by S G Read
‘I wonder if she knows.’ Carter asked.
‘If she hasn’t figured it out by now she’s slower than I thought she was!’ Pruitt replied.
‘She’ll be slower still if Baptiste catches up with her!’ Carter added. ‘Where do we look lieutenant?’
Lieutenant Stone shrugged his shoulders.
‘Just hope for another lead from the public but this time look twice at all calls which come in, however trivial.’
Cally and Drummond cut through alleys to keep out of sight of the Dolphin, knowing that if they were seen, Clo’s men would come after them. Further up the river, out of sight of the Dolphin, they crossed the river using a foot bridge and walked into a cemetery.
‘This place gives me the creeps!’ Cally moaned. ‘Did we have to cut through here?’
‘We’re not just cutting through here. Do you see the old church with the bell tower?’ Drummond replied.
‘I’d hardly call it a church, it’s a wreck!’
‘It’s been like that since I used to play here when I was young.’
‘I’d hardly call you old now.’ Cally declared.
‘I used to hide from the local gang in the bell tower and duck out the back if they came in the front.’
They walked up to the old church. The main part was a ruin, a burnt out shell left to fall to pieces but the bell tower was separate from the rest. A square building built to house two bells and it was twenty feet high. The rest of the church had been built on the side later. The bell tower had a front door which led only to a flight of stairs; the middle section was solid with no way of getting into it. Without hesitation Drummond started up the stairs.
‘I may be a girl but it’s obvious there’s no way out apart from this door. If we go up there we’ll be trapped, if someone does come in the front!’ Cally declared, refusing point blank to go in.
‘We can see if someone comes and there is a back door which I told you about just now and we can use that to escape if someone does come. Remember I used to go out the back door when I played here?’
‘Where is it then?’
‘I’ll show you when we get to the top.’
‘I think I’m going to regret this!’ Cally said nervously and started to follow Drummond.
The stairs went round and round the side of the building but they had seen better days. In places the stairs were all but gone and they had to edge by on what was left of them. Several lumps of concrete fell as they climbed. It happened each time Cally trod on a step and twice Drummond grabbed her to make sure she did not fall.
‘Do we have to go back down the stairs to reach this back door?’ Cally asked after the second time.
‘No we don’t but- oh you’ll find out when we get there.’
‘Find out what?’
Drummond continued to climb but Cally stopped.
‘Find out what?’ She repeated.
‘It’s nothing!’
Cally did not move.
‘Tell me!’ She ordered.
‘We have to climb down the bell ropes to get out the back way, is all.’
‘Is that all,’ Cally cried, for once happy, ‘I love climbing ropes.’
She caught Drummond up as he was trying to open the hatch at the top. She helped and it opened with a creak. They climbed up and looked through one of the openings across the cemetery.
‘Nice view.’ Cally said and made herself comfortable.
‘We can see the footbridge from the other side and if anyone comes we go down as they come up and they can’t see us!’
‘Let’s hope it’s not that Baptiste, he looks nasty.’ Cally said giving an involuntary shiver.
‘He doesn’t know, that I know what he looks like. Caleb recognized him by his smell one day and told me about him. I took a good look at him so that I could remember him.’
‘I think he might have figured that out that you recognised him by now, Drummond. When you saw him you froze to the spot remember and you don’t do that to a perfect stranger. It was a sort of, here I am come and cut my throat move!’
‘Oh God; If he knows I know what he looks like, I am dead anyway.’ Drummond groaned.
‘Not if we kill him first!’
‘I won’t hold my breath on that one.’ Drummond cried.
‘No, well help yourself next time and don’t freeze up like that, or you are likely to get me killed as well!’
‘How do you figure that?’
‘Because I like you and I will try to come to your rescue, silly!’ Cally stood up and walked over to the bells.
‘How did they used to ring the bells then if there’s no door?’
