Subj: Dark Light -- 25
Date: 6/6/99
From: Flashman

Chapter 25-A Confrontation With Willie Loomis

Willie Loomis sat in his cottage on the Collinwood estate. He was scared now. Everything could be coming undone. He took a swig of cheap whiskey from a bottle in his stock which he kept in his cottage. Didn't need to drink anymore even though he wanted to. Willie had to keep a clear head for tonight. Judgment day was coming for Willie Loomis.

Harry Johnson had called him from the Blue Whale. He said that a man and a woman named Josh and Reva Lewis had been in there asking questions. Plenty of them. About Maggie Haskell and Barnabas Collins. Then about an hour later Harry called again. He said that Maggie had put the Lewises in touch with David Collins and that they would be coming to dinner at Collinwood. Harry also stated that he expected a little money for that info when Willie stopped by the Blue Whale later on that night.

Well Harry Johnson, you old bastard, you won't get a dime off of me tonight. You won't even see me. Probably never see me again. After receiving this news Willie had called the Bangor airport and had made reservations on the 10:30 flight out of Bangor to Boston. The last flight out that night. There was a 7:30 a.m. flight from Boston to Chicago. Willie would take that flight and then a short commuter to Springfield. Willie had called the Collinsport Inn and discovered that the Lewises had checked in there for the night. That meant they wouldn't be leaving Collinsport until sometime in the morning, at the earliest. Hell, with luck, he just might be in Springfield before they ever got out of Collinsport.

Willie absolutely hated to fly. He loved the sea. He'd been a merchant seaman before coming to Collinsport. Oh well, there was always plenty of alcohol on those flights. Willie still had some money remaining from his trip to Springfield. That would pay for the plane flight.

Besides, maybe nothing would happen. Maybe David wouldn't tell anything about Barnabas and he wouldn't have to leave. Even if he did Willie figured maybe he could lie his way out of it. Hell, he'd done that before. But no, something told him deep down inside that this would not be the case. That his destiny was always entwined with the destiny of Barnabas Collins no matter how long they happened to spend apart.

Willie had seen the Lewises drive up to Collinwood. Around an hour later David had returned home from the office. Soon afterward, Amy, Christine, Mrs. Grace, and the children had abruptly departed Collinwood. Then David and the Lewises left shortly afterward. This was trouble, Willie knew. David had revealed the truth about Barnabas to the Lewises, he deduced. That was the only reason he would be sending Amy and the children away so suddenly.

Suddenly, there was a knock on Willie's cottage door. Even though he had been expecting it he was still startled.

"Open the door, Willie. I know you're in there," said a voice from outside. It belonged to David Collins.

Willie did as commanded. There stood David Collins and two people whom he knew to be Josh and Reva Lewis. The deadliest enemies of Annie Dutton. He wondered if they had discovered anything about Annie. Anyway, he would soon find out.

"Hiya Davey. What brings you down here this time of night?" asked Willie.

"Willie, these people here are Josh and Reva Lewis. They're from a city named Springfield in the midwest. I understand that's where you went on your little sojourn last week," said David.

"Davey, I've never been to any Springfield in the midwest. I've been to Springfield, Massachusetts but not that place out there. Like I told ya I went to Bangor and then on up to Canada last week. Decided to do a little fishing." Willie sounded very nervous.

"That's a lie, Mr. Collins!" shouted Reva. "There's a friend of mine in Springfield that can positively identify this man as having been in Springfield. Let's go up to the main house and we can call her. She'll confirm everything."

"I don't think there will be any need for that, Mrs. Lewis. I think we can get to the bottom of things here and now," said David. "Willie, we just came from the mausoleum. You know, the one with the secret panel. Guess what's not in there?"

"Davey, you didn't go and tell two complete strangers about that, did you?" said Willie.

"Yes I did, Willie. Barnabas's coffin is empty and I think you had something to do with it. I want to know what happened, right now," demanded David.

"Davey, I swear I don't know anything. I'd never let Barnabas out of his coffin. You know that. All those years he controlled me. I don't ever want to go back to that."

"All right, Mr. Loomis," said Reva. "I want to know what you know about a woman named Annie Dutton. Here's a picture of her."

Reva handed Willie Annie's picture. Even David was confused now. This was the first mention he had heard Josh or Reva make about this Annie Dutton woman.

Willie handed the picture back to Reva and said, "I've never seen this woman in my life."

"Is that so, Mr. Loomis," said Josh. "We've got two witnesses that say you have seen her. About two weeks ago in fact. Harry Johnson and Maggie Haskell. They say you met her on night in the Blue Whale. They said you hit on her."

"Mr. Lewis, they've gotta be mistaken. Look, Davey. I swear to you that I don't know anything about Barnabas being freed from his coffin or this Annie Dutton woman, whoever she is."

Reva was growing tired of this man's whining lies and evasions. She was Reva Shayne and it was time for her to put the fear of God into this sniveling sleazeball. She was still carrying the pistol David Collins had given her. She pulled it out and pointed it at Willie's head.

"All right, Mr. Loomis. You've got five seconds to start talking or I'm going to scatter your brains."

