The haunting of beverly.., p.17
The Haunting of Beverly Holden, page 17
“Well then, your one-night stand is walking this way,” Tyler said with a smile.
Beverly spun around, and her jaw dropped. Darrel was heading in their direction, a smile on his face and a friendly wave for them both, but she didn’t feel the same. All she wanted was to be rid of the man so they could go about their business.
35
“How have you been feeling? Better than the last time I saw you, I hope,” Darrel said. “I was going to call to check on you, but I figured I’d wait for you to call.”
She cringed. “Oh yeah, much better than that. Actually, I haven’t been sick at all over the last few days. Thank you again for coming over that day. I really don’t know what would have happened if it weren’t for Helena’s quick thinking, oh, and the IV you gave me. That really helped, too.”
“Anytime, Beverly. Happy to help. What brings you out to a place like this?” he asked. “You don’t seem like the type to stick family here. Hell, I don’t know anyone who would.”
“You know…just seeing what’s around. Once my time is up with Helena, I was thinking about getting back to my psychology roots,” she lied.
“That’s great! Not sure this is the place to try to find a job, but I’m happy you’re trying to plan ahead. Plus, I guess that means you’ll be staying in the area, which I can really get behind.”
There was an awkward silence. She wasn’t sure what to say to Darrel. Her eyes moved to Tyler. He was standing stock-still, but she knew he was doing his best to keep his mouth shut. She had to appreciate the show of restraint, considering he didn’t often have much. The man was gorgeous, but he wasn’t someone she could see herself hanging out with much. Before she could say anything in response, he spoke again.
“So, are you ready for that second date? I’m looking forward to it.”
He had a grin that would knock any girl out of her boots, but Beverly wasn’t ready to commit to anything with the doctor until she knew more about what was going on. She shifted uneasily back on her heels, trying to think of anything to say that would stop the awful silence from dragging on. Luckily for her, Tyler must have sensed the stress she was feeling and chimed in. He grabbed her sleeve and started to pull her away.
“Sorry, bro, she’s going to be late for her appointment. We have to go,” Tyler said.
He glared at Tyler. “I don’t think I got your name, friend?”
Tyler didn’t bother to slow down. “Nope! That’s the way I like it!”
As they entered the hospital, she thanked Tyler for saving her from Darrel. It came as no shock to her that the building wasn’t well maintained. Even from the outside, you could see it was a facility that ran on very little funding. Still, it broke Beverly’s heart knowing the state of the people's lives who lived there. Immediately, it was a depressing atmosphere. The woman behind the desk didn’t bother to look up from her phone as she shoved the clipboard in their direction and told them to sign in.
“Don’t you need to see our IDs?” Beverly asked.
The girl rolled her eyes. “Nobody gives a damn about you are, as long as you sign in on that sheet. Who are you here to see?”
“Candace Renick,” Beverly said. “We’re her cous—”
“Doesn’t matter,” she snapped. “Good luck with that. The woman is completely batshit crazy. Just go through those doors over there. I’m sure you’ll find her in the common room.”
Beverly was still fuming over the complete lack of professionalism from the young girl behind the counter as they pushed through the double doors into what appeared to be a solarium. Thankfully, each resident had their last name embroidered on the matching beige jumpsuits they wore. Her heart ached for the people, the place feeling more like a prison than a sanctuary for the mentally unstable.
She was shocked that they were about to meander around, looking at the names of the patients while still keeping a safe distance. Under normal circumstances, Beverly would have assumed that only the patients who were considered safe would be allowed to roam freely, but given the lax atmosphere she’d seen earlier, Beverly had her doubts.
“This place is a real dive. I can’t believe they’re perfectly fine hiring people like that. These poor saps aren't getting any care at all. Who is running this crap-hole?” Tyler quietly hissed.
“I know. This place is awful and disgusting. I feel bad for them. I get that funds must be tight for places like this, but still…whatever happened to respect for others,” she whispered.
“I do, too. Keep looking so we can get out of here,” he muttered.
