The Mysterious Man


''Are you Charlotte?'' the man asked.‘I am indeed’ Charlotte replied, ‘Who may I ask is calling?’, ‘Charles Baker’ he replied as he thrust out his hand.  Despite the warm friendly gesture his eyes remained icy, his face expressionless.  Charlotte, who had begun to feel uneasy, took his hand gratefully.

‘Welcome Mr Baker, is there anything I can help you with?’ she asked, back to her usual cheery self.  ‘Have you any idea where Father Smith is? We have a …an appointment.’ That’s strange, Father Smith didn’t mention any appointments today’ she replied.  She shook her long blonde hair as she eyed Charles, waiting for a suitable explanation.  ‘This is a private appointment I suppose’ he replied, ‘I presume he is in his office?’ Charlotte nodded and with a gust of wind he was gone before she could even protest.

Charles stormed down the corridor, his mind racing.  What was he supposed to say to Father Smith?  After what he had done, after all his sinning.  It was barely two hours since the incident; he had hardly been able to get over it himself.  His mind was numb, his body oblivious to the cold.  Finally, he reached the door he was looking for, with a knock he stepped inside.

The room was small and dusty with piles of books in every nook and cranny.  Father Smith was sitting at the large desk in the centre of the room.  The dim light made his bald head shine and improved the wrinkles on his face.  He looked up in surprise.  ‘Charles’ he exclaimed, ‘What are you doing here?’  It must be what ten years now?’  Charles didn’t reply.  The sight of a familiar face was comforting, but the news he was about to tell him was overwhelming. The priest stood up and placed a hand on Charles shoulder, looking him in the eyes for the first time.  Charles took the opportunity then to confess, ‘forgive me Father, for I have sinned’

Charlotte sat there in silence after the mysterious man had left.  The cold weather had created snow, which lightly pattered upon the windows.  She was thinking about Charles, there was something in his eyes that made her shiver, something…unnatural.  She shook the thought out of her head and continued to work.  After a few minutes she gave up, her mind not agreeing to concentrate.  She decided to call her boyfriend Billy.  She picked up the old church phone and dialled the number….

Father Smith’s eyes widened.  Even though he had heard that phrase hundreds of times before, the way Charles said it made it sound much more serious.  ‘What do you mean? What’s wrong?’  Father Smith asked.  ‘I’ve done something terrible Father, Something unforgivable’.  ‘I’m sure the Lord will not see it like that Charles, he is very forgiving’.  Charles sighed, after a moment’s silence he spoke up.  ‘I’ve killed someone Father, I’m a murderer’. The priest’s blood turned cold, his heart began beating rapidly causing him to sweat profusely.  He dropped his hand off his old friends shoulder as if it was a hot poker.  But still his voice remained calm.  ‘Perhaps you would like to explain Charles’ he said.

Charlotte was confused; it wasn’t like Billy to not pick up his phone.  Before she started to panic she grabbed her warm fur coat put it on and stepped outside.  The icy air cut through her like a knife.  She shivered and buttoned up her coat as the icy air cut through her like a knife.  Her boots crunched through the thick snow as she set off down the country road.  After only a few minutes of walking her journey was interrupted by PC Riddle.  ‘Ah Charlotte’ he announced ‘we’ve been looking for you, I am afraid I have some bad news for you’.  Charlotte’s heart skipped a beat.  PC Riddle continued ‘Its Billy, he was run over by a passing vehicle about two hours ago, and I’m sorry to confirm that he died at the scene’.  Charlotte’s knees buckled as she collapsed to the ground.

‘I was just driving home’ Charles sobbed ‘When the butcher boy, Billy I think his name was, appeared out of no-where, I didn’t see him Father , I swear I didn’t see him.  It was only the bump that made me realise what I had done.  I panicked so I just drove on’. Father Smith stared at Charles for a moment.  He was a mess.  His face was all blotchy and wet from crying and his hair looked like a garden of weeds, clearly a troubled man.  ‘You do realise you made a mistake by driving off don’t you’ he asked ‘Yes’ Charles replied as he guiltily bowed his head.

Charlotte’s world felt that it had stopped dead.  She felt numb as she was brought over to Billy, who was still lying by the roadside.  She cried out his name, shook him hard and held him close but still no movement was made.  ‘Who did this’ she screamed.  ‘We have ten eye witnesses who say it was Charles Baker but  ...’ his words trailing off as Charlotte had gone.

Charles got the fright of his life when Charlotte burst into the room screaming at him, ‘It was you, you killed Billy’.  He tried to explain but if fell upon deaf ears as she flew at him in a rage, punching and kicking out as hard as she could.  PC Riddle ran into the room and pulled Charlotte off him. ‘Come on Charles’ PC Riddle said, ‘You’re coming with me’

PC Riddle pulled Charles out of the room, and with one last look at Father Smith, Charles knew he wouldn’t be seeing his familiar face for a very long time…