No.2 Mulberry Lane
I have been driving for hours. The roads are treacherous, the flakes coming down and suffocating the land.
As I drive, I look up to the road ahead of me. There are abandoned cars enclosed in snow on the side of the road, side-roads are silent and covered in the fresh, untouched snow.
I drive past the park; its climbing frames and swings look like clouds formed into the shape of a park.
The tyres crunch their way through the snow, there’s the road sign: Mulberry Lane. I turn into the cul-de-sac and look down the road. Shola’s house is gone, leaving open land in front of the woodlands, but that’s the only difference.
I let the car roll; I switch off the lights and turn into Simon’s drive. I push the door onto latch and then push again to shut it properly, creating minimal sound.
The lights in the Cann’s are off. I walk up to the front door and put the keys in the letter box.
As I walk away from the house, the front door opens.
“I heard you’d be escaping.” Simon says.
“How did you hear that?” I ask.
“I’ve got contacts.”
I turn around and walk towards Simon. “I know about you Simon, I know what you’ve done to me. I know you were involved in setting me up.”
“What are you talking about? At least I know that you’re insane.”
“Oh you know what I am talking about, Mr S.”
Simon stares at me. I return the stare and we stand only a few centimetres away from each other. He tries to slam the door, but I put my hand out and push the door back into the house forcing him back. I step inside the house and close the door behind me.
“Mr S? What is that about?” I say to him.
“It’s complicated Ryan you wouldn’t understand.”
“Oh is it? Well to be honest I couldn’t give a toss about your pathetic name. All I care about is Tanya and Andrew living at number two.”
“Who have you been talking to?”
“I’ve got my contacts.” I smirk.
“You don’t understand any of this.”
“Oh yes I do, this is about money, this is all about a conniving bitch who set me up to get my money. She set me up to get everything I own but you know what? That isn’t going to happen.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“I’m sure it’s only a matter of time and all this will come crashing down on you too.”
“Don’t do anything stupid Ryan.”
“Shut up you back-stabbing bastard, don’t make out you care for me, you’re just worried that you’re going to be going to prison.”
“Get out of my house.” Simon bellows at me.
I grab his shirt in my and slam him against the wall. As he tries to push me off, I tighten my grip and throw him across my body and across his coffee table. He lands on his back and stays down looking up to me. I walk over to him and kneel beside him. I grab his shirt again and push his head against the floor amongst the smashed glass from the coffee table. Simon gasps and I punch his face. Simon grunts in pain and holds his face. I lift him by his shirt and punch him again. Simon falls back and his eyes are shut.
I go back outside and stare at my old house. I look up to the house; the downstairs and landing lights are on.
The snow suffocates the greenery and the path that leads up to the front porch.
I stand on the pavement at the bottom of the path. I feel as if I cannot go any further. It feels as if there’s a force field around the house protecting it, stopping me from entering. I remember being up there holding the children’s bodies. I remember dropping them onto the grass. I look away; I can’t bear to remember any more of that day.
I cautiously step up the hazardous icy slope. As I reach the top, I lean against the wall and look in through the window next to the door, into the hallway. I see the refurbished stairs, the new kitchen and the new doors. The basement door has a new lock on it.
I sneak around the side of the house into the back garden. The shed has been replaced by a bigger one but everything else is the same. I kneel down below the kitchen window. I hold my breath and try to listen to any movement or voices inside, but there’s nothing. I stand up to look inside. Tanya is sitting at the kitchen table typing on a laptop. She closes it and leaves the kitchen to go into the sitting room.
I crouch back down and make my way past the window. I hear a bang from somewhere nearby. I quickly walk past the kitchen door and move to the side of the house pressing my back to the side of the house. I listen for movement.
I hear the shuffling of boots and then a shovel digging through to the path under the snow. I hear a deep breath and then the excitable screams from children. Then the booming voice of Paul Brooke says: “Come on you two little devils, get back in, it’s a school night.”
