The Beast of Bracksley Woods (16 page)

“If you wish. I don’t own the chair. I was just going anyway,” she said tersely.

“Please don’t go Debbie. Wait just a minute please my dear, there is something I want to say- it’s important,” He said with a note of urgency creeping into his voice.

Debbie didn’t look at him. She stared straight ahead. The sound of his voice was making her feel a warmth within herself that she didn’t want to feel and a familiar tingle had started to creep up her spine which she tried in vain to ignore. He started to speak again. “Debbie – I just wanted to – I am trying to – Please! Oh please forgive me for what I said the other night. Debbie – god knows you have every right to be mad with me. I do love you. I love you so much please say I am forgiven. I was so mixed up the other night when I operated on the Rottweiler, you see, I know the dog and he was never aggressive. He used to belong to my sister but Katie died two years ago through breast cancer. Just before she died she asked me to take care of Scott but my house got broken into one night while I was out on a case and Scott went missing. I think I know who did it. The poacher’s name is Clive Jackson,” He stopped. “I can only guess at what that man has done to poor Scott. He has turned him into the beast of Bracksley Woods. You should see the bite scars on him. That proves he has been made to fight. Such people should never be allowed near any animal. They are worse than any animal I can assure you. He’s not a bit vicious but I was so angry when I found the tattoo in his ear that we had put there when he was a puppy. I was so upset that night I hardly knew what I was saying.

Debbie, Please believe me when I say I love you. I really do mean it.” He stopped. “Please say something. This is the wrong place to say all this but I had to tell you. I’ve been trying to pluck up courage to speak to you all weekend. I can explain about the text messages as well if you’ll only stay and wait for me. Greg is going over to the hospital when we close at five o’clock tonight and I have to nip back to the surgery also at the same time. You and the girls will be clearing up after everyone’s gone so can we have a chat when it’s nice and quiet. I’ll come back here when I’ve done what is necessary and take you home. Will that be okay? Will you stay until I come back?”

“Weeks have gone by without you saying a word to me. Why should you suddenly feel the need to explain everything to me.”

“It’s just one of those things I got completely wrong and I do need to explain what happened,” he said seriously “Please say you’ll wait until I come back.”

“I’ll only wait until seven o’clock then I’m off,” she said without looking at him. She stood up and added “We’ll see if you can talk your way out of weeks of ignoring me I’ll see you later if you turn up,” she said with a note of bitter sarcasm creeping into her voice as she turned to go.

That had been the first decent conversation Debbie and Paul had shared together for weeks. She felt hot all over and she was sure her face must be red. She needed to cool off so she strolled around to where the kids were waiting for pony and trap rides. Tracy seemed to have things well in hand. She had been allowed to lead the pony a few times and she was as proud as a peacock with herself.

She waved to Debbie telling her they were having a lovely time. Debbie strolled on to the tombola tub. It had been replenished a couple of times but was still going strong. Skittles were doing okay and the various little table set up were likewise being well patronised. It looked as though they had a winner on their hands.

The rest of the afternoon went by in a flurry of activities. All too soon for some, the visitors started to drift off around five. The fete was over. All that remained now was the clearing up. Everyone pitched in and by six o’clock things were pretty well tidied up. Now all that remained was to see to the animals then all the volunteers could go home for a well-earned rest. Debbie collected all the takings and took them round to her office before saying a big thank you to them all for all their hard work.

She was about to put the takings away when the door suddenly burst open. Debbie jumped thinking it might be Paul coming back. She stared at the strange man standing in the doorway and blocking the light that now began to fade as the sky began to darken. She gasped in horror as she saw that he was pointing a gun at her. He threw a large bag on the table and said gruffly “Right lady. Do exactly what I say and you won’t get hurt. Start yelling for help and so help me you will regret it. Now, Put all that lovely money in that bag that you’ve worked so ’ard to collect for me and stand back,” he commanded.

