Dead Village by Gerry Tate

hat Jeremiah,” duty officer Rainy said.
    â€œYes, I’ll go look for it tomorrow.”
    â€œAre you all right Jeremiah?”
    Jeremiah nodded, and walked toward the locker room. When he returned, he had dried off and changed into his civilian clothes.
    He didn’t really feel like talking about this, but the two policemen behind the desk were staring intently down at him, their curiosity aroused. He saw the sergeant prod the other policeman with his finger, and he lowered his head.
    â€œI think something bad has happened to Jeremiah tonight,” Officer Rainy said.
    â€œWould that be right lad?” Sergeant Muldoon nosily asked, as he leaned toward Jeremiah.
    â€œHas something bad happened to you tonight lad?”
    Jeremiah explained what had happened earlier at the forest, and how he felt badly about the whole situation.
    â€œDon’t feel too bad about it lad,” Sergeant Muldoon said. “Greta Casey hasn’t been right in the head this last number of years now, well not since her husband and both sons left her. I think she blames herself for it. In fact, in her husband’s case she just won’t admit there was another woman involved, and now her mind has somehow compensated by making her think he was taken by a demon in the forest.”
    â€œA demon,” duty officer Rainey asked.
    â€œYes, a demon. She believes her husband and son Charles to be demons who roam the forest at night.”
    â€œI know, she told me herself that she followed them into the forest tonight, but she claimed they rejected her,” Jeremiah explained.
    â€œShe told you that?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œWell, Greta doesn’t normally admit seeing them; poor woman, but maybe she can’t hide the charade any more. It got worse for her when her other son, Brian, left her. The lad just couldn’t take it any more.”
    â€œI know all about Brian leaving the poor woman sarge,” Jeremiah answered. “And I still don’t agree with what he did.”
    â€œOh!”
    â€œAnyway, she was in a real state about it. That kindly woman, Mrs Dempsey’s looking after her now, so I’ll be off home. I’ll give you a statement in the morning if that’s okay?”
    â€œThat’s fine Jeremiah, now go on home and see to that lovely young wife of yours.”
    As Jeremiah was about to leave, he paused for a moment and turned around.
    â€œDo you think Mrs Casey will be all right sarge?” Jeremiah asked. “Well, it won’t be long I’m afraid, until she’s carted off to the funny farm. And maybe this would be the best place for her,” Sergeant Muldoon stated, as Officer Rainey nodded his agreement in the background.
    â€œWe cannot have the poor soul endangering her life like this, now can we lad?” he added.
    Jeremiah nodded, bade them goodnight and quickly left the station.
    The rain had stopped now, and only a little cold breeze blew into his face as he stepped outside.
    God help you Mrs Casey, God help you, he thought, as he drove away.
    One thing puzzled Jeremiah though. He had known Greta’s sons when he was first transferred to Cappawhite.
    The father had already gone by then, and he supposed the story of him running off with another woman could quite well have been plausible. Charles he was sure though, would never have deserted his mother.
    Charles had caused his mother a lot of trouble over the years, Jeremiah knew. He was more than a handful to the mild mannered woman, but he loved Greta more than most sons, and had sworn to turn over a new leaf, when he caught his mother crying in her chair when he came home early one time.
    Her other son Brian, had been a different character to Charles, and when his mother’s mental health grew worse, Brian’s patience deteriorated. Then Brian was off.
    To say however that Charles and his father were now roaming the forest of Cappawhite as demons though, was stretching the