The Ultimate Betrayal(rachel pithers) Chapter 1:
The past comes back to haunt Stephanie.

Stephanie Newton lay in her husband's arms relishing the feel of his thick strong arms snaked around her stomach and rolled over slightly to read the illuminated clock face at her bedside as he snored on. Seeing that it was only 7am she snuggled closer to Patrick and began to doze off once more but just as she was sinking back into blissful unconsciousness there was a hefty thud as the front door was kicked open.

“Patrick wake up.” He grunted an indistinct answer until she violently prodded him, “Paddy seriously there’s someone downstairs” Stephanie whispered in fear.

As her statement registered inside his sleep addled mind he was soon wide awake and pulling on his abandoned jeans that were slung over the end of the bed from the previous night. He took hold of a cricket bat, his prized possession, from the corner of the room where it had been carefully stored after the previous weekend’s matches and crept out of the room with Stephanie following close behind him. In any other situation creeping around the house in the dark, semi naked and clutching a cricket bat, would have been comical but not tonight.

Hearing a small THUD from the living room; Patrick silently felt for the light switch and snapped it on dazzling the intruder. Paddy seized his chance and brought the cricket bat down on the man’s forehead knocking him unconscious. Stephanie knelt beside him and almost fainted in horror.
No it couldn't be.
It had been six years since he… Was it him after all this time?

Meanwhile Paddy had dialed the police and was in the middle of explaining his situation when Stephanie cut him off. “what did yer’ do that for?”

“Please darling, sit down, I have something to tell you.” Patrick looked to her miserable face and trembling legs barely covered in his shirt and sat beside her. “Remember I told you I was married a long time ago and Sam d…died in a motorbike accident?”
“Aye, o’ course I remember, why?”
“I think that’s Sam” Stephanie said flatly.
“But yer’ jus’ said e’ was dead” Patrick faltered.
“Well that’s what I thought and what I was told but why else would he be here? It may not be him though.” Patrick slipped an arm around Stephanie’s heaving shoulders and held her close. “Here’s what we are going to do; put ‘im in the spare bedroom until ‘e comes around and ask him then what the bloody ‘ell ‘e‘s doing ‘ere.” Patrick picked Sam up by his wrists, as if he weighed almost nothing, and hauled him up the stairs before carefully shutting the door and re-joining Stephanie downstairs.

They sat and waited. taking it in turns to make tea until presently a cursing and thumping diverted their attention. They both ventured upstairs to find Sam sprawled across the floor muttering and upon seeing Patrick he sat up, “what the f**k did you hit me with?”
“A cricket bat” Patrick said soberly and Stephanie had to suppress a giggle at his deadpan manner.
“Why did you do that?” the man asked, genuinely confused.
“Oh I don’t know…” Patrick stared at the ceiling pretending to think... “It’s early in the morning and there is a strange man breaking into our home. For all I knew you could have tried to murder my wife or steal something or...” Patrick cut himself off “what else was I meant to do, ask if yer wanted a cup o’ tea?”
“Fair enough” the man smiled thinly before frowning, “wait a sec’ did you say wife?”
“Aye I did lad.”
“But my wife Stephanie used to live here.”
“Correction lad, she’s yer ex wife now” Paddy turned and grasped Stephanie’s hand for confirmation. “But…but…” the stranger spluttered as realisation dawned.
“So you are Sam Fellsworth?” Stephanie interjected.
“Yes baby, I’m so sorry”
“I thought you were dead, legally you still are but…” she was cut off by Freddy, their only child, crying, but he quickly settled himself back down “…where were you Sam?” Stephanie asked quietly.
“They…she tried to kill me and… and…” Sam babbled, but before he could carry on Paddy sat on the spare bed, “maybe you should start at the beginning, Steph.”


Chapter two:
Stirring up the past.

