the end part two

He arrived at the bakery, and saw Mario standing outside, smoking.

'Hello, there young sir, aren't you looking dashing today.'

'Thank you Mario, is she ready yet?'

'I really could not say, she is a lady after all.'

'Meaning?'

'That is something, man has been trying to figure out for millions of years now.'

'I did not know you smoked.'

'I don't.'

'This is all in your imagination, you catch my drift.'

'Loud and clear.'

'I am going in, enjoy your smoke.'

'That is what I have been doing.'

Jack entered the store and head straight for the kitchen, when he saw she still busy baking.

'I am so sorry youngest employee of Olive's bakery, we are going to have to leave a little later, then we had planned, I cannot believe, I missed an order and this on the person's birthday.'

'No, it is fine, you know Waldo's rule, customer first and besides it was a hectic day, so it could have slipped anyone's mind.'

'You are too sweet, you making me feel more guilty for doing this to you.'

'Do not sweat it, these things happen.'

'But let's look on the bright side, I am almost done, these things just need to go in the oven, taken out of the oven, cooled down, icing needs to be applied, then it needs to be delivered, okay, it is going to take quite some time but that does not mean we cannot enjoy our time here, right?'

'Sure, would you like some tea while we wait for the cakes to come out of the oven?'

'Yes, please, I would love some.'

'Coming, right up, only female employee of Olive's bakery.'

Jack made the tea and Charlotte sat down across him, they talked and laughed until the cakes were done baking, she took them out, a placed them out on the table.

'Can, I  will start washing the dishes and cleaning up on this side, you know how much Waldo hates a dirty kitchen, unless you want a giant Polar bear screaming at you early in the morning.'

'I really do not want that early in the morning, I would really appreciate it.' 

Jack put on an apron, rolled up his sleeves and started cleaning, while Charlotte was busying finishing.'

'James, would kill you right on the spot if he had to see you wearing his apron.'

'Is he here?'

'No, need to worry, those two are probably at the whore house getting stinking drunk.'

'Thank God!, I do not know what I would do, if they had to show up now, I would jump out of the window.'

'Do not worry, you are safe, they only return home around the early hours of the morning.'

'Great.'

'Alright, less talk and more work.'

'Yes Ma'am.'

The two continued their work in silence, Jack go all out with the cleaning, for what seems like hours of cleaning, Charlotte called it.

'I am done!' she said throwing her hands in the air.

'Me too!', Jack put the bucket and mob back into the broom closet, took of his apron, hanged it back in its place and fell on the chair.

'You cleaned everywhere, even where I was working I did not even realise it, thank you very much, just a few more minutes Jack, I promise, all that is left is the delivery, then we are free to do whatever we want, I am going to change into something clean  quickly.

'Okay.'

Charlotte hanged her apron and left the kitchen and returned surprisingly quickly.

'You done?'

'Yes, why.'

'I just…'

'You were expecting me to take hours because I am a woman?'

'No, that is not true, you know I am a feminist.'

'I believe you but we are wasting time arguing right now, we need to go, please hold the box open for me so I can put in the cake nicely.'

'Okay.'

'There she is, now, let me take her home.'

'Do you want me to come with you?'

'No, there really is no need to, the house, is not very far from here, it will not take me more then five minutes to go there and come back.'

'Can I at least hold the door open for you?'

'Of course.'

Jack held the kitchen door open for her, then the door at the front, as he was holding the door open and Charlotte was reversing out, Jack saw a figure walking towards him once he came close enough for him to recognise, he immediately turned around and walk away, Jack knew it was, it Gregory Doris Gibson, probably coming for his late night booty call.

'Aaah!, good, made it out in one piece.'

'Good.'

'I will be going and be right back, you can go inside if you want or walk around a little, I will find you.'

'No, I will wait here.'

'Suit yourself, bye.'

'Bye.'

Jack watched her figure grower dimmer and dimmer into the distance until she vanished, he walk to the bench on corner and sat down, not along after the Charlotte vacated the premises, the figure reappeared and walked straight to Jack.

'Jack Peterson, is that you?',  Gibson said walking closer and squinting his eyes.

'Yes, Mr Gibson it is I.'

'Mind if I take a seat?'

'No, not at all.'

'My…what are you doing out here late, still working?'

'No, Sir, the store is obviously closed.'

'So, why are you here then?'

'I am waiting for someone and you, why, are you out so late, do you not have a wife and children waiting at home?'

'I am just taking a walk.'

'Nice.'

'Are you on a date?'

