Book of JUDAS

Chapter Twenty-2

“Hallo, can I speak to Mr. Theodore Grainger please?”

“Who can I say is calling?” asked the woman politely.

“Tell him it is Anna Nikolaidis; tell him we met several years ago when I was a student in California.”

“Please hold on,” the lady replied.

Anna felt herself becoming increasingly nervous as she waited for what felt like an eternity. Finally she heard the “clicking” of the exchange as the call was redirected at the other end.

“Anna, Anna Nikolaidis?” questioned the instantly recognisable tones of Theodore Grainger.

“Yes,” replied Anna simply.

“I knew that I would hear from you again one day,” he said with excitement.

Anna felt relieved to know that he still remembered her but also a degree of concern that he should be so confident that she would reappear again. What was this fascination in her that made her feel so uneasy? she wondered? What is it? What does he know that he’s not telling me?

The brothers sat silently on the sofa watching her pace up and down. They scoured her expression for any sign that could tell them how the call was going. Simon wished he could do something to help as they noticed that she was more than a little anxious.

“I’m in New York at the moment,” she continued. “As I was passing through I wondered if it would be possible to see your private collection of artefacts again? I’ve learnt a lot from working in the field since I last saw it and the pieces would have a whole new meaning to me,” she implored.

“Anna,” he laughed, “you’re always very, very welcome to see my collection, you know that – you’re also very welcome to see me if you’d like?” he asked poignantly. “I know I’m not quite as interesting as my collection!”

“Yes, I would like to see you as well,” she heard herself reply. Although she was lying for a good cause it did not rest or sit with her very well. Simon noticed her grimace as she paced the floor, pressing the phone to her ear.

“Well then why don’t you come to my party on Saturday?” he asked, clearly excited at the prospect of seeing her again. “The timing’s perfect, it’s my annual black tie ball this weekend. Maybe… ” he paused. “… Maybe, you’d care to join me on the head table?”

“I’d love to come,” replied Anna eagerly and looked animatedly towards the brothers. They smiled simultaneously; elated that they had achieved the breakthrough they were looking for.

“I’m holding it in the ballroom of my home in Westchester − starts at eight o’clock and you’ll make it an occasion to remember, my dear,” he added. He sounded thrilled.

“Great – I’ll look forward to it,” replied Anna, trying to match his evident enthusiasm.

Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye she noticed Simon gesticulating and she realised what was missing.

“Oh, just one thing more?” she added quickly.

“Yes, what is it?” he replied eagerly. Like all confident billionaires, he was used to getting what he wanted and in this case he was prepared to go to extraordinary lengths to ensure she could make it. However her response did raise an element of doubt and he wondered what it could be?

“Since we last met I’ve got married… Would it be Ok if I brought my husband along to the ball as well?” she asked, looking into Simon’s face.

There was a brief pause as Theodore Grainger considered his reply.

“That’s fine Anna – what’s this gentlemen’s name?” he asked in a curious tone that had lost some of its initial excitement.

“He’s called Simon,” she responded happily.

“Congratulations,” he said but she knew that the sincerity was missing.

For a moment she became aware of the old, haunted feelings about his real intentions towards her − the feelings that had scared her so much in the early days.

“I look forward to meeting him on Saturday − you can both join me on the top table!”

Anna thanked him repeatedly before signing off. As she pressed the button to disconnect the call she sighed heavily and looked up to the heavens.

“How was he?” asked Simon.

“I just don’t know what it is but there’s something creepy about him,” she replied, shuddering at the thought.

“I could sense it was difficult but you did it − that was a really great result, well done!” said Philip enthusiastically.

“Goodness knows how we would have tackled the problem of the second arkheynia without this foothold!”

“Thanks!” Anna was comforted by his confidence in her.

Heather felt more relaxed after her bath as she returned to the room wearing an old pair of jeans and a white polo top.

“You all look exhausted,” she remarked, settling down on the sofa and snuggling up to Philip before stretching out her hand towards the TV remote control. Pointing it towards the screen she raised the volume of the CNN news broadcast.

“You’re both going to have to go out and do some shopping tomorrow,” said Philip directing his comment towards Anna and his brother. “You’ll need to get new outfits for this ball on Saturday.”

“Anna, I know just where to take you,” said Heather, suddenly excited at the prospect of shopping with her new friend.

