Run Cally Run

by S G Read

  ‘Lose the piece!’ He said in his best gangster voice.

  ‘Holding a gun and using it aren’t the same!’ Michael retorted.

  Bertram aimed at Michael's ear and fired, the bullet just caught his arm.

  ‘The next one goes low!’ He warned.

  Michael did not hesitate; he dropped his pistol on the floor.

  ‘Now strip!’ Bertram ordered.

  ‘What?’

  ‘You heard me. We might as well be on equal terms!’ He pointed the gun in the general direction of Michael’s stomach. ‘If I don’t hit what I aim at this time it’s sure going to make a big hole somewhere!’

  Michael stripped without any further argument.

  ‘Now kick the gun over to me and sit.’

  Michael did as he was told, then looked round, the only seat was the toilet and he sat on it. Dill leant over and picked up Michaels pistol.

  ‘You’ll pay for this!’ He replied.

  ‘I’m sure I will. But then I’ve already paid in a way and I’m fed up with being pushed around! Do you know how I’ve spent the last couple of days?’

  Michael could have no idea but Bertram intended to enlighten him. He was a captive audience and Bertram wanted to soak in the bath longer. As Michael was one of Shultz’s, main ear pieces, telling Michael was as good as telling Shultz himself. There was no way Bertram would be able to keep Shultz quiet long enough to get out the whole story without holding him at gunpoint as well. He laid the pistol on top of the towel.

  Constable Toms walked up to Captain Wells.

  ‘I think I just saw Barney Taylor behind a house across the street.’ He announced.

  ‘And what were you doing over there?’ Wells asked.

  ‘I took some food over to the lads in the barn and just sort of had a wander, he answered carefully, ‘I wanted to see who was about.’

  ‘Did he see you?’

  ‘No he was heading for the John.’

  ‘Well, sort of wander over there again without being spotted and have a count up for me. It would be nice to know how many we’re going to have to deal with.’

  ‘Yes Captain.’ Toms answered and walked back out.

  ‘So they’re here then!’ Stone said with the hint of a smile.

  ‘We knew they would be, didn’t we? It’s going to be a help to know how many there are, when all hell breaks loose.’ Captain Wells answered.

  Cally saw Constable Toms walk across the street and stopped. She recognized him from back home. She had earned a clip round the ear from him a few times when she was with her gang. The garden behind her had a hedge and she ducked behind it to watch him. He walked to a barn, went in and after a few seconds came out and walked away. She watched him circle and come up behind the house which had the car parked behind; he stopped and started making notes.

  ‘What are you doing?’ A voice asked from right behind her.

  Cally jumped, her heart beating fast.

  ‘Don’t sneak up on people like that!’ She hissed at the little boy who stood behind her.

  She judged him to be around six years old.

  ‘It’s my garden!’ The boy replied. 'So I can do what I want! Who are you watching?’

  ‘I’m watching some very bad men over the road and if they find me they’ll hurt you, as well!’

  ‘You can hide in my room, you can see better from there.’ He pointed to his bedroom window.

  ‘What about your Ma?’

  ‘She’s just gone down the store.’

  ‘You mean there’s only one store?’ Cally asked.

  ‘We only want one.’ He answered. ‘How many stores do you have where you live then?’

  ‘I don’t know I’ve never counted them but there must be a lot, I know I pass them on the way to school.’

  ‘I bet!’ The boy said in disbelief. ‘You’re just saying that. Where do you live?’

  ‘Chicago.’

  ‘Is that bigger than here?’

  ‘It’s bigger.’ She assured him. ‘Are you sure that it’s all right to go up to your room?’

  ‘Yes. Come on.’

  The boy led the way indoors and up to his room. Cally looked round the room then squatted in the seat by the window. From here she could see what was going on. Constable Toms was still taking notes; he stayed there some time before he slid back away from the house and walked to another house. Cally had expected him to go back to the barn and it threw her. She thought about it.

  ‘So, some of the police are in the barn and the rest in the house across the street. The bad guys are in the house, with the washing out back.’

  Saying it out loud made the boy wonder what was happening.

  ‘Are we playing cops and robbers?’ He asked.

  ‘Yes, sort of; we have to work out a way so’s I can get into that house over there.’ She pointed to the rest home. ‘Without the cops, or, the robbers knowing I’ve gone in there.’

  ‘I’ll get some paper to write on.’ The boy replied.