‘They must have come in the way I go out, I suppose.’ Drummond answered. ‘I don’t really know I wasn’t about when the church was being used.’
‘Are you sure these ropes will hold our weight?’
‘Yes, I used to go up and down them all the time.’ Drummond assured her.
‘How long ago was that?’
‘Three maybe four years ago!’
‘That’s what I thought. Let’s hope no one comes and we can go back out the front, it’s a long way to fall. What is that stuff below?’
‘Apart from the rubbish and leaves there is a stone sarcophagus, a thing with a body in it.’
‘I know what a sarcophagus is, I do go to school. Surely they had to stand on it to be able to pull the bell ropes?’
‘It looks like it from here, but we’ll know more when we go down there.’
‘If we do have to go down there!’ Cally added.
CHAPTER 14
Marcia Cole was working in her garden when she saw the two boys go into the cemetery. She had seen children playing in there before and tried to discourage them from playing there. She had told others to move on but she had had no success in dissuading them from going into the tower. She saw them walk to the old burnt out church and one of the boys walk in. One boy seemed to refuse to go in and she willed him to stick to his guns but he eventually followed the other boy in. Marcia knew it was dangerous in there, as one of the local children had been injured in there lately. She worked on for a few minutes. When they failed to come back out she went indoors to put on her going out coat and walked off to her local store to use the phone.
‘Why hello Marcia,’ the storekeeper greeted, ‘it’s a bit late in the day to see you out and about.’
‘Need to use the phone Abe.’
‘Well you sure as hell know where it is!’ The storekeeper declared.
‘There’s no need to blaspheme.’ Marcia retorted but added with a smile. ‘Why, you’ll be wanting me to pay to use it, before long!’
‘That’ll be the day Marcia; that’ll be the day.’
Marcia walked over to the phone, picked up the mouth piece and wound the handle.
‘Operator,’ a voice said immediately, ‘what number do you want?’
‘The police Abigail, who else would I want to speak to?’ Marcia replied.
‘Hello Marcia, you are out late today.’ The operator declared.
‘So I have been told.’ Marcia retorted.
‘I am putting you through now.’
Marcia waited until a voice answered.
‘My name is Marcia Cole.’
‘Hi Marcia, this is Frank Grogan. What can I do for you today?’
‘I’ve seen some children go into the old church to play; you know how dangerous it is in there! Can you send a man along to turf them out of it?’
‘I will, just for you Marcia. Bye.’
Marcia put the mouthpiece back in the cradle and smiled then walked back to her little garden.
It took a while for Baptiste to pick up Cally’s trail, because of their speed, she had not been pulling of leaves and Drummond had not been chewing grass. When they slowed down their little mannerisms surfaced again. He had tracked, back tracked and circled until he found two leaves lying on the ground. The main thing he noticed was that the leaves were of a different type than the hedge they w
ere under. They had been pulled off and whoever had done it had carried them along for a while before discarding them.
He knew now that they had gone up or down this alley, the next thing was to find out which way it was. He checked both ways for the bush the leaves came from, when he found it, not the exact bush just the same type of leaf, he knew he was going the wrong way and started back after the two fleeing children.
Barney drove with Luke to Wilmington and drove around the area next to the retirement home, such as it was.
‘That one looks okay!’ Luke declared.
He pointed to the house nearest the home, it was opposite the retirement home and looked the ideal place to watch it from.
‘I’m choosing! Okay?’ Barney replied irritably.
‘Well don’t take to long, I need the rest room.’ Luke retorted.
He was annoyed that Barney had rejected his choice out of hand.
‘That one is better placed.’ Barney replied.
The house was not better placed, it stood to the left of the house Luke had chosen and faced across the side of the retirement home. Barney was not actually looking at the house, when he spoke but at the small dresses, hanging on the washing line.
‘And about time too,’ Luke declared, ‘how are we going to do it?’
‘You wanted to go in there and cut them up didn’t you?’ Barney accused.
