Public Property

by Mandy Baggot

  ‘In case you’re thinking about making a run for it, let me tell you…there’s no one round here. You told me exactly what time the fishermen arrive and leave, remember? Anyway, I have no doubt I could out run you and we all know a bullet can travel a hell of a lot faster than both of us.’

  ‘Sasha, this is insane. You can’t possibly think you can kill me and get away with it.’

  ‘Yoo hoo! I’m the one holding all the cards here! Oh and the gun. I think I have the upper hand. I think I’m more likely to get away with doing it than you’re likely to get away from me.’

  ‘And when I’m dead? When Nick’s baby is dead. What then?’

  ‘I told you. He’ll be a little saddened, for a while. Then I will be there to pick up the pieces and step into your shoes.’

  ‘You sad bitch. You really believe that, don’t you?! You’re warped!’

  Bang! The gun went off and Freya screamed out loud, closing her eyes in anticipation of pain. Pain didn’t come and she turned around to face Sasha. The woman was stood, looking furious, the gun pointed to the sky.

  ‘If you make one more comment like that…one more…I swear to God I’ll blow you away.’

  Sasha’s teeth were bared, her expression wild and Freya’s heart sank to the floor. How was she going to get out of this one?

  ‘Get on the bridge,’ Sasha ordered, turning Freya back around and pushing her shoulder roughly.

  Tears running down her face, Freya reluctantly stepped onto the bridge and began to walk along it. She had never felt so terrified and all she could think of was Nicholas and their baby. The baby she hadn’t really wanted, hadn’t been planning for. The baby she now so desperately longed to protect.

  ‘So, what do you really know about these bridges, Freya?’ Sasha asked as she followed her across the wooden slats.

  ‘I…they were built by the Christian Fathers so people could get across the river to the churches in the area,’ Freya spoke quickly, trying to compose herself.

  ‘That’s right, they were. You see, since you seem to have made these bridges something of a muse, I thought I would look into what fascinated you about them.’

  ‘I just think the designs are wonderful and the rural location makes them even more spectacular.’

  Her lips were dry and the cold, winter wind was sucking the moisture from them as they walked. The clouds were even darker out here than in Mayleaf. There was a storm brewing.

  ‘Hmm, as I thought. You don’t really know anything about what happened here.’

  ‘Something happened here? What, like an important event?’ Freya inquired.

  ‘It was important to a lot of people at the time, yes. Stop!’ Sasha ordered.

  Freya shivered and did as she was told, coming to rest at the middle of the bridge.

  ‘Glory to the Father, leave sorrow behind and take hope from the past,’ Sasha spoke as she came up beside Freya and ran her fingers across the inscription on the side of the bridge.

  ‘You know what that means?’ Freya asked through chattering teeth.

  ‘Oh yes, I know what it means. And you’re going to find out exactly what it means.’

  Sasha produced the white cloth she’d been holding earlier. Before Freya had a chance to react, she pulled it across Freya’s face as a blindfold. She tied it tightly around the back of her head and Freya was then unable to see.

  ‘Sasha, please. Don’t do this. There’s still a chance to stop all this. We’ll forget about everything, no charges for anything. Just let me go,’ Freya pleaded.

  She was completely disorientated. She couldn’t see anything through the cloth at all. She felt sick and dizzy and her heart galloped.

  ‘Let’s duck underneath these railings and see if we can smell the water,’ Sasha suggested.

  She pushed Freya underneath the rails, holding her by her bound wrists.

  Freya let out a cry and held her breath, unable to get her bearings. She felt off-kilter, unable to balance.

  ‘The Christian Fathers were all a bit mad, Freya. Oh they were all very charity driven, a bit like you. But they didn’t like change. They didn’t like revolution, or growth of knowledge, or advances in the world. They built themselves a commune. A town within a town. They barred themselves from the outside world. But, one day, after months of meetings and deliberations, the authorities took it upon themselves to break into the commune and threaten its existence. The law couldn’t allow people to live against their rules, creating different values from the ones everyone else adhered to. They were warned, they were told they had to integrate,’ Sasha explained.

  ‘What happened?’

