The Birth Of Eve (13 page)

Michael paused the moment he saw Eve, his eyes scanned the
darkness wildly then fell back to her.

“They’ve gone Michael, apart from Paul; he’s not going
anywhere anymore is he?” She was hoping to keep the conversation calm as
possible so he didn’t panic.

“Eve; what a pleasant surprise, how did you find your way in
here? Isabella I presume I assume. She has always been a slippery creature; I
guess we don’t have very long then do we?” Eve looked into the man’s eyes, the
first time she had met him a micro expression had disturbed her, and he had masked
it well. Now the mask was gone and all that remained was the manic expression
that chilled her to the bone. The man was psychotic, it was plain to see that
now; he had been a better actor than she could ever hope to be. The puzzle began
to click together in her mind, Leila, Rory and Tara. Little details now seemed
huge, the missing pages in her mums diary; he must have ripped them out
himself. The fact he had been waiting for someone to move in to her parents’
home, had he known about her all along?

“I want to know the truth father, everything from the
beginning” the term came out of her mouth like an expletive but Michael was
visibly moved, it had been the first time she had used it when addressing him.
Michael frowned shaking his head

“You will despise me Eve, I can’t tell you everything. I
love you Eve isn’t that all that matters, everything I did was for you. I can’t
lose you now Eve promise me you won’t hate me” Eve closed her eyes in horror
but tried not to flinch as he reached out to touch her face.

“I promise I will not hate you as long as you tell me the
whole truth” she reluctantly took his hand to show she meant it. Michael
released her and began his story from the day Eve had left home.

“I came back to see Leila like I told you, I heard from an
old parishioner that there was a little girl in the house. I guessed that she
had to be my daughter; I wanted answers but Ian wouldn’t let me near her I
didn’t know at that point Izzy had taken you away. So Leila arranged to meet me
in secret while Ian was at work. We met in the garage, she told me she had sent
Isabella away and she was going to report me for harassment and she would never
tell me where you had gone. I didn’t mean to kill her but she made me so angry
I picked up the hammer and just hit her.” Eve remembered finding the hammer

“You snatched the hammer off me to explain why your prints
were on it didn’t you” Michael shook his head

“No I was wearing gloves so your fathers prints were on the
hammer not mine at all; I grabbed the hammer off you so you didn’t rub his
off.” Eve recalled the moment and felt stupid he had grabbed it with his left
hand too. Michael was left handed, and she had known that but not registered
it, all the times she noticed he held his phone the wrong side. She was angry
with herself

“You bricked her in, how did you get away with that?”
Michael smiled cruelly

“I waited for Ian I showed him what I had done and waked
away, his prints were on the murder weapon I was a man of the cloth,
untouchable. I didn’t think he would leave her there to be discovered; I had no
idea what he had done with the body, the fool. I never for one moment thought
he would live there all these years with her body rotting away next door. He
drank himself to death then, he couldn’t handle it. No spine that man, never
dealt with things like a real man.” Eve was sickened by the idea the man she
had thought of as her father had lived with his wife’s body for so long, no
wonder her soul was tormented.

“What about Rory Tara said you killed him too” Eve wasn’t
done she wanted it all; the police would get the truth from her if it was the
last thing she ever did. She gasped at another piece of puzzle.

“Freud! You killed a helpless little cat too? How could you,
Izzy found it that day, she must have seen you dump his body?”

“Freud was a pest, stupid cat I snapped its neck I hate
animals and you stroked it all the time, gave it more affection than you did
me” Eve recoiled, he continued “Rory I killed for you, he was going to hurt you
I couldn’t allow that, no man would come between me and my daughter ever” A
horrid thought crossed her mind

“You were away that day Nathan was attacked, you rang him to
warn him off and the next day he was in hospital. That was you too wasn’t it?
Oh my God you are insane; you suddenly liked him again why?  He suddenly met
your approval because of the baby why?” A sickening smirk lit up his face; she
couldn’t ever understand why she had ever thought good of him. Over his
shoulder she spotted Izzy carefully walking down the cellar stairs holding a
walking stick, she must know help was on the way she kept him talking.