  When he returned, he laid the paper in front of her.

  ‘I’m Jake, what’s your name?’

  ‘Ca-’ Cally remembered that she was dressed as a boy. ‘Carl.’

  ‘That’s a funny name for a girl!’ Jake replied.

  Cally laughed.

  ‘All this time I’ve fooled people into thinking that I am a boy and you see right away that I’m a girl. I’m Cally. I think the cops and the robbers are all after me!’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘I think it’s something to do with this!’ She showed him the key on the string round her neck. ‘Will you look after it for me, in case I’m caught?’

  ‘Okay.’ He took the key and put it in one of his drawers.

  ‘Remember I’m looking after that for my Pa and I promised not to lose it.’ Cally added seriously.

  ‘I won’t lose it. I won’t even tell John.’

  As he was six years old, she was loath to ask who John was but she did.

  ‘Who’s John?’

  ‘He’s the paper boy and he’s my friend. He stops in for cookies every morning when he’s delivering his papers.’

  ‘Oh.’ Cally expected it to be an imaginary friend like her friend’s younger brother had. She returned to looking out the window.

  ‘I got the paper, what do we write?’

  ‘Can you write then?’

  ‘Of course I can.’

  He proceeded to do a large ‘A’, which took up half a sheet of paper.

  ‘So I see.’

  Cally took the sheet of paper, the boy offered her.

  ‘Why are you dressed like a boy?’ The boy asked.

  ‘Because they are looking for a girl, of course,’ she answered, ‘it seemed the right thing to do.’

  Cally sat looking out of the window, a pencil in her hand waiting for an idea. Below a door slammed and Cally tried to hide under the bed.

  ‘It’s only Ma.’ The boy explained.

  He ran to the door.

  ‘I’ll see if she bought some sweets.’ He called back.

  Cally heard him clatter down the stairs and waited for him to return, she wondered if he would tell his mother that she was up there. If so, she was likely to be thrown out any minute. She waited but nothing happened. A little later he came back up and gave her a sweet.

  ‘I told Ma it was for my new friend, she thinks you aren’t here really.’

  Cally smiled. As she smiled, an idea came to her. She sat there and thought it through carefully, then satisfied it could work she relaxed.

  'You say this John is your friend?' She asked.

  'Yes.' Jake answered.

  'I could pretend to be him and get into the house that way.'

  'But he only puts the papers in the box outside, he doesn't go inside.' Jake argued.

  'But the bad guys don't know that, do they?'

  'I don't know.' Jake answered.

  'I think it is worth a try, I'll ask him tomorrow morning.'

  'What are you going to do unti
l then?' Jake asked.

  ‘Can I sleep here tonight?’

  Jake smiled.

  ‘Okay, there’s a bed in the attic but don’t make any noise, or Ma will hear you and she’s got a gun!’

  CHAPTER 19

  Bertram recounted the whole story as it had happened. He had found Dermot out but Dermot had been hit by a bus, before they could recover the money. Now they were trying to get hold of Dermot’s daughter, so that they could politely ask her about it. He went on to explain about his near brush with, a grizzly death, the concrete round his feet to weight him down and his escape. He told Michael of his first ever killing, shooting Harry in the back and then dragging him, with the concrete still round his own feet, all they way to the water before coming back and finally ridding himself of the concrete. When he was ready he climbed out of the bath and dressed, Michael could see the wounds to his legs and feet where the concrete had been.

  ‘You were lucky to escape Bertram.’ He declared with a little admiration.

  ‘I did what I had too; Mr Schultz should know what is going down and who is really perpetrating it!’ Bertram replied. ‘You can dress now.’

  After Michael had dressed, they went to find Shultz. Bertram expected to be greeted better now, after he had forced Michael to listen to his story but you never knew with a man like Shultz. Michael led him into Shultz’s office and they sat and talked like gentlemen. He was sure he would have been close to Shultz’s version of Clo’s concrete wellingtons, had he not made Michael listen to the story first. Shultz listened to his story without comment, when Bertram stopped speaking Shultz turned to Michael.

  ‘We need a replacement for Clo, Someone I can trust! Can I trust you to do the job?’

  ‘Yes Emil. What happens to Clo?’

  ‘A taste of his own medicine I think but make sure he’s found! Drop him in the shallows so the water is only just over his head to make him think he might escape. It might keep any other employees from doing the same.’

