Bill Bailey Page 9

  ‘With a band on?’

  ‘A band, dear? What do you mean, a band?’

  ‘Like Katie’s.’

  ‘Oh. No; you won’t have to have a band like Katie’s. That is just to keep Katie’s teeth straight; your teeth will be nice and straight to begin with. Come on; we’ll go and meet her and the rest of them, eh? Tie your scarf nice and tight because it’s very cold outside.’

  She helped the child to knot the pom-pommed scarf, and pulled the woollen hat down around her ears; then lifting her up, she went out of the front door, locking it behind her, and hurried down to the car; and after strapping the child into the back seat, she drove away from the house.

  Five minutes later she stopped outside the playground of the junior school. In the distance she saw Willie, but he did not rush towards her as was usual; instead, his step was slow and his head was down. She got out of the car and went to meet him.

  ‘What is it? What’s the matter?’

  When he raised his head her mouth fell into a gape for he had the nearest thing to a black eye. ‘What have you been doing?’

  He walked past her, pulled open the car door and sat himself beside Mamie.

  She was seated behind the wheel now, half turned in her seat, and he said, ‘Betty Rice hit me with a ruler.’

  ‘Oh. And what had you done to Betty Rice?’

  ‘I…I punched her.’

  ‘Why did you punch her?’

  ‘Because she took my book and wouldn’t give it back.’ He now put his hand in his pocket, and as he handed her the envelope across the seat he said, ‘Teacher said to give you that.’

  ‘Oh.’ She did not open the envelope because she knew it would be a further explanation of what had happened; time enough to go into that when she got home.

  ‘Is it sore?’ It was Mamie asking the question of him now. And in true boyish fashion he answered, ‘Yes, of course it’s sore. If somebody hit you with a ruler wouldn’t it be sore?’

  ‘Yes, Willie; yes, it would be sore.’ Already Fiona knew that nothing Willie could do could be wrong in Mamie’s eyes. She started up the car, saying, ‘We’ll talk about this when we get home.’

  She knew that Mark was playing football today and as on other occasions when this happened he was always a little earlier than Katie, so he was the next one she picked up.

  ‘Cor! What’s happened to you?’ were his first words when he took his seat beside his mother and looked behind him to Willie.

  ‘I was hit by a hephelant’s trunk.’

  Fiona bit on her lip. That was Willie. There was nothing much wrong with him except that his pride was hurt.

  Then she had to check her elder son when he said, ‘Oh, just a hephelant’s trunk?’ He mimicked his brother’s inability to pronounce some words correctly, then added, ‘I thought he must have stood on your face.’

  ‘Mark!’

  Mark laughed; then leaning towards his mother as she started up the car, he said, ‘What happened?’

  And in an aside she answered, ‘A little girl got the better of him.’…

  Two blocks further on, she stopped the car again and Mark, looking out of the window, said, ‘She’s not there; she’s likely waiting inside out of the cold.’

  ‘Go and fetch her.’

  She watched Mark run across the schoolyard. Then less than a minute later he was running back towards her.

  Opening the door, he said, ‘She’s not there. They say she’s gone.’

  ‘Gone? She can’t have gone.’

  She got out of the car now and looked towards where three girls were standing beyond the gate. They were well wrapped up, but they were hopping up and down. She recognised one of them; she was in Katie’s class. She went up to the children now and asked, ‘Have…have you seen Katie?’

  The two older girls shook their heads, but the smaller one said, ‘Yes; she went home, Mrs Nelson.’

  ‘She went home? She walked?’

  ‘Oh, no.’ The child smiled. ‘Her new father came for her. He came along there.’ She pointed. ‘He called her name and she ran to him and she got in the car.’

  Fiona stared at the child for a moment. She wanted to say, ‘Oh, that’ll be all right, she’ll be at home,’ but she couldn’t for a great fear was assailing her. Bill had never come and taken any of them home. She heard herself say, ‘What…what did the man look like?’

  ‘Her father? Oh, he was in his working clothes. I don’t know what his face was like but she told us her new daddy built big houses.’

  Of a sudden she was running back to the car. ‘What is it?’ Mark said.