“It was seven years ago and Sam was only 32 and I 25. It was the usual story, we met and fell in love and we got married in 2004. We had no children and we had all the usual tests done to find out why. The results came back and told us that Sam was infertile. That night, we were fraught with tension and worry, and we... we had a huge argument and when I woke the next morning he…he was gone. I phoned the police and they were out searching the moors and beach for any sign of him and this went on for days until I got the dreaded knock at the door.
I was told that the police had found Sam’s motorcycle parked beside the Seaman’s rest, you know the pub beside the cliff tops?”
“Aye I know it, infamous place that is” said Patrick.
“They said that they had found some items of his clothing and a letter a…addressed to me on the beach. At the time it seemed clear he had committed suicide.”
Sam cleared his throat “I had in fact planted all of that there to make it seem like I had killed myself because something died inside me that night and I wanted a break from it all.” Stephanie couldn't understand how he could sound so matter of fact about it all as if it hadn't ruined a major part of her life.
“Where though?” Stephanie implored.

Six years previously.

In the stuffy area of business class aboard a flight to Australia Sam Fellsworth sat contemplating his life and wallowing in self pity and anguish, he buried his head in his hands and moaned at his misfortunes.
A pretty blonde woman seated beside him smiled to herself and turned to him, “are you alright?” she asked with her sweet voice full of concern.
“Err…yes thank you, it’s just I…”
“Needed a holiday and haven’t flown before?” she guessed.
“Not exactly no.”
“Well we have a while until we touch down at Sydney, would you like to talk?”
“Umm… well if you have nothing better to do than listen to me moaning then yes.”
“I am all ears…” she beamed “…my names Caroline by the way, Caroline Thompson, or Carol for short.”
“Sorry I haven’t even told you my name Caroline, it’s Sam Fellsworth” Caroline extended her hand to his, “nice to meet you Sam, what’s the matter?”
Sam ran his hands through his already dishevelled hair, “I found out two days ago that…that I am almost infertile and the chances of me giving my wife a child were only 10%. sorry,” Sam apologised for bringing up the embarrassing subject, but Caroline was watching him intently and waived away his apology before nodding for him to continue.
“That night…” Sam paused trying to think of how to word his thoughts “that night my wife went mental, screaming at me and throwing things saying that I had ruined her life and she’d be better off without me.” A tear trickled down Sam’s face as he remembered the hatred laced in the words and the anger and upset written across her face as she threw plates and ornaments at him. “…I didn't know what to do so…so I left and here I am now.”
“That’s awful, have you tried to talk to her?”
“No…I don’t want to at the moment.”
“What was your wife like?”
“Her name is Stephanie and I would say that she is about 5 ft 6 with blue eyes and brunette hair which she always kept long…” Sams eyes misted over as he thought of her now despairing and worried “…she had a sweet and kind nature and was always putting herself last, but the other night I saw something I didn’t like.”
“What do you plan to do now?”
“I don’t know”
“No idea? Where will you stay? Money?” Sam shrugged in reply and Caroline slipped her arm around his shoulders, sending a shockwave of desire coursing through his body, unusual considering the circumstances.
“I live in Sydney, would you like to stay a while until you’re on your feet?”
“What about your family - husband and children?”
“I live alone, apart from Ralph, that’s my dog by the way” she laughed and even Sam had to smile at the beautiful noise. Just then the intercom crackled into life “Ladies and Gentlemen we will shortly be touching down at Sydney airport please remain seated until we are grounded. Thank you.”
“Are you certain that I won’t be invading your space?”
“No it will make a change to have someone there with me”
“Thank you, how can I repay you?”
“You don’t need to Sam, its fine.”

Once at Sydney, Caroline collected her suitcase and hailed a taxi outside. They sped along the hot roads through the city in near silence until the cab stopped at a luxury house near the beachfront. Caroline paid the driver handsomely and Sam stepped out gaping in awe. The house was a modern affair with a large window overlooking a white sandy beach. Caroline skirted around him and pulled out a couple of beers from the fridge and offered Sam one, “wow this is some place you have here.” Caroline assented and crooked a finger for Sam to follow her. he did so and she led him to a white painted bedroom with a bed set up at the far end. “do you mind if I have a shower and tomorrow I will start looking for work”
“Certainly, this way.” he was taken to a large pale blue bathroom and Caroline tossed a towel to him before departing.