With her heavy work schedule she didn’t often find the time to browse around some of the most famous shopping landmarks in the world that New York’s Manhattan Island was famous for. However on this occasion she had made certain that her home life was put ahead of the long hours of commitment she clocked up for the time-hungry law firm. Besides she wanted to join Philip on his quest and knew she would have to be able to respond and act quickly. Earlier in the week she had laid the appropriate plans with the hierarchy in the office. Her first move was to hold a meeting with the Senior Partner and carefully explain, without giving cause for alarm, her unusual predicament to him. He was a friendly if sometimes unpredictable man who in this instance turned out to be very understanding with the firm’s biggest fee earner and his own personal protégé. After a few moments deliberating the pros and cons they had agreed that she should take a month’s sabbatical and if necessary they would be flexible and open to an extension providing she kept them regularly informed of her progress. She was delighted with the firm’s attitude and the rest of the morning and afternoon had been taken up with a mad scramble of briefing in-house lawyers on the status of her on-going cases and then speaking to clients to enlist their concurrence for her short term plans. Most were supportive but, the timing and short notice of the decision ruffled a few lucrative feathers.

Anna’s face also lit up with the prospect of shopping for clothes.

“Great,” she replied, smiling at Heather. She was also excited by the opportunity to explore New York’s famous shopping boulevards.

“We’re going to need to work out a plan once we get to the party,” said Simon wearily.

He felt exhausted from all the travelling and slouched on the sofa squinting at the TV.

“Simon, you and Anna are going to have to somehow find a way of locating the second arkheynia in his collection and devise a way of taking it during the party,” instructed Philip. “Unless you can suggest otherwise I can’t see a way of getting more intelligence on its exact whereabouts?”

Anna nodded in agreement.

“When you get to the ball, you’ll need to see what security they’ve got covering the collection and artefact. You’ll have to decide how best to proceed when you’re on site – having said that there are some things we can do. Tomorrow, for my bit, I’ll make sure that you have the tools with you to help you deal with any security system and secondly, I’ll create, or have made, a close replica of the arkheynia so that you can substitute one for the other.”

“That’s fine,” said Anna. “I can’t remember whether I actually saw the arkheynia in his collection but I can recall most of the mansion’s − if the artefact isn’t on display tomorrow, I know where it might be kept.”

“I want to come with you,” said Heather stubbornly.

“No − no need,” responded Philip calmly. He knew his fiancée’s persistence and wanted to avoid a minor confrontation so he decided to play the whole thing down.

“I’m only going myself as the driver!” he added. “You know there isn’t a third invite for the ball and there’s no point in your waiting with me in the car.”

Heather was about to argue when Philip gently put his finger up to her mouth.

“Look we’ll talk about this later,” he said with a reassuring smile.

“You’re right, we will,” replied Heather somewhat abrasively although she knew it wasn’t the right moment. Besides she had not even told Philip of her agreement to take a month-long sabbatical from work.

“Ok, we’ve got tomorrow and until the following evening to get everything set up and put our plans in place,” said Philip, stretching out his arms and yawning. “Right now, I think it’s time we all caught up on some sleep!” he sighed, and playfully dug Heather below the ribs.

Suddenly, without warning, Simon sat bolt upright and started scrabbling around to find the TV remote control.

“Quiet, everyone quiet − what’s this?” he exclaimed, pushing up the volume.

The broad American accent of the CNN newsreader filled the room.

“Today, in London, England, the police confirmed they are again investigating the horrifying and tragic murder of a lady believed to have been sacrificed as some sinister part of a bloody, ritualistic killing − the following is a report from our correspondent in London that was recorded earlier today, however we would advise that this report may contain language unsuitable for minors!”

Simon sat spellbound along with his brother as the story unfolded. What had made him realise the importance of this news item was the artist’s hand drawn impression of the appalling c*****e found at the terraced house in Oxfordshire when Professor Palanski’s body had been discovered. The gruesome image had been used by most of the broadsheets and tabloids the following day and for some curious reason this report on a new crime scene was carrying the same impression.

Heather looked slightly confused as she watched their earnest expressions remain glued to the news coverage. The picture changed as the report switched to the microphone-holding correspondent in London who was standing on the pavement with Kings Cross Station in the background. Behind him there were crowds of people watching the spectacle while busy commuters flowed past on their way to catch their train. Out of the corner of the screen it was just possible to make out a police cordon blocking the entrance to a small side street.

“I’m standing here in Kings Cross after it was revealed that the lady killed in the Bedford Hotel was murdered in a similar fashion to the Ashmolean lecturer whose mutilated body was discovered recently. In fact the similarity has resulted in Scotland Yard calling in their Oxfordshire colleagues to establish whether the killer, or killers were in fact the same.”

