The Old Man

&nbsp The Old Man is a 1998 British Psychological Thriller Novella written by Stefan Bilson and published by Little Brown Books.

It tells the story of a lost man who has transgressed through all forms of confusion in life and who propiets an abandoned antique shop which sets the location for unspeakable acts of sheer horror unleashed on three innocent people.

Plot
The book begins with a boy who two very quiet timid parents running a boiler factory in 1908.

The boy appears to have no friends apart from a little girl name Evelyn Gracie.

Evelyn warms to the boy's quiet charms and passion for old things always helping him buy and collect antiques from their small town.

Evelyn always stood up for the boy against his parents and some frequent bullies at school.

The boy eventually kills Evelyn in the woods surrounding the boiler factory.

The scene then transcends to 1998 and an American Family of the same town preparing for a dinner outing.

It's about to be New Year's Day and the family is decorating away in preparation for the guests to come.

The father of the family Dean Cross has boys Mark, James and Sam.

The dad Dean is preparing for the arrival of his girlfriend Lisa Holden and her five year old son Lewis.

The book goes onto a strange old man who lives directly up the street named Obi Vanderseen who is the boy from the beginning of the book.

He has a shrine built on the photos of Evelyn Gracie back from 1908 and some empty picture frames as he plans another victim.

Dean's girlfriend Lisa arrives with her son and come in.

The next two hours see the two younger sons of Dean: James and Sam playing with Lisa's son Lewis in the backyard of the home, the oldest son Mark having a meaningful conversation with his dad and Lisa as well as a visiting Aunt supposed to accompany them to the New Year's Dinner.

Eventually the time comes when they ready to head and the family seperates into two cars.

Dean, the aunt and the two younger sons get into his blue holden and prepare to depart.

The girlfriend Lisa, her son Lewis and the oldest son Mark get into her white shiny and plan to go the opposite way around the block to reach the round-a-bout near the home.

As Lisa drives up the opposite way she passes an Antique Shop.

Lisa pulls into the grassy lane behind the shop to look at it.

Dean passes them and waves.

Lisa attempts to start the car again when her and Mark glance into the backseat to find Lewis missing.

They step out of the vehicle and glance around and suddenly hear Lewis' voice coming from the antique shop.

They head inside to find Lewis touching various web covered antique items.

Suddenly an old man steps out and inquires to what they want.

Lisa apologizes claiming it's just her overly curious son.

He man responds wittily with he can see that.

Lisa holds a frantically moving grumpy Lewis in place as she begins a sorry conversation with the man.

The man claims it be fine and begins a trivia conversation with her.

He asks what's she got planned for New Years which she answers with the planned dinner.

She asks him about the antique shop and when it closed.

The scene then moves back to Dean, the Aunt Julia and sons James and Sam at a restaurant attempting to reach Lisa's Cell.

No success and thins turn awry.

Eventually Dean drops Julia off back at her apartment and comes home with his two sons.

He looks for a note as to what might have happened.

He checks the rooms to find their stuff gone.

He then phones the police and files a missing persons report.

Dean then exits the house and walks up the street taking a glance at the Antique Shop with it's chimney emnating black smoke.

The police then arrive and question Dean.

The scene goes back to the old man in a boiler room like basement throwing a phone number piece of paper that was in the pocket of Mark into a furnace.

The police check the entire neighbourhood, questioning everyone and continue on their investigation finding nothing.

They eventually abandon the search for Lisa and Lewis Holden and his son Mark Cross on the day of Mark's Birthday October 8th.

Dean however does not abandon hope, hires a private investigator Meredith Priffard who begins an extensive search for his missing son, girlfriend and her son.

He also strikes a conversation with the overly quiet neighbour of the antique shop up the road from his home.

He eventually confides in him saying he saw a beautiful woman of her 30's and a teenage boy enter that antique shop.

From there Dean becomes obsessed with the shop constantly attempting to get the police to arrest the man, threatening him, attempting to break in and have Meredith trail him.

Eventually Meredith gives and follows the man.

She follows him onto a lightning struck highway road where he pulls over and seemingly vanishes from his vehicle.

Meredith goes over to see and is struck with a tyre iron.

The following day Dean visits the local hospital to find Meredith fatally injured.

Dean then attempts to bring the old man to trial but faces trouble as he hires the state's best lawyor.

The battle comes to court and the jury and judge are in favour of the man saying Meredith is an accomplice in an illegal tail and there is a supposed eye witness account of the man Obi being in a bar the time she was supposedly beaten into acoma.

