Irolledontomybackandfoundmyselfstaringstraightintotheeyesofalargepurposefuldog.Thedogpulledagainstaleashheldbyaburlyfigureinanavyuniformwithapeakedcapandaglintingsilverbadge.Thedogworealightmuzzlewhichlookedinadequateforthejob.
"DidyouhearwhatIsaid?Clearoff."
Itriedtospeakandachievedonlyanincoherentcroak.
Authoritylookeddispleased.Thedog,anunfriendlyrottweiler,loweredhisheadtominehungrily.
Tryingagain,Isaid,"Ifellin."Thistimethemessagereacheditstargetbutwithmoderateresults.
"Idon"tcareifyouswamtheChannel,getupandclearoff."
Imadeanefforttositup.Gotasfarasoneelbow.Thedogwarilyretreatedastep,leavinghisoptionsopen.
"WhereamI?"Isaid.
"IntheDocks,ofcourse."
Inthedocks.Whereelse?
"Whichdocks?"Isaid."Whichport?"
"What?"
"I...don"tknowwhereIam."
Hewasfarfromrea.s.suredbymyobviousweakness.Withthedogattheready,hesaidsuspiciously,"Southampton,ofcourse."
SouthamptonDocks.WhySouthamptonDocks?Mybewildermentgrew.
"Comeon.Getgoing.Noone"sallowedonherewhenthedock"sshut.AndIcan"tstanddrunks."
"Ihitmyhead,"Isaid.
Heopenedhismouthasiftosayhedidn"tcareifI"dbeendecapitated,butinsteadsaidgrudgingly,"Didyoufalloffaship?"
"Idon"treallyknow."
"Youcan"tliehere,allthesame."
Iwasn"tsosureIcouldgetupandwalkandhemust,Ithought,haveseenit,ashesuddenlythrustdownareachinghandtobegrasped.HepulledmevigorouslytomyfeetandIheldontothelampstandardandfeltdizzy.
"Youwantadoctor,"hesaidaccusingly.
"Justgivemeaminute."
"Youcan"tstayhere.It"sagainstorders."
Seenatlevelheight,hewasatruculent-lookingfiftyishindividualwithalargenoseandsmalleyesandthethingrimmouthofperpetualwariness.He"dbeenafraidofme,Isaw.
Ididn"tmindhismanner.Tobeanight.w.a.tchmaninadockareawastofacedangersfromknavesandthieves,andamanlyingwhereheshouldn"thadtobetreatedasahazarduntilprovedtobeharmless.
"Doyouhaveatelephone?"Iasked.
"Intheguardroom,yes."
Hedidn"tsayIcouldn"tuseit,whichwasinvitationenough.Iletgoofthelampstandardandtotteredafewshakysteps,lurchingsidewaysoffastraightlineandtryinghardtobehavewithmoresensethanIfelt.
"Here,"hesaidroughly,grabbingmyarm."You"llfallinagain."
"Thanks."
Heheldmysleeve,notexactlysupportingmebutcertainlyahelp.WithfeetthatseemedhardlytobelongtomeImadeaslowpa.s.sagedownalongdockandarrivedfinallyatsomelargebuildings.
"Thisway,"hesaid,tuggingmysleeve.
Wewentthroughtallirongatesinahighfenceandoutontoapavement.Acar-parkingarealayahead,followedbyalowwall,withapublicroadwaybeyondthat.Notraffic.Itriedlookingatmywatchtoseethetimeandhitaslightsnag:nowatch.
Ipeeredfeeblyalongtheroadinbothdirectionswhilethenight.w.a.tchmanfedakeyintoalock,andIfoundIwaslookingatarecognisablelandmark,somewhereI"dbeenbefore,anorientatingbuildingtellingmeexactlywhereIwas,ifstillnotwhy.
"Comein,"thenight.w.a.tchmaninvited."Thephone"sonthewall.You"llhavetopayforit,ofcourse."
"Mm."Inoddeda.s.sent,feltforwalletandcoins,andfoundneither.Nothinginanyofmypockets.Thenight.w.a.tchman.o.bservedthesearchjudiciously.
