Bernard Taylor - Evil Intent

[dem bones]

Bernard Taylor - Evil Intent (Headline, 1994)

Cover photograph: Colin Thomas

Blurb:
When Jack Forrest inherits The Limes, a beautiful old house in the Cotswolds, he sees only the promise of a new and better life for himself and his family. Soon after their arrival, however, their new-found happiness is disturbed by a run-in with one/of the villagers. But they are determined to regard it as nothing more than a passing incident; no trivial spat is going to stand in the way of their contentment.

Then the first terrible death occurs, the opening episode in a spiralling nightmare of events that threatens them all.

Over the following months, Jack can do little more than stand and watch as his once near-perfect world disintegrates round him. How can he begin to combat such evil? For this unrelenting scourge is not born of the natural world, but of some darker place where normal laws do not apply.

"In acknowledgement of the debt I owe to M. R. James without whose talent this story would not exist."

If Mother's Boys owes more than a little to Mendal Johnstone's delightfully horrible Let's Go Play At The Adams', so the plot of Evil Intent is very very on loan from Casting The Runes. It's also my favourite BT novel after joint firsts Sweetheart, Sweetheart and The Moorstone Sickness. A thirty page prologue - a nihilistic stand-alone short story in its own right - prepares us for the worst ....

38 year old primary school teacher Mary Hopper is the recipient of the unwanted attentions of Mr. John Callow, the tall, slim silver-haired, sixty-something director/ producer in residence at the Reading Operatic Society. Mary, divorced and happy to be so, recently resigned from the group to get away from him, but Callow is not one to take a hint. He evidently believes they are an item!

Callow calls at Mary's home. It is no good pretending to be out as she has the CD player up loud and, persistent bastard that he is, he'll keep pressing the bell until she answers. God, how he makes her flesh crawl! Enough is enough; Mary tells him to stay out of her life. "I'm tired of being the object of your - your sick obsession." Callow takes rejection very badly.

Mary confides all in her Primary School colleague, Ruth. She admits to being frightened of the creep, as was her late father. Shortly after savaging Callow's production of La Traviata in the local newspaper, Dad received a rune-inscribed sheet from the disgruntled genius. Unnerved, the old boy grew increasingly jumpy. He would soon break his neck in a freak "accident." Ruth rubbishes her fears, and Mary has to admit she's probably a little stressed. At least the pair have plenty to look forward to including an imminent fortnight's holiday in Rome. Maybe afterwards, Mary will sell up and leave Valley Green for good. Just then, and a truck comes hurtling around the corner ...

[dem bones]

Mary died interstate, so the house and a considerable sum of cash goes to her cousin and only surviving relative, Jack Forrest, 34 year old creator of hit TV comedy Fat Chance. On wife Connie's insistence, he sells their current property and moves to Valley Green. At first all is well. Jack can write in peace, Connie, her mum Sarah, and the kids - twin daughters Kitty and Lydia, son, Joel - can enjoy the countryside. And then, Callow's ancient black Labrador, has to spoil it. Bold as you please, 'Chip' strolls into the Forrest's garden and takes a leisurely dump on the grass. Sarah, furious, insists Callow clean up after his mutt. He refuses. Over the next few days, the simmering feud escalates when Joel helps himself to a bunch of roses from Callow's garden as a present for Sarah. Callow demands the thief be punished. But far worse is to follow when Connie accidentally runs down Chip the incontinent. Callow - whose show of grief may even be genuine - curses the entire family. Starting with ....

Some days later, a sheepish Callow appears at the garden fence. He's come to apologise for his "over-reaction" to recent events. Won't Sarah accept a small gift by way of peace offering? It's nothing special, just a box of Milk Tray. Glad to clear the air, Sarah accepts, begs forgiveness for her unhelpful outburst over the dog-fouling episode. Everyone is great pals again. How jolly! Sarah unwraps her parcel. What she assumes to be a gift-tag is caught on a freak gust of wind and tossed onto the bonfire .....

Another inventive black magic death coming up ....