'Maybe, maybe not, I am going to take a walk around, everyone seem to be having fun, I might as well go and enjoy myself to.'

'Okay, stay safe.'

Jack, nodded and left, 

He wondered around, then returned to the spot roughly an hour later, to find Gregory Doris Gibson still sitting on the bench, Jack went to sit next to him.

'Still here I see.'

'Yes, looks like I fell asleep here.'

'Do you not think it is time to go home, Mr Gibson?'

'I would but…..do you smell something burning?'

'Only the smell of your flesh burning in hell.'

'No, Sir…wait now I smell something.'

Then a man came running towards them, completely out of breath.

'Are you….are you Gregory Gibson?'

'Yes.'

'I…I...have some bad news….your…'

'Just spit it out man!', Gibson raised his voice  startling the poor man.

'Your house is on fire!'

Both Jack and Gibson stood up in shock.

'But…how?'

'There is not time to answer your questions, come quick!'

Greg nodded and they both ran to the house Jack following behind them.

'Sir C.J, please, I hope you have nothing to do with this.'

When they are arrived on the scene, the entire house was engulfed in fire and most of the towns folk and neighbouring farmers were trying to put of the tsunami of flames which was devouring the house, the smell of burning meat was hanging around in the air, Gibson fell to his knees calling out his wife and daughters names.

'Look at him, pretending to care about his family now, it is all an act, just wait and watch as soon as this is all over not even a week later, he is going to marry Charlotte Bonate, I do not have time for this drama, I need to find a way to help my friends.'

He ran around to the back of the house and saw that the back was also engulfed by the ocean of flames, Jack felt a sharp pain shoot through his chest, causing to fall on his hands and knees, the pain becoming so intense that it finally forcing  him to fall on his belly, submit to it and to experience his loss fully, clutching his chest and gasping for air, it felt like someone was standing on his chest, while pushing a sword through his heart.

'What…what is…happening to me….., am I dying?'

As he was laying on the ground, staring at the night sky, the ambers of the fire filling it up like  a swarm of fire flies, then he a snap from the tree behind him.

'Who is there!, help!'

The pained slowly subside and Jack was able to wiggle himself on to his side and he could see a figure, a woman figure standing behind a tree, then he looked along the ground and saw there bakery box laying on the ground.

'What is this doing here?'

He then managed to get him on himself on to his hands and knees and crawled to the box and opened it.

'Nothing, that means it had been delivered, could it be that Charlotte did this but why?'

Obviously she wanted to eliminate the competition, he looked up from the box to find the tree, the figure started to step out the shadows.

'Char…Charlotte….you did this?'

The figure stopped and started to back up and seemed to be shaking its head, then turned around and started running.

'Wait!'

Jack shouted the in anger, the fiery feeling burning away, whatever pain was left and he started running after the figure, into the thick dark forest, burning with the feeling of vengeance, he could not feel the brunches and thorns, pricking him and cutting into his flesh, he was determined to bring her to justice, but as he as chasing here or what he thought  was her, every time this figure or thing ran into the piece of moonlight piercing through the trees, its form changed, a for a second it looked like Charlotte, then Eliana, then Susan, then Julia, then Sevki and finally Elizabeth, he rubbed his eyes, to see properly, but unfortunately in that moment, his foot caught a tree root, propelling him forward in to a somersault, raising up the dust around him, finally giving himself a little colour at the end of the story.

'What an entrance!'

He immediately stood up and dusted himself off.

'You!, it was you wasn't it?'

'So, how do you like it.'

'How did I like it, YOU KILLED MY FRIENDS!'

'Unfortunately, in every war there has to be casualties, that is just the way.'

'They did not have to be!, our target was not them but Gibson.'

'Yes, he was.'

'So why, did you kill them?'

'Jackie boy…'

'Stop calling me that!'

'Okay, Jack!, what was our plan in the first place, was it not to make him suffer and everyone knows if you really want to make a man suffer you take away what he loves and values most.'

'You are sick!, I am going to the police.'

'Please be my guest.'  Sir C.J stepped aside and pointed the way, 'let us see if they believe me or you.'

'Of course they will.'

'Really, do not make me laugh, this coming from the boy who poisoned the entire Phil family, his father and killed five woman in cold blood.'

'I never did that, I will get Sevki, she will tell them everything.'

'You going to go dig her up and take her body to the police station.'

'Wh…What have you done to her?'

