CHAPTER 4 : UNDELIVERED PACKAGES
Merlin told Arthur about his meeting with Dr. Eleanor Lucas and how the fact that she was Baxter's aunt had seemed surprising.
"She said, 'You might know my nephew who is a student here and lives in residence. His name is Carter…' Honestly my heart was pounding so strongly, I thought she might notice. She described him, saying that he always had been a difficult child. She also said that he might go by his birth name Waynflete-Carter.
"All I kept telling myself was, 'He's not here...he's not here… it's just his aunt.' She mentioned that his father a successful business man, is always in his corner and he comes up smelling roses. He is driven for him to become an Oxford graduate as they have ties to one of the old families of Oxford.
"She asked me if I knew him, mentioning that he has a chequered history here. She said, 'I'll never understood my sister's falling for the man. Nasty man…!'" Merlin laughed as he said, "I so wanted to say, 'Nasty man begets nasty son!' However, I just nodded."
"What did the others think?"
"No one was there, but Dr. Lucas and me. It was strange almost as if she had wanted to get me alone."
Merlin shook his head but continued, "The strangest thing she told me was that he was a bully and had picked on her younger kids and that their gardener found him torturing a litter of rabbits…"
Merlin looked down at Arthur's and his hands, clasped on the table and Arthur gave his a comforting squeeze. Merlin said, "It was as if she wanted me to have all this information at hand. She had specifically made contact with me. She and her friend Dr. Carrigan had had Toby's and my rooms over the holidays."
"What was she doing in Oxford?"
"Seems they travel each summer taking courses and plan to do so at Magdalen this coming summer. They were just spending a few days in residence to see of it would suit them."
"And why out of the blue would she mention Baxter to you?"
"I haven't a clue but it does help to explain things, his behaviour at least and sadly the cat. Have you ever heard of Waynflete-Carter? If he is a business man, maybe your father knows him."
"I can ask him but I don't ever remember the name coming up. I'm going to look into the name in relationship with the college and see if I can find any record of huge donation recently being made. I know there's William of Waynflete who was the Bishop of Winchester and founder of the college itself in the fifteen-forties and the Waynflete Fellows who donate money but apart from that nothing. She didn't happen to mention his father's name did she?"
Merlin shook his head and said hopefully, "Do you think she might be on our side and knows about the trouble her nephew is causing?"
"Bit of a stretch, Merlin, but you never know."
"One other thing I remember is that both of the ladies were once on the faculty in Oriel, maybe they know Toby's dad."
"Well, I intend to speak to speak to Angus about the fire so I can at least mention it.
They walked back to the college. Arthur had to go to get his car and when Merlin walked in Conroy was on and he said, "Heard there was trouble on your staircase again, Mr. Emrys. Be glad when they catch whoever it is."
"Me, too!" Merlin said with a grin, "Goodnight!"
The charred wood was still visible but the smell was almost gone. Merlin let himself into his room, the windows were still open and it smelled fresh. He knew that Arthur didn't intend to phone so he propped himself up in bed and entered Bishop Waynflete of Winchester in his computer.
-0-0-
He knocked on Toby's door on his way to breakfast but he was not there, He met up with Tina and Beth and they commented upon the damage done yesterday evening. Tina said, "I heard from Toby and he stayed at home last night says, his mother was really upset…"
"And his father…?" Merlin asked.
"Furious!"
Merlin tried just to concentrate on his friends but as he was leaving, going past the next table, he distinctly heard someone say, "Pretty Boy!" Beth slipped her hand in his and said, "Ignore them! That's what Toby would say…"
It was a relief to get to their tutorials as everything outside the room seemed of little importance and it felt good concentrating on what was a hand. Merlin surprised himself by realising that he equated where he currently was with being safe. He was happy realising that today was Friday and he knew that Arthur would invite him to spend the weekend at the condo. Toby was also going home for the weekend and his mother had invited the girls to join them.
