The English Woman

by Inch, Jennifer

  "Oh, by the way how did you find me?" Fran said as he walked out the door.

  Berkman immediately turned back. "Oh your friends in Tampa together with some good police work" he said with a smile, and then added "sorry, can you call me a cab please; I let the one go that brought me." Fran was put out. Luckily Richard had the number of a local taxi service by the 'phone and when she called they said they would be about twenty minutes.

  "I guess you better wait on the veranda and I'll get us a cold drink" Fran said and she showed Berkman through the house and out onto the veranda at the back.

  "What a beautiful spot. I went to the Peterson Ranch on Thursday morning and Joe's mother, Nancy, said you were staying in a cabin in the mountains for a few days. She said you would be back late last night and was staying here because there is no room at the ranch. Her granddaughters are staying with her because I understand their mother is seriously ill" Berkman said as Fran handed him a glass of cold iced tea.

  "Yes she went into hospital this morning. I don't think she has long to go."

  "I'm sorry to hear that. Are you planning to stay in Chico? It seems a nice place; not as humid as Florida."

  "No. I will have to move on; my visa is only for six months."

  They drank their tea while watching the hummingbirds on the feeder, then the door bell rang.

  "That will be the cab. Thanks for the tea; very refreshing" Berkman said as he put the glass on the table and walked back through the house. As Berkman got into the cab he thought "she didn't seem shocked or upset when I told her about Daina's death."

  **********

  Fran, Richard and Stephanie ate breakfast in silence. Stephanie was the one who broke the silence. "Even though it’s Saturday we have to go to work because we have some emergency appointments. Do you want to be dropped off in Chico? You could stay with Jessica this morning and Nancy could pick you up from there to take you to the Silver Dollar Fair" she said to Fran.

  Fran agreed. She thought it would be better than hanging around the house on her own because she felt like a caged animal. Berkman's visit the day before had disturbed her and she needed to get out. She hadn't mentioned to Richard and Stephanie about the visit because she didn't want them asking lots of questions, although she knew they would find out through Nancy.

  When they arrived at Jessica's house she was still upset from the news of Sara in hospital. "When she was told she had cancer they only gave her a few months, and so I guess her time has come" Jessica said with a lump in her throat and wiping the tears from her cheeks.

  "Come on Jessica let's have some coffee" Fran said as she took her by the arm and led her inside as she waved goodbye to Richard and Stephanie.

  After a few hours of waiting for the 'phone to ring, Fran was bored and said to Jessica “I’ll walk into Chico and get some lunch.”

  "I can get us some food. I'm sure I can find something in the cupboard" Jessica said.

  "No, I will go and get us something. I need the walk and I don't want you bothering yourself at a time like this" Fran said firmly.

  Fran walked into Chico and found a takeaway called 'Moe's To Go' and stood at the back of a small line, studying the menu leaflet she picked off the counter. There were so many delicious sounding sandwiches she couldn't decide what to order.

  "If you like avocado, the hot roast beef or pastrami with avocado is amazing, or just a cold tuna salad is great" came a familiar voice.

  Fran looked up from studying the menu to see Lauren with a false smile on her face and Angelo was stood next to her. "Hi Fran, how are you?" Angelo asked.

  "I'm good, thanks Angelo" Fran replied.

  "I expect you are good after your stay in the cabin with Joe. He had promised to take me there; I guess you beat me to it. Never mind maybe he will take me after you have gone back to England. By the way, where is Joe?" Lauren said arrogantly.

  Fran looked at her furiously "How did she know about Mineral" she thought. "He's spending time at the hospital with his sister; she hasn't got long to go" she said not wanting to give her any more information than she had to.

  "Oh I'm sorry to hear that. I know she has been really ill. Such a lovely woman, Sara" she said with a change of tone in her voice.

  Fran didn't want to give her the pleasure of knowing that she had not met Sara, especially when she seemed to know her. She turned to Angelo. "When is your show Angelo. I'd love to see you perform?"

  "It's a few weeks away. My father is in Los Angeles at the moment so he is going to fly up for it" Angelo said with a big smile on his face.

