Wisps of Wisdom

by Ross Richdale

  It did!

  For the first time in her life she had sex on a first date and by one in the morning she was exhausted but had no regrets what-so-ever about what had happened. Even this was a first for on all the previous times she had had sex it had been followed by guilt feelings and the fear that she might have been impregnated. She grinned to herself at her own forethought of purchasing some 'morning-after' pills, just in case.

  The lounge and veranda lights were both on. The goodnight kiss was almost an anti-climax after what had happened and she waved from the veranda as Adrian reversed out of the drive, gave a tiny toot and drove away.

  Grandad was sitting in his favourite armchair in the lounge with the television playing one of those all-night shopping programs that several of the networks used to fill in the early hours. This was strange for Grandad hated them and reached for the remote whenever any came on air. Perhaps he had fallen asleep.

  "Hi Grandad," she called. "I'm a bit late. You shouldn't have waited up for me."

  He sat up and turned. "That's fine, Belinda, I must have dozed off after feeling a bit wheezy." he said. "I'm so proud of you. For years we have looked after each other, haven't we?"

  She reached for the remote and turned off the television. "We have Grandad and that will continue. Just because I had a date that doesn't change anything, you know."

  "Don't waste any more years, Honey," he said. "Thank you for everything. I've always loved you, you know."

  "Oh Grandad, you're getting sentimental tonight."

  He glanced at her, smiled, jerked and his head sort of tipped back.

  "Grandad!" Belinda screamed for something was horribly wrong.

  She ran forward and noticed a glazed look in her grandfather's eyes. "Grandad!" she screamed again and reached out to hug him but he didn't respond. "Oh my God," she sobbed. She reached for her mobile and punched in Adrian's number that had only been added to her phone the day before.

  "Adrian here."

  "Can you come back?" Belinda sobbed. "Grandad! I think he's dead. We were talking and he just slumped back. It was as if he knew..." She burst into shuddering incoherent sobs, dropped the phone and with tears rolling down her face, just hugged the old man in her arms.

  *

  There was a massive turnout for Warren's funeral the following Saturday with, as far as Belinda could tell, every teacher in Tern Syndicate attending as well as all the senior staff, Karla and her husband, teachers from other syndicates and other staff from Joseph Ward Junior High. As well, other relations attended, though there were not a lot left now. Representatives from all of the groups Grandad belonged to were there as well as dozens of elderly friends, many that she hardly knew. As well, the principal and several teachers from Findlay Grove Primary School where Grandad had been principal for a dozen years before his retirement came up to and introduced themselves before the service started.

  When she began her eulogy to the mourners, she tried to keep her poise. She spoke of her life and stated that he was more than just a grandfather but together with her late Nan, had taken her in as a child, supported her throughout her life and ... At that point her chin shook, no words would come out and she broke into sobbing tears. Somebody was standing beside her. It was Karla!

  "Would you like me to continue reading your speech, Belinda?" her principal asked.

  She couldn't talk but nodded and discovered that Adrian was also there. He tucked an arm around her shoulders and escorted her back to the front row of the funeral parlour in the silent room. She listened as Karla read her notes and memories of her life flashed through her mind. Somehow Grandad's death affected her even more than Nan's funeral. She remembered him at the time telling her there were just two of them now but they were strong and would carry on together. And they did, even when he became weaker over the following few years.

  Now he was gone! It was as if he had held on until he knew she found someone. "Oh Grandad," she whispered to herself. "Why now! I never knew my father and hardly remember Mum. Nan and you were my real parents and after she died I promised myself I would repay your kindness and never leave you. Without your encouragement I would not have become a teacher or even applied for the wonderful position I am now in."

  A tiny hand reached out and squeezed her own. She glanced down and saw tiny Alexis looking up at her. "It's okay," the little girl whispered. "Mummy will look after you. She looks after everyone."

  Belinda reached down lifted Alexis up onto her knees and smiled through her tears at Adrain who reached out and again placed his arm placed around her shoulders.