That night he slept fitfully wondering what was happening in England, as it was the middle of the night here it must be about midday in England Sam deduced, so he fumbled for his mobile phone and dialed Stephanie’s number.
Stephanie Fellsworth was in fact cleaning the downstairs of their marital home and removing any pictures of Sam she had in view when the phone sounded. She dived for it, “hello?” Sam said nothing and listened as she shouted down the phone, “wait! Sam is that you?” he ended the call and switched his phone off. Stephanie sat staring at the phone momentarily contemplating whether or not to call Sams mobile, but she did not see the sense in doing so for the police had never found it and were convinced that it had been on Sam when he had been washed out to sea and he was dead so it must have been a wrong number.

Shaking the macabre thoughts from her mind Stephanie continued to thoroughly scour the downstairs for any pictures she might have missed for she was so used to them being there. Once she had amassed a large pile of framed and unframed photographs she fetched her photo album from the top of her wardrobe and sat staring at Sam’s smiling face on holiday, at home with her and on their wedding day. Stephanie fetched a large roll of bubble wrap and began to methodically wrap and pack away each and every reminder of Sam.

The next morning he awoke early and was momentarily confused as to where he was and then with a painful jolt he remembered he was in sunny Australia.
Alone.
Sam yawned and rolled off of the sofa and stared at his reflection, he was unshaven and still wearing the crumpled shirt and jeans that he had been wearing for the past few days. Sighing he went to her study and clicked onto the internet, ten minutes later he logged off and headed out into the dazzling and already warm sunshine.

Sam stood frowning and turning his printed out map this way and that until he established that he was less than five minutes away from the local bank. Sam carefully retraced his route back to the crossroads and turned left smiling as he was rewarded with a large bank and building society straight ahead.

By the end of the day Sam returned back to Caroline’s flat; hot and sweaty but triumphant having set up a bank account, registered with a local doctor by the name of Tim Dunn and found himself a job at a local nightclub. Well sort of, for the owner had taken one look at his dishevelled appearance and begrudgingly agreed to give Sam a trial run the following evening. When he relayed this news to Caroline she flung her arms around him and kissed him before retracting sharply, “sorry.”
“no need” Sam pulled Caroline in and kissed her firmer and more insistently on the mouth.
A minute later they broke apart breathless and unsure of what to say to one another. Sam ran his hands through Caroline’s hair, “I’m curious, why did you take me in? I was just a random stranger on a plane, I could have been a murderer or something.”
“Well you weren’t” Caroline replied coolly.
“No but why?”
“I do not know really, I was sort of in the same situation myself a few years ago and I felt you needed someone to talk to and help you out so…” Caroline threw her arms out “…here I am.”
“The same situation?” Sam echoed.
“Yes my husband Bill and I had a son and…and they both died in a car accident three years ago. So like you I jetted off for the sunny shores of Australia in retreat from the world. Enough of that, would you like a glass of beer?”
“Yes please” Sam gratefully accepted and knocked back pint after pint until he could barely stand. “you know Carol…” he slurred “…since you spoke to me two days ago I think I’m falling in love with you” Caroline smiled and took him by the shoulders and lay him on the bed fully clothed and shut the door to a shout of “I love you Caroline.”
An hour later Caroline checked on him and found Sam still snoring peacefully and pulled out her mobile. “Terry it’s me, I have found someone for us.”
”Good, fill me in on him.”
“I met him on the plane two days ago and he’s abandoned his wife in England. He’s here with no money or a place to stay so I have taken him in.”
“Excellent Beatrice what have you told him your name is this time?”
“Caroline Thompson.”
“Good choice darling, hopefully I will see you soon.” Beatrice smiled evilly in the dark as she ended the call.


Chapter three;
A new life goes awry

Oblivious to Beatrice/Caroline’s bloody plans Sam soon became a permanent lodger in the spacious flat and days turned into weeks which progressed into months and Sam was surprised to find that he had been lodging in Australia for 5 years and three months.

That night as Beatrice lay in the bath, running the water to disguise her phone call, Terry made a decision. “Beatrice, I will see you in half an hour, you know the plan.”
“Right babe, bye.” Beatrice put her phone on the side and chuckled in anticipation. Twenty minutes later she emerged from the bathroom, unlocked the door and wandered into the sitting room clad in just a dressing gown to find Sam sprawled on the sofa watching cricket. She sat beside him and put her hand on his leg, “Sam I can’t deny it any longer, I am in love with you.” she stood up and as he watched she dropped her robe to the wooden floor and pushed him back on the sofa. He moaned as she slithered over him and he rolled on top of her naked form fumbling with his jeans, “make love to me Sam” she purred.