I smile to myself and walk back to the front of the house. Paul has a point, it’s a school night. Alex and Sammy will be in bed and hopefully asleep.
I stand on the porch outside the front door. A male figure puts on a jacket. I see Tanya go up to him and put her arms around his shoulders and kiss him on the lips. I listen carefully and hear the words I never wanted to hear.
“I love you.” Tanya says.
The words hurt, I am angry. My mood changes from anger to fury, I always wanted to make him pay but now I want her to pay too; especially her. My eyes don’t water as I expect them to but her words repeat in my head as I watch her go upstairs as Andrew comes out of the house, leaving the door open ajar. I glare at him as I crouch in the shadows of the porch. I watch Andrew go down the porch steps and over to the rubbish bins. I feel like going up behind him right now and killing the fucker but I can’t, I can’t. I need the evidence. I creep into the house. I stand in the hallway and look at the newly painted walls and ceiling. I look at the new doors that make the hallway seem more refreshed and modern.
The sitting room has also been modernised.
As I take in the huge renovation since the fire, I hear the front door slam and shoes rubbing on the front door rug.
I hide behind the sitting room door. I lean against the wall and breathe slowly. I hear him slip off his boots and go into the kitchen. I step out from behind the door and Andrew leaning over the sink washing his hands.
Andrew shakes off the water and bubbles from his hands and dries them. I grab his t-shirt and throw him behind me into the kitchen table. Andrew hits his head on the table and looks at me, the shock registers in his eyes and tries to scurry back up onto his feet. As he tries to stand, I kick him in the stomach forcing him onto the ground. Andrew looks up to me and I punch him in the face.
I introduce myself: “I’m Ryan by the way, Tanya’s ex-husband and your previous client: Liam Graynnil.”
He stares at me. His lower lip shakes; his face is covered with blood from his nose and mouth. His hair is a mess and his eyes widen as he realises who I am.
I’ve had enough of his face, I want to kill him. The temptation to kill him right here and now is appealing but instead I punch him on the jaw knocking him out cold.
Looking down at his body, I feel like just holding his mouth and nose. Killing him now will not give me as much satisfaction as seeing him going to prison, being beaten and abused, that’s what I want for him.
I run to the front door and open it ajar to scare Tanya when she comes downstairs.
I hear the stomping footsteps from above; Tanya has always had heavy stomps. She’s the type of person who makes sure everyone can hear that she is going upstairs and she certainly lets me know she’s coming down the stairs as I hear the stairs creak and the hollow bumping of her flat feet hitting the carpet.
I hide behind the kitchen door and listen to her. “Andy, darling where…” She doesn’t finish her sentence as she sees his body. She panics, her breath becomes faster and louder.
She goes to the front door. I look out from behind the kitchen door and I see her leaning outside, looking left to right whilst the snow swirls past her and into the hallway.
I hold my breath and creep towards her. As she comes back inside and shuts the door, I grab her, holding her mouth, muffling her screams.
“You bitch.” I whisper in her ear.
I go over to the basement door and say: “Where’s the key?”
Tanya tries to scream louder, shaking her head.
“Tell me now.”
She screams again. I have to do something to make her tell me. So I clench my fist, sticking my middle knuckle out further than the rest and jab her lower back. Her legs give way.
“Tell me.” I say again.
I put my forearm across her neck and pull her towards me. She squirms in my arms, her head butting against my chest, her teeth trying to sink into my hands. The more she wriggles, the harder I crush her neck. She begins to slump, she must be giving way; she must be close to passing out when she gives a high pitched muffle.
“Kitchen.”
“The keys are in the kitchen?” I ask.
She nods and with that, I release my grip and throw her onto the floor.
“Go and get it,” I say. “If you make a sound I’ll kill him and then you.”
“Ryan please, please don’t…”
“Now.” I say pushing her on her way with my foot.
She goes into the kitchen and gets the keys.
“Unlock the door.”
