Chapter88 Ruby's Revelations

"Please…call me Ruby, Deputy Hopkins; and, the pleasure is all mine. I've heard so much about you from my granddaughter over the years." She pulls the deputy down towards her and whispers in his ear…but, loud enough for her granddaughter to hear…"I think my granddaughter has taken kind of a liking to you, Deputy." She takes a moment to look at the reaction from her now blushing granddaughter. "Grams'!" The deputy plays along. "I have to admit it, Ruby; if I were twenty some odd years younger...I don't know. I'd probably be chasing your granddaughter around." He looks over and winks to the even darker-red blushing Jessica. "That's okay, Deputy Hopkins. And, I must admit…if I were twenty some odd years younger…I'd probably be chasing you around." Now, the deputy turns a shade of red; and Ruby let's them both off the proverbial hook as she changes the discussion, taking the deputy's hands to hold. "I'd like to thank you, Deputy Hopkins, for all the care and concern you've shown Jessica over these past years. It certainly hasn't been easy for her…for her parents either…and, I know your visits here have helped them all in the healing process. For that, I truly am indebted to you, Deputy." The deputy…who's kneeling down on his knee next to the side of the love seat to be at the same level with the sitting, small-stature woman…looks down to the ground and softly speaks, "It's the least I could do for them, Ruby. I feel so bad…so guilty." "Now; why would you feel guilty, Deputy? It wasn't your fault what happened to my granddaughter…it was that good for nothing Cromwell kid that hit her that night." Still unable to look her in the eye, the deputy rues, "I know; but, I was the one in pursuit of him…maybe if I wasn't after him…" The woman gently pats the deputy's hands, comforting him, "You were doing your job that night, Deputy Hopkins. You were trying to stop a drunk driver and get him off the road before he did any harm to anyone…" The deputy lets out a sigh. "Yeah…I sure did a great job of that. Just look what happened to poor Jessie." "What happened to my granddaughter was a tragedy, true; but, she's still alive, Deputy. And, thanks to your kindness over the years, she's gotten her spirit back; and, is moving on with her life. Her life, Deputy…she's alive. God only knows what he might have done that night if you didn't stop him. He may have killed someone. No…you were doing your job; you have nothing to feel bad, or guilty about. Now, I don't want to hear anymore foolishness come from your mouth; do you understand that, Deputy?" The deputy looks up smiling, with tears in his eyes; as he pulls her hands to him to kiss. "Thank you, Ruby." The elderly woman wipes the tears from the deputy's face with her palms. "No; thank you, Deputy Hopkins." After taking a brief moment to regain his composure, he gets up from his kneeling position, and sits down next to Jessica's grandmother. He begins, seemingly awkwardly. "Um…Uh…Okay…Why I'm here today...Where do I start? Let's see. Ruby; I'm glad I was able to help your family out…but, now there's another family who needs help; and, I'm hoping you might be able to shed some light on this situation we've got out there. When I first called you, I know it probably seemed crazy…this whole thing…but, it's the God's honest truth, Ruby; there's a spirit out at the Lazinski place…and, it has their six-year-old little girl hostage somewhere. We're not sure what's going to happen; all we know is that we need to get her back…and fast. We need to know whose spirit we're…" "It's Tommy." Ruby answers decisively, before the deputy can go on providing any specific information about the case. The deputy's stunned. "What? What did you…Who?" Ruby repeats…just as sure as she was the first time…"I said, it's Tommy. Tommy Steinman." Still taken aback, the deputy's confounded. "I…I…I don't understand. How could you possibly have known…Tommy? Are you sure about that, Ruby?" Ruby pats the deputy's leg as she stands up; then, walks over and looks out the bay window in the living room. "Deputy Hopkins, trust me when I tell you this; if there truly is some sort of evil spirit tormenting that poor family out there in that house…it's Tommy Steinman's spirit; I'd bet my life on it." "I don't understand, Ruby; how could it be Tommy? He was supposed to have been killed by Helene Steinman when he was four-years-old; right after Charles was raped and killed in some institute that Phillip Steinman had him committed to; after he killed his nanny. That's why Helene and Chelsea were committed to the asylum your mother worked at. That's why I came out here to talk with you…I