This was Terry’s cue and he tiptoed out from his hiding place (where he had crept in not five minutes previously) clutching a piece of lead piping in his hand.

As Sam and Beatrice writhed and fumbled with various articles of his clothing in a passionate frenzy Terry brought the pipe soundly down over the back of Sam’s head. His eyes flew open in shock and he fell forward onto Beatrice’s naked chest, unconscious. Beatrice wriggled from underneath Sam’s dead weight and slipped a dress on before helping Terry to haul Sam into the back of his waiting car.

Sam awoke to find himself lying on a damp concrete floor with a splitting headache. He sat up groaning and tried to piece together what had happened. He remembered Caroline declaring her love for him and… Oh God the sight of her naked body then… nothing and now he was here.
It was a large building with no windows and the only door he found out was bolted from the outside as Sam felt in the dark for a light switch. his foot hit something soft and he withdrew his foot. Eventually he found the light switch and was surprised to find that it worked. The room was flooded with dingy yellow light and Sam screamed in horror for the soft thing he had hit a minute earlier turned out to be a human corpse. It was a man wearing a suit and he had been there for some time as his face was sunken on one side where insects had ravaged his flesh. Sam stumbled back and vomited. Shaking he found himself beside another door and tried it and the door swung open to reveal a small cupboard. What terrified Sam though was the fact that the floor was not visible under the mound of corpses stored there, the stench was overwhelming but Sam could not pull himself away from the awful sight.
There were at least twenty people in here all in various stages of decomposition from middle aged men to young women. Sam slammed the door trying not to vomit again for he did not know how long he would be here.
“Or here alive” a small voice corrected.

“Ahem” Sam turned to see a towering man in his mid twenties standing beside... “Caroline. What are you doing here?”
“She’s with me” the man pulled Beatrice close “and for your information her name is Beatrice Williams.”
“Beatrice? I don’t understand.”
“Oh you’ll understand soon enough.” she went over and hugged him but whilst she was in his embrace she pinned his arms and moved behind him to pin him to the floor. It was an easy task as Sam was still feeling ill from the discovery of the corpses and his legs were like jelly. Terry advanced on him brandishing a lethal looking machete and Sam squeezed his eyes shut. As memories of his wedding day and Stephanie flashed before his eyes he knew he had to do something and he had to go back.

With an enormous effort he lashed out at Terry and caught him squarely in the shin, catching him off balance momentarily and Sam shrugged Beatrice off as if she weighed nothing more than a feather before running for the door they had carelessly left open.

Sam dashed across the road outside narrowly avoiding being mown down by a truck and collapsed into the alleyway beyond. He poked his head around the corner and was glad to see he was near the beach facing Beatrice/Caroline’s home. Sam stumbled along and ran to the flat; at the front door he hesitated wondering if they were waiting for him inside, but then pulled the handle firmly down and prayed to God he would live to see his plans work.
Sam knew he had very little time so instead of packing clothes, which would have been the practical thing to do, he merely snatched his passport from the drawer and rang for the local taxi company.

Ten minutes later a fat bald man in his mid fifties pulled up in a black cab and eyed Sam suspiciously, “where ya’ going?”
“Umm…Sydney airport as quickly as possible” Sam craned his head around and was greeted by an empty street “don’t ya’ want the hospital?”
”The hospital, why?”
“Well the back of your head is covered in blood” the man pointed out, starting to wonder if Sam was a lunatic or if he was delirious. “No, just drive please.” the taxi driver obliged and floored the accelerator wanting to be rid of his customer as quickly as possible for fear he may attack the driver or fall unconscious.


