“But… didn’t the police in Yorkshire see that? Did they know about it?”
“No, God no. The thing is though, people are hitting sheep all the time on that road. It wasn’t a puzzle, and though they went through the motions there was no reason for them to suspect anything. The wire was gone – Jed wasn’t supposed to survive but then you coming along just when you did screwed things up somewhat.”
“There was a car. As I was leaving the village there was a car. Was that something to do with it?”
“Yes.” I was in the car. I saw you. I knew it was going to create a problem. I tried to find you but you’d covered your tracks, hadn’t you. You didn’t make it easy for me.”
“No. But I still don’t understand.”
“No, well, it’s complicated. I don’t know that it’s worth going into too much detail. Look, Jed was… well… I suppose you could say he was ambushed by the people I am working with. They spread that poor dead sheep across the road. Then they left a bloke up there to wait and when Jed came off his bike he took the diamonds and the memory stick. He was supposed to finish Jed off but then but you came along and he had to leave him. It was a mess.”
“I didn’t see anyone else. There was nobody there but me and him, in the ditch.”
Pete simply shook his head.
It didn’t make any sense to her but Pauline was trying to understand. “But why don’t you want people to know that he’s dead?”
Pete gave a big sigh, he glanced around the kitchen. “Can I make us some coffee?”
“What? Oh, oh let me do it. I’ll do it now. Look I think I’d better call Dolly, if not she’ll come looking for me.”
“I’ll put the kettle on. You make the call.” He smiled at her, a warm, sweet smile that shone out of the darkness of the last days like sun on the water. He was a good man; she instinctively knew that he would do her no harm and so she relaxed and picked up the phone.
“Dolly, hi it’s me. I just thought I’d let you know I’m okay. It’s lovely over here and I just fancied a cup of coffee, I’ll be back soon, okay?”
Pete was moving around the kitchen, searching in the cupboard for cups and coffee. He held up a packet of biscuits and wagged them in the air. Pauline smiled and nodded and was thrown by the idea that in less than an hour she had gone from trying to flee in terror to drinking coffee and eating Hobnobs with this man.
When they had their drinks Pete shifted on the chair, preparing himself. He nodded to her, “Okay, let’s see if I can make this make sense to you. The diamonds and so on belong to the nasties I’m in with. Jed worked for them. There is another crew and guess what, he worked for them as well.” Here he gave a short and bitter laugh, “Honour among thieves; what a laugh! When money’s involved there’s precious little honour anywhere with these clowns. Anyway, my group, I have to call them that but believe me I’m kosher, I’m not bent. Let’s call them group A, A for Assholes – yes, that works...” He looked at her waiting for a sign that she believed him. She smiled in the gathering dusk, waved a hand for him to continue.
“Right, so Jed was on his way to group B; let’s call them that. So my lot, The A’s wanted their stuff back and they wanted rid of him.”
“So, the accident?”
“Yes indeed. It would have worked except Jed didn’t die and he believed that you had his stuff. He was told, erm, by group B, that you have them, Pauline.” He leaned to her and laid his warm hand over hers where she gripped the cup. “Those people are going to come after you once they know he is dead. They believe that you have the diamonds and more importantly the memory stick. If we can keep his death a secret for a while it will buy us some time; they will assume he is still trying to get the items from you. Once they find out he’s dead then they’ll come after you. I don’t want that Pauline. I am going to have to wind this thing up. We can’t put you at risk.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.” It was ludicrous; here she was in the middle of something that she would never in her wildest dreams have thought possible and she was apologising for first of all helping to save some vicious criminal and then for having killed him. From somewhere deep inside the insanity of it all spilled over and – perhaps in reaction to the emotion of the last hour – she began to giggle. Before long her eyes were streaming as she hiccupped and gasped for breath and a bald, tattooed giant stood across the table gazing at her in disbelief and wonder.
Chapter 34
The laughter, though rather hysterical, had done Pauline a world of good. She shook her head.