‘I don’t mind leaving you one alive, as long as you keep her quiet!’ Luke answered. ‘Live and let live I say.’
‘She will be as quiet as a little lamb; the only noise you’ll hear will be the bed squeaking.’ Barney replied.
‘You make me sick!’
‘I guarantee I’ll make her sicker.’ Barney answered with a smile. ‘You call at the front door and kill anyone who’s over twenty but without alarming anyone, I don’t do running. I’ll go round the back and make sure no one gets out that way, especially any little ones.’
Barney parked the car and watched as Luke knocked the front door, then he walked round the back to cover any rear exits. Luke waited and an old man opened the door.
‘Yes? Can I help? If you’re a salesman we can’t afford anything.’ The man announced.
‘You can help me and tell me if this is sharp.’ Luke replied, slipped the razor sharp stiletto in under the man’s ribcage and turned it upwards. He took the man’s weight as he collapsed and pulled him through the door.
‘Who is it Carl?’ A woman called.
Luke traced the voice to a woman who was washing clothes in a back room.
‘Just your local killer and his perverted accomplice.’ Luke said as he slipped the knife into her back.
The woman made a moaning sound and crumpled to the floor. Luke looked around, they were the only two in the house. He smiled. He had seen Barney looking at the washing hanging outside for girl’s dresses to see how many lived there but instead he had chosen the local washerwoman. The dresses were the only thing there to suggest children and the couple were too old to be the parents of young children. Barney came in through the back.
‘No one came out.’ He said looking about.
‘No I killed them both!’ Luke said trying to contain his pleasure.
He knew Barney had made, what was for him, a big mistake.
‘Where are the rest?’
‘This is it, a washerwoman and her husband.’
Barney kicked the wash tub over.
‘You did check to see if they had a phone?’ Luke asked.
‘They got a phone all right! I’ll find it.’
Sergeant Grogan took the note from Marcia and filed it in the same bin he usually did. The usual way he did it was to get an officer to call and see her but something made him pick the note back up. It was getting late and the two they were after would need to lie low somewhere. Marcia had not specified how many children there were. He knocked the lieutenant’s door.
‘Come.’ Lieutenant Stone called.
‘You wanted anything unusual lieutenant. Got a call from Marcia Cole over Joliet way, reckons she saw some kids going into the old burnt out church. Do I send someone to look?’
The lieutenant looked at his watch.
‘They could be looking for somewhere to sleep the night. Go down there yourself and find out how many she saw. If it was two and they haven’t come out yet, call me and I’ll bring back up. Baptiste may be around!’
‘I’ll take Carter with me, Marcia isn’t on the phone!’
Grogan walked out and found Carter about to eat.
‘Keep it warm for him Daisy.’ He called to the girl serving. ‘He’s busy at the moment.’
‘Don’t I even get to eat sarge?’ Carter moaned.
‘You can eat when we get back.’
‘Yes sarge.’ Carter stood up, resigned to eating his meal later.
They drove as near to Marcia’s little cottage as they could get and had to walk the rest.
‘I’m sorry to have bothered you but it’s probably all right now, I think one of their father’s has come looking for them. He followed them across. He seemed to be sniffing the air as if he could smell them.’ Marcia greeted. ‘You will have coffee?’
‘Yes mam.’ Carter replied, at least he could have some hot coffee.
‘How many kids did you see go in there?’
‘Two,’ Marcia replied, ‘two boys.’
Carter led Grogan to one side.
‘It can’t be Baptiste or she’d have another mouth to talk with!’ He whispered.
‘Did you talk to the man?’ Grogan asked.
‘No I didn’t like the looks of him. It’s the first time I refused to answer the door to anyone but I’m not ashamed of it!’
‘Don’t be, it saved your life. Carter you go and keep an eye on things while I call in!’
Carter put the coffee cup down and tipped his cap to Marcia.
