Blood Brothers (32 page)

Frustratingly, Jimmy had not been able to tell him which hospital Joe was in, so now he had two real choices; neither of which were safe, or desirable, but either one would stand a good chance of allowing him to find Joe.

He could wait till nightfall and go cap in hand to see his parents, and wheedle the truth out of them.

Or he could risk being seen in public to have another word with Jimmy, who seemed able to find out anything if he set his mind to it.

By the time he got to his car and started his way back to his hideout, he was satisfied that his second choice was the better one.

What was even more satisfactory, was the fact that he need not wait until morning. He would execute his plan later tonight, then if it worked out the way he wanted it to, he could be at Joe’s bedside sooner rather than later.

He congratulated himself, ‘The best plans are always the simplest.’

Putting his foot down on the accelerator, he arrived at the canal in no time.

Driving into the shadows, he eased the car alongside the bins before making his way up the towpath to the old barge which was moored nearby.

Scrambling aboard, he tapped on the small panelled door that led down to the cabins. ‘Hello there!’

Back came the slurred voice, ‘What d’yer want? Get away from ‘ere, yer little bastards!’

Frank pushed open the door. ‘It’s me, Jack…it’s Fred.’

‘Don’t know any bloody Fred.’ Screwing up his eyes to see through the dim light, he warned. ‘Clear orf, or I’ll set the dog on yer!’

There was a lot of rustling and banging around, and when a shadowy figure appeared at the other end of the living quarters, Frank warily began his way forward.

‘It’s not kids!’ he said. ‘It’s me…it’s Fred. Don’t you remember? We met in the pub and you offered me a place for the night? I went out because I had something urgent to attend to, and now I’m back!’

‘What’s that you say?’ The older man peered at him. ‘Are you the bloke from the pub?’ There was a flickering of light and a whoosh of flame as the candle was lit. ‘Bugger me, Fred! You ‘ad me worried there. I thought it were them bloody kids back again…aggravating little ratbags, they want doing away with! If they so much as show their faces again, they’ll ‘ave my boot up their arse, an’ no mistake!’

Needing to be sure he still had a hiding place to come back
to, Frank told him, ‘I’ve only popped back to collect something and put my head down for a couple of hours. That bit of business I were telling you about just now, well, y’see, it’s not done yet. I have to go out later, just for an hour or so, then I’ll be back.’

‘Bloody hell, Fred!’ The other man was none too pleased. ‘You’re in and out, then it’s the kids throwing things at the barge, and now when you’ve woke me up, you’re off out again.’ He groaned. ‘Happen it might be best if you find…’

Suspecting he was about to be shown the door, Frank quickly closed the short distance between them. ‘You’re a good mate, Jack,’ he purred. ‘I don’t know what I’d have done if you hadn’t taken me in. I appreciate it, Jack, and you won’t go short, not if I can help it.’

He slapped the skinny man on his bare shoulder. ‘Listen to me, Jack. To show my appreciation, what if I was to collect a bottle of the hardstuff on my way back, eh? How would you like that?’

‘Ha, ha! That’s me man!’ Jack liked it a lot. ‘Yer crafty old beggar, Fred! You know how to please a fella, I’ll say that for yer.’

He leaned forward, fouling the air with his body odour and boozey breath. ‘Hey! Yer couldn’t make it
two
bottles, could yer?’

He gave a toothless grin. ‘It’ll help me forget the mindless little bastards who keep tormenting me!’

Because this hiding place was ideal, Frank was relieved. ‘Two bottles it is then!’ It was either that, or shove the filthy bag o’ bones over the side. ‘First though, I need to put my head down,’ he reminded him. ‘I’ve had a long enough day already.’

‘That’s all right wi’ me, Fred. So long as yer don’t forget what you promised, eh?’

The skinny man returned to his bunk, while Frank remained by the door, huddled in the chair and sleeping lightly.

In the dark recesses of his mind, he was busy hatching the details of his plan. ‘I’m on to you, Joe,’ he whispered. ‘I think I’ve worked out where you might be.’

Feeling satisfied, he drew his coat about him and settled back. ‘We’ll soon find out if I’m right!’

‘What’s that yer say?’ Jack heard him mumbling.

In reply, Frank made a series of loud, snoring sounds.

‘I see…’ Jack chuckled. ‘Talking in yer sleep is it?’ He turned over. ‘Yer chattering don’t bother me, matey. So long as yer bring the bottles back, yer can chatter and snore to yer ‘eart’s content!’