"Anything to get them away from that dreadful place," she had told her husband at breakfast that morning once Toby had left. "When is the college going to do something about this?"
"I'm sure they will eventually, Dear, when they can get more information," Angus had replied.
"You do realise if Toby and Merlin hadn't been so involved with this AC business that they might have just called it quits. The college certainly hasn't supported them as I expected it to. Is it too much to hope that he might transfer to Oriel next year? Gord has always been happy there."
Angus refrained from mentioning that he had a meeting with a member of the Disciplinary Council, a friend of his, a Norbert Glassmacher. He'd bumped into him on Thursday and had mentioned about the fire near his son's room.
His friend had said, "I have not received any report of that yet. I'll look into it."
Angus decided to take the opportunity to bring him up to date on the other troublesome things which had been happening. He could see that he was shocked.
"But this goes right back until Michaelmas, and it is still going on? I'm sorry for what the students have had to endure and I will be asking for copies of all these reports which have obviously never reached my office. My staff is very professional and would have brought them to my desk, especially as repeat problems receive priority."
They had parted with Norbert asking him to give him a few days to find the missing reports. "Do you have specific dates or anything that will give me an idea where to have my staff search?"
Angus mentioned that Mr. Emrys who seemed to be the intended victim had kept a detailed list. "I can have it forwarded to your office next week".
Norbert nodded then added, "However send it to my private e-mail as soon as possible then I'll have it before the week begins."
-0-0-
Arthur wasn't surprised to get a call from Angus bringing him up to date, telling him about Dr. Glassmacher. He asked if Arthur thought that Melin would be willing to let him forward the list he had emailed to him, regarding the dates, details and whether he was told that reports would be made.
"I'm sure that Merlin wouldn't mind and I will get his go-ahead when I see him later."
"I'll forward them on to Norbert's private email, so really the sooner the better. I know that there was talk of reports being made by Porters, security and maintenance. Why they haven't reached Norbert's desk in his position as a member of the Disciplinary Council, I can't understand."
"Do you think that only a certain number of reports are forwarded and the other are just kept in files somewhere?" Arthur suggested, "Maybe they are sorted through and who ever is in charge of reports makes a decision on what goes where."
"I could see if it was for roughhousing but certainly the trashing of two rooms should have made it on his desk the following day. Wonder if he will ever get a report of the fire?"
Arthur said, "Probably will, as a report will have been made by fire services and later maintenance for a repair budget. Did he mention any report at all from that staircase, not even Beth?"
"I asked him about Beth but he said that permission had not been granted by the Weber family for him to discuss anything about the case."
"Well, at least he got that report… Do you think that someone is diverting the reports? They must pass through several hand before they are supposed to be on his desk. Maybe if he asks questions once he gets Merlin's list they will appear out of the blue. Thanks for talking to him, it makes me feel a little better."
-0-0-
Arthur drove home trying to make sense of what had happened.
Laurence was still up, "You're early!"
"Well, extenuating circumstances!" He explained about the fire and how he hadn't been allowed any further than the stairs. Only Merlin's next door neighbour Richard had been there and he notified the Porters. Merlin was allowed up and said that the damage was minimal, mostly charring but he'd heard that an accelerant had been used."
"Was anyone hurt?"
"Toby was with his parents. Merlin and I went out for a drink and he told me of his encounter with Baxter's aunt. It's strange because she gave him a lot of info on her nephew. None of it positive and he's obviously not her favourite.
"Merlin insisted that he would be all right to stay overnight. I did hear that security would be on duty. I would have preferred that he'd come back here. But it was his choice…" Arthur sighed, "If I could find out who are behind these continued attacks, I'd willingly throttle the whole lot of them, instigator and those pathetic characters who carry out his commands."
"The college should be able to get it straightened out, it certainly is taking them a long time though," Laurence said not sounding one hundred percent convinced.
