Tedd and Todd's secret (40 page)

"Carol, we've got to go. I lost my phone and I couldn't ring you, so I decided to come and fetch you."

She frowned. "Do I know you? How do you know my name?"

"What are you talking about? Come on. Let's go."

"I'm not going anywhere with you. Is this some sort of joke?"

For the first time, Aidan studied her expression. She genuinely seemed not to recognize him. She was looking at him as if he were a perfect stranger. She wasn't feigning not knowing him. Why would she? It didn't make any sense.

"Listen Carol, I don't know what's happening, but we've got to go now. I've found Tedd and Todd and–"

"Nothing's happening to me," Carol raised her voice. "I don't know who you are or who you are referring to, but I'd like you to go now and leave me alone."

A small group had formed nearby on hearing Carol's nervous tone. Aidan didn't know what to do. Why was she carrying on like this? He couldn't think of one valid reason. She was staring daggers at him now. She was obviously angry and his presence wasn't helping. It was so weird that he felt completely confused.

"Carol, please. Stop pretending that you don't know me."

"Listen, I don't know if you're making fun of me or if you've got some sort of mental problem. Either way, it's the same to me. Leave now or I'll call security."

"That won't be necessary, miss," someone said, grabbing him by the shoulder and pulling him away from Carol, at the same time whispering, "I'll explain. Now, let's get out of here."

Aidan Zack let himself be dragged away from Carol mostly because he didn't know what to do if he stayed. He looked at the stranger in search of answers and recognized Dylan Blair's unpleasant smile straight away.

"What are you doing here?"

"I was looking for you. And to explain what's happened to your girlfriend, of course."

"I'm not in the mood for jokes. Tell me!"

"Not here. Let's find somewhere quieter and I'll clear everything up."

The promise of an explanation calmed Aidan down for the time being. At least, until they'd left the building and got into Dylan's limousine. Once seated inside, Dylan activated the window that separated the driver from the rear-seat passengers and opened the door to the bar. A stiff drink seemed like a good idea to Aidan, given the circumstances. He pointed to a bottle, remembering as he did so the good straight right he'd given Dylan in their last encounter. He was pleased to see that there was still some bruising around the eye.

"That's behind us," Dylan said, reading Aidan's thoughts. "I'm not here because of that. Although, I have to admit, you pack a good punch."

Aidan watched him pour a good shot of whisky.

"I'm pleased that you've forgotten that. I didn't mean to get into a punch-up that day."

"You sure did," Dylan said. "You were interrupted. Tedd and Todd didn't want you to catch up with Kodey Black."

"What? You bumped into me on purpose? Well, my friend, that's the last straw. Tell me what you were going to tell me about Carol and, while you're at it, tell me where we're going."

"Take it easy. I'm here to bring you up to date and take you to Tedd and Todd. They're the ones who are responsible for all of this. They told me to stop you getting to Kodey so that you wouldn't find out about the chess game too soon. You had to understand the whole deal at the right moment."

"To get me into that trap at the art gallery?"

"That's right. If you hadn't discovered that it was a game of chess they would've had to tell you. But they couldn't let you know any earlier."

"And Carol?"

"Well, the explanation for that must be obvious. Have you ever stopped to think why it is that the battle between the pieces hasn't become public knowledge, while they're killing people in front of everybody in broad daylight?"

Aidan saw a little of what Dylan was trying to tell him. The deal in the shopping centre had involved a few pieces at the same time. The whole thing was set up in a public place and one person, Earl Black, died. That should have come out in the papers and on television much more than it had. Aidan remembered that he'd wanted to look at the security videos but they weren't available. It seemed that Tedd and Todd had somehow covered the whole thing up.

"Do you mean to say that–"

"They've wiped out a piece of Carol's memory," Dylan informed him. "She'd fulfilled her function passing information on for them, but they couldn't permit her to publish anything about the game. That's happened to other people too, I'm afraid."

Anger surged through Aidan. He imagined that another one of these people could be Fletcher. The pathologist knew too much and Tedd and Todd wouldn't want him putting his theories down in a report that others could read.

"Are they going to do the same to me?"

For a second it didn't seem like such a bad idea. They could wipe out everything that had happened in the last few days. He could forget about Carol forgetting about him, for example. But despite that wild thought, he still wanted to know why they were manipulating him, maybe even against his own wife. Ashley was still alive. He had to find her at any cost.

"I don't think they'll do that to you," Dylan said. "Your case is different. They'll explain that to you soon."

"And what's your role in all of this? Are you working for them?"

"Not really. I'm helping them out with some minor points. And in a few years I'll be playing. So it suits me to get on well with the bosses."

"Haven't you already played?" Aidan asked. Ashley had got Tedd and Todd to save his life and in exchange she was playing. So following that reasoning through, Dylan must have obtained his fortune through an agreement with Tedd and Todd. "They've made you rich without having to get involved?"

"Something like that," Dylan said. "In my case we've reached an agreement that I will play in a few years. When I'm eighty, to be exact."

"But my wife had to play immediately when she got my–"

"Miraculous salvation. I know. Depending on the people and the circumstances, the deal changes. You were dying, Ashley didn't have a lot of time to deliberate over that and she couldn't have reached a better deal than the one she got. I guess they made her an offer that meant her playing straight away and also involved her not getting into contact with you. It would seem she accepted that in exchange for saving your life."

A better deal? Those words reminded Aidan that he still didn't know what happened to the loser in this game of chess. Nor who Tedd and Todd really were and how they were capable of doing what they did.

"You're saying she cut a deal with them just like you did?"

"That's right. I'm living the good life loaded with money because of that."

