STOLEN BAIRNS: Scottish Fiction

by Anne Bone

  ‘Oh no, please ask them to contact the Malaga police first, they will tell them what to do.’

  Nuria translated back to the officers, which resulted in another outburst of fast Spanish.

  Nuria translated again. ‘The officer said that the Malaga police are nothing to do with them, and they will make their own enquiries first. They will just go to the village and speak with the couple.’

  ‘We must go too,’ Beth stood up to make her move. The officers turned quickly with no need for a translation, as they realised what action Beth was intending.

  ‘No, Señora,’ he shook his head and then addressed Nuria.

  ‘He said that you must stay here, that it would make the situation difficult if you came along and it would interfere in the situation. He said that if the couple were willing to let the children go then they would bring them here.’

  Beth slumped back onto the seat. ‘OH NO! Marty, they’ll never hand the children over, please, please, Nuria tell them. Please…,’ she pleaded before she found herself sobbing.

  There was nothing more that could be done to persuade the two officers to take any other action, other than the one which they had decided on. Marty tried to reassure Beth. At least the police were going to go and see for themselves and, hopefully, Des would have made contact with the police in Malaga. Even if these two officers would not take any notice now maybe they would once someone higher up intervened.

  Josefina had stopped weeping into her apron, and began to make herself busy by boiling water and making very strong coffee, which she then almost forced down the young couple’s neck. She could not, however, persuade them to eat any of the food she had magically produced, which left her tutting and muttering.

  It seemed like hours, but it was no more than two when the police arrived back. They were unsurprisingly on their own, with no sign of any children.

  They spoke quickly to Nuria. Marty and Beth looked on; they needed no translator to tell them that it was not good news.

  Nuria looked as though she was trying to compose herself before she turned to them to translate. Her tone was angry, ‘They tell me that they have been to speak with the man and woman, who have proof that these children belong to them. They have passports and this is evidence that they are their children. The man and woman say that it must be a big mistake.’

  Beth cried, and turning to the officers she shouted in English, ‘It’s not a mistake! Those are my children. They are not theirs. I don’t care what so-called proof they have, they are my children. They stole my children.’

  Sobs racked her body and she fell into Marty’s arms. He held her tight. ‘Beth, its ok, we know it’s them, we will get them back.’

  The family all began to remonstrate with the two officers; there was much shouting and waving of arms. All proved pointless as the officers left the house shaking their heads as they went. Seemingly, as far as they were concerned, they had done their duty, and now they would go back and wait for another incident to occur in the mountain villages. In the meantime their stomachs were telling them it was time to eat.

  Poor Josefina was beside herself in trying to comfort Beth. She produced some very dodgy looking drink, which she poured into a small glass and almost forced it between Beth’s lips urging her to drink.

  The fiery alcohol hit the spot and brought on a coughing fit, which at least put a stop to her crying.

  Nuria and Miguel sat beside Marty. Nuria reached over to pat him on his hand, trying to offer some semblance of reassurance. Marty looked totally shocked and stunned. The telephone rang and was answered by Miguel. He listened, and then handed the telephone to Marty, ‘It is from Scotland for you.’

  Marty gripped the receiver and heard Des’s voice boom loudly and confidently. ‘I managed to contact the Malaga police, and they will contact their colleagues in the Granada district as they cover the area, which you are in. Now you just hold tight don’t do anything until they contact you.’

  Marty explained, ‘Afraid it might be too late for that Des, the two local plonkers of policemen may have scuppered that plan.’ He went on to inform Des of what had taken place.

  He heard Des swear. This was the first time he had ever heard Des say the words that he probably often had been thinking. ‘Fuck it. Just let’s hope that the couple will bide where they are. I’ll get back onto my contact again in Malaga and pass this info on. Sorry Marty, it’s just really difficult when it’s another country you are trying to deal with. And as far as the passports are concerned given the numerous aliases which they have used, it would be quite probable that they have managed to get passports, even though they most probably had to commit an offence to get them.’

  Marty tried to sound upbeat when he recounted the conversation he had with Des to Beth and the others.

  Another loud and frustrating conversation was underway between the families. There was much nodding and shaking of heads which confused Marty and Beth even more. Then it seemed that whatever had been said had come to some sort of an ending. Miguel was on the telephone again and Pedro put his coat on and left in a hurry.

  Nuria explained. ‘My uncle and cousin they understand why you are worried about the couple leaving. They have come up with a plan. My uncle is going to speak to his friend the local Mayor who is also the local,’ she stopped to think for a moment, ‘and he also acts a bit like your magistrates. He is going to see him and get his help; he thinks the Mayor will send a very loud and strong message to the police and then we will get some real help.’

  She stopped to gather breath. ‘And my cousin he is speaking to his brother and to another couple of their friends and they are going to go to the village to wait. They will stand guard to make sure that the couple does not leave. Do not worry, we will not let them get away with your children this time. No, not this time,’ she added with a vengeance.