I follow her from the kitchen back to the basement door; she unlocks it, pulls the metal latch up and opens it. As she does, a waft of cold air blows past my face; the familiar smell of the basement. That musky scent, it reminds me of the teddy bear and the pink table and then the children’s bodies.
“Go.” I say and nod towards the door.
She walks inside and down the stairs. I follow. We reach the basement which now reveals the extension.
“I like what you’ve done with the place.” I say as I grab Tanya by her hair and throw her onto the floor. “Stay down.”
I look around the basement for anything to tie her up. There are wooden chairs and. I fetch two of them. Behind the chairs are the pink table and the teddy bear on top.
There’s a bag of cable ties and I pull some out, pick up the duct tape next to it and go back over to Tanya. I pull her up by her hair and put her on the chair, binding her hands behind her back and then I tie her legs to the legs of the chair.
“Stay.” I say to her like I would a dog, then I put a dirty cloth in her mouth. She tries to push it out but I put tape over her mouth. I watch her eyes water and her face turn a light pink colour.
I go back up the basement steps and into the kitchen; Andrew is in a press-up position pushing himself up off the ground. I run over to him and elbow the back of his head forcing him back down onto the ground.
He grunts and clutches his head.
“Get up.” I say pulling him up by his shirt.
He stumbles to his feet and I drag him along to the basement door. As I reach the top of the stairs Andrew grabs me, I pull his hand away and toss him down the steps. I watch him rolling and grunting down the stairs. As he hits the concrete floor I hear Tanya’s muffled scream. I follow him down and drag him over to the other chair to tie him up like Tanya.
His head hangs down, his face dripping blood.
“We haven’t got long down here. Simon will call the police when he wakes up I’m sure.” I say.
Tanya stays quiet and Andrew continues to look at the floor.
“Oi you, look at me.” I say to Andrew.
His head slowly looks up, his face is a mess.
“I’m Ryan by the way, but you might know me as Liam.”
Andrew shakes his head and looks down again. I put my fingers under his chin and make him look up at me.
“You’re weak and pathetic; you know that?”
Once again Andrew doesn’t answer me. I walk over to the stand and look at all the equipment resting on it. There are saws, hammers and pliers. As I pick up the pliers, it leaves a dusty silhouette on the shelf.
“They’ll do nicely.” I say.
I turn around and Tanya begins to scream; Andrew looks up.
“Oh so you’ll look at me now?”
I walk over to him and through his shirt; I clutch his nipple with the pliers. I squeeze and he screams. The stronger I clench the more he squeals. I have so much power and it is time to get the confession I need.
“Are you going to do everything I say?”
Andrew nods quickly backwards and forwards.
“I can’t hear you.” I say as I squeeze my fingers closer together.
“Yes I will and I’ll tell you everything, just don’t hurt Tan or the kids.” Andrew says breathing deeply.
“They’re my kids. Why would I hurt my kids you lying bastard?”
I release the pliers, his sigh of relief makes me boil up inside. I go back over to the stand pick up a claw hammer and a pack of nails. Andrew’s eyes grow wide. He tries to move away, his back arches and his head moves back.
“No, please no!” he cries, with tears and snot dribbling down his face.
I pull a nail out from the bag. I place the nail, sharp end down, above his knee and raise the hammer above it.
Tanya’s muffled cries increase, her eyes pour with tears. Her face is much darker now; the redness has spread down her neck. She shuffles in her chair, her thigh muscles tensing.
I pull the hammer up to my head and line the nail up to his leg. He begins to beg.
“I’ll tell you everything! You’ll get my confession! You’ll get our confession just don’t hurt us.”
And with that, I smack the hammer down and hit the nail into the chair’s arm. Andrew sighs with relief and Tanya stops struggling. I look at his face and then at the urine dripping down onto the floor.
“Oh my God, thank you.” He says.
I want to smack him around the head with the hammer but instead I hit his knee as hard as I can. As the hammer impacts the knee, there’s a loud and clear crack. His screams are unbearably loud. I repeat the action on the other knee, which creates the same sound.
