by S G Read
He climbed up and pulled himself back over the edge. Then he looked round for a way back up the slope. Another root was just out of reach and he used the root Cally was still holding on to, as a foot hold to help him up so he could stretch up and reach it. When he was sure it would hold he lowered his leg to Cally.
‘Now you climb up me and you be careful! Boys have got more to get hold of!’
Cally climbed up and they found the ground good enough to climb up safely but half way up Cally stopped.
‘They'll be following!’ She whispered. ‘We've got to go across the slope!’
‘Which way?’ Drummond asked in the same whisper.
Cally lifted her head and saw another steep drop to her left.
‘We have to go that way.’ She whispered, pointing to her right. ‘There's another drop the other way.’
They traveled across the slope until the ground levelled out and they could start walking again.
‘This time we go carefully!’ Drummond ordered.
‘You're the one who nearly fell!’ Cally pointed out.
Drummond did not answer and they walked on in silence. They found themselves walking uphill and it was hard going.
‘How did you catch up?’ Drummond asked after twenty minutes, stopping for a rest and to listen as he did so.
‘We were in a cab coming up behind you when we swerved to avoid the girl they kidnapped!’
‘What girl?’
‘The girl who was in the car with you!’
‘I didn't see any girl!’ Drummond replied and spoke into Cally's face.
‘What's that smell?’ Cally asked. ‘I know! You've been drinking whisky haven't you?’
‘Near on a whole bottle as far as I can recollect.’ Drummond answered. ‘But it weren't my idea. Fatty did it to shut me up!’
‘Well, just don't you let me catch you drinking that stuff again!’
‘No way, it was horrible. I don't know how anyone could drink it. My pa used to drink it by the bottle full, then punch me for no reason and if that's what it makes you do I aint touching it again!’
‘I'm glad to hear it.’
‘Did you hit the girl?’
‘No but the cab crashed.’
Drummond walked on.
‘How come you caught us up on your own?’
‘I didn't follow the road, I ran up the slope!’
‘It was a good thing that tree was in the way then, or did you do that as well?’
‘No that was lucky or you'd been long gone. I was about to give up when I heard them talking and taking the car when they'd shifted the tree was all I could think of.’
‘You drove well.’ Drummond said then stopped her by gripping her arm.
‘What's up?’ She whispered.
‘I heard something!’ Drummond whispered back and they crouched down out of sight just in case.
Fromes waited at the edge of the trees for the fat woman to catch him up.
‘They ran in there!’ He said as she arrived, puffing well.
‘That girl- must have- nine lives.’ The fat woman said between rasping breaths. ‘When I get hold of her I'm going to make her sorry she interfered. Well, what are you waiting for?’
Fromes looked at her. The thought of putting a bullet into that mound of fat seemed quite pleasing but he turned and started to follow the footprints in the soft soil.
‘If they keep leaving a trail like this it will be over in no time.’ He said as he walked.
The ground started to slope more.
‘You go on.’ The fat woman said when the ground grew too steep for her to go on. ‘I'll go that way.’ She pointed to her left. ‘If they've gone the other way fire two shots in the air. If not they'll be heading towards me!’
The judge sat next to his telephone. He had heard from the patrolman who had been left with the woman used as a decoy. Now that the judge knew where to send the troopers he sent them in both ends of the road they were traveling on. All he could do was sit and wait. When the cab left Archie was left sitting outside the courthouse, soaking wet where he had been put. The judge had walked to the hospital to fetch him a wheelchair soon returned with it and two blankets to help him keep warm. Apart from the cold Archie felt very well, better than he had felt in years but he still wanted to be out there doing something! They sat in the judge’s chamber playing cards, waiting for news. Each time the phone rang they hoped for the best but feared for the worst. Every time it was just a report on how it was going. The troopers following up after the cab and patrol car. They found the injured cabbie, old Tom and the girl who had been the hostage. They sent them on to help the others as they were not in any danger. They found the patrolman, who told them that Dan and Barbara had gone off looking for the two children. He reported that the fat woman and Fromes were on foot as well and they were after the children as well! With that done he joined them to search. The second group of troopers were coming in from the other end trying to make sure no one passed them by spreading out to form a moving cordon.
‘Still no news of the children but the net is closing.’ The judge said as he put the handset back in its cradle.
‘I wish I was out there!’ Archie moaned. ‘I feel so damned helpless!’
‘I'd drive out there if I thought it would help but old fogies like us work better from behind a desk.’ The judge replied.
‘I don't want to be an old fogy!’ Archie complained, ‘whose turn is it to deal?’
Dan and Barbara followed the tracks until the ground started to slope then one set of tracks led off to their right while the rest went straight on.
‘One of them turned here and went to the left while the rest went right on down the slope.’ Dan observed.
‘I wonder who went left?’ Barbara asked.
‘From the depth of the tracks I'd say it was the fat woman.’ Dan replied.
‘Right, I'll follow fatty. I want words with her, and they'll be words best said when we're alone!’ Barbara declared.
