The customs officer motioned to the crane operator on the quayside and the logs were unloaded one by one. As predicted, the largest were at the bottom and when the first log of the correct size was uncovered the customs officer signalled to the crane operator to stop and a sniffer dog was led in. The sniffer dog walked up and down the length of the log and stood at the end indicating he couldn’t smell cocaine. That log was lifted onto the quayside and the dog was sent on to the log below. The spaniel walked up and down the logs sniffing the wood time and time again.
“She can smell something, but she’s not sure. If this wood does contain the cocaine, the wood is a good insulator.” The customs officer said. He had that log removed and place in a second pile on the quayside and led his dog along the next log. Within seconds, the dog sat down and looked expectant wagging her tail and waiting for her pull toy. She’d done her job.
A chainsaw was used to section the log moving back from the end, cutting thirty centimetre rings. They continued to section the entire log until it lay in pieces on the deck
“Nothing, we’ll try the next one.”
Ben, his security, the customs office and dog handler had driven the half mile to the cargo ship that was beginning to off load the thousands of containers. The customs officer stopped the crane operator from taking any further containers off and left one of Ben’s security detail to ensure compliance. The dog handler began a discreet walk around the deck, to acclimatise her dog to the smells of the ship, accompanied by Ben and Scotty. The customs officer headed to the bridge to introduce himself to the Captain. Ben chatted to the dog handler as they began a lazy circle of the thousands of containers on deck. They walked up and down the narrow corridors between the rows of containers stacked four or five high.
“How sensitive is his nose?” Ben asked pointing to her springer spaniel.
“Dogs noses are ten thousand times as sensitive as my nose or yours. They can smell a huge amount that we can’t, but they’re not infallible. Hopefully I’ll get to show you how good he is.”
“Ben,” the customs officer shouted.
“They’re going to locate and unload our container now. Should take about twenty minutes. Let’s get quayside.”
While they waited Ben called Jemima to check on there progress.
“Looks like we’re a bust,” she said.
“We’ve cut into thirty trees of the right size and nothing at all. We’re leaving the customs to continue and we’re coming down to you. See you in a few minutes.”
Ben and the customs officer watched as the crane driver lifted container after container, rearranging them on deck until he lifted the container Ben had specified onto the quayside. The container had the logo of the Rio Pure water company on the side. The doors were padlocked, but bolt cutters disposed of that and Ben opened the double doors at the front of the container. The water bottles were stacked from floor to ceiling in the container, sitting on wooden pallets three high. Scotty had borrowed a forklift truck and began to unload the pallets onto the quayside for the spaniel to inspect. The dog and handler moved from pallet to pallet inspecting each one. Thirty-seven pallets, one thousand bottles, one fifth of them should contain cocaine. Seven pallets. Ben heard the throaty roar of the supercharged Range Rovers coming along the quayside. As he turned to walk over to them the dog handler said,
“Gotcha.” Her dog had sat down, wagging its tail furiously, next to a pallet of water bottles. The handler made a fuss of the dog and moved along to the next pallet while the customs officer marked the plastic strapping. As they moved down the line the dog sat down next to each pallet, tail wagging while it waited for its reward. Once the dog had identified all seven pallets and had finished checking the others the customs officer moved to test the water. He began drilling into the plastic of the water bottle lid. A small sample was taken and tested using Scott’s test and the final colour after the third step of the test was a strong indicator for cocaine. Turning to Ben, the customs officer said,
“Bingo.” Pointing at the test set up in front of him he continued,
“This is a bit rough and ready, but I’d be prepared to bet this will test out as very pure cocaine. Good information Mr Sanderson. The South American gentleman we arrested earlier will now need to answer some very awkward questions.”
***
Ernest flew as fast as he could heading towards St Saviours church. It was the only place he could think of where he could be safe from the furious Helena. Snatching a glance behind, he saw how close Helena was to him and how fast she was gaining. In the distance behind her, he could also see Juanita, but she was too far back to be able to help him. He was in trouble, a lot of trouble.
Searching for a way to avoid this angry and very dangerous demon, he saw below him St Saviour’s graveyard. It was spread over half an acre and was close enough that he could expect to beat Helena to it. Diving towards the graveyard threw Helena off her stride and she lost him and had to scan the area below her before spotting him as he reached ground level and landed. He heard Helena’s laughter before he saw her land twenty meters to his right.
“Your inexperience is your undoing. For Christianity to affect a demon, we must be encased in it. As you achieved with Charles. Here in the open amongst the graves, the Christian imagery is here, but it doesn’t surround me. So no effect.”
Ernest edged backwards towards the sanctuary of the church. He knew he wouldn’t make it before Helena realised what he was doing and attacked him. He had to stall the attack and give Juanita the time she needed to catch them. He had to keep Helena focused on him and concentrating so that she wouldn’t be aware of Juanita.
