The Silver Arrow (42 page)

11.59 A.M.

  ‘And that was ‘Hey Jude’ by the fab four, as requested by Marjory Simpson from Portland Square in Carlisle.  It’s now coming up to twelve o’clock, midday.  You’re listening to Radio Carlisle, your favourite radio station for Carlisle and the Borders and here are the news headlines on this day, Friday the twenty fifth of October, nineteen hundred and seventy four.  In Stirlingshire, distraught crowds of local villagers are gathering in large numbers at the gates of an old cotton mill, now used as a civil defence storage facility in the village of Cambusbarron, after the body, believed to be that of a young girl, was discovered in the early hours of this morning by a night watchman.  Police are refusing to confirm whether they believe that it’s the body of missing fourteen-year-old schoolgirl, Ann Brown, who went missing on the 9
th
of November nineteen seventy two…’

12.05 P.M.

  Robert the Beast finally slackened aff they hauns ae his fae his ears and slumped aff ae his stool, doon oan tae his knees.  It sounded as if an aircraft engine hid jist passed through that heid ae his, between his ears.

  “No, no, no…” he groaned and wept, swaying.  “Why the hell noo?” He cursed bitterly in self-pity, rapidly punching they thighs ae his wae baith fists clenched tightly.

  “And here’s another sixties classic from the Lizard King himself.  This is ‘The End,’ by the one and only Jim Morrison and that amazing band of his, The Doors,” the DJ growled doon intae the microphone, as Jim Morrison’s haunting voice confirmed whit Robert Connor hid awready sussed oot, aw by himsel…that this wis indeed the end.

  The Beast opened his eyes and looked aboot in a blind panic.  He wisnae too sure how long he’d been kneeling there.  He didnae think that it hid been long.  The radio wis still oan, bit the only sound tae be heard wis somewan’s fingers running up and doon the frets ae an electric guitar, the fingers hammering oan the strings like drums, slowly at first, before gaining traction, starting tae get louder and faster in an attempt tae catch up.  Hid he been imagining whit he thought he’d jist heard?  Wis his whole existence meant tae be jist wan long nightmare?  Whit hid he ever done tae deserve aw this pain?  He took a deep breath and stumbled tae his feet, willing himsel tae step through intae the corridor as the singer sang aboot being lost in a romance while aw the children wur insane…waiting fur the summer rain.  He’d tried tae tell them at school, bit they widnae listen.  Aw they’d wanted tae dae wis laugh at him…especially the lassies…especially her…especially Ann Broon.  He’d tried tae tell her that she wis the wan, bit she widnae bloody listen.  She’d become jist like the rest ae the sluts…sneering…laughing…laughing.  He hidnae really meant tae hurt her…no Ann…no her.  It wis The Python and that fat basturt ae a mate ae his who’d made him dae it…they wur tae blame…the fuckers.  He’d tell them that…the authorities…they’d let him go.  He needed tae get hame tae that wee ma ae his.  He suddenly became alert.  The wee roond speaker oan the front ae his radio, sitting oan the shelf, hid used the password.  A voice wis alerting him…there wis danger oan the edge…weird scenes inside the goldmine…ride the snake…the west is best…the blue bus wis calling us…shit, he hid tae get a move oan before it wis too late and they blamed him again.  He gulped doon a deep breath and popped his heid oot ae the cubbyhole.  The screw beyond the barred gate, behind the plate glass windae, still hid his heid stuck in The Glesga Echo.  He quickly glanced doon towards Fanny’s office door.  It wis still sitting slightly ajar.  He couldnae detect any movement or sound fae it.  He quickly withdrew his heid back intae the cubbyhole, drapping doon oan tae they knees ae his.  At the same time, he slipped his haun up and under the arse ae the bottom shelf where the cardboard soap box sat.  His fingers curled roond whit he wis efter.  He looked doon.  Nelson, the civvy’s putty knife, wae the razor-sharp blade glinted under the glare ae the bare light bulb that wis hinging doon above his heid fae the light oan the ceiling.  The deep voice oan the radio said the blue bus wis coming…he hid tae get a move oan or he’d be too late.

