The Third Terrace of Purgatory: Redemption

By K. R. Barker

Dan Taylor works in a bank in Sydney. One New Years Eve, his life is transformed by a car accident. When he wakes in a hospital, he knows something has fundamentally changed, a change that sets him on a journey to London to find the answers to the dreams and visions that have plagued his subconscious.

The revelations in London are more disturbing than he could have imagined, all the more so when he meets his nemesis, Robert MacBain, a small-time crook from Edinburgh. It soon becomes apparent that the past holds a dark mystery that has bound their destinies together.

Taylor recognizes that he needs to identify the source of a conflict that has resulted in the death and misery of so many, and to finally find his path to a personal redemption.

Redemption is the final part of the trilogy, The Third Terrace of Purgatory.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Jun 1, 2012
• ISBN: 9781468582246

K. R. Barker

Kevin Barker is 49, married with 2 children and lives in Hertfordshire, England. He works in a marketing role for a large bank in the City of London.

Book preview

© 2012 by K. R. Barker. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 05/25/2012

ISBN: 978-1-4685-8223-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4685-8224-6 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012909375

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Contents

What has gone before

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Epilogue

About the Author

What has gone before

From Discovery:

New York, March 1959

Kirk Saunders, 38, is a successful marketing executive living in New York with his wife, Valerie, and two children, Josh and Nancy. Kirk wakes from a dream where he is drowning. He reaches up to a man with steely blue eyes and sees a glint of metal as a knife plunges down towards him. He’s been having this recurring dream for as long as he can remember, but latterly with greater intensity and frequency. What do they mean? Is he being saved, or killed? And why, and by whom?

Troubled by yet another night of disturbed sleep, Kirk faces the most important day of his business career. As the Creative Director of an advertising company, SMP, Kirk is spearheading a re-pitch to their largest customer, P & G, the loss of which would almost certainly bankrupt the company.

The critical re-pitch is thrown off-course by the attendance of P & G’s new deputy regional marketing director, Max Lombard. Kirk is unsettled by his presence. There is something strangely familiar about the enigmatic Lombard, and when SMP loses the contract, Kirk is convinced it is due Lombard’s involvement. Although the loss of the contract is devastating to SMP, it is nothing compared with the impact Lombard is about to have on Kirk’s life.

Max Lombard, 32, is married to Ruth, his childhood sweetheart, who is pregnant with their second child. Having recently moved to P & G from MARS in Virginia, he is keen to make a good impression on his new company and is working obsessively on ‘Project 140’. After another late night at work, he takes a walk through Central Park to clear his head. Three young men attack Lombard. An expert in martial arts, he overcomes them and kills them in self-defence. Lombard panics and flees the scene of the attack.

Kirk’s work problems are compounded by his increasingly complex personal life. He has a distant relationship with his wife, Valerie, and has been having an affair with a gorgeous marketing assistant in the office, Amy Walker. Amy is in love with Kirk, but he has made it clear to her that he would not leave his wife for the sake of their two children.

The police interview suspects for the ‘Parkland murders’ and, as further details are released, Lombard is horrified to discover the men were only fifteen years old. As his offices are near Central Park, and he was recorded as the last to leave, the police soon interview Lombard. His attention distracted by the murders, Lombard explains to Kirk the reasons for losing the contract. Kirk refuses to believe the campaign was ‘short of their expectations’ and storms out.

Kirk has lunch with his best friend and business partner, Nick Perkins. As they are finishing lunch he spots Lombard walking past him in the restaurant, leaps up from the table and attacks him. Lombard does not retaliate, but decides to plan his revenge in other ways. News of the conflict between Kirk and Lombard travels fast and infuriates SMP’s Chairman, Ron Mathers. Mathers concludes that Kirk should take a break from the business. Kirk mistakenly believes he is being fired and suspects Lombard is behind it. Increasingly stressed by work, he seeks solace with Amy, though far from relieving the pressure, Amy reveals to Kirk that she is pregnant.

As Kirk’s dreams become more vivid, he recognises his assailant in his dreams to be Lombard. He is uncertain whether it was always Lombard, and that’s why he seemed familiar at the presentation, or whether his conflict in his real life with Lombard is penetrating his subconscious. Incensed by the suggestion he should leave the business, Kirk sets out to gain a new contract to secure the company’s survival. Elated with success, Kirk returns home to find Valerie, and their two children, Nancy and Josh missing.

