Red Hot

by Cheryl Alldis

  ‘How? Surely it wasn’t deliberate?’ Kathy asked.

  ‘Well it all started in the ceilin’ above the men’s toilets.’ Frank coughed.

  ‘That explains why there was all that smoke in the ladies’, they’re right beside the men’s toilets,’ Tammi remarked.

  ‘Tam’s right, it just poured in all at once!’ Eileen added.

  ‘We won’t know how it started till we’ve had time to inspect things. It could’ve been an electrical fault. We’ll know more once we’ve had a good look. It was damn lucky it was noticed so quickly. The insulation didn’t get a go on. If it had, there wouldn’t be any club!’ Frank said as he got up to walk away.

  He clutched his head and sat back down unsteadily.

  ‘You alright, mate?’ Eddie asked.

  ‘I will be. Bloody smoke got to me a bit.’

  ‘Darc, you look after Eileen and Frank. I’ll take Kath, Tammi and Laura home,’ Eddie said.

  ‘Look, there’s Dad and Uncle Karl, they’re coming over!’ Kathy waved to her father.

  ‘You kids okay?’ Digger asked, worried.

  Between them, Tammi and Kathy told the story.

  Digger hugged Tammi tightly. ‘Bloody hell. If anythin’d happened to you…’

  Tammi looked up at her father. Tears poured down her face. She held on to him and he felt her tremble. He told Eddie he would take her and Laura home.

  Kathy said she would go with Eddie after she checked on Francis and Beth.

  People were everywhere in the car park. Police cars, fire trucks and ambulances parked willie nillie. Confused patrons all tried to leave at once. This caused traffic jams, which created headaches for the already frustrated police. It was a chaotic scene.

  Later, Eddie and Kathy sat outside Kia-Ora. A few minutes passed before either one spoke.

  Finally, Kathy murmured, ‘Eddie, I’m sorry about before.’

  Eddie heaved a sigh. ‘I know ya are, babe. You’re beautiful, I want ya to know that. I can’t help myself at times. I’m a man, Kath. It’s bloody hard to keep control, ya know.’ Eddie was frustrated with the situation. ‘Kath, we’ve been going out long enough now. Why can’t we make love?’

  ‘I just can’t. Like I said, I’m not like Dot, I can’t do it just anywhere.’

  Eddie didn’t want to hear her excuses. He’d heard them many times. ‘Forget it, we’ll get there one day I s’pose.’ He shrugged in resignation. Taking her chin in his hand, he turned her face to him. There was no passion in his parting kiss.

  Kathy watched as Eddie drove away then slowly walked inside. ‘I can’t do what he wants. For some reason I just can’t go all the way with him,’ she thought miserably.

  ***

  He watched the firemen wind the hoses onto the trucks, observing the faces of the remaining people that stood around still stunned by the night’s events.

  A smile spread across his face and his hand slid to his crotch. He was hard, he always was at fires. They aroused him so much… He had to relieve himself, again!

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Police swarmed the Valley Sports Club. Orders were given to comb the building thoroughly. Not one corner was to be overlooked.

  ‘Cunnin’ bastard slipped that coil in the air vent,’ Detective Bennett said to his partner Simpson.

  ‘Yeah, but how the fuck’re we gonna get an I.D on him? There was a huge crowd here last night. It’s gonna be near impossible to pin it on any one of them,’ Simpson answered.

  Bennett raised a clenched fist. ‘We’ve gotta get this prick. There coulda been many lives lost here last night,’ he snapped. ‘It’s been more than a fuckin’ year with no fires and now it’s started up again. This was more sinister than before – he aimed to kill a heap of people here tonight!’

  ‘Yeah, well the people around here’ve had it! They’ll take matters into their own hands this time. What worries me is that some innocent person will get hurt,’ Simpson said, turning serious.

  ‘I know, mate… I know! But hell! Where do we go from here? We have a few mosquito coils… big deal. How do we connect anyone to those?’

  ‘Well maybe once we have all the names from the visitor’s book, we just might get a lead. We’ll need the names of all the contractors and workmen too. We’ll know who went in there, and also the barman should be able to help. He was on all day and whoever planted those coils had to do it during the day. Shit, imagine if that roof insulation had really caught on?’

