Contagion - Plans of Deception - Book One.
Chapter One.

Plans of Deception.

The air was acrid and thick with smoke making it difficult for Elaine to breathe, while she hid herself within a concealed closet. There was a draft of cold air circulating the room; momentarily she shivered, as a spasm of fear overwhelmed her, she felt it passing down her spine, as her mussels involuntary went into a shuddering spasm.

Her night-shirt afforded her little in the way of protection or warmth, having been made of a thin nylon type material; which had been a gift from her father, on the return from one of his many Tokyo business trip’s, sporting a bundle of counterfeit designer clothing.

Uncontrollably fear further again gripped her as her body tensed; it was when she heard her mother calling to her. “Elaine come on sweetie…you know mummy never hurts you.” Carefully Elaine pulled herself inwards, and tightly hunched and squatting, trying to be unseen in her hiding place. It had become her place of refuge where the monsters that were now haunting her mother, could never reach her.

Elaine had found it quite by accident one day, while looking for her pet hamster, which had briefly managed to experience a taste of momentary freedom. “Elaine”, bellowed her mother; “you come to your mother right now.” Christine’s arms swung and ended up pointing a finger to the floor just in front of her feet.

Her mother was agitated; she had awoken from an evening of heavy drinking, Elaine loved her and knew that in her heart, her mother truly loved both her and Peter her father. It was just for now, only a temporary glitch, a time when her mother was unable to contain, or control her emotional well been, and as a result, she also was not eating, and mixing prescription drugs with alcohol, and truly looked in a pitiful state.

While she had been with her husband Peter, they had worked together on her problems, and with love and time been on her side, Christine had managed to almost fully control this destructive illness, which was now once again allowing the demon of alcohol back into her life.

In truth Christine had truly loved Peter, but had grown to resent his long business trips away from home, sometimes lasting up to three months. Her sexual desires were strong, and when Peter was away, it had put additional strain on their marriage. So, when Adam came on the scene, he was much younger, fit and very good-looking, and when he had shown an active interest in Christine, with Peter away, she found there was no longer the strength within her to control her drinking, or desire to push aside Adam’s advances.

By now the air in the apartment had become foul, yet it had never occurred to Christine in her almost constant drunken state, to even open the windows, as it was, the night was cold, and the apartment was in a poor area, which had a high crime rate. Although in truth the building had little in the way of any real heating; even if it had, their would have been no money to pay for the heating bills, it was constantly channelled on keeping an adequate supply of wine and spirits. Even the apartment’s antiquated air conditioning had long given up its ghost, like so many of the other basic necessities that were now showing the edge of old age.

Since Peter her husband, had been given a custodial sentence, and Adam had so heartlessly manipulated and then dumped her. The combined results of this sudden change of fortune and events had meant that Christine had become distraught and lost, and in her confused state of mind, she was no longer able to cope.

In truth, she had suffered a full-blown emotional breakdown, each Day seemed so empty, and always the same. Once Christine had started her day by drinking, after only a few hours, there were to be found numerous empty cigarette packets lying on the floor, along with a large quantity of empty wine and vodka bottles.

The door to Elaine’s bedroom opened, and even from within her hiding place, and which had become her only refuge. Elaine could smell the alcohol and smoke, as it gave imminent warning of her mother been nearby. “Dam you child where are you?” shouted Christine, Elaine momentarily held her breath; she was frightened, that even this, might give her position away, and that would then inevitably lead to her mother forcing the child to help her undress. That was far from an easy task, especially for a young child, on many an occasion Christine had uncontrollably vomited over Elaine, while falling into a defenceless heap on the floor, or if she was very lucky onto her bed. Then also on occasions she would in a loss of dignity, loose control urinating on the bed and leaving the child to clean up, so that when she awoke the following day, it would give the illusion of normality.

But then in truth what is normality? Other than a group of set standards put into place by society, or a group of people that we live in or with, yet broken at a frequency that others hope has gone unobserved.

They had lived in this apartment now for only five months, her mother had never stepped foot in all that time into the child’s bedroom closet. Housework never had been one of Christine’s stronger points; it was always Elaine who put away her clothing and kept the apartment looking tidy. When the apartment had been built in the early 1930’s, a trap door had been fitted to allow tradesmen access, to the various wiring and plumbing. Unless a person actually knew that it was there, then it was almost impossible to see, having been tucked away in a darkened alcove, where very little light ever managed to caress and expose its existence.

The room was again filled with profanity. “Darn stupid child, where the hell are you?” Elaine released her breath on hearing her mother’s voice as it had started to fade, and knowing that she had for the present time given up looking for her. Then Elaine shuddered, as she heard her mother vomiting in the passageway, and then swearing and mumbling as she stumbled her way back into the living room, to open yet another bottle of wine or Vodka.

As the light of dawn filtered its way through the bedroom window, Elaine awoke, still hunched up and huddled in her hide away, quietly she made her way back into her room, knowing her mother would not awake until early afternoon. As she pulled the bed covers over her cold and shivering body, tears flowed from her eyes, and bravely she wiped them away, as she prayed for her daddy to come back, and to make everything how it was before. Yet in truth, she knew in the back of her mind, it was very unlikely that would ever happen.