Dan nodded, he knew better than to argue with her. They split up and were soon out of sight of each other.
Drummond looked out from his hiding place and saw the fat woman standing there not twenty yards away.
‘It's her!’ He whispered.
‘What do we do?’ Cally asked.
‘Wait until she goes, then we'll go that way.’ Drummond pointed down the slope behind them.
‘But what if it's a ravine again?’
‘If she follows us and starts rolling she'll go right over the edge, we just got to make sure we aren't in the way!’
Cally smiled at the thought on the fat woman landing on the rocks below.
‘I hope it's a cliff.’ She replied.
They waited and it seemed to take the fat woman ages to decide which way to go. When she was out of sight they crept away and started down the slope, making sure they went slowly this time. The slope grew steeper but kept going down, then it changed to a rocky slope they were able to climb down.
‘There's no way fatty could come down here.’ Drummond said as they climbed down.
They were very tired when they finally reached the valley at the bottom but they had no thoughts of resting! They walked on and on, looking for somewhere where they might get help but there was no one to help them. The light began to fail but they kept going, suddenly ahead of them they saw a building. They approached it cautiously but it was just an old barn. They looked at it, then at each other.
‘Are you thinking what I'm thinking?’ Cally asked.
‘Well we can't walk in the dark and it will be better than sleeping outside!’ Drummond replied. ‘I think we lost the other two. Well fatty anyway, there's no way she could make that climb!’
They looked for a safe but comfortable place up in the loft and pulled the ladder up after them. Once in the comfortable straw they talked for a few minutes then fell asleep. It had been a hard day!
Chapter 14
The fat woman walked across the slope without going
too near the steeper parts but saw no sign of the two children until she was clear of the trees. There she stopped to look down over a valley below. There she could see the two children climbing down. They were nearly at the bottom and well out of pistol range. She saw Fromes further up and caught his attention, then tried to signal to him where the children were. It took a while to make him understand then he started down after them but he was a long way behind. The fat woman was annoyed, she needed to get down there. That was one drawback to being fat, she was not good at climbing. Up was too difficult and down often proved too fast! Not wanting to be beaten she started walking, another plan taking shape in her evil brain. She saw the road and headed for it, at the same time she tucked the pistol into her cleavage. If she was caught, she hoped that no one would look there for a pistol! She stepped out onto the road and started walking down the hill. She knew the burning car was some way behind her but there was no sign of it or any smoke as she had come round the side of the hill they had been driving up, putting it between her and the car. All she needed now was a nice patrolman to give her a lift down the other side. She started to get annoyed, there was never a patrolman around when you wanted one!
Barbara followed the fat woman's tracks, they were easy to follow. She stopped and looked over the valley below, as the fat woman had. She saw Fromes climbing down but the two children were nowhere to be seen. -What now? - She thought. -Do I follow her or try to climb down?-
She waited for Dan to appear somewhere but there was no sign of him and it would soon be dark. She chose to follow the fat woman as he was sure she was behind the whole scheme, whatever it was. At least she now knew that money was involved but did Drummond? She reached the road, at the same spot the fat woman had reached it and started walking downhill.
Dan followed the footprints until the trail started to get steeper and steeper. Two sets of footprints grew further apart as they were going faster, whereas the one following their footprints probably did what Dan was doing and using the branches that stuck out, however small, to slow him down. He found evidence of Fromes passing, a broken branch which had not stood the strain. In fact there were several broken twigs. Then the trail dropped away sharply and Dan drew in an involuntary breath. What if they went all the way down? He scrambled down as far as he could and saw two sets of prints going across the slope with Fromes' prints, or what Dan assumed was Fromes' prints, crossing above them. Dan breathed a sigh of relief and started to follow the latest set of footprints, the light was starting to fail but he had no thoughts of stopping. When he reached
the spot where the children had hidden from the fat woman and had then turned to go the other way, he followed. Now he had to move slower as it was darker in the trees. He started down the slope and came to the rocks but by then it was too dark to be safe. He found a sheltered spot and settled down to wait for morning. As he huddled there, he wondered where Barbara was and how Samantha was. Samantha! Now he had a granddaughter again and come to think of it a daughter again. But he would never forget little Lucy! When all this was over a certain Alexander had a black eye coming and Dan knew just who was going to give it to him. Old or not!
Two troopers walked up either side of the road, they both saw the fat woman at the same time. Their aimed their rifles toward her as she was said to be armed and dangerous. She put her podgy arms in the air and walked toward them.
‘Its okay boys I've had enough of this God dammed mountain or whatever it is. A prison cell seems like a better place to be at the moment but I am not walking all the way.
One of the troopers searched her but not in the right place then he fired two shots in quick succession and waved her forward.
‘There's a car coming.’ He said. ‘We'll go to meet it. Where is your accomplice?’
‘Up the road a ways. You should find him soon, he's in a worse state then I am!’ She replied.
‘You go on Tim, I'll take her down.’ The trooper offered.
