I started to tell her about myself.
“I moved to Montréal because my life back home was just collapsing, I couldn’t bear it any more, so I telephoned my friend Sandra who invited me to come and stay with her.” I said.
“What was wrong with your life back home?” asked Mrs. Bagley sympathetically.
“Well I had just broken up with my boyfriend Daniel because he had joined this group of idiots who I didn’t like, they had some really nasty ideas you know. I had also lost my job. Daniel said it was because I lacked the spirit and intelligence to have such a job.” I said, feeling again the hurt that this had caused me.
“What was your job?” Mrs. Baggley asked.
“I was helping research companies and learning how they were run,” I explained.
“Were there any other reasons why you moved here?” she asked me.
“Yes, because I lost my job, I could not afford to pay for the house any more,” I said.
“So, how long have you been here?” she enquired.
“Nearly three months now. I moved here in May, the thirtieth if I remember correctly.” I said.
“What did you do when you got here?” asked Mrs. Baggley.
“My friend Sandra came to pick me up from the airport, then we drove to her apartment. It was about eleven pm when we got there, so we both went straight to bed. The next day I unpacked my suitcase and Sandra showed me around. We saw all the sights, but I noticed one house near Sandra’s that looked derelict. There was a black people carrier parked outside.
I looked for a job, but couldn’t find much, so about six weeks ago I took a job as a baby sitter, with a small outfit called Tots–R-Us. Would you like to hear about some of my experiences as a baby-sitter?” I asked.
“Yes, I would,” Mrs. Baggley said.
“Well, there was one night when I had to go to a big mansion on a hill. The family were going to an evening wedding reception, so they wanted me to look after their 6 year old son, who was a nightmare. He wouldn’t go to bed; he just kept running away and hiding in corners of the house that I didn’t know about. He even ran out on to the street, and tried to hide behind a black people carrier. I caught him eventually, and put him to bed, not that he was happy about it,” I told her.
“Can you tell me any more about the black people carrier you mentioned? How many times have you seen it? Are you sure that it is the same vehicle both times?” Mrs. Baggley asked.
“I am not sure that it is the same vehicle every time – I hadn’t really thought about it!” I said thoughtfully.
“Now, could you tell me about the night of the murder?” she asked me gently.
“Yes, I suppose so. I feel a lot stronger now. Well, I had to baby-sit for a couple who were going out to a party, and who expected to be out late. They had three children, two boys and a girl. The boys were called Alex and Peter, and the girl, Julie.
Peter and Alex were both eight, but Julie was only five. I arrived at the house at about 5 o’clock. The parents left about half an hour later, after giving me instructions about bedtime stories and all those sort of things. I put the children to bed and settled them down to sleep after I had given them their supper. It wasn’t a very nice evening. The weather was turning nasty. It was raining and blowing hard.
I went down to find a DVD to watch. I looked at their collection and chose a romantic comedy. Outside, the weather was getting worse. It had become a dark and stormy night, and the rain was hammering against the windows, and thunder echoed through the eerie hallway. Lightening flickered through the conservatory roof, and splattered light onto the spiral staircase which made odd shaped shadows in the hall. Then, suddenly, without warning, a piercing shriek reverberated through the house. I sprang out of my seat and bounded up the stairs, to find out what the problem was. I found Julie on the landing, absolutely terrified of the lightening and thunder. It took me a long time to get her settled back to sleep.
As I descended the staircase, I heard a car come up the road, and park nearby. I glanced out of the window, and saw the red tail lights going out in the drive opposite.
When I got back to my seat I heard a car door open and close. I went back to watching my film. After a short while, I heard a bang upstairs. I went back up to discover that a window was ajar, and rattling in the wind. As I closed the window, I realised that there was a people carrier parked in the driveway opposite.
I went back to my film, and then the telephone rang. I answered it. For a moment, there was silence, and then I heard a man laughing hysterically. I asked him what he wanted, but he just continued laughing, and then he hung up. I worried about it for a little while, but then decided that it was someone playing a practical joke on me, although I couldn’t think who it might be, probably some kids having a laugh. By this time my movie had almost finished, I went back to watch the ending and just as it finished the phone rang making me jump. The shrill ring of the phone rang through the house. I answered it and again there was the same hysterical laughing on the other end. I was really worried by this time, so, I remained silent and then as before he hung up. Straight after this, I phoned the operator and said that I was receiving these strange calls. She told me
“Next time he rings try and keep him on the line so that I can trace the call.”
I put the phone down and about fifteen minutes later the phone rang again. I answered it with great wariness as I was afraid it would be the same man again. It was him. He was laughing and laughing. I tried to keep calm and asked him why he was doing this. I asked him to stop and who he was but he just hung up again. I was trembling with fear and almost immediately the phone rang again.
It was the operator ringing back.
“Get out of the house! Get out of the house! He’s calling from the upstairs line,” she shouted at me.
I stood there for a few seconds trying to understand what she had just said. I seemed to be paralysed. Then I heard a noise, and I looked towards the stairs where there was a masked man standing at the top looking down at me with a knife dripping with blood.
I screamed and dropped the phone and ran towards the hallway. I had to go past the stairs to get out.
My heart was thumping and I ran as fast as I could. The spiral staircase was slowing him down. I knew he wanted to kill me. I ran through the door slamming it behind me. I took off down the street but he did not follow. I got out my mobile phone. I was still running. I called the police and told them what happened. The next thing I remember is waking up in a police car.
Did the police catch the man?” I asked
“Yes, but we want you to come and see if the man is known to you,” said Mrs. Baggley.
I was sobbing again by this time remembering what had happened. I knew by now that all three children had been brutally murdered by the maniac who had tried to kill me.
He had been upstairs while I had been watching the film.
“No, no, I couldn’t meet him again,” I cried. I was feeling hysterical again at the thought of seeing him again.
“You don’t need to meet him. You can look at him through one way glass,” explained Mrs. Baggley.
“Oh, well maybe I could do that, “I said, feeling a bit better about it.
“Do you feel strong enough to do it now?” the psychiatrist said gently.
“I suppose so,” I answered reluctantly.
“OK,” said Mrs. Baggley. “If you would like to follow me. I will take you to the cell where he is being kept.”
I followed Mrs Baggley to a corridor. She stopped in front of what looked like a window. She asked me to look in, but I was very scared. She kept talking to me in a very calm way and eventually I could look in. I saw a man with his back to me. He somehow looked very familiar. I couldn’t understand what I was seeing. I suddenly realised I had bought a sweater for my ex-boyfriend just like the one this man was wearing. I gasped when he turned round. It was him! He seemed to be looking straight at me and I screamed.
Mrs. Baggley was very concerned for my health and gave me a sedative.
When I came round I was able to explain that this was my ex-boyfriend – Daniel.
Why did he kill the children I wanted to know, and why try to kill me?
I still don’t know the answer.
