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Chapter 35
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Nathan’s reminiscence
It was nearing midnight, Halloween coming to a close. All the little kiddies were at home sifting through mounds of sweets in preparation of cavity orgies in the days to come. Most adult revelers were still partying or finding spots to nurse their binges.
Usually, I'd be home with a tumbler of Johnnie Walker Black in hand, microwave popcorn by my side, watching Halloween 1 & 2 back-to-back. It was a usual tradition since my teens, but now I sit in a corner booth at the waffle house, nursing my umpteenth cup of truck stop Java, waiting on him.It all started with my fascination of horror movies and urban folklore, but that little fascination turned into an obsession while poring through the library archives in the campus library.Two years ago, I was just a normal college sophomore on scholarship in a small college town near the TexRelated chapters
Lancelot's Secret Chapter 36
Jane’s POVMy abduction took place on a Tuesday morning, after my shower, while coffee was brewing. I stepped outside to fetch the mail, clad only in my fluffy pink bathrobe and cottontail slippers. I was nibbling on a bagel with cream cheese, considering hitting the treadmill after making breakfast for my husband, and didn't notice anything unusual about the tan car that pulled into the driveway other than the fact that it shouldn't be there. I frowned, juggling an armload of junk mail and my bagel, assuming the driver had made a mistake and had the wrong house. I started walking back towards the door, flicking a glance behind me, watching the car back slowly towards the street. Simple enough, just someone misplaced, and not the first time it had happened. I reshuffled the mail, held the bagel with my teeth to free a hand for the door knob, and then staggered as a black garbage bag was drawn over
Lancelot's Secret Chapter 37
“I think you were pretty tough on Lancelot,” commented Susan as they walked through the entrance Hall. Keeping her voice low.“You have certainly worked with me long enough to know I adapt my tactics to bring out information and obtain. They worked,” said Nathan. Susan scowled.“That was not some information which you could not have gotten by some other process. You need to think about the bigger picture as well. If you keeping scaring him and making him nervous as a tic then I doubt that he is going to reveal anything to us,” said Susan. Nathan looked at me and gave a tight smile. Just at the moment the phone rang in his pocket and he fished it out.Nathan stared at the name and then picked it up and then barked,” Frost.”“What? WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? WHEN THE FUCK DID THIS HAPPEN???&r
Lancelot's Secret Chapter 38
When they entered the hall of the hotel again, Nathan glanced up the stairs. The man that they had rescued from prison, although Susan was not aware about it was descending from the stairs. But Nathan glanced quickly at the parlour and found that Lancelot was standing there waiting for someone and Nathan put up a hand at him asking him to wait. Following him in was Susan, who looked at the visitor’s area couch and found Lancelot. He was looking handsome in the clothes that he had chosen to wear.He jumped up and held out his hand and squeezed hers. Always smartly clad he was wearing a white suit, white jacket and the collar of his white shirt was open at the neck and no cravat. His ensemble was complete with two white leather shoes with brown toe-caps. Reluctantly, Susan admitted to herself that he was really very impressive and he did not know how to make that impression last in the mind of a woman.
Lancelot's Secret Chapter 39
Suppressing her urge to dash out in the hall way just gazing at his face, Susan chose an armchair, sat very erect as he moved closer towards her. His motion reminded of what she had previously thought about Neville. He slithered into the arm chair.He no longer wore the disguise that he had used when he enjoyed her charms and had continuously duped her and did not even give a shit when she came to know everything about him .. All the truth…but Susan had no idea that why on earth was her past coming to haunt her in this way. Had she not been punished enough? Had she not suffered already in her life?He was dressed in a black suit. Black trousers, a long black jacket, black tie over a white shirt. He was very tall and thin and the black stressed the bloodless cadaverous face. If there had been any charm when they had last met each other then none of that was left at all now, his thin lips curved i
Lancelot's Secret Chapter 40
Vermont looked at Nathan still confused and asked,” You want to know the real reason that has been going on so far in this place? I mean, I can tell you what else I have found out so far.”“Of course. I want to hear it,” said Nathan as he focused back on Vermont with a serious expression.“She picked me out of the list of private detectives because she liked, Eyes Only.. Don’t ask me why. I still have no clue about that. The mission was to locate the murderer of her sisters. She thinks that with her brother being implicated in the murder of these two women as well is in some kind of danger. I was not supposed to break the code and inform him about anything but I had to break the code and for that I am not going to take away the money that she is paying me,” said Vermont.“What else did she tell you? I mean, this is a ruse that the
