Nice To Meet You Cally (Calliaster Doyle Book 2)

by S G Read

  ‘You must be Drummond.’ Barbara said and held out her hand. ‘Thank you for taking care of Cally, I know it must have been hard work.’

  ‘Oh mum!’ Cally complained as she sat in the on the floor of the truck in front of Drummond.

  ‘She was okay, well mostly.’ Drummond replied, as he reached past Dan and shook her hand.

  ‘You're asking for thick lip.’ Cally warned through clenched teeth.

  ‘Cally don't be rude to our guest!’

  Dan chose then to speak up.

  ‘Thanks for looking after the boat.’

  ‘She was a bit low in the water when I got there, I thought it was going to sink so I pumped it out, once I found the pump. It took me ages.’

  ‘I'll have to come back tomorrow and pump it out again.’ Dan replied. ‘I thought it would have gone down by now.’

  ‘Not with Drummond about. I suppose you bunged up the holes as well!’ Cally grumbled.

  ‘Of course I did. It's silly to just keep pumping the water out without trying to stop it coming in, in the first place!’

  ‘But you have to do it from outside.’ Dan declared.

  ‘And don't I know it! I tried everything to stop my cast from falling to bits. That's why I didn't want to swim across to you when Cally found me.’

  ‘Hiding in the engine hole!’ Cally pointed out.

  ‘I didn't know who it was, did I now?’

  ‘At least it was more comfortable than when you hid in there!’ Barbara added.

  ‘Did you hide in there then?’ Drummond asked.

  ‘Yes but it was Baptiste who was on the boat above me and I was waist deep in water and I was in there all night!’

  ‘I'm glad he's dead.’ Drummond said honestly.

  ‘Me too. He was mean.’ Cally echoed.

  ‘Yeah real mean.’ Drummond retorted.

  ‘He nearly got us in that farmhouse.’ Cally said after a pause.

  ‘Did he? When we were-’

  ‘Yes. The patrolman told me, after the gun fight.’

  ‘What gunfight?’ Drummond asked.

  ‘The gun fight at the rest home. Don't you remember I told you when I came to see you in the hospital?’

  ‘I had just had my arm set remember.’ Drummond relaxed a little. ‘He nearly got us at the river. He would have killed me just for being in the way!’

  ‘I couldn't let that happen after you'd stopped me from falling down the bell tower, could I? When did your arm break?’

  ‘I think it was when we landed on the cover of that crypt.’

  ‘I'm glad it wasn't before then or you wouldn’t ‘of been able to catch me when my rope broke!’

  ‘I'm finding it hard to listen and drive Cally and I haven't heard about half of this. We'll talk about it more when we reach the ninety ninth precinct. Especially about what went on in that farmhouse!’

  The talking stopped and the rest of the trip to the ninety ninth precinct, the name Barbara had given the rest home, was made in relative silence. When they passed the sign for Wilmington, Cally told Drummond of her hiding in the barn loft and watching the fight between the farmer and his daughter. Barbara did not have to listen, as she knew about that now.

  CHAPTER 2

  When they arrived at the rest home Cally showed Drummond around. Dan, not being up to walking around, sat in the day room talking to the residents.

  ‘This is my room.’ Cally said proudly, as it was actually tidy for once.

  ‘Where do I sleep?’

  ‘That depends on what we say happened when we were in the farmhouse.’ Cally answered coyly

  ‘We only kissed!’ Drummond complained. ‘We didn't have time for much more before Baptiste arrived!’

  ‘You know that and I know that but you know what mothers can be like!’

  ‘No, I don't.’ Drummond replied. ‘I've never had a mother. I lived with my dad until he started treating me like a punch bag, then I ran away.’

  ‘I thought you said he threw you out?’

  ‘It was sort of an agreement that I should go, after I hit him with his baseball bat a few times.’

  Cally laughed.

  ‘I bet he didn't like that!’

  ‘No he didn't, he squealed like a- a- pig.’

  ‘You was going to say girl then wasn't you?’ Cally accused.

  ‘Why shouldn't I say girl? They squeal don't they?’ Drummond retorted.