He gave a low chuckle. ‘Mind you! Once I’ve got me mitts on them bottles, I’ll up anchor and away. As for you, matey, well, you can go to buggery for all I care!’

To him, Frank was just a stranger in a boozer who’d bought him a drink. ‘I gave you a bed for the night, and that’s all yer getting! Yer ain’t sliding yer feet under
my
table for months on end, no siree! Bottles or no bottles!’

Slithering further into the bed, he smiled at the prospect of the booze he was about to enjoy.

What he could not have known was that Frank had heard, and with every cutting word, the bargee had well and truly sealed his fate.

I
T WAS MIDNIGHT
by the time Frank arrived at the Luton and Dunstable hospital. With dogged determination, and keeping his ear to the ground, he had found out where Joe was.

As always, the place was lit up inside and out. There were ambulances arriving and departing; people rushing to and fro; some carrying stretchered casualties; and others waiting anxiously as their loved ones were rushed into the emergency ward.

On the far side of the front entrance two women in nurse’s uniform stood chatting and smoking, and stamping their feet on the ground as the late night cold air enveloped them.

‘Bide your time, Frank,’ he murmured, being careful to keep a low profile. ‘You don’t want to be charging in there like a bull at a gate. You need to be calm and quiet…wait for the right time, and the job will be a good one.’

He smiled at the thought of dealing Joe a hammer blow, without physically lifting a finger.

He constantly took a mental note of the exterior layout as he went.

During his time on the run, Frank had learned the many wiles and tricks of a convict. He now reminded himself that it was wise to clock every possible exit, and anything else that might aid a quick and easy escape should it be needed.

He took a while to familiarise himself with the building itself. There were four different entrances to the hospital; the main one, the one for emergencies only, a side entrance for staff and porters and possibly deliveries, and a more discreet one, which he assumed to be the boiler house and storage place, and which might possibly hold an inner access to the hospital corridors.

‘If I can get in, then I can get out!’

He began to relax. In the event of anyone raising the alarm, such information would serve him well. As would the fact that he had parked his car in a most strategically favourable position; with its nose pointed to the exit, and no possibility of anyone parking between him and a clean escape.

Fastening his jacket, he sleeked back his hair, which he had deliberately grown much longer than normal. He then put on the discreet, rimless spectacles he’d purchased some time ago. That done, he headed for the main entrance; his shifty eyes constantly darting about, looking for anything that might pose a threat.

Feeling confident, he sauntered through the main doors.

On seeing the little shop at the corner, he approached it cautiously. For a moment he lingered, pretending to browse, while discreetly surveying the whole area.

‘Want some flowers, dear?’

A little woman had emerged from inside to fill the flower-buckets. ‘Two bunches for six shillings,’ she informed him. ‘’Course if you only want
one
bunch, that’ll be four shillings and five pence.’

Frank opted for one bunch, and quickly counted out the money.

‘Which colour, dear?’ She held up two bunches of roses. ‘Pink or yellow?’

‘Either will do.’

‘Oh!’ She seemed surprised. ‘I’m sorry. I assumed you might
be taking them in for your wife and new baby.’ She smiled. ‘How silly of me. I got the idea you might be a nervous new daddy.’

A moment later she had wrapped the yellow roses and collected his money. ‘I’m sorry I jumped to conclusions,’ she apologised. ‘I hope whoever you’re visiting will like the flowers. They’re fresh in this morn—’

Before she’d finished talking, he was gone. ‘Miserable devil!’ she grumbled. ‘Anyone can make a mistake!’ Then she reminded herself and felt guilty. ‘Don’t be too harsh, Eva,’ she chided herself. ‘The poor man is probably worried about his sick relative.’

Looking very much like the concerned visitor, Frank held the flowers before him as he went to the reception desk. ‘Excuse me…’

When the young nurse glanced up, he noticed she was quite a looker and he thought if this was a different occasion, he might well be tempted to ask her out. But he was on a very delicate and dangerous errand, so he kept focussed. ‘I understand my cousin was brought here, but I don’t know which ward he’s in. I wonder, could you please point me in the right direction?’ He gave his most encouraging smile.

Instantly at ease with him, she smiled back. ‘I’ll do my best,’ she offered. ‘What’s your cousin’s name?’

‘It’s Joe…Joe Arnold…transferred from Bedford Hospital.’

While she consulted her ledgers, he continued in a friendly easy manner, ‘We’re very close me and him…we virtually grew up together, but we kind of lost touch. I’ve been abroad this past year: on business…travelling with my company. As soon as my uncle managed to get hold of me, I cancelled everything and got back as quick as I could.’