“Fucking slut!” The Beast spat, sliding the blade up the left sleeve ae his blue striped shirt, before staunin up. 

  “The killer awoke before dawn…he put his boots on…and walked on down the hall,” Jim Morrison proclaimed, as Robert The Beast pushed open the cubbyhole door and stepped oot intae the corridor and slowly, so as no tae alert The Gatekeeper, wae his face stuck in the newspaper, walked alang the corridor towards Fanny’s office.

  As he gently pushed open the door, popping that heid ae his in first, jist in case she wis sitting facing him, he practically squealed in ecstasy.  The bitch hid her back tae him, bent o’er, trying tae force a file that wis refusing tae be interred, back intae the drawer ae the filing cabinet.  He quickly stepped through and quietly closed the door o’er behind him and silently crept up behind her, jist as she stood up.  He clamped his haun o’er that mooth ae hers before she hid a chance tae turn roond, while at the same time, placed the blade under her left eye.

  “If ye fucking make wan move or sound, ya fucking slut, ye, Ah’ll cut ye fae ear tae ear,” he snarled, feeling that cock ae his getting hard, as it pressed against the cheeks ae her saft arse and he inhaled the intoxicating scent ae the perfume she’d deliberately been teasing him wae fur the past year.

12.13 P.M.

  “Right, oan ye go, Taylor,” the screw scowled, nodding doon towards Fanny’s office, as he let him through the gate, locking it loudly behind him.    “Right, Ding-Dong, put that shite doon and let me through.  And it’s two spoonfuls ae sugar wae plenty ae milk in mine.”

  Johnboy wis well pissed-aff.  He’d been hauf way through graining a door as part ae his practical in his cubicle and hid argued wae the screw, telling him he didnae want tae talk tae any bloody social worker, bit the screw hid insisted, saying that it wis an emergency, the lying prick.  His good door wis ruined noo and he’d hiv tae start aw o’er again.  This hid better be good, he cursed tae himsel, as he turned the haundle ae Fanny’s door and entered withoot knocking.  His brain didnae immediately register whit his eyes wur being confronted wae.  Robert The Beast hid his back tae him, his troosers aroond his ankles.  Fanny Flaw wis facing the door, stretched oot in the shape ae a starfish, spread-eagled, her wrists tied tae the bars ae the windae above her heid and her ankles strapped tae the water pipe that ran alang the wall underneath it.  Her white blouse and matching bra hid been ripped open, exposing they bare breasts ae hers.  Her mooth wis gagged wae whit looked like a bit ae a torn, striped jail shirt, digging intae the cheeks oan her face.  Johnboy hid only ever seen terror in the eyes ae a female like Fanny’s in auld horror movies like ‘King Kong’ and ‘Creatures Fae The Black Lagoon,’ despite hivving being confronted wae scared shitless faces, many a time in his life.

  “You, ya fucking beast, ye!” Johnboy snarled, at Robert Connor’s back.

