Run!: He's coming for you

by K Leitch

  ‘Billy Hobbs?’ Frank asked showing him his warrant card, Billy’s eyes grew even rounder and he swallowed nervously before nodding.

  ‘My Name is DS Frank Hill and this is DI Obie Jones,’ Frank went on, ‘we’d like to come in and ask you a few questions about an assault that took place in the Glory Woods on Tuesday evening.’

  Billy swallowed hard again, his nervousness was palpable as he stood aside to let them pass into the flat.

  ‘Where were you last Tuesday evening between 9pm and 10.30pm Mr Hobbs?’ Obie said looking round the sparsely furnished room.

  ‘Don’t know,’ Billy said shaking his head, and ringing his hands. ‘Can’t remember. I wasn’t in the woods though, it wasn’t me and he’s lying if he say’s I did it ‘cus I didn’t.’

  Frank looked at Obie and rolled his eyes, ‘I didn’t say it was a man that was assaulted did I Billy, so who are you talking about?’ he said to Billy.

  ‘No…no I just guessed… I wasn’t talking about anyone… I just guessed it were a man…’ he trailed off in distress, his eyes filling with tears.

  Obie changed tactics. ‘Billy do you ever go onto the old airfield, the one behind Fernley Crescent…do you ever go into any of the old shelters up there?’

  Billy started shaking, he was shuffling from one foot to the other and scratching at some old scabs on his hand, the tears were running unchecked down his face he shook his head vehemently.

  ‘No…I never go there, I promise…’ he said between sobs.

  ‘Were you aware Billy that a young girl, Lola Twee, was being held prisoner in one of those shelters?’

  Billy’s sobs grew louder, he shook his head from side to side. ‘No…I don’t know nuffin…’ he cried wiping his nose on his arm.

  Obie shared a look with Frank, they needed to get this man down to the station.

  ‘Billy Hobbs,’ he began, ‘I’m arresting you for the attempted murder of Ruben Davies and for the illegal imprisonment and kidnap of Lola Twee.’

  Billy sobbed and wailed all the way back to the station, he was taken to an interview room and left there while Frank and Obie searched his flat. There wasn’t much to find, Billy didn’t have many possessions. They did find a drawer, however, that seemed to hold some of the things that Billy wanted to keep safe. There was a photograph of him in a school uniform holding up a certificate of some sort, he looked to be about 9 or 10, a teacher stood next to him with a hand on his shoulder. A couple of birthday cards both of which said “to Billy…congratulation on you birthday…best wishes Flora Metcalf”. Obie put those in an evidence bag. Other than that, there was another photo, of a white cat sitting under a tree and some hand knitted gloves that had obviously never been worn.

  They were just about to call it a day when Obie spotted something poking out from underneath the small wooden wardrobe which was next to Billy’s bed. He had to lie on the floor and reach right to the back to get it but a minute later he pulled it out…it was a long thin cane.

  ‘Get this to forensics Frank, quick as you can,’ he said holding it up by the end carefully for Frank to see.

  Frank whistled. ‘Bloody hell…you just never can tell about people can you?’ he said as he bagged it up and they made their way back down the dark narrow staircase.

  CHAPTER 56

  Flora Metcalf was worried. She’d been expecting Billy for over an hour now, they needed to go and feed and water the girl in the shelter. She may be dying but there was no way Flora was going to neglect her while she still lived. Nobody could accuse her of killing the child, the stupid girl had just got sick that was all and she, Flora, had done her best for her. Which was much more than she deserved after the weeks of bullying that she, Flora, had suffered at that girl’s hands.

  Now though what she needed was Billy to pull back the bolts on the door of the shelter. Flora’s hands were riddled with arthritis and she couldn’t grip well enough to do it herself. Billy knew that, and she had specifically told him to be here to help her. She went and looked out of the window again, where had the stupid boy got to, he knew what time he was meant to be here for crying out loud. He had been getting really forgetful lately and even a bit rebellious, going up to the shelter on his own…and who knew what he’d been doing up there. She’d caught him just the other day, she’d seen him stroking her hair and pulling up her top while she slept, well she was going to have to put a stop to it! Billy needed to be taught another lesson, she’d deal with it after she’d checked on the girl today. With any luck the stupid little madam might not have made it through the night, that would certainly make things a whole lot easier.

