‘It’s not, is it?’ she whispered. ‘I mean, it can’t be. We’re miles and miles away from home.’
As James had said to Wendy, Terry wasn’t the only man rich enough to own a Jag. There were plenty of them about.
‘It is. I thought I was being paranoid at first, but it’s been there all the way. I was finally sure when we came out of the café and he picked us up three streets on.’
‘Oh, my God.’ Fear coursed through her, seizing up her mind. ‘What are we going to do?’
‘I’m not sure. As long as we’re where there are lots of people, he won’t be able to do much. We were OK in that café. It is only him, thank God, and not a bunch of his heavies. I’ve an idea that he wouldn’t want them knowing that he can’t control his own wife.’
‘But how did he know?’
‘Search me. Maybe something Wendy said or did made him suspicious. Maybe it was just bad luck. What matters is that we’ve now got him on our tail, and we’re leading him towards Eileen.’
‘Could we stop somewhere and phone Eileen’s neighbour and get her to call the police?’
‘They won’t be interested. They don’t interfere in domestic arguments.’
‘How about if we drove to a police station and asked for protection for Wendy and the kids?’
‘I considered that, but I’m not sure how Wendy would react if he went in and demanded that she went back with him. She might just give in and agree.’
This seemed only too likely.
‘Before then, though, we need more petrol. We’re practically out. I’ll have to stop at the next service station.’
They pulled in and James got out to fill the car. Wendy made to open the rear door.
‘I’ll just give Coral a little run round. She’s been good so far.’
‘Stay in the car,’ James told her.
‘But—’
‘I said stay in the car!’
Wendy’s face crumpled. ‘What’s the matter?’ she wailed. ‘Why can’t I—’
‘It’s for the best, Wend. Just sit there now, eh? James knows what he’s doing,’ Lillian said.
James went to pay. As he did so, a space became available at a pump diagonally opposite to them and a car drew into it. A two-tone Jaguar. Lillian noticed it first and began talking at top speed, trying to distract Wendy with whatever came into her head. For a minute or so it worked. But then Coral tugged at her mother’s jumper.
‘Daddy’s car!’
‘What? No, it can’t be, darling, he’s—oh, my God!’ Wendy’s voice rose to a terrified squeak. ‘Lillian, Lillian, it’s him, it’s Terry! What are we going to do? He’ll kill us. He’ll kill us all!’
Lillian was frightened enough already, without Wendy getting all hysterical and setting Coral off.
‘For God’s sake, Wendy, shut up! He can’t do anything here, not with all these people around.’
‘He can, he can! Oh, what are we going to do. What—?’
‘Are all the doors locked? Check them, Wendy—look, press that knob down now, quick—’
James came running back and leapt into the driver’s seat.
‘James, James, he’s there! Terry’s right there!’ Wendy shrieked.
‘I know.’
He started the engine and shot out of the filling station. As they passed the Jaguar, Terry looked right at them, raised a hand and grinned. It was not a pleasant smile.
‘Just hold on tight,’ James said. His voice was calm and level. ‘Get the map out, Lindy. We’ve got a bit of time while he fills up and pays. If we can make it to the next exit before he does, we might be able to lose him.’
He powered the car into the outside lane, with Wendy and now both children crying in the back, while Lillian struggled with the map. It didn’t help that she wasn’t sure just where they were. Frantically, she ran a finger up and down the blue line of the motorway, trying to remember which towns they had passed. To her relief, one of the big blue signs showed in the distance. But, just as she was thinking she might regain some control over the situation, she heard James curse under his breath. She looked sharply at him.
‘Bastard must’ve made off without paying,’ he muttered.
If he hoped to keep it from Wendy, he failed. She was craning round to look out of the back window.
‘He’s behind us! James, go faster, he’s catching up!’
‘I can’t outrun a Jaguar,’ James stated. ‘I hoped to get to an exit before he saw where we went, then we might have lost him on the side roads.’
Lillian glanced at the speedometer. They were already doing over ninety.