"I don't know that it is even on their list of priorities. Only thing is that reports must be coming from maintenance, security and the Porters and as of tonight the fire services."
"Merlin kept a list, right? We need to find someone to be his advocate, however neither of us but maybe that chap Claudio as he seems sensible and easy to talk to and Merlin seemed to feel comfortable talking with him."
"He's a possibility, him or otherwise Angus…he's involved because of Toby. The whole thing is so frustrating but one day the person will make a mistake and they'll get him."
-0-0-
Toby had been searching in his cupboard at home on the Thursday and he found the parcel addressed to Merlin which he had taken in before the Easter break. He took it back to the residence on Friday and explained how students who were returning home for the holidays were passing on foodstuffs before they left. He kidded that he hadn't received anything wrapped but that one of the upper class men had given him half a dozen eggs.
He handed the packet to Merlin who took it and laughed, "Probably by now some mouldy cheese and rotten fruit. Hopefully no eggs!" He put it in his room and they went off to the library.
Arthur came by later to pick up Merlin seeing saw the box on the floor he asked, "What's this?"
Merlin who had forgotten about the box explained about Toby taking it home and then misplacing it. Arthur laughed agreeing that whatever it had been, was now nearly two months older than when it had been delivered.
"Well, open it! At least we'll be able to see what some kind hearted student left you."
Merlin unwrapped it and an envelope fell onto the table. Arthur picked it up and recognised the writing from the Dining Room note which Merlin had received, he was immediately on the offensive.
However, Merlin had opened the packet and was looking at the contents with a smile. His St Edward's school scarf was wrapped around a sweet tin and a stone. He laughed, "Someone is playing a trick, he must have found my scarf and gave it back to me as a gift. I was wondering where it had gone." Then his stomach dropped as he realised the first time he had missed the scarf was when his room had been trashed. Suddenly, the fun of opening the rest of the present disappeared.
Merlin hesitated and Arthur who was watching him carefully asked, "What's the matter?"
"I don't know, the last time I saw my scarf was before my room was trashed."
"Well then, let me open it!"
But Merlin felt that he needed to open the tin himself, "You can stay next to me but I think, I really should do this myself."
"Merlin, you don't have to, I'm right here I can do it." Arthur knowing that the envelope came from the same source as the malicious note, preferred to be the one to open the tin.
"I'm not a child, Arthur!" Merlin said rather abruptly.
Arthur stepped back but suggested for some unknown reason that he opened it over the sink and counter in the corner of his room. Merlin walked it over to the sink and Arthur remained a step back, where he knew that he would be able to see the contents. He could almost understand Merlin's need to open the tin as he was the person who had been threatened before, not him.
Merlin opened the tin and said quietly, "What's this?" He looked again and started to gag. Arthur rushed over and propelled him into the ensuite and held his forehead as he vomited into the toilet and continued to retch. Arthur made his way back into the room as Merlin rinsed out his mouth. He came in and sat on the love seat, before saying, "Maybe I should have a second look…"
"We'll do it together. Whiskey?" Arthur said pouring himself a shot.
Merlin refused it, "I'm sorry, Arthur, I couldn't help myself." He left the room and Arthur heard him turn on the shower tap and then return with a kettle full of water.
Arthur made the tea and added plenty of sugar to Merlin's mug. They sat, one on the bed and the other on the love seat in silence and drank. When he'd finished, Merlin said, "This time I want you to be next to me." Taking his time, he finally walked back to the counter.
Arthur put his arm around his shoulders saying, "You know we can just parcel the whole thing up and put it in the bin."
Merlin shook his head, "I want to try to understand what sort of person would make up this parcel."
He got some paper towels so he didn't have to touch anything. He smiled sadly as he held up a pair of shorts with dragons on them. "Gawaine slipped these in my suitcase as a surprise, before I first left Liverpool and later told me that when I felt worried, I should wear them to give me confidence." He smiled sadly.