  As Flora looked out of the window for Billy, a car pulled up outside her house, two men got out and came walking down her path…her doorbell rang.

  Flora hesitated, she hated visitors and she certainly didn’t like the look of these two. They looked like the police, she’d managed to avoid speaking to them the last few times they’d come knocking. The bell rang again, longer, more insistently, with a sigh Flora made her slow, painful way to the front door.

  ‘Alright, alright I’m coming,’ she said irritably as she pulled the door open as far as it would go on the chain. She peered out through the gap, ‘Yes…what do you want?’ she snapped.

  ‘Ms Flora Metcalf?’ Obie asked smiling at her.

  ‘Yes, yes…and who are you? I don’t want to buy anything and I’m not interested in any sort of religion so…’ Flora barked back at him closing the door.

  ‘No, no we’re not here to sell you anything Ms Metcalf,’ Obie began putting a hand on the door to keep it open. ‘I’m Detective Inspector Jones and this is my colleague Detective Sergeant Hill, we’d like to talk to you about Billy Hobbs…I know he works for you on occasion.’

  Flora felt a chill run down her spine. She took a deep breath, before closing the door to release the chain and then opening it fully.

  She narrowed her eyes. ‘Yes I know Billy…why?’ she asked guardedly, ‘Is he hurt…what’s happened?’

  ‘May we come in Ms Metcalf?’ Obie asked.

  Flora tutted but turned and walked into the house, ‘I suppose so,’ she said over her shoulder. She stopped and turned, ushering them into the living room and indicating that they sit on the sofa. Flora took the chair opposite and waited for one of them to speak.

  ‘How well do you know Billy Ms Metcalf?’ Frank asked.

  ‘He helps me with my garden,’ Flora said. ‘What’s happened why are you asking about Billy?’

  ‘Was Billy working here last Tuesday?’ Frank went on ignoring her question.

  Flora thought carefully for a moment, ‘Yes…he cut the grass and got rid of some rubbish for me if I remember rightly, now are you going to answer my question young man?’

  Obie who had been looking round the neat little room, stood and picked up a photo from the mantel piece. It was a group photo of a class of school children a much younger Flora Metcalf sat in the middle of the children.

  ‘You were a teacher?’ Obie asked indicating the photo.

  Flora nodded, ‘Yes I taught at Riddlestone High for nearly twenty years. Actually Billy was a student of mine.’

  ‘You taught Billy Hobbs?’ Obie asked looking closely at the photograph. Billy’s baby face was easy to spot, he was sitting next to Flora Metcalf, leaning into her.

  Flora sighed, ‘Yes…the poor boy. He was in one of my special groups, he was a bit slow if you know what I mean Detective Inspector, I tried to help him when I could.’

  ‘Have you ever known Billy to be violent Ms Metcalf?’ Frank asked.

  Flora felt a fission of alarm, she took her time, chose her words carefully. ‘Well he had a lot to deal with in his life sergeant,’ she said vaguely, ‘it’s no wonder that he might have felt the need to hit back occasionally…why what has he done?’ she asked again. ‘He’s never been violent towards me if that’s what you’re asking,’ she added.

  ‘Billy has been arrested for a serious assault that took place last Tuesda
y evening…’

  ‘No…I can’t believe it,’ Flora interrupted, her face a picture of shocked dis-belief.

  ‘He’s also been arrested in connection with the kidnapping and illegal imprisoning of a young girl, you might have seen her on the TV, Lola Twee. She and her brother have been missing for a few weeks, there was an appeal I don’t know if you remember…’

  ‘Yes of course I remember it, I’m not senile young man,’ Flora snapped, ‘But how is Billy involved in that…I…I don’t understand,’ she added in a failing voice, her hand over her mouth.