  "That's great." Fran turned to Lauren "How did you know about our stay in the cabin?" she asked.

  "Well Joe and I are such good mates" she replied. “Have to be off. I've got to get back to the University. Nice to see you again" Lauren said sarcastically as she walked off. Angelo waved goodbye to Fran as he followed Lauren.

  "Why did you make Fran think Joe told you about the cabin, when it was Rod who told you they were going to Mineral, because he’d bumped into Joe at the gas station when Joe was filling the Chevy ready for the trip" Angelo asked Lauren.

  "Well she took Joe away from me and I don't want her to think that she has Joe all to herself" she said as she brazenly walked down the road.

  Fran didn't bother to watch Lauren and Angelo walk off, and as she was now at the front of the line she ordered some food for her and Jessica. After giving her order she turned and was face to face with Detective Berkman.

  "Oh you made me jump!" Fran exclaimed.

  "I thought it was you. I was looking in the window deciding to get some lunch" Berkman informed her. "It looks as though you and the other woman don't hit it off, am I right?"

  "She's a bitch. She use to go out with Joe but now he's with me she is trying to come between us" Fran said biting her lip and wishing she had kept her mouth shut.

  "Oh, I get the picture. And who's the guy, he looks foreign?"

  "That's Angelo, he's from Italy; his father is a millionaire. He's very nice; I don't know why he hangs about with her."

  "Are they at the University?"

  "Yes, they are music students. Lauren sings mainly and Angelo plays piano. Oh here's my food" Fran said as she took her order from the counter and walked out of the shop.

  "Bye Fran, be seeing you" Berkman called after her.

  Detective Berkman had not yet booked his return flight because he was having difficulty in tying up a connection back to Tampa, mainly because it was a Bank Holiday weekend. He had therefore decided to make the most of the weekend and had walked into Chico to buy himself a sandwich to take to the park, and later that day he planned to go to the Silver Dollar Fair.

  UNDERCOVER

  Raimondas Wajanis was a tall lean man in his mid thirties and was just called Raimond to all his friends and colleagues. Born in the USA, the son of Lithuanian immigrants, he worked for the Lithuanian Government in California to look after the interests of all the Lithuanians living and working on the west coast of America. It was the first time that he had ever been given an assignment directly from the Lithuanian Government, so he was particularly pleased to speak with Vadimas Petusky personally. He had told him that because the investigation concerned the death of his daughter, Daina, to only speak with him.

  Raimond had been given instructions to find an English woman called Fran who was in her late twenties and was staying at a rice ranch in Chico with a guy the same age called Joe. Although he had no photograph of Fran he had been given a description of her. Petusky said to interview Fran and also Angelo Rossi, who was a student at the University in Chico, because there might be a connection. He told him that he had been dealing with Angelo's father, Lorenzo Rossi and had withdrawn the offer of a contract which had enraged Rossi. He had given Raimond the assignment to get the truth out of Fran and Angelo to ensure that the Italians had nothing to do with the death of his daughter, but that it was an accident. Petusky gave him a description of a Detective Berkman who had been assigned to the ca
se, and told him that if Berkman was in Chico not to make any contact with him. Raimond’s colleagues in Los Angeles had found out that there was a rice ranch run by the Petersons who had a son called Joe. They had also found a recent newspaper article about Lorenzo Rossi which included a photo of him with his son Angelo, and had cut out the image of Angelo and given Raimond a photocopy. Petusky had specifically told him that he would be undercover and to report directly back to him, especially if he found a connection between the English woman and the Italians.

  It was Friday when Raimond boarded the flight from Los Angeles to Chico wearing a light beige suit and shirt and tie. He normally wore only a tee-shirt with shorts or jeans but he decided to give the illusion he was on a business trip and his smart appearance gave him the confidence and air of a businessman. When he arrived at Chico airport he rented a car and drove into Chico and booked in at the Holiday Inn. It was early evening and Raimond asked the receptionist if a Detective Berkman was staying there. When she confirmed that he was Raimond couldn’t believe his luck. Then he went into the bar for a drink, and while he was seated at the bar he saw a man dressed in slacks and a short sleeve shirt fitting Berkman's description sitting on a stool at the other end of the bar. When he saw Berkman adding ice to his drink he noticed the missing little finger on his left hand, which confirmed that he was indeed Berkman. The two men looked at each other and nodded to acknowledge their existence.