  If she kept her talking it would buy time and she could get a feel for her position on the bridge. She had to try and stay calm.

  ‘What happened? Well, the Christian Fathers just couldn’t live the way the rest of us do. After all, they believed we were all on the path to hell and damnation. So, they all congregated. All nine hundred of them, on this very bridge. They all dressed in black, all wearing white blindfolds. And, holding hands and muttering prayers under their breath, they all just…jumped. Just like that. A whole line of nine hundred people just jumped into the water.’ She loosened her grip of Freya, making her fall forward.

  Freya screamed. Sasha tightened her grip, holding on to her again.

  ‘And then there was nothing. No fighting for air. No flailing around in the water or struggling for breath. Just the sound of the crows overhead. Get the connection now? I thought it was fitting. I gave you a little insight into your demise,’ Sasha spoke, putting her mouth right up close to Freya’s ear.

  ‘Miss Kelly! This is the LAPD! Drop your weapon!’

  The sound of a voice through a loud hailer startled both the women. Sasha held Freya tighter and pushed the barrel of the gun hard against her temple.

  ‘You’re wasting your time, officers! I don’t care what you’re planning to do to me. She dies now!’ Sasha screamed.

  Freya could feel her heart beating hard against her chest. She couldn’t see anything but the white of the blindfold. The arrival of the authorities was doing nothing to quell her anxiety. They weren’t on the bridge. Anything could happen.

  ‘Sasha, come on. What’s going on?’ Nicholas yelled.

  Sasha turned her head. Nicholas was at the end of the bridge, in front of the police. He began slowly walking towards them.

  ‘Nick,’ Sasha greeted in a soft voice.

  ‘What are you doing here? What are you doing with Freya?’

  ‘I’m getting rid of her, Nick. For us. So we can be together. Oh, I’ve wanted to tell you so many times but it was never right. Something, or should I say, someone always got in the way.’

  ‘Sasha, let Freya go.’

  ‘I will. I’m going to…right into the river, just like the Christian Fathers. She loves these bridges. It’s only fair she gets an ending she deserves,’ Sasha replied.

  Freya felt Sasha’s fingers loosen and she slipped forward again.

  ‘I love you, Nick,’ Freya called.

  Tears were streaming down her face now as the reality of what has about to happen hit her.

  ‘Shut up, bitch!’ She released the safety catch on the gun.

  ‘Sasha, this is crazy. Come on, you don’t need to do this for us. Just let her go.’ He inched closer to them.

  ‘I have to do this. She will always get in the way. And now there’s a brat too. It will ruin everything.’

  ‘No it won’t. I promise it won’t. Just let Freya go and we can talk about this…together,’ Nicholas assured her.

  Freya could feel herself starting to hyperventilate. Her chest was straining from being held in a bent position and she didn’t know how long she could stay that way without having to move. But she couldn’t move. Sasha had hold of her arms, her wrists were tied and not being able to see was making the panic build.

  ‘You don’t mean that. It’s too soon. I’m not stupid. You would need time. That was the plan. I would get rid of h
er and give you some space and then you would realise it was all for the best. It can’t happen yet,’ Sasha said, shaking her head.

  ‘I don’t need time, Sasha. I just need you to trust me. You trust me, don’t you?’ He leveled a smile at her, gaining more ground.

  ‘Of course I trust you. I love you, Nick.’ She smiled back at him.

  Freya was crying hard now, unable to stop herself. The pain of the position she was in and the emotion of having to listen to Sasha’s declarations was overwhelming her.

  ‘Then if you love me, give me the gun and let go of Freya. None of this is important. You’re the special one, Sasha. We need to find a way to go forward from here.’

  Sasha nodded and took the gun away from Freya’s head.

  ‘Give the gun to me,’ Nicholas ordered.

  Sasha held the gun out to Nicholas and he took it. He disarmed it and held it above his head.

  ‘I’ve got the gun,’ he called.

  With that said, the police began to swarm onto the bridge.

  ‘Why are they coming onto the bridge? Get back! Get back all of you!’ Sasha yelled, her expression manic. She loosened her grip on Freya again, lowering her out and over the water.

