BLINDFOLD (25 page)

`But she's all right, isn't she?'Joey towered over the policeman, grabbing the man's waterproof jacket in his agitation. `Isn't she? Tell me, damn you!'

The officer looked a little startled, as well he might. Joey was a formidable figure even at the best of times, which these clearly weren't.

`Take your hands off me, sir!' he spluttered. `Thank you. Yes, I'm told she's out of danger but she's a lucky little girl, it could have been very different.'

But Joey was no longer listening. He swung savagely towards Gideon. `It's your bloody fault!' he hissed. `If you hadn't brought her here, this would never have happened! You've been nothing but bloody trouble!'

Gideon didn't rise to the bait. Whatever his quarrel with the man, the outburst was provoked by Joey's own feelings of shock and guilt, and this was neither the time nor the place to rake up what was past. Nor was it the moment to point out the injustice of his accusation.

`Now, look here!' someone said firmly and to no noticeable effect.

Out of the corner of his eye Gideon saw one of the policemen start forward and then hesitate, the headlights of Joey's idling vehicle picking out the fluorescent strips on his jacket with startling intensity. Joey's face was no more than six inches from Gideon's and his expression was not encouraging. He held his ground and waited for reason to reassert itself.

`You smug bastard!' Joey spat the words and accompanied them with a forcible shove against Gideon's shoulder, which sent him staggering back a pace or two. Sod's law it had to be his sore one. His sharp intake of breath set off another bout of coughing.

`Here!' one of the policemen protested, reaching for Joey's arm. He shook him off as one would a troublesome insect and advanced upon Gideon once more.

At this point the other two officers took a hand, fastening themselves with grim determination, one to each arm, and at the same time Naomi reached the group and stepped in front of her brother in an unconsciously protective gesture.

Joey sneered. `That's it, pal. Hide behind a woman.'

`Come on, sir. You're upset.' Another policeman had appeared. `Don't make things worse for your sister by getting into trouble yourself. It won't help anyone, least of all her.'

Gideon thought his voice sounded familiar but couldn't place him. He wondered how many more there were around. It must be a quiet night in Dorset.

`The best thing you can do is get along to the hospital,' the newcomer continued. `She'll want her family around her.'

The calm good sense had its effect. Joey ceased to glare belligerently at Gideon and turned to glare instead at the policeman, a slim five foot ten or so of easy, quiet authority.

`Well, I'd have been there by now, if someone would just tell me where she's been taken.'

Just let me take your details: name, address and phone number. Then you can be on your way.' He nodded to the two PCs who were still clinging to Joey's arms as if their jobs depended on it, and they obediently stepped back.

With no more than a darkling glance at Gideon, Joey turned to follow the slight figure back towards the gate, but Gideon was under no illusion that the matter would be forgotten.

`That was Jez's brother?' Naomi asked incredulously. `Poor little mite!'

`Half-brother, yes, I'm afraid so. Though, to do him justice, I think he's very fond of her,' Gideon said. `You should see the other one!'

`Thanks, but no thanks!'

`Are you all right, sir?' one of the remaining two policemen asked. The third was nowhere to be seen; presumably he'd returned to the fire scene.

,Gideon assured him he was fine and the two fluorescent jackets headed back towards the gate where, despite the farm's isolation, a number of sightseers were pushing eagerly against the police tape.

`Come on, Sis. Let's have that cup of tea,' Gideon suggested, putting his arm round her shoulders and steering her back to the spot where they'd left Rose Callow. `Have you lost weight, Naomi?'

As a dancer she was of necessity slim, but just now she seemed, even through the waxed jacket that she wore, positively bony. `I have, a little,' she admitted. `We've been working so hard, Gideon. Tim's really determined to make a success of this place and there's been so much to do. And then . . .' Her voice caught on a sob as exhaustion and the horror of the situation threatened to overwhelm her. `And then there's been all the trouble, it's been so . . .' She sobbed again and sniffed. `So frightening. And now this. What are we going to do with all the animals?'

`Shh.' Gideon gave her shoulders a gentle shake. `We'll get it all sorted out. Don't worry about it now.'