  Raimond’s luck continued into the next day, when late morning he followed Berkman out of the hotel and into a take away called Moe's To Go. Then to his surprise he noticed two women and a man talking whilst lining up for food and that one of the women fitted the description of the English woman. He looked at the photo which he took from his pocket and was sure she was talking to Angelo Rossi. Raimond walked into the shop as Angelo and Lauren were leaving and as he pretended to study the menu he listened to Berkman talk to Fran. He thought from her accent that she must be the English woman and she spoke of Angelo to Berkman. When she left the shop he followed her to a house a few streets away and the door was opened by Jessica. He wanted to speak with the English woman alone so he waited outside. Before long a Lincoln Continental pulled up driven by Nancy and Fran got in the car and they drove off. He followed in the car that he had hired at the airport to a showground, paid at the entrance and followed them in. Fran did not know she was being followed by Raimond as they looked around the exhibit tents which Fran found interesting; she particularly liked the rock exhibition.

  "Joe should be here soon" said Nancy looking anxiously towards the gate. It was gone 8 pm and he should have been there before 8 pm because the racing was to start then. It was 8.15 pm before he arrived.

  "I was waiting for you to come home and when you didn't arrive I came on in, but the traffic was so bad it took me ages to park," he said to his mother, apologising for his lateness. Fran and Joe said goodbye to Nancy then went to the ticket office where he paid for their tickets. They walked into the small arena and the racing had just started and Fran found it very exciting because the cars went so fast.

  "Oh no!" she shouted, "The car's on fire!" Two cars had collided, the wheels of one were jammed into the wire fencing and the other car had overturned and caught fire, but to Fran's relief the driver jumped out unhurt. A special vehicle was used to free the car from the fence and the racing continued. It was Fran's first night out in the open in California and she noticed thousands of mosquitoes swarming around the huge floodlights. She was glad that she was well covered. The racing finished about 11 pm and the Silver Dollar Fair was still in full swing.

  "Do you want a go on anything?" Joe asked.

  "I don't mind" Fran replied.

  "Then let's go on the horses," Joe said with excitement in his voice. It was a horse race where they used their skill at pinball to win. They did very well and succeeded in winning a rodeo patch, a small horse statue and a cuddly toy.

  As they walked pass a side show Fran threw a 10c piece into a dish, it bounced out and landed on the floor beside her. As she stooped to pick it up the Fair man said, "You are not suppose to do that." He then walked around to the other side. Fran threw the same 10c piece and it landed in a glass ashtray. "This is yours," the plump fair haired girl said as she passed Fran the ashtray. Fran stealthily slid it in her jacket and walked off laughing. As they walked past the hair-raising rides Joe turned to Fran with a gleam in his eye.

  "Do you want to go on a ride?" Joe asked as he looked at the ride in front, which was in the shape of a huge loop and the open carriages inside went around, so that the occupants were upside down on a number of occasions during the ride.

  "Okay I'll go with you" Fran said to please Joe, because she could see he really wanted to go on the ride. They lined up for their tickets and were soon sitting in the middle seats. To Fran's horror they were not strapped in, there was just a bar about six inches away from their laps and an upright bar to hold on to. Fran's hands went white as she gripped the bar and the veins in her neck stood out as they were upside down in the warm evening air. Joe and Fran laughed to help relieve their fear whilst others on the ride talked constantly. It seemed ages before they were back on the ground and Fran could hardly walk when they stepped out of the ride.

  "That was scary!" Fran said, feeling her blood still pumping through her veins.

  "Do you want to go on any more rides?" asked Joe.

  "No, I think that's enough for one night." Fran answered with a look of amazement at his suggestion. Joe took her back to the Canyon and as it was very late he headed straight back to the ranch.