  ‘Sasha, don’t be stupid. Let Freya go. I said we’ll talk about this.’

  Freya let out a scream. She felt like she was hanging on.

  ‘You don’t love me, do you? You still love her. I can see it in your eyes. I can see the fear and the love and the pitiful emotion. You don’t care for me at all,’ Sasha said, her breathing erratic and her hands shaking.

  ‘That isn’t true, Sasha. I do care.’

  Nicholas put his hand out in an attempt to grab hold of Sasha but she stepped back away from him.

  ‘Not enough,’ she replied through gritted teeth.

  She let go of Freya and sent her plunging from the bridge into the murky water below.

  ‘Oh my God! What have you done? Freya!’

  He looked down into the river, as he pulled off his shoes. Then, ducking under the railings, he dived down into the water.

  ‘Miss Kelly, you are under arrest. Tell her the details, Barney. And get some people down there or we’re going to be headline news for all the wrong reasons. I don’t want drownings on my watch,’ the female officer said, cuffing Sasha.

  Nicholas bobbed up from the dive and searched around for Freya, hoping she’d surfaced. There was no sign of her. He dived down under the water again. It was so dull and dirty, the visibility was practically non-existent. He came up for breath and filled his lungs. He desperately wiped at his eyes to clear the dirt from them and looked over at the bank.

  Clinging to the dirt at the edge of the river, with one hand, mud all over her face and the blindfold around her neck was Freya. She was breathing heavily, she looked weak, but she was alive.

  Police officers were just coming down the bank to assist them and Nicholas swam across the river to reach her.

  ‘Freya, oh God. Come on, let’s get you out of here,’ he said, putting his arms around her and bringing her closer to where their rescuers were starting to congregate.

  ‘My other hand…it’s still tied. I couldn’t get it loose. I…’ Freya said.

  She was freezing. She felt like a human Popsicle. Everything was numb.

  ‘It’s OK. You’re going to be OK. I promise, it’s all over now,’ Nicholas reassured. He grabbed hold of the bank and tried to help Freya from the water.

  ‘What about…the baby…do you think…’ Freya began.

  A police officer helped Nicholas pull Freya up from the water.

  ‘The most important thing is you, Freya.’

  ‘I know how much you wanted this baby, Nick. I really wanted it too.’

  Her head was muzzy and breathing was a struggle. She fought to remain conscious.

  ‘Everything’s going to be fine, Freya. I promise.’

  ‘Do you think it’s going to snow?’ she asked as the paramedic team hurried towards them.

  Thirty Four

  Crows filled her head. Crows, dirty water and people dressed in black. Their faces were hidden and they were leaping into the water, scores at a time.

  Freya snapped open her eyes and took in her surroundings. It was familiar. It was her and Nicholas’ bedroom. It was home. She was filled with relief.

  Willis climbed up onto her and pressed his cold, wet nose into her cheek.

  ‘Hey, boy,’ Freya said, stroking his fur as he turned around and around in circles.

  Everything hurt. It had been almost a week and everything still hurt. Just breathing made her chest ache and she had been confined to the bedroom, by order of Dr. Stone. She was sick of it. She hated being dependent on Nicholas to look after her. It was driving her crazy and, as sweet as it was he was seeing to her every need, what she really wanted to do was get up and get back to being the one who gave the orders.

  On the bedside cabinet was a plate of fish, potato and green vegetables Nicholas had made her for lunch. She hadn’t been able to touch it. Just looking at the food made her feel sick. Even though her stomach was empty.

  Her empty stomach. It growled on cue, as if to let her know it hadn’t been satisfied. Freya placed her hand under the duvet and smoothed the skin with her hand.

  Her abdomen wasn’t entirely empty. There was still a baby growing inside her and he or she was probably hungry too. Perhaps it was time to give healthy food a try.

  She looked over at the plate and nausea rose in her throat. Before she had the chance to think anymore about eating it, the phone rang.

  She snatched it up before Nicholas answered from downstairs.

  ‘Hello.’

  ‘And how is the patient doing today?’ Emma asked her.