"The loser dies, doesn't he?" Aidan asked, with his heart on his sleeve. Otis had said that the game had already finished, but the winner wasn't clear. And to make things worse, his escape from the fire had allowed Otis to take the queen. "If no one died then everybody would want to play and get the benefit out of it, just like you've done."

"You still don't know what the price of playing is, do you? It's worse than death, at least in theory. Tedd and Todd describe themselves as collectors."

"Collectors of what?"

"Of souls," Dylan answered. "That's the price."

"You're telling me you have to deliver your soul just to live another forty years?"

"Well, that's not exactly right. I haven't delivered my soul. I've agreed to play for it. If I win I don't have to pay. And I can stay."

"It… it's something…" Aidan didn't know what to say. If all this was true, his wife had played with her own soul to save his life and that meant she could lose because she'd saved him from the fire. Could she have done something as mad as that? But he could see a certain logic in all of it. If someone wanted immortality or wealth or to save the life of a loved one, then the price would have to be high

"Take your time," Dylan advised him. "It's hard at first. It was that way for me. I saw Kodey kill a piece and was going to testify against him. I almost shit myself the first time I saw them when they came to wipe my memory out. I didn't think they were going to offer me anything, but they must have guessed straight away about my miserable personal life and my absolute lack of scruples and self-confidence. When they talked to me about the possibility of improving my life, it didn't take them too long to convince me. They're very persuasive."

"And losing your soul doesn't bother you?"

"Would it bother you? If it did, that would mean that you know what having a soul means. If you do, would you mind telling me?"

"You're confusing me. The soul is… well, it's, you know, immortal."

"Really? If we're good we go to heaven and hang out with the angels in a paradise in the clouds. Is that how it works?"

"It seems like you don't believe in that, but at the same time you're playing."

"I don't know about you, but I've never seen a soul. I'm not conscious of having one and I'm not going to believe it just because the odd couple tells me I've got one. There are many things we can't explain in this world. This chess game is only one of them. I'll worry about having a soul or not when I die. In the meantime, I'll do whatever I think will help to improve my rotten life."

"But you've seen what Tedd and Todd can do. It's not just a question of belief."

"You're right. I've seen them do many things. For example, trick people like you. I'm the only one playing this game who won't be cheated. I don't know what happens when we die and there's nothing we can do in this life to find out. They're taking advantage of our fears. Mention the word soul, and we start thinking about eternity, among a dozen other things. Why? It's very simple, we can't know what Tedd and Todd are referring to until we're stiff."

"I see. So you'll risk what might happen after death because you haven't got any idea what it is."

"One thing I'm not going to do is accept what the soul is because an old man and a kid tell me it is. Besides, I might win. There's only one loser. It's a good deal for Todd and Tedd. They guarantee souls and we have a fifty percent chance of winning."

"It's a ridiculous idea. Ashley did it to save my life. That I can understand. I'd do it for her. But to risk your soul for money is pathetic."

"That's a reasonable point of view. Everyone's got their own scale of values. I don't judge others because they don't share my view of things. Don't worry, you'll get a chance to see how strong your convictions are."

"Are you suggesting they're going to tempt me? Is that why you're taking me to them?"

"I don't know what they want. But you're cannon fodder, my friend. You're one of those who believes whatever these two say. If they say the soul's the most precious thing in the world, you'd swallow it, because how could they do what they've already done? How could this game of chess be real?"

"I'd pay more attention to them than you do. That's one thing I'm sure of."

"I told you, you're cannon fodder. At least they're not going to cheat me. I make decisions trusting in my instinct instead of letting their words sway me."

"We've already seen that," Aidan paused. "Who are they really?"

"What more can I give you? The problem is the same as the soul. Are you going to believe what they tell you? If that's the case they could be anyone. If they said they were the devil trading souls, would you believe them? It'd be better that they were aliens controlling human life."

"I don't know," Aidan said.

"Take your time. They won't tell you that. I've already told you that they consider themselves to be collectors. It's the only explanation I've heard them give. In any case I would dare to guess that they will tell you whatever suits them in order to seduce you. Strangely though, they don't usually lie."

"I've got to admit the way you treat all of this impresses me. Aren't you curious to know the truth?"

"Like everybody. Is there anybody who doesn't want to know what's after death?"

"Then?"

"Then, nothing," Dylan answered. "There's no way of knowing and that's it. That's the only truth. You're free to believe what Tedd and Todd say if it'll make you feel any better. Personally, after seeing what they get up to, I would prefer to not take what they say seriously. My serenity is based on the fact that I'm sure there are questions that will always remain unanswered."

"Let's leave it for now, because I can see you're capable of convincing me too. But just the same, I feel like strangling you for your involvement in all of this." That was a much stronger temptation than Aidan would have believed. Without any doubt, Dylan was living a happier life than Aidan. His way of thinking allowed him to live a less complicated existence. And Aidan envied him for that. His own life was a mess. He'd just lost Carol, Lance's death was still fresh in his mind, and he had no idea what was going to happen to Ashley. As Dylan had said, he was cannon fodder.

It wasn't a good moment to philosophize. At that moment, it was all the same to him. He was what he was, for good or bad, and wasn't going to change. He'd confront whatever was coming his way the same way he'd handled everything else in his life.

The limousine stopped.

"We've arrived," Dylan advised him.

"Thanks for telling me all this," Aidan said, shaking his hand. "I still don't like you, Dylan. But at least I've been able to share your point of view."

"Take care of yourself, friend," Dylan said. "Maybe we'll see each other again. I don't know how your story's going to finish, but if you come and visit me, I'll buy you a drink."

CHAPTER 29