by Rachel Ennis
Sean’s smile was terrifying. ‘Jail? For shooting vermin on my own property? There isn’t a magistrate in Cornwall would convict me for that.’ He sighted down the barrel. The gun was perfectly steady.
Colour drained from Colin’s face leaving it sickly grey. ‘Hey!’ He squealed in panicked disbelief. ‘You can’t –’
‘Oh, I can.’ Sean was icy calm.
To Jess it seemed that time slowed. As Colin turned to flee, Tom lunged forward, his arm outstretched to try and deflect the gun barrel. Sean fired.
Caught on the edge on the blast, Tom hissed, clapping a hand over his upper arm.
Jess’s hands flew to her mouth as Gaynor screamed.
His body bucking, Colin sprawled face-down on the ground. ‘I’m hit! I’m hit!’
‘Bleddy hell,’ Tom winced.
Jess ran to him. Pulling his hand away from his shredded sleeve she braced herself. But instead of an ugly wound of torn flesh and welling blood, his arm was fiery red and streaked with grazes embedded with tiny bits.
As their eyes met, Tom’s bafflement matched hers. They both looked at Sean who was watching with cold detachment as Colin groaned and writhed. Then Sean glanced at Tom and his left eyelid flickered.
‘I’ll be damned,’ Tom murmured.
Gaynor stood frozen, her face bloodless as she gazed wide-eyed at her husband.
‘He shot me! He bleddy shot me!’ Colin was gasping, craning to see over his shoulder. ‘I’ll see you in jail for that,’ he spat.
‘I don’t think so,’ Sean said calmly. ‘Your wife might have turned a blind eye to your grubby little affairs.’ Jess saw blood climb Gaynor’s throat and flood her face. ‘But if this hits the papers do you think she’ll stay with the man who made her look a fool in front of her family, friends and clients?’ He shook his head. ‘She’ll file for divorce and take you for every penny.’
‘But you shot me! You can’t get away with that.’ His face contorted. ‘God, it stings like buggery.’
Val hurried round the corner. ‘There you are, Jess. Oh my dear life.’ One hand flew to her face. ‘What happened?’
‘It was an accident –’
‘No it bleddy wasn’t,’ Colin Terrell bleated. ‘He shot me.’
Tom moved to stand in front of Val, blocking her view of the man on the ground. ‘It was an accident, Val,’ Tom insisted gently. He tipped his head towards Jess and Gaynor who both nodded quickly.
‘But he needs an ambulance –’
‘He doesn’t,’ Tom spoke softly and fast, holding her gaze. ‘It’s not what it looks like. Sean will explain later. Colin Terrell got what he deserved, but I promise you he’s not badly injured.’
‘Please, Val,’ Gaynor pleaded, joining them. ‘An ambulance would make it official. The paramedics might have to involve the police. None of us wants that.’
‘I do!’ Colin yelled. ‘He bleddy shot me.’
‘Shut up!’ Tom snarled at him.
‘There’s a St John’s van on the field,’ Jess said to Val. ‘They’re trained.’
Unhooking the walkie-talkie from her belt, Val started to move away, holding it close to her mouth. Tom caught her and whispered. She looked at him, startled. He nodded, and Jess saw a smile flicker across her mouth as she turned away talking to the person at the other end.
Crossing to Gaynor, Jess asked quietly, ‘Are you all right?’
Fighting for control, biting hard on her bottom lip, Gaynor nodded. ‘I feel such a fool.’
‘Don’t. He knew you were vulnerable and he took advantage of that. You were just another tick on his list, Gaynor. He played you like a fish.’
As Gaynor wiped away tear with the side of her palm, Jess saw her flush as realisation dawned. ‘The bastard.’
Ending her conversation, Val hesitated then hurried into the farmhouse.
Tom went to Sean and gestured to the gun. ‘You finished with that?’ Sean held it out. Tom took it and crossed to Colin. ‘Me running round the corner made Sean jump. That’s why the gun went off.’
‘No such thing!’ Colin shouted, twisting onto his side and wincing. ‘He was aiming right at me.’
‘Why would he do that?’ Tom asked quietly. ‘Why would a decent man like Sean Stevens aim a gun at you? He’d need a bleddy good reason. Like you’ve been sniffing round where you got no business. Anyway, you had your back to him, running away like the rat you are. It was an accident.’ He prodded again and Colin yelped. ‘You say one word different and it will be all over the village that you can’t keep it in your pants. Who would hire a married man forever chasing other women? Amy will dump you and no one would blame her. So you’re better off saying it was just bad luck, all right?’
