Red Hot

by Cheryl Alldis

  YOUTH IN ARSON CASE SUFFERED FIRE LOSS!

  Albury Court was told yesterday that a youth charged with arson had also lost property in the fires in the Hamilton Valley area…

  The report went on to describe the charges against Eric, and the evidence that Des had given yesterday. Sam folded the newspaper and leaned back in his chair, thinking.

  ‘Well Des, at least we’ve established that it wasn’t Eric in the tank shed last Christmas Eve. That bloody priest can’t see past the end of his nose, let alone see someone all the way down here from up at the seminary. He couldn’t even identify between you and Eric. You have dark hair and Eric’s fair. Just goes to show.’

  ‘Yeah, but that bitch Gelding reckons she surprised him near the haystack before it went up,’ Des retorted angrily.

  ‘She’s just a stupid and vindictive woman. She thrives on bloody gossip and drama. ‘Why would she just be standin’ there doin’ nothin’.? That surprised me too. She wouldn’t know what bloody day it was. I reckon everyone’ll see through her!’

  Connie placed a large helping of scrambled eggs in front of each of them.

  ‘Now eat up while I go and get ready. You all should have something in your stomachs to help get you through the day.’ She untied her apron and walked towards the bedroom to get dressed for another long day in court.

  ***

  The sun had risen brightly over the valley. It had been a crisp frost this morning, coating everything in sparkling crystals of ice.

  A willie wagtail twitched its long tail as it stood on a fence post, singing Sweet Pretty Creature.

  ‘Sweet pretty creature… Sweet pretty bitch…’ he snarled and spat viciously on the ground. ‘They’ll all be there again today.’ He reached in his breast pocket for the photo of the sweet pretty creature. ‘The time’ll come soon, me lovely,’ he gloated as he stared at the photo through glazed eyes, fondling his crotch with his free hand.

  Suddenly, he jerked his hand away. ‘Enough!’ he cried out. ‘Ya evil bitch, I won’t let you make me do these disgustin’ things!’

  He shoved the photo back into his pocket and strode angrily up the dirt track.

  A willie-willie stirred the fallen leaves in the air and created a cloud of dust as he strode on.

  The willie wagtail flew away.

  ***

  The Albury Court House was filling up once again. The supporters and the nosey filed in and took their seats.

  Karl helped Emmie to her seat. Stress was etched in the old lady’s face. Digger, Win and Ellie came in after them. Francis had to attend work and Eric understood that. Dawn and Jeff were sitting at the very front of the courtroom.

  The hearing and sheer worry had aged Dawn considerably. Jeff was very solemn; he hadn’t said much at all these last three days. Eileen, her hands clasped tightly in her lap, sat beside them, her usual flippancy overtaken by a mood of solemnity.

  Eric, his forehead creased by a frown, was in front of his mother with his barrister. Throughout the entire hearing he had kept himself composed, he had cooperated fully, but there was no hiding the strain showing on his face, nor the incredible hurt that showed in his sad eyes.

  Arthur and Daisy stood outside the courthouse. Arthur kept checking the time on his watch.

  ‘Five to ten. Where the blazes is Robert?’ He shaded his eyes against the sun with his hand. He looked along Dean Street but Robert was nowhere in sight.

  ‘We should go in now, Arthur. Robert must be held up somewhere.’

  Daisy placed her hand on Arthur’s sleeve. Her tailored navy and white woollen suit, complimented by a small white hat, looked elegant. Like all the other women, Daisy knew the importance of portraying a good image.

  ‘I suppose we’ll have to. Robert is so damn unreliable, ya’d think he could make an effort for somethin’ as serious as this!’ Arthur stepped back for Daisy to enter the court room.

  ‘All rise!’ the clerk called in his crisp voice.

  ***

  Kathy and Tammi had not gone to the hearing. They were both very fond of their cousin, and the whole affair had upset them greatly. Kathy had taken the week off work, not the usual procedure for a new employee, but she was lucky her employer knew Eric and the family well. She fully understood Kathy being upset.

  ‘Well, Tam, it’s ten o’clock. The court will be in session by now,’ Kathy said, looking at the clock on the wall.

