by S G Read
‘They were warned! How many judges did you try?'
'Just the one but I had to explain to him why we wanted it and then it was some time before he agreed to sign it.'
'Then the judge who gave us the warrant must have warned them, Grogan.’ He complained.
‘I did not know if he was on the take so I told him he was the third judge I tried?’ Grogan declared. ‘I told him that just to find out one way or the other.’
‘Well if we want them warned about something we'll use him again, if not it has to be someone else. They probably have the girl in one of their cars driving her around until we have gone.' Lieutenant Stone replied. 'They might even have somewhere else to keep her. We will go back and see if we can't find another property they use. We will also stop and search all of their cars when we find one.’
Cally fought with the wire to free her other arm and finally pulled it free but in doing so the end of the wire hit the inner tube and it started to hiss. She put a finger over the hole in an effort to stop the air coming out but it was no good. As she floated along the inner tube grew smaller and smaller leaving her to the mercy of the river. Her feet were still entwined with the wire, she wriggled and shook as best she could but it would not drop off. She let go of the inner tube and swam again but she was tiring. Her head slipped below the water and she fought to get to the surface again. When she did she filled her lungs with air before she slipped below again. She wanted to see her pa before she died but it looked like that would not happen now. Her mother’s face appeared before her and she heard her say.
‘Come on Calliaster dinnertime.’
The name Calliaster, made her fight her way back up to the surface with the last of her strength but she was only able to half fill her lungs before she slipped under again. It was then she lost consciousness.
Drummond pedalled furiously trying to catch the drifting Cally, he had to cross the bridge and go down the towpath on the other side to keep near the river and that took more time than he wanted it to. He found the gate locked and he had to kick it open. He gave no thought for his own safety he just wanted to save Cally, Caleb had told him to look after her and so far he was failing badly! When he came to a straight stretch of water he looked but there was no sign of Cally or the inner tube. He rode on looking for sign of her until he came to the next corner; surely she had to be here? Still there was no sign of her! He turned the corner and pedalled on. He stopped on the next corner to look carefully and saw the deflated inner tube in the slower current snagged on a branch. For a moment, his heart almost broke, then he shouted at the river.
‘No you can’t have her! She’s here somewhere and I’m going to find her!’
He pedalled off and started a closer search downriver, going as far as the next lock. With no sign of her, he started back up stream, looking at everything as he went, leaving nothing to chance. He saw no sign of her and found himself back at the bridge again. Twice he had seen Clo’s men searching for her as well and had to hide. Here he dismounted and pushed his bicycle under it to look under there, it was a faint hope and there was no sign of her. He heard voices on the bridge above him.
‘If we don’t take her back the boss’ll likely kill us!’ He heard Barney say.
‘Us! I weren’t in the room doing God knows what to her!’ Marco replied.
‘I told you; I didn’t do anything!’ Barney remonstrated. ‘She hit me with something and it smashed my nose!’
Drummond smiled in the darkness under the bridge, and then stopped smiling when he realized that Cally was probably dead. Drowned in the river or at best drowning somewhere and he had failed to find her. A tear ran down his cheek.
CHAPTER 7
Cally gave up the fight, her lungs were bursting but she was too tired. The cable had moved down and all but immobilized her legs. Both arms were free but they had no strength left to support her. She stopped trying to fight her way upwards and started to sink down into the depths of the river. She was unconscious when she started to rise back up, lifted by a boat hook tucked in her dress. The man on the other end of the boat hook guided her to his boat and dragged her up onto it. Not easy for him as he was no longer a young man.
Cally lay still for a few moments with him watching not knowing what to do next, then with a loud cough she ejected a stream of water, followed by several large gasps for air as she fought her way back from the darkness that was going to be her death! As she coughed, her arms flailed about as though she was still in the water, then her arms stopped. She lay there in the well of the boat for a few seconds before she opened her eyes. She tried to speak but it came out as a gurgle and caused her to cough deeply and repeatedly.
‘Who are you?’ She asked when she could get the words out.
‘Dan, that’s who I am, what were you doing in the river lass?’
‘I fell in.’ Cally replied.
It was not a lie, just a simplification.
‘Who tied you up then?’ Dan asked.
Cally looked at the wire round her legs.
‘Oh that! I just got tangled up with it when I fell in.’ she wriggled to free herself from the wire but it still did not budge
Dan helped her to free herself from the wire and left it in the well of the boat.
‘Come on there’s a towel below.’ Dan offered and waited for Cally to stand but she couldn’t.
He lifted her up and carried her down below.
‘Take those wet clothes of lassie and I’ll find the towel.’
‘Do you only have one?’ Cally asked out of curiosity.
‘There is only me! How many towels do you think I should have?’ Dan answered.
‘We had loads at home.’ Cally explained.
The ‘had’ was a slip and Cally knew it but Dan seemed to ignore it. He stood with the towel waiting but Cally felt a little embarrassed and Dan eventually realized that.
‘I’ll wait on the deck; there are a few things in the drawer that might fit you.’ He said and left her the towel.
