BETRAYED

by Jacqui Rose

  Calming down slightly, Star wiped away her tears. She sniffed, wiping her nose on the dress that she’d been wearing for over a week. Staring into the distance, Star sat up. There, she could see a boat. She stood up too quickly, almost losing her balance as the dinghy tipped slightly to the side.

  She began to wave, slowly at first, then more quickly as the boat approached her. Then she stopped. Her hands stayed in the air; frozen. She could feel her legs beginning to shake. There, standing on the deck of the boat approaching her, were the bad men.

  ‘Please you’re hurting me.’ Star cried out as Alfonso gripped hold of her arm tightly. Furiously, he shook her hard as he dragged her into the cabin.

  ‘Shut up.’

  ‘Please, I just wanted to go home.’ Star pleaded to Alfonso who sneered at her before raising his hand and back-palming her. A large red mark was left on her cheek as she began to cry uncontrollably.

  ‘I said shut the fuck up.’

  Star’s voice was staggered as she tried to catch her breath. ‘I can’t … I can’t.’

  Alfonso’s hand slapped her again and she squealed, running into the corner as he let her go. She curled up tightly, too frightened to move.

  ‘You can forget about going home. You ain’t going to see Mummy and Daddy again, sweetheart, and you certainly ain’t going to get out of this cabin till we get there. If you need to piss, piss in the corner.’ With that, Alfonso slammed the door closed, locking it as he went. He stomped down the deck, checking to see they were anchored properly on the buoy.

  He was in a foul mood. The little cow had given him a fright. All his efforts pissed away by some spoilt brat who thought she was clever. The sooner they delivered her, the better.

  Alfonso turned to Julian angrily. ‘I’m going to get some kip. We’ll set off in the morning at first light.’

  ‘Quiet.’

  Star felt a heavy weight. Sleepily, she opened her eyes. A hand pressed on her mouth as Julian Millwood lay on top of her, staring coldly down.

  ‘I want you to be very quiet. No screaming, do you understand?’

  Star nodded, her eyes full of terror as she felt Julian pulling at her clothes.

  ‘If I take my hand off, I don’t want you to scream.’

  Star nodded again, but the moment Julian released his hand she let out a cry. In less than a second her scream was muted by his hand slamming hard back down on her face. ‘You stupid bitch, I told you to be quiet.’ Angrily he pushed down his hand hard on her mouth, his face flushed with rage, the other hand pulling once more at her clothing.

  ‘What the fuck are you doing?’

  Julian jumped up, allowing Star to scramble to the side. He stared at his brother, who held the flick knife in his hand.

  ‘I told you to leave her alone.’

  ‘You ain’t got any right to tell me what to do.’

  ‘I have while half of her belongs to me.’

  Julian, angry at the interruption and furious at being pushed around, stepped forward to Alfonso. ‘Fuck you.’

  Alfonso grabbed hold of Julian, overpowering him almost immediately with his strength. He held the blade against his throat. ‘Don’t fuck with me, Julian, because I won’t think twice about slitting your throat.’

  Unexpectedly, Julian pushed his weight to the side, causing Alfonso to lose his balance. Stumbling out of the cabin door and onto the deck, Alfonso brought his brother down with him.

  Alfonso kicked out hard, slamming his elbow into Julian’s face. His brother cried out in pain as blood spurted from his broken nose. About to bring the knife down, Alfonso froze. Standing just above him, holding a flare gun in her hands, was Star.

  ‘Careful, sweetheart. Put that down; it’s dangerous. Don’t be silly, give it to me.’ Alfonso spoke gently.

  ‘Get up, both of you.’ Star’s voice trembled as she continued to point the flare gun at them.

  Julian, still in agony from his nose, struggled up.

  ‘Put yer hands up.’

  Cautiously and slowly, Alfonso and Julian raised their hands in the air. Julian stepped forward to Star, blood trickling down his face. ‘You’re making a big mistake; you ain’t got nowhere to go darlin’.’ He stepped closer.

  ‘Stay where you are!’ Star waved the flare gun.

  He laughed. ‘Or what? … Come here!’ Julian leapt forward. Terrified, Star closed her eyes and pulled the trigger of the flare gun. She heard a scream. It was Julian. She opened her eyes just in time to see him dropping to his knees as he clutched his face, a yellow haze of smoke all around, the smell of burning flesh in the air.