‘Can’t you still turn off?’ she asked.
The exit was coming up fast.
‘I’m not doing high speed chases on country lanes, not with two kids in the back.’
‘Then, what—’
‘Oh, please, please, go faster!’ Wendy begged. ‘He’ll kill us all. He’s got a gun.’
‘What?’ Lillian shrieked.
‘It’s in the car. Coral found it. I think he shot that girl, you know, in that robbery?’
‘Bloody hell, Wendy, why didn’t you tell us that before?’
‘I thought we’d got away.’
‘But if we’d known we could’ve got the police onto him. We could’ve phoned from the filling station, even. Now we can’t stop.’
‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I didn’t think—’
‘How can you not think about a gun, for God’s sake?’
Still speeding down the outside lane, they passed the exit. James eased off a little. The Jaguar did the same. Wendy was still apologising and trying to soothe the crying children in the back.
‘We’ve got to go to the police. They’ll listen to us now. It’s not just a domestic,’ Lillian said.
‘You’re right,’ James agreed. ‘I’m not trying to deal with a gunman with women and kids around. How far are we from Eileen’s turn-off?’
Lillian frowned at the map. ‘About fifteen miles.’
‘Is there a police station where she lives?’
‘Yes. It’s called a village but it’s quite a big place.’
‘Right—’ He raised his voice. ‘Wendy, can you please pipe down? I’m trying to think here.’
The noise in the back went down to a less ear-splitting level.
‘It’s quite simple, hardly a plan at all,’ James said. ‘We just need to be ready to move quickly. No panicking, OK? Lindy, write down the number of the Jag. We must get the bastard nailed.’
Now that they weren’t just running blind, Lillian felt a calm spreading through her. They just had to hold on. She spoke reassuringly to Wendy and the children, who were all still whimpering quietly. Off the motorway they went and onto the B road. After the speed they had been doing, they hardly seemed to be moving at all.
‘Is he still there?’ Lillian asked, peering in the wing mirror.
‘Oh, yes. He wants to know where we’re going. He’s not giving up now.’
They passed the sign for Eileen’s village. Lillian almost cheered.
‘Left here and straight up the main street,’ she directed. ‘It’s on the left-hand side. Look—there—’
‘Pass Coral over to Lindy,’ James said to Wendy. ‘And have Terrance ready. Sit on Lindy’s side, remember.’
Lillian could hear Wendy making small noises, trying to stop herself from crying out loud.
‘Is it unlocked? Have you got your hand on the door handle?’ she asked as she clasped Coral firmly to her.
‘Yes—’ Wendy squeaked.
‘Right, get ready,’ James said.
He swerved into the police station, making the driver behind him hoot in anger. Lillian had her door open as the car slowed and was out as it stopped. She grabbed Wendy’s arm as she emerged and together they raced up the steps and through the heavy doors, leaving James to see what Terry did.
Behind the desk was a solid-looking man in a sergeant’s uniform.
‘Please,’ Lillian begged
him. ‘You’ve got to help us—’
Chapter Thirty-Five
OUTSIDE the police station, James got back into the car. Dempsey had stopped when they did and backed down the street to wait where he could see the entrance. Now they were like two cats staring at each other, waiting to see who blinked first. The engines of both cars were still running.
The minutes ticked by.
‘Come on,’ he muttered.
What was going on in there? Had the girls not been able to persuade the police to do anything? His confidence began to seep away. Two women running into a police station in a quiet little town claiming to be pursued by a man with a gun was a bit of tall story. What were they going to do if that story was dismissed? Then another thought struck him. Supposing the gun wasn’t there any more? Dempsey might have got rid of it since Wendy had found out about it, in which case the police would have nothing to hold him on. The whole thing was looking more and more flimsy. Now they had led Dempsey practically to Eileen’s door and they didn’t have a Plan B.