  ‘I’ll deal with it right away.’

  Michael left but Shultz and Dill remained together.

  ‘Well Bertram you’ve had a bit of a hard time!’

  ‘Nothing I couldn’t handle Emil.’ Bertram replied.

  He made light of the experience, although the memory would be with him for life, however long that might be. It would also serve to shape any further decisions he made.

  ‘How much do you think might be missing?’

  ‘Up, towards the half million mark!’

  Shultz made a gentle whistling sound.

  ‘We need to recover that when Michael has taken over, do you know where it went?’ He asked.

  ‘I have a good idea. Doyle covered his tracks well but I still caught him out. Clo thinks his daughter’s the key.’

  ‘What, she has the money?’

  ‘Or knows where it is. It will be in cash and in bags as he doesn’t have that amount in any of his accounts.’

  ‘I think I’d like to talk to her someday, fairly soon,’ Emil declared, ‘unless Doyle makes a quick recovery.’

  ‘How many did you count Toms?’ Captain Wells asked when constable Toms returned.

  ‘I counted five, including the man himself!’ Toms replied.

  ‘What Clo is here, in person?’ Wells asked.

  ‘Yes, I saw him through a window.’

  ‘You’re sure?’

  Toms nodded.

  ‘Good.’ Wells said with a hint of satisfaction.

  ‘Do I go back out there?’

  ‘No go over to the barn and tell them what you told us, then send Gerard back to us and stay there with sergeant Grogan.’

  ‘Yes sir.’

  Toms walked to the barn.

  ‘I’ve counted five of them including Clo himself sergeant. Gerard is wanted inside.’ Toms announced.

  By then he was in the barn and sitting on an empty box.

  ‘Something’s going to happen soon!’ He added and lit up a cigarette.

  Gerard nodded to all the men in the barn and slipped out through the door. As he neared the house, two new eyes on the scene watched him. Baptiste recognized him as one of the policemen who had challenged him when he was about to ‘talk’ to Drummond. He was a man who held a grudge and it was not only for stopping him talking to Drummond but also because the police officer had seen his face. Baptiste crossed the ground between him and Gerard then slipped up behind him. Gerard made no sound, just crumpled on to the ground and Baptiste dragged him out of sight.

  ‘You see Baptiste and then you die, Mr Policeman.’ He advised the corpse.

  Cally woke and looked up, Jake stood at the end of the bed.

  ‘John will be here soon but Ma is down stairs.’ He warned.

  ‘Can I get down any other way?’

  ‘Only by climbing down the tree but I’m not allowed on it.’

  ‘Yes, but you can go down the stairs, can’t you!’ Cally replied. ‘It’s your house.’

  Jake smiled.

  ‘So I can. I’ll see you outside.’

  Across the road in the nursing home Archie Scott start to walk down the corridor. He had to use a frame to be able to walk now but he persisted and spent a lot of his time walking up and down the corridor. Walking up the corridor was the only exercise he could get, apart from when he had to go upstairs. He did that sitting down on the stairs, using his muscular arms to ease himself up one step at a time. Barbara came down the stairs with two buckets, she was going to have a bath. A messenger had arrived and told her of Dermot's accident and she was expecting her daughter Calliaster to arrive.

  'Why isn't Calliaster here yet dad?' She asked when she saw Archie.

  'Maybe she won't come as you insist on calling her Calliaster when you know she hates the name.' Archie answered.

  It was a hurtful thing to say because he was in a grumpy mood but it was also the truth.

  'I call her Calliaster because it is her name.' Barbara retorted and walked away.

  She assumed that it would be a foregone conclusion, Calliaster would arrive and move into the room she had prepared for her and she would have her daughter back. As Dermot was injured, she would have him brought to the nursing home so that she could look after him. She loved Dermot and it broke her heart to have to leave. She just felt that she could not stay there after she found out whom Dermot worked for. She walked into the kitchen to collect some more hot water but as she did it, she was crying. She loved Calliaster as well and she wanted her to come and live with them so much that it hurt. She had been mortified when Calliaster decided to stay with Dermot. When she heard about Dermot's accident, she had had mixed feelings. She wanted to go and see him but a little part of her was happy, as now Calliaster would come and stay with them.

  As Jake ran off Cally asked, ‘where’s the tree,’ but he didn’t hear her.