Colin looked up, a sneer twisting his mouth. But seeing the expression on Tom’s face, his bravado melted. ‘That’s not fair!’
Tom pressed the gun barrel into Colin’s injured buttock, making him squeal. ‘Fair?’ he hissed. ‘See the wheelchair? Think that’s fair? You got off light. You’re bleddy lucky he didn’t blow your head off. It was an accident. Say it.’ Colin muttered. ‘Louder,’ Tom put weight on the gun.
Colin squealed. ‘OK, OK, it was an accident. Where’s the paramedics? I’m in agony.’
Tom turned to Jess. ‘You heard that?’ He broke the gun and tucked it under his arm.
Jess saw a man and young woman in St John’s Ambulance uniforms hurry round the corner. Both carried a bag.
Gaynor had gone to Sean and was crouching beside his wheelchair, entreaty on her pale face as she spoke quickly. Sean gave a brief nod. Gaynor rested her head on his arm for a moment, then stood up and walked beside him as he wheeled himself to the top of the yard. They passed Colin Terrell and the two kneeling First Aiders without a glance.
‘Give us a hand, Jess,’ Tom murmured. ‘Best get the gun indoors.’ She wrapped an arm around his waist and he rested his uninjured arm over her shoulder. ‘Thank God for all the noise on the field.’
‘If anyone heard they’d think the shot came from the clay pigeon stand, or someone after rabbits in the woods,’ Jess said, uncertain which of them she was trying to reassure.
Val met them at the back door carrying a large plastic box covered with a clean tea towel and two two-litre bottles of milk. ‘The first aid box is on the table, the kettle’s boiled, and I’ve put one of Keith’s sweatshirts out for Tom. Sure you can manage? I can come back –’
‘No, Val. We’ll be fine. Try to pretend none of it happened.’
‘You’re dears, the both of you.’ Val’s eyes glistened. ‘I saw the change in Sean after Colin started working on the conversion. But I put it down to seeing another man doing work he’d have done himself before the accident. Then Gaynor seemed to be around more. I should have guessed.’ She raised her chin, suddenly fierce. ‘I’d have fired that gun myself. Right, I’m gone. Keith’s in the ring, thank goodness. The tractors are just starting their parade.’
‘If you see Viv or Mor –’
‘Don’t you worry about they. Soon as I’ve dropped these off I’ll go over and tell them Tom had a bit of bother and you’re looking after him.’
‘Thanks, Val.’
Jess supported Tom into the house, torn between anger and relief. As the adrenaline that had flooded her system began to recede, she felt shaky and on the verge of tears. ‘For God’s sake, Tom. What did you think you were doing?’
‘Don’t shout at me, Jess,’ he muttered. ‘I been shot.’
‘I know! I watched it happen! Don’t you ever frighten me like that again.’
As he looked at her, trying to smile, she saw his pallor and realised he was probably suffering from shock.
‘I love you, OK? I don’t – I couldn’t bear –’ She bent her head, her eyes burning, and blinked hard. He wasn’t badly hurt. It could have been so much worse.
‘Hey,’ he said with a gentleness that made her throat ache. ‘I’m all right – Well, I aren’t really, but near enough.’
In the big
farmhouse kitchen, she sat him down beside the table. ‘Let’s get your sweater off.’ She helped him, wincing in sympathy when he gasped. ‘I don’t think you’ll be wearing that again.’ Rolling it up she put it to one side, opened the first aid box, and took out packs of sterile dressings, bandages, cotton wool and sachets of antiseptic.
Filling a basin with warm water and antiseptic, she grabbed two clean tea towels from a drawer, rested his arm on one and with a soaked pad of cotton wool, gently wiped away the blood. Tom kept his head averted.
‘How is it?’
Messy, she thought but didn’t say. ‘Just flesh wounds, they’re not too deep. What is this?’ Reaching for a pair of tweezers she carefully lifted a crumb of hard opaque material out of one graze.
‘Salt,’ Tom said without looking, his gaze fixed on the dresser across the room.
‘What?’