As Kirk searches for a note or explanation for their absence, the doorbell rings and Kirk sees the ominous shadow of two men. The police officers deliver the tragic news that Valerie and Josh have been killed in a car accident, and his daughter Nancy is left in a coma. Kirk’s confusion over why Valerie left is resolved when he finds an anonymous letter in the bottom of the waste paper basket, advising Valerie that Kirk has been having an affair. He speculates on who may have sent it, believing Amy or Lombard to be the most likely candidates.

Valerie’s sister, Monica, comes to stay with him to help care for Nancy in hospital and provide support for Kirk ahead of the funeral. Monica has been infatuated with Kirk since her early teen’s, and even in the depths of despair a relationship between them begins to blossom.

At the funeral for Valerie and Josh, Kirk is shocked as he spots Lombard sitting at the back of the congregation. Lombard’s wife was friendly with Valerie, as their children attended the same school, and she insisted he attended against his wishes. Lombard had thought he could keep a low profile among the hundreds of attendees, but recognises he’s been spotted by Kirk and flees the funeral. He realises his mistake and sends a letter of apology.

Lombard is questioned further about the Parkland murders and Detective O’Connor traps him into agreeing to take part in an identity parade. At the identity parade, the other suspect, Brad Gilligan, is picked out by the elderly witness and Lombard is released. However, O’Connor remains suspicious of Lombard and, against the wishes of his Lieutenant, keeps him under surveillance.

Kirk receives the letter of apology from Lombard which he compares with first anonymous note and is now convinced they were written by the same person; Lombard. Any elements of doubt he had of Lombard’s intentions are soon dispelled by yet another vivid dream. Maybe his dreams are a premonition or a warning? He decides to confront Lombard, and buys a gun.

Nancy, his daughter, wakes from the coma and Kirk questions her about the accident. Inconsolable by the loss of her family, Nancy blames herself, as Valerie was shouting at them to be quiet in the car before the truck hit them.

Lombard can’t bear the weight of guilt of the Parkland murders any longer and confesses to his wife, Ruth. They discuss whether he should hand himself in, but decide the threat of the death penalty would be too risky.

After entering his son’s bedroom for the first time since the accident, Kirk is finally triggered to confront Lombard. Monica pleads with him not to leave, but his anger cannot be quelled and, late at night, he drives to his house. Kirk holds Lombard at gunpoint and accuses him of sending the initial letter that prompted Valerie to leave and preceded the accident. Lombard denies he sent the letter and tries to placate him. Kirk sees a picture on the wall with the two people he recognises from his dreams. He demands Lombard takes down the picture to see the name written on the back.

Kirk is stunned as Lombard confirms the name of the man as Sam, the name of one of the men he recalled from his dream. In a moment of distraction, Lombard overpowers Kirk and he’s shot in the struggle. ‘You’ve killed me . . . again,’ Kirk gasps, as he lies dying in pain. Lombard fails to comprehend his words and struggles to revive him, but it’s too late; Kirk’s dead.

The police arrest Lombard and also find evidence against him in the garage for the Parkland murders. Lombard is found guilty and sentenced to the death penalty. Repeatedly brutalised in jail, his wife, Ruth visits him and Ruth confesses that she was the one who sent the first letter to Valerie telling her of Kirk’s affair. In hospital after yet another beating, Lombard has a dream. He wakes, shocked to his core. Kirk was right, he did kill him and in sheer despair Lombard takes his own life . . . .

So concluded Discovery, the first book of The Third Terrace of Purgatory

From Acceptance:

London, February 1986

Don Samuels, 27, is Hoxton Athletic’s leading striker and, for the first time, he is playing in the Albert Daniels Cup final. 1-0 down at half time, Samuels successfully pulls the game level and, as he’s about to score the winning goal, a scything tackle takes his legs from under him. The ball sails in the back of the net, securing victory for Hoxton. As Samuels is stretchered off, he sees his assailant; a man he recognises instantly. A man who has haunted his dreams for more years than he can remember.

Pete Smith, 26, is a black cab driver and a member of Chelsea’s notorious football hooligan gang, the Headhunters. Smith lives alone after his wife left him and his sad existence is only spiced up through his dual passions of football and violence. He feels little remorse at having injured Samuels, a man he also recognises, and one whom he believes deserves to suffer so much more.

After months of rehabilitation and with his football days cruelly ended, Samuels returns to his mundane job as a bank clerk in a major bank in London. At the summer office party he is unusually successful and, although warned by his friend Stag, he inadvisably takes a colleague, Nicky Hills, home. In the cold light of the morning he realises his mistake and tries to extricate himself, leaving her a note. Nicky wakes and catches him trying to sneak out and is incensed by his cruel and heartless behaviour.