“Rookie mistake.” Ernest agreed. Then with an unexpected playfulness, he continued,
“What if I had gone under the ground, into a grave perhaps? Consecrated ground all around you that should work.”
“An interesting idea. An idea with merit, except for one thing. I’m not Charles and wouldn’t have followed you. Unless you wished to remain in the prison of your own making, you would have reappeared.”
While she had been speaking, Ernest had eased back another couple of feet towards the church and was now only twenty feet from the sidewall. He stopped moving when she stopped talking and watched as without realising what she was doing, she moved towards him, not seeing the danger.
“So enclosure is an absolute? Is it only religious enclosure that has such a negative affect or would anything else.”
Helena thought for a moment and the replied,
“Goodness. I cannot abide goodness. Why would you be nice? What can one hope to achieve by niceness, ugh horrible word? Domination, control, master, slave. These are relationships that give back. Fear is a wonderful emotion to evoke.“
Helena looked wistful and then continued,
“Respect of others, goodness and consideration. The trinity that is turning this world into a place where true evil cannot flourish.”
As she had been talking, Ernest had eased backward until he was only a few feet from the wall of St Saviours.
“I know what you’re doing,” she said. Shaking her head as one would in exasperation with a trying child, she continued,
“The edging towards the church, the hop inside and poor silly Helena will follow you and be trapped. Nothing and I repeat, nothing could make me enter that vile building.”
Helena’s next thought was cut off by a high-speed blur that picked her up and pushed her through the walls of the church and onto the altar. The blur slowed down as it leaped back through the wall and landed in front of Ernest.
“Hi Juanita,” he said, smiling at her.
“I was beginning to think you weren’t coming.”
Juanita feigned shock,
“I was waiting for you to position her close enough to the wall that I could do a fast takedown.” She indicated the church.
“Job done. At least for the moment. He won’t allow two good demons to languish here for long, but their time on earth for the moment is over. Shall w
e say goodbye?”
Ernest thought before saying,
“No, I think not. I’m sure we’ll meet her again.”
Epilogue
Ernest, Jonas and Juanita were back in the facsimile of Ernest’s bedroom. Ernest was relaxing. If he’d still been alive, a day like today would have left him exhausted and drained. Now as a spirit, he felt fresh and alive.
“So, it’s over. Helena and Charles dealt with, albeit temporarily. Enough cocaine uncovered to deal a serious blow to the Cartel’s credibility and my family back together. Job done.”
Juanita smiled and looked at Jonas.
“How have you found limbo, Jonas?” she asked.
“Exhausting and terrifying on one level, but being able to connect and talk to living humans was amazing.” He thought for a brief moment and then looking awkward asked,
“Could I visit Penny? I know she won’t know I’m there but I’d like to see her before I go back.” Juanita nodded,
“Why not you’ve earned that and more.” Clicking her fingers Jonas, Ernest and Juanita were transported to Penny’s study in a fraction of a second. Penny, was sitting at her antique leather topped desk reviewing term papers for her second year undergraduate students. Jonas gasped when he saw her.
“She’s not changed, still beautiful and elegant. I miss her so much.” Turning to Juanita he said,
“I know I shouldn’t ask and I’m sure you can’t tell me, but do you know when…”
“Yes, but you know I can’t tell you. All I can say is that in heaven, a year is but a heartbeat. Penny will see you again before that heart beats many more times.” Jonas smiled with thanks.
Jonas returned to heaven and Juanita and Ernest returned to his room in limbo. Juanita wasn’t sure how to broach the subject. Her usual jobs were quick, mundane and they left no impression on her. Ernest was different. They had been through so much more than the usual. He had learned far faster than the typical limboista and, as a result, he had powers, real powers. She would miss him. He could have been good.
“We need to arrange your forward movement up top to be with Jess.” She said,
“Time for relaxation and family.”
“I’ll miss the boys. I expect once you are in heaven, occasional trips back for a chat and a metaphorical cup of tea are out of the question?”
Juanita watched him and then nodded,
“Limbo is the halfway house with access to earth. Heaven is for when you no longer need to go to earth, when all of your outstanding business is dealt with.”
Ernest looked a little crestfallen and then brightened up and said,
“We’d better go and see William and Ben.”
***
Ben had closed the shop early, ordered in wine, whiskey and for Jemima some good champagne and they had settled down to relax. Chinese food was delivered and they sat and talked through the preceding weeks.
William had set a heavy cream envelope in front of him and sat staring at it for a long while, not saying a word or joining in the conversation and banter. Annabel came over a sat down next to him on the overstuffed Chesterfield sofa.
“Penny for them,” she said with a smile. William pointed at the envelope and said,
“That has just been delivered by messenger.” The envelope had on the front; ‘William Bacchus - Strictly Private and Confidential.’
“Are you going to open it?” William picked it up, holding it between thumb and forefinger.
