by Jack Ford
Rosedale’s cool was completely broken as he barked back angrily. ‘Like a fool I have, like a goddamn fool. But you, Thomas, you continue putting us all at risk. Look at you, you’re a junkie, a crazy-ass junkie. Whatever those pills are you take, they got you hooked and they’re not going to let you go. They’ve addled your mind. But it’s not them that’s killing you. What’s killing you is Ellie.’
Cooper struggled to speak. He felt like he couldn’t breathe. ‘Don’t you say her name… Don’t you say it.’
‘Jesus Christ, Thomas, look at the state of you. Look at what you’re doing. You’ve let it all fall through your hands.’
‘You don’t know anything.’
‘Oh yes I do, because Granger told me you were doing okay last year, or as okay as you could ever be. But now, you’re a mess. Back on the pills, or perhaps you were never off them. And the letters PTSD are written all over you like you’re part of the Sesame Street alphabet song. Why don’t you accept it and put everyone out of their misery, Thomas? Ellie isn’t coming back. She’s gone. Gone. Gone.’
The pain in Cooper’s chest almost forced him to his knees as his voice lifted louder with blind grief. ‘You don’t know that! You don’t know!’
‘I know the death certificate says it. Her own father even says it. Everyone says it.’
‘I don’t care what anyone says. There were three skiffs!’
‘Bullshit!’
Cooper whispered to himself and stared at Rosedale with coiled anger. ‘So help me God, I’ll kill you.’
‘Come on Thomas, you must see that no-one believes it.’
A voice behind them: ‘I believe it.’
Cooper and Rosedale span round to see Maddie standing behind them, seemingly unharmed. She gave a tiny smile to Cooper then turned a hard gaze on Rosedale. ‘If Tom says there were three skiffs, then there were three skiffs. Why is it so hard for you to understand and just accept that, Rosedale?’
And with that, Maddie turned and walked away, towards the car of Charles Templin-Wright.
53
‘So there she was.’
Charles Templin-Wright grinned as cheerfully as he had done the first time Cooper had met him, back at the water treatment plant. But it didn’t stop him from thinking the man was a schmuck.
Noticing what looked like dermatitis on Charles’s hands and wrists, Cooper tried to conjure up a smile for the man. Didn’t work. ‘Thank you. You can imagine how worried we were.’
Charles waved away the gratitude at the same time as basking in it. ‘Oh, don’t mention it, I’m just pleased it was me who found her. When I saw her hobbling along in the dark, I recognized her straight away from the other day.’
Cooper nodded. They stood a few feet away from where Maddie was standing with Rosedale. Charles continued. Milked out every bit of the story. Made him feel worse than he already did.
‘As you can imagine, Tom, she was very worried. Very. But here’s the thing, she wasn’t worried about herself, she was worried about you. Can you imagine? Alone in the dark and all she was concerned about was how you’d be feeling. She was insistent about trying to get back to you but as the rain was so heavy, and had caused the mudslide, it was impossible. Still, she was in good hands.’
Cooper had heard enough. Didn’t bother excusing himself and walked across to Maddie. There was something about the man which irritated the hell out of him. He’d never enjoyed the company of someone as obsequious as Charles. They were the kind of guys who smiled at you before plunging a knife in your back. Though he guessed, whatever his feelings, it didn’t deter or negate his thanks to him for looking after Maddie the way he had and bringing her back safely to him.
‘I’m so sorry, Maddie.’
‘Tom, I’ve told you it wasn’t your fault. If it was anyone’s, it was mine. When I woke up and neither of you was there, I should’ve just stayed put. I know the rules. But curiosity got the better of me. I thought I’d take a look round. See exactly where we were and try to work out some kind of plan.’ She stopped and grinned sheepishly, adding, ‘Though this wasn’t quite what I imagined.’
‘And Charles?’
Cooper stopped talking to regard Charles, who by now had wandered off to speak to one of the villagers.