After searching around a while longer, they finally found her. She was sitting in a chair that pointed out a window, gazing into the outside world. She looked confused and dazed. In Beverly’s opinion, they all looked over-medicated. She nudged Ty and pointed in the woman’s direction. He nodded, and they both approached her cautiously. It was a mental hospital, after all. Never know how they’ll react to strangers.
“Candace, my name is Beverly, and this is my brother, Tyler,” she said.
The woman didn’t even look in their direction; she just kept staring out the window. Beverly tried a few more times to get her attention, but Candace never responded. Tyler even tried to talk to her in a soft voice, but nothing changed.
She sighed, her frustration rising. They’d taken time away from the manor to speak to a woman who didn’t even understand where she was. Suddenly, another idea crossed her mind. Getting back down to the woman’s level, she whispered a name in her ear. The response she got was instant. Her blank stare turned to one of recognition before finally shifting to pure fear. The woman jumped from her chair. It toppled over in the otherwise silent room, drawing the attention of everyone around them, including the two orderlies who had been flirting near the entrance.
Beverly quickly went to the woman, trying to calm her down until finally, Candace sat back down in her chair. She could see the woman’s body still trembling beneath her jumpsuit. Beverly was convinced it had all been a waste of time until Tyler tapped her on the shoulder. She stood and let her brother take over the conversation. The woman turned to him instantly, smiling and touching his face affectionately.
“Gabe…my brother finally coming to see me?” Candace gave a weak smile.
“Yeah, it’s me, Gabe.” Tyler went along. “Can you tell me what you saw the day you went to Mirror Manor?”
The woman paled. “There was a woman in the cave, and she was covered in blood,” she hesitated. “I recognized her from the pictures Momma used to keep. Remember them, Gabe? She collected all those old newspaper clippings. It was that woman, Millie something. Heavens, she was scary and bloody…so bloody. The smell got to me. All I could think about was butchering hogs with Papa. It smelled just like that…like raw meat. She wasn’t hurt, though.”
“That’s what frightened you?”
The woman shuddered and shook her head. “No, I’ve seen lots of blood before, silly. Don’t you remember when you nearly cut off your arm? Blood doesn’t make me squeamish.”
“Then what?” Tyler pressed.
Her eyes grew wide. “The man. Gabe…I think he might have been dead! But no, he was standing right behind old Millie just as clear as you’re sitting here now. There was no way he was alive, though. I about puked right into that hole. He had his hand resting on his head, there was blood dripping between his fingers like I’ve never seen, and when he stepped closer to the woman, I saw…well, his whole bottom jaw was just hanging there loose by a few strings of flesh. He should have been howling or dead, but he wasn’t.
He just stood there, next to her, then lowered his hand real slow. That’s when I got out of there. As soon as his hand dropped, big old chunks of his head just started falling off. I’ve never seen or heard anything like it. Plops, like cow patties falling onto the wet ground. Have you ever known something, Gabe, but it just doesn’t make sense how? Well, I swear to you, it was pieces of that man's brains just tumbling down.”
“Was there anything else you could see?” Tyler asked softly.
Her eyes glazed again. “They’re going to kill me, Gabe. I know it. Want to hear a secret? They want my flesh for their collection. Bones! All the bones…they found me again, didn’t they? That’s why you’re here…you’re working with them, aren't you? Oh God, the dead!”
Beverly reached for Tyler and pulled him toward her. The woman began to scream as she stood up and threw the chair across the room. Beverly and Tyler stood back from the woman as the orderly raced to her aid. She had started to slam her head against the brick wall until a trickle of blood could be seen pooling in her lap. Yet the orderlies acted as if it was a regular occurrence. One wrapped her arms around her while the other strapped her down. They dragged her from the room and past a set of doors on the far side of the entrance. Bev wanted to chase after them and demand that they treat the poor woman better but knew it would do no good. The two quickly left the hospital.