‘It’s rock salt. Sean must’ve taken the lead shot out of a couple of cartridges and loaded them with rock salt instead. When I was small we had some trouble at the yard. It was just kids on the lookout for anything they could pinch. Father didn’t want to involve the police, just scare them off. The sound of him cocking the gun had them running. Then he fired both barrels. Noise was enough to waken the dead. He never had any trouble after that. You got to be standing pretty close for the salt to reach.’
‘Colin was only about nine or ten feet away.’
Tom nodded. ‘He’ll have one hell of a bruise from the fibre wad in the cartridge. And he was wearing cotton chinos not jeans so he’ll have a backside full of salt crystals. They sting like buggery,’ he sucked air between his teeth, grimacing, ‘and even if the nurse get them out, the pain will take a long time to wear off. Serve the bastard right.’
Jess’s heart still thumped against her ribs and her hands weren’t quite steady.
‘Did you know that when you reached for the gun?’ When he shook his head and she wanted to hit him. ‘What were you thinking?’
He glanced up at her. ‘I wasn’t thinking. I didn’t have time to think. I just wanted to stop Sean –’ As Jess snorted his voice hardened. ‘He’ve suffered enough. Him and Keith been planning this rally for months. The stalls are busy. Now the parades have started there’s people six deep round the ring. Everyone’s having a great time. I didn’t want a turd like Colin Terrell wrecking all that. If you want the truth I wouldn’t have minded if there had been lead shot in those cartridges. But Sean’s no fool. He wouldn’t want to risk the police getting involved. He just wanted to put the fear of God into Terrell. He done it, too. With people shooting clays, who’d notice a couple more bangs?’ He breathed in sharply as she probed.
‘Sorry. I’m being as gentle as I can –’
‘Don’t mind me, bird. Just get it done.’
‘When did you realise?’ Jess had removed eight salt crystals. Looking closely to make sure there were no more embedded in the wound, she put down the tweezers, bathed the fiery red grazes once more then used another sterile pad to pat the raked, angry-looking skin dry.
‘When he pulled the trigger and the gun fired there was no recoil. Then while Terrell was flailing around on the ground, Sean glanced over and winked.’
‘I saw that, but I didn’t know what it meant.’
‘Sean never meant to do more than scare him, but in a way he’d never forget and would make him look a bleddy fool.’
‘What if he does go to the police? Couldn’t they charge Sean with assault? I mean, he did use a gun even if it wasn’t loaded with real ammunition.’
Tom shook his head. ‘Just say it ever got to court, and that’s unlikely with all of us witnesses swearing it was an accident, the magistrates would look at Sean in his wheelchair, hear how Terrell taunted and provoked him. We all heard what he said. The point is Sean never intended to do serious injury. That’s how he didn’t use shot-filled cartridges. I reckon he’d be bound over or given a suspended sentence. But I can’t see it coming to that. Right now Colin Terrell is having rock salt picked out of his backside by a St John’s nurse. He won’t want that getting around. But you know what the village is like.’ His gaze met hers and he grinned.
‘You’re wicked, Tom Peters.’ She smeared antiseptic ointment on a large pad of lint then bandaged his arm.
‘Me? I won’t have to say a word. Val’s bound to have told Keith. Someone will have overheard. Right this minute word is going round the rally faster than any internet. Don’t tell me you feel sorry for him.’
‘Not one bit. He deserved everything he got. Maybe it will teach him a lesson.’
‘I wouldn’t hold your breath. Thanks, my lover,’ he said, watching her pin the bandage. ‘That’s some neat job.’
Jess gathered up the packaging and bloody pads and took them and the basin across to the sink. ‘I got a lot practice when my boys were young. Learning first aid was easier than trying to get a bus to A&E. I’ll make some tea.’
‘I don’t need that. I’m all right.’ He stood up.
Jess studied him. ‘You sure?
‘Positive.’
‘Is it still stinging?’
‘A bit,’ he admitted. ‘But that’s OK because I know Colin Terrell is hurting ten times worse.’ He put his undamaged arm around her shoulders, kissed her temple. ‘C’mon, maid. Let’s go. I don’t want Keith coming back finding me in his kitchen half-dressed.’
‘Here,’ Jess picked up the clean dark green sweatshirt Val had left folded on the kitchen table and helped him pull it on over his short-sleeved vest. She tugged it down then was suddenly still. ‘How did he know?’
‘Who? Know what?’