When Samuels arrives home later that evening he finds Nicky lying dead on his bed. Initially he thinks she has killed herself, and still traumatised by the experience, Samuels meets his friends at the Punch and Judy bar in Covent Garden, central London. Suddenly he spots Smith on the other side of the bar, follows him to the toilet and assaults him.

Samuels’ dreams become more vivid and he picks up the name of Kirk Saunders. He had previously connected his dreams with New York, and realises he must find the answers that have eluded him and sets out across the Atlantic with his best friend, Johnny Neesden.

In New York, his research at the New York Times library leads him to Kirk’s old company, SMP, and to Nick Perkins, the last surviving founder of the business. Perkins was Kirk’s best friend and, now in his 60’s, agrees to help him and suggests he meets Nancy Saunders, Kirk’s daughter. Nancy is working in the perfume section at Bloomingdale’s in central Manhattan. Emotionally scarred by the premature death of her family, Nancy has been unable to come to terms with her unfortunate childhood. She agrees to help Samuels and they visit Perkins again, whom she had lived with for many years after the death of her parents. Nick Perkins tells them about Kirk’s relationship with Amy Walker who had attempted to commit suicide, but had a son—Kirk’s son. The child was adopted, as was he, and Samuels believes he might be the son of Amy and Kirk, which might explain his connection to Kirk and why he has experienced so many vivid dreams about that time.

Johnny Neesden returns to London, leaving Samuels to continue his search for the answers he so desperately needs. Back in London, Johnny takes a black cab to their friend, Stag’s, birthday drinks. The driver recognises Johnny and takes him to a quiet street. Johnny is shocked as he recognises the driver as the man Samuels assaulted in the bar in Covent Garden and he tries to escape. In the confrontation, Johnny falls and hits his head fatally on the kerb and Pete Smith flees the scene in panic.

Samuels and Nancy visit Amy who is frail having suffered from Multiple Sclerosis for many years. When she sees Samuels she breaks down announcing ‘you’ve come back for me,’ mistaking him for Kirk Saunders. Samuels is confused and troubled by the experience and asks her if he could be her son instead. Amy contends that her son was born months after Kirk died, so that would not be possible. Samuels pities Amy, and understands the terrible and lasting impact Kirk had on her life.

At Nancy’s apartment Samuels and Nancy sift through boxes of old papers of her fathers and find the two letters that Kirk had received shortly before his death. The first letter to Valerie, Kirk’s wife claims that Kirk was having an affair with Amy, a fact Samuels knows to be true. The second one from Lombard that apologises for attending the funeral of Kirk’s family brings back memories for Samuels that had been long suppressed. Seeing the letters he understands why Kirk believed Lombard was victimising him.

Stag calls Samuels to break the news of Johnny’s death. Samuels has a strong suspicion that Smith was responsible for his death. Nancy insists on travelling back to London with him for the funeral. Nancy can feel herself falling for Samuels, and appears unconcerned by Samuels’ link with her father, Kirk. At the drinks after the funeral at the Neesden house, they are shown a photo of Johnny as a boy and Nancy recognises a physical resemblance to her brother, Josh, who died in a car accident when she was young. Whilst they are not identical, she can see it in his eyes; the eyes that are ‘the window to the soul.’

With evidence appearing to grow, Samuels now begins to reach Acceptance that he has lived before, as Kirk Saunders. Incredulous as it seems to him, people in the life of Kirk Saunders also seem to reappear in his time as Don Samuels. He speculates with Nancy on why this could be happening to him. Is he being punished, and if so for what? Nancy suggests he may be living in some form of Purgatory, and that’s why his past keeps repeating itself. Samuels reflects on what he could have done wrong. He recognises his has past is inextricably connected to Smith, and is determined to try to resolve his conflict with the man who killed his best friend, and the family of Kirk Saunders.

With Stag’s help, they kidnap Smith and take him to a deserted warehouse. While held captive, Stag brutalises Smith as he interrogates him about the death of Johnny. Though Smith finally admits culpability, he claims his death was an accident. Samuels and Nancy continue to question Smith who convinces them that he’s merely a victim of circumstances and, believing now that he needs to repent his sins and find Redemption, Samuels reluctantly releases Smith. Smith has tricked him and overpowers Samuels, and ties him up with Nancy. As Smith prepares to set fire to the warehouse, he confesses to him that he remembers his life as Lombard and that Lombard was only getting revenge for what had happened in another life where Samuels had done much worse. Samuels doesn’t understand what he means until he mentions a name; Bob Stanton. As the acrid smoke blurs his vision, and he drifts from consciousness, a distant memory returns to him of another life from the past; his life as Stanton. He remembers being bound and gagged and drowning in a lake. And as he looks at Nancy he recalls something far worse. Shocked by his memories, he pleads with her for forgiveness, as the smoke overcomes them.

