Water's Edge

by G R Jordan

  As they came over a rise in the path, Macleod saw the compact garden with the pond. There was a bench at one side and sitting there was a young woman. She was small, wrapped up in a hoodie which covered her hair but she had the curves of a woman. Macleod thought he saw her shoulders tense as she saw him and he stopped Hope and turned to his partner.

  “Maybe you should wait outside the garden, she is only expecting one person.”

  “Are you sure, Seoras, she did clock you last time?” said Hope.

  “I do remember, but she is obviously scared I don’t want her to run. She’s already tense from what I’m seeing.”

  “Okay, but I’ll keep you in view.”

  Macleod went on alone and watched the young woman as he approached. She was holding a can in one hand, probably a cider or beer, but it was too dark for Macleod’s eyes to see. He walked along the triangular perimeter until he found the gate to the garden. The neat path inside was markedly different to the large paths of the grounds and Macleod appreciated the effort put in to maintain this spot. Turning on the path, he stood beside the bench the woman was sitting on. He thought that she had played this wrong. With Hope on the outside and himself beside her, the woman would have difficulty making an escape. Of course maybe she didn’t want to.

  “You wanted to see me?” asked Macleod.

  “I believe you wanted me,” said the girl in a sarcastic tone.

  “Yes. I’m investigating Sara’s death, and you are one of her closest friends. Am I right in that respect?”

  “Friend. Do you think I ran away because I was her friend? He found out about us, he realised that she wasn’t what he had hoped for. Bloody bastard.”

  “Do you mind if I sit down?” asked Macleod, sitting before he received an answer. “Who found out?”

  “This man. This client. I told her not to do it but she never listened to anyone, Sara. The whole massage parlour business. I said it was whorish what she was doing but then Sara never saw anything wrong in using her body to get what she wanted.”

  “Did that bother you?”

  “Of course it bloody did. Do you know how shit it feels to hear your lover groaning away on another? And a man at that when you know she prefers women. Not that she would ever let that be known.”

  “This man, was he the one on the photo on your wall. The three of you were there in it.”

  The woman nodded. “You found that. I was hoping you might be a half decent cop. Bet you’re finding this place a bit dire after Glasgow or wherever you came up from.”

  Dire, thought Macleod, you have no idea. “Why did you hit me then?”

  “I thought you might be him. I couldn’t see you properly and hit you before I knew it was you. And then, well, I’d hit a copper.”

  “But I shouted Police when I entered,” reasoned Macleod.

  “And that means what? Absolute shit all. Still could have been anyone.”

  “Did you see him kill her?”

  “No. But I left them there. Out near the pier you are all getting excited over. Where all your teams and that are. It’s weird, copper, that pier is like sacred in a way. We did it right there. Many times. Out of the way and it became our place. And then he took that away when he took her too.” She broke down crying, sniffing hard and eventually spitting out the mess of snot that had built up in her mouth. There was nothing elegant in this mourning, nothing delicate. The girl turned and fell into Macleod’s arms and he almost panicked until he realised she was breaking down.

  “Let it out,” said Macleod.

  “She was mine. Do you understand? They didn’t own her, she was mine and every damn one of them wanted a piece of her. If it hadn’t have been for her mum, she would never have had bothered with any of them. She was mine!”

  The voice echoed around the small garden surrounded as it was on all sides. But beyond the sobs of this poor woman, Macleod heard something else.

  “I left him with her, I shouldn’t have left her. I shouldn’t have...”

  Macleod heard a cry from Hope. Standing up and turning, he saw a large man dressed in black with a balaclava coming towards him. Further up the path, he saw another man approaching as well as one beyond that, right where Hope had been.

  He reached down and grabbed the woman’s shoulder. “Get up and go. You need to go.” The girl was still sobbing and Macleod realised the man was close. A large stick was raised by the man and Macleod side-stepped as he brought it down. Throwing a punch into the man’s side, he found himself being pushed aside and the man was now closest to the woman. She cowered as she realised her situation and Macleod saw the beating about to unfold. He ran the few paces the man now had on him and threw himself at him. Together they tumbled into the small pond.