‘Tom, Sean had those cartridges ready to use. How did he know Colin Terrell would come to the yard?’ She saw it now. ‘Colin came up expecting to meet Gaynor. But it was Sean who had sent the text. That’s why Sean was waiting for him.’
Turning her towards him, Tom looked into her eyes. ‘So? Did you see Sean’s face when Gaynor said he’d shut her out and she was lonely? He knows he’s to blame. But what Terrell got was long overdue.’
Jess gazed at him. ‘You’re right. I should be ashamed of myself for saying this, but I’m glad I was there to see it. Val said Gaynor had made a batch of scones. Do you think I should –?’
‘No. If Val wants them she can send one of the boys up.’
Arm-in-arm, they made their way back through the crowds to the cake stall. Further along the row of stalls, Amy Terrell was packing away her cosmetics and manicure equipment, her carefully made-up face tight with anger.
‘I’m sorry I was so long –’ Jess began as they reached the table where only six cakes still remained.
‘Never mind that,’ Viv waved away the apology. ‘Is it true? Did Sean shoot Colin Terrell?’
Jess glanced at Tom and smiled. ‘Ask my hero here. He got hit in the arm.’
As Mor caught her breath and Viv’s eyes widened, Tom sent Jess a mock glare. ‘What happened was Sean caught Colin Terrell in the backside with a cartridge full of rock salt.’
‘Salt? He isn’t badly wounded then?’ Disappointment curved her mouth downward.
Tom shrugged. ‘He won’t be able to sit down for a good while.’
An evil grin spread across Viv’s face. ‘That’s all right then. No one deserve it more.’
‘You sure you’re all right, Tom?’ Mor asked. ‘Looking proper wisht you are.’
Jess turned to him. ‘Come on, we’ll go back to my place and you can put your feet up.’
Viv sniggered.
‘Hey, less of that,’ Tom said, cradling his arm. ‘I’m in pain here.’
‘Aw, want a bit of looking after, do you?’ Viv came from behind the table, patted his good arm then gave Jess a gentle push. ‘Go on, maid, take ‘n home and give ‘n something to eat. ‘Tis coming on lunchtime.’
Jess gave her a grateful smile. ‘Thanks. Could one of you tell Elsie? She’ll be wondering why I haven’t stopped by to see her and Tegan.’
‘I’ll go right t
his minute,’ Viv promised. ‘If you don’t mind, Mor?’
‘No, you go on. Ben’ll be back dreckly.’
Jess collected her coat and the box of empty cake tins. ‘Give me that Victoria sandwich, Mor. How was Frances when you saw her?’
‘She look some frail, but she said she’s coming on. She thanked me very much for the crumble and cream.’
It looked as if Annie had persuaded Frances that accepting a gift showed appreciation. It didn’t put her in debt. Jess handed over money for the cake and pushed her purse back into her pocket.
Jess put the sponge cake in a tin so it would stay fresh, put the cardboard box onto the back seat of the crew-cab, and climbed in beside Tom. ‘Could we stop at Frances’s. I just want to drop the cake off. It won’t take a minute.’
‘Course we can.’ He drove slowly out of the car park and onto the lane, easing past a stream of cars on their way in. ‘You going to tell her about her uncle?’
‘I’d be there all afternoon. I’ll ask if I can drop round next week and bring her a copy of everything I – we – found out.’
‘She’ll read it till the words wear out. There isn’t a pill that can give her what she’ll get from you.’
‘Get on.’
‘I mean it, Jess.’
Knowing he had no patience with empty flattery, his words filled her with warmth.
Holding the cake tin in one arm, Jess knocked on Frances’s door. Through the mottled glass panel she saw movement then a key was turned and the door opened. Mor was right. Frances did look frail. She wore no make-up but her hair was clean, and so were her heather tweed trousers and lilac jumper.
‘Hello, Frances.’ Jess smiled. ‘I hope you’re feeling better?’
‘Coming on,’ Frances nodded.
‘Tom and I have just come from the rally.’ She offered the cake tin. ‘It’s a sponge, to save you having to bake. I can’t stop now but would it be OK for me to call and see you one day next week? I’ve just found out your uncle Roy was a hero.’
Frances’s tired eyes widened. ‘My – really?’
‘Really. Along with some other men from the village, people whose names you’ll know, he did secret work during the war that they were forbidden ever to talk about.’