  She looked in horror at Alfonso who began to slowly walk towards her. She pulled the trigger again of the flare but nothing happened. She began to back away as he spoke, his voice sinister. ‘Did you really think you could beat us?’

  Star started to cry.

  ‘Didn’t I say no crying, Star? This time I’m going to teach you a proper lesson.’

  From the corner of her eye, Star saw something on the floor catching the light of the cabin. Her heart raced as she looked at Alfonso. But as Alfonso took another step towards her, Star suddenly realised what she had to do. She had to be brave. Almost able to hear her dad’s voice she bent down, grabbing hold of what was on the floor.

  Alfonso’s eyes widened, but he didn’t move. ‘Star, put it down. That isn’t a flare gun.’

  Star didn’t take her eyes off Alfonso. She knew he was trying to trick her. But she wasn’t going to believe him. He was a bad man who’d wanted to hurt her and now he was telling lies.

  ‘Star, I’m warning you. Put it down. Give it to me.’

  Alfonso held his hand out. It was shaking. He edged forward again, holding Star’s gaze. He was only centimetres away from grabbing hold of her wrist when he made a sudden movement to grab her arm from the side. Petrified, Star jumped back, pulling the trigger. The trigger not of an SOS flare gun, like she thought she was holding, but the trigger of Alfonso’s Smith & Wesson Magnum .397.

  The bullet blasted through Alfonso’s body. He held onto the gaping chest wound and for a split second locked eyes with Star, drained horror on his face as he realised his fate. He staggered to the side, blood pouring from his fatal wound as he fell onto the chain railing; then tipped over the side to plunge headlong into the dark waters below.

  57

  Star stood on deck, watching the sunrise. Still holding the gun in her hand. Still watching Julian who didn’t move or make a sound, apart from the occasional groan of agony.

  Her fear hadn’t left her but with daylight erasing the night she didn’t feel quite so scared. But she still didn’t want to think of Alfonso or what had happened to him.

  She hadn’t been able to work the radio on board and her dad had only shown her how to work the sails, but this boat didn’t have any. So she’d just have to wait. Wait until someone came to rescue her.

  Through her spyglass, Star looked out to sea. She scanned the horizon. The sunlight dancing on the crystal waters. White clouds spinning in the blue sky. Birds hovering overhead. Then she paused. She rubbed the end of her spyglass just to make sure what she was seeing was real. Yes, there it was. There was a boat. But it wasn’t any boat. It was her friend’s boat. It was Teddy. Her friend had come to rescue her. She could see him waving madly. She waved back, her face ecstatic with excitement and relief. Almost immediately, Star began to cry again.

  Teddy had come all this way on his own to find her. Her secret friend had battled with pirates and sea monsters to rescue her and all in a tiny boat. Jumping up and down, Star continued to wave.

  Teddy Davies saw the boat in front of him. He began to wave, desperately grateful he was going to be rescued, not bothering to fight back tears of relief. During the night as he’d floated in pitch-blackness, hearing strange sounds and noises, he’d actually thought he’d never be found. Lost at sea forever. Sinking without trace to the bottom of Davy Jones’ locker.

  He’d even started to reflect on his life.
What he could’ve done differently. How he could’ve perhaps considered others a little bit more. And just before the dawn had broken, in desperation he’d resorted to recalling the Lord’s Prayer, albeit only being able to remember the first three lines. But now all that didn’t matter. He was going to be saved. Life could get back to normal.

  With a huge smile between his tears, Teddy waved again. As his boat floated towards the yacht, he gawped. What the hell? He rubbed his eyes to make sure he hadn’t begun to hallucinate. But it wasn’t a hallucination, it was her. Right in front of him, standing on the deck was Star Barker-Williams, waving and grinning away. Teddy shook his head in amazement. Some things you just couldn’t make up.

  The greeting on the dock was a strange one as Teddy drove the boat into Puerto Banús. He’d radioed ahead explaining the situation. And there on the quayside, waiting to greet them, stood a line of people. Del, Milo, Claudia, Fat Man and an array of Del’s and Milo’s men – along with the Spanish police waiting to take Julian into custody. A proper Kodak moment.