“Don’t you dare thank me and don’t you dare ask me to not hurt my kids, I would never hurt them, even though you made me believe I could, you bastard!”
I use the claw end to then hit his thighs. Blood splatters onto my clothes, it seeps into his cotton trousers, dribbles down his legs, into his shoes and onto the floor.
I toss the hammer aside and walk over to Tanya and rip the duck tape from her mouth. She spits the chemical-smelling cloth out onto the floor, followed by an explosion of vomit. I step back and watch her dribble the mess into her lap.
“You both know why I’m here and why I’m doing this to you don’t you?” I say.
They are both silent looking at the ground.
“Fucking look at me.” I shout. They both look up to me and I continue to speak. “So let’s start from the beginning, why did you plan to do this to me?”
Neither of them answers.
I go over to Tanya who flinches when I raise my hand. I feel down her legs and pull out her mobile phone. I look at the background picture of Sammy and Alex at the park. Alex stands on the top of the red climbing frame and Sammy hangs upside down on the frame. I smile and zone out for a moment, staring at their faces.
I go into her phone and then place it on the ground next to Tanya. I then go up to Andrew and raise my fist. He shuts his eyes and shrieks, I laugh in his face.
“Still no answer to my question? Okay, let’s see what else is over here.” I say as I turn and walk towards the stand again.
“We chose you because we had to!” Tanya shouts.
“Shut up Tanya.” Andrew says.
“You had to choose me, your husband? Why is that?” I say as I look on the stand and choose a screw driver.
“Because you were the right person to do it to.” Tanya says.
“The right person?” I ask, holding the screw driver and walking towards Andrew.
“Yeah Andrew said he needed someone with a creative mind. Someone we would be able to manipulate.” Tanya says looking at the ground.
I go back to Andrew and hold his head with the screw driver above his eye. He begins to shout and plea once again.
“Do you regret doing it now?”
“No, I don’t.” Tanya says.
“Good.” I say as I stick the screw driver into Andrew’s eye. As I pull it out, blood shoots out of his eye which makes it look like a fountain pumping blood. Letting go of his head, he moves oddly, his head sways, his screams die down and he begins to groan. I pick up the pliers and crush his index finger until it cracks. I drop the bloody pliers onto the floor and speak to Tanya.
“So why did you marry me? Was it just to do all of this?”
“I married you because I needed someone, I couldn’t cope on my own and you were the only one there for me.”
“So you didn’t even love me?”
“No not really.”
“But you had kids with me Tan.”
“I had to make it believable to myself and to you.”
Surprisingly I do not feel hurt, I feel fine and ready to get the answers I need.
“Well that’s fine because I don’t love you at all, in fact you’re a waste of space and the kids will not miss you when you’re gone.”
“I’m not going anywhere without my kids.”
“Oh yes you are, you’ll be going to prison.” I look to Andrew whose head dangles down. “Mr Andrew Myers, psychiatrist; it’s great to finally meet you after all this time.” He does not answer me so I slap the top of his head, as I do, more blood drips onto the floor. “I know you’re there, wakey wakey! You’ve got some explaining to do.” I wait for him to speak but he doesn’t and instead, he groans. “So you needed someone to completely manipulate and brain-wash is that right?”
He doesn’t answer and so I walk around him and he suddenly answers. “Yes.”
“I ask the questions and you answer, that’s how this is going to work. So what’s the process? All this stuff you did to me was to make me freak-out and feel threatened, scared and paranoid is that right?”
“Yes.” He replies again.
“Okay, I’m sure you can explain better, so you tell me the plan behind this.”
I pick up another chair and sit opposite them, waiting for Andrew to explain.
“We needed someone with…” Andrew struggles to speak, taking deep breaths and pausing after every few words. “…a creative mind and somebody… who would be susceptible to brainwash. We needed someone who would… be able to be asleep but… with a sound from the room be able to create a philosophical image… in their brain which seems so realistic to them, we needed someone who could create hallucinations by themselves with voice recognition.”