`But how can we? It'll take ages to rebuild, and what do we do

with the animals in the meantime? We've got all those donkeys ... what'll we do with them? They need shelter. Oh, it's all such a mess!'

`First things first. We all need a cup of tea,' Gideon said firmly as Tim appeared from the direction of the surgery. `Let's find dear old Rose. Ah, Tim, is there somewhere - anywhere - warm and dry, where we can sit down for five minutes?'

`As a matter of fact, I was coming to suggest just that. One of the firemen - chap named Smiley as far as I can make out - has rigged up a lamp in reception for us, and Rose is making more tea on the primus.'

`The woman's a marvel!' Gideon declared. `Well, what are we waiting for?'

The small block comprising surgery, reception and Tim's office had come off best of all, the wind having blown the flames in the other direction, and it was bliss to collapse on to the upholstered reception area chairs and sip the hot tea Rose had brewed.

The old lady dug down in her basket and produced a packet of chocolate digestives which she passed round, and for several long moments Gideon was content to let all thoughts of the outside world pass him by.

It couldn't last though. Beside him sat Naomi, her blonde head drooping with fatigue and telltale clean streaks in her sooty complexion. In the opposite corner Tim was sitting hunched on his chair, hands clasped around a mug and red-rimmed eyes staring into the steaming liquid with a blank unfocused gaze. Under the grime his face was burned red, as Gideon could feel his own was. The skin felt as if it would split if he smiled too widely. Not much chance of that, but he did have one idea that might help raise morale.

`Back in a minute,' he said, climbing to his feet with an effort and leaving the haven of the lighted building. Tim barely glanced up. Outside, surprised by the wobbly weakness of his legs, Gideon headed for where he'd left Pippa's car, answering a firefighter's call of, `All right, mate?' with a wave of his hand. He supposed `all right' was a relative term; his throat and chest burned deeply and he was constantly fighting the need to cough.

The small crowd of onlookers by the gate had dispersed, uninterested now the drama was over. The two fire engines from the field were packed up and lumbering away down the lane, blue lights off. Only the one in the yard remained, and one police car. Close by, he could see Hanley deep in conversation with one of the police officers but made no move to approach them.

Pippa's runabout seemed mercifully undamaged, although one window was partially open and when Gideon reached through it, the seat on which his mobile phone lay felt suspiciously damp.

He got through to the Priory almost immediately and Pippa answered.

'Gideon! Where are you? I thought you'd be back ages ago. Rachel was convinced you must have run into that psychopathic ex-husband of hers, and she's been picturing you lying in a ditch on some deserted country road.'

`No. Nothing like that,' he assured her. `I haven't seen hide nor hair of him. I'm at the Sanctuary - you know, where my sister's been helping out. They've had a bit of a calamity and I shall probably be here most of the night, so do you think Rachel could possibly bunk down with you? She won't want to be on her own in the Gatehouse.'

`No problem,' Pippa said instantly, as he'd expected she would. `But what's happened? Is everyone all right?'

Gideon explained briefly and finished by asking to speak to Giles.

Ten minutes or so later, when Gideon made his way back to the others, he found Tim sitting almost exactly as he'd left him, except that he'd put his empty mug on to the floor beside him and was resting his chin on his hands. The blank gaze was unchanged and he looked worn out and desperately depressed. Naomi, in the other chair, was curled up asleep, and he'd passed Rose in the yard, dispensing tea to the thirsty firefighters.

`Tim?' he said softly.

He blinked and looked up.

`How many donkeys are there altogether?'

He could see the effort as Tim tried to concentrate. `Er, thirteen, I think. Yes, thirteen. They won't have gone far, though I suppose we ought to go and look for there. Naomi got some of them into the barn field, so the others will be around, they're practically inseparable.'

`No, it's okay. There were seven in the barn field and three hanging around outside, which I let in. And there are three in the field down by the gate. I nearly ran those over on the way in.'

Tim sighed. `God knows what we're going to do with them now, though. Some of them are pretty ancient. They belonged to an old lady who had to go into hospital. The thing is, they need shelter and we haven't got any now, except the old barn, and that's full of hay.' He ran his filthy fingers through his hair. `Oh, God, what a mess!'