  ‘Dad! Dad! Dad!’ Star ran down the jetty, straight into Del’s arms. He swooped her up, clinging onto her, unwilling to put her down as the tears rolled down his face.

  ‘Let me look at you.’

  ‘Don’t cry, Daddy. I’ve been a brave girl, like what you said. I was a big girl, you should have seen me.’

  Del’s eyes scanned his daughter as her tiny hands wiped away his tears. Grime was etched on her face and her clothes were slightly torn. Her hair was mattered and she looked thinner than she had done before, but in her eyes he could still see a twinkling light. Star was back. Back in his arms where she belonged and he was never going to let her go.

  ‘Where’s Mum? Is she here?’

  ‘She’s in hospital, but she’s fine and the baby’s fine.’

  Still in her father’s arms Star squeezed her eyes shut and began to tremble. She was safe, but more importantly she was in her dad’s arms. Loving and strong. Away from harm. After a moment she looked in Del’s face, a small smile beginning to appear on her face. She spoke with quiet pride. ‘Dad, Teddy saved me. He came all the way to save me. He wasn’t even scared of the pirates or the monster that lives in the bottom of the sea. He was brave like me, Daddy.’

  Del looked over his shoulder at Teddy. He’d received a garbled message from the Spanish police telling him Star had been found but they hadn’t told him how or the circumstances surrounding it. So when he’d seen Teddy riding high on the boat coming into harbour he hadn’t known what the hell was going on.

  He walked up to Teddy, carrying Star in his arms, amazement in his face and total astonishment in his voice. ‘Is this true?’

  Teddy smiled nonchalantly, enjoying the glare of attention. He shrugged. ‘What can I say, Del? It was nothing. All in the line of duty mate. All in the line of duty.’

  FIVE MONTHS LATER

  Star sat between her mum and dad, with Claudia sitting on the other side of them. She held her parents’ hands squeezing them tightly. Full of excitement. Full of delight.

  Sitting waiting on the front row, Star was hardly able to contain herself. She looked around, turning her head to see the hall full of people. She whispered to her dad. ‘I’ve got butterflies in me stomach.’ She grinned, her button nose crinkling up in happiness as she began to listen to the man on stage.

  ‘And now, ladies and gentlemen, we come to a special award, given to a special person. Someone who has shown considerable courage against adversity. Confronting dangers both on dry land and on the high sea. Someone who kept going when there seemed to be no hope. Someone who scaled the heights of bravery most of us can only dream about. So without any further ado, it is with the greatest of pleasure I present this award to an exceptional individual. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Detective Teddy Davies.’

  Star stood up, whooping and clapping, her delighted face looking around at her parents. ‘Stand up, Dad. Stand up.’

  Del glanced at Bunny, who shrugged her shoulders. In a resigned manner Del stood up, followed by Bunny, then Claudia, until the whole room began to give Teddy a standing ovation.

  Up on stage Teddy looked around the room. He caught Del’s eye and winked at him, seeing the scowl on his face. He looked at Star; stupid kid but he was beginning to like her. He looked at Bunny and smirked, remembering, then he gazed outwards seeing the hundreds of people in the hall who’d come to see him. Him. Then he closed his eyes, revelling in the sound of the applause.

  Finally, Teddy Davies felt he had the recognition he deserved.

  * * *

  Kathleen Barker,

  A loving sister,

  A loving daughter.

  Sadly missed but never forgotten.

  Bunny stood next to Claudia, reading the gravestone. It was the first time she’d ever come here. The first time she’d seen her sister’s grave and it was only now she was able to remember her how she wanted to. Full of life. Full of love and full of kindness. She had loved her sister with all her heart and Kathleen had loved her back with all hers.

  Bunny suddenly bent forward.

  ‘You all right?’ Del put his hand on Bunny’s large pregnant stomach. She smiled warmly. ‘Yes, just the baby kicking.’

  ‘I was thinking, if it’s a girl why don’t we call her Kate? What do you say, Bun?’

  Bunny looked at the grave, a soft sadness in her eyes as she watched Star place a bunch of flowers on it. ‘I say she’d have liked that very much.’