“Babies are a gift from God, especially little girls, I love
tiny perfect girls. I wished I could have held you in my arms. To have a second
chance with a new life to love and hold, it was worth allowing him to live.” He
really was deranged but there was something else there she couldn’t put her
finger on. If all he wanted was to be a good father why kill Leila if she was
the only person who could lead him to Eve.

“You wanted me so badly why kill my mother, I was nine years
old you should have made her tell you so you could come and find me I don’t
understand?” Izzy’s face changed as she came up behind him

“Tell her why you wanted to find your little girl, you
arsehole” Michael span around in surprise he reached out to grab the stick off
her and it flew out of her hand scuttling across the floor. Izzy screamed as
Michaels hands went around her throat. In a panic Eve searched the darkness for
a weapon

“Shut up Izzy don’t you dare speak unholy words to me, don’t
you speak to my daughter ever again” Eve could see Izzy struggling for breath
so she grabbed at a piece of wood near her foot and swung with all her might
striking the back of his head with a crack. Michael instantly released Izzy who
crumpled to the floor moaning. Michael stared at Eve in disbelief, he reached
out to her then his eyes rolled backwards and he dropped like a stone.

Eve gasped for breath fighting the rising bile in her
throat, collecting her wits she picked up the ropes that had bound Tara and
used them on her father. Izzy by this time had recovered enough to help and
they soon had him restrained. They sat on the floor a few feet away to wait for
help,

“I am sorry I never came for you Eve, we ran away because of
Michael. I guess you now know that much, we hoped mum could scare him off and
he would go back to Africa so we could come home. When I heard nothing I knew
something bad had happened and I needed to hide. You were the most important
thing Eve, he could never find you. I was ten years old when we first met
Michael he was young and handsome, mum adored him but not in that way. He came
to the house a lot and even baby sat sometimes for me, he was my Sunday school
teacher too. When I became ill my mum asked Michael for help, he tried to talk
her out of seeking medical help, and in fact he offered to take me to Africa.
He had convinced her I was suffering with a lack of vitamin D.” She paused to
take a breath and hold Eve’s hand

“I was twelve years old when my mum discovered I was
pregnant” ignoring Eve’s horrified gasp she continued

“Michael had been planning to take me away to deliver the
baby so nobody would find out; he had been abusing me from the start.” She
paused to allow this information to sink in to Eve. It was sinking in like a
knife in the guts; he had abused a little girl and got her pregnant! He would
have abused her too, no wonder they had to send her away it all made sense now.
She shivered as she recalled his excitement finding out Nathan was having a
daughter. Eve leant over unable to hold back the rising nausea any longer; she
emptied her stomach on the floor while Izzy stroked her back.

Isabella was not her sister; this was too disturbing for
words. Izzy was waiting for her to regain her composure so she nodded to
encourage her to continue.

“Mum confronted him as soon as she learnt I was pregnant,
she was going to report him but he disappeared; back to his missionary work.
They couldn’t report it with nobody to prosecute, and also they didn’t want me
to have the stigma. Mother took me away to a caravan site where I gave birth in
secret. She had been wearing padding under her clothes so people would assume
you were hers.” Leila had truly been an amazing woman; sacrificing so much for
her child, not the heartless woman she had always believed. As for Ian he was
as Michael described a spineless waste of space.

“Eve listen to me; Leila was your mum; I was a child and
your big sister, I couldn’t possibly have been a mother. The day we were sent
away she saved you from his clutches, who knows what he would have done to you.
I could never acknowledge what he did to me so I have waited all this time until
I could get him for something else. Now he can pay for these murders without
anyone knowing about me. Eve I am biologically your mother but please will you
just be happy to have me back as a sister?” Eve felt incredible passion for
this woman, who had endured such suffering as a child, she deserved to be free.