  She didn’t answer him but started the car noisily with her foot hard down on the accelerator pedal; and then she was speeding not towards home, but towards the works.

  Five minutes later she was swinging the car into the rough road that led to the buildings; and having brought it to a stop outside some sheds that formed the office and the men’s cabin and the tool house, she jumped out and grabbed at a surprised workman: ‘Where’s Mr Bailey?’

  It was one of the new men. She didn’t know him, and it was obvious that he didn’t know her, for his manner was quite offhand as he said, ‘You’ll likely find him in the office, there.’

  When she thrust open the door of the hut Bill was sitting at his desk, but before she could speak he was holding her by the arms, saying, ‘What is it? What’s the matter?’

  ‘Where…where is she? Katie? Why did you? You never have…’

  ‘Stop it! Stop gabbling. What about Katie?’

  ‘They…they said you came and took her from school.’

  His arms dropped from her and his words came in a thin whisper from his lips. ‘Who took her? Who said I took her?’

  ‘Oh my God! My God!’ She was holding her head. ‘The little girl, she said Katie’s daddy had come in the car and called her and…and she got in.’

  ‘Almighty God! When? When?’

  ‘Just a short while ago. It must have been immediately she came out of school.’

  He turned now and grabbed the phone and dialled a number. His voice was a gabble in answer to someone speaking from the other end: ‘My…my daughter’s been picked up. Someone…someone impersonating me. Yes! Yes! Yes!’

  She watched him close his eyes, then say, ‘My name is William Bailey. I’m a contractor; I’m building the new estate just beyond the top of Brampton Hill.’

  ‘What? What?’ He looked towards Fiona. ‘The child’s school? It’s the junior in Mowbray Road. No, no; I can’t give you other details. I’ve just heard. My wife’s here. Look. Get crackin’ will you? For God’s sake do something.’

  He did not thrust the phone back on its stand but laid it down as if in slow motion. Then he stood, his head bent, drawing in deep breaths for a moment before he turned to her where she was still standing holding her head in her hands. Taking her into his arms, he said, ‘Can…can you think of anything else the child said?’

  She shook her head. Then looking at him, her eyes wide and staring, she said, ‘But…but it must have been someone who knew what time she would be coming out of school. It couldn’t be just a passer-by, because he…he called her name. That…that was likely why she ran to him.’

  ‘Well, well. Now…now try not to worry; that’ll narrow things down a bit. Try not to worry, I said; my God! what prattle! Try not to worry.’

  ‘Oh, Bill, Bill. If anything should happen to…’

  ‘It won’t. It won’t. It can’t, not to Katie. I…I love them all, you know that, but…but Katie was somebody special, she was. Oh’—he lifted his head—‘that must be the police car. Well, I can say this, they were quick off the mark; they must have got hold of one of the patrol cars.’

  When they went outside two policemen were getting out of the car and before they could speak Bill was relating all he knew.

  In a few minutes it seemed that from every one of the part-built houses men came pouring out, so quickly had the news gone round that the boss’ bairn had
been picked up by some bloke.

  It was Barney McGuire who said, ‘What can we do, boss? Every man jack will stay on an’ help look.’

  But it was the policeman who answered, ‘We’ll likely need all your help later on; but the inspector will be here any minute and he’ll go into things first.’

  Taking Fiona by the arm, Bill led her towards the car, saying, ‘Take the bairns home.’

  ‘I can’t. I can’t, Bill.’

  ‘Listen! Take the bairns home. Get Nell to come in and see to them. Then if I don’t turn up within half an hour or so you can come back here, and by that time something should be under way. Go on now, there’s a good lass. It’ll be all right. It’ll be all right. I swear to you, it’ll be all right, else by God I’ll—’ He shook his head, then pressed her into the car, saying, ‘Steady now.’ And looking down at Mark, he said, ‘See to your mother, lad.’

  ‘Katie?’

  ‘She’ll be all right. She’ll be all right…’

  She didn’t know how she had driven the car home and she sounded incoherent as she tried to tell Nell Paget what had happened. But now the three children were aware that Katie was lost and all of them started to cry, including Mark; and this upset her still further and, taking him aside, she held his face between her hands, saying, ‘You’re the eldest, dear; you’ve…you’ve got to help me. See to the others and try…try to keep them happy. Nell will do her best, but you know them better, and I rely on you.’