  Chapter 17

  Macleod rolled in the shallow water, fighting for purchase on the man. The brute was strong and Macleod took a knee in the side. Breaking the surface, he gasped before being hit on the shoulder. This broke the man free and Macleod fought the pain to scramble to his feet.

  The girl was running down the path, following the path down the river. Two men were in pursuit, followed by Hope. Macleod ran out of the small garden and followed, his feet splodging as he made his way beside the water. The river fell into small pools of calm before tumbling down rocks but the path descended slowly, its gravelly surface occasionally failing to give purchase.

  Macleod saw the girl scrambling out onto rocks, trying to cross the river. He was close now but Hope was closer and had caught up on one of the men in black. She grabbed him by the shoulder and Macleod saw him turn and catch Hope with an uppercut to the jaw. She rocked momentarily before grabbing the man and taking him to the ground.

  Macleod arrived and thought about assisting but the other man in black was jumping across rocks out into the middle of the water, right behind the girl. Jumping onto a grass covered rock Macleod nearly fell but recovered to throw himself onto the next one. He was definitely getting too old for this but the spirit drove him on. And then he saw the knife brandished by the man. He had the girl by the shoulder and the knife was raised.

  Flinging himself from the rock he stood on, Macleod leapt, stretching as far as possible and managed to get a hand on the man’s arm, causing him to tumble with Macleod into the river. The force of the river took hold and swept the two men over a small drop into an idle pool. Before he could react, Macleod felt two hands drive his head down into the water and his breath blew out in panic.

  He placed two hands above him, finding the attackers hands but with no platform, he could not drive them off his head. He felt his strength waning and the panic beginning to fill his body. His hands now sought purchase on anything and he grabbed something in the dark of the water. It was a leg. He placed a second hand on the leg and understood the orientation of it. Without hesitation, he moved his hands up the leg and found the man’s genitals. Then he squeezed as hard as he could, his life depending on it.

  The hands lifted from his head and he raced to the surface, desperate to grab some air. Gulping down the cool night, he saw his attacker climbing back out onto the side of the river. The knife was gone from his hands but he was moving back towards the girl’s location. She was now nearly across the body of water but the man seemed desperate as he reached the rocks that would carry him across again.

  Hope arrived without any other attacker in sight and Macleod watched her pursue the man onto the rocks as he made again for the girl. Reaching down, Hope grabbed his leg, causing him to fall. The man kicked out hard hitting Hope in the head. He heard her cry out and watched the man turn. He pummelled two hard blows to her head but she managed to keep fighting as the man stood over her, and swept his legs from under him by scissoring his legs with her own.

  Macleod was back on the edge of the river and climbed out, desperate to aid his colleague. The man had gotten to his feet again and was holding Hope by the neck. She looked woozy, as if she was about to collapse. Seeing Macleod, the man looked for the girl but she had disappear
ed on the far shore. The man swore to the night and continued to throttle Hope. Macleod ran hard towards the rocks and saw he could cut the man off.

  “It’s over,” blurted Macleod, his breath still struggling to catch up with his actions. “You have to get past me and your friends have gone. And the one you wanted is gone too. So stand down. It’s over.”

  “Like hell. I have your bitch, copper. She’s not doing so well.” He’s not joking, thought Macleod, she looks about to drop.

  The man held Hope at a distance and punched her twice to the head with a force that scared Macleod. “I guess I’m leaving, copper, you’d better get her.” With that, the man dropped Hope into the river. Macleod watched her fall, noting there was no scream, no effort to save herself. The detective in him wanted to go for the man but with the girl now clear of the scene, he had to save Hope. Macleod jumped into the water and swam after Hope’s floating body.