Lancelot's Secret Chapter 41
Susan knew that Nathan was never going to leave her alone in doing some detective work of her own but clearly he was busy with Vermont and they were talking business so this was the only chance that she would get to investigate the matters on her own. She was intrigued by what was going on in the Black Gorse Moor and the hidden tunnel underneath all that gorse. She had yet to tell Nathan about that. So it would be better if she did some digging on her own at first.She dressed up wearing two leather jackets and ankle boots and put a few essential items in the backpack. When she descended down she heard that there was a friendly and serious conversation going on inside the room where Frost was staying. That meant that the two men were talking business.In the hall, the landlord was describing the area in her map and was absorbed in doing that. The lady who was standing was quite elegantly dressed and sh
Lancelot's Secret Chapter 42
Susan had dropped to her knees to explore the tunnel. When she risked shining her more powerful torch into the darkness the beam faded into blackness a few yards ahead. The tunnel must be endless. She just had entered the tunnel when the metal buckle on the top of her backpack scarped against the top of the tunnel. She was worried about the noise and hauled the pack off her back and dragged it along by the handle. It was not long before the pressure of the unknown crept in her mind. She gritted her teeth determined to discover the reason for the tunnel.The tunnel continued its gradual descent. Soon she would be deep under the Black Gorse Moor. And it was definitely not a pleasant thought. She was also worried that someone might have noticed that the lid of the tunnel had been removed. Since she had no partner this time and was doing this all by herself, her back was completely exposed and she might be attacked without being a
Lancelot's Secret Chapter 43
When Acheson MacArthur was finally up, they lay there like that for a while, exercising limbs and recovering. Then Acheson squeezed Susan’s arm and slowly asked,” What next?”“We get out of this fiendish tunnel. I know the way. I will go first. Keep close behind me.”“Gal, I have to say, you have got guts,” he said.“What is that plastic canister in your pocket?” asked Susan.“That is a sample. Let’s start the crawl…it is going to take a long time…”As she eventually emerged from the tunnel, she could not recall experiencing such a frantic sense of relief. And now for the first time the moon had come out, illuminating the bowl as far as they could see. She screwed the lid back on in the position where it was over the entrance and sat on it. Mac
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Lancelot's Secret Chapter 74
Nathan’s POVI will always remember the barn. How could I ever forget it? It was a big, corrugated iron one, dull with age and with no windows on the lower level and just one at each end, up in the gable. Tall narrow windows that let light into the loft, while below the barn was dark and silent, cluttered and filled with dust. But I didn't know that when I first saw it. I came upon it slowly as I emerged onto the top of the mountain, after a steep climb from the bay below, which had taken me through the untouched forest of the National Park. And I came at it from the rear, seeing the high window lit with the full afternoon sun, and I saw him there caught in the sun, naked and golden, like some lost angel. Perched up there on the windowsill with his arms spread wide hanging on to the frame. He is the reason I remember the barn so well. I stopped there, breathing hard, recovering from the climb, and
Lancelot's Secret Chapter 73
This is getting to be familiar territory, Susan thought as they entered the corridor and turned to go towards the library. They knocked politely, turned the handle and then gradually descended down the steps. In his smoking jacket Lord Billington sat there crouched over a table occupied by the game of chess in progress. He frowned.“My dear chap. Welcome…. And also to you, Susan. The frown was about me being puzzled by the state of the game. Join me for a few moves, eh, Frost?” asked the earl.He waited for Nathan patiently as he toured the board from all angles. Sitting opposite to Billington, he moved one of his pawns. Billington looked perplexed.While waiting Nathan picked up the imposing Queen. He used a clean handkerchief to wipe off the wwaist a tiny mark. Then he placed her back on the board.“She is a heavy lady,”
Lancelot's Secret Chapter 72
After more valuable conversation with Acheson, Nathan left the table and headed with Susan for the garage. Once inside the car he stared straight ahead and then just sat there without even saying a thing without moving.“Billions and billions, MacArthur said that the moor is worth and Neville Guise offers Lord Billington only one million for this entire property like this. He must have been furious when Acheson sent him that phoney report through that courier--- and returned the huge fee that Guise had sent him, rather paid him…”“Which is why he tried to kill Acheson that day in the moor. That night I mean,” said Susan as her eyes widened with the realization,” He spotted the fake. We will now drive over to Bradburt Manor and I would like to have a conversation with Lord Billington on an immediate basis.”“But he will be asleep
