Taunton Barr

by Brian Cain

CHAPTER FORTY THREE

  Mid Afternoon the following day Winston was blessed with the attendance of both his senior daughters, Kalika and Cecelia were in good spirits and openly chatted about progress on and off the training track. They explained how long talks into the night with Lee Hayford had given them a positive edge to things that found difficult to come to terms with, their new sister possessed traits very familiar to them. Whilst watching Taunton's double on the training track she commented it was a nice looking donkey, reflected by the odds offered on Taunton amid the latest betting information. She played with Kristy and the spotted foal from Taunton, she told Lee her mother the little horse had a mean streak a mile wide and ran and jumped just for fun.

  Although burdened with concern, Winston listened with great interest, the qualities of his family began to form hope in his mind. Every hour of every day somewhere within his organisation there was trauma and at times disaster, he was used to it but he looked at his watch as mid afternoon began to wain. He was relieved when mechanic knocked on the door and entered when given permission, he approached the desk but remained standing. 'Excuse me Winston, I have some very bad news, there has been an accident.'

  Winston rose to his feet. 'On the training track, one of our girls or horses.'

  'No sir, far more serious, Miss Kalika will be shattered to hear that Graham Ellis has been involved in a fatal accident.' Kalika looked on with a stone cold face.

  Winston waited and amid silence. 'Go on.'

  'Mr Ellis was leaving Exeter International airport, the vehicle he was travelling in collided with a fuel truck resulting in the death of Mr Ellis and another person driving the vehicle, the vehicles caught fire all were lost.' He looked down at Kalika. 'I'm sorry Kalika, was apparently just an unfortunate accident.'

  Kalika slowly stood looking stone face daggers at her father. 'I spoke to him on the phone yesterday, he had been detained in London, he told me he had done wrong and was scared.' Winston was silent. She looked at him with reviled scorn. 'You bastard.'

  Winston and mechanic wore no hint of message within their faces. Kalika stormed toward the door, her sister stood and called to her but she slammed the door behind her. Winston looked mournfully at Cecelia. 'You best go console your sister.'

  She looked her father in the eye her own eyes on fire. 'You did this.' Winston was silent and still. 'Is there anything you would not do for power.'

  'Yes, for you and your sisters no.'

  'You are blaming us for the murder of a completely innocent man his only failing to love my sister.'

  'You assume much and know little.'

  'I know what he had done, he told us, asked us for help.'

  'You don't think I know those things.'

  'My god, you knew he had come to us for help.'

  'Yes.'

  'And you did nothing.' There was silence. 'No wonder I'm like I am.' She walked toward the door with her head bowed but hesitated just before grabbing the handle. She stood motionless for a few seconds then turned toward her father and walked back. She looked him directly in the eye fact to face, she half smiled and kissed him on the check gently. 'I would have done the same thing for you.' Her father kissed her gently in return, she walked toward the door but stooped half way, she didn't look round but asked a question. 'Is Peter safe.'

  'Should circumstances prevail absolutely not.'

  'You really are a bastard of a thing, harrowingly sad sometimes when you see yourself with your own eyes.'

  'Mirrors are handy sometimes when you need them.' Cecelia left and closed the door softly behind her, Winston looked at mechanic. 'Where did he end up, he was taken, doesn't sound like your work.'

  'They came out of nowhere, we were right behind him and lucky to avoid the accident ourselves, a chopper landed as the accident happened. I pulled Ellis clear he was injured and burnt but okay. All I can tell you is that it was a man called Hurst.'

  Winston squinted with a look of deep anger. 'Not surprising, everyone would be after him, it was no accident.'

  'You know this man Hurst.'

  'Thin faced collar length black hair about fifty years of age, wearing a black tie crisp white shirt' and black suit with black shoes you can see your face in. Obvious body holster for a large side arm beneath his suit jacket.'

  'Yeah, that's just about spot on like.'

  'You've struck him before but never knew he was there, man called Bruce Hurst. He would have been backed up by several other people of similar appearance.'

  'So you know more than I like, some blocked the road, two more helped this Hurst geezer, the truck driver went with the chopper, like a well oiled machine.'

  'Fortunately sounds like Ellis has fallen into the correct hands, he would be on his way to Australia.'

  'And if he talks.'

  'Either way he's finished, the organisation that has seized him is ruthless beyond comparison.'

  'We should worry.'

  Winston pouted and shook his head. 'No, should we need to know anything I'm sure it will fall from the sky.'

  'Fair enough, wish I knew a bit more.'

  'So do I, you now know as much as I.'

  'That's a worry.'

  'You may notice people similar to Hurst milling about the place, especially in public, if they have on gold rimmed ray ban sunglasses ignore them. Watch the girls like a hawk, you may not be the only one watching over them, should things still be unstable this time tomorrow I need know, they do not leave the premises.'

  'Since when do they take any notice of us.'

  'Since they weren't stupid, going on shopping trips because it annoys us is one thing, putting themselves in harms way when aware of mitigating circumstances is something they can work out themselves I'm sure.'