Chapter Thirty
Bridger was back on the beach, a warm safe place. Waves were washing up on the shore, the gentle sound of moving water. It was warm, he felt relaxed, more relaxed than he had in a long while, although he could not remember why he should. There was no one else on the beach, he was on his own, the blue haze of the sky reaching all the way to the horizon. He thought about going for a swim. He had not swum in the ocean since he was a child and it would be a nice way to spend the afternoon.
He went to stand up but his legs would not move, he tried pushing up with his arms but he did not have the strength. The sand started moving around him, he started to sink lower, sand moving, sinking lower. He looked towards the sea. It had begun to boil. He saw Laura. She was standing waist high in the water. She was waving, but has a sad smile on her face. Then the sea rose up and took her, still he could not move. He did not even hear her scream.
Hands began to caress his chest, a shade of nail polish he recognized. The colour that Jane wore, they playfully pinched his nipple before disappearing back into the sand.
Just before he sank into the sand completely, the earth coughed him out again. The water had settled back to a gentle swell, he sat up looking for Laura, but there was no sign. He did not feel any alarm, just a sad knowing. He turned over and lay on his stomach, a crab crawled out of the sand hole he lived in and started to speak.
"Mike, can you hear me? Mike..."
He did not want to speak to any crabs.
He turned over to face the sun; it shone brightly in his eyes making him squint. He was not enjoying himself anymore; he just wanted to go home.
"Mike, wake up, can you hear me".
The voice got louder; the hands came back and pinched his ear. The sun got brighter. He sucked in a deep breath of salty air and opened his eyes.
"Welcome back".
Bridger looked at the face in front of him; not one he recognized. A bright surgical light was shining behind the face hiding the features.
"Mike, I'm Doctor Mortimer, you’re in the accident and emergency ward in Dunedin hospital. How are you feeling?”
Bridger felt like a truck had run him over forcing everything in his body into his head.
"I've felt better Doctor".
"You've had a knock to the head. Apparently, in the confusion you were mistaken for the bad guy.... I thought that only happened in the movies". The doctor smiled a reassuring smile.
Bridger’s first thought was Daniel to his distaste. "The bad guy, what's happened to him?"
"You mean Daniel, he came here in the same ambulance as you, not ideal, but we are running short of ambulances. It seems the police have needed quite a few tonight. Overall, though he is in a bad way, he fell from quite a height. It might be touch and go. We will know more in a little while".
Bridger's mind had revealed more of what happened. "Marion, is she alright?”
"The police officer that came in to sit with Daniel told me that you had saved that missing girl, she’s okay” the doctor looked into Bridger’s eyes with a pen light. “You've had a busy day".
"What about the other male, the one in the suit. I saw Marion stabbing at him, how's he?”
"He has a few cuts and bruises, a small puncture wound. He is going to live. We still do not know his name. He is very traumatized and a little embarrassed so he's not saying much".
Bridger tried to sit up, but the pain in his head told him to stay put.
The doctor looked at him. "I think you had better get some rest. I do not think it is too serious, but we would like to keep you over night to make sure. I would say it’s just a mild concussion despite the loss of consciousness".
The doctor looked calm and professional in his crisp white lab coat. He had an air of confidence about him and Bridger felt a little jealous. "I need to know what's happened, there are things they don't know about this case. I should be with my team".
"I'm not sure about the others Mike, but you should worry more about yourself. You do not look to be in the picture of health even without your head injury. Are you exercising regularly, getting enough sleep".
"Not now doctor, I'm not in the mood".
"Very well, but I recommend you talk to someone, things like these can be very traumatic. I know how you police officers deal with your stress normally". The doctor gave him a small knowing smile.
Bridger did not know how to respond so changed the subject. "Who's with Daniel now, doctor?”
"He called himself John something, Maine maybe, I can't remember, anyway now you’re awake I will send in a nurse to follow up on your cognitive tests. It is just procedure, nothing to worry about. You don't even have to study", he added, smiling.
Bridger tried to smile, but his uneasy mood would not let him. Why was John Maine here?
The nurse was a small Scottish girl, pretty and efficient; she had even folded Bridger's clothes and placed them at the end of the bed. He had to concentrate more than usual to answer some of the questions she asked because of the thick accent. Apparently, he had passed with excellence and had received a radiant smile in reward. As Bridger was watching her leave the room, the bulky shape of Senior Sergeant John Maine dressed in civilian clothes, replaced her shapely form.
"Good to see you awake Mike; it sounds like Ken Moore was a little over exuberant. I told the doctors not to worry though, because you had a very hard head".
Bridger did not think over exuberance was necessarily the reason for his sore head. There was no love lost between him and Ken. "What are you doing here John? I would have thought you would have been off duty".
"I heard what was going on and everyone else was tied up so I volunteered to babysit your handy work".
Bridger looked at Maine trying to read his expression. "How is Daniel?”
"He's gone Mike; he died about ten minutes ago. Mrs. Watson refused to see him; she is denying that it was her son. She is in with Marion now. It's all tears and forgiveness".
"Shit".
"It's okay Mike, you’re covered, and no one blames you for what happened. They know you would have been defending yourself".
I am a big boy John, I know what I did and why. I am comfortable with that. Are you comfortable with the way things turned out?”
"What's that supposed to mean?”
"There are three people involved in this mess other than Marion and her mother, Matthews, Gallagher, and Daniel's father. I think Gallagher has a lot to answer for". Bridger was watching Maine carefully. "Something happened all those years ago that needs to be put to rest, we have some of the story from Daniel, more from Mrs. Watson and a little from Matthews. That's more than enough to sink Gallagher for his part".
John Maine remained unmoved. His face betrayed no emotion.
Bridger continued, "I think Matthews and Gallagher knew Mrs. Watson's first husband, Daniels father. They covered for him then, and they are covering for him now. What I don't understand is why".
Maine spoke quietly, looking directly at Bridger, a neutral expression on his face but his eyes radiated a hard malevolence. "Some things are best left in the past Mike; it does no one any good to rake them up. Just remember that your copybook is not squeaky clean either. If you want to carry on doing this job then you had better lock that cupboard door to keep your own skeletons inside. Don’t go rocking the boat, the people who can keep you balanced may just fall out".
Maine got up to leave. "One more thing Mike, the fact that Daniel has the same last name as me is a coincidence, I can't tell you what to think, I don't know what you think you understand about that, but I am more than comfortable from where I stand. I have put my entire life into this job and I am bloody good at it. It's up to you to decide, but whatever you decide just remember what I said".
Bridger just lay there in silence as Senior Sergeant John Maine walked out the door. The faint odour of cigarette smoke lingering in the room.
Everybody has something on somebody, he thought. Maybe that is how humans survive.
He looked around the now empty ward. A wave of loneliness washed over him, he needed a drink. He needed to see Laura.
He closed his eyes in search of the beach.
Human Frailty, a Detective Mike Bridger novel Page 31