  ‘Lola Twee was found in one of the shelters on the airfield at the end of your garden Ms Metcalf,’ Frank went on, giving Obie a worried look, as Flora seemed to moan and faint back in her chair at this piece of news. ‘And I’m afraid Billy was seen going into the shelter the day before she was found…are you okay Ms Metcalf? Shall I get you a glass of water?’ Frank said anxiously going over to Flora who had closed her eyes and was breathing heavily.

  Frank rushed out to the kitchen and came back a few minutes later with some water, meanwhile Obie had been patting Flora’s hands and talking reassuringly to her.

  ‘There we go,’ said Frank putting the glass to her lips, ‘Just little sips…that’s right. Do you feel a bit better, should we call someone…a doctor maybe?’ he said helping Flora to sit straighter in her chair.

  ‘No…no fuss,’ Flora said sounding more like herself. ‘It was just the shock…that poor young thing lying in my shelter all this time…and Billy! How could he do such a thing, oh I know he was angry, but I never thought…oh God how blind I have been…that poor girl…oh…oh.’ Flora seemed dreadfully distressed and Frank was all for getting a doctor out to her but she would have none of it.

  ‘Thank you young man, but I will be fine…I just need a minute to come to terms with it,’ she said tearfully.

  ‘Ms Metcalf,’ Obie said tentatively a few minutes later, ‘you said you knew Billy was angry, what did you mean by that? What was Billy angry about?’

  Flora heaved another sigh, ‘It was all because of me Detective Inspector, I told Billy about the kids that were terrorising me…I even think I may have said that I thought it might have been the Twee children. I recognised them eventually you see. I told Billy to leave well alone, I told him that now I thought I knew who it was, I would tell the police and let them deal with it. Well Billy was having none of it, he was furious it took me ages to calm him down…but I made him promise that he wouldn’t take matters into his own hands like he had before…obviously my pleas fell on deaf ears…’ Her voice broke and she hung her head.

  ‘What do you mean like he had before Ms Metcalf?’ Frank put in looking at Obie.

  Flora put her head in her hands, ‘Oh no I’ve said too much,’ she wailed. ‘Look I know it sounds bad, but he was only doing what he thought was right…to protect me you see,’ she said looking back and forth from Obie to Frank. ‘And he never hurt anybody, not really…he would just give them a scare you know…teach them a lesson. If they’d been disrespectful or rude…doesn’t do anyone any harm to be taught a sharp lesson now and again, teaches these youngsters right from wrong.’ She wagged a finger furiously at them both as she went on. ‘If there were more people out there with the guts to use some form of corporal punishment the world would be a better place…you mark my words.’

  Obie got up and walked about the room again, ‘So let me get this straight Ms Metcalf, you’re saying that Billy would administer corporal punishment on anyone that he thought had insulted you, or hurt you in anyway…is that what you’re saying?’

  ‘Oh no…no I don’t think he hurt anyone…just scare them you know.’

  ‘And you were completely unaware that he was in actual fact caning his victims Ms Metcalf, causing some of them serious injury?’

  ‘No… no I don’t believe you, he wouldn’t do that…not unless they provoked him. That’s what it must be they provoked him in some way. I have seen Billy get really angry when that happens,’ she added thoughtfully.

  ‘I find it hard to believe that you had absolutely no idea that there was a young girl hidden in the shelter at the end of your garden Ms Metcalf?’ Obie said looking hard at her.

  Flora went all floppy again, her face dissolving into tears, ‘Oh God no…’ she faltered, ‘you must believe me…how could you think…oh how terrible…I had no idea…as if I could…no no no, Billy…Billy what have you done?’ She buried her face in her hands again and wept.

  Frank and Obie thought it time to take their leave. ‘We may have to come back to speak to you again Ms Metcalf,’ Frank said, ‘but we’ll leave it for now. If you think of anything else that might help us could you give us a ring on this number.’ He handed Flora his card and they took their leave.

  Flora nodded tearfully and promised that she would, before closing the door behind them. She only just made it back through into the living room before she collapsed on the sofa.