  ‘The soft ones do but don't mix me up with them or you'll be sorry! Come on I reckon Ma will have you in the attic, as far from me as possible.’

  ‘What did you tell her then?’

  ‘Nothing!’

  ‘Cally, what did you tell her?’

  ‘Only that I like you-’ She stopped walking away from him in mid-sentence and turned back. ‘A lot.’

  They kissed.

  ‘I've missed you Drummond.’

  ‘I missed you as well Cally but I had to go, just like I'll have to go again, if that fat woman comes looking for me here!’

  ‘Next time I'll go with you.’

  ‘Not if I can help it!’ Barbara said from behind Drummond. ‘Who was you running from?’

  ‘They wanted to put me in a home.’

  ‘Who did?’

  ‘Some woman at the hospital, a big fat woman, just because I'm fourteen.’

  ‘I'll put out some feelers-’

  ‘But-’ Drummond said interrupting.

  ‘Don't worry!’ Barbara said re-interrupting. ‘I won't mention names! It'll just be a general inquiry. There are so many stray children about at the moment, I'd like to know why she wants to single you out.’

  ‘Are we going to adopt him instead?’ Cally asked.

  ‘We'll see.’ Barbara replied.

  ‘But that means we won't be able to kiss each other, not like we do anyway.’ Cally complained.

  ‘Don't be silly, it won't change anything like that. Anyway I saw how you were kissing him, is that what you learnt while you were living with your father?’

  ‘No, that's what I've learnt since I've been on the run with you know who.’ She nodded toward Drummond.

  ‘It takes two to tango young lady, maybe you should learn to waltz before you tango.’

  ‘Come on Drummond I'll show you your room.’ Cally said fearing the conversation was going to turn into a lecture. ‘I suppose he's sleeping in the attic at the other end of the house?’

  ‘You suppose right. I made his bed earlier while you were soaking in the bath.’

  The two children walked off leaving Barbara frowning. That was all she needed, two young love birds to watch over as well as looking after Dermot.

  ‘This is your room Drummond.’ Cally said as she opened the door to the room that was farthest from hers. ‘I don't think ma will ever change!’

  ‘She's just protecting you, like Caleb did for me.’ Drummond explained.

  ‘Who does she think she's protecting me from?’

  ‘Caleb said he was protecting me from me, so I assume she's protecting you from yourself!’

  ‘That's silly-’

  ‘I know you can look after yourself Cally!’

  ‘I wasn't going to say that actually!’

  ‘Then what was you going to say?’

  ‘If she wanted to protect me, why did she leave me and move out here with grandpa?’

  ‘Maybe she thought you were going to go with her!’

  ‘Well she thought wrong, and I CAN look after myself! Well most of the time anyway.’ She added the last bit with a smile. ‘Sit down Drummond I want to talk to you.’

  ‘You are talking to me Cally.’

  ‘No I mean in private.’ She closed the door. ‘My grandpa needs this operation and ma is saving all her money to pay for it that's why this place is in such a state but don't say anything it's supposed to be a secret.’

  ‘I can't help, I haven't got any money!’

  ‘I know that silly!’

  She showed him the key.

  ‘This key is supp
osed to open something with a lot of money hidden in it but I don't know what or where it fits!’

  ‘What about asking your dad?’

  ‘He just lays there dribbling all the time.’

  ‘Can he hear you?’

  ‘I don't know!’

  ‘Can he move anything?’

  ‘No that I know of.’

  ‘When we go back to the hospital we should find out.’

  ‘He's down below.’

  ‘Oh yes I forgot. I didn't think they let people out in his condition!’

  ‘He's not bad, seeing as he stopped a bus the hard way.’

  ‘Come on then let's find out if he can move anything!’

  Cally was hesitant.

  ‘What's up?’ Drummond asked from the doorway.

  ‘I don't like to see him lying there like that and dribbling!’

  ‘He won't get better if you just ignore him Cally! Come on.’

  Still Cally hesitated. Drummond walked back and took her by the hand to lead her to Dermot's room.