“Here’s an idea. With all that money you’re getting, why don’t you buy this place and have it shut down. People deserve better treatment than that,” Tyler said.
“I hated seeing the depressed state of every patient in there. I almost screamed at them when they hauled her away like that,” she said.
Part of her agreed with Tyler, but she didn’t think they should shut the place down. There had to be something else they could do to help the poor people inside, but she didn’t have a clue as to what could be done. Still, it was definitely something she wanted to figure out down the road. As they climbed into the car, Tyler pointed out the window to a vehicle about half a mile down the road.
“Looks like this psycho is in the right place,” he said.
Beverly spun around, the familiar car making her heart drop. It was the doctor. They’d been inside for almost an hour, yet he was still sitting in his car, watching them. Her stomach rolled as she told Tyler to get them out of there. Her shock continued when the doctor pulled out after them, seeming to follow their every move until they passed his office. Only then did he turn off, yet the encounter had left her shaken, and her gut told her he knew more than he was letting on.
36
They rode in silence for a few minutes, both still reeling from what the woman had told them. She’d seen Bobby’s spirit before, and he hadn’t been disfigured. Still, it was no secret to her that the dead could manifest in whatever form they deemed appropriate. It was no wonder the woman had lost her mind at such a young age. Beverly couldn’t fathom how the sight of the spirit must have twisted the poor woman’s mind. As they approached their hometown, she sighed. There was one more stop they had to make, and Tyler wasn’t going to like it.
Between the mystery, the discovery of the body, and now a series of events that didn’t seem linked at all, Beverly was emotionally worn out. She wasn’t going to let her mood seep into the conversation, though, as she casually told Tyler to turn left at the stoplight instead of right, which would take them back to the manor. They were just a few miles from where the main road split off to the quiet side street their parents lived on. Before long, he’d know what was going on and she’d have to tell him. Tyler cocked his head, giving his sister a curious look.
“So, why are we going this way instead of going back to the manor?” Tyler asked. “I was looking forward to not being anywhere near Mom’s vicinity.”
Beverly frowned. “We have to stop by Mom and Dad’s house. I’m still waiting for my results from the bloodwork they did. After that, depending on your attitude, young man, I might see if they have your old babysitter’s phone number.”
“See, Bev, you think you’re being funny, but you don’t remember how cute she was. So, go ahead and get her number.” Tyler snorted. “But seriously, can’t you just call them and get the results? Why do we have to go there?”
“Oh, jeez,” she muttered. “Seriously, Ty? Don’t be ridiculous. I want to see it for myself. Mom would blow everything out of proportion if something bad was in the results and I had her read it to me.”
“Fine. You’re not wrong but remember that this was all your idea. Call it my ‘I told you so’ moment,” Tyler said jokingly. “I still think it’s unnecessary to go there, but I’m guessing you won’t let me crack open those tunnels if I don’t play the doting son?”
She rolled her eyes. “It will be fine, Tyler. Maybe they aren’t even there yet. God knows how slow that doctor's office is.”
“We can only hope. Anyway, you serious about getting her number?”
“Not gonna happen, Ty. You’re a grown man. Get it yourself if you want it so bad,” she said.
They pulled into their parent's drive with Tyler still grumbling about the extra stop. Despite his best attempts to claim it was out of concern for Helena, Beverly knew he was anxious to see where the tunnels led. Her mind drifted back to their host. The pain she’d seen in the woman’s eyes was enough to bring tears to Beverly’s. After all her years of suffering, Helena deserved some peace, though Bobby’s leaving wasn’t what the woman had wanted. He’d been her rock even after death. She shuddered at the memory of his spirit before walking into their parents’ house.
After calling out for both their parents, they heard the back screen door slide, and the woman appeared in the kitchen. Her look of irritation over the afternoon interruption turned to one of joy and worry when she saw her children. Instantly, she flew into Tyler’s arms. Beverly stifled her laughter as Tyler rolled his eyes. Had anyone seen the reunion, they’d have thought Tyler was a soldier returning from war after a decade, not a spoiled son coming home after three days. A few minutes later, their mother let go of Tyler and turned her attention to Beverly, though the greeting wasn’t quite as warm.