  ‘But’—his lips were trembling—‘but Mam, what…what if they can’t find her?’

  ‘They’ll find her. You know nothing gets past Mr Bill; you know that, don’t you?’ When he suddenly leant against her and put his arms around her waist she felt that she would not just give way to tears but that she would howl aloud to release this dreadful feeling inside which was being probed by the poignancy of her son’s love. She kissed him now; then pressing him away from her, she said, ‘Go and help Nell to get the tea. I’ll…I’ll be back shortly.’

  But she did not immediately leave the house; she ran upstairs and into her bedroom and, throwing herself on her knees by the bed, she began to pray. She prayed as she had never done in her life before. During the years she had been forced through her mother to attend church, she had never really prayed; but now she beseeched God to keep her daughter safe and to let her be found soon. Oh yes, God, soon.

  After washing her tear-streaked face she went downstairs. Bill had said if he didn’t return home in half an hour…well, the half hour wasn’t up but she couldn’t remain here. She said to Nell, ‘Can you stay this evening?’ And Nell, gripping her arm, said, ‘Girl, I’ll stay as long as I’m needed, today, tomorrow, a week. Don’t worry about them, I’ll see to them. You go on. But what you could do if you are not coming straight back is phone me and let me know what’s happening.’

  ‘I’ll do that. Thanks, Nell.’

  As she ran down to the car she wondered why she should think that God provided because he had sent her someone like Nell. It was a ridiculous thought when her child had been abducted; yet she would have had to stay at home if Nell hadn’t been there.

  The yard was abuzz when she arrived. There were four police cars and a number of policemen and strange men standing in small groups.

  In the hut she found Bill, the inspector, and a sergeant. The first thing Bill said to her was, ‘Do you know the name of the little girl that told you about Katie?’

  ‘Yes, it’s Rene Smith. But I don’t know where she lives.’

  ‘And you don’t know the names of the other two girls?’ It was the inspector speaking now.

  ‘No.’

  ‘That’s all right. We can consult the headmistress. Well now.’ The inspector rose from a chair, and looking at Bill, he said, ‘We have the names of four men you dismissed. Had you any hot words or arguments with them before they left?’

  ‘No; but they weren’t very pleased.’

  ‘Anyone of them that might bear a grudge you would think?’

  ‘Two were a bit mouthy, Ringston and a fellow called Flint. Flint had only been here a week.’

  The inspector now looked at the sergeant. ‘We’ll check on the schoolgirls first, and we might get a lead. They will likely remember the colour of the car at least. I’ve got no hope that they would take the number, although some of them do.’ Looking at Fiona now, he said, ‘Try not to worry, Mrs Bailey. I know that’s easier said than done, but I’d go home if I were you.’

  ‘I’ve just come from home.’ Her voice was terse.

  ‘Well, I’m afraid there’s little that can be done at the moment. As far as I can judge it’s no use sending out search parties because if the man knew her name it points to a local job, and that narrows it down considerably.’

  Without further words he turned and went out, followed by the sergeant.

  And now Bill, coming over to her, put his arms about her, saying, ‘As he said, it narrows it down, and that’s a hopeful sign.’

  ‘Do…do you think it was one of your men, one you sacked?’

  ‘I don’t know. They didn’t seem that type, only lazy devils. It’s more likely someone she’s spoken to before; she’s a chatterer. I’ve seen her chattering to different people in the street. The very look of her made people want to stop an’ talk to her.’

  He turned from her now and, supporting himself by his doubled fists on the edge of his desk, he said, ‘Whoever it is I swear to you I’ll kill him. No matter what the consequences, I’ll kill him.’

  ‘Oh, don’t say that, Bill. Don’t talk like that.’ She pulled him round to her, then whimpered, ‘As long as we get her back…I’m frightened Bill. That child a fortnight ago, they…’

  ‘Be quiet!’ His voice was a bawl now. ‘Look, as the inspector says, you can do nothing; get yourself away home. Now go on, see to the kids, do something. It’ll take your mind off it.’

