past my new sister,” Annie smiled and nodded. “Go on, James. I’m fine.” She held Karl close. “I’m more than fine.” 37 Annie didn’t know what woke her. She opened her eyes and felt her way to the portable crib. Karl was sound asleep. She went back into the room and opened the curtains, feeling the warmth of sunshine on her face. It was morning and she could not enjoy the sights of the new day. She heard a knock on the door and James stirred behind her to answer it. “Sheriff,” James said, identifying their visitor. “What do we owe this visit to?” “I spent half the night talking to Wilma, Major,” the man said as he came into the room. “She’s not budging.” He saw the look on Annie’s face and he was sorry he had to tell her the news. “She was quite pleased to tell me, however; that if the lenses are not removed in the next 72 hours, your wife will be permanently blind.” “No!” Annie sobbed and looked horrified. “No one could be that cruel!” she said as she sank back against the window. The two men could see her sadness become determination. “I want to talk to her.” “That’s going to be a bit hard, Mrs. Owens,” the Sheriff told her. “Someone got into the station early this morning and,” he paused and looked at James. “I’d rather not say this in front of your wife, sir.” “She’s dead, isn’t she?” Annie asked the man. “Of course she is,” she sank down on a nearby chair. “We can’t let Annie have a happy, uncomplicated life.” She was sobbing now and James was on his knees at her side. He held her as she looked at him in despair. “Why would someone do this to me, James? It makes no sense!” The phone rang and she jumped as Karl began to whimper. She went to quiet him as James answered the phone. There was a knock on the door and the Sheriff went to answer that. Annie was completely devastated by the realization that she could not see to help her child. She had to find a way to remove these lenses or she would be helpless. “We thought you might like some…” Jeffrey saw the dark look on his brother’s face and the anguish on Annie’s and knew something more was going on. “What’s happened?” The Sheriff told him and Jeffrey shook his head. “That’s not right! That woman was an evil bitch!” “Breakfast sounds good,” Annie changed the subject. “Marcy can you help me with Karl?” “Sure, Annie,” Marcy nodded. She took the boy from her and changed him. “You’re getting to be a big boy, Karl. Aunt Marcy is going to buy you some boxing gloves and teach you how to beat up Uncle Jeffrey.” She got him into clean clothes. “What do you want for breakfast, little soldier?” “Boo berry pancakes!” Karl smiled up at her. “Mommy eyes funny.” “Your Mommy had someone hurt her eyes, Karl,” Marcy told him honestly. She saw Annie nodded her agreement to her. “She needs us all to help her now. You want to help your Mommy, don’t you, Karl?” “Help Mommy,” Karl nodded. He held out his arms and Marcy put him back in Annie’s hold. “I be good, Mommy. Help?” “My little man,” Annie sobbed as she held him close. “You’re always good.” They went to breakfast and the conversation was awkward. Annie knew they were worried about her, but she refused to give up hope. There had to be some way to reverse what the old woman had done to her. She was not going to let this beat her. So she concentrated on Karl. She cut up his pancakes after