The Beast of Bracksley Woods

by Doreen Hayward

  Debbie put the kettle on and made a cup of tea for each of them as they waited. As good as his word Paul was at the door in fifteen minutes. He bustled in with his bag and looked at the animals closely. “I’ll have to take them both in Kev,” he said. “Unfortunately, Angela has gone away for Easter so I am on my own. “How do you fancy given me a hand Debbie and becoming a nurse just for a little while.” “Why? I have no experience. I wouldn’t know what to do.”

  “That’s all right. Just do what I tell you.”

  “Please do it for me Debbie Darlin’. I couldn’t bear to watch Paul operating on my best friend,” Kevin spoke, his voice choked with emotion.

  “Debbie glimpsed his face and saw the pain. Her heart melted for him knowing what he must be going through.

  “Okay Kevin. Just for you. I hope Paul is going to be patient with me. He hasn’t been very friendly with me since I came back from Sandy you know and I haven’t a clue what I have done to upset him.”

  “Maybe this is an opportunity to sort it out then,” Kevin answered looking at Paul sternly.

  “Come on. Let’s not waste time. Get these animals in the van so we can get them back to the surgery where I can treat them,” Paul said all efficient.

  “Okay. Sure, I’ll see to them but I’ll have to stay here and wait for the police. They’ll need to speak to me if they are to pick me laddo up.”

  Kevin soon had the dogs in Paul’s vet car. Debbie quickly got into the passenger seat and drove away with Paul at the wheel. As soon as they reached the surgery Paul got out and fetched a trolley. Wheeling both dogs inside separately he handed Debbie a white coat. “I think Danny needs attention urgently so I’ll see to him first.

  The other one has had an injection which should keep him quiet for some time. Come with me and I will find a tray for you. Everything is on the tray already so all you need to do is to give me whatever I ask you to pass over. Child’s play,” Paul said emphatically. “If you can’t bear to watch just look at something else and I’ll tell you when I’ve finished. Right. Is that okay?” he asked.

  Debbie’s throat went dry. She did manage to jerk out “Yes. I’ll do it.”

  “I am going to anaesthetise Danny first so I want you to keep a strict eye on this dial and make sure it stays where I’ve put it. You will have to watch the mask doesn’t slide off his nose as well. Do you think you are going to be all right with that?”

  “Of course.”

  “Okay. Let’s get started.” Paul worked on in silence while Debbie watched the dial and the mask at the same time. “He’s got some nasty neck wounds and also a vicious bite in the throat area. Poor old boy. It’s a wonder that brute didn’t catch is jugular. He only just missed it, Danny would be dead by now if he had caught it,” Paul murmured to himself. “Swabs please,” He said urgently. Obediently Debbie passed them over. Thread and needle, was his next request. “Shaver,” he called. “Antiseptic spray,” then he seemed to be done. He pulled the mask away from Danny’s nose and turned off the anaesthetic machine. “Well, that’s done. That wasn’t too bad, was it?” he asked looking at Debbie closely.

  “No. I hope I gave satisfaction,” she answered. Privately, she couldn’t help admiring the way Paul worked. He was so confident in what he was doing and so skilful as he mopped up blood and stitched poor Dannay together. Oh dear my girl what kind of a fool are you to fall in love with him”. The question went round and round in her head. She jumped when Paul spoke again and brought her attention back to what he was doing.

  Paul pretended not to notice the tone in her voice.

  “Right. Danny can recover in the other room and we can get the next one in. If you fetch the trolley for me I’ll transfer Danny over and put him on a bed while I collect the other one,” Paul stated. Off she went again to do his bidding and fetch the trolley. If he thought she was going to handle the other mutt he had another thought coming, she resolved. Paul managed the trolley and both dogs with manly strength. The dog was awake and growling. “All right old boy, no one is going to hurt you,” he said soothingly and stroked the big dog’s head. It quietened down at his tone and Paul looked more closely. After a few minutes he said quietly “Something is not quite right here, “The micro-chip has been gouged out of the animal. He has a whole load of old bites.”