`Well, I think I've found them temporary accommodation, if they can travel, that is,' Gideon said. `And any other of the animals.'

Tim's reaction was subdued. `Thanks, but I'm afraid we'll have to try and manage here. There's no way I can afford to pay rent for them all. God knows how long it'll be before we're back on our feet again.'

Gideon shook his head. `There's no question of rent. My friend Giles has offered to have them at Home Farm, about half a mile from the Priory. You'll have to supply whatever feed they need and the stables might need a bit of a spring clean, but there's grass and water for free, if you want it.'

`If I want it?' Tim echoed. `Where's the catch? There has to be one.

`Not that I know of. Unless I phone to cancel, a horsebox will be here in the morning. So it's up to you.'

`Thanks. That's brilliant,' Tim said, his eyes at last registering a spark of renewed optimism. `I owe you one.'

Gideon shook his head and smiled, then wished he hadn't, as his cracked lips protested.

Having completed her mercy mission, Rose returned to her cottage and George, with heartfelt thanks ringing in her ears. Tim and Gideon spread a blanket over Naorni and left her sleeping in the chair for want of a more comfortable place to offer her, and because, as Tim rightly said, if they did wake her up to move her, she would no doubt insist on helping them with the animals.

The firefighters attached to the remaining engine turned their attention to what was left of the straw bedding, raking it out into the walkway between the sad remnants of the two stableblocks, and thoroughly sousing it.

Tim had put most of the animals and birds in the fenced-off area of grass behind the surgery, some in transport carriers, some in boxes, and one or two rabbits loose. With the temperature rapidly falling, he decided it would be best to move them all into the surgery for the night, where they could at least be kept warm. One or two were exhibiting signs of severe stress, and he told Gideon he was quite prepared to find that they'd lost some by the morning.

They had just finished settling the last of the birds into their makeshift homes when they were joined by Naomi, followed closely by the police officer who had handled Joey so skilfully.

`The constable would like a word,' Naomi said, looking much better for her hour or two of sleep. She'd washed her face and tied her hair back and seemed ready for whatever was to come.

`PC Logan,' the officer supplied, edging into the surgery, which was by this time decidedly cramped.

In the light of the emergency gas lamp Gideon recognised him as the first officer he had seen at Chilminster, when he'd reported the low-flying helicopter. About the same age as Gideon, he wore his light brown hair cropped short under his peaked cap, and pale blue eyes regarded the world with a patient cynicism from a lean, uncompromising face. Although he was no taller than Naomi, there would never be any question of dismissing him as of no account; his easy self-confidence was completely unassumed. A good man to have on your side, Gideon thought, and a relentless adversary.

`How're they doing?' Logan asked, gesturing at the multitude of cages. `Will it affect them badly?'

`Most will be okay, I think,' Tim replied. `It's a bit early to say, for sure.'

`Did you lose many?'

`One or two. It spread so fast. Do they know how it started yet?' `As a matter of fact, that's what I wanted to see you about. Station Officer Hanley has notified the FIU and until they arrive I must ask you to stay away from the area of the fire, especially the house and the mobile home. At the moment it looks as if that's where it started.'

`FIU?' Naomi repeated.

`The Fire Investigation Unit.'

`They think it's arson, then?' Tim asked. It was a possibility he had been talking over with Gideon while they worked.

Logan shook his head. `I'm afraid I can't discuss it with you at the moment. Let's just say that the cause of the fire is not immediately obvious and it's Fire Brigade policy to investigate when that's the case. There may be a completely innocent explanation.' He paused, pursing his lips slightly. `I understand you've had a bit of trouble here . . .'

`Yes, we have, but I never thought ... I mean, if it is arson will you be able to find out who did it?'

`We'll do our best,' Logan promised. `But for now, if you feel up to answering a few questions ... ?'

White-faced and strained, with bloodshot eyes and a nagging cough, Tim hardly looked eager to undergo a cross-examination, but he assented wearily and followed Logan back into the reception area.

`Poor old Tim looks rough,' Gideon remarked to his sister, as the door shut behind the pair.

`He's not the only one,' Naomi responded. `I've seen you looking better.'