‘Actually, he was very sweet. I must’ve walked about a mile or so down the road. I was heading North East and planned to walk on no more than another half a mile. Then I made a total schoolgirl error. Tried to climb up one of the sliding banks to cut across a small stream. I slipped and twisted my ankle… I must be losing my touch. Anyway, Charles came by about an hour or so later. We tried to get back to you guys, but the road we were on totally collapsed from the heavy rain. So he brought me back here. I had my satellite phone on me and tried to call you from the top of the hill there, but for some reason couldn’t get through, so that’s why I called Granger, hoping he’d have more luck. Which I guess he did.’
Cooper groaned. Pictured Granger’s face. Groaned some more. ‘Oh Christ. Tell me he doesn’t know we lost you. Tell me anything but that.’
‘Didn’t you speak to him?’
Cooper blew out his cheeks. Felt light headed from the OxyContin and hoped Maddie wouldn’t notice. ‘No, not really. Bad connection… Really bad connection.’
Charles called across as he got back into the black car. ‘Right, well I’ll be off then. Good to see a happily ever after.’
As he pulled away, Cooper ran over. Flagging him down as he looked at the car’s plates. Trying hard to push his lethargy away. Even to him, his speech sounded slightly slurred. ‘I meant to ask you before. Do you happen to know a Papa Bemba?’
Charles frowned. Glanced at the steering wheel. Started nodding slowly. ‘Yes, I’ve heard of him. I think you see the occasional poster around advertising his pastoral teachings. Any reason?’
Cooper shook his head, agitating his headache. Agitating the drugs in his system. ‘No, just heard his church services are worth seeing. Anyway, thanks once again for everything you’ve done.’
Maddie and Cooper stood waving as he drove off. He turned to look at her. ‘Tell me something, Maddison. How come Charles, who says he doesn’t know Bemba, ends up driving his car?’
Before Maddie had time to answer, a piercing scream filled the air.
54
Maddie pointed. ‘Rosedale! It came from over there.’
Cooper ran. Leading the trio. His hand wavering over where his gun sat in its holster.
They bolted forward to a tiny brick hut to see a woman staggering out covered in blood. Her arms open. Her face twisted in pain. She fell on the ground, her fingers scraping into the dirt as she cried out. ‘Il est mort! Il est mort!’
Maddie, alarmed, stared. ‘Who’s dead? Madame, qui est mort?’
Cooper drew his gun. Pulled it close to his body as he nodded at Rosedale and Maddie to follow.
Cooper edged along the wall. Kicked open the door. Sidestepping into the candlelit hut. He nodded again to Rosedale, signalling he was going into the next room. Signalled to Maddie to go round the back.
With his weapon poised in the air, he swept forward. Rushed across. Pressed his body against the small bookshelf. Checking for signs of anybody there, Cooper crept forward. Slowly. Cautiously. Then he halted. Stopped dead in his tracks. ‘Jesus Christ!’
Putting his Glock away, he took in the scene whilst quickly pulling up his t-shirt over his nose. Even though he was accustomed to seeing and being around dead bodies, the fetid stench of the body lying on the bed in front of him had him fighting the urge to gag. And the sorrow he felt overwhelmed.
In the oppressive heat the large black flies gorged on the bloated, putrefying corpse of the young boy. Mottled in color from the large gray seeping blisters and wounds. Blood drained out from the boy’s mouth and nose. A multitude of large cuts wept with pus.
Rosedale came up by the side of Cooper. ‘Oh Jesus, the poor kid. Christ, what the hell do you think happened?’
‘Maybe
bloodletting,’ said Cooper, aware that his voice sounded shaken. ‘But that’s a guess.’
‘Well that would account for the cuts but what about the rest?’
‘Oh my God…!’ Maddie stood behind the two men. ‘He’s just a kid.’
‘Come on,’ said Rosedale. ‘Let’s all get out of here.’
The trio walked out of the tiny brick hut. At which point Cooper promptly vomited. Inspired Maddie to do the same. With Rosedale only seconds behind.
55
Cooper and Maddie walked across to the small stream. He gave her the corner of his t-shirt to wipe her mouth on. She was tired and Rosedale was being a jerk and he himself was an out and out mess. ‘This isn’t okay, is it? None of it.’