was hoping your mother may have told you something..." "Well, Deputy; she did…she told me everything. And, let me just start by telling you that…technically…Chelsea and Helene Steinman never were patients at the asylum." "I know, Ruby; Phillip Steinman made sure it was kept hush-hush." "No; I mean, they were never there." Ruby's momentarily silent; then, goes on to explain, "It's kind of funny when you think about it. All these years, Deputy Hopkins; you've been living with a guilt that you never should have had…while my mother was living without the guilt that maybe she should have had." She hesitates again; then continues, "You came here today, Deputy; wanting to find out what happened back then. You're looking for answers to questions about the Steinman's; and, what happened at the asylum. I've got them for you, Deputy; if you really want them. Do you want them? Do you really want to know the truth?" "Ruby, we need to know the truth; a little girl's life is depending on it." "All right then." Ruby returns to the love seat and sits back down next to the deputy. He looks at her and asks, "Your mother was more than just a nurse at that asylum…wasn't she, Ruby?" "What makes you say that, Deputy Hopkins?' "I'm getting the impression you know a heck of a lot of the Steinman's family secrets…secrets your mother passed on to you." Ruby laughs. "Yes she did, Deputy…and, she should have known them. After all; she was one them." The deputy's confused. "She was a Steinman?" Ruby laughs again; then, whispers aloud, "No, silly; she was one of their little dirty family secrets. You see; she was Phillip Steinman's mistress…one of them anyway." There's silence among the room. Jessica can't believe what her grandmother has just told the deputy; and, Marge's totally shocked. Everyone's at a lost for words; but, Deputy Hopkins soon finds his… "So; what really happened back then, Ruby?" "First off; Charles Steinman never killed his nanny…nor was he ever institutionalized. The poor child died at age three from pneumonia. Helene was so distraught over it… that's when her illness took a turn for the worse." The deputy cuts in, "You mean her schizophrenia?" Ruby nods. "Yes; Helene Steinman was a schizophrenic. Phillip first realized this after she gave birth to Charles and Chelsea. After Charles died, she lost herself; and, that's when she became ‘Lillian May' Steinman." The deputy interjects, "And; that's why the obituary said Lillian May instead of Helene. So then, Helene…or Lillian May…was also Tommy's mother?" Ruby nods again. "That's correct. After the loss of Charles…after assuming the role of Lillian May…Helene insisted on becoming pregnant again; thus producing Tommy. A sad attempt to replace the loss of another child I'm sorry to say." "But, if she conceived Tommy out of grief to replace Charles like you say she did; then, why would she smash his head in with a hammer?" "She didn't." "Then…who did?" "No one did, Deputy." "But…Helene Steinman's ghost told us she did." "Deputy Hopkins, I'm afraid you have it all wrong. That ghost out there is Tommy Steinman's; and, he's lying to all of you." "Then; no one's head was smashed in with a hammer?" "Unfortunately, Deputy, that part's true; someone was killed with a hammer…" "Wait, don't tell me;" the deputy pauses briefly to look up, and exhales, "Chelsea." "Yes; Chelsea." "Oh, God." "They were at their summer cabin at Miller's Lake back in 1927. As it happened, Lillian, who was Helene at the time…" Ruby notices the sudden dumbfounded expression appear on the deputy's face and explains, "Oh yes, she would switch back and forth from time to time. She was Lillian May mostly; but, every now and then she became Helene. Anyway, as Helene, she was out of state visiting with some relatives. Momma was there with Phillip at that time; so, she knew everything that happened that horrible summer." "She was there?" "Yes, Deputy; she was there. She and Phillip were out canoeing on the lake that afternoon. Phillip left Chelsea and Tommy back at the cabin. I guess he figured Chelsea was able to handle Tommy; but, Momma knew otherwise. Momma told me there was always something about Tommy she felt that just wasn't quite right…and, he always had this little sinister smile she said. He was always a bit of a recluse; very cold towards people most of the time. And, even Phillip himself would tell my mother how he was a little concerned about his son's odd behavior." She pauses, looking down towards her lap while rubbing her hands together; then, looks up and continues… "So; they were back at the cabin…doing God only knows what…when Tommy got a hammer out of the toolbox in the closet, and