The Tied Man

The man’s stern facade evaporated, to be replaced with such a look of genuine concern that I could have kissed him. This was the Good One I had wished for.

‘Right, let’s just take it easy for a minute, shall we, Miss…?’

‘Masterson.  Lili Masterson.’  I held my breath, waiting for the challenge, but none came.  My transformation back from Lilith Bresson was complete.

‘Okay, Lili love.  I’m Sergeant Eddie Newton.  Call me Ed, why don’t you? Now, I’m just going to have a look at this fella of yours, see if there’s anything I can do.  What happened to him?’

‘He was stabbed.  Stomach and right leg.  Behind his knee.  About  – God, I don’t know – four, five hours ago?’ I explained,  rattling out the words.  I saw the frown, and quickly added, ‘I only found him two hours ago.  I’ve been trying to get him to Castlerigg ever since.’

‘What, the private place?’

‘Closest.’

‘Good idea.  But it’s the bloomin’ bank holiday, isn’t it?  Roads are full of numpties on their once-a-year run out.  You’ll be having a right bugger of a job to get anywhere today.’  Sergeant Call-me-Ed walked around the car to open the passenger door.  He had a lumbering stride that made him resemble a particularly friendly bear.  ‘Now then, son.  Let’s just see how you’re doing, shall we?’  He gave Finn’s shoulder a soft, encouraging pat.

Even in his twilight world,  Finn flinched away at the contact.

‘It’s all right, sweetheart.  He’s going to help us,’ I assured him.  To my relief he settled again as the officer checked his pulse and looked into his unfocused eyes.

Ed finished his inspection and carefully folded the duvet back over Finn.  ‘Well, someone’s done a nice job on you, haven’t they?’  He straightened up and winced as he was bitten by arthritis in his knees.  ‘And us standing here nattering about it like a couple of old biddies is doing you no good at all.’

He carefully shut the car door and came to stand with me.  ‘Right, Lili pet, here’s what we’re going to do.  I don’t think it’s a good idea to go manhandling the lad any more than he needs, so I’m just going to nip to my car and fetch a foil blanket so we can wrap him up like a Christmas turkey, then I’ll drive ahead with the blues and twos going and make sure you get a clear run to the hospital.  How does that sound?’

‘Good.’

‘I’ll just radio through and let the chaps at Castlerigg nick know what I’m up to while I’m at it…’  He began to amble back to his patrol car.

‘Oh shit,’ I whispered.  For all that folksy, easy-going approach, Eddie Newton wasn’t a fool.  The warmth was undoubtedly genuine, but his manner would have been honed by years of calming irate, violent customers.  Some speeding, wild-eyed young woman with a stabbing victim wasn’t going to be a secret he could keep to himself, and Blaine’s ‘special’ friendship with his Chief Inspector loomed wraith-like in my mind.

As if he’d heard my thoughts, Ed stopped halfway to the BMW and smiled at me. ‘It’s all right.  I’ll give ‘em just enough info to keep ‘em happy as to why their champion butty-eating desk-sergeant’s suddenly turned into Special Branch, but I’m sure everything else can be sorted between us once we’ve got the young ‘un where he needs to be, eh?’

Three months of Blaine Albermarle’s random cruelty had made me wary, and I paused, unsure of how he wanted me to react.

‘Trust me, love.  It’s pretty ruddy obvious you didn’t do it, and the look on your face, I reckon something’s scaring the… well, let’s just say it’s shaken you up pretty badly, eh?  Got a boy about his age, myself – our Damon.  I’d kick the arse of anyone who laid a finger on him.’

As soon as he said that, I would have followed the man blindfolded.

Ed returned to the Land Rover and wrapped the foil insulating sheet around Finn as gently as if he were tucking a baby into its cot.  ‘There we are, lad.  Not long now.’   He looked at me across the bonnet.  ‘Right, Lili – keep close.  Don’t be worrying about red lights and the like, and just follow me.  You reckon you can keep up in that crate?’

I mustered a smile.  ‘I’ll do my best.’

*****

I slewed the Land Rover to a screeching handbrake stop in a cloud of white smoke, jamming it across two spaces in the hospital’s pick-up point and ignoring the frantic horn-blaring and gesturing of a man in a Mondeo, coming to collect his hobbling wife.