  He lifted one ear of the dog and looked in closely. “Oh my god.” He whispered to himself,” “Thought so,” he muttered, “Watch this.” Clicking his fingers he said in a commanding voice Scott stand. On guard.” The huge dog attempted to get to its feet whimpering and Debbie moved back smartly to the wall. “Okay. Down. Paul said in less of a commanding way.” The dog sank down to the table. Debbie looked on in amazement when the big dog licked Paul’s hand. “Thought so — I think I know this dog — I think we ought to try and save him and trace him back. I believe he may be a stolen police dog. It does happen you know.” Debbie couldn’t believe what Paul was saying. Put it down. The animal is a menace. Her whole being yelled silently at Paul. “It has a terrible reputation, I know but it has been brutalised. Poor old chap, what have they done to you?” he asked as if he expected an answer. “I’ll put him under and see what I can do for him. First of all, we had better get the slug out. The poor animal will probably never be able to walk properly again. Do you know, this sort of thing makes me so cross. I hate to see animals brutalised in this way. I hope that poacher gets his just deserts.” He sighed heavily. “Let’s see what proper treatment and some TLC will do for him, at least we can try and bring him back into line. Everybody deserves a second chance Debbie. Don’t you agree,” Paul murmured placing the mask on the dog’s nose and looking at her meaningfully as he switched the machine on. “Watch that again for me Debbie. Just pass whatever I ask you to pass. You are doing fine. This dog has been starved. It is nothing but skin and bone. I would go so far to say that it has been starved deliberately. Do you know if Kevin got a look at the van. I don’t suppose he could see the number in the dark,” Paul went on quietly muttering away to himself while Debbie stood there watching and waiting for his next instruction. “Still, never mind. Let’s hope the cops will get him and when they do, I sincerely hope they throw the book at him. The man is a criminal. He needs to be taught a lesson.” He worked on silently asking for things every now and again. At last the job was done and Paul breathed a sigh of relief. He trundled his patient into the recovery room and came back to where Debbie still stood. For the life of her, she couldn’t believe that Paul was paying so much attention to the dog that was causing all the trouble in the first place. He should have put the dog down, she thought bitterly but not in her presence she shuddered. “Take that white coat off now and come and sit down. Thank you so much for your help tonight. I live on the premises and my flat is upstairs. Let’s just wash our hands and then we will go up and have a well-earned cup of tea because I really need to talk to you very seriously.”

  “I also need to talk to you Paul,” Debbie said.

  Before following him upstairs, Paul showed her where to wash her hands. When they reached the sitting room he pointed out the bathroom “In there if you need the loo and a tidy up. I’ll go and make some tea. As soon as you’re finished find a comfortable chair and I will bring the tea tray through.” He vanished through another door as she made her way to the bathroom. As soon as she returned to the sitting room and found herself a chair she began to rehearse in her mind what she was going to say to Paul. As hard as she may find it, she was going to have to tell him that she was pregnant. At least, she would know without doubt what to do. Paul came back with the tea tray and placing it on the table sat in an armchair directly opposite her. No comfortable sofa tonight, Debbie reflected.

  “Did you run away after our night together. Did you take fright or were you regretting what we did? Why not stop tonight. We could do it all again. Don’t you know that I am in love with you? It was the most wonderful experience of my life. If I have hurt you in any way, then I want to make amends. Please tell me. Don’t
keep running away from me. My heart is so sore,” he said His eyes taking on the forlorn expression of a dog and his voice sounding so sad.

  “No. It wasn’t a bit like that. I haven’t been running away. Surely, Kevin must have filled you in with some details by now.”

  “I am afraid I haven’t seen anything of Kevin lately. We certainly haven’t been able to talk. All I know is that I have been getting very funny text messages from you telling me you have found a new boyfriend and will be getting married soon. That cut me to the heart,” he said dramatically clutching at his heart. “That is why I had to make up my mind to go away. I couldn’t stand seeing you with another man like Angela was saying all done up to the nines in a flashy car, especially after those text messages as well. I’ve been trying to pluck up courage to speak to you but never seemed to find the right opportunity to tell you that I don’t hold anything against you and that I wish you all the luck in the world.” He paused. There was silence between them as Debbie tried to make sense of what he had said.