  ‘Mmm, I wonder what today will bring. I wish it was all over.’ Tammi sat down at the other end of the kitchen table.

  Hazel was outside at the washing line. Ted was down at the shed working on the tractor, giving it a long overdue oil change and grease. The old couple had gone to the court the day before and Emmie had advised them to stay home today. They’d been very upset the previous day at everything that was said against Eric. They couldn’t believe the accusations coming from locals they knew. It was beyond belief.

  ‘Well, he’s not guilty! Even if this drags on for weeks, they can’t send him to gaol. He’s innocent!’ Tammi’s face screwed up in anger.

  ‘What a liar that priest is! He’s known Eric for nine years and now he seems hell bent on seeing him sent to gaol. I can’t understand it,’ Kathy added.

  ‘I wouldn’t be surprised if the priest lit the fires. He always turns up after everyone else. He seems to just appear out of nowhere,’ said Tammi.

  ‘I’ve heard a few people say the same thing, Tam. I wonder if it could be him…’

  ***

  The hearing was in progress. It was a carry-over from the previous day’s questions. Ivy Gelding was on the stand going over her evidence once again. Mr Kurl asked her to repeat her testimony. She stated again that about ten minutes before she saw Eric on her property, her dog started barking. It was about five o’clock and she didn’t take any notice at first.

  But the dog continued barking and it was getting more excited. She said she looked out her kitchen window and she saw the dog reefing on its chain, pulling towards the haystack. It was then that she walked outside and ran into Eric coming around the haystack.

  ‘He looked at me in surprise and said ‘fire!’ then he ran for help,’ she continued. Ivy went on to tell that it wasn’t until he’d gone that she saw the smoke coming from the haystack and phoned the brigade. A neighbour came back with Eric and they managed to control the fire.

  Ivy left the witness stand and another witness was sworn in. Mr George Hartog, a respected farmer in the valley, said again how he had seen Eric coming down the track from the direction of the fire.

  Eric had told him how he had run from his mother’s house when he heard the dog barking and noticed smoke. He told Mr Kurl that Eric had an unblemished character in the community.

  Next to be sworn in was Frank Smith. He testified that he had thoroughly searched the area and found what appeared to be a partly burned mosquito coil at the bottom of a post, not far from the haystack. Also, he found an ash-like substance in a shallow hole near the coil. These were handed to the police, who had asked him to keep the find quiet for the time being. He also said the grass was burnt between the haystack and the post. He stated that, in his expert opinion, the fire had been set hours before it ignited. He gave an outstanding character reference for Eric. He told the court that in his opinion Eric Mason was falsely accused.

  Nat Willis was next to the stand. He also gave an outstanding character reference. He vouched for Eric’s good reputation, saying he had known the bloke since he was a baby. In his opinion there was no way in hell that Eric was the arsonist and they were wasting valuable time with this court case. They needed to be out catching the real criminal.

  Eric was next up to the witness stand to tell how he had noticed the fire. He told his story of how the dog barking had attracted his attention and how, when he arrived, he thought no one was home because no one had reacted to his shouted calls that there was a fire, and the fact the dog was barking profusely and still no one appeared. He told how when he did see Ivy, she was standin
g, leaning on the gate. He was also baffled by the fact that she wasn’t doing anything to help contain the fire except to say she had already called the brigade when he suggested she do so. This proved she had seen the fire before Eric arrived!

  Robert slipped quietly into the courtroom and sat at the back beside a couple of reporters. He’d been out the front having a sly cigarette. Arthur and Daisy had no idea he smoked; he was chewing on some PK gum, hoping to mask the smell.

  The hearing continued. Emmie dabbed at her face with a lace handkerchief.

  ‘Are you okay, Mum?’ Win whispered.

  She gave a slight nod. She was saying a quiet prayer for Eric. Emmie asked for the truth to prevail. She loved the young man as if he were her own son and she asked God to let the court realise his innocence.

  ‘We could slip out for a few minutes, if you like?’ Win whispered again.

  ‘No, love.’ Emmie shook her head. ‘I’m okay.’

  The voices of the barrister and Eric droned on.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  ‘Kath, come for a walk down to the shop with me. I need some shampoo.’ Tammi poked her head around the door.