  *

  CHAPTER 12

  Karla felt saddened by the funeral, more by Belinda's distress than anything else. She glanced across at Ryan as he drove the car towards home.

  He grinned at her. "I'm proud of you and the way you stepped in to help her."

  "There seemed to be nobody else, no close friends or relatives. I noticed the undertaker was about to step forward and thought that having a stranger comforting her at the time wasn't right." She smiled slightly. "When I read out her story I realised why she was so distressed. He was the last member of her family and it seems that they had supported each other for years."

  "She's an attractive woman, tall, long brunette hair, nice figure..."

  "Ryan, just because I look like a light bulb you don't need to get carried away."

  "Okay, you know what I mean. How can a woman get to about your age and still be an old maid? Haven't you got a few others on your staff the same?"

  "One or two. Most are either married or have a partner. A few are still flittering around, one is quite promiscuous and another a lesbian. If their personal life doesn't affect their position as a teacher, it's not my business."

  "Fair enough. I've never heard you talk about her at all, though."

  Karla grimaced. "That's the trouble with a huge staff. It's the extroverts or those who are not doing a good job or are in trouble are the ones I notice, even though I try to get to know the quieter ones, too. Belinda is one of these. She is conscientious and her Tern Syndicate is just humming along. They do well in sports and other school activities but unlike Michael White for example, she doesn't make a big thing of their achievements. She'd make a good principal one day. I was actually going to suggest she applies for a couple of positions at local primary schools that are due to be advertised before the end of the year."

  "And that guy who stepped in to comfort her?"

  "Adrain Williamson is a teacher in her syndicate. He's a good teacher but is a bit casual in his planning; a bit like that teacher down south I had to visit. Vivian told me, he spent quite a few years in country schools before coming to town to try to save his marriage"

  "So he's married?"

  "No. He split up not long after coming here and again it's Vivian who told me that his divorce came through a few months back. I hadn't realised that Belinda and him were involved with each other. It seems quite serious and could be the best thing for her at the moment."

  Ryan laughed. "Involved! Is that an euphuism for screwing the living daylights out of each other?"

  Karla stared at him but decided not to bite. "Probably. I only hope he doesn't take advantage of her at this time. He seems to be a considerate kind of guy but like Belinda, I don't know him very well."

  "But you will get to know them both more now, won't you?"

  Karla nodded. "I think Belinda will need support for a while and I'll make a point of providing it, if necessary." She looked across the car. "Anyway, you said your contract with the police is almost over and you might be onto another one. Has anything come of it?"

  Ryan nodded. "It's not with the police but the Ministry for Primary Industries and is all to do with deep water fishing around our coastal waters. They want to bring in better ways of registering and electronically policing the quotas for commercial fishermen as well as allocating licenses for overseas vessels in our waters, South Koreans for example. It's a long term job that is just what
Spider's Revenge needs." He smiled. "I won the contract and was going to tell you but with the funeral and you being so busy, it slipped my mind."

  "Oh Ryan, you know I'm interested in everything you do and I want to be more than a sleeping partner in Spider's Revenge."

  "Yeah, I guess busy lives are happy ones." He reached across and affectionately squeezed her arm.

  *

  Detective Savannah Dawson, working with Sergeant Matt Latimer and Ryan in their quest to entrap Terrance Hortmyre, actually felt self-conscious as she walked into the Auckland domestic air terminal for she was dressed in a Joseph Ward Junior High school uniform and with a little make up, looked like a fourteen-year-old schoolgirl, eight years younger than her real age.

  The meeting had been meticulously planned at ten thirty in the morning and would precede five raids across the city at Hortmyre's Sports and Outdoor Life, the man's upmarket home on the North Shore and at three other sites where his cohorts who had been identified through the Kensington girls' Facebook and Petal Life pages. All of the paedophiles were middle aged and middle-class businessmen and except for one who ran a registered brothel in the city, previously unknown to the police. It also appeared that, contrary to Ryan's first thoughts, Hortmyre was the producer of the enoon and enoemos faked photographs. During the raids, computers and tablets would be seized that, it was hoped would provide evidence of these fakes.