Willie then fell on his knees and began sobbing. Part of his tears were for sympathy and part were out of fear. This woman was one ruthless bitch just like Annie had said.

"All right, Mrs. Lewis. Put the gun away. Please. I'll tell everything."

Reva uncocked the hammer on the pistol and handed the weapon to David Collins.

"What happened, Willie?" asked David.

Willie then related everything about meeting Annie Dutton in the Blue Whale and seeing her walk out into the night. He figured he would never see her again. Then later, after returning home, he told about hearing the heartbeat and the voice of Barnabas Collins directing him to come to the mausoleum. There he discovered that Annie Dutton had freed Barnabas from his coffin.

When Annie awoke the next night she related that she had broken into the Old House to spend the night there. She had heard a heartbeat coming from the contemporary portrait of Barnabas Collins in the living room there. That heartbeat had directed her to the mausoleum. Once there she had freed Barnabas. Barnabas had then decided to give Annie a choice.

"What kind of choice, Mr. Loomis?" asked Josh.

"A choice of either being turned into the police, you see she told us she was an escaped con, or becoming a vampire like Barnabas," replied Willie.

"That had to be a no brainer for Annie," said a sarcastic Reva.

"What happened next?" asked Josh.

"She talked Barnabas into going to Springfield with her. Said she had big plans there. Said she was going to see someone named Alan Spaulding."

"Alan Spaulding! You don't mean to tell me that she was going to turn him into a vampire, too," querried Reva.

"No, I don't think so. I think they were going to turn him into a stooge so they could control his money. She mentioned someone named Beth Raines, too. Said she was a friend."

That would explain Beth's recent bizarre behavior, Josh and Reva both thought. Beth was probably in this whole thing up to her neck along with Fran Ridgkins.

"What about a woman named Cassie Layne? Did Annie mention anything about her?" asked Reva.

"Yeah. She called her Slutbutt. Said she was going to give her to Barnabas."

Good Lord, thought Reva. My sister has been enslaved by a vampire. That explains her recent behavior.

"Mr. Loomis, there was a murder committed in Springfield last Friday night. A woman named Harley Spaulding was killed. Do you know anything about that?" asked Josh.

"Murder! Hell no! I don't know anything about a murder. Look, I was only in Springfield a couple of days. I was here in Collinsport Friday night. Down at the Blue Whale. There must be over twenty people who can vouch for me. Look, you gotta believe me. I drove Annie and Barnabas out to Springfield. I stayed two days helping them get settled and then I came back here." Willie was beginning to sob once again.

Reva and Josh believed Willie about the murder. His story checked out with what Maggie Haskell had told them. They believed most of the rest. He'd probably omitted a few things but they now knew the big picture.

"Mr. Collins, I think that's all we need to know right now. We'll let you deal with Mr. Loomis here. My wife and I are going back into town to the Collinsport Inn. We'll contact you in the morning," said Josh.

With those words Josh and Reva turned and exited Willie's cottage. Willie looked at David. This was the end.

"Willie, you've got one hour to pack your things and get off of Collinwood. Get out of Collinsport, too. If I ever see your face around here again I'll shoot you myself," said David who turned and walked away.

It was finally over, Willie thought. He knew that this moment would probably happen someday. He was glad he had made plans. Most of his things were already packed. He was going to catch that flight out of Bangor to Boston. Then tomorrow it would be on to Springfield and a reunion with Barnabas and Annie. Despite the smug look on the faces of the Lewises he knew the game wasn't over yet. Barnabas was shrewd and crafty. He had defeated foes far more deadly than the Lewises. This little game wasn't over by a long shot.

He had despised Reva Lewis from the first. She had made him feel small, like a eunuch. She had shamed and embarassed him in front of his employer. He knew he had most of it coming but that still didn't make his pride hurt any less. Reva Lewis was a mean bitch, like Annie had stated. Even though in the past he had tried his best to curb Barnabas's excesses this time he wouldn't. He was back in the game for the duration and Reva Lewis was going to regret pointing a gun at his head and shaming him like that.

Willie loaded his bags into his van and drove off for Bangor. It was probably the last he would ever see of Collinsport. He had lived there for the better part of 32 years. As he drove to Bangor on Highway 1 Willie began to think of Annie. Annie Dutton was very different from Reva Lewis. Though Willie had no doubt that Annie had done some awful things he figured that she had been pushed into them by Reva. At least Annie had been nice to him except for criticizing his driving. This Reva Lewis was different. Willie harbored no doubt that she was serious about blowing his brains out when she held that gun on him. He remembered that Annie had talked incessantly about payback during their journey to Springfield.

"Well Annie," he said out loud. "I'm gonna get a little payback myself when I get to Springfield again."

Willie pulled into the Bangor airport and left the van in the parking lot. That old heap had sure held up well. Probably go to a junkyard now. He checked in at the airline counter and got on his flight when it was ready for boarding. He would sleep in the Boston airport tonight. Then over to Chicago in the morning and down to Springfield. No, he thought. The fun's not over. It's only just beginning.