  ‘Shit mate… The place was packed. People would’ve died for sure. This bastard’s out to kill! It’s like he’s got a huge vendetta against the locals here. The question is why?’ Bennett shoved his hands into his pockets and stood surveying the smoke-damaged walls of the auditorium. ‘Bloody mess… Real bloody mess!’

  ‘Excuse me, Detective Bennett!’ a female voice inquired beside him. Bennett turned to face the woman looking up at him.

  ‘I’m Rose Adams, the evening receptionist. The club secretary asked me to let you know he’s in his office with the visitor’s book if you would like to go on up and see him.’ Bennett was instantly alert.

  ‘Thank you, we’re on our way. Simmo, grab one of those young constables and they can make a list for us.’

  They followed Rose Adams to the club secretary’s office.

  ‘Gentlemen, please have a seat.’ Tom Berry shook their hands and gestured to the vacant chairs.

  ‘Thank you.’ They made themselves comfortable.

  ‘Dreadful mess, this,’ Tom stated in a serious voice.

  ‘You bet it is. We need a list of everyone who came through here. Contractors, workmen, staff, everyone!’ Simpson said in a firm voice.

  ‘Of course, the book’s here. Mind you, there’s quite a list and as far as the staff, workmen and any others, I can have that ready for you tomorrow.’

  ‘Fine, Constable Styles will go through this book tonight!’ Bennett nodded to the young policeman standing at the door.

  ‘You know, this lunatic has to be stopped! It was the fact that some of the patrons raised the alarm and the quick action of the barmen that avoided a major disaster. As it is, there’s thousands of dollars damage out there!’ Tom Berry said.

  ‘We know, Mr Berry. We’re doing all we possibly can. Let’s hope there’s a lead in this book.’ Bennett patted the large book on his lap.

  ‘Well, I hope so. I hope so, because I know the locals around here, and mark my words, it’s come to a case of shoot first, ask questions later!’ Tom Berry’s words hung heavily in the enclosed office. They knew the local farmers and fruit growers would indeed shoot first.

  ***

  The next day was warm and sunny, the usual conditions for springtime in Lavington. Sam stood on the front veranda with Des and Eric. They were looking across at the club.

  ‘Yeah, there’s no doubt about it, we’re in for big trouble… real big trouble! Who knows what that bastard’ll get up to,’ Des said, rubbing his chin.

  ‘Yeah, to think we thought it was all over,’ Eric answered angrily. ‘Someone ‘round here’s coverin’ for him! A bloke couldn’t possibly keep lightin’ all these fires without someone knowin’. Whoever he lives with must’ve seen something. Shit, there has to be some clue somewhere! To think people thought it was me. As if I would do all those rotten things and try and kill people!’

  ‘Yeah, I’ve thought of that too. I agree with you. Someone knows somethin’. Don’t reckon they’ll come forward… not now. If they had one shred of decency, they woulda spoke up long ago.’ Sam sighed loudly. ‘After last night’s fire, the blokes around here’ll be only too willin’ to get together and work out what to do. They’re gonna be out for blood though.’

  ‘Nat an’ Rex will’ve decided already,’ Des said, serious. ‘They’ll have their shotguns out cleanin’ an’ loadin’ them ready to shoot anyone who sets foot on their properties. They’re not gonna mess ‘round with cops this time!’

  ‘Yeah, trouble is some poor innocent bastard could cop it by mi
stake! Remember poor old Beryl? She was so bloody frightened, Nat copped a buckshot from her.’ Sam turned to go inside. Placing his hand on the door handle, he added, ‘We’ve gotta get a fool-proof plan in place before things get outta hand!’

  The firebug was the talk of every household. The fear everyone thought was long gone had quickly returned, this time coupled with cold fury and desperation, a deadly combination. Once again the lives of the residents of Hamilton Valley were in turmoil.

  The men sprang into action and word went around that a meeting would be held at Sars Hotel. The plan was to catch the bastard and the next fire would have the firebug perched on top like a cracker night scarecrow!

  ‘Oh so seldom does fate cast our enemy into our hands to do with as we will.’

  Donna Leon

  ***

  ‘Goddamn it, Mary!’ exploded Harvey. ‘What the hell do you want me to do?’

  ‘You made your bed Harvey… now lie in it!’ Mary shouted back at him. ‘You will not, I repeat, will not get one more penny from me!’

  ‘You bitch… you lousy bitch! All I want to do is set myself up!’