His stomach clenched as he lifted out four neatly knotted used condoms. However, it was the unidentified small pulpy masses in a plastic ziplock bag which had first set him off as on the bag there was an old Christmas sticker with the word 'Miaow!'
Merlin had guessed what they were and it had been the final straw which had him vomiting into the toilet. It still upset him as it meant that whomever had left the mutilated cat, had worked on it first. He placed everything except the shorts back into the tin. "They can be washed," he explained to Arthur, going to throw them into his laundry basket.
"No…" said Arthur, "why don't we keep everything together? You can take photos and then we will hand it in to the powers-that-be as proof of what someone had done."
Merlin allowed Arthur to take photos and put it all back into the parcel as best he could. He got a Safeway bag and put everything in but left the envelope face down on counter. He wanted to keep out his scarf but Arthur insisted that he would be getting the scarf and the shorts back, "It will be better if they see the whole works as it arrived."
Arthur put the bag on the door knob and walked to the desk and placed the envelope on it. Merlin reached over and moved it in front of himself.
"You don't have to open it."
Merlin flicked it over and recognised the writing. He could feel his heart racing and he knew that if there had been an open fire in the room his tendency would have been to chuck it in unopened. He really didn't want to know what Baxter had to say, however on the fringes of his mind, he knew that this note might tie Baxter to his room being trashed as the contents of the parcel were things which had been taken at that time. "It's not fair the term hasn't even really begun." He stared at the envelope and finally said, "Arthur, can you open it? I don't think I can…"
Arthur pulled it closer to him and got up for a knife. He slit the end of the envelope leaving the sealed flap intact and slipped the note onto the table.
Merlin allowed his mind to drift to the last envelope he had received with that handwriting.
He closed his eyes, put his head in his hands, "Please, read it first and then tell me."
Arthur read it twice and remained silent. He finally said, "You don't need to know what he said do you?"
Merlin said quietly, "I should know what kind of threats he has for me in the future." Slipping his arm around Merlin's shoulders, Arthur pulled him to him before slowly reading aloud the contents.
Merlin,
Unless you wish to have your bits and pieces in a bag,
like the poor cat. I advise you to heed my warnings!
Happy Easter!
"I want to take a closer look at that little bag, Arthur."
"You can guess what's in there, it will only upset you. Don't punish yourself."
Digging in his heels, Merlin said slightly raising his voice, "I am not a child, Arthur! The parcel is mine and if I want to check its contents that is my choice…" Then he became a meek Merlin again and trying to smile as if to excuse his outburst said, "Please!"
Arthur brought the Safeways bag to the desk and pulled out the opened parcel, he took the sweet tin and placed it on the desk in front of Merlin. Merlin took a deep breath, opened it and with a pencil pushed the condoms away so he could reach the ziplock bag. He took a paper towel and carried it to the counter and placed it flat on the stainless steel.
He steadied his hand and proceeded without opening the bag to nudge the pieces around, he recognised three pieces but it wasn't until he nudged one of two rounder pieces that he realised what they were. He promptly threw up in the sink, the tea he had just finished drinking.
"You've seen enough," Arthur's voice said and he pushed him back into the desk chair, he tried to avert his eyes from the contents of the ziplock bag and got everything back into the sweet tin and then wrapped it all up and put it back into the Safeway's bag. He'd taken sixth form anatomy and he recognised the cat testicles and penis, however it was the staring eyes which turned his stomach.
As far as he was concerned, they were dealing with an unhinged person and the sooner, it was all straightened out the better.
He encouraged Merlin to take the bag with him to the Porters' Lodge as far he was concerned he didn't want it left in the room until Monday. Arthur wanted to also send the photos not only of the contents but also the enclosed note to Claudio. "You can make an appointment to see him on Monday to explain things." Merlin agreed.
Arthur didn't mention it but he also would be notifying Angus of the parcel which for the last seven weeks had been in his son's bedroom cupboard.