She nodded. ‘I see…’ After returning her attention to the ledger, she glanced up. ‘Joe Arnold…he’s the young man who was attacked.’

‘That’s right! And I’ve travelled a long way to give him my support.’

She nodded agreeably. ‘I’m sure he’ll appreciate that,’ she said. ‘He doesn’t have too many visitors.’

She thought of Joe Arnold, who was not much older than she was. From what she’d been told, he may never again stand on his own two feet. It was a daunting and terrible thing, especially for one so young.

‘He’ll be pleased to see you,’ she told Frank. ‘So far as I know, his parents have been the main visitors. Oh, and there’s Bob of course. He takes a few minutes every now and then to chat with your cousin…lets him know what’s going on in the outside world so to speak.’

She smiled. ‘Mind you, I expect he enjoys a little break from the monotony.’

Being careful not to sound too interested, Frank enquired, ‘Who’s Bob?’

‘Oh, I’m sorry!’ She explained, ‘The police have posted him outside your cousin’s room. I expect they think he might still be in danger.’

‘That’s good,’ Frank declared. ‘It shows the police are taking this seriously.’

‘Yes, but I’m afraid you’ll need to tell him who you are and he’ll question you,’ she said. ‘Bob’s all right though. He’s not too authoritative. In fact, he’s a bit of a pussy cat really.’

Frank assured her, ‘That’s all right. I don’t mind answering questions.’

In the light of what he’d learned, Frank was already looking to take a moment and realign his plans. ‘Like I say, I’m here to support Joe,’ he said casually. ‘A bit of inconvenience is neither here nor there.’

She added, ‘Oh, but you’ll need to wait a few minutes, because Nurse Barry is in there at the moment. She’s doing her regular check-ups, but she won’t be long now.’

Gesturing to the seating area opposite, she told him, ‘You could wait there if you like. There’s a tea stall at the back.’

She had another suggestion, ‘If you want, you could go up to the next floor. There’s a proper café up there. Well, when I say proper, I mean they sell biscuits and sandwiches, and there are a few tables and chairs. It’s where the nurses go to eat their lunch.’

Frank was relieved to have been thrown a lifeline. ‘Good idea. In fact I am a bit peckish. Yes! Thank you. So, how long will the nurse be, d’you think?’

The young nurse shrugged. ‘Ten, maybe fifteen minutes. Nurse Barry shouldn’t be much longer than that.’

‘Might I ask where the loos are?’ He feigned embarrassment. ‘I was in a rush to get here. Sorry!’

‘Down the corridor, on the right.’

Fifteen minutes later, she had completed her filing, when Nurse Barry came rushing up to return the medical tray. ‘Got to go, Sally,’ she said breathlessly. ‘I didn’t realise what the time was, and I promised mother I’d pick her up the minute my shift was ended. She’s staying with me for a few days. She’s not been well, y’see?’

‘There was a visitor for…’ The young nurse started to tell her about Frank, but the older woman cut her off. ‘Sorry, can’t chat. I’ve really got to go…but look, I know you finish today, and I just want to say the best of luck travelling. Be careful, and stay well. I hope you enjoyed your short stint at the desk. You did a good job.’

Reaching over the desk, she gave the young girl a quick hug then she was off, calling as she went, ‘Mother will be in such a cranky mood if I’m late again! When you get back to university, work hard and you’ll get where you want to go.’

She was still calling as she went headlong out of the doors and across the car park.

For a time, Frank kept his eyes peeled. He saw the nurse
come hurrying to the desk. He saw her quickly leave and soon after that, he watched as the shift changed hands.

‘If you’re gonna do it, you’d best do it now!’ he told himself.

Impatient to get inside with Joe, he seized the moment.

Staying in the shadows, he returned to the hospital foyer, where he sat himself in the area that the young nurse had earlier pointed out.

The busy hospital staff went about their duties with a zest, while visitors seemed to rush about as though they hadn’t got a minute to live.

As for the cleaner, she seemed half asleep. Dressed in a green wraparound apron and pushing a galvanised mop bucket before her, she went about this routine act like a zombie, rhythmically swishing her wet mop across the floor, then viciously screwing it into the drainer until it was bone dry, before slapping it into the disinfected water for the umpteenth time, and starting the whole pattern over again.

Frank was mesmerised. He found he couldn’t take his eyes off her as she walked up and down, softly humming to herself as she flopped the mop in and out. After a while, he was amazed and angry to find himself almost nodding off. He blamed it on the bargee who’d kept him up late with his loud snoring.