What had made it worst for the child was the fact that in her mind, although still partly confused and stunned by the suddenness of all the events that had taken place; she had blamed herself and her Social worker Brien for her Fathers imprisonment. Such thoughts of guilt were immense for anyone to carry, let alone for an emotionally injured child.

The entire Nightmare had all started some fourteen months earlier, Elaine was aware that her mother had become more than friendly with Adam, who had at that time, only recently become her Fathers joint business partner. On one of the many occasions, that Peter her father, was forced to be away, Adam had used the opportunity to openly look after the family, with the pretence that he was taking care of them. He had often taken Elaine and her mother shopping, or to the park, sometimes even for long weekends at the coast where his sister lived.

It was here that Elaine had first met Amander, although she was only a few years older than Elaine, they were in time to become the very best of secretive friends. Rachel, Adams sister had three children of her own; her marriage had long broken up, so the occasional visits from her brother, were more than welcome, including the variety of women who seemed to always tag along.

It was in the month of July when Peter had secured a very lucrative contract in Tokyo; this had involved an extensive follow up trip to Thailand, to arrange sub contracting. Knowing that he was to be away for some months, Peter had arranged with his business partner Adam, to yet again help look after his family.

Elaine was distraught, she had long come of an age where she would realise, that Adams interactions between her mothers, were more than plutonic. Yet she was unable to prove such to her father, and in some way viewed such an accusation as an act of her betrayal.

Secretly she had resented her father for always leaving the family every few months, knowing that while he was away, that her quality of life would inevitably change. Christine Elaine’s mother always had that fondness for alcohol, yet when her father was around it rarely, if ever, got the better of her.

However, whenever he was away, Elaine had noted the frequency of empty wine bottles, that seemed to grow from the living room carpet, as if cultivated from a master gardener with very green fingers. In the mind of the child, she was torn between her love of her mother, and not wanting to hurt her feelings, and for the love that she had mixed with resentment, towards her father, for leaving them for months at a time.

Adam had made the usual promises to look after Peter’s family, and had even driven Peter to the airport at Heathrow, knowing it would be at least three months before he would be in a position to return. As he watched the vast jet lift itself from the ground, like some gigantic prehistoric bird of prey, he smiled to himself, and then made his way towards the short-term car park.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a mobile ’Phone, quietly he tapped in the numbers, and then waited for the reply. “Jacquie, its Adam can you meet me in Windsor?” He paused as a Jumbo jet flew overhead. “Peter’s plane has just left, we shall not be seeing him for some months.” There was again a moment’s pause, this time from Jacquie his secretary, as she waited for one of the company typists to leave her office. “What time will you be there?” Already she could feel the excitement rising from within her. “Traffic permitting, I should make it within say…forty minutes, see you soon, bye.”

Jacquie’s official title was his Personal Assistant, and she had only actually worked in the company for some three months, having been taken on as a temporary typist. Adam soon discovered that typing was not all that she was good at, excelling in man management; she soon had caught his attention and was promoted to the position of his Personal Assistant working directly under his authority.

He had given his previous secretary instant dismissal, on the pretence of misplacing some very important documents, which were critical to securing a similar contract from Tokyo. He had the entire office staff wasting hours of valuable time, searching for the misplaced items, when he knew all along, they were tucked securely away, hidden in his company car.

That morning he drove more slowly than usual, he had already put into action a plan. It was an idea that would in time give him full control of the business, and put Peter out of the picture, and then leaving him in charge of the companies’ finances. As for Christine, he viewed her as a minor significance, a victim, deserving his ill treatment for her disloyalty to her husband and child.

Windsor was a matter of minutes from the M4 Motorway; Adam had purchased an executive apartment overlooking the river Thames, and the Windsor racecourse. It was a second home, one that he used on the discreet times, when he wanted to avoid others from discovering his complex lifestyle. As he drove the car into the underground parking lot, Jacquie had observed his immanent arrival, from the penthouse balcony. Placing the mobile Phone down, she prayed the paged message that she had just sent, would reach its intended destination. As Adam walked into the apartment, she was already waiting, and dressed only in a bikini, taking full advantage of the sun as its rays of light caressed her, already tanned and very shapely body?

Adam threw his keys onto a side table and poured himself a drink “The poor old man is on his way, he hasn’t a clue of what awaits him at the other end.” Jacquie could see the broad smile on his face, he was ruthless, and she was very aware that it would take every ounce of her skills, to ensure that she obtained her desired goal.

Walking over to where Adam was standing, Jacquie started to undo his shirt. “Are you sure he won’t replace it?” She enquired. Adam poured himself another measure of Vodka, with an ample quantity of ice. “I did as you suggested, and hid them in the gift that you gave me, to give to Elaine for her Father; it was all wrapped, and even had a card accompanying it, made by his own daughter.”

Jacquie smiled as she reached out, greeting her lover and opening his shirt, she ran her hand along his chest and could feel the taught skin. He was in remarkably good shape for his age, with a deep-bronzed tan; gently she placed her lips onto his chest and kissed his flesh.

As the Jet touched down in Thailand, Peter disembark along with the other businessmen, and made his way towards customs, once cleared he was met by a chauffeur, who was to drive him to the Hilton. He was thankful for the air-conditioning; it was a hot stifling day, and in the high 90s with little in the way of any breeze. It had been a long journey, and one that would in time prove to be very costly, for now he was tired and needed to rest.