Suddenly there was movement. Four police officers were coming out of the station. At the same moment, Dempsey saw them and began to move off. The policemen leapt forward, shouting at him to stop. James stamped on the accelerator, shot out of the forecourt and rammed into the Jag as it passed. There was a crash of splintering glass and crumpling metal as the impact jolted through his body. And then the policemen were swarming all over the Jaguar and hauling Dempsey out. For a moment his eyes met Dempsey’s. James allowed himself a smile of triumph.
‘Got you, you bastard,’ he said.
As two officers held Dempsey, a third emerged from the back of the car with a sawn-off shotgun.
‘This yours, sir?’ James heard him say.
‘Never seen it before. Dunno how it got there. Someone must of planted it,’ Dempsey claimed.
He was led away into the station. The fourth officer approached James.
‘That was a very dangerous thing to do, sir,’ he said.
‘Yes,’ James agreed. ‘I know.’
But he didn’t care. They’d got Dempsey. That was all that mattered.
It was ages before they were able to leave the station. Eileen’s Neil came to meet them with a neighbour’s van which they used to ferry all Wendy’s possessions. When they finally got to their house, two small faces appeared beside the Christmas tree in the window, then they disappeared and a moment later the door opened and there were Eileen and her children, smiling and waving.
James slung an arm round Lillian’s shoulder.
‘We did it,’ he said. ‘Well done us.’
There was a happy tangle of huggings and kissings and introductions.
‘Come in, come in,’ Eileen said. ‘The tea’s just mashed. You poor things, what a terrible time you’ve had; you must be worn out—’
She ushered them into the front room, festooned with paper chains and tinsel, and hurried out again to fetch the tea while James and Neil brought in all Wendy’s things. It was such a cosy, welcoming place. It was all slightly surreal to James after the events of the day. The coal fire glowed in the hearth, the television warbled in the corner, the budgie squawked and chirped in its cage and the children were soon laughing and tumbling together. There were Christmas cards jumbled together on every available surface. He looked at Wendy, who was taking it all in. Eileen’s was a world away from Wendy’s place in Thorpe Bay. It was small and crowded, the furniture was worn and the wallpaper faded, but surely she would like it here, until they knew what was going to happen with Dempsey.
He finished taking all the bags upstairs and collapsed onto the sofa beside Lillian.
‘Isn’t this nice?’ he said. ‘You’ll be fine here, Wendy.’
‘Yes,’ Wendy said doubtfully.
Eileen came in with a tea tray and orange squash for the children.
‘We’ll have tea proper in a minute. What a time of it you’ve had, and ending up at the police station. Oh, but it’s so lovely to see you all! Just look at you, Wendy! You were just a kid when I ran away and now you’re a mum. And such beautiful little ones too, one of each, just like mine. And this is James—I’ve heard so much about you.’
Had she? He wondered just what Lillian had told her.
‘I hope it was good,’ he said.
‘Ooh, I’m not telling! But Wendy, you poor darling—’ She went to perch on the arm of Wendy’s chair and put her arms round her. ‘How you must have suffered. But you’ll be all right now, I promise. We’ll look after you. You’ll be safe with us.’
The tension seemed to drain out of Wendy. She leaned against Eileen and a tear slid down her cheek.
‘Thank you,’ she whispered.
Eileen planted a kiss on the top of her head.
‘There, there. We’ll have lots of good long talks and you can get it all out of your system,’ she promised. ‘But, in the meantime, what are we going to do with you all? James and Lindy can’t get home tonight now you’ve crashed the car.’
‘Not only that, the police want to speak to us again in the morning,’ James told her. ‘Perhaps there’s a guest house or something we can put up at?’
Eileen laughed. ‘What, a Sunny View? Not likely! Not when we’ve got neighbours what’ll find you a bed.’
Neil wanted to hear more about their journey and Dempsey’s pursuit. James described their day, calling on Lillian and Wendy for collaboration every now and again. Reliving it brought it home to him how close to disaster they had been. If Wendy hadn’t told them about the gun they might still be trying to get Dempsey off their tail.
Eileen and her family listened open-mouthed.