Pete Smith lives the rest of his short life in fear. He is not arrested for burning down the warehouse, despite being sure that Stag would have known it was of his doing. His suspicion that Stag would take matters in his own hands is confirmed after several agonising months of waiting. He is hunted down, cornered and shot dead by Stag and his friends.

So concluded Acceptance, the second book of The Third Terrace of Purgatory.

Chapter 1

Sydney, 1st January 2010

At three O’clock in the morning the roads in central Sydney would normally have been deserted. Not on New Year’s Day. The annual pilgrimage to watch the New Year’s fireworks over Sydney Harbour Bridge had seen tens of thousands of people descend on the harbour to see the display that was rightly renowned as the best in the world. Taylor had managed to get tickets at the Opera bar at the spectacular Sydney Opera House, overlooking the Harbour Bridge; without doubt the best place to enjoy the celebrations, and had parked his red Hyundai i30 SX at a friend’s office near The Rocks, not far from his own office in Kent Street. They had continued celebrating until the early hours to allow the crowd to disperse. More importantly, he had stopped drinking and tried to sober up ahead of the drive home.

Whilst the modern grid-like structure and good central planning made it one of the easiest cities in the world to traverse, New Year was different. The traffic was still nose to tail, and, aware he was still over the legal alcohol limit, it took all his powers of concentration to inch his way through the traffic towards the house he lived at with his parents in Waverley Park, a stone’s throw from the famous Bondi beach.

Unfortunately it takes two cars to have an accident and Taylor’s prudent driving could have done nothing to prevent what was about to occur. Having taken forty minutes to crawl across the city, past the botanical gardens and Woolloomooloo, he finally got the car into third gear. He drove up past the giant Coke sign at Kings Cross and carefully edged his way through the traffic to Rushcutters Bay. As he reached the traffic lights at Ocean Street he decided to go straight on rather than turn right towards Woollahra; it was a decision he would live to regret. The lights turned green and the traffic was finally lighter as he neared Double Bay. Distracted by a young girl in a short skirt, he glanced across to the Golden Sheaf hotel where there were twenty or thirty revellers outside. Dan Taylor snapped his attention back just in time as a man no older than his own twenty-three years stepped off the kerb right in front of him. He braked and swerved, and his peripheral vision noted that everyone from outside the bar was looking at him. It was a near miss and he cursed out loud at the dishevelled youth in shorts and flip-flops as he shuffled across the road, giving him the finger. On any other day, Taylor would have stopped the car and spoken to him. Two minutes later, he had passed all the bars and pulled up steadily to turn right onto Bellevue Road. The lights turned green and he slowly pulled out. He was half way out when he heard the screech of brakes from a car that seemed to come from nowhere. He glanced left and saw a black 7-series BMW careering towards him. He raised his left arm in front of his face as the car crashed into the side of his Hyundai. That sound was the last thing he would hear for two whole days.

When Taylor regained consciousness he knew something had changed. His neck was in a brace and he strained against it to look down at his legs. One leg was in plaster and he wiggled his toes. Relief washed over him; he was not paralysed. His left hand was attached to a drip, his right arm had something tied tight around it, and he could feel another plastic tube in his nose, which he realised, was Oxygen.

‘Nurse,’ he murmured weakly, as he saw the white crisp uniform of a nurse approaching his bed.

‘Nurse,’ he cleared his throat and attempted to speak louder as she clearly hadn’t heard him first time. The friendly face of the nurse, her hair pulled back tight into a ponytail approached him.

‘Am I all right?’ he asked. ‘Nurse; am I all right?’ he repeated with a heightened sense of urgency.

‘Shhh. I’ll get the doctor.’

‘Nurse, please tell me,’ he asked again, grabbing her wrist with his right hand.

‘You’ll be fine. Please, rest. I’ll get the doctor straight away.’

As the nurse walked away and he started to slip from consciousness, and he suddenly had a flashback of another hospital, of a little girl lying in a similar bed. The vision faded like a boat slipping quietly into the mist on a still lake, and he fell listlessly back to sleep.

‘Mr Taylor . . . Mr Taylor.’

A room, a garage. Music was playing. He saw a man; he was wearing a grey vest, drenched black with sweat. The man was smiling. A cold smile. Piercing blue eyes . . .

‘Mr Taylor . . .’

A voice echoed from deep inside his head. He opened his eyes and saw a man in a white coat with a worried look on his lined face, leaning so closely over him