  ‘Good idea, let’s go. I can’t stand just waiting around.’ Kathy pulled herself from the cane chair and called to Hazel to let her know where they were going. They set off down the driveway. As they approached the drive, a tingle ran down Kathy’s spine. She shivered.

  ‘What’s up, Kath?’

  ‘Oh, probably nothing… Just that feeling you get when someone walks over your grave.’ She’d had that familiar feeling of late, the sense that they were still being watched. Everything was still; even the birds had stopped chirping.

  ‘It’s really quiet, Kath.’ Tammi had the same uneasy feeling.

  ‘Come on, let’s get out on to the road. At least we won’t be closed in by trees out there.’

  They quickly walked the last few yards down the driveway to Centaur Road.

  ‘Tam, I still have this uneasy feeling. I can’t explain it, things just aren’t right.’ Kathy looked over her shoulder, expecting to see someone behind them. She felt extremely edgy.

  ‘Stop it, Kath, you’re making me frightened,’ Tammi scolded.

  They reached the top of the small rise just before the bridge that crossed over the dry creek when Tammi let out a cry of dismay.

  ‘Kath… look… Look over there towards Frank Smith’s place… Kathy, its smoke and heaps of it!’

  Tammi was pointing to where Frank Smith lived. He had a property a short distance off Centaur Road, secluded by tall gum trees and shaded by two enormous Castlewellan Gold pines. He didn’t have a large property but he had built a very nice country ranch-style home, as well as two sheds further back from the house and another larger shed to garage the fire truck and his car.

  He stored a small quantity of hay in one of the back sheds which was closer to his home than any of the others. It was this shed that the smoke was billowing from.

  ‘Oh shit! Tam… There’s a damn fire! Quick! We’ve gotta get help.’ Kathy looked around. Who could they call on? Practically everyone had gone into Albury for the hearing.

  ‘Maybe old Jack Pearce’ll be home,’ Tammi suggested in a panicky voice.

  ‘Yes, he should be. He wouldn’t have gone to court. C’mon hurry!’ Kathy grabbed Tammi by the hand and pulled her in the direction where Jack Pearce lived in his caravan. They ran as fast as they could, calling his name. ‘Mr Pearce! Mr Pearce! Help… Frank Smith’s shed’s on fire!’

  Jack Pearce came stumbling through the door of his caravan. He had been asleep and the shouting startled him so much so that he had forgotten to pull on trousers.

  He stood there, looking bewildered in a long singlet that hung like a potato sack almost to his knees. The old bloke presented a humorous sight but the girls were far too upset to notice his attire or lack thereof.

  ‘Strike me pink, girlies! What’s the trouble? Tha devil himself after you’se or somethin’?

  ‘No, no! It’s Frank Smith’s place! There’s a fire there. No one’s home – they’re at court! The fire, it’s close to the house. We have to hurry!’ Kathy yelled urgently.

  For a split second, he didn’t seem to comprehend what she was saying but then it hit him. ‘Holy shit… Over there, missy,’ he shouted to Tammi. ‘Grab that bike and get to a phone box and ring the Albury Brigade.’ His brain had clicked into gear and he could see the urgency of the matter clearly now.

  He looked at Kathy. ‘Ever ridden a horse?’

  ‘Yeah, a few times. I’m not much of a rider, why?’ she replied uncertainly, thinking that was a strange question to be asking right now.

  ‘Stay here, I’ll be back in a flash.’ Jack took off around the corner of the shed near his van, running like the devil was after him.

  He was as good as his word and back in no time. ‘C’mon girly… Up ‘ere with me…’

  Kathy swung around to see Jack perched on the back of his big chestnut horse.

  ‘We’ve gotta get over there and stop that fire spreadin’ an’ I don’t have a car.’

  Kathy looked at Jack sitting on his horse still in his singlet with his hand outstretched. She almost laughed!

  She let him hoist her up on to his horse.

  ‘Hold on now,’ he said over his shoulder. He nudged the horse and took off, quickly breaking into a gallop. Kathy held on tight; she had never ridden at full gallop before.

  As they got closer to Frank’s, they could see the flames licking up through the roof of the shed. The smoke had become thick and black.