‘Blimey, it’s like something off the telly,’ Eileen said. ‘But what am I thinking of? You must all be starving and I promised you tea. Lindy, love, come and give us a hand, will you?’
Lillian had been sitting listening to James talking, feeling utterly drained. She got up and let herself be dragged out to the kitchen. Eileen closed the door behind them.
‘Here, I can see why you’re bonkers about him,’ she said, putting the kettle on to boil again. ‘He’s scrumptious! If I wasn’t married to my lovely Neil I’d fight you for him. I’ve done a great big cottage pie; d’you think that’ll be all right?’
‘What? Oh—yes—lovely—’ Lillian tried to get her thoughts together. ‘What do you want me to do?’
‘Oh, nothing. You just sit there; you’ve done enough for one day. I just wanted a word in private. Your James—so handsome and so capable too. Sort of man you can rely on to get you out of a tight corner. And so nice with it as well, doing all this for Wendy.’
Lillian nodded. He was all that and more. Her throat ached with tears of longing.
‘That’s just it,’ she blurted out. ‘He’s doing it for Wendy. He’s always wanted her.’
Eileen stopped in the middle of heaping chopped cabbage into a saucepan of boiling water. ‘Are you sure?’ she said. ‘Only—’
The door opened and James put his head round. ‘Anything I can do?’
Eileen flapped him away. ‘No, no, we’re all under control here.’
It was hopeless trying to have a private conversation when the tiny house was full to bursting. Wendy gave Terrance his bottle, then they all ate the cottage pie, then various neighbours turned up as the story spread down the street. Just as Eileen had predicted, beds were found for James and Lillian. As Wendy and Eileen battled to get overtired children off to bed, James sat down by Lillian again.
‘D’you fancy a walk?’
‘What?’
It was the last thing she had expected.
‘I know you must be exhausted, but I just wanted a bit of quiet and fresh air, and I thought you might as well.’
Now that he suggested it, it was exactly what she wanted. They found their coats and slipped out of the front door.
It was cold out in the street. Frost was forming on the pavements and their breath made clouds in the chilly air. All along the rows of houses, f
ront curtains were parted a little to show brightly lit Christmas trees and families gathered round the green glow of televisions.
Lillian couldn’t trust herself to speak.
James broke the silence. ‘We did it, then. Who’d have thought it would all work out like this?’
‘I know,’ Lillian said. ‘I suppose Wendy could go home straight away really, or as soon as we know that Dempsey really is going to be remanded.’
‘Yes, she looks so out of place at Eileen’s, doesn’t she? Not that I’m saying anything against your Aunty Eileen. She’s a lovely person. But Wendy was a bit like—oh, I don’t know—an orchid amongst daisies.’
A spurt of anger propelled Lillian away from the despair that had been threatening to overtake her. ‘You talk as if she’s some sort of princess. She’s a Parker. She was brought up at Sunny View, same as me.’
‘I know that, Lindy. That’s not even what I meant—’ He paused, frowning. ‘I don’t know what I meant, really. It’s been a bit of a day, hasn’t it? Everything changed so quickly. D’you think we did the right thing, forcing Wendy to leave him?’
Lillian stopped still. ‘What are you talking about? We didn’t force her; she said she wanted to go.’
‘Yes, yes, you’re right, of course you are.’
James’s hand closed round hers. It felt warm and strong and secure. A glow spread through her as they walked on down the street.
‘You see—’ James said slowly, ‘if anyone was to take you away from me, I don’t know what I’d do.’
For several moments, Lillian couldn’t believe she had heard that. She wanted to. More than anything else in the world, she wanted to. But she hardly dared ask him to repeat it, in case she had got it wrong.
‘Lindy?’
She swallowed. It was difficult to speak.
‘I thought—’ she started. Her throat was all croaky. She cleared it and tried again. ‘I thought you’d got Wendy away from Dempsey so that you would have a chance with her.’
‘Wendy?’ James gave a short incredulous laugh. ‘Whatever made you think that?’
Follow Your Dream Page 37