Chapter 4
A dramatic climax

“So here I am. Beatrice tried to kill me and I trusted her. I was so stupid to leave you, can you forgive me?”
Stephanie had tears in her eyes, “yes I can forgive you but I have rebuilt my life, I have Patrick now.” A loud snore rose from beside Stephanie and she was embarrassed to see that Patrick had fallen asleep in the middle of Sam’s woeful tale.
“NO!” Sam leaped up ignoring the bolt of pain from his battered head. “Steph’ I love you, please” he desperately looked from Patrick’s slumbering form to Stephanie. “We’ve got to talk, go...” he pushed her to the door.
Stephanie stopped, “but we can talk here.”
“No we can’t, move” he pushed her through the door and Stephanie screamed a long loud scream that echoed around the still sleeping neighbourhood. She could hear Patrick stirring now and screamed again before she was abruptly cut off by Sam clamping his hand over her mouth.
He gripped her arm and forced her to walk down the street, down to the Seaman’s Rest pub. The grass was damp with morning dew and its clamminess made Stephanie shiver as they stood on top of the cliff staring into the choppy grey waves below. He was dressed in jeans and a blood stained polo shirt, yet poor Stephanie still only had Patrick's shirt on and nothing more; “you remember this place don’t you?”
Stephanie shivered but didn't answer; he turned on her “I said you remember this place don’t you?”
“Yes I do.” Meanwhile the nosy old landlady of the Seaman’s Rest had peeked out of the curtains and saw two figures standing by the cliff; they were bathed in moonlight and Diana was surprised to see that one was Patrick Newton’s wife. She dialed his number and explained her unexpected predicament.
“Stay there and watch her. if he lays a finger on her I swear to God…” Patrick’s famed Irish temper was showing and Diana replaced the receiver before he could rant further.

Presently Patrick raced up to the Seaman's Rest in his small blue car and threw the door open, almost falling over himself in order to try and get to Stephanie. Upon his bellowed arrival, Sam turned to Patrick, “now you can know how it feels to lose someone you love” he pushed Stephanie and momentarily she teetered on the crumbling edge, allowing Patrick to dive for her arm before she toppled into the water below.

She lay in his arms on the grass crying and shaking. Patrick gently helped her up to the door of the Seaman’s Rest. Diana, who had been watching the drama unfold, ushered her in and sat her by the fire with a mug of tea as Patrick kissed her gently and went outside again.

”You ******g b*****d you could have killed her.” before Sam could even think of a reply Patrick’s meaty fist connected with his nose sending a fountain of blood gushing over his shirt, staining it and the grass ruby red.
Soon the men were rolling over and over in the grass kicking and punching one another, both drenched in the other's blood from split lips and broken noses. Soon Sam found himself pinned to the grass by Patrick’s sheer weight and threw his hands up in resignation, “ok I'm sorry.”
“Aye an’ tha’ makes all the bloody difference doesn't it?”
Sam struggled to his feet and turned away from Patrick, “tell Stephanie I'm sorry”
“Sorry? What for?”
“This” Sam propelled himself forward and disappeared into the inky depths of the sea below. “S**T!” exclaimed Patrick and he sprinted for the rocky path leading to the sandy beach.
Stumbling and falling over black rocks Patrick made his way to where the dawn was lighting the beach with a rosy glow. Sam lay there, his eyes open and glassy, he was on his side with one arm outstretched as if he had been reaching for something before he died.

The police were duly called and it was a simple case, for legally, Sam was already dead, so as the policewoman joyfully worded it, “it would save a lot of paperwork” they drove Stephanie and Patrick to their marital home and ensured that they were safe before going back to their station to finish the paperwork.


Chapter 5;
the end of the road.

Sam’s funeral was a small affair and after the sermon Stephanie noticed a lone woman staring into his grave. She wore a simple black dress and a large hat perched on top of her blonde hair, but what Stephanie could not understand was the cold calculating almost satisfied look in her deep brown eyes. She shook herself from the gloomy thoughts and stepped into a taxi with Patrick at her side for support.

Stephanie’s nightmares were reawakened a year later when the morning newspapers came with the news that a Beatrice Williams and Terry Jackson had been arrested in Australia for countless murders. As she read this she could still hears Sam’s story echoing in her mind “she tried to kill me.” he had said. Stephanie flipped over the page and was horrified to see the woman from Sam’s funeral staring back at her; she threw the newspaper to the floor and yawned as baby Maria began to cry, which set off her brother Kieran.

It was all in the past now, but she would never forget Sam, nor his story of how he escaped the clutches of two deranged killers.

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