  ‘Take my mind off it?’

  ‘You know what I mean.’ He pushed her roughly from him, then turned and hurried out. Dropping into a chair, she leant her elbow on his desk and lowered her head on to her hand. Why was it that things never ran smoothly? They had been so happy. She was in a new life. Yes, she was in a new life. Like the song, everything was coming up roses. But then roses had thorns, although the only thorn in her life up till an hour ago had been her mother. The thought brought her to her feet. What time was it? Close on six. If it was on the local radio, and it just might be, because there was always a reporter hanging around the police station and they got news like this very quickly, and if her mother was to hear it she would be over and her tongue lashing out as usual. And if she found only Nell there she’d take control, even after all that had happened. When she went into the yard there were still a lot of men about. And it was Barney McGuire who came up to her and said, ‘I’m sorry, Mrs Bailey, I am to the heart of me. But pray God they’ll find her soon. She was such a bonny bit. She romped through here the other day chatting to the men. She picked the house that she would like. And the boss was barmy about her; that was plain to see. He carried her shoulder high at one time over the puddles and she laughed her head off and…’

  She had to stop him. ‘Are…are you staying on, Mr McGuire?’ she put in quickly.

  ‘Yes, ma’am, as long as I’m needed.’

  ‘Well, if you hear anything will you phone me? that is if Bill isn’t back.’

  ‘I’ll do that. I’ll do that, ma’am, pronto, the minute I hear anything. You go on home now…’

  She went home and when she entered the house it was unusually quiet, so much so she thought that Nell had taken the children next door, until she opened the sitting-room door, and then from the couch they all rushed to her.

  ‘You found her, Mam?’

  ‘Is she coming home?’

  ‘She can have my spaceman. Mam, Mam, she can have my spaceman. She wanted it and I wouldn’t…’

  She picked Willie up from the floor and held him tightly, saying, ‘It’s all right. It’s al
l right. Yes, she knows she can have your spaceman, dear, and she’ll soon be back to play with it.’

  ‘Mammy B.’

  Mamie stretched out her arms towards her from where Nell was holding her, and she put Willie to the floor and took the child.

  ‘Mammy B, I want Katie and Uncle Bill.’

  ‘They’ll…they’ll be back soon, dear. Have…have they had their tea?’ She was looking at Nell, and Nell said, ‘Yes, but for a change nobody seemed very hungry.’

  Fiona now looked down on Mark, saying quietly, ‘Take them up to the playroom, will you, dear?’

  He stared at her for a moment before turning to Willie and saying, ‘Come on, you. And you too.’ He held his hand up to Mamie, and Fiona put her on the floor, where she started to snivel a little but nevertheless took Mark’s hand, and the three of them left the room together.

  Fiona and Nell looked at each other, and it was Nell who spoke saying, ‘It’s no use asking if they’ve made any headway, it’s too early.’

  Fiona didn’t answer but sat down on the couch, and what she said was, ‘I’m sick, all my body and brain is sick, Nell. I’m thinking all the time what he could be doing to her.’

  ‘Don’t.’ Nell sat beside her and put her arms around her shoulders. ‘If, as you said, the man knew her name it’s someone local. It could be someone from this very street, you never know people. I’ll tell you something: I was kidnapped once.’

  ‘Never!’

  ‘Yes. It was a man three doors down. He had a wife but no children. He had just retired from a decent job too, highly respectable. He gave me a ride in his car, which he had done once or twice before. But then he had put me off at the bottom of the street; this time he kept on driving. He took me to a fairground; then we went to the pictures, and afterwards into a café for tea. Then when I wanted to go home and started to cry he drove round and round. It was in the summertime and he said we would sleep on the sands. Fortunately the police caught up with him. They stopped the car; his wife had tipped them off. He had done this before but had always brought the child back the same day. I don’t think he intended to this time. Anyway’—Nell turned her head to the side and looked towards the window as she ended—‘I wasn’t upset about this man until I got home and found Dad was going round the bend. But Mam had taken it in her usual stride, and she greeted me as if I’d just been out to play in the street. I can see her now looking down on me, saying, “You enjoyed yourself then? Causing trouble as usual.”’