“I’m sorry, I really am. I know there is nothing funny going on here it’s just – Oh I don’t know… the whole thing is so – insane and unreal. This sort of thing – all this sort of thing just doesn’t happen to people like me. I’m ordinary. Just quiet and well – ordinary.” She shrugged her shoulders.
“I do see what you’re saying Pauline, but believe me; this is very real. I can’t stress enough that you mustn’t tell anyone what I have just shared with you. Not the lady at the farm.”
“Dolly.”
“Yes, Dolly, and not that odd bloke that lives with her.”
“Jim. Yes he’s a bit odd, but I think he’s okay and he’s been very nice to me while I’ve been there.”
“No matter how nice they are you mustn’t tell them anything. It would put them in danger. Do you understand me?”
“But… they haven’t done anything. They don’t know anything about all this.”
“But they know you and it’s enough to mark them.” Pete stepped around the table and crouched in front of her. “Look, I know this will scare you and I’m sorry for that, but you have to believe me when I tell you that these people are very dangerous. They are ruthless: they don’t care who gets hurt. They make their living trading in people. Human beings are no more than a commodity to them. They won’t hesitate to take any and all measures to protect themselves.
“I am trying to arrange to have you taken to a place of safety, but until then…” Pauline’s sharp intake of breath caused him to pause mid-sentence.
“You’re what! You are doing what!? Taken to a place of safety!? Who the hell do you think you are? I’m not an infant! I’m not a, what did you say, a commodity! How dare you?” She spun away from the chair and paced to the door where she snatched up her bag. “You are trying to arrange… Well don’t you bother. I will go where I decide. I spent the last twenty years of my life being told where I could and couldn’t go and I’ve finished with that.
“I can’t believe it. You can just stop trying to have me ‘taken’ anywhere. Bloody hell!”
“Hey, hey. Calm down. Have you been listening to anything I‘ve said here? Your life is in danger, that’s the truth of it. You could end up dead. Once these people find out that Jed is dead they are coming after you. Before that happens I have to make sure that you’re safe. Have you the slightest inkling what can happen? Do you want to end up in pieces, sliced and diced and thrown onto a landfill in a black plastic bag? You thought what Jed did to you was bad. Well let me tell you he was taking great care of you. He thought you were of value to him, Jed was a pussy cat compared to some of the people I’m mixing with right now.
“You have no say in this thing Pauline. You have to be kept safe.”
She could find no words to throw back at him. She was aghast and furious and yet speechless.
“You can go back to the farm tonight. I’m going to be just outside.”
“What do you mean just outside?”
“I’m going to be keeping watch tonight, I daren’t risk them coming looking for Jed and maybe finding you.”
“How could that happen? They don’t know who I am, where I am.”
“Oh believe me they can find out. I found you; not soon enough to save you from the cave but I found you.”
“Yes, but you’re with the police.”
“There are more ways to find someone if you want to than just the police. Jed found you.”
“Well yes, but he had my ja
cket.”
“Oh come on, I found you and he did. We don’t know what he’s told his mates. You’re vulnerable and we have to protect you.”
“Well, where am I going to go?”
“I don’t know yet, I have some colleagues working on it but it’s a bit complicated with me still in the field. Look, for tonight go back to the farm. I’ll be outside and as soon as possible we’ll get you away.”
“But what about France? What about my house there?”
“I’m sorry Pauline, but for now that’s just going to have to be on hold.”
“But they don’t know about that.”
“They may know and anything they don’t know they can and will find out. Will you listen to me please?” He had come close now and reached a hand forward to lay it on her upper arm. “I’m sorry. I know this seems very unfair but it’ll be over soon. I’ll keep you safe.”
A warm tide swept her body and her heart hitched just once. How many times she had longed for someone to say just those words to her! Standing here in this little cottage with her world turned on its head they had fallen from the lips of the most unlikely character she had ever met. They melted the residual anger and soothed down her nerves and she found herself smiling up into his eyes.