On seeing the policeman walking towards the desk, he was excited, and a little nervous. This was what he’d been waiting for.

‘You should never have brought me that tea.’ The big man had a deep, gruff voice, and a baby face. ‘Now, I need to visit the gents.’

‘And enjoy a crafty ciggie at the same time, no doubt.’ The young nurse was obviously familiar with him.

‘So, d’you think you could keep an eye on the ward for me?’

The nurse assured him. ‘When you’ve got to go, you’ve got to go,’ she grinned. ‘Yes, of course I’ll watch the door. I’ve done it often enough, haven’t I?’

He laughed. ‘You needn’t think you’re sharing my wages though,’ he joked, ‘I’ve got a wife and kids at home.’

‘So you keep telling me.’ She gave him a cheeky grin, ‘And I thought we had a future. Shame on you.’

He went away chuckling.

The moment she turned to collect something from the back desk, Frank made his move. He slid his way along the corridor and slipped softly into the now unguarded private ward where Joe was.

At first he was taken aback to see how Joe was trussed top to toe in a kind of traction mechanism. Flat on his back, with his chin in a collar cast, he was totally helpless.

Quickly over the first shock, Frank was delighted that Joe was in no position to shout or hit out. In fact it suited his purpose to see him restrained like that.

He was about to make his way across the room, when he heard footsteps. Quickly dodging behind the door, he held his breath. Like a cornered rat, he meant to escape at any cost.

He heard the footsteps stop outside the door, then he saw the handle move and he pressed himself flat against the wall, ready to make a run for it.

The door opened slightly, then a nurse took a step into the room, peered over at Joe, then backed away and closed the door behind her, leaving the intruder greatly relieved.

Taking a deep breath, he waited a second or two, before moving cautiously towards the bed where Joe was lying.

Acutely aware that he could well be trapped at any moment, Frank leaned over him, his voice low and excited. ‘Well, well, well! Look at you…all strung up like a chicken ready for the oven.’

Joe had been sleeping, though not deeply, for he was too uncomfortable and restless. When he now heard Frank’s voice, he opened his eyes to rid himself of the nightmare. But when
he realised he wasn’t dreaming and that it really was Frank, his face collapsed in shock.

The urge to fight was strong in him. He even made frantic moves to lift his arms, but they were like lead weights against his damaged body.

When he now opened his mouth to speak, Frank clamped his fist across it. When Joe began to struggle, it did not take much to squeeze Joe’s mouth tightly shut. ‘Be still!’ he hissed. ‘And listen!’

Against his bullish strength, Joe was helpless.

Frank leaned closer. ‘I did have a mind to finish you off. But now I can see that would be a blessing for you. Besides, I can’t think of any single reason to show you mercy.’ He quickly observed the manner in which Joe was strapped down, and it made him smile. ‘It pleases me to see you this way, Joe,’ he whispered. ‘I never expected it to be like this.’

When Joe closed his eyes in disgust, he went on, ‘Not very pleased to see me are you? Want to get up and make mincemeat out of me, do you? Want to fight me…’ He shook his head. ‘Looks to me like your fighting days are over, Joe. You’re a poor excuse for a man, and as far as I’m concerned, it’s no more than you deserve!’

He gave a low, menacing snigger. ‘You can’t move. You can’t do anything for yourself, can you, eh? Face it, Joe! You’re helpless. So, what’s it like? How do you feel when the nurse has to bring you a bedpan? Does she have to wash you, Joe? Are you treated like some old man?’

He was relentless. ‘I’m afraid that’s how it will be from now on, Joe. A broken old man, trapped in a young man’s body.’

Joe continued to stare up at him, his eyes burning with hatred, knowing that every word Frank uttered was bitterly true.

For a long, delicious moment, Frank enjoyed watching Joe suffer, then suddenly his manner changed. ‘I haven’t got much
time,’ he growled. ‘I need you to know that Alice is tracking you down. Before too long she’ll be sure to find you…just like I did.’

When he saw how that information lit Joe’s eyes with hope, he could have suffocated him there and then. But then Joe would be out of pain, and he didn’t want that. He wanted him to suffer, until such a time as his situation was so unbearable, he would beg to die.

Never-ending suffering. That’s what he wanted for Joe; not a swift, easy end.

He left Joe with one thought. ‘Alice is mine! She’s still my wife. If you give her just one inch of encouragement…if you so much as even let her touch you, I’ll know about it. And I swear, I’ll finish what I started. She got away last time. She won’t get away again!’