  ‘I don't need you to hold my hand, besides you don't know where he is!’

  Cally led Drummond to the room where her father lay, unmoving save the rise and fall of his chest. Barbara was wiping his face with a damp cloth when they walked in.

  ‘Does the room look okay?’ She asked.

  ‘Fine thank you. It's a lot better than anything I've had up to now!’

  ‘Then you've had it pretty rough, I wouldn't call it the best room in the house.’ Barbara commented.

  ‘No, you wait until it rains, you'll wish you were back in the shack.’ Cally added. ‘We came to see pa, if it's okay?’

  ‘You should come and see him more often. The doctor says the more people he hears talking to him, the more are his chances of waking up!’

  Cally looked at the staring eyes and the dribble of saliva that had already started to run down from his mouth. She wanted to cry, how she wanted to cry. She turned away.

  ‘Chicken!’ Drummond said quietly.

  Cally turned back.

  ‘What did you call me?’

  ‘Chicken. We came here to talk to him didn't we?’

  ‘If you didn't have a bust arm-’

  ‘Broken arm.’ Barbara corrected.

  ‘Broken arm.’ Cally repeated. ‘I'd splatter you all over the room!’

  Barbara stood up.

  ‘I won't stop here and get in the way of true love but don't get any blood on the sheets, it is hell to get off.’ She closed the door behind her.

  ‘Don't let the arm stop you.’ Drummond replied. ‘I could beat a girl with both hands behind my back.’

  ‘More like with her hands tied behind her back!’

  They stood eye to eye at the foot of the bed, then Drummond kissed her, not using his good arm to hold her, he just kissed her. Cally didn't argue or flinch until he stopped.

  ‘That doesn't mean you won.’ She said coyly and turned to her father. His eyes were open but she could not tell if he was watching them as they didn't seem to move. ‘Now what?’

  ‘Show him the key.’

  Cally held the key in front of her father.

  ‘Now ask him where it fits.’

  ‘Pa, where does this key fit?’

  There was no change.

  ‘That helped!’ Cally said irritably.

  ‘He's got to be able to move something!’ Drummond declared.’ Ask him if he can move anything.’

  ‘If'n he can hear me, then he can hear you! Can you move anything pa?’

  Still there was no movement.

  ‘Now what Drummond?’

  ‘The other way is to pay for a safety deposit box in all the banks until we find one with the same type of key.’

  ‘With what. We haven't got any money!’

  ‘Well you think of something then!’

  Cally sat on the bed with her back to her father and felt his hand under her. She moved along a bit so that she was not sitting on his hand.

  ‘Did you see that?’ Drummond cried.

  ‘No what happened?’

  ‘He blinked.’

  They watched and waited but nothing happened.

  ‘Are you sure?’

  ‘I saw it I tell you! What did you do?’

  ‘Nothing I just sat down.’

  ‘Well do it again!’

  Cally sat down carefully avoiding the hand under the covers this time. Nothing happened. Disappointed they left not seeing the tears that ran from Dermot's eyes. They walked down stairs and out into the street, at least it was safe to do that now.

  ‘Hi Cally.’

  The call came from the garden across the street from the rest home. It was Jake the boy who lived in the house there. Cally remembered hiding in his garden, then in his bedroom until she decided to cross the street and go into the home. That was when the shootout started.

  ‘Hi Jake, this is Drummond.’

  ‘Hi Drummond, do you want to play?’

  Jake at six liked playing. Drummond and Cally looked at each other and, with nothing better to do, they played.

  Michael sat in the office of the nickelodeon he was using as his headquarters. In front of him sat Bertram Dill, Emil Shultz' book keeper. He was going through Clo's books and explaining to Michael how things were laid out and what was income or expenditure.

  ‘Thank you Bertram you have been a great help, especially after what you went through.’

  Clo had sent him to be dropped in the lake with concrete boots but Bertram had escaped, even wearing the concrete boots.

  ‘You can leave the books, I have a new man who is going to take over but I hope I can call on you, if he has any problems understanding them?’