  This was one of Savannah's first undercover jobs and even though she was trained and had numerous safety and recording devices hidden in her uniform, she felt nervous as she stood near the arrival doors where incoming passengers walked in from the aircraft. Not a policeman or security guard was in sight but she knew they were all close by. An invisible radio in her ear beeped and Ryan's familiar voice came through loud and clear.

  "We found the white van in the Car-Park M and Hortmyre is walking towards the terminal," Ryan chuckled. "He's limping and has a bruised chin. Isabelle's friends did a good job. I wonder how he will explain it away."

  Savannah said nothing but tapped out Thanks on the iPhone in her pocket just as another voice message came in from Matt. "He should be in view within seconds, Savannah and I can see you from where I'm standing. Remember, act worried for the plane the boy is mean to be arriving in has landed and those disembarking from it will be walking through the exit door you are looking at within a couple of minutes. There's quite a crowd though, with several other planes' passengers coming out at the same time."

  "Will do," she muttered and knew her voice and of anyone that she spoke with would be relayed to the police supporting her.

  Passengers, dozens of them walked out the door. Most, at this time of the day appeared to be businessmen or women in suits though there were also younger people in casual clothes and a few families and children. She knew of course, that this faked Nicholas wouldn't be there but used her acting skills to portray an apprehensive high school girl looking earnestly into the crowd in search of a friend.

  The crowd thinned a little as the arriving passengers fanned out so for a moment there were spaces in the carpeted concourse. She turned slightly and instantly recognised Hortmyre standing ten metres away studying her. She ignored him and purposely walked along towards the luggage conveyer belt where passengers were crowded around waiting. Again, this had been all rehearsed. She even ran a hand through her hair as a worried teenager might do.

  Even though expecting a contact, she almost jumped in surprise when a male voice from behind spoke. "Hello, you must be Alison Carline. Nicholas said to look out for someone in a yellow topped school uniform."

  She swung around and saw Hortmyre standing there with a calm almost empathic look on his face. He had obviously had a beating for one eye was almost closed and a massive bruise covered his left cheek. Now how would a teenager react to this?

  "Yes, I'm Alison," This was the assumed name she was using. "But who are you and how do you know my name?"

  Hortmyre smiled. "Sorry if I look such a mess. Got mugged a while back."

  "Oh you poor man," Savannah sympathised. "But how do you know me?"

  "There's been a slight problem and Nicholas asked me to meet you."

  "He's not hurt, is he?"

  "No, nothing like that. It's just that the plane from Nelson that he was on was delayed,"

  "But the arrivals board has said it has landed. He gave me his flight number."

  "True but he had to change flights in Wellington. His Nelson plane was forty minutes late there so he missed the connection." He smiled again. "He'll be coming on the five o'clock flight instead. Rather than you waiting around the terminal for two hours he asked me to find you." He reached out and shook her hand. "I'm Lucas Quinn, his uncle. Nicholas is staying with us for the week rather than being bulleted out like his classmates."

  Savannah nodded. This all fitted in with a story that this so called Nicholas had spun that he was coming up to Auckland to visit a specialist for an ongoing knee injury he had received in a rugby match a few weeks earlier. It had been played out well and the messages on Petal Life had told how he hoped to have a small operation and be fit again for the new season the following year. Again, this was typical teenage talk and, if she didn't know better, sounded quite plausible.

  "Of course Mr Quinn, Nicholas did mention that he was staying with you." She sighed. "Thanks for coming. I admit that I was getting worried." She frowned. "I had the afternoon off school and never had time to change out of my uniform but Nicholas said that wouldn't matter..." She rattled on again in a manner a teenager might talk and gave an appearance that she accepted the man's explanation for meeting her.