Cally let her torn wet dress fall on the floor and dried herself. Then with the towel round her she looked at the things in the drawer. Ordinarily she wouldn’t have been seen dead in them but as they were all that was available she tried them on. The dress was a tight fit but it fitted. She looked in the dirty mirror and winced, she looked like a girl!
‘Are you decent?’ Dan asked.
‘Yes.’ Cally called up, in reality, she wanted to ban him from looking at her but it was his boat.
‘You look just as pretty as my Lucy did in it.’ Dan said when he saw her in the red dress.
‘Who was Lucy, your daughter?’
‘No, my granddaughter. The river took her, that dress is all I have to remind me of her but you’re welcome to wear it. In fact you remind me of her.’
‘What happened?’ Cally asked, not knowing what old wounds she was opening.
‘I don’t like to talk about it!’ Dan said sharply and walked into the little kitchen. ‘Do you want something to drink?’
‘Yes please.’ Her throat felt sore after drinking, what she considered, was most of the river.
‘Will orange do? It’s all I have.’
‘Orange is fine. Is this a boat?’
‘Yes, what did you think it was?’
‘Is it moving?’
‘No it’s a houseboat. I moored it here to be away from people! The only folks I see are the ones who go by in their boats and that’s just the way I like it!’
‘Why? Don’t you like people?’
‘No and they don’t like me!’
‘Why don’t you like folks?’
‘Will you stop asking damn fool questions and drink this!’
‘There’s no need to swear.’ Cally retorted.
Cally stopped talking and drank the orange. As bad as it was, she was grateful for it, as it soothed her throat. As she drank she looked about the houseboat. The windows were too dirty to see through, which meant she was safe here, for a little while anyway
. She tried to picture the river but she couldn’t remember a houseboat on it, however much she tried and she had played on the river bank with her friends many times. That was where the entrance to the storm drain was, set in the riverbank.
‘How long has it been moored here?’ She asked, willing to risk annoying Dan again.
‘Ten year give or take a month, I’ve lost track of time just lately.’
He poured himself a large drink but his drink was not orange, it came from a whiskey bottle.
‘When you’re fit you can go ashore but it’ll have to be in your dress as it is or when it’s dry, as that is all I have left to remind me of my Lucy.’
‘I’ll wait until my clothes are dry then, that’s if it’s all right with you?’
‘Fine by me but won’t your folks be worried?’
‘Mum won’t, she don’t live with us and pa’s visiting at the hospital.’
Dan poured another whisky.
‘To Lucy.’
He raised his glass in a toast and downed the contents. When he tried to refill the glass he found the bottle was empty. He searched the kitchen cupboards, one by one but didn’t find another bottle. Cally suddenly felt very sorry for Dan, he seemed a bitter, burnt out shell of a man, in constant sorrow.
‘I’m sorry if I said anything I shouldn’t have.’ She said contritely.
‘It’s not you lass; come to think of it, do you have a name?’
‘I’m Cally-’ she said it without thinking but stopped before she added her surname, ‘Cally Archibald.’
Archibald was the surname of one of the friends she played with and she thought she would borrow it.
‘Daniel Craigrose at your service, Cally Archibald, it is Dan to anyone who knows me!’
He put the empty glass down and sat next to her. This was the second person to sit beside her today but at least this one did not smell and he did not seem to have the same plans for her.
‘So what’s your story Cally?’
Cally thought over what had happened up and until then and tried to tell a story that would fit what Dan had seen.
‘I was playing on an old car tyre held up with that wire which ended up wrapped round my legs but the wire broke and I fell in the river. The wire tied me up sort of. Then it goes and busts the tyre as well. I couldn’t fight the current anymore I thought I was going to drown.’
Cally shed a tear, the first of many that were about to flow. Her dad was in hospital, he might be dying and try as she might she could not get in to see him. Men wanted to hurt her, why she did not know, it was all too much for her. Dan instinctively put an arm round her shoulder. She snuggled up to him and cried.
Drummond waited until Clo’s men walked away and thought out a plan. Clo wanted Cally and with the amount of men he had to look for her he was sure to find her first, if she had not drowned already. Drummond followed the two men at a distance, as they walked down the towpath looking in every dip in the bank and every bramble patch on their side of the river as they went. They continued until they reached the lock. They crossed over the lock gate and spoke to the lock keeper. By now, the inner tube had reached the lock and the lock keeper showed them where he had put it after fishing it out but he had seen no girl, dead or alive.
The two men started along the other bank going back up river but here there was thick woodland, sharp briers and swampland. In the end they turned back, crossed the lock and walked back up the towpath to their car. The houseboat set back into the bank on the other side of the river, seemed invisible to them, as well as Drummond.
The two men drove back to the Dolphin prepared for a showdown with Clo in time to see the police leaving.
‘Looks like we missed some fun.’ Marco said as they sat in the car across the road waiting until the police left.
‘They must be after the brat as well!’ Barney replied. ‘Next time I meet that girl there won’t be any pleasantries.’ He warned. ‘She’ll know what I want straight away and then Harry can watch her drown!’
‘If she hasn’t drowned already!’ Marco argued.