'No, no, not what have I done to her, what have you done to her, the poor thing was so terrified after she found out about this sinister plan of yours confronted you and threated to tell the police, you said that you would stop but as soon as she turned her back you stab her right in the back of her neck, below the skull, instant kill, further more you still had the sickening audacity to use the very knife to kill Charlotte Bonate, sneaking in a fake order from the Gibson house, knowing very well that she is loyal to her customers, she would make a delivery, no matter what the time was, a defenseless young women walking all alone at night a perfect time for a demonic psychopath like yourself to strike, dragging her body  with all your other victims in the same house and burning them, what kind of sick monster are you?'

'Hah, you not as smart as I thought you were.'

'Why, amuse me.'

'Because you just told me everything I needed to know, will go tell the police exactly what you told me.'

Sir C.J let out a loud and hysterical laughter falling on the ground and kicking in the air, after he was done with his laughing fit, he got up dusted himself off.

'And please do tell them how all these incriminating evidences landed up in your room and not in my house and most of those trustee police officers you would like to tell, who do you think they would believe a peasant boy or someone you could make their life a breeze'

Jack was left speechless, he could not muster another word.

'Unfortunately this is where our journey end, it was fun, my dear Jackie boy but all good thing have to come to an end, that is just how life is, I will not lie I do feel a little sad but…', he walked over to Jack put his hand on his shoulder and whispered in his ear, ' Not as sad your mother is going to be once your nosey sister discovers all that..'

Jack pushed him a away, 'You!'

'Ah..ah..ahhhh, no time for chit chat, GO!...GO!...GO!'

He spank Jack on the bums and he had no choice but to run, knowing his sister is always dying to scratch around his room. 

Jack arrived at his house there and all the lamps seemed to have be on, knocked first but no answer, he opened the door and peeked in, still there was no signs life, he called out for his sister and mother but no response, he entered the house closed the door behind him and quickly ran to his room, looked under the bed his bed and saw a little glass bottle standing upright, with a folded piece of paper under it, Jack picked up the paper and read it.

'The poison you used to kill the Phil family and your own father, look in the closet , there is a surprise for you.' 

Jack ran to the closet and swung open the doors and started throwing out his mountain of books, every book he threw out, the faster his heart started to beat , until he hit the bottom and saw a  cloth stained in blood under it, another letter he picked it up and it read.

'He lies and waits in the near village

From ambush he murders the innocent 

Watching in secret for his victims

He lies in wait like a lion in cover 

He lies and waits to catch the helpless'

Psalm 10 verse 8-10, A little psalms for you, I hope you can find salvation and my Lord my God forgives you.

PS; The weapon you use to take the lives of two youthful and innocent girls.

Jack dropped the letter and picked up the stained white cloth and slowly uncovered a knife the very knife he use at work to peel and chopped the fruit, he  picked up the knife, still covered in blood and brought it close to his face, he could smell the blood it was still fresh, brought it closer to his eyes.

'This cannot be real, it just cannot be…'

'Jack!'

He heard his mother call, dropping the knife on the floor and rolling under the bed and sticking the point still sticking out it, he could hear someone walking to his room, just as the shadow appeared at his door way, Jack was able to grab the knife, cover it and stuff it in his pants.

'Hey, Jack!'

It was Jill the very person he had to run home to for.

'Uhmmm.'

She looked around awkwardly.

'Mother is calling you.' 

Then she left.

'Huh. I wonder what is up with her, that is a mystery for another day, I better put this back and think of a way to get rid of it later.'

Jack took it out and look at it once more, 'I promise you girls, I will get you justice it may not be now but it will be soon.'

He placed it back in its original place and stacked the books in front of it, his closed the door, straighten himself, combed his hair, ate a breath mint and went to meet his mother.

When he entered the lounge, he saw Waldo, standing next his mother with his hand on her shoulder, Mario, took his hat off as he approached, his mother looked up at him, got up and ran over to him giving him a big hug.

'Are you okay my son?'

'Yes, I am thank you very much.'

'I am sorry for your loss, Waldo said, I know you were very close.'

'I am sorry about Charlotte too,' Mario said, giving him a little smile.

'More like brother and sister.' Waldo said, laughing a little.

'Have the police found anything yet.' Jack asked Waldo.

'No, nothing yet, but my friend said that he will let me know as soon as he finds something.'

'He will find nothing.'

'What do you mean?'

'I mean to say, that I will have to solve this case myself, mother I finally figured out what my true calling is, it is not acting but to be an detective, the greatest that has ever set foot on this earth, a hero of Justice.'

'I will have my revenge, mark my words.'

To be continued….