"Haveyoubeenmugged?"
"Itlookslikeit."
"Don"tyouremember?"
"No."Ilookedatthetelephone."Icanreversethecharges,"Isaid.
Hemadeana.s.sentingwave.ItookthereceiveroffthewallandrealisedthatifIphonedmyownhousewhatIwouldgetwouldbemyansweringmachine.Itwaspossibletode-activateitfromadistancebutnotonareversechargecall.Sighing,Igotthroughtothenumber,listenedtomyvoicesayingIwasoutandtoleaveamessage,andwentthroughtheswitch-offroutine.Thenight.w.a.tch-manaskedcrosslywhatIwasdoing.
"Gettingtheoperator,"Isaid,redialling.
Theoperatortriedmynumberandsaidtherewasnoanswer.
"Pleasekeeptrying,"Isaidanxiously."Iknowsomeone"sthere,butshe"llbeasleep.Youneedtowakeher."
Lizzie"sbedroomwasnexttomine,wherethephonewouldberinging.Iexhortedhersilentlytowakeup,totireoftheringing,togetupandanswerit.Comeon,Lizzie...comeonforG.o.d"ssake.
Agesseemedtopa.s.sbeforeshefinallysaid,"h.e.l.lo?",thickwithsleep.Theoperator,followingmyinstructions,askedifshewouldtakeacallfromherbrother,MrCroft,inSouthampton.
Whenshespoketomedirectshesaid,astonished,"Roger?Isthatyou?IthoughtyouwereintheCaribbean."
"It"sFreddie,"Isaid.
"Butyoucan"tbeinSouthampton.Roger"sshipgoestoSouthampton."
Explainingwasimpossible,andbesides,thenight.w.a.tchmanwaslisteningavidlytoeveryword.
"Lizzie,"Isaiddesperately,"comeandcollectme.I"vebeenrobbedofmoney...everything.I"vebeeninthewaterandI"mfreezingandIhitmyhead,andtobehonestIfeelrotten.ComeintheFourtrak,it"soutsideonthetarmac.Thekey"sonahookbesidethebackdoor.Pleasedocome."
"Heavens!Comewhere?
"GotothemainroadtoNewbury,b.u.t.turnsouth.That"stheA34.ItjoinstheWinchesterbypa.s.s.ThenfollowthesignstoSouthamptonandwhenyougettheretaketheroadtotheDocksandtheIsleofWightferries.Therearesignseverywhere.I"m...I"mdowntherebytheDocks.TheIsleofWightferryterminalisjustalongtheroad.I"llgothere...andwaitforyou."
Shesaid,"Areyoushivering?
Icoughedconvulsively."Bringmesomeclothes.Andsomemoney."
"Freddie..."Shesoundedshockedandunsure.
"Iknow,"Isaidcontritely,"it"sthemiddleofthenight.It"lltakeyouthree-quartersofanhour,about...
"Butwhathappened?Ithoughtyouwerehereinbed,butyoudidn"tanswerthephone.HowdidyougettoSouthampton?
"Idon"tknow.Look,Lizzie,justcome."
Shemadeuphermind."IsleofWightferry.SouthamptonDocks.Forty-fiveminutes.FivemorewhileIdress.Justhanginthere,buddyboy.Thecavalry"scoming."
"Thecinemahasalottoanswerfor."
"Atleastyoursenseofhumour"sstillworking."
"It"sacloserunthing."
I"llbethere,"shesaid,andputdownthephone.
Ithankedthenight.w.a.tchmanandtoldhimmysisterwouldcome.HethoughtIshouldhavetelephonedthepolice.
"I"drathergohome,"Isaid,andrealisedIsimplyhadn"tthoughtofaskingforpolicehelp.ThatwouldinvolvetoomanyquestionsandIhadnotenoughanswers.Andalsonotenoughstaminaleftforsittingonahardchairinapolicestation,orforhavingmyb.u.mpsread.ThesourceofmytroubleslaynotinSouthamptonbutbackinPixhill,andifthetransitfromonetotheotherwaswhollyablank,IdidvaguelyrememberdrivingtheJaguartothefarmyardandcallingtoHarve.