Trembling with fear she did as she was told. “Please don’t hurt me,” she begged unable to move for a moment until the man brought his hand up suggesting he was taking aim. “Just get on with it and do what I told you,” he growled. He moved further into the room. Another man appeared. Debbie had no option but to load the money into the man’s bag. Her eyes were glued on the gun as she tried to hurry with the task. “Right Fred, tie ’er up.” The other man came towards her saying menacingly “Turn round!” She turned to face the wall where upon the man grabbed her arms behind her back and tide her hands.

“Tie ’er legs and put a gag in ’er mouth. We don’t want her screaming for help, do we? Then we’ll find ’er a nice little kennel and leave ’er there until we come back for ’er. She’ll do as a hostage until I get me dog back then we’ll ’ave to see what further use she can be.”

Okay Clive, I’ll see to that while you load up,” Debbie heard the man called Fred say. “Come on you. You ’eard what the man said. “Tell you what Clive, ’ow about if I put a dog’s lead and collar on her and take ’her to the kennels.”

“Ha Bloody ha, stop pissing about and get ’er in the kennels tide up where she can do no ’am. Don’t be long about it either, we ’aven’t got much time to mess around playing doggy games. Now get on with it and hurry up.

The man called Fred pushed Debbie onto a chair and bound her ankles. He picked her scarf up and tied it in place for a gag. “I noticed a wheelbarra outside as we came in,” he said, “that’ll do to shove ’er over to the kennels. Okay Clive.”

“Just get it done,” Clive answered sullenly. Debbie was manhandled out of the door and pushed into the wheelbarrow. She was wheeled to a kennel, manhandled out of the barrow. Some of the dogs started to bark but he took no notice. “Bloody hell woman, you need to lose some weight,” he swore as he dumped her on the floor at the back of the kennel. “Stay there until we come back for you,” he said. She heard the click of the gate and the footsteps as the man called Fred walked away with the wheelbarrow.

Debbie laid on the cold concrete floor hardly able to move. She was bruised by the rough treatment she had just received. Scared out of her wits she tried to move into a more comfortable position. What would happen when that pair of ruffians came back for her? She began to worry about the baby. Would it be all right? Maybe the shock would bring on a miscarriage, then what would she do? Oh Paul, please hurry back she prayed. If only she could get the gag untied she would be able to call for help if she heard anyone nearby. How long would it be before Paul came back looking for her. Whether he would be able to find her if he got there before the two ruffians came back for her would be a matter of luck she thought desperately.

The only way she could call any attention to herself would be to kick the partition wall between the kennels and make the neighbouring dog bark. If she kicked it too hard maybe she would scare it into silence but that was a chance she would have to take. Unfortunately, she had lost a shoe when the second burglar had manhandled her into the wheelbarrow. She could hear the wail of a police siren in the distance. The sound comforted her knowing that they were about somewhere not too far away.

She was right. The police had been keeping a special eye on the fete. They spotted the van in the lane as they patrolled passed. They gave chase when the men realised the police were behind them and stopped them before they reached the main road. They recognised the van as one of the vehicles the police were looking for. The officers were quick to arrest both men after making a thorough search of their vehicle and not only finding a number of suspicious tools hidden in the back of the vehicle but also finding the takings from the fete that afternoon which had been stolen minutes before. The two police officers who caught the thieves were doubly pleased with themselves when they discovered who it was they had arrested. Clive Jackson and his mate were promptly carted off to the local lock up where they would be thoroughly questioned and investigated for other crimes.

Debbie knew nothing of the goings on in the lane of course. She laid on the hard floor staring into the pitch darkness of the night. She wore a watch but her hands were tied making it impossible to see the time in any case. As the hours stretched on Debbie began to despair. A funny little pain had started to make its presence known somewhere round the groin area. She began to shiver uncontrollably. Her teeth were chattering and she was unable to stop the shaking. Then she heard a car stop. Please let it be Paul, she prayed. She heard him calling but couldn’t answer. She moaned miserably as the sound of his voice grew fainter. Then it was nearer. Then a large German shepherd dog came scampering passed. Debbie began to kick at the partition vigorously.