  Star bounded up to Claudia. ‘What was Auntie Kathleen like, Nanny?’

  Claudia looked at Bunny, who nodded her head.

  ‘Go on Mum, it’s fine.’

  Claudia looked at her daughter and then at her granddaughter. She smiled. ‘Well Star, let me tell you. When your mummy and Auntie Kathleen were little, they were bleedin’ toerags. Always getting into scrapes …’

  Star and Claudia walked off towards the car, chattering away. Del gently pulled Bunny back.

  ‘I’m not flying back to Marbella with you guys today. There’s something I need to do first, but I’ll see you tomorrow … and Bronwin, you know how much I love you, don’t you?’ He kissed her on her forehead, before turning to walk away in the other direction.

  The drab grey concrete tower blocks rose up into the air. Windows were boarded up. Misspelt graffiti sprayed over doors and walls. Abandoned supermarket trolleys lay amidst urine and discarded needles as Del stood knocking on the paint-peeling door.

  Eventually the door was opened by a thin scruffy man, his eyes hollow and sunken, his skin pale and drawn. His hands trembled as his yellowed fingers held onto a cigarette. A little boy ran to the door and Del watched as the man’s eyes lit up in warmth as he picked him up.

  ‘Can I help you?’ The man’s tone was hostile and closed.

  ‘Gary Cole?’

  ‘Yeah?’

  ‘You don’t know me but I wanted to give you this.’ Del handed the man a large brown envelope. ‘I know it won’t bring your daughter Julie back, but maybe you can buy her a proper gravestone.’

  Gary Cole looked at Del. His eyes filled with tears. Embarrassed, he turned to his son, Zak, burying his head in his jam-smeared hair.

  ‘I’m going to get off now, but I’m sorry about your daughter, mate. I really am.’

  Del turned and walked away back to his car. What happened to Julie Cole had so nearly happened to Star. She had been one of the lucky ones. Knowing they’d found Alfonso washed up dead on the shore, with Julian living the remainder of his years banged up in a Spanish prison was a small comfort to Del, though he doubted it would be to Gary Cole. As for Edith’s involvement in it all, she’d been lucky he hadn’t called the police, but then her losing everything was punishment enough. Money was where it hurt her. And having none meant she’d be in a lot of pain.

  ‘Mate! Mate! Stop!’ It was Gary.

  Del pulled up his car as Gary, carrying his son, waved frantically to him. It took Gary a moment to speak as he got his breath b
ack, still holding onto the envelope Del had given him.

  ‘Mate, I can’t take this. There’s a fortune in here.’

  Del reached out of the driver’s window to tickle Gary’s son on the cheek before turning to look Gary straight in the eyes.

  ‘Keep it. It’s yours. I wanted you to have it. Use it to get you and your son out of here … Good luck, Gary, and take care.’

  Del put his car into drive, leaving Gary Cole standing in the middle of the car park, filled with a new sense of hope.

  ‘Daddy, you’re back!’ Star shouted in delight as she sat on the wall by the pool looking though her spyglass at the Mediterranean Sea.

  ‘What can you see, doll?’ Del spoke as he threw down his bag, winking at Bunny who smiled in joy to see him.

  ‘I’m looking at Milo’s boat.’

  ‘Pirates?’

  Star giggled. ‘Milo’s not a pirate.’

  Del ruffled her hair, a big grin appearing on his face.

  ‘Some people might not agree with you there, babe.’

  He sat down next to his daughter, moving her pet snails out of the way, feeling at peace. He nodded a greeting to Fat Man who was attentively pouring a glass of lemonade for Claudia, who looked as happy as he felt. This was all Del had ever really needed. Family and friends really were his everything.

  Bunny sat on the lounger, feeling the baby kicking hard. She was happy they’d all decided to make the permanent move to Marbella. Everyone seemed more at ease. She smiled at Del, more in love with him than she’d ever been, but then she knew why. Finally, she’d faced up to her past. Hidden secrets now broken. Hidden memories now exposed. She had forgiven herself. The past was no longer a shroud of anxiety; the future no longer a veil of mistrust. She, Bronwin – or as her sister Kathleen had called her, Bunny – for the first time since that day in the woods, she was happy.