  Debbie took a deep breath before saying, “So Angela told you all this, did she? I haven’t the faintest idea why she should think I was courting anyone but whatever she has said is nowhere near the truth. I only sent you one text message telling you I had to go away. I got a message back telling me not to contact you again. I believe Angela has been playing nasty games. So, clearly, in spite of my messages which Angela must have intercepted, you had no idea that Sheila died suddenly and I had to go away urgently because Jeff needed help,” she said shakily.

  I don’t know what her game is but I do know she doesn’t like me. It looks as though she has certainly been busy making mischief between us. I saw you coming out of a restaurant a couple of weeks ago and she seemed to make a point of waving to me and smiling. Then I saw you again coming out of a pub. Can you blame me for thinking you had found someone else. Now, in spite of thinking I am about to marry another, you have the cheek to ask if we could repeat the experience and stay the night. Well. I don’t think so, thank you.”

  Paul ignored Debbie’s angry tirade. “What! Sheila died? What Message? I haven’t received any message. I am so sorry. When did it happen? How absolutely awful! Nobody has said a word to me about it. I think we had better start from the beginning. Something doesn’t make sense here. I saw you leave the cottage with a strange man with my own eyes and you were in a very smart car,” Paul said accusingly. “You went straight past me and didn’t even look in my direction. Why shouldn’t I have believed what Angela told me.”

  Debbie gulped at the sheer hard edge in Paul’s voice.

  “You put the wrong two and two together Paul. You chose to believe what Angela was telling you. She must have been messing with your mobile. I came back to Bracksley to collect some clothes and it was Mike’s cousin you saw who was good enough to drive me over. Actually, I didn’t see you at all. You obviously can’t trust me very much otherwise you would not be spying on me let alone believe that of me especially after your big performance in the bedroom,” she accused in her turn her face reddening in embarrassment and anger.

  “My big performance. I like that!” his voice rising in anger. You were begging for it,” He laughed and Debbie slapped his face. As she ran downstairs, tears of humiliation blinding her as she picked up her coat and bag she heard Paul call after her, “You can’t spend your time living with a ghost, grow up and move on, that’s my advice to you.” She slammed the door as she rushed out of the surgery. When she got to the corner of the street she stopped to draw breath. Sanctimonious bloody vet, she muttered through her sobs as she called a cab from her mobile.

  Later that night when she was safely at home she took out a bottle of red wine. Pouring a full glass of the rich liquid out she turned on the gas fire to warm herself and sank into her comfortable armchair. what with the warmth of the fire and the inner warmth the wine gave her, she calmed herself enough to turned the events of the night over in her mind as she slowly relaxed. Debbie desperately tried to make sense of what had been said and all that it might have implied. First of all Paul had seemed so hurt at what he presumed was her betrayal, then apologising for any hurt he may have caused without knowing. Then suddenly, He’d implied that she had seduced him. She was so angry at the thought that she gulped back the wine and refilled her glass. She felt so tired. What with the combination of warmth and wine and the stresses of the day, she soon sank into an alcoholic soaked sleep

  The sleep was fuelled with terrifying nightmares of Mike playing tennis somewhere very hot. Mike was waving a tennis racket about and dashing around the court. He was shouting at her to catch the balls. Tennis balls were coming at her from all directions and they were spinning and dancing crazily in the air just out of reach. Mike was leaping into the air batting balls shouting to her.

  She could hear him telling her to catch the balls but every time she tried she just couldn’t reach them. His voice was in her ears telling her not to gag him. “You must move to the right to catch the balls,” his voice called. Then horror – of horrors — the big dog appeared. It started chasing the balls and as she watched it jumping into the air as it tried to catch each one it seemed to be bouncing in its turn. Mike’s voice again, “Don’t let the dog get the balls, it will burst them and we will all be done for.”