“Ok, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be difficult. It’s just all rather upsetting.”
“I know. Come on, let’s get you back to Dolly and Odd Jim. Stay in the house and try not to show yourself too much. When I need to speak to you again I’ll let you know.”
“How?”
“Oh don’t worry about that. I have my ways.” And with a wicked little grin he turned and opened the door. Holding up a hand to indicate that she should wait he stepped outside. He glanced back and forth across the road and garden and listened to the silence for a while before waving her forward.
They walked together the few yards to the farm. “Try not to worry Pauline. This will soon be over I promise you.” He threw an arm around her shoulder in a sort of friendly half hug and then pushed open the wooden gate to let her through. As she made her way across the cobbles she could feel his eyes watching her and his presence ‘keeping her safe.’ It warmed her and she was surprised by the thrill of something approaching excitement deep in her gut. She grinned to herself. For some unaccountable reason, in the midst of all this turmoil, she felt happy.
Chapter 35
“Oh my word, I was getting so worried! Are you alright? You look a bit flushed.”
“I’m fine, I’m fine Dolly. It was just lovely over at the cottage. Peaceful you know, and I took a little time. I hope you weren’t worried.”
“Well, I don’t know. The last few days have had me so upset.
“I wonder if you have a few minutes spare? Can we have a little glass of wine and a chat?”
“Well, yes of course. Dolly, I have to tell you that I can’t thank you enough for what you’ve done for me. I would never have brought all this trouble to your door but you’ve been such a friend. I’ll never forget how lovely you’ve been.”
“Oh, now come on don’t be getting upset. Don’t cry. Come on let’s have a drink.”
“Can we sit in the garden, that little private bit at the back, behind the barn? It’s such a lovely evening. You know I used to come to Cornwall so much when I was little and over the years I had forgotten how magical it can be. All this drama could have spoiled it but meeting you and receiving such kindness, it’s made me determined to somehow handle all this, you know, not let it spoil my memories.”
“Well, I only did what anyone would do and yes, I know what you mean about the magic. I missed the place such a lot when I was away and when I lost my husband, Bill, I just wanted to come home.
“Will you ever go back to your husband do you think?”
“No, no definitely not. He used to hit me.”
“Oh, my word. You poor thing. It’s despicable, absolutely unforgiveable. Was it him? Was it your husband who sent that awful man, the one who took you away?”
“Oh… no… no it wasn’t him; not George. That was all to do with something else.”
“But, why – I mean why did that happen? Oh no, no you don’t have to tell me. I shouldn’t be asking. It’s just so – well so odd and unexpected. That sort of thing doesn’t happen here; thugs and kidnappers. Of course we have our bits of robberies and so on but nothing like that. When I think about it, you over there in that awful cave all day and then struggling back on your own all bruised… oh, it makes my blood boil.”
“Hey, come on it’s all over. Let’s take these glasses outside and enjoy the peace.”
Sitting on the little flagged patio in the early dark, listening to the quiet shush of waves on the beach and the cry of an owl hunting in the woods soothed and quietened Pauline. It should have been bliss; it would have been if the shadows hadn’t held such threats and the rattle of dried grass on the dunes hadn’t sounded so very like footsteps and if only a tall, bulky man with a bald head and kind eyes had been standing close and keeping her safe.
“What are you going to do Pauline?”
“Do?”
“Yes, you can stay here as long as you like. I hope you know that. You can stay here until you are ready to go on to your new place in France – or whatever you are planning now. The thing is though; you must be so confused with everything that’s happened.”
“Oh Dolly. I hope you know that I’m going to pay for my room and everything, is that… erm… is that what you were thinking? I suppose it’s best we clear that up right now. I want you to charge me whatever you would take for that room. Good heavens, I owe you so much more than that and I wouldn’t dream of you being out of pocket. Now we must be clear, yes?”