Thetroubleslayonmydoorstep,inmyfarmyard,undermylorries,inmybusiness.Iwantedtogohome,tosortthemout.
CHAPTER7.
Lizzie,truetoform,cametorescueherlittlebrother.
Thenight.w.a.tchmanletmespendmostofthewaitinhisunder-heatedguardroom,evengoingsofarastobrewmeacupofteatoalleviatemyshivers,allunderthebalefuleyesofhisattentivedog.Whenthehandsoftheclockonhiswallstoodattwo,hesaidI"dhavetoleaveasitwastimeforhisrounds,soIthankedhimandwalked...well,shambled...alongtheroadtotheferryterminalandsatinshadowonthepavementthereatoneendofthebuilding,myspineagainstthewall,myarmshuggingmyknees.I"dknownworseconditions,just.
Notfaraway,ontheothersideofanopenworkmetalfence,lightglintedonwater.Ilookedatthescenevaguely,thenwithspeculation.Isupposethereweremanyplaceslikethat,whereindarknesssemi-consciouspeoplecouldbeslidintothebrinywithn.o.bodynoticing.Thereweremilesofavailablesh.o.r.elineinSouthamptonDocks.
TheFourtrakcame,slowed,movedhesitantlyintotheparkingareaandstopped.Istoodup,pressingagainstthewallforsupport,andtookafewpacesforwardintothelight.Lizziesawmeandcamerunningfromthevehicle,stoppingdeadafewfeetfromme,wide-eyedandshocked.
"Freddie!"
"Ican"tlookasbadasallthat,"Iprotested.
Shedidn"ttellmehowIlooked.ShecameanddrapedoneofmyarmsoverhershouldersandwalkedwithmetotheFourtrak.
"Takeoffthatwetjacket,"shecommanded."You"lldieofexposure."
Marginallybetterthandrowning,Ithought,thoughIdidn"tsayso.
Onceinsidetheb.u.t.tylittlevehicleIstruggledoutofallthewetthingsandputonthedrysubst.i.tutes,includingfleece-linedbootsandthewarmestpaddedjacketIowned.WhenLizziecopedshedidnothingbyhalves.
Igothertodriveasneartheguardroomaswecouldmanage.Thenight.w.a.tchmanandhisdogwereathomeagainandissuedforthsuspiciously.WhenIofferedhimmoneyforthefirsttelephonecallandforhistroubleandkindnessheatfirstrefuseditwithindignation,raisingone"sregardforthesaltoftheBritishearth.
"Takeit,"Iurged,"Ioweyou.Drinktomyhealth."
Hetookthenotedubiously,onlyhalfconcealinghispleasure.
"You"llgetpneumoniaanyway,shouldn"twonder,"hesaid.
ThewayIfelt,hemightwellberight.
Lizziedrovebackhomethewayshe"dcome,dartingglancesatmeeveryfewseconds.Thecold-inducedshuddersandshakesgraduallyabatedinmybodyuntileventuallyevenmygutsfeltwarmedagain,butconverselyalongwithwarmthcameoverwhelmingtirednesssothatallIwantedwastoliedownandsleep.
"Butwhathappened?Lizzieasked.
"Iwenttothefarmyard."
"Yousaidyouweregoingtoclosethegates,"shesaid,nodding.
"DidI?Well...someonehitmeonthehead."
"Freddie!Who?"
Dontknow.WhenIwokeupIwasbeingdroppedintowater.JustaswellIdidwakeup,really."
Shewaspredictablyhorrified."Theymeantyoutodrown!"
"Idon"tknowaboutthat."I"dbeenpuzzledeversinceI"dbeenconscious."Iftheywantedmedead,whynotfinishthejobonmyhead?WhytakemeallthewaytoSouthamptonDocks?Iftheywantedparticularlytodrownme,there"saperfectlygoodpondinPixhill."
"Don"tjokeabout.i.t."
"Mayaswell."Isaid."AllIrememberaboutthemissomeonesaying,"Ifthisdoesn"tgivehimflu,nothingwill."
"b.u.t.that"snonsensical!"
"Mm."