  **********

  The following day being Sunday, Stephanie took Fran to a small Catholic church called the Little Shrine where a special mass was held on the first Sunday in May every year since 1856, but as it had been a few weeks before there was nothing to suggest there had been a special service. The inside of the church was only about 10 feet square and 15 feet high and Fran was amused as she read the visitor's book.

  After lunch Stephanie and Richard took Fran to the Silver Dollar Fair, where they met up with Joe before going into the Rodeo. Fran was looking forward to the Rodeo because since she was a small child she had wanted to see one. She was not disappointed; it was fantastic to watch the great riders with their skill of staying on the horse or bull and lassoing the horse or steer. Richard laughed all the way through, and Fran thought he was laughing at the expressions of the Rodeo riders as they tried to stay on the horses. One act which Stephanie particularly enjoyed was the acrobatic and chimpanzee act.

  Joe had to get back to the ranch, so Richard and Stephanie took Fran home where they enjoyed some barbecued steak before visiting friends further up in the Canyon. They sat with Brandon and his wife Stella, who was from London and had got to the States some twenty years earlier just by being sponsored. As they enjoyed their drinks Fran explained to them that it was no longer easy to get into the States and that there was much red tape to get over. Fran grew tired after a few hours.

  "I'm sorry you guys but I'm feeling very tired. Do you mind if I leave now, I can walk back along Honey Run Road" Fran said sleepily.

  "No Fran you can't walk alone in the dark" Richard said showing concern.

  "I'm fine, and I've got my gun if I need it" she laughed as she pulled the same gun from her purse that she had taken to Mineral.

  "Oh, I didn't know you still had it!" Richard said sounding surprised. "Well I know you can look after yourself, so if you're sure you'll be okay" he said with a furrowed brow.

  Even though Berkman had rattled her over the past few days, Fran was happy walking along Honey Run Road as it was a lovely cool evening and all the stars were out.

  **********

  Raimond had followed Fran at the Silver Dollar Fair but she was never alone and when she was dropped off at the Canyon it was very late and there were people in the house. So he went back to the hotel and returned to the Canyon early the next morning. He followed Fran all day until at last he saw her leave a
house further up the Canyon on her own. As Fran walked along the dark road which was only lit by the moon and stars he pulled up alongside her, grabbed her and pulled her into his car.

  As he had his hand over her mouth he said "Don't scream, I mean you no harm, I just want to talk with you" and he took his hand away.

  Fran screamed "who the hell are you and what do you want?"

  "I want to question you about Daina Petusky."

  "God, not another one. She drowned didn't she, what's it to do with you?"

  "Her father has asked me to question you. You were with her the night she died, was it an accident or did you have anything to do with her drowning?"

  "As if I would tell you even if I did" Fran said extremely annoyed.

  "Were you paid to kill her by the Italians?"

  "What the hell are you talking about, what Italians?"

  "You were talking to this guy on Saturday in Moe's To Go" he said and while he turned to take the copy from his pocket Fran put her hand on the gun in her purse. Raymond showed her the photo of Angelo Rossi. "His father, Lorenzo Rossi, has fallen out with Daina's father, who is a member of the Lithuanian Government."

  "Berkman told me her father was in the Government, but I don't know anything about Lorenzo Rossi."

  "Why were you talking to Angelo?"

  "He's just a friend."

  "It's too much of a coincidence, I don't believe you, and I’m just going to have to make you tell me the truth" Raymond said as he put his hand in his jacket.

  Fran whipped the gun from her purse, put the barrel to Raimond's forehead and pulled the trigger. She fell back against the passenger door and banged her head on the window. "Ow, bloody hell" she said as she pulled the handle and fell out of the car onto the ground. Fran got up and walked around to the driver's side and when she opened the door she had to grab Raimond before he fell out. She put the car into neutral, released the handbrake, and placed Raimond against the steering wheel. Then she closed the door and pushed the car over the edge of the canyon. As she watched the car sink into the creek below Fran thought "maybe they will blame this on the Italians" and a smile came across her face as she continued her walk down Honey Run Road.