Barefoot and Lost (32 page)

      ‘Yes, but I don’t know how I will feel wearing a dead persons clothes.’

     ‘You won’t feel anything, you will be wearing your best friends clothes and be proud to do so.’           

     ‘I’m going to have to set my alarm half an hour earlier, to give me time to decide what to wear; I’ve never had so many clothes.’

     ‘For the next couple of days wear the rubbish you have on, save the new stuff for school and special days.’

     ‘Oh bloody hell----’

     ‘
Phillip
! Do not use language like that; you are not at
Saint
Stephen
’s now.’

     ‘Sorry, but I have forgotten to go to the swimming club. Captain and Len were expecting me, now I have let them down.’

     ‘Never mind, there are other nights, it was more important to get you clothed.’

     ‘I don’t think so.’

     ‘It doesn’t matter what you think, you are not paid to think, I do all the thinking around here, and if I say it was more important to clothe you then that is the end of the matter, understood?’

     ‘
But
,
June
.’

     ‘Phillip, even if you had remembered you still would not have gone, the clothes were more important so that is the finish; take your clothes up to your room, put them away neatly, and get yourself ready for bed, understood.’
June
’s mouth is not smiling; I know she means it, no point in arguing. Reg looks at me with an expression that says do as you are told. I have the last word though, as I kiss them both goodnight I can feel them melt as I walk out of the kitchen, this is my secret weapon, it always worked with Gran.

     I wish I had The Talisman, I would love to read, but there are no books in my room. I will ask Reg if I can have a book shelf. I’m not tired, I’ve swung both the Spitfire and the B52, and counted the revolutions they do before they just swing backward and forward, I am bored with that.

     Looking at the clock I can see it
still has the minute hand lying at the bottom of the face, it
is nine something
. Wondering
if I can shake the minute hand back on I give it half a dozen shakes. I can see it’s not possible but then realize that the glass and surround
will
screw off. One and a half turns is all it takes for the glass to come off suddenly taking me by surprise, only to find the hand has fallen out. After stripping the bed I realize it is not there, it must be on the floor. Anothe
r fifteen minutes of searching I
eventually find it on
edge, in a crack in the floorboards. In a few seconds the hand is replaced, and then I realize it is on upside down and is touching the face of the clock.
Carefully prizing it off with my finger nail, I refit it, noticing there is a small notch that locates it in the right position at seven minutes to ten. With the glass screwed back on I put out the light, I drop off to sleep instantly.

     The alarm wakes me at six twenty five; I’ve decided that I’m going swimming this morning. Downstairs I find I’m the only one up, except for Jet, he only stirs when he sees me, first with a stretch then a tail wag, followed by his whole rump. I rub his ears ‘Jet, I can’t take you out now I’m going swimming, I’ll take you for a long walk when I come back.’ He gives one short bark as if to say okay, and then curls up in his bed again. There is no one to ask if I can go. To save time I find the towel I used the other day, clean and folded in the linen cupboard, wrapping my costume in it I sit back down waiting for someone to appear, surely June must get up to make breakfast for the guests.

     In the bread bin there is half a loaf, I cut a slice, and spread it with jam and sit back down to wait. Fifteen minutes have slipped by since I came down; if I don’t go soon I will miss the session. On the table is Reg’s notepad and pencil, I’ll leave a note and go, they won’t be cross I’m sure; I write very neatly, ‘
Good Morning June I have gone swimming will be back soon
.
Love
,
Phillip
.’

      Len is not on duty, much to my disappointment and there is only one of the lady attendants here. After doing six lengths concentrating on my style, my arms ache, I’m becoming bored.

   
I get out, but as I go to the changing room
a man follows me in, he stands beside me and starts to dry himself, which I think is strange because he has not been in the water, and is not even wet. I can see out of the corner of my eye, he is looking at me which makes me feel creepy and reluctant to take off my costume. I gather up my things and go into the toilet, locking the door behind me. Quickly getting dressed, I listen at the door to hear if he is still there. Looking through the gap under the toilet door I can see a pair of mans legs in black trousers but I am not sure if it is him or not. The legs move away towards the changing room exit and pass out of view.
Has he gone
?
I can’t hear anything
.
G
ingerly open
ing
the door,
I gasp as I see
he is
still
standing there. ‘I know you, you’re
Phillip
Snell
.’

     ‘I don’t know you, what do you want?’

     ‘Nothing, we have never been introduced; I know you from
Saint
Stephen
’s what makes you think I want something?’

     ‘Because you are hanging around, that’s why.’

     ‘I’m not hanging around as you call it
Phil
; I can call you
Phil
can’t I? I just want us to be friends.’

     ‘Well I don’t, so leave me alone.’
     ‘You haven’t even asked how I know you.’

     ‘Because you don’t, that’s why; I think you’re a pervert.’

     ‘That is a very unpleasant thing to say to anybody, where do you get that idea?’

     ‘I just do, my Gran told me about men like you she told me I shouldn’t talk to strange men.’

     ‘She must be a very wise lady your Gran, she was right, you shouldn’t, but I’m not strange. I know you from
Saint
Stephen
’s you were at your mate’s funeral and read that poem you wrote?’