“So, your test results came back,” her mom said, handing her the envelope.
“You opened my mail? What the hell, Mom? I’m an adult now. Quit treating me like I’m a child and learn to trust me,” she snapped.
“I just wanted to make sure you’re okay. Forgive me for caring about my children! Besides, I knew something was going on up there. Someone drugged you with a date rape drug, young lady.”
“What?” Beverley stammered.
She asked as she ripped the contents out from the envelope, quickly reading the results to herself. There was no doubt about it; she had been drugged. The results were staring at her in black and white. Just to be sure, though, she read the letter again. A million thoughts rushed through her mind. The rage inside her continued to grow, but her thoughts were quickly interrupted by her mother’s voice again.
“I don’t want either of you going back up there. I tried to be understanding and even open, but this was the last straw. First the spirits and now this. I want you home!” her mother persisted.
Beverly sighed. “You don’t get to tell me what to do anymore. Helena still needs our help, and we are both going back to do so. I love you, Mom, but we have to keep fighting…well, whatever this is.”
“How did I raise two kids who don’t respect me? No. I won’t accept it. I didn’t raise you two to be like this. Why can’t I just have normal children? Ones who love and obey their parents.”
“You raised me to help others, Mom. Don’t you understand that?” Beverly had to bite her tongue to stop from saying anything else. “Come on, Ty. We need to get back.”
With their mom still yelling for them to stay, the two walked out of the front door and into the car. Her head was still reeling from the revelation. She was so angry that she could barely see straight as they headed back for the manor. One look in Tyler’s direction told her he felt the same. Suddenly, she was more worried about her brother's mental state than her own. While she’d been sure something wasn’t right the night she went on a date with Darrel, never would she have suspected a drug was involved. Beverly tried to keep her temper under control and a level head. The last thing she needed was to take a dive off the deep end. It took everything she had just to hold Tyler together and keep him from exploding with rage.
“That piece of shit drugged you? You wait until I see him again. Maybe I’ll just take a stroll down to his office later and have a nice little chat with him,” Tyler growled.
“I get that you’re angry, Ty, but we don’t even know for sure it was Darrel who slipped it to me. I mean, he came right over and helped me after the linwood incident.”
“Think about it. Who else could it have been? Darrel had to have been the one who gave it to you,” Tyler paused. “Then he waited for you outside of the hospital just a little bit ago. The man’s a piece of work; I’ll give him that.”
“We can worry about that later. The first thing is to tell Helena and Meredith about what we know so far,” she said.
“Okay, so after that, can I go to his office and smash a car window or something? Let me teach him a lesson.”
“No, Tyler, that would be destruction of property. I promise, if we find out it’s him, we’ll figure out some way of getting back.”
“Okay, fine,” he muttered.
“Don’t you have a door in the tool shed to knock down, anyway?” she asked with a grin.
“Oh yeah, almost forgot about that! I’m pretty excited. I can use this pent-up anger at Darrel as motivation to destroy that door,” he said. “He’s got a big head anyway, plenty of target practice.”
Beverly laughed. “You’ll get to go all 'tough guy' on the door just as soon as we tell Helena and Meredith what we know. Okay? Everything else we can figure out as we go, and if it makes you feel any better, I won’t let myself be alone with Darrel until we have some solid answers.”
“At least let me be close by. If he makes a move, I’ll just throat chop him back in his place.”
She wasn’t surprised by her brother's outburst. Beverly adored that Tyler felt so protective over her, but it wouldn’t do any good to start a fight before they knew the truth. The doctor would be there in a day, then she could get a feel for the type of man he really was. It didn’t seem likely that he’d try to poison her only to ask her back out on another date. It was infuriating to know she was missing something, but she had no idea what, only that the puzzle pieces were still floating around, and the completed picture wasn’t yet painted.