  ‘Huh and then what…? Piss off with Ellie on my money! Not on your life, Harvey… Not on your life. I’m not that foolish. Maybe I was once, but not now!’

  All was not well in the Winters’ household. Harvey had approached Mary for a large sum of money. He wanted to start a business of his own. Mary was an extremely wealthy woman. She had inherited her father’s fortune and Harvey couldn’t keep his hands off it. He now wanted her to finance a business for him. Mary, however, was determined not to let him get his hands on any more. She had lost enough money through his stupidity and hair-brained schemes in the past.

  ‘How dare you even think to ask for more money! You screw around behind my back, and not just with Ellie Fraser! I know about all the others, Harvey, I always have. I feel sorry for Ellie in a way. I think she really loves you, but you… You don’t love her, do you? She’s just another screw until you tire of her like all the rest. Then you’ll discard her as well.’ Mary’s voice was low and full of bitterness.

  ‘The answer is no, now and always. Don’t bother to ask again because I’ll never give you another cent!’ A look of disdain flashed across Mary’s eyes.

  ‘I’ve gone through hell because of you. I have been hurt and humiliated. Now the shoe’s on the other foot, isn’t it? So grovel, you areshole… I wish Ellie could see just how pathetic you really are.’

  ‘You smartarse bitch! …You fuckin’ bitch!’ Harvey grabbed Mary by her arms and shook her viciously.

  ‘Let me go!’ she shouted, kicking at him.

  ‘Bah! You’re not worth it!’ Harvey released his hold, cursed and strode furiously from the house, slamming the screen door behind him. Mary sank down into a chair. She couldn’t stop the tears welling up and spilling down her cheeks. She was trembling all over.

  ‘How dare he ask me to finance a business for him, after all he’s done,’ she said aloud.

  ***

  ‘Well, Simmo, we haven’t got anywhere, have we?’ Detective Bennett leaned back in his chair as he spoke.

  ‘We’ve still got Chancellor to interview. That bloke’s got a cunnin’ way about him. I want to keep a real close eye on him. Just a gut feelin’, mate!’ Simpson replied, looking up from a file he had been studying.

  ‘Yeah, he’s been in and out of strife since he was thirteen years old. I don’t give a damn that he’s supposed to have turned over a new bloody leaf, that bullshit is just too good to be true.’ Bennett swung around in his swivel chair to face Simpson.

  ‘I’ve heard a rumour that he’s got it in for that new bloke in town, Darcy Burke. Seems Burke’s a bit of a rev head! Gets out on the Weir road racin’ that pink beast. Apparently Chancellor lost a few drags to him, and he’s one bloke who doesn’t like losin’. So we’ve got a bit of competition between those two rat bags!’

  ‘Bit bloody stupid if you ask me. S’pose it was the highway blokes who told you about the drags?’ Simpson smirked.

  ‘Yeah, they chased them both along the Weir Road past the Bandiana Army Camp. They’re bloody idiots! They were side by side goin’ flat out. The highway blokes got them both and booked them. Got Chancellor for seven defects on his heap, but Burke’s car’s in good nick!

  ‘One day Chancellor’ll do somethin’ and have the book thrown at him. Is he still seein’ that Miles girl? It’s a wonder that family would have him in their house at all, let alone allow him to take their daughter out! It’s strange how he wormed his way in there, pretty smooth of the bloke!’ Bennett mused.

  ‘You can’t tell me a bad egg like that can change so fast.’ Simpson snapped his fingers as he spoke.

  ‘Yes, I have quite a few doubts about our Eddie Chancellor I’ll have him brought in this afternoon,’ Bennett stated.

  ***

  ‘It’s no fuckin use dependin’ on the cops!’ Nat Willis shouted. ‘They dunno a bloody thing! They’re runnin’ around scratchin’ their heads and pickin’ their arses an’ they’re no closer to catchin’ the mongrel than we are. I say no muckin’ ‘round this time!’

  He slammed his fist on the table in front of him, slopping beer onto the table. ‘Arm ourselves and patrol the area day and bloody night! We did it last time but no holdin’ back now. Shoot on sight!’

  ‘Right with ya, mate! I’m all for it. I’m bloody sure I’m not gonna stand by and let the bastard burn any more of my hay sheds. I can’t afford to keep replacin’ stuff. Bloody insurance companies don’t want to know us because of all this. Dawn’s at home right now – a bloody nervous wreck. She’s scared stiff the new hay shed’ll go up again,’ Jeff shouted across the room.