Dean becomes enraged and attacks the old man in court.

Dean goes to prison but is bailed by his mother Rolanda who comes to town to collect his two sons and have them stay with her for awhile.

Dean after saying goodbye to his two sons and his mother trashes his house.

At the same time he trashes his house the old man appears to be cleaning up the boiler like basement.

Dean returns the following day to visit Meredith in hospital and finds a note in her hand.

It reads omninously: "You're Close."

On the back it also reads the address of a file storage and certain coded file.

Dean gets to the file and reads a patient prognosis of an elderley man with a serious case of amnesia which has been covered from the police.

The amnesia man is revealed to be the supposed eye witness fo Obi being in a bar when Meredith was dealt her fatal injuries.

The scene then goes to the across the street neighbour of the antique old man Obi.

The neighbour who divolged that Lisa and Mark entered the shop but would not present this testimony at court is watching the old man from his house window.

Obi appears to be mowing his lawn at night.

The neighbour man Donald then looks out the window again following a drink of scotch to find Obi not there and the abandoned running lawnmower just sitting in it's spot.

Donald then turns around to see Obi sitting on his couch.

Obi becomes angry and asks why Donald sold him out, and that he's a snitch a participant in this event.

Donald fires back with it needs to stop and then sits down on the opposite couch.

Obi agrees with that just as Donald reaches down the side of the couch.

Next minute several shots are directed at Donald's chest popping his leather couch and hitting his scotch glass.

Obi then walks out as blood trickles down the couch to a gun on the side of it, which now is revealed to be what Donald was reaching for.

Dean then rush drives his way to Donald's house to only find paremedics and police officers there.

A Body bag is then seen coming out by Dean with blood on it.

The following day as the funeral is planned for Donald Dean receives a call which alarms him.

He suddenly rush drives to the local hospital and finds that Meredith is dead from injuries flatlined last night about the same time as Donald was shot to death.

The nurse tells him the doctor presiding Meredith would like to say his sorry for her loss and for that they couldnt inform him till today that her buisness of employement didnt want anyone to know.

The scene then shows the Old Man sitting in his boiler basement glaring at the pictures of Evelyn Gracie he then steps up and reaches for a red phone set on a cord.

Next minute Dean receives a phone call which is Obi telling him it's time meet at the place which stains your mind and heart.

Dean then goes to the local gunstore and purchases a rifle before getting in his car to head to the antique shop.

Dean eventually gets there and is allowed entry through the front door.

Dean then grabs Obi and pins him against the wall saying he knows your the one who killed Meredith and Donald and that if he agrees to do whatever he wants he'll provide a full confession to the police that he not only killed Meredith and Donald but is responsebile for the disappearences of Lisa and Lewis Holden, and his son Mark.

Obi agrees answering with the omninous "You'll Get What You Need."

Obi then opens a vault like door in the shop which reveals a staircase leading downward.

The two descend into a boiler like basement.

Dean then sees the photographs and turns around to face Obi who is now not there.

He reaches into his pocket slowly about to draw the rifle.

Suddenly the valve pipes above sprout a green gas and Dean falls unconsious.

He awakens tied to the ground.

Obi enters with a cloth covered wheel table which upon pull back reveals an assortment of surgical tools.

He then reveals everything.

He reveals that he killed a boy when he was eight years old, a girl who was his best and only friend in th entire world, he tells his motive being that he had sick thoughts about her, and not just of her but everyone.

He believed he should have sick thoughts about the one person who cared about him and he eventually told her what he thought thinking it what go away.

He told her that because of his vegetarian diet inflicted upon his by his abusive parents he once killed a deer in the woods surrounding their boiler factory and devoured it.

Piece by Piece until there was nothing left.

Evelyn became sickened at this and he tried to explain that he had sick thoughts of eating her too and that if he tells whats on your mind it will go away.

At least thats what his Aunty Majorie always told him you tell them what troubles you and they help you.

Instead Evelyn regarded Obi a sick freak and that he is an animal.

In disappointment and sadness Obi killed Evelyn with a gun he had stolen from his father.

Obi then proceeded to eat Evelyn's body until there was nothing left.

Evelyn was reported missing and never found.

He claims to Dean the sick thoughts never left and yet got stronger after Evelyn died.

He retained the urge until a wild dog had burst into his antique store needing shelter from a storm.

He tended to the dog and very much being a suck up for allowing it to stay after it had burst in uninvited.

He thought back to Evelyn that night of rescuing the dog and before he knew what he was doing had killed the dog and bitten it's throat.

He then devoured the dog until there was nothing left.