Chapter Eleven – No Proper Goodbye

OOOOOO

George scanned the road forebodingly as Gina popped her head outside the door.

"I have a bad feeling about this," George mumbled.

The barmaid made a face. "I don't…" she began sarcastically but trailed off as a wine-red lorry made its way over the last hillock before the village. "Hang on, here he comes," she said.

The minute later Greengrass slowly got out of his truck, looking very pleased. "A piece of cake," he said confidently and nodded at the drums.

"No trouble at all?" George questioned quizzically.

"No, the brewery was more than happy to get rid of it. Now, George, you better pay up," he replied, clasping his hand together.

Gina placed her hands on her hips. "Are we sure it's the real stuff in those?" she said.

Claude shot her indignant look. "You've spent too much time with people dressed in blue. That together with a suspicious mind and too much imagination is unhealthy," he returned.

OOOOOO

Kate got out of the car and carefully straightened to work out the kinks in her back. She stretched from right to left and then back again as Doctor Radcliffe got out and retrieved her bag from the backseat of his car.

She breathed in the fresh scent of jasmine in the garden and happily albeit tiredly walked up the dwindling gravel road to the front side of the house. Kate grabbed the handle but didn't twist it as she caught something glimmering next to the single step outside the door. Slowly she managed to bend enough so she could retrieve it. She froze for a moment and then carefully, as if they would burn, reached out with her hand to pick up the three silver numbers in front of her. It was 4-6-6, a number sequence she was all too familiar with; they belonged to the shoulder patch off Nick's uniform. She stared at them, mesmerized by the red color of blood that had been stained on them.

"Kate?" James asked worriedly as he neared her. "What is it?"

Kate felt her heart constrict, she could barely breathe as she pushed herself up and, somewhat unsteadily, headed into the house, her colleague long forgotten.

She hastened through the kitchen and into the living room. "Nick!" she shouted, feeling the dread washing over her.

"Kate?" James hollered after her as he picked up his pace to catch up with her. "Kate, what's the matter?" he asked softly but concerned. He had never seen his calm and steady colleague look so upset.

He finally caught up with her at the top of the stair to their bedroom and reached out for her. She whirled around, her eyes wild.

Hesitantly, confused by her reaction he locked eyes with her and kept his hand steadily on her arm. Kate opened her mouth as if to say something, to explain the reason for her actions, but then changed her mind.

The young pregnant doctor silently moved over to the double bed and slowly, as if in shock, sat down on the soft bed sheet her shoulders slumping forward.

"Something's happened to Nick, James," Kate said slowly and there was something in her voice that made her colleague chilled to the bone.

Kate reached out with her hand and James did the same. She carefully placed the epaulettes in his hand as a tear began to trickle down her pretty face.

James stared at the silver numbers in his hand and pursed his lips together into a thin line of displeasure. There was no mistake as of what had colored them red. The question was, was it human blood? And more importantly, if it was, was it Nick's? He eyed his colleague seriously and then walked over to place a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Kate, I think it's time to call the police," James said gravely.

OOOOOO

Nick moaned lightly as someone roughly patted the side of his head. He was so tired and woozy, his head felt like it had been used as a demolishing ball against a stone façade.

"Come on!" a rough voice encouraged venomously. "Wake up."

Nick's head lolled to the side, his eyes remained closed. The pain blackened all his senses, he was no longer aware of the voice or the hands on his carotid artery, searching for his pulse.

A young man stared down at the unconscious constable, the malice in his eyes raw and dangerous. Then he crouched beside the fallen officer, who lay in the dirtied sand in front of him, appearing to be studying him for a moment.

Billy Logan let go of the rifle, carefully placed it next to Nick on the ground and gently began to undo the tight bond around his wrists. He cast a surreptitious glance at the rather large tear in the uniform, on the left arm, the blood flow hadn't stopped and it had been over four hours since he'd applied a bandage on it. He pursed his lips in displeasure and looked up at the caked blood that decorated the constable's left side of the forehead and below his temple. "When I was little I dreamt about being a doctor," Billy said sardonically.

OOOOOO

Kate couldn't get her hand to stop shaking as she grasped the fresh cup of tea James had made.

DS Lawson and Sergeant Blaketon sat next to her in the kitchen, back in the police house, both in a sombre mood. They had been filled in on the latest and were discussing further actions.

However, to Kate it seemed they just sat there, doing nothing.

It hadn't helped to see the CID officer back in the area or see the way he was holding himself. Nick's words still rang in her ears. '"There was a commotion, he injured some of the CID officers and then got hurt in the process."' He did say the officers got hurt rather badly but to see it first-hand did little to lessen her worry for him at the moment.

"You've got to do something," she spoke up fiercely suddenly fed up by their inaction.

"Doctor Rowan," DS Lawson began patiently. "We don't know Billy Logan has your husband. We don't even know he's in the area."

Kate glared at him bitterly. "Of course he's in the area!" she returned her eyes settling on the epaulettes, 4-6-6, lying on the table.

"Kate," James cautioned softly placing a hand on her shoulder as he sat next to her.

She looked from Nick's sergeant to the CID officer and back again, her eyes dark and cold as she in a low voice rephrased her statement. "I suggest you find out if he is."

DS Lawson got up from the chair but Blaketon lingered, casting a concerned look at Kate. "Are you sure you'll be alright here?" he asked softly, not in his usual gruff voice.

"I'll take care of her," Doctor Radcliffe assured him. "Just find Nick."

OOOOOO

Gina cast a glance at the clock, it was nearing closing time. She ushered the last of the regular guests out under much protests. "Yeah, yeah, there's a day tomorrow," she said as the three old men lurched out in the street.

A police car coming from Ashfordly stopped on the road next to her. She looked up just in time to see Phil Bellamy wind down the window. "Are they giving you trouble?" he asked.

She gave him a wry smile. "Nothing I can't handle," she assured him confidently.

"I heard about a strike among the delivery drivers," he began cunningly. "Yet you seem to have had no trouble with that," he remarked looking at the regulars trying to scramble home in a straight line.

"We were lucky; managed to get it straight from the brewery," she explained. "So, what brings you to Aidensfield this time of night?"

The smile on the policeman's face suddenly vanished and look of worry creased it instead. "Gina," he began gravely. "When did you last see Nick?"

A chill ran down her spine at the question. "Sometime this morning," she replied. "Why?"

"He seems to have disappeared on us," he explained.

"Oh my gosh," the barmaid exclaimed. "Kate must be worried to death."

"Blaketon and this Lawson chap from CID are over there now," he let on.

"CID?" Gina questioned. "Has it something to do with Billy?"

"I really don't know, Gina," Phil replied, sounding weary all of a sudden.

"Is there something I can do?" she asked.

"Pray Nick's alright," Phil returned.

OOOOOO

11/20

To be continued

/Thank you for your kind reviews and; PC Rowan – the waiting is over, but I'm afraid it turned out to be a nice little cliffhanger ;)