“The last time I saw and envelope like this, it contained my bequest from Ernest.” Picking up a serrated knife from the table, he inserted it under the flap and cut open the envelope. Taking out two sheets of a thick handmade paper, he scanned the letter and then handed it to Annabel to read. After a moment she looked at him in astonishment and said,
“Wow. Really?” he nodded. Standing up he clapped his hands and Ben and Jemima stopped talking and looked at him.
“Ben would you be kind enough to refill everyone’s glasses, please. Annabel and I will have whisky. Jemima, Cristal?” Jemima smiled and dipped her head in acceptance.
“And Ben, what is your chosen drink for this evening?”
“I’ll join you in a whiskey. I got us a bottle of something a little special to celebrate. The twelve-year-old third release Lagavulin. Reputed to be one of their very finest whisky’s.”
He opened the bottle and poured three generous measures into cut crystal whiskey glasses. Opening the chilled Cristal he poured it into a delicate flute and handed it to Jemima. He handed a crystal tumbler to William and Annabel and picked up his own glass and inhaled. ”Wow,“ he said and took a tentative sip.
“That tastes a lot nicer than it smells. William the floor is yours.”
William stood in front of them beaming and sipping the extraordinary whisky and then began.
“In the past few months I have gained so much. A brother, a wonderful partner,” he reached across and squeezed Annabel’s hand.
“True friends in Jemima and Tiny, who I will talk to tomorrow. We have shared an adventure that most people couldn’t even dream of. Fantasies, science fiction, make believe. For us, it was real and some of us bear the scars to prove it. Our father was a man I have only known since he died, but one I am proud to have known. He brought Ben and I together and opened my eyes to what is possible, both in this world and beyond. He had a finely honed sense of what was right and wrong and lived by that. Please can we raise a glass to Ernest Sanderson.” William looked across at Ben and added,
“Dad.”
William held up the cream envelope and continued,
“This letter is confirmation that we have completed the tasks that he set us and his estate has been released to us. Ben, Ernest, our father left you half of his estate and asked me to administer it for you until I was sure you were ready for the responsibility. You are. You have proven to all of us that you are a man of qualities the rest of us could only hope to emulate and now you have a friend who can guide you in how to manage your new found wealth.”
Ben looked William in astonishment,
“Wealth? What wealth? Dad was a business man not a plutocrat.”
William handed Ben a cheque and said,
“Here’s a cheque for twenty-five million pounds. There are a few other bits to sort out, but that’s the bulk of it.”
The look of astonishment on Ben’s face made them all laugh and Jemima said to him,
“Looks like dinners on you”
“I think you’re going to need some time to get used to everything, so I propose that you promote Debbie to manager of the shop and have a holiday with Jemima. A long holiday.”
Ben looked at Jemima and said,
“What do you think?” She nodded with a huge smile on her face.
William turned to Annabel and said,
“Fancy a break? Wooster is now the proud owner of a pet passport and fancies seeing some of Europe in a luxurious manner.”
Annabel smiled and said,
“Us working girls have to get permission from our employers for long foreign holidays with our sugar daddies. I need to speak with whoever my new bishop is.”
William waved a hand in a grand manner and said,
“I know he’ll be fine. Shall we leave tomorrow?”
Annabel looked at William and said firmly,
“I need to check. I’ll call him or her tomorrow.”
William laughed out loud and patted her arm so she didn’t think he was mocking her.
“I said it’s fine and as I’ve just been appointed as the new Bishop of Sherborne, ordination in due course, my word is law.”
Annabel’s ecstatic hug and Ben and Jemima’s whoops of joy caused William to blush far more than he had in years.
“Congratulations. A bishop in the family, Juanita might be able to arrange a hotline to the boss.” Ernest said.
“Dad, where have you been? Hi Juanita.”
“Hi Ben, William, Annabel and Jemima we thought we’d come and see you as E
rnest has something he wants to share with you. Ernest?”
Ernest floated looking unsure what to say. His face cleared and he began.
“Ben you know how I missed your mother when she died don’t you?”
“Yes, you were devastated.”
“She’s in heaven and now my unfinished business is completed I could go to her, now. If I did that I wouldn’t be able to come back, to see you all or look after you. With Felicity carrying Satan’s child, I don’t feel that everything I have to do is complete. So I’ve come to an arrangement with Juanita and the boss. Juanita is going to go and see Jess for me and explain I’ll be with her soon, but I have a few loose ends to tie up. Once the Felicity, Satan problem is dealt with I’ll join Jess.”
Ben looked pleased and unsure simultaneously.
“Dad, it could take years for that to be sorted out”
Juanita looked at Ernest and she answered for him.
“Up there, time is as fast or as slow as you want it to be, Jess will barely know he’s late.”
The End
Bacchus and Sanderson (Deceased) Page 38