  ‘That stupid boy,’ she hissed furiously to herself, allowing himself to be caught. She’d told him to get rid of that boy…obviously he hadn’t done a good enough job and that had brought all of this to her door. ‘Stupid, stupid boy,’ she said again under her breath, ‘well I wash my hands of him…he’s made his bed…’

  CHAPTER 57 - CARLA

  Carla sat nervously at the kitchen table waiting for the doorbell to ring. She’d asked James to come and see her today, it was about time that they sorted something out between them for the kid’s sake at least. Carla had had eight sessions with Chrissy now and was seeing things so much more clearly. She’d been to the doctor who had prescribed her a course of anti-depressants and she hadn’t had a drink for over a month…nor did she want one. The shame of her sordid one night stand and the fleeting memories of how she had been behaving towards her friends, James, her kids even, were enough to keep her sober.

  She hadn’t told anyone about what had happened that night, not even Helen who had rushed round to see her after her call. But she suspected Helen had guessed even though she never once questioned her, just offered her love and support…Carla owed her a lot and she would never forget it.

  The ringing of the doorbell made her jump and she got up to answer it. James came in, he looked slightly nervous himself and for a few minutes they skirted round each other with inane small talk until James grabbed Carla’s hands and said.

  ‘I’m so glad you asked me to come over Carla,’ he gently led her over and sat her down in a chair at the table, pulling out the one next to her and sitting down himself.

  Keeping her hands in his he went on, ‘You have no idea how much I’ve dreamt of this darling, having a chance to put things right between us…’

  Carla pulled her hands away from his. ‘James…I asked you here because I wanted to sort out what we’re doing about the kids,’ she said moving away from him a bit, ‘I’m sorry if I gave you any other impression. What’s happened between you and I is another matter entirely, surely you must see that.’

  James closed his eyes and took a deep breath, ‘Carla…how many times do I have to tell you that I’m sorry. I was so, so stupid, I should never have done it and it will never happen again.’

  ‘Yes well that’s the problem isn’t it?’ Carla said getting up and filling the kettle, ‘How can I ever believe that James. I don’t want a marriage where there is no trust, always being suspicious of you, always checking up on you…and I’m sure you don’t want that either.’

  ‘Of course I don’t, but that will pass…in time,’ James said pleadingly. ‘I will prove to you that you can trust me again darling, if you’ll just give me the chance. Come on Carla we both know people that have made it work. What about Adrian and Shelly,’ (work colleagues of James), ‘he was having an affair with Rosemary from the Bristol office for months, until Shelly caught them together with their pants down in the stationary office at the Christmas party. All hell broke loose for a while but they got over it…they had kids, they needed their marriage to suc
ceed so they worked at it and look at them now. Shelly’s just had another baby boy and they are as happy as ever…it can work sweetheart, as long as we both want it to.’

  Carla went quiet, she made the tea and came and sat down again. ‘I’m not saying it would never work again James,’ she said quietly, ‘I’m just saying it’s not going to happen overnight and until then…’

  ‘That’s all I’m asking darling,’ James interrupted, ‘I love you so much Carla, I’ve missed you…you have no idea…’

  Carla reached out and stroked his cheek gently, ‘Oh I’ve missed you too James,’ she said tenderly, ‘but what hurt me more than anything else, was that I didn’t recognise this man that had betrayed me…it couldn’t be my James, my best friend, my love…he would never do that to me. It felt like I’d lost the man I loved and…and it still does darling, I still don’t feel like I have that man back, and until I do.’

  James sat silently looking at her. His face was that of a drowning man, his eyes were haunted and desperate. Carla didn’t know how she had the strength not to pull him into her arms and tell him it was all going to be alright, but she stayed strong and waited for him to say something.

  ‘Well,’ he said after a minute, pulling himself together again. ‘I guess I’ll just have to prove it to you won’t I? I’ll have to show you that I am that man again, and if that takes weeks or months or even years…well then so be it.’

  He pulled himself up in the chair, ‘Right…we’d better get the kids sorted out at least.’ He paused and turned to Carla, ‘They are desperate to come home Carla, but you need to be sure that you are ready to cope with them. And I have to be sure that I’m not going to come round one day and find them running riot, while you’re sleeping it off in a pool of your own vomit.’