  Another figure appeared. This time it was Paul and he had the snake round his neck pointing at a notice on a lamp post. This way to Broadmead Farm to see the zoo. The big dog bounced along in front of Paul as he trudged down the lane. Debbie screamed as they came towards her. Sheer fright woke Debbie. She found herself on the floor. She was soaked with perspiration. She could feel it running down her back. Her hands felt clammy as she reached into the air for a tennis ball that wasn’t there. Gradually, consciousness began to take over as the dream receded. It took a moment for her to realise why she felt so hot. She was lying on the floor in front of the gas fire. Slowly she rolled onto all-fours and For several minutes she stayed still where she was allowing herself time to focus. She was trembling with fright and gasping for air. As soon as she could move she sat up then pulled herself up onto the armchair and bravely stilled her trembling limbs while taking deep breaths. It took a moment or two before she dared risk standing up to cross the room to open the window. The chill night air flooded into her face and she gulped it down gratefully. Leaning forward she vomited out into the night and shut the window as she withdrew into the sitting room again.

  Making her way to the kitchen she drank cold water and splashed it into her face. Feeling a little better she went to bed. Sleep overtook her again but this time with no nightmares. When she woke in the morning the familiar feeling of sickness caught her unawares. She had forgotten about the baby. Now she remembered that she had not told Paul. Breathing a sigh of relief she resolved that she would never tell him now.

  Sunday was Debbie’s day off but in spite of feeling ill she got up and showered trying to wash away the memory of the nightmare of her drunken dream. Then she went downstairs to make coffee and feed her two young feline companions. As soon as they were fed they started a rampage through the cottage. High spirits sent them leaping and racing through the house scattering anything in their wake. Debbie made a comforting cup of coffee and sat with her eyes closed as the kittens whizzed round her as though they were driven by invisible springs. The telephone rang. When she answered it was Kevin telling her that the police had got a line on the poacher’s van. It had been traced over to Hitchin and he was going over there to investigate. Paul had phoned to say that Danny was doing okay and he would be able to collect him later in the day. He promised to be back later and let her know how things stood. Greg was holding the fort at the farm with the volunteers so she need not worry. “You have a rest today,” he said “Save all your energies for tomorrow. I am expecting a good turn out,” He said cheerfully. A brisk walk down to the shop and a chat with Mrs Harrison should see her right, Debbie thought as she picked up her coat and bag and stepped out into the bright sunny
spring morning.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  When the police arrived at Broadmead Farm Kevin gave his account of the happenings that night. He was hopping mad at his failure to apprehend the poacher and upset because it was his dog who had got hurt. It wasn’t often he felt anger towards an animal but this one took the biscuit. He couldn’t help thinking that as far as this particular animal was concerned, it richly deserved what it had got. He was not able to be of much use to the police however because he didn’t get a good look at the van in the dark. They already knew that he had made several reports of this dangerous dog attacking domestic animals in the area. Nobody had been able to come up with any decent description that could be followed up. It was now a serious matter however since a gun had been used. Kevin was extremely worried and pointed out to the police that although they had now managed to catch the dog which the Vet was now examining, the owner was still at large and Kevin badly needed to speak to him.

  The large dog had only attacked other dogs but what happens when it eventually attacks a child. The officers told him in no uncertain terms not to be stupid enough to try any heroics and go after the poacher on his own. If he came across any evidence to suggest the whereabouts of the man he should get in touch with them immediately.

  Finally, the police left leaving Kevin in a state of frustration at the lack of interest they seemed to be displaying. He was still hopping mad that it was his dog that had got hurt this time. In spite of being warned by the police, Kevin determined to take matters into his own hands. He told Greg that he was going up to Bracksley woods to have another look round up there just in case he came across anything that might lead him to the culprit. “Don’t you think you should take the advice of the police lad?” Greg asked, “Keep your nose out and let them do their job,” Greg advised.

  “Sure’un all mate, it’s my duty to make sure that animal is not ill-treated by the owner,” he said by way of excuse “I need to speak to that man seriously. He is obviously mistreating that dog otherwise it wouldn’t be behaving as it is. I ought to remind you that I am the RSPCA Inspector and that is my job,” Kevin answered shrugging his shoulders vigorously and looking more determined than ever.