  The men were in the public lounge of Sars Hotel. All the farmers and fruit growers had turned up for the meeting. They were desperate men, determined to catch the crazed arsonist who was hell-bent on destroying them.

  ‘Shoot the bastard, I say!’ an angry farmer yelled.

  ‘Look, we have ta keep level heads about this.’ Sam stood up and leant on his hands. ‘We need a strategy that we can all work with. We can’t let things escalate like they did twelve months ago.’

  ‘What about Eric Mason? What’s he doin? How do we know he’s not really guilty?’ bellowed another farmer.

  ‘Shut your filthy mouth, you arsehole!’ Karl turned to glare at the farmer.

  As he was about to stand and say more, they were interrupted by a commotion just outside the double doors that led to the beer garden. They all turned as Ivy Gelding and four other women burst in.

  Ivy advanced on the gathering, waving her arms in the air and chanting, ‘Hallelujah, save these poor souls… Hallelujah!’ She came to a stop beside the table Sam, Karl and the rest of them occupied.

  ‘What the fuck?’ Sam was so surprised he was rendered speechless.

  ‘Hell fire and damnation is upon us!’ she continued to rant. ‘The devil has returned to our valley. We’re being torched again!’ She glared into Sam’s face. ‘You’re the protector of evil. Eric Mason was guilty before and he’s guilty now! String him up, I say!’

  She raised her arms above her head and spun around in a circle. ‘Burn him like he’s burnt our sheds, our haystacks and machinery, and now old Harry’s hut. He’s the devil himself!’

  She turned her crazed face to look at the stunned group of men, her lips drawn into a thin line, displaying a downy moustache across her top lip.

  Rex recovered first. ‘Shut the stupid bitch up, will ya? She’s off her head!’

  Nat grabbed Ivy by her arms. Forcing them behind her back, he marched her to the doors and pushed her out. ‘Get out ya lunatic, an’ don’t come back!’

  ‘Throw the stupid cow in with that pig’a yours, Nat.’ Smelly Smart shouted from across the room. ‘She’ll think tha devil’s after a then!’ He doubled over with laughter.

  Shouts of ‘bloody good idea’ echoed around the room.

  ‘What about this lot?’
another bloke yelled, pointing at the remaining four women. ‘Reckon ya pig’d like them?’

  The other women had remained silent throughout Ivy’s rant and now one look around at the blokes all grinning at them was enough to send them scurrying back outside.

  ‘Well, that was an eye-opener,’ Digger said in bemusement.

  ‘The woman’s taken leave of her senses!’

  ‘She’s nuts alright. Did ya see the crazy look in her eyes? She’s gone completely mad.’ Karl slowly shook his head in astonishment. ‘She always was anyway.’

  ‘Well, she did have a point. How do we know Eric Mason’s really innocent? The cops thought him guilty enough to arrest him last time.’ Bill O’Toole spoke in the silence of the room. ‘It was his cousin Des who got him off. Could be both of ‘em in it tagether!’

  ‘I’d be bloody careful what ya say, O’Toole,’ Karl warned in a deadly voice. ‘Ya just might find ya self in the lock up for slander.’

  ‘Ha! Talkin’ through ya arse Mason, for all we know ya’ve prob’ly been protectin’ him all along!’

  Karl grabbed the chair that was in front of him and flung it out of his way. Nat ducked just in time as the chair crashed to the floor beside him. ‘I’ll shove ya words right back down ya throat, arsehole.’

  O’Toole sniggered. He was deliberately goading Karl.

  Digger and Sam both grabbed the furious Karl. ‘He’s not worth it, mate,’ Digger said.

  ‘Piss weak,’ O’Toole gloated. He looked around at the of the group of men. ‘You’se blokes don’t know for certain it wasn’t Eric. Don’t ya’s think it bloody convenient those friggin’ fires all happened while he was in court? For fucks sake, think about it – that Ted bloke wasn’t at the courthouse; he’s capable of gettin’ ‘round and lightin’ a few fires ta get the blame off of Mason.’

  His words hung in the air as the rest of the men digested them, then a chorus of angry voices erupted as accusations were hurled left, right and centre.

  ‘You stinkin’ arsehole!’ Karl lunged at O’Toole. His fist connected with brute force and blood spurted instantly from O’Toole’s nose.