  ‘Can I go with them?’ Marty asked.

  Beth got to her feet. ‘I want to come too.’

  Miguel nodded towards Marty, ‘Yes, my friend, you come.’ He turned to Beth, ‘No Senõra, you must stay here, as this is a job for men. We will not do anything but wait, although it might be all of the night and it will be cold.’

  Marty turned and hugged Beth to him. ‘He’s right Beth, just think and ask yourself this, could you really stop yourself from going to them if you were so close all night. No you could not.’ He pulled away from her and took her face into his hands so he could look straight into her violet eyes. Pleading, he said, ‘Please just stay here with Nuria and Josefina. You need to be here in case Des calls again.’ He ran his hands through her thick hair and pushed her head back slightly. He looked again into her violet eyes and saw that she had agreed. He kissed her strongly on the mouth before hugging her to him.

  She watched him go. Then she allowed herself to be led back to the comfortable sofa where the two women fussed over her arranging cushions and placing a rug around her to keep her warm. Josefina produced another small glass of the thick sweet liquid, and this time she did not need to force the liquid into the girl’s mouth. Beth was glad of the liquid’s heat as it penetrated her body. She felt cold to the bone. Her shivers, however, had nothing to do with really being cold in the overheated room; they were shivers in her the depths of her soul and heart. Being so close yet still not being able to hold those two small beings in her arms. The three women sat down to wait.

  Chapter 35

  At 4 o’clock in the morning Marty was very pleased that Beth had been persuaded to stay in the warm house. He was cramped in the back of one of the two cars, which stood guard at the entrance of the village. Beside him Miguel was snoring softly. In the front seat sat one of Miguel’s friends who was chain smoking small evil-smelling cigarettes. Marty knew that however long he lived he would forever associate that foul smell with this night.

  In the other car, another three men made up the contingency of the guard. Miguel’s brother and two other friends had been happy to be involved in a drama. It was a great comfort t
o Marty to know that there was only one entrance to the village, and that if the couple did try and leave they would have to go past them.

  One of the other comforting things was that the couple was still in residence. One of the Spanish lads had gone down past the house and listened at the door. He came back to report that he had heard English voices. He did not share with Marty that he also heard the cries of the children; both sounded as though they were far from happy. He had had to stop himself from pounding on the door and grabbing the children and running. He had been carefully briefed that this was a very delicate situation, and they had to abide by their plan. The plan was clear, they had to keep watch and if necessary prevent the couple leaving the village. The two cars were hidden out of sight of the village. One was backed up into a clearing and protected by bushes; the other a few metres further down the road on the opposite side of the road hidden behind a rock. They both had sight of the road, but only one had a good sight of the village car park.

  Miguel’s brother had the idea of slashing the tyres of the British vehicle. This had been considered and discounted. What if they had a friend in the village that would help, and what if they had another vehicle hidden away? Slashing the tyres was too much of a risk.

  Marty did not sleep, he was far too alert. His thoughts were going around and around in his head like a carousel. What would happen next, how on earth they would actually get the children? One of the thoughts which kept intruding but then again was immediately flattened was, what if the children did not want to come with them? What if they loved this couple and were never going to be happy with him and Beth? These were thoughts which had been left on the outside of his mind. Thoughts he had always pushed to the back of his mind as something they would have to deal with if they ever found the children. Now they had found them, but he still did not want to deal with these thoughts.

  It must have been a good two hours later that things started to happen. The darkness was lifting and the first glimmer of the morning sun was beginning to sneak its head over the mountains. Marty was feeling very much as though he could do with a walk to stretch his legs and have a pee. The chain-smoking driver had dozed off to sleep. Miguel was awake, but had his eyes closed. It was Marty who saw the other car flash its lights. He nudged Miguel, ‘Something’s happening, look!’

  Miguel got slowly out of the car and made his way across the road to speak with his brother. Marty watched as he spoke and they seemed to be looking up towards the village. Miguel ran back across to the car, jumped into the passenger seat and woke the driver. He turned to Marty. ‘There is movement in the car park. It looks like they are moving.’

  He spoke to the driver, who started the engine, ready for action. The plan was that they would literally block the road if the couple tried to leave. Miguel’s brother had already nudged his car out so that its nose was ready on the edge of the road. They waited. A short time later the white camper van appeared, its lights and engine were switched off trying to ensure that no one saw them leave. The van slid smoothly and silently down the gentle decline of the road, making its way slowly towards them.

  The first car drove out in front of the camper. It stopped suddenly, blocking the road while the other car slid in behind the camper, blocking its exit. There was no escape. Marty had witnessed the driver’s surprised look, and felt a sense of anticipation that he was at last to come face to face with this man who had caused his darling wife so such pain.