  She moved from room to room as quietly as she could until she saw a tree outside a window. She looked out and smiled. This was easy. She climbed down and hid by the hedge again but Jake did not come out. She waited impatiently then a boy arrived on his bicycle. She stepped out in front of him and he slammed on his brakes.

  ‘Sorry,’ Cally said quickly to stop him from making a noise, ‘but I need your bicycle, coat and cap John.’

  The boy stood astride his bicycle, as though he was refusing point blank.

  ‘You’re a girl!’ He declared.

  ‘I think I know that!’ Cally replied.

  ‘Why should I lend you my bike, coat and cap and how do you know my name?’

  ‘Jake told me your name and-’ She fumbled in her pocket, ‘the bicycle, coat and cap will earn you four dollars fifty!’

  John did not hesitate, he climbed off the bike and started to take of his coat.

  ‘How long do you want them for?’

  ‘Just long enough for me to get into the retirement home, I’ll leave the stuff on your bicycle with your paper bag.’ Cally answered.

  ‘Okay, I usually have some breakfast here any
way.’ John admitted.

  Cally donned the coat and cap and then turned the bicycle round.

  ‘Which door do you usually deliver too?’

  ‘The side door on the left.’ He pointed, to back up the description. 'I usually put the papers in a box on the stoop.'

  ‘Ta.’

  Cally pedalled over to the rest home, stood the bike against the fence and walked up the steps with the papers under her arm. Instead of putting the papers in the box, she opened the door and walked in as though it was the normal routine.

  Luigi was sitting in the laundry, he was bored and uncomfortable.

  ‘What’s happening?’ He asked, ready to explode.

  ‘Nothing much, the paper boy’s just gone in.’ Larry replied.

  ‘How do you mean gone in?’ Barney asked.

  ‘Gone in, stupid as in he is no longer outside, how else could I mean it?’ Larry retorted.

  ‘I’ve watched him two mornings now. He rides up, parks his bike, walks up with the papers over his arm and puts them in the box on the stoop. He walks back down and rides away!’

  ‘Well today he went in!’

  Clo stood up.

  ‘It’s her,’ he said excitedly, ‘let’s go, we have a girl to question and some old coppers to ventilate!’

  No one argued. They did not mind shooting old policemen who could not fight back. They walked out of the washhouse and crossed the street. Captain Wells saw the paper boy and thought nothing of it but when Clo’s men started to cross the street he jumped up.

  ‘What the hell?’

  ‘What’s up Captain?’ Stone asked.

  ‘Clo’s men are going in! They must think she has gone inside, give me a hand with the bedspread!’

  They hung the bedspread out of the window.

  ‘Where’s Gerard?’ Wells asked.

  ‘I don’t know Captain. Toms was supposed to send him here but he might be keeping watch without coming up here.’

  ‘Come on. I don’t want Clo shot by anyone but me!’

  Cally looked about, she was in a corridor. There were four doors leading off the corridor, two on the left and two on the right, in between the two doors on the left, there was a flight of stairs. There was another door at the far end of the corridor and that led outside. An old man on a walking frame, was moving slowly down the corridor away from her. He looked back to see who had come in and then looked away again when he saw that it was a boy. The corridor was quite dark as the only light coming in, came from the windows in the two doors at either end. Cally looked in the first door to her left. It was a dining room and it was empty. She tried the next door, the first door on her right. It was a day room and there were a few old people sitting in it but there was no sign of her mother. At the far end of the day room she could see another door into the corridor. She walked back through the door she had just come in and returned to the corridor. She turned right and walked down the corridor to look in the next door down, it was the second door on the left and just after the stairs. By the time she reached it, the old man on the walking frame had passed the door; he looked to be heading for the day room. When she walked into the room the door led into, she found it was a kitchen and there was a door on the other side of the kitchen. She looked about in the kitchen but there was no one there either. Now she had a choice, go back out and up stairs or go through the other kitchen door. She decided to look upstairs; she wanted to see her mother. As she started to walk out of the kitchen, the street door she had used to come in crashed open and she recognized Clo as he came in, she retreated looking for somewhere to hide but Clo had seen her. He ran down the corridor and followed her into the kitchen. She tried to use the kitchen table to keep him away but he drew a pistol and aimed it at her. She knew it was all over. Clo signalled with the barrel of the pistol for her to walk round the table until she stood in front of him. Now she was thankful that she had given the key to Jake.