“So, what’s this about?” asked Heather, blissfully ignorant of the relevance but nonetheless startled and more than a little worried by Simon and Philip’s reaction to this macabre report. Philip had made a conscious decision not to tell Heather the truth behind their rapid escape from England for fear that it would cause unnecessary worry and stress that he could do nothing to resolve.

Simon flashed a knowing glance at Philip.

“Just wait a minute until the report’s finished,” he said softly, squeezing her arm for reassurance. Heather had already seen the same CNN coverage earlier on − she recalled thinking that these sick stories of twisted, demented individuals were more at home in America than they were in England. What on earth has this got to do with Philip? she wondered again and began fretting about the possibilities.

“…inside one of the hotel bedrooms the police discovered the body of an unidentified woman said to have been one of the many prostitutes that ply their trade around Kings Cross station. Unconfirmed reports that we have received from staff in the hotel who discovered the horrific murder state that the body had been staked out like a cross, the ankles and legs strapped together while the arms were pulled out sideways and pegged with nails through the hands. The skin had been peeled from the victim’s chest and pulled taut between the outstretched arms. Her ribcage had been sprung open and the skin from her face removed in what is becoming known as the ‘Death Angel’. The local population are terrified, living in fear that…”

“It’s the same person; it’s got to be,” said Simon, shaking his head and reducing the volume on the TV set. The gruesome revelation that the act had been repeated again made him prickle as he recalled the shocking scene that confronted him when he entered the professor’s front room.

“What’s going on Philip? − I don’t understand,” asked Heather sharply.

Philip looked at pains to explain.

“She needs to know,” added Simon calmly.

Philip nodded his head; he looked even more drained and tired than earlier on.

“We’ll talk about this tomorrow,” said Philip to Anna and Simon before standing up and reaching out his hand to Heather. “Come on, I’ll tell you the whole story, let’s go to the bedroom and talk − we’ll see you in the morning,” he said, and they departed up the lounge steps to the corridor leading to the master bedroom suite.

“Why would he go and kill this woman?” asked Anna once they had disappeared around the corner. “Do you think that there’s relevance or anything that connects her with us?”

“I don’t know,” said Simon, rising to his feet. “What I do know though is that the person capable of doing these atrocities to human beings must be insane!”

He stood up and walked over to the glass doors that led onto the balcony. He felt like he could do with some air. At least this maniac, this merciless monster doesn’t seem to have caught our trail yet, he thought thankfully.

Anna stepped through the gap and joined him.

“We’re in grave danger aren’t we?” she asked reluctantly.

She was scared, he could tell as soon as he saw her face. He put his arm around her shoulder to comfort her.

“We’ll be Ok,” he said gently, stroking her hair. “What’s important though is that we keep moving, so the sooner we sort out this business with Theodore Grainger and secure the second arkheynia the better.”

“Is Heather going to come with us?”

“I don’t know − that’s Philips decision,” he answered tiredly. “Come on, we should make the most of this opportunity and get as much rest as possible.”

“Just tell me we’ll be safe,” she repeated anxiously as they leaned against the balcony overlooking the park.

He smiled down at her.

“I’ll look after you, have no fear of that,” he said laughingly and pulled her towards him. She felt so much safer in his arms.

Down below, on the edge of Central Park, the solitary figure stepped out from the dark shadows of a tree and pensively replaced the miniature binocular set in his jacket pocket. A cruel, cynical smile spread across his face as he realised he had registered all the information he needed to know for now. This is indeed an unexpected bonus, he thought, sneering at his surprising good fortune. All of them present together in New York City! This is going to make things even easier, he concluded with a degree of satisfaction. Staring up one last time at the romantic couple leaning against the balcony, he silently walked alongside the metal railings making his way to the park’s exit.

Tired but buoyed by their burgeoning feelings for each other, they pulled themselves away from the side and wandered hand in hand back into the apartment.

Earlier that evening Heather, as usual the exemplary host, had made a huge effort to set up their bedrooms so that they were as warm and as comfortable as possible.

Anna closed the glass doors behind them as Simon flicked off the light switches before leading her up towards the hallway.

“Goodnight, Anna – and don’t worry, I won’t let anything happen to you, I promise,” said Simon as he kissed her softly on the lips.

She looked up and smiled.

“I know,” she replied nodding.

Minutes later, she had changed into her pyjamas and hopped straight into the clean, luxurious sheets of her double bed, stretching out her toes in gleeful anticipation of a great night’s sleep. Worn out, her mind blanked out the catalogue of thoughts constantly echoing through her mind and she fell asleep moments later as soon as her head reached the pillow.