  Marty was out of the car and was the first to get to the driver’s door, while the other Spanish men circled the van. Marty sensed rather than saw that Miguel was closely behind him.

  Marty grabbed the handle of the door and wrenched it open. The driver a rather burly but flabby middle-aged man launched himself at Marty. There was a tussle and the man was swearing; he was much bigger than Marty and his heavy weight brought Marty to the ground. The man fell on top of him and there was a struggle while three of the Spanish contingent grabbed him from behind. Miguel’s friend took great delight at driving his fist into the flabby stomach and hearing the shout of pain. There was no further need for any violence as the man was quickly overpowered, and lay on the ground with two younger men sitting on top of him.

  Marty looked down at him with absolute disgust. ‘You bastard! You utter bastard. You know who I am don’t you? I’ve come for my bairns.’ He spat the words out, and then turned to where the woman was standing. Miquel had reached into the passenger seat and pulled her out. Marty went across to the other side of the vehicle. He looked into her face. ‘Well Maureen, or Helen, or Hazel or whatever your bloody name is. You know who I am don’t you? And you know they are my bairns.’

  Maureen was in tears, how on earth she could lie now? How could they keep running any longer? They had been found. She nodded. ‘Where are they?’ he asked.

  ‘In the back of the van,’ she stuttered.

  Marty rushed to the back of the van and opened the door. At first he couldn’t see any sign of life. Then he noticed a rustle of a cover. He climbed into the van and carefully and slowly peeled it back. There, cuddled up like two small puppies, clutching each other, eyes wide with fear were the two bairns.

  ‘It’s ok my sweeties, you are safe. I am going to take you to your ma.’ He reached down to touch their faces. They both flinched. Marty assumed it was because they were scared of him. He tried to reassure them. Slowly and carefully he reached down to pick them up. They were terrified and both were now crying and holding each other tightly. ‘It’s ok,’ he kept repeating, ‘you are safe, no one is going to hurt you.’

  By the time he had managed to persuade the children to allow him to carry them out of the van a small crowd had appeared. The villagers had heard the rumpus and had made their way down the road to see what was happening. Maureen was weeping, and made to go across to Marty, the children were distressed and reached out for her. Marty knew he had to allow them to go to her. He did not know what to do, and knew that above all he had to think about what was best for the children.

  Maureen bent down and took the children into her arms to hug them and comfort them. The burly man was shouting and trying to ask the villagers for help saying they were being attacked.

  Miguel was explaining in Spanish to the villagers what exactly was going on. He did not have to convince them as the small village had never been happy when the burly man had arrived to live beside them in their village. He had been rude and obnoxious and any one of them would be happy to take their turn to now sit on him.

  Maureen looked up to Marty. Tears were running down her face and she nodded to him. ‘Please, the children are just so distressed. I don’t want them to be distressed. I’ll come with you to take them back to their mother.’

  Marty looked shocked. ‘You agree then, they aren’t your children?’

  ‘Please,’ she whispered. ‘Let’s just get them away,’ she stole a glance over her shoulder. ‘Away from him… please’.

  Chapter 36

  Beth would remember the exact moment when she heard the cars arrive outside the house. She just heard the words shouted by Nuria. ‘They are here, and it looks like they have the children.’

  The words which Beth had waited so long to hear was like lighting a rocket, as she took off out of the door and down the stairs, where she arrived before the occupants had removed themselves from the car.

  In the back of the car Beth saw the two children. They were huddled either side of the woman. The Woman. Why was she here? And she still had her children, she wanted to scream.

  Marty was beside her. ‘They are very frightened, Beth. Maureen said she would come with them to try and settle them. Just give them some time… don’t expect too much. They are just very terrified.’

  Beth watched, her heart in her mouth, as Marty helped the woman and the children out of the car. She bent to welcome the children. Stevie clutched the woman’s skirt while Lucy hung on to her, and her little arms circled the woman’s neck. They both appeared absolutely petrified.
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br />   This was not how it was supposed to be. Beth had imagined a million different reunions, but this was not one of them. She was their mother yet they were terrified of her. ‘Oh my God’ was all she managed to utter.

  The small procession made its way up the stairs back into the warm kitchen. Josefina sprang into action barking orders to everyone, while she filled kettles and lit the stove to warm up pans of food, which would fill the men and the new arrivals.

  Maureen and the children sat on the sofa. Lucy burrowed her small blonde head into the woman’s shoulder. Stevie just gazed about. He was not sure whether he was safe or not. Beth sat beside him. She looked into his eyes and smiled, her eyes filled with unshed tears.

  ‘Hello, my wee man.’ She reached over and stroked the side of his face. This time he did not flinch. Somewhere in the back of his small mind he recognised this woman. Yes, this was the woman they had met in the village, the one with his sister’s eyes.