  ‘Of course Michael, you know where I'm staying. You can either call me there or talk to Emil about it.’

  Emil Shultz was the boss of the organisation.

  ‘I will be seeing Emil tonight for coffee, I'll clear it with him then.’ Michael said as he watched Bertram leave.

  ‘Peter come in here!’ He called.

  The door opened and Peter Balley walked in, he was Michael's secretary, whose duties included killing anyone Michael wanted killed, now that Michael was in charge, he had no need to do it himself.

  ‘Yes Michael.’

  ‘Send Ralph in when he gets here, I want to go over the books with him while Bertram's instructions are still fresh in my mind.’

  ‘I'll send him in as soon as he gets here Michael. Mr. Shultz called to remind you about cocktails tonight.’

  ‘Thank you Peter. Bring me coffee and not that rubbish you drink.’

  ‘Right away.’

  ‘And don't let it boil!’ Michael shouted after the retreating Peter.

  Barbara opened the side door of the rest home.

  ‘Cally, Drummond, time to eat!’

  They said goodbye to Jake and walked back over to the retirement home, by now they were both hungry and, although the food served was not expensive, there was enough of it. Dan ate as though it was his last meal.

  ‘That was the best meal I've had in ages, a lot better than the muck they served up in the hospital!’ He said and sat back in the chair, to watch the others at the large table.

  ‘Do you want any more?’ Barbara asked half rising from her chair.

  Dan held up a hand in supplication.

  ‘The mind might be willing but the stomach, I'm afraid, is too weak.’

  Barbara sat down again to finish hers. Cally's eyes strayed to the other people at the table, after a while she regretted it. Most of them had little or no teeth and to see them eat put her off her food. She kept her eyes on her plate afterwards but the image was in her brain and refused to go away. In the end she pushed the plate away in defeat. Barbara looked at the uneaten food.

  ‘If you're done eating you can start to clear the table.’ She said between mouthfuls.

  Cally jumped at the chance to get away from the table and reminded herself to keep her eye on her food next time she ate; and l
ook at nothing else. When Drummond had had enough he started to help her, Barbara looked up but said nothing, at least here she could keep an eye on them. Washing the dishes followed clearing the table, while Barbara went upstairs to try to force some food into Dermot.

  ‘I wonder!’ Cally said suddenly as she was washing a plate.

  ‘You wonder what?’ Drummond asked studying the plate for clues.

  ‘Oh nothing, just talking out loud.’ Cally gave him the plate and picked up another one. ‘It's just that you ask me what I did when you reckoned pa blinked-’

  ‘He did blink I saw it, just as you sat down on the bed.’

  ‘Yes, and you asked me what I did.’

  ‘And you said you just sat down.’

  ‘That is all I did but I sat on his hand the first time, when I did it again I made sure I missed his hand!’

  ‘Are you saying he blinked because you hurt him?’

  ‘I don't know.’

  ‘Well it's sure going to make the next time we question him interesting!’

  ‘What do you mean? We're not going to torture him if that's what you mean! He is still my pa.’

  As she spoke Cally turned to face Drummond but he was on the floor.

  ‘What's up are you ill?’

  ‘No it's that woman from the hospital she's coming to the door! She'll take me to a home!’

  Cally looked where Drummond had pointed and saw a large woman approaching the same door that Clo's mob had come through.

  ‘Not another showdown!’ Cally moaned and looked down where Drummond had been but he was gone. ‘He's quicker'n greased lightning when he wants to be!’

  She returned to her work, by now she was putting away the dishes.

  ‘Cally!’ Barbara called.

  ‘Yes ma?’

  ‘Do you know where that boy you met just after your father's accident might be?’

  ‘More'n likely down a sewer somewhere ma. Why?’

  ‘There's a woman from the welfare to see him.’

  ‘What's she come here for? Is she going to give us some money?’

  ‘I don't think so, it never goes to those who really need it; you know that!’

  Moments later Cally saw the woman walk back down the path to a waiting car. She watched the car drive off but it stopped and parked some distance down the street. She walked into the day room looking for Drummond but there was no sign of him.