  Before Johnboy could react, Robert The Beast suddenly whirled roond and plunged a blade straight intae the tap left haun side ae Johnboy’s chest, sending him crashing back against Fanny’s office door, slamming it shut.  Johnboy let oot a painful howl as he felt the blade withdrawing, hivving initially thought he’d jist been punched.  He instinctively doubled up and ran at the basturt, his heid crashing intae The Beast’s stomach, sending the baith ae them crashing against Fanny’s legs, before the pair ae them fell oan tae the flair sideways, scattering everything in their wake.  It hidnae taken Johnboy long tae realise that The Beast hid stabbed him between his shoulder blades when he’d ran at him, doubled-up.  Johnboy knew he’d hiv tae get that blade aff ae the basturt or he wis a goner.  He tried tae scramble backwards between Fanny’s upturned chair and her stationary desk, as the blade landed again, this time straight doon oan tae his shoulder oan the same side as the first stabbing.  Johnboy managed tae get baith hauns roond The Beast’s neck, bit the weight pressing doon oan tap ae him wis jist too much fur him tae be hivving any real effect.  Robert The Beast’s face wis practically against his, hauf wheezing and hauf growling in a demented, determined effort tae overpower him as Johnboy howled in pain, feeling the blade twisting in his shoulder, while the basturt tried tae pull it oot at the same time.  Johnboy started furiously kneeing Connor rapidly in they baws ae his and managed tae get a good grip ae The Beast’s bottom lip between his teeth, experiencing a fleeting feeling ae satisfaction at hearing the basturt howl in pain as the twisting blade in his shoulder slackened aff a bit, before being withdrawn oot ae his shoulder.  Johnboy wanted tae throw up, as the taste ae the stoat-the-baw’s blood and the foul smell ae his breath threatened tae overpower him, while he scrambled blindly, ignoring the pain in his fingers, as the blade continually slashed at his heid.  He tried tae ignore that brain ae his that kept screaming at him o’er and o’er again tae get a haud ae the fucking blade.  He wanted tae shout back and ask whit the fuck it thought he wis trying tae dae.  He let oot another painful yelp, releasing The Beast’s bottom lip fae between his teeth, as the blade swished forward, past his left eye, cutting open a furrow across his temple and slicing his left ear in hauf.  He felt the tremor in his back, as the blade thudded intae whit sounded like wooden flairboards underneath the lino.  Johnboy didnae know whether it wis because the blade hid embedded itsel deep intae the wood and The Beast couldnae get it oot or because the haundle wis wet wae blood, bit the tap hauf ae The Beast’s heid and shoulders suddenly jerked backwards and upwards a few feet, before he attempted tae lunge forward fur the blade again.  It gied Johnboy enough room tae get his hauns roond that neck again, this time, getting a good grip, using the bottom ae his back tae press himsel upwards.  The beast started gurgling and twisting, pummelling Johnboy’s face and the side ae his heid wae they hammer fists ae his in an attempt tae shake him aff.  Johnboy suddenly felt The Beast’s body gie way a bit, as his hauns grappled wae Johnboy’s wrists.  Johnboy screamed through gritted teeth, as he forced the basturt back up aff ae his body.  They wur noo sitting facing each other, wheezing like a pair ae drunk walruses, The Beast wae his eyes bulging, sitting struggling oan Johnboy’s legs and Johnboy hauf whining, trying tae strangle the basturt wae everything he’d goat left in him.  Johnboy heard himsel yelp efter suddenly losing his sight, as he felt his eyes filling wae blood or tears, as he squeezed fur dear life.  He didnae think he could maintain his grip oan the throat fur much longer as he felt his grip loosen, jist as the hauns gripping his wrists started trying tae pull them apart.  Johnboy managed tae gulp doon a big gasp ae air as he let fly wae his foreheid.  He didnae know whit the fuck wis happening efter a crack ae thunder in they ears ae his went aff and their two heids collided, causing an explosion tae erupt in his brain, as if being hit by a hammer.  Despite this, he still managed tae keep a grip ae that neck.  He knew if he let go, he wis deid…baith him and Fanny wur.  He tried tae see whit wis gaun oan, bit the stars exploding in front ae his eyes and whit he assumed tae be liquid filling them up, made it impossible tae focus.  He couldnae tell how long he lay there, bit it wis the sound ae a phone ringing that goat through tae his consciousness.  He tried tae open his eyes, bit they felt as if somewan hid flooded them wae paint or something.  There wis also a weight, something heavy lying across the bottom hauf ae his body fae his thighs doonwards. He tried tae prop himsel up, bit he couldnae move his erm or the left haun side ae his body.  He hid better luck wae the right haun side, and using Fanny’s overturned chair, he managed tae hauf sit-up, wrapping his working erm o’er the