Maddie looked at Cooper. A fresh spring of freckles covering her brown face.
‘No, it’s not.’
‘That poor kid.’
‘Any ideas what it was?’
‘I know last year there was a number of cases of Ebola in this area and yes, you do get internal bleeding and yes, you also get blisters, but not like those. That was something different. I don’t know what though.’
‘I’m guessing it’s not contagious either because the old woman doesn’t look ill and neither does anybody else in the village.’ She stopped. Sighed deeply. Looked across to the woman covered in blood, who was now sitting alone on the side of the track, crying quietly. More to herself she said, ‘God, I never counted on this when I came here.’
‘Counted on what?’
‘Feeling so lost. I used to have such a connection with this place and now… Oh I don’t know. Ignore me, I guess I’m just missing Cora. Leaving her never gets any easier. Look, you don’t need to hear my problems… I’m sorry.’
‘Maddison, you don’t have to say sorry about anything. If it wasn’t for you, Rosedale and I would’ve probably killed each other by now and even after everything… Well let’s just say I don’t deserve you. Look, I know I’ve been acting like a jackass and I also know that nobody should have to put up with what you’ve put up with. It sounds hollow but I don’t mean to treat you the way I do. I want to be the person you think I am and I’m sorry most of the time I’m not able to.’
Cooper held her stare as he pulled her in close. He traced her face with his eyes.
‘Tom, I know…’
Quickly, gently, he put his finger over Maddie’s lips. He didn’t want her to talk. His head felt hazy. Everything around him didn’t feel quite real. ‘Sshhhh, don’t say anything.’
Bending his face towards hers. He closed his eyes. Pushing his mind to imagine. His lips almost on hers… His lips on Ellie’s.
‘Thomas! Thomas! I need a word.’
Rosedale, cigar in mouth, boomed loudly. Real loud. He stood a few feet away from Cooper and Maddie.
‘What is it Rosedale?’
‘A word.’
Cooper shook his head but let go of Maddie and walked away towards Rosedale.
‘What is it now?’
Rosedale, not moving his eyes away from Cooper, said, ‘You may not be able to let Ellie go, but like I said before, you need to let Maddie go. Don’t do this to her, Thomas. Unlike your emotions, hers are real. Don’t cross me on this.’
Cooper bit down hard on his lip. It felt good. ‘What the hell has it got to do with you? Who do you think you are? She’s my wife.’
‘No, she’s not. Not anymore. Leave her alone.’
‘Has it ever occurred to you that I may have feelings for her still? That I still love her.’
‘Oh it’s occurred to me alright, but that isn’t the problem or the point. You’re not good for her, Thomas, and as for making her happy? You will never be able to do that. Let her free. Do it now. I’m warning you, before it’s too late.’
56
Rosedale had taken Maddie with him to bring the Toyota down to the village via a small track they’d missed earlier, and Cooper, trying not to feel too sorry for himself, made his way round the village.
He watched fascinated as a group of women finished off building a mud and stick wall for one of the huts, pressing and filling in wet mud balls between the horizontal poles which ran down from one side of the wooden frame to the other, giving the wall a solid appearance.
At that moment the place seemed so tranquil but Cooper knew only too well that weekly attacks including rape, looting and kidnapping were still part of the country’s fabric. On the drive from Kinshasa they’d seen many villages burnt and empty and barely any evidence of civilian life was visible.
The village they were at was located near a high plateau of grassland which before the conflicts had held a wealth of grazing livestock. Now all that remained was a carpet of antipersonnel landmines. Ordinary life seemed impossible but he couldn’t help, for all its troubles, still loving the country.
Moving away from the women, Cooper noticed the most notable feature about the small village were the rat cages outside the majority of huts. Some were crammed with large rodents, pushing and trying to claw their way out, whilst other cages were just being used to store various household objects.