smashed his sister's head in with it. When they returned that afternoon, they found Chelsea's body sprawled out on the cabin's wooden living room floor; with her brain oozing out the hole in her skull. Tommy was sitting on a rocking chair in the corner of the room, covered in blood; with that hammer…covered in blood and pieces of skin, bone and hair on it…on his lap. And, he was sitting there, wearing that same little sinister look that she seen him with oh so many times before. He looked at his father and said ‘Chelsea's gone bye-bye'. Then, he went back to staring at his dead sister's body; rocking like nothing happened. My mother told me she could never get that bloody image out of her mind." Ruby starts trembling; and, the deputy reaches out and holds her hands. "Then what happened, Ruby?" "Phillip called his staff; and, they came up with this sick smoke screen. They took that poor child down to some rocks below a hill next to the lake and threw her body there. They told the newspapers that Chelsea had committed suicide for some unknown reason. Then, they gathered all of Tommy's records and had them destroyed. Paper wise, Tommy Steinman never existed. And, for his coup de grate; Phillip Steinman had Tommy secretly committed to the asylum where my mom worked at." "Okay. Obviously Chelsea was never at the asylum; but, what about Helene…or Lillian…or, whoever the hell she was?" Ruby shakes her head. "Nope; she was never committed. Phillip kept her condition hidden the best way that he could. I suppose he kind of loved her." "So; then how did these rumors start? Why did some people think that Chelsea and Helene were at the asylum…that Chelsea became the Woodland Falls serial killer after escaping from there?" "Jokes…all jokes shared amongst some of the doctors, nurses and orderlies at the asylum." "Jokes?" "Deputy Hopkins; Tommy Steinman was Helene's…or rather, Lillian May's… son. And like her, he too was schizophrenic; only more severely. And, as crazed as he was when he was before; the abuse he received at the asylum made his condition worse." "Just how many personalities did he have, Ruby?" "That's hard to say…at times he would say he was Charles…other times he was Helene; or Lillian May. From time to time, he would even mimic a staff member at the asylum…Tommy picked up personalities pretty quickly if they caught his attention. The strangest personality he ever claimed to be was some sort of Spanish monk by the name of Brother Francisco Dominguez. He would even attempt to speak a few Latin phrases that he picked up somehow. But, the personality he claimed to be the most was Chelsea." "Ruby, what type of abuse did he experience there; did your mother say?" Ruby softly answers, "They verbally abused and mocked him…physically beat him…they even raped him." "Did they ever figure out how he escaped?" "They would take him down to some tunnels beneath the asylum when they raped him…" "Tunnels?" "The asylum was built near the site where the monastery where this Brother Dominguez performed satanic rituals once stood; with catacombs running under that entire area. Tommy must have managed to get down to the tunnels; and found a way out." "Christ!" "And; that's when he…not Chelsea …became the Woodland Falls serial killer, Deputy Hopkins." "So, why did they say it was Chelsea?" "Because, Deputy; the night he was killed…when they took off the ski mask he had on…Tommy was wearing a brown, long haired wig…sort of like how Chelsea's hair was…and lipstick and mascara. Since he always claimed to be Chelsea towards the end, they figured that's who he thought he was at that time; therefore, they said ‘Chelsea' was the killer. Some more sick humor I suppose." "And all along, the idiots had no idea it was Tommy Steinman?" "Oh, they knew." "What?" "They weren't ‘idiots', Deputy; they were ‘yes men'…Phillip Steinman's ‘yes men'. They wanted to keep it quiet…that it was a Steinman going around killing all those families…but, if you just did a little bit of homework; you could've put two and two together." "What do you mean?" "The obvious give away was the time frame, Deputy; the killings started around the same time Tommy escaped. And then, there was the less obvious, yet blatant common factor that I'm sure the police department had to have figured out." "Which was?" "Which was…Deputy Hopkins…every family killed had a relative who, at some point, was a staff member during Tommy's stay at the asylum; and had abused him in some way. That was the common factor, Deputy Hopkins; the one link tying all the murders together." "So then…" "So then, Deputy Hopkins; like I said before…your spirit out there…it's Tommy Steinman."