Lancelot's Secret Chapter 71
The dining room was very quiet. Few tables were occupied. Acheson was at a table inside a secluded alcove. He waved. As Nathan and Susan sat on either side of him he took out a package nicely wrapped with a bow and all out of the pocket of his tropical drill jacket, and handed it to Susan.“I have never been able to properly thank you for saving my life up on the moor.. Otherwise I would not be here tonight. Just a small gift,” said Acheson with a smile and gratitude shining in his eyes.Susan took it gingerly. It had been quite long that she had been presented with gifts from men. And now that she had it she was not sure any longer. She opened the gold wrapping paper which was gauzy and then the green soft coloured paper underneath and took out an expensive leather case.Taking a deep breath she unfastened the case and gasped.Inside was a
Lancelot's Secret Chapter 70
“This map,” Marley started speaking,” I have obtained from a mariner friend high up in his service. They know of the island’s existence but do not know that the island belongs to that bastard, Neville Guise. Here goes….”From the cardboard roll he extracted a large map, spreading it to flatten it. Susan immediately recognized it as showing the west coast of Brittany, the Channel Islands with vast stretch of the Atlantic with another island well west to the Channel Islands group. The island was circled in red.Near the bottom of the large sheet was another map, a detailed outline of the map of Roab. A drawing on this map showed steep cliffs and a section of dotted lines shaped like a triangle with the narrowed apex ending at the gulch. Marley pointed the dotted lines projecting into the Atlantic.“That’s a trap,” he explaine
Lancelot's Secret Chapter 69
The pleasant maid had cleared away the breakfast clutter that the three of them had made altogether, but Susan was still puzzled by Nathan’s reply. Another factor entered her mind, she looked across the bed where Nathan’s note pad was still open and Nathan was studying it.“Island of Roab. Could that be somewhere important? I mean, somewhere remote out in the Atlantic?”“All great minds think alike,” he smiled,” I was just wondering about that myself.”“And there is a strange item in the paper. Something about the Asiatic pirates who grabbed an oil tanker about a few months back, fully laden. Do you think that this could be connected with that?” asked Jane who was also trying to contribute in the best way that she could, given that she had missed out on a lot of the investigation in the past few days.
Lancelot's Secret Chapter 68
The stranger strolled casually into the parking lot. It was dark and, despite the fact that it was Saturday and there were several bars around, the parking lot was not busy at 10:45. She would be getting out of the library soon and he wanted to be ready for her. He slipped a small screwdriver from his pocket and knelt by her license plate. He quickly removed the one screw, catching her spare key as it fell to the ground. He replaced the screw and let himself into her car. In the back seat he took a few other things out of his pocket; a small cloth, folded thick, a tiny bottle, a gag and some lengths of rope. He grinned. She was going to be surprised. He settled himself to wait. Another 10 minutes and her work would be done. He must've dozed because the pinging of her remote starter startled him and he almost sat upright. He slouched down further as the locks popped up. "Lazy bitch," he thought. "What's so hard about turning the
Lancelot's Secret Chapter 67
Susan looked at his expression of listening to every word she said had returned. She concluded finally the story with her walking away from the cottage with the crooked chimney and she had already earlier told about Jane’s rescue.“I am sorry,” said Susan,” I should have never take the risk without…”But Nathan was fuming and he could not help any longer. He finally burst out.“Wrong!!” he exploded. “ You were right and I have been a fool from the very beginning not hearing what you had to say. Have I not told you earlier that any of my members of the team that they must use their initiative? Which you have done and I must say that you have done successfully and admirably. And I am glad that you did not wait for the team and brought Jane back yourself. Otherwise we would have been missing a very crucial piece of information
Lancelot's Secret Chapter 66
“I think we ought to have a full breakfast up here,” said Nathan as he picked up the phone and said,” I am ordering it.” His voice was firm.“Won’t the landlord think that it is funny that I am in your suite so early?” she ventured.“Mr. Barnie has been running this place long enough, I am sure. So in his time it is an honest thing that he must have seen or he will be quite used to serving breakfasts to men who have spent night with a lady friend.. Par for the course.”Over the phone he ordered for a huge breakfast for three people, to be served in twenty minutes. Tea, more coffee, a carafe of creamer, since Jane took hers with cream and sweet, toasts, marmalade, scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, toasted muffin…“We will both be in a fighting fit after that,” he said refilling Susan&rs