Paul was delayed in going back for Debbie a seven O’clock as he had promised. He had an emergency to deal with back at the surgery which delayed him an hour longer than he intended. He stood in total shock when he arrived back at Debbie’s little office. There were papers everywhere and a chair turned up on the floor apart from every drawer in the place tipped out to join the mess already there. Clearly, there had been a break-in but where was Debbie. Paul found her shoe outside the door and picked it up. “My god! There must have been quite a fight for Debbie to lose her shoe,” Paul said out loud. “Where the hell is she,” he asked to no one in particular. He started trudging round the farm calling her name franticly looking for her with Danny trotting alongside him.

There was no sign of Debbie near the house which was still in darkness. Greg had obviously not returned from the hospital yet. Paul decided to have a look round the kennels. Debbie heard him calling and kicked vigorously at the partitioning between the kennel she was in and the one next to it. As she hoped, her neighbour set up a furious barking session making the rest of the inmates join in.

Danny came scampering by and Debbie made mewing noises through the gag. Danny was no fool however and immediately jumped at the gate barking loudly in his turn. This brought Paul to his side immediately and in shining a torch into the dark interior of the kennel he was aghast at what he saw. He opened the gate and went inside. “Oh my god! Debbie … Debbie … can you hear me? You poor darling,” He bent down to see more closely. “Here, let’s get that thing off your mouth. You poor darling. Are you hurt?” He pulled her up into a sitting position as he pulled the scarf from round her mouth. “Oh my darling, what have they done to you?” Debbie began to cry with sheer relief as Paul untied her hands and ankles. He rubbed vigorously to get some blood moving to her hands and feet while still trying to question her.

Debbie could hardly speak because she was shivering so much but as last she managed to say “Thank god you found me before those two burglars came back.” Debbie sobbed, “I was so frightened I just had to let them have the money. They were going to kidnap me until you handed the dog over.”

“Thank the lord I found you in time. You are obviously in shock my darling so I am going to call an ambulance. I think the hospital ought to check you just to make sure you’re okay. Maybe this is not the right place to tell you that I love you but it’s true. Now, Do you think you can stand?” he asked. “If you can’t manage, don’t worry, I’ll carry you out to my car where you can sit down and keep warm until the ambulance arrives.,” he offered.

“If you give me a minute I am sure I can make it,” she answered.

Gently, Paul helped Debbie to his car and they sat waiting for the ambulance. When it came the medics took over and helped her get comfortable in the ambulance before driving off. Paul followed in his car. Debbie was taken in straight away and a doctor was treating her in no time. Paul sat waiting expecting the nurse to come back and tell him he could take Debbie home. However, when the nurse eventually returned with the message, what she said only added more shock than he had already received. “The doctor is keeping Mrs Richards in overnight. Due to her condition and the shock she has received the doctor wants to monitor her just to make sure the baby is okay.”

“Baby?” Paul queried.

“Yes, of course. She is pregnant, I thought you knew.”

“May I see her?” Paul asked.

“I’ll come back and let you know when we have her on the ward then you will be able to see her just for a few minutes.” Paul had to be content with that as he settled down to wait. When finally he was allowed to visit Debbie after a nail-biting hour he took her hand and said gently,

“Debbie, you didn’t tell me you were pregnant. How many weeks?” he asked

“You didn’t give me an opportunity to tell you. You just wouldn’t speak to me if you could help it. In answer to your question, about ten weeks. I was going to tell you on Saturday night when you did those operations on the dogs but then we had that silly argument which was all Angela’s fault,” she said sounding tearful.

“Don’t get upset my darling. It was as much my fault as anybody’s. I gather this was the result of our night of passion. I can’t think of a sweeter person to be mother to my child. I love you so much Debbie, will you marry me? I am so sorry for the misunderstanding. Be sure I shall have plenty to say to Angela when I meet up with her again.”

“I’ll think about it tomorrow. I may miscarry over the shock tonight so when I know I still have a baby, I’ll think about it some more and let you know.”

“Are you teasing me” Paul smiled at her.

“No. I’m serious.” Debbie was not about to let him off the hook so lightly.

At that moment the nurse came over to the bed and told Paul he would have to leave. “You can come back tomorrow afternoon in the proper visiting hours so say goodnight and be on your way,” she said crossly. Paul left promising to come back the next day.