  Her body went over the small drop Macleod had fallen down previously and he followed. Once into the pool, he kicked hard, fighting to maintain the surface but reached out a hand and grabbed her leg. Her floppy sweater provided further purchase and soon he had her head. The river had diluted the blood on her face making a watery red cover but Macleod saw that wounds were still open. Supporting her neck, he kicked hard to the side of the river.

  As he pulled himself onto the rocks, he heard her moan. “Thank you, God,” he said out loud, and dragged her out of the pond onto the side. Looking around he saw no one. The river cascaded on and the gush of running water was constant but otherwise he heard nothing.

  Macleod took out his mobile but it did not work. He searched Hope for her own but again it did nothing, the water obviously affecting them.

  At six foot, Hope was actually slightly taller than Macleod, although more shapely. He thought she would be better at carrying him. He placed her before him and kneeled down taking her onto his shoulder. You shouldn’t say this about a woman he thought, but she’s damn heavy. Come on girl, hang on.

  Macleod stumbled along knowing he had a long walk back to anywhere that was not off the beaten track. He continued down by the river, mainly because going downhill was easier at this time. And then over the river he heard something. There was a giggle, definitely a giggle. Then a sloppy sound, like a kiss, but a prolonged one, not a quick peck. He saw a foot sticking out from behind a rock.

  “Whoever’s in there, we need your help,” shouted Macleod.

  A young man jumped up, maybe eighteen and was pulling his belt tight around his jeans. Behind him a girl emerged, dressing quickly.

  “What the hell? You bloody perv, you...” The man’s tirade stopped as he evidently caught sight of Hope’s bloodied face. “Oh God, Jesus, look at her. Man, what the...”

  “Have you a phone, son? A mobile, tell me you have damn mobile.”

  “Yes,” said the man pulling one from his pocket.

  “Nine, nine, nine, now! Ambulance now! Ring the damn thing.”

  Macleod collapsed onto the ground and gently laid Hope down. As he rolled over and laid on his back, he felt a hand grab his and a faint voice speak to him.

  “Shit Seoras, that bastard. Did she get away? Did she go?”

  “Yeah, she’s gone. They are too but not in her direction.”

  Hope tapped his hand and lay silent again. Macleod heard the young man on the telephone being questioned by the operator, giving out directions. He told the man he was Police and to relay that. And then he lay on his back, feeling the pain of where he had been hit. Rolling over again he looked at Hope, her eyes closed.

  “You still there? Talk to me Hope, talk to me.”

  “Yeah, still here. Wish I wasn’t but still bloody here. If I see that bastard again, I’ll castrate him. I must look like shit.” Hope didn’t open her eyes the whole time she spoke and Macleod could not help but worry.

  “Look at me Hope, open those eyes and look at me.” Macleod watched her turn her head and stare at him. “I’m sorry, I should have protected you. It’s not right a man hitting a woman. I’ve never had a female officer attacked with me before. I’m sorry.”

  “Shut up you dinosaur. I did more damage than you did.” Hope laughed and then choked a little. “God, that hurt.”

  “Hey mister,” said the young man, “that’s the ambulance and shit coming. Can I go? We shouldn’t be here. If her Dad finds out she’s been here...”

  Macleod laughed out loud despite the pain he felt. “What’s your name, son?”

  “Donald, sir.”

  “Okay Donald, did you see anything else before we arrived here?”

  “Eh, no. We were kinda, busy, you know.”

  “Second name, Donald, what’s your second name?”

  “Macleod.”

  Seoras laughed again, of course it was. “Did the operator get your details, address and that?”

  “Yes, oh hell, yes they did. They’ll come and interview us, man that’ll put us in the shit.”

  “Stay until the ambulance or someone gets here Donald, I’ll tell them to keep it quiet. You have been a great help.”

  Donald seemed relieved. “Thanks, man.”

  “No Donald, thank you, and Donald, next time, get somewhere a bit more salubrious for her. I mean it’s a bit rough and ready out here.”