‘Okay John but watch her.’ The other trooper replied and waved the troopers who were watching from the trees forward, to resume the search, they needed to hurry as it was starting to get dark. That helped the fat woman's plan.
She was taken down the road at gunpoint and as they turned a corner, putting the searchers on their left, the car he had summoned arrived. The driver stepped out as the fat woman drew the pistol from its hiding place and disarmed the trooper with the rifle.
‘I ought to kill you really.’ The fat woman declared. ‘But I always was a softy. Walk!’
She took them into the trees on the opposite side of the road to the search area. When they were deep into the trees she hit one with the rifle butt. The other one turned but was too late and the rifle butt laid him out as well.
‘Nighty night.’ The fat woman said sweetly and returned to the car.
Darkness was going to be a problem but then which side of the state line was that valley. Soon they would be out of the state of their own accord and at her mercy. She smiled and turned the car round. All she had to do was wait until morning and go and get them!
The troopers saw Barbara and treated her the same as they had the fat woman but when the one remaining trooper on the road fired his two shots in the air no car came from behind. The only car that came was from the front and it was the patrolman who knew Barbara, he heard the shots and investigated. He was able to let the troopers know which side Barbara was on and she sat in the patrol car to rest, relieved when she knew that the fat woman was in custody, little knowing how short her stay had been.
Tom, the girl hostage and the cabbie were no longer there they had been taken to the hospital, there Helen and Dermot took charge of Tom and the cabbie could be treated for his injuries. The girl’s mother was there as well and there was a tearful reunion.
Night fell and everything stopped. The search was called off until morning and it was only then that they realized that they were two men missing. They drove up the road looking and both men appeared at the road side rubbing sore heads. They explained what happened and the car raced back to the temporary headquarters at the bottom of the hill, to tell them that the fat woman was loose again!
Dermot returned to the home with Helen, leaving Samantha asleep in the hospital. At least she was safer there, just in case anything else happened, she needed the rest. Helen and Dermot unlocked the resident's doors and listened to all their complaints about not having being fed all day. Some beds had to be changed and by now Dermot had pins and needles in his left leg, which was a hopeful sign. His weaker arm was no longer a liability and he was now a two armed one legged man with hopes of the other leg starting to work again soon. When they finally made it to their beds, Dermot was actually glad to be back in his.
Barbara on the other hand found it difficult to sleep and was soon awake studying a map of the area. She was shown the valley on the map and the troopers pointed out the state line. Once they were over there, until they committed a crime, the fat woman, who they now knew was Ethel Mountpurse, a trained child welfare officer, and Fromes the private detective were free to roam where they wanted. The children were another thing and it was arranged for another child welfare officer to be there when they were found, to take charge of them.
‘A lot of good she'll be against that Mountpurse woman!’ Barbara declared. ‘I need a lift! Who has a car available?’
The trooper who had charge of Ethel Mountpurse and who had been duped, stepped forward.
‘I have a car nearby, where do you want to go?’ He asked.
‘I'll tell you as we go, I'm not too sure myself at the moment.’ Barbara replied.
Drummond woke. It was light and he lay there for a few seconds, something had woken him he was sure but what was it? A sound below him caused a shiver to run up his spine. He put his hand over Cally's mouth and shook her. She opened her eyes and tried to speak and he signaled her not to. They both listened. There was the noise again. Someone or something was down below! They inched their way to be able to see down b
elow them and saw a fox searching for food below. They watched it for a while, then it suddenly pricked up its ears and fled.
‘Someone's coming I think.’ Drummond whispered and looked for a gap in the weatherboarding, to see if he could find out who it was. He saw Fromes walking towards the barn. ‘It's the little man and he's coming towards the barn!’ He whispered urgently.
Cally squirmed over to him and looked out, then looked round the barn for anything that might help.
‘You go over there behind that hay bale and I'll go opposite you. When he's right under it I'll tell you to drop it on him.’ She replied.
‘How will you let me know when to drop it?’
‘I'll hold my hand up then let it fall. When it falls you drop the hay.’
‘He might not find us.’ Drummond argued.
‘He's a private detective for God's sake!’ Cally retorted. ‘If he doesn't find us in here then it means he isn't very good! He found you!’
‘And my dad!’ Drummond added. ‘I wonder if he killed my dad.’
‘Him or that fat woman.’ Cally replied.
‘They did me a favour, whoever it was!’ Drummond added. ‘Now I've got a proper family.’
Drummond took up his position and waited. Cally hid opposite him her hand raised and watched Fromes, as he searched below. He walked from place to place too quickly for them to drop the bale on him and never stood out in the open for long. Cally began to despair. Her arm grew tired but there was no way she could put it down again or Drummond would push the hay bale down and Fromes would know they were there. As Fromes walked along underneath Drummond, Cally broke a small twig with the hand that was down. He stopped in mid stride and turned to look toward the noise. She broke another twig, he smiled and took a step forward.
‘You might as well come out.’ He said and drew his pistol. ‘I can shoot pretty patterns through the straw all day until I hit someone.’