“I would love my sister back Izzy, I have two of my own now
and I think they will love you too” They heard sirens outside, Izzy grasped her
hand with pleading eyes

“I promise Izzy, what you have told me will stay here
forever, you can live again. If Michael confesses that part then we keep it out
of the papers. It will be fine we will deal with it.” There was a crashing up
stairs and Michael moaned at their feet, Eve gave him a kick and shouted to
alert the police where they were.

After that it was pandemonium, Nathan was waiting for her
outside and sobbed as he held her

“Eve, I was so scared when I got home and saw Tara they told
me you were in the cellar with him I freaked out. Are you okay? Did he hurt
you?” Eve was so happy to see him, Izzy was being questioned by Detective
Newton, and she would be next. This was going to be a long night

“I am fine he didn’t hurt me, is Tara okay?” Nathan said she
was taken to hospital for dehydration but other than that she was fine” Relief
washed over her and the enormity of tonight’s events sent her body into
free-fall. The weightless feeling she had felt in the water was there again,
but this time she allowed it to take her. Darkness descended removing her from
the horror around her, she didn’t fight it she welcomed it with joy, it was over.

Eve was staring at the tiny bundle
in her arms, her tiny fingers wrapped around Eves thumb. Tears pricked her eyes
as she felt an unfamiliar emotion in the pit of her stomach. This helpless
creature had been abandoned by her mother, all of the doubts dissipated as she
felt an overwhelming instinct to protect this little girl. She felt Nathan’s
arm anchoring her to the spot she glanced at the sparkling diamond sitting on
her finger. Rachel was proudly snapping shots of her new grandchild and future
daughter in law. Could life get any better?

The last four weeks had been a
tumultuous event; Michael had been charged with three counts of murder one of
GBH two abductions and fraud. He had never been a real vicar, when he was first
sent to Acton Bridge he was under suspicion of sexual harassment. He was
discharged but covered it up with so called missionary work. They were
currently seeking answers as to where he had been in Africa as the church did
not endorse his trip. They were investigating a number of avenues but one thing
was certain, he would never see the light of day again. He didn’t confess to
child abuse and Eve kept her word to Isabella, it would never come out who she
really was. Eve had told Nathan who had been horrified but totally
understanding.  The press here and overseas were running the story for days it
made going out impossible. Izzy had moved into the cottage as legally she was
entitled to it over Eve. Tara had bonded with her whilst in captivity and they
were very close helping each other deal with the aftermath.

Eve and Nathan were heading out to
LA in six weeks to start filming with Christopher. For now the focus was all on
bonding with Leila Beth; she was only a week old and already they were both
smitten. Eve was so happy when Nathan chose the name Leila; she had died
protecting her two daughters and deserved respect.

Nathan had proposed last night in
front of his parents; Eve was so against marriage but since experiencing so
much death she had completely changed her way of thinking. You had to grab
happiness when you could as you never know what is around the corner.

She hadn’t slept in lilac cottage
since that night; she also hadn’t had a single dream either. Nathan had booked
them into a hotel; Izzy was now sleeping in her room. They still didn’t have a
home but Eve knew what she wanted and would find the right time to tell Nathan
soon. Leila let out a tiny cry that shook her from her thoughts; she adjusted
her hold so she was upright with her face pressed against her neck. Rachel was
watching her

“Eve you are a natural with her, she
settles so much better with you than anyone else. It will be hard for her to be
separated from you” Eve handed the little girl to her grandmother

“I want to talk to you both about
that, I want to live in LA permanently if you want to Nathan? I have nothing
here now Izzy has the house Tara loves her to bits and doesn’t need me the same
way anymore. I just feel this is the best thing, more settled for Leila and
better for our jobs. This place has too many bad memories now, I couldn’t
imagine buying a house anywhere here.  Nathan pulled her close; Rachel was
crying it was obvious that she had made a choice that they had both hoped for.
So it was organised, her future sorted, a new baby, marriage a new home abroad
and a brand new family bigger and stronger than ever. …..