“Well, that wasn’t what I really meant but yes, I suppose we should clear that up. Now, you can’t pay me what I would usually charge, I wouldn’t hear of it. But we’ll perhaps come to some agreement. I would let you stay in the cottage, if you wanted, but it’s been booked for a long time and… well…” Here a shrug of the shoulders was enough to convey the problems and commitments of the service industry and Pauline leaned over and gave Dolly’s hand a gentle squeeze.
“It’s fine Dolly, really. I love being in the farmhouse and if I can just stay for a few more days and then…” as the words left her lips she realised that she had no ‘and then.’ There was just now, this hour today and no knowing what tomorrow would bring.
“Are you cold Pauline? Are you shivering?”
“No, I’m not cold it’s just… oh what do they say; someone walked over my grave.”
“Oh… I don’t like that expression. It always seems so very sinister.”
“Yes, I suppose it is. Hey let’s not get down. Cheers, Dolly. Here’s to the future.”
“Yes, yes that’s better. To the future, whatever it may hold.”
Their glasses chinked and the wine glowed in the moonlight. Pauline wondered if perhaps that were an even more sinister thought than the old wives’ tale about graves and shivering. Her stomach flipped as she thought of the secrets and the threats and the strangeness that had overtaken her and which seemed now to be no nearer an end.
Chapter 36
There was no air. Her lungs screamed for it. Water tickled at her legs and she felt it rise, above her ankles, her knees, sliding upwards silken against her flinching skin. Sightless eyes strained against the dark. She was blind, blind and gasping and desperate. High above a tiny light beckoned. She reached but her hands were caught. She tried to turn. Her body was held. A scream gathered in her throat, locked there by the terror.
She had thought that it was over. Surely she had escaped the cave and the horror? She thought that he was killed. “Bitch! Bitch!” There was the shutter of small rocks, the fear and the blame “Bitch! Bitch!” As her body tossed and twisted the bonds grew tighter and the darkness gathered close.
The pain of burning lungs jolted her into wakefulness.
The lurch from nightmare to the dimness of her little
room brought with it only more terror. The hand across her mouth, fingers hard against her cheeks was a greater menace than the lack of air in her dreamscape; for this was real. She no longer wanted to reach for the tiny glow as the torch beam probed the gloom. Every instinct urged her to turn from the light, but the grip on her face and the weight across her shoulders disabled her more than the ethereal bounds of the dissipating dream had done.
“Pauline, shush. Pauline, don’t scream. I’m sorry, It’s me. It’s Pete.”
He shone the torch to his face. Angled it so that she could see him; a deep shadow towering over her with the moon of his face terrifyingly lit from beneath. Deeps and planes and shadows, a mask of horror.
“Okay?” She nodded and even as he released his grip she pushed up and away. “I’m sorry, I didn’t want to frighten you but we have to go. We have to go now.”
“Go? I’m not going anywhere. How did you get in here? Where’s Dolly? Where’s Jim?”
“They’re okay. They’re asleep. Come on, we haven’t time for this. Get some clothes on.”
“No, no… I’m not going anywhere with you. How do I know who you are? I only know what you told me. I’m staying here. Get out, leave me alone! I don’t want to be a part of this, any of this.”
“I know,” he sighed and stepped back from the bed as she swung her feet to the floor, unwilling to be disadvantaged by her position. “I know, but please, I need you to come with me.”
“No.” She opened her mouth, drew in a deep gasp of air. As he perceived her intent to yell he flicked a hand behind his back. The gleam of dull metal and the unmistakeable shape of the weapon petrified her. Sweat trickled down her back and her stomach lurched.
“I’m sorry Pauline. Shit. Look, I’m not going to hurt you. I’m trying to make you safe. You really need to trust me. You can trust me.” As he spoke he stretched his hand towards her and flipped the gun around, offering her the handle. “Here, take this.” Shuffling backwards across the narrow bed she shook her head and held up her hands warding off possession of the killing thing.
Leaving George Page 11