     Two men come into the changing room laughing and pushing each other, ‘Told you, you couldn’t do three turns off that board.’ The other man is about to answer when I get the idea to treat this man like
Flynn
, I shout.

     ‘
Leave me alone
,
I’m not going with you, you want to molest me I know
.
’ One of the men turns to face my so called friend,

     ‘Here, what’s going on what’s he done to you son?’ I take my opportunity and run outside, slowing down, I look behind me to see the pervert running after me shouting

     ‘Stop thief, stop that boy.’ A fat man in a black suit tries to block the main exit, I dodge him as he makes a grab at my arm but takes hold of my rolled up
towel instead
, I leave him there holding it. Darting across the road, Pervert follows me, risking being run over by a motorbike; the rider sounds his horn and shouts. He is very fast and gaining on me. Then up ahead I can see Constable Harper, standing in his favourite doorway watching the world go by. As I come up to him, he turns to see what the commotion is about, I slow down the pervert is almost up to me, I can hear his heavy breathing and the thud of his feet as they hit the footpath. Stopping suddenly I dive into the doorway bumping into PC Harper, knocking him against the window.

Out of breath I manage to shout. ‘This man is trying to molest me, please help me.’ Pervert suddenly realizes that I have run to a policeman. Stopping dead in his tracks he takes off again, back the way he has just come.

     ‘Stop him, he is trying to molest me, please help me.’ PC Harper shouts, Stop and blows his whistle three times and, as if by magic, two constables run around the corner and collide with the pervert.

     ‘Hold him
Jack
, don’t know what he’s done yet, but he is running from something.’

     ‘What’s going on young Milligan has he touched you?’

     ‘No he didn’t but he tried to make friends with me in the changing room and when I ran away he chased after me.’

     ‘Perhaps you left something behind and he was trying to return it.’

     ‘He said he knew me from the children’s home, and I have never seen him before. I think he was going to kidnap me, or murder me like they did
Lionel
.’ 

     Pervert is arguing with the other policemen. Pervert attempts to breakaway, there is a bit of a scuffle,
the helmet of one PC falls
onto the ground with a clatter.

     ‘Right mate, you’re not going anywhere except to the station.’ The larger PC pushes perverts arm up behind his back, the other one handcuffs him.

     ‘What is going on, what do you mean kidnap?’ 

     A green Humber Snipe turns slowly into the street, in the passenger seat is the fat man from the baths. When the driver sees the police he accelerates up the road, not realizing it is a dead end. They stop outside the book shop at the foot of the steps to
Robertson Street
.

     ‘
Mr.
Harper
, I think you should tell Superintendent
Langdon
, I think this man is something to do with the murder of
Lionel
Bates
.’ The other two policemen march Pervert to the police box
that is still surrounded with sandbags on the promenade; there they make their phone call to the station.

      ‘Young Milligan you have a vivid imagination but, I think you’re right the Super will be interested in talking to this
Herbert
.’

     ‘Do you want me to come to the station?’

     ‘No, you can get on home, the Super knows where to find you if he needs you.’

     ‘I don’t think I should go on my own Mr. Harper that Humber Snipe, up there, at the end of the road, is from the children’s home, it’s like the one Lionel was killed in, the fat man in the front seat tried to grab me as I ran out of the baths.’

     ‘Young Milligan I’m sure I do not know what you are talking about, but the Super told me there was something a foot and you had some involvement in it. We will wait here until
Herbert
gets collected, then we will sort out the car, they can’t go anywhere unless it’s back here. Pc Harper undoes the top pocket of his tunic and produces a small collapsible telescope, ‘I’ll just get its number and phone in and see what they say,’ The police van pulls up, Herbert is put in the back and driven off.

   The two PC’s walk back towards us, I can see one of them is Jack
, the one who
brought me from St S’s. ‘
Watcha
Phillip
so what’s this all about then?’ I explain what has happened and that the man in the
Humber
is the same one that tried to stop me at the baths.’

     ‘I have the number so I had better call it in.’

     ‘Bloody hell
Harry
can you read that plate from here?’

     ‘Yeah
, with this I can.’ Pc Harper says showing Jack his telescope.

     ‘Have you had a look at them?’

     ‘Yeah
, but I can only see the back of their heads; they are looking at us through the driving mirror, I’d say waiting for us to go, or to leave Phillip on his own.’

     ‘Do you believe me that they are trying to kidnap me?’

     ‘Not sure what they are up to, but best to be on the safe side’

     ‘Has anyone spoken to the Super yet?’

     ‘No, it’s his day off. They are trying to contact him, said they would call back as soon as they got hold of him.’

     The blue light, on top of the poli
ce box, starts to wink off and on
and I can hear a telephone ringing,

     ‘That will be them now;
Phillip
, you walk with me to the box you two stay here got that number
Harry
?’

     ‘Yes Sir, that’s right. Well they could abandon the car and scarper up the steps, yes; two should do it to cover that. Very good Sir, I’ll walk
Phillip
back to the baths and leave him in the office with the manager. Yes, very good Sir, I’m on my way. Stay here
Phillip
; I have to have a word with the other two constables.’