  "Look," he said. "How would you like to come to our place for an hour or so. My wife, Sally is at home and our kids should be home from school too," He laughed. "Got a couple of little fellows who are ten and eight."

  Savannah frowned. So far their conversation fitted in well with her training. She was told to appear reluctant before accepting a ride. "I don't know," she said in a doubtful voice. "It's kind of you but perhaps I should go home. I told Mum I was visiting a friend after school and would be home by five. If you meet Nicholas tell him I can see him tomorrow."

  "No problem." Savannah notice a slight leer in his tone but the slight bump on the arm and jab of a needle piercing her arm was completely unexpected. Whatever it was, reacted immediately for she felt dizzy and the whole room began to spin just before she was grabbed in a tight grip.

  "Silly girl," he said in a voice that sounded a thousand kilometres away. "Forgot to take your medicine again." The tone changed as if he was talking to somebody else. "It's okay folks, my daughter is having another turn. Her medicine is in the car and she'll soon come right."

  Though disorientated, Savannah found she could walk and with the man's arm firmly around her shoulder she found herself guided through a small crowd that stepped back to let them through.

  "It's okay Ma'am," she heard him say to somebody. "Poor Alison has had these attacks since the car accident we were in a month ago. Knocked us both around a bit."

  My God he was a clever bastard! She shook her head and almost fell. An arm still held and propelled her forward outside through the terminal doors. Something was wrong but now she couldn't even remember where she was or what was happening. Everything around still spun and she felt violently ill. She glanced up and noticed that a white van had pulled into the kerb with the back sliding door open.

  She shook her head. This was not right! She remembered being told that the van was in Car-Park M so how could it be here?

  "No!" she cried and for a second remembered the emergency code. "Iced coffee." Her tongue felt numb and she was sure her voice was slurred but shouted the words again.

  "No problem Girlie," Hortmyre spat. "You can have all the coffee you want after we've had our little fun."

  She was given a violent shove, landed on the floor of the van on her knees, just as the door was slammed shut. She heard rather than saw Hortmyre sit in the front passenger se
at.

  "Had to dose the bitch," he snarled in an angry tone. "Too damn smart for her own good." He laughed. "Well stacked though. Well worth the effort."

  A calming voice in her ear said something as the van moved forward out of the pick-up zone but the cloud in her mind became thicker. Though she fought to remain conscious it was too hard and easier to just relax and shut her eyes.

  *

  Ryan ran across the terminal building but after almost tripping over an elderly lady and actually bumping into a guy near her, arrived outside just as he heard her shout "Iced coffee," twice through his mobile. Outside he saw Hortmyre shove Savannah into the back of a white van, slam the door shut and by the time the man had jumped in the front seat, the van was moving.

  "We're onto him, Savannah," he shouted over his mobile as the van roared away. Damn, they had not anticipated that there would be two vans and Hortmyre would have an accomplice. In every other account the victims had given them he had worked alone. Even in the gang rape the others had arrived later in another vehicle.

  Matt came rushing up. "Where is she?" he shouted.

  Ryan pointed at the van that was already just about out of sight. "In there! He had a second van. By the time I realised that she was sort of staggering I was too late. Thought the guys outside would follow her over to the car park."

  "We all did," Matt said grimly and spoke into his police phone. "All units. Coffee time! Repeat Coffee time! Stop all outward-bound vehicles. Find a white van! Unknown numberplate or make. Apprehend but with care. Suspect is in the passenger's seat. Driver unknown. Detective Dawson possibly drugged and incapacitated is in the back."

  "Red One. Van has just gone by," came a reply.

  "Red Three. I see it coming. It's slowed and is attempting to blend into the traffic. Doubt if they realise we're onto them."

  "Red Six here! All outward-bound traffic halted. Cones and spikes are being placed across the road and off ramps. Suggest we stop inbound traffic too as the van could easily cross the medium barrier"