“Intelligent guy. Voice recognition what do you mean by that?” I ask.
Andrew begins to cough; he spits out some blood and continues to speak: “When we drugged your food or when you were drunk from your whiskey, we’d make it possible for you to dream about what we want you to dream. You would be in a relaxed state… Tanya would speak and we would play recordings of Sammy and Alex, by doing that… you would dream of Tanya, Sammy and Alex. It’s kind of like a perception of vision; the sound triggers the image in your mind.”
“Right so that’s how I dreamed of Tanya and the kids nonstop because you were making me?”
“Yes.” Andrew whispers.
“Okay but let’s go back a bit, so when Tanya left me, she came to you with my kids. You had already left Mulberry Lane I’m guessing?”
“I didn’t leave at all and she didn’t come to me straight away. She took the kids to her parents and told them you were mentally unstable and she needed to sort things out so that when you went there, they hid the kids and said they hadn’t seen any of them.”
“What about the police, they must have questioned them?”
“No, the police didn’t question Tanya’s parents… And even if they did… her parents wouldn’t have told them anything… about what was going on. Tanya made sure of that.”
“How long were they there for?”
“I don’t know, they were there a lot for at least four years whilst me and Tanya were setting up the basement extension for us to live in and hide in, waiting for you.”
“How did you know I’d buy the house?”
We persuaded you in your sleep. We constantly spoke about the house, the layout, the basement; everything so that when you came here, it felt as if you had been here before, it made you feel comfortable here.”
Everything Andrew is telling me angers me. They literally made all my decisions for me over the past four years and they've had a hold on me until now.
“Right, so I got the house and then what?”
“Well… I got Simon to help. He agreed to help me…”
“How did you persuade him?”
“Easily, we are best friends, our friendship is strong, we’re like brothers, he needed some cash incentive and the threat to Sandra’s life, that soon made him come around.”
“Good friends then.”
“Well he helped and he played you.” Andrew says.
This time I don’t hurt him and I ignore the comment. “So Simon became my friend, he pretended to care. Okay, I get that you got him involved. What was his role?”
“His job was to drop hints and to help me reveal Killing for Your Love to you and make you work it all out with Liam Graynnil. Simon dropped many hints about the house, saying the basement was creepy, he said about my Will going to somebody who he cannot remember, he said about the basement occasionally locking sometimes so that when you read the book, you would see these details in there and think that it is all true.”
“So all of this was just for money from selling the house? And the basement extension was for you to hide in when I was home?”
“Yes. I fortunately have contacts in the estate agents for the house. I simply wrote a Will leaving the house to Tanya Milligan, the house went to her and she then let the estate agents take care of the sale. She sold it to you so that when you eventually admitted murder or were killed, the house would go back to Tanya as your wife for her and her children to live in and then for me to move in.”
“All of this just for money and a house?”
“This is my house, Tanya is my wife to be and the kids will grow up with me as their dad.”
“Well that worked out well didn’t it? So tell me, the other steps of how you messed with my mind?”
“Whilst you slept… we didn’t only speak to you, we made little changes to the house, we moved the furniture, we left doors open or closed them…”
“What about the writing on the wall?”
“That was to match the fake interview I wrote. I characterised Liam Graynnil to be a man who liked puzzles and mind games, which is what I did to you… I made the name from your fake patient number and using the rest of the letters, I came up with the surname Graynnil. That then gave me the idea to write things around the house using the articles about the local killings, using blood and scratching it into the kitchen table using the letters from the basement which I wrote on that man’s body in the basement… I knew it would work, I knew you would believe in Liam Graynnil after working out the name, the phrases and the change of story.”
“Explain the story to me.” I say.
“The only person who knows all the details and thought of your books is Tanya… She knows your writing style, she knows what would make you tick and she knows how you think and feel when writing… She re-wrote Killing for Your Love and gave that copy to Simon to give back to you…”
I turn to Tanya who is still crying. “You are a scheming cow.” I say, but she does not reply.