‘Keep it warm, I’ll be back mam.’
Cally sat looking out of the tower; outside in the cemetery the light was starting to fail.
‘I’m hungry.’ She complained.
‘If we spend the money on food then there won’t be enough to get you out of Chicago even.’ Drummond replied.
‘I know but I’m still hungry.’ Cally complained.
‘So am I. We’ll try to get some food on the way to the bus station tomorrow.’ Drummond offered.
Cally groaned.
‘But tomorrow’s a long way off!’
‘Don’t be a baby.’
‘I’m not-’ she stopped speaking and her lower jaw dropped.
Drummond looked in the direction she was looking and saw Baptiste on the bridge. They watched as he looked around before walking toward the church.
‘I hope that back door of yours works,’ Cally declared, quickly regaining her composure, ‘don’t he ever give up?’
‘It doesn’t look like it.’ Drummond said tiredly.
Lieutenant Stone phoned his wife.
‘Is Michael there?’ He asked.
‘Yes Pat, I’ll get him.’
He waited until his son answered.
‘Do you remember that paper you did on that old church, the one near Joliet?’
‘Do I? It got me an A and ten dollars, which I haven’t seen yet, from a father I don’t see very often.’
‘I haven’t forgotten it; think of all the interest it is earning. Did you say the bell tower was medieval or something?’
‘Yes. It’s separate from the new church they built on, the one that burnt down and the tower still has the priest’s bolt hole.’
‘Where does that go?’
‘I’ll have to look. I still have the plans, I’ll call you back.’
Stone waited for the phone to ring. When it did it was Grogan.
‘She saw two boys go in and a man’s just followed them in! And she said I mean followed! It’s like he was smelling the air for them!’
‘I’m on my way, with help. From what I hear about him it would be better to shoot him than to try to take him
on! Savvy.’
‘Got it lieutenant, Carter’s watching the tower.’
Without waiting for Michael to call back, he ran to his car taking four officers with him. They piled into it and hurried to the scene.
Drummond watched until Baptiste entered the tower.
‘We got to go now!’ He whispered.
‘Is it safe?’
‘It is safer than meeting him,’ Drummond answered, ‘especially for me!’
‘Won’t the bells ring or something?’
‘No we took the things out that make the noise ages ago. Come on I’ll go first you follow.’
Drummond slid over the side and started to climb down one bell rope, as fast as he could. Cally hesitated at the top then started down after him, on the other rope, but not as fast. Drummond reached three quarters of the way down and Cally was half way down when the rope she was climbing down broke. She gave a shrill scream and plummeted toward the stone Sarcophagus. Drummond looked up in time to see her flash past. Instinctively he grabbed her shirt, with his left hand, he broke her fall and for a moment they started swinging sideways. The pain in Drummond’s left arm was unbearable but he kept hold. Then his rope broke and they fell the rest of the way and landed heavily in a tangled heap. As they lay there, they heard the trapdoor crash open as Baptiste reached the top. He looked over the edge.
‘Hello there we meet again.’ He called down.
‘There’s a stone slab we can slide across and climb down.’ Drummond hissed, trying to ignore his injured arm. ‘Let’s get out of here!’
They struggled with the heavy slab but it was not easy to move it as Drummond could no longer use the arm he used to catch Cally. Cally struggled but without success.
‘Wait for me.’ Baptiste called down but he could see the broken ends of the ropes and they were the only way down.
Drummond used his feet to push at the stone slab, with his back firmly pressed against the wall. He winced at the pain in his arm but between them, they slid the slab across enough for them to get through. Then they were in the tunnel below and hurrying away. Not wanting to run but they had to get away from Baptiste. Drummond held his injured arm to his body with his other arm and ran, although the pain was almost unbearable. The escape tunnel ended in a ditch and without thinking, they turned and started running to their left. Turning left led them back to the river. They soon found out their mistake, as they had to stop or fall in the water.