He was hoping to speak to someone about the young boy, but so far he’d been unsuccessful. Each time he’d approached anyone they’d hurried away. Wary. At odds with how they’d been when he and Rosedale had first arrived in the village. Not that he blamed them. The argument he’d with Rosedale in public view certainly hadn’t helped matters. And most certainly hadn’t put the two of them in the best light.
He sighed. Pulled out the two Xanax and the one opioid he had hidden in his sock. Popped them, then slid a cigarette into his mouth. Decided not to light it quite yet and wanted his thoughts not to stray but to focus on the investigation and especially on Papa Bemba. The whereabouts of the plane. Anything, anything at all rather than think about how he was feeling. He was done with all that.
He followed the tiny stream running behind the small brick and mud huts, which from a distance looked like giant ant hills. Felt the nip of an insect on his neck. Slapped himself hard. Hoped to kill whatever it was which had bitten him. A moment later, he felt another bite on his leg. Bending down to scratch he noticed lots of dead tiny insects. The area seemed to be a breeding place for the things.
Knowing smoke was a great insect repellent, Cooper lit his cigarette. Dragged on it intensely. Was bitten a dozen times more.
He started to walk towards the hut of the dead child to speak to the woman he’d seen earlier. He knew it wasn’t ideal to ask a grieving relative questions, though he had to admit, in the past amidst the intolerable pain of grief, in the immediate aftermath of death, the truth did prevail. Things which normally would be kept unspoken, were revealed.
He’d never been comfortable getting a lead that way. Intruding on a final goodbye. Infringing on a realization of never being able to hold or see a person again and somehow having to cope with being left in a life without them. He didn’t want to encroach on that. That was their moment. One he didn’t want to shatter or steal.
Continuing to walk as the sun began to set, giving way to the greed of the evening sky of blushing colors, Cooper stopped just behind the small brick hut, seeing something in the long grass.
He frowned. Bent down to take a closer look. It was charcoal. Perfectly piled. Built up like a pyramid with a circle of large black glossy berries around it. Exactly the same as he’d seen outside Emmanuel’s aunt’s house. Exactly like the charcoal and berries Marvin had talked about.
Taking out one of the semi-filled evidence bags, he dropped a piece of the coal in it, before letting his gaze wander around as he started to think. And then it suddenly hit him. Like a goddam steam train. And as it did, he began to run.
Chasing up and around and through and along and to the path and to the front of the hut and without knocking, Cooper barged inside.
A few of the old lady’s clothes were scattered around and he hurriedly picked them up as he charged through to the next room, where the grief-stricken woman stood in t
he middle of the far doorway. Terror on her face. Fear in her eyes as she stared at Cooper.
‘Laissez-moi tranquille! Get out!’
‘It’s okay… it’s okay. Se il vous plaît, je suis là pour vous aider.’
The woman began to back away into the shadows of the room, next to where the reeking corpse of the child lay. And Cooper put his hand out to her, causing her to retreat further. And back towards the bed with the fly-covered body.
‘Please, you’ve got to come with me. I’m here to help. Just trust me… You got to trust me.’
He left his hand stretched out, but the woman just continued to stare.
‘Look… Jesus… It’s not safe for you to be here. Please.’
Cooper’s words implored. They didn’t make a damn bit of difference. She was going nowhere fast. But he had to do something. He had to get her out. He thought about some of the things Maddie had explained to him and tried another tack. ‘I’ve been sent here… by the spirits… By the spirits of the ancestors. They told me you were a good person. They know you are, so they sent me to keep you safe. Please come with me, you need to… I know it’s their wish.’
Cooper was willing her to come but he decided not to say another word. He just watched without moving. She turned her head to the side looking like she was reviewing words. Then with the whispered agony of loss filtering into her voice, she said, ‘What about my grandson? I can’t leave him.’
Cooper glanced at the rotting body. At the child. Who seemed like he was almost moving from the sea of flies.
Maddie had told him about the strength of belief and importance of burial rites, but he also knew there was nothing he could do.
‘Please.’
‘I can’t leave him. Non. C’est impossible.’
Cooper took the chance to step closer to her.