  Jack leapt from the horse then quickly helped Kathy down. He then grabbed a hose that was connected to a nearby tap.

  ‘Here, get this goin’. I’ll go get the fire truck out here. Hope he left the keys in the bloody thing.’

  Kathy aimed the hose at the flames. The water pressure wasn’t very strong but she kept at it.

  ‘Wet the other shed down too. If a spark gets in there, it’ll go up as well!’ Jack yelled at her from the window of the fire truck. He had to hot wire it to get it going; Frank hadn’t left the keys. Now he drove around behind the burning shed and started the water pump in motion.

  Tammi returned, puffed after riding so fast. Quickly, she found another hose and set about wetting down the walls of the shed as Kathy hosed the roof.

  Eventually, the Albury Fire Brigade arrived but the three of them had controlled the fire themselves.

  The firemen were full of praise for their quick action.

  ‘This would have turned into a major disaster if you girls hadn’t been so quick to act.’

  Then they turned to Jack. ‘Your quick thinking is also to be commended, Mr Pearce.’ They looked slowly down to his blackened knees and back up again.

  ‘Your attire could be commended as well!’ They doubled over in gales of laughter.

  Kathy and Tammi looked at Jack, then at each other and they too burst into laughter until tears streamed down their cheeks.

  Jack realised too late, much too late, that he was still in his long singlet. He looked at them laughing, glanced down at himself and joined in with a loud guffaw!

  Jack was a trifle embarrassed but made light of the situation.

  ‘Well, thank heavens it’s a long singlet, eh!’ he chuckled.

  Thankful to have contained the fire, the firemen began packing up. Jack climbed back into Frank’s truck and parked it away from the doused fire. Tammi bent to pick up the bike from where she’d dropped it. Kathy was left holding the horse.

  ‘Well, Tam, how did this one start?’

  ‘Yeah, that’s right, Eric’s in court. He can’t be in two places at once, now can he?’

  Jack came back to stand beside the girls and the firemen climbed back into their truck.

  ‘See you chaps then, and thanks.’ Jack saluted them as the big engine began to slowly trundle its way back down the dirt driveway. Suddenly, it came to a halt. Blasting the horn, the firemen began to reverse.
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br />   ‘What’s up?’ Jack shouted.

  ‘Another bloody fire, over there…’ a Fireman yelled out the window.

  Looking in the direction the man was pointing, Jack and the girls were able to see flames leaping from Bill Angus’ property. Bill was Frank’s neighbour from about three blocks away. It looked as though his huge shed was well alight! Jack jumped on the horse and the girls hopped in the back of the fire brigade’s truck.

  When they arrived at Bill’s place, the grader parked near the shed was also on fire.

  ‘Shit! What’s goin’ on around this place? These fires had to have been started deliberately. There’s no question about it. Someone’s done it!’ the fire chief bellowed as he unwound the hose once again.

  ‘I thought they had the bloke who’s been doin’ all this?’ one of the other firemen remarked.

  ‘No, that’s just it! They have the wrong man. Eric’s not responsible for these or any other fires,’ Tammi snapped at him.

  ‘Look at this! How could he do this and be in court at the same time?!’ exclaimed Kathy.

  They had a hard time controlling this fire. It had a good start before they were able to get to it. It was while they were fighting fiercely, trying to contain it, that Tammi noticed smoke coming from up past Kia-Ora. The dark smoke was billowing high into the air.

  ‘No way… Look, another bloody fire!’ she shouted.

  ‘You’re jokin’, girl. Not another one?’ The chief turned to see where she was pointing. ‘We’ll have to stay at this one. Jack, get on the radio and call in help!’

  ‘Tam, let’s get back home and phone the court house. They have to be told what’s happening out here,’ Kathy spoke quietly.

  ‘Okay, let’s go.’ They informed the men of what they were going to do.

  The girls were hot and dirty when they reached home.

  Hazel and Ted were frantic when the girls quickly told them what had been going on and now to top it off, there was the fire up further!

  ‘Strewth, this’s bloody terrible.’ Ted shook his head. ‘Bloody hell, what’re we gonna do? No one’s ‘ere!’