He drew the line at killing children but crossing Clo to keep his moral stand, had to be well thought out. He had done it before and survived. It did not save the kid but now Clo knew, where Marco stood on the subject.
They drove into the car park and took the elevator up to Clo’s office. Emil Shultz was still there, waiting.
‘How did the shopping trip go?’ Clo asked.
‘We lost her in town but everyone will keep their eye’s open for her then we’ll go and pick her up!’
‘And all the shopping paid for with my money no doubt!’ Clo added.
‘We’ll go back and keep our ears open.’ Marco offered.
‘You do that! If anything happens to her heads will roll!’ Clo replied.
It was more than a threat. He was already fed up with Shultz’s presence; until he was gone, he had no way of planning things to find the girl and the money! Harry Drew was driving around with Shultz’s bodyguard Michael on board, trying to avoid finding Toby, while Larry was driving around trying to find Toby and take him to where Bertram Dill was waiting for his final trip.
Larry knew where to look. He found him in a brothel, one he regularly used. He was in bed with one of the prostitutes. He dragged Toby out of bed.
‘You’re wanted.’ He said without expanding the explanation.
He dumped Toby unceremoniously on the passenger seat then drove off toward the warehouse.
‘What’s going on?’ Toby asked.
‘Shultz paid us a visit, in fact he is still there waiting for a result.’
‘Trouble?’
Larry nodded.
‘Clo sent Dill to the warehouse and he’s worried he’d be found. You’re to wait there with him!’
‘You could have waited until I finished! She’s a sweet little thing. New, just in from the country, still wet behind the ears and ready to please. Will I get back there tonight?’
‘Oh yes you’ll be free tonight!’
Larry parked the car and walked up to the warehouse door followed by Toby. After he unlocked the door, he stopped to let Toby get in front of him. As soon as Toby was inside Larry clubbed him to the floor using his clenched fist like a hammer. Toby fell down and did not move again.
‘Sorry Toby but it’s the boss’s orders.’
He mixed up concrete while the gagged Bertram Dill watched, his legs encased in concrete. Larry tipped him out off his chair and after thumping the tin bath several times, pulled it from the concrete round Dill’s feet. He stuck Toby’s feet in the bath and mixed up more concrete. He poured the concrete on to Toby's feet and then checked Toby. He was surprised to find him waking up! He hit him again and then tied him in the same position as Bertram Dill had been. He locked the warehouse leaving Dill lying on the floor. Bertram struggled against his bonds and freed his hands, Larry was not worried about that happening, Dill was not going anywhere with his feet encased in concrete.
Dill rubbed the life into his pale hands and then tried to break the concrete round his feet but it was too hard already. He sat and thought for a while then dragged himself, concrete block and all, over to Toby. He tried to reach to feel for a pulse but he could not. All he could do was wait and hope Toby would wake up before the concrete round his feet had gone off too far.
Cally composed herself and looked up; there were tears in Dan’s eyes.
‘It was my fault she died,’ he said bluntly, ‘I was drunk or I’d have saved her. I let my own granddaughter drown!’
‘You didn’t do it on purpose though did you?’ Cally asked. ‘Why did you get drunk when she was there?’
‘That’s the trouble I didn’t know she was here. Her parents, my daughter and her husband, were taking Lucy out of state to live. They went thinking Lucy was in the back of their camper but Lucy had hidden in my bedroom, she didn’t want to go out of state either. They came back to find her and I was drunk, drowning my sorrows at losing her. They found
her body the next day and they’ve never forgiven me!’ He looked at the empty bottle. ‘In fact I’ve never forgiven myself; I just had to stay sober that night and it would have been alright!’
He walked to the steps that led up to the deck.
‘I have to go out. I won’t be long.’
He jumped onto the bank and disappeared into the trees. Cally sat looking for a few seconds. Now that she was alone she dried her hair and ventured onto the deck. Across the river, she saw two of the men who had been involved in her kidnap. The smelly man, who now had a bloody nose and the man who had been outside the door. She thought of retreating but instead, she watched them until she was sure they had not seen her. Content that they were not coming to the boat, she returned to the cabin. She was tired after her ordeal and relaxed on the bed, after what she had been through it was no surprise that she was soon fast asleep.
Dan walked to town; he had money in his pocket and a giant thirst. He passed the first liquor store he came to because he owed money in there, so it was best to walk on. He walked to the next one and walked inside. He put his money on the counter and eyed the bottles behind it. The storekeeper’s look changed when he saw that Dan had money. Dan looked at the bottles, as he did so it all came back the shaking to wake him up. The realization that Lucy was dead, the recriminations, the empty feeling it left. A feeling that only a bottle seemed to help. On the end of the counter, he could see a broach and Dan pictured Cally wearing it on Lucy’s dress.
‘It would look fine.’ He said aloud.
‘What would Dan?’ The storekeeper asked.
‘Oh nothing: Just being a silly old man. How much is that broach?’
‘It’s expensive; seventy cents to you.’
‘How much to anyone else?’
‘Do you want it or not?’
‘I’ll give you 50 cents for it.’
‘I can’t go giving my stock away, my wife will make my life hell! 65 cents, no lower.’