  ‘Oh, Em, it’s great to hear your voice.’

  ‘How are you feeling? I rang late last night. Nick said you were asleep and I didn’t want to disturb you.’

  ‘I’ve been doing a lot of sleeping. If I sleep it means Nick has less time to keep on about me seeing a therapist to get over the trauma. I mean, which trauma does he want me to talk to them about? I could be having two hour sessions twice a week for the rest of my life and it still might not be enough.’

  ‘He’s so worried about you, Freya. You and the baby. He just wants to do what’s best.’

  ‘I know. But can you imagine what a field day any therapist would have with me? I can’t go there. I don’t need to go there.’

  ‘None of this is your fault. You have to keep focused on that. You’ve been let down by most of the people in your life. They’ve done that to you because of who they are.’

  ‘I know how to pick them, don’t I?’

  ‘Well, you can’t choose your family and as for Sasha…well it sounds like she did a very good job of being believable.’

  ‘Yes, she did.’

  ‘So, I suppose you aren’t really feeling up to a wedding at the moment. Have you rearranged the date?’

  ‘No, not yet. There’s been so much going on there hasn’t been a chance and we really want to do it properly.’

  ‘Oh well, I was hoping I hadn’t wasted a trip.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘I stopped by that Chinese you keep telling me about. I just had to see in real life. I got sweet and sour chicken balls, egg foo yung and beef in black bean sauce if you’re hungry.’

  The bedroom door opened and Emma appeared, a phone to her ear and a takeaway bag in her hand.

  Freya screamed. She leapt out of bed, sending Willis crashing to the floor and enveloped her friend in a bear hug.

  ‘Careful! Don’t do yourself an injury or Nick will never forgive me,’ Emma exclaimed, hugging her friend tightly.

  ‘I can’t believe you’re here! This is the best thing! You came all the way from Corfu? All ten hours and…’

  ‘And a stop in Paris,’ Emma replied, smiling.

  Tears were pricking Freya’s eyes as she looked at her best friend. It was so good to see her. She needed her.

&
nbsp; ‘It’s so good to see you and I love your hair that colour,’ Emma said.

  ‘It’s good to see you too. So, where’s Melly and Yiannis? They’d better be here.’

  ‘They certainly are. They’re downstairs with Nick.’

  ‘Nick knew, didn’t he? He knew you were planning to come over.’

  ‘How could I not come, Freya? After what happened to you I wanted to come straight away. Nick called me and told me everything and then it was all over the television and in the papers. But he said you needed some time. So we waited until he said you were feeling better. He arranged our flights and here we are.’

  ‘I’m starting to worry about his knack for concealing things from me,’ Freya stated.

  ‘I told him not to tell you because I knew you’d try to talk me out of coming all this way with Melly. And I wanted to come. I wanted to see you and your beautiful house and Willis. I think I caught a glimpse of him a second ago. I wanted to see your town and all the people you’ve described to me.’

  ‘Would you believe Brian quite possibly saved my life?’

  ‘Would you believe he’s selling t-shirts with “Baby Kaden says Go Maulers Go” printed on them?’ Emma asked her.

  ‘Actually, yes.’

  ‘I guess that’s what you’d call a “Brian Episode”.’

  ‘You’re getting into the Mayleaf way.’

  ‘So, do you want some of this Chinese food? Or have you already eaten?’ She indicated the plate of food on the nightstand.

  ‘That stuff? Get real! I’m coming down.’ She picked up her robe and wrapped around her.

  ‘Are you allowed out of bed? Perhaps we should check with Nick first.’

  ‘You are joking, right? I need to start reminding him who wears the trousers in this relationship.’

  When the two women arrived in the kitchen, Nicholas was holding Melissa in his arms and feeding her a bottle of milk.

  ‘Aw, would you look at that? He’s a natural,’ Emma said.

  ‘Hi, Yiannis, it’s great to see you,’ Freya said, kissing the Greek man on the cheek.

  ‘And to see you too,’ Yiannis responded, hugging her.

  ‘I thought you were breastfeeding, Em,’ Freya said. She stood next to Nicholas and looked down at the very contented Melissa.