  Macleod realised he was giving advice on mating to this man when he should have been outraged that they had been out here at all. Still, he thought, without them we wouldn’t be getting any help and it’s a blooming long walk back. God, you provide the weirdest support sometimes.

  The first responder to arrive was a policeman on foot, shortly followed by paramedics. Macleod waved away attention and pointed to Hope, who although quiet was still conscious. It was not long before she was being carried away on a stretcher by the local Coastguard rescue team, back to where the ambulance had been abandoned. Macleod was able to walk back, sore but generally in a reasonable condition. He had requested a search for the girl who he thought was still in great danger. As he reached the temporary shelter that had been erected at Cuddy Point the small slipway across from the town centre, he asked for the Police search co-ordinator.

  A man in a blue jumpsuit approached and he recognised him as one of the Coastguards.

  “Where’s our man? I was looking for the POLSAR.” asked Macleod.

  “Been handed to me as we don’t have a POLSAR here yet. I have teams from the Coastguard, Police and Mountain Rescue looking for her. We’ll try for the helicopter as well. Won’t be easy if she’s trying to hide.”

  “Okay. I’ll get out of your way.”

  “Thank you. And if you don’t mind me saying you should go and get checked out, they said you went under the water.”

  “Okay, I hear you. I’m going to see my colleague anyway, but thanks again.”

  And Macleod felt like a spare end. Allinson had seemed to get everything going in a place where he was struggling to work out how everything ran. Back in Glasgow, things would have been different but up here, Macleod guessed they had to use whatever resources were available.

  A car took Macleod to the hospital and he was taken in to Accident and Emergency to get checked over. Once the doctor was happy he was not at risk, Macleod made his way into the hospital and asked for Hope’s room. She had been transferred up from A&E for the night to get some rest and to be monitored.

  On arrival at the ward, Macleod was taken to a private room. The light was on inside and he knocked the door. On a positive answer, he stepped inside and saw Hope sat up in bed with a medical gown over her. The long ponytail of red hair was now gone and her feisty crown was now splayed over her shoulders. Macleod thought it suited her.

  “Hey, you okay?” asked Hope.

  “No slower than normal. You?”

  “Feel like shit. My jaws been pummelled, my head hurts and my body’s crying out but otherwise fine. It’s all just bruising thankfully. I wouldn’t have been surprised if I’d broken something.”

  “You took a pound
ing. Sorry, I should have stopped him. It’s not right.”

  “I’m a police woman, Seoras, this is part of the job.”

  Macleod shook his head. “It’s not right for a woman to be in the line of fire like that. Sorry, I know what you’ll say and what the boss will say but it ain’t right.”

  “Cut that now, or I’ll get angry. It’s a different world and I signed up for this, so shut it, sir,” said Hope standing up. “Is their canteen open? I’m starving. You can buy me breakfast.”

  “I’ll wait outside,” said Macleod.

  “Don’t be daft,” said Hope, turning around looking inside the small cupboards beside her bed. The medical gown with its opening at the back revealed a view of Hope’s bottom. He knew he should turn away but Macleod stared. She just looks so good.

  “There’s it.” With her back to him, Hope untied the medical gown, before wrapping herself in her dressing gown. Again Macleod told himself to look away but again failed. Only his wife had ever changed so brazenly in front of him. He remembered it well.

  Hope turned around and approached Macleod and placed a hand on each shoulder. She leaned forward and gently kissed his forehead. “Thank you. That was a lot closer than I ever imagined it would be.”

  Macleod saw her start to weep, her eyes becoming flooded and then she grabbed him, holding him tight. He held her and wrapped arms around her. He raised his hand and ran it through her hair in what he thought was a comforting manner. He gently kissed her forehead before tilting her head back to look at her. Her eyes, watering with tears looked back.

  He felt an urge to wrap this woman up in his arms and sweep her onto the bed. To love away all the pain she was feeling. She was so under his skin. But was she, or was it just the memories of his wife and their similarities at times that was causing this passionate revival? He didn’t know and just stared. Then Hope buried her head in his chest and cried.