“It was meant to be written as a true story and more like a journal of Liam’s life and your split personality activities at night. It helped that Sandra took you to one of the victims in the book, it meant it would hit you harder then.”
“I’m sure you’re really happy about that.”
“I’m glad it all worked out.”
I punch him in the face, but he makes no sound.
“So explain what Shola and Don’s involvement was in all of this.”
“Don was a man who was fearless, he’s been involved in a lot more shit than this, bigger things too. He was willing to help for a price but he was worth it.”
“Did you think he’d be killed?”
“Not at all but you killed him so whatever happens, you have to live with that.”
I do have to live with it but now I see it completely different, he deserved to be killed for doing that to me. “Did I? Carry on; what about Shola?”
Andrew begins to laugh. “Yeah, of course my old man was going to help his son.”
“Shola is your dad?”
“Yeah and his name isn’t Shola, that’s just what Simon told you and his wife. John Myers is his name.”
“Was his name?” I say.
“No, is. He’s not dead. The guy you killed wasn’t him. My dad wasn’t just a vet, he was a scientist; he’s a clever man. He gave us the idea of using fox cams to follow you, well, to film me as you.”
“So the fox cams were set up?”
“Yes, I was dressed as you. Then we would use a dog to film ‘you’. We didn’t use foxes to run around filming you, even though it is believable. Dad got your scent and made it a treat for the local foxes so that when you were out and about, they would sometimes pick up your scent and follow you. That’s why you saw foxes around here and running around in Dad’s shack. But there you go; I’m sure he would love to explain it properly but he’s not here.”
“Where is he now then?”
“He’s in Spain now with my mum.” Andrew laughs.
“Okay, so in the book you made up some kind of gangster scene where four men were chasing me because they thought I had killed Tanya and the kids, correct?”
“Yes.” Andrew says, out of breath.
“So the four men are you, Simon, Don and Shola?”
“Yes, they’re the made up gang. Mr S acted as leader.”
“Mr S being Simon?”
“Yes. Some retard who worked for Simon called him Mr. S so it stuck. I didn’t want to use the initial of his surname either so I made it S.”
“Why did you burn Shola’s house down?”
“To get rid of the evidence and body so it couldn’t be identified…”
“The two men who burnt the house down, was that you and Simon?”
“Yes it was.”
I stare at the top of Andrew’s dangling head, he seems unresponsive but is still able to speak and tell me everything. I look to Tanya who seems to have calmed down now.
I sigh and shake my head in disbelief.
“Well I don’t know what to say. What you’ve done has ruined my life, your lives and the kids’ lives and everyone else involved but you don’t seem to care.”
I stand up from my chair; pick it up and throw it against the wall; pieces of wood fling across the room.
“I’m going to go and see my kids. The police will be here any second I expect. Have a good life.” I turn away and walk towards the stairs.
“Do you think anyone will actually believe you? You’re mentally unstable Ryan, remember?”
“I do remember yes but do you remember I’m actually not?”
“They don’t know that though do they?” Andrew sniggers.
“No they won’t but they’ll believe you.”
“What makes you think I’m going to tell them everything I told you?”
“You don’t need to, they know.” I say as I walk back towards Tanya. “The confession from you both is on here.” I say as I press the button to stop the recording. “By the way Tan, thanks for being my wife and giving me those two beautiful children, I’ll tell them you love them.”
“You leave my kids alone.” Tanya bellows at me, she begins to scream and trying to head-butt me.
Andrew continues to hang his head, Tanya continues to scream whilst I send the recording to Sandra’s mobile number as a backup file.
“See you in court.” I say as I walk up the basement stairs.
I open the basement door and leave it open. I turn left and walk up the stairs and onto the landing. I can see flashing blue lights as a car pulls onto the drive. The police van and Range Rovers pull up in front of the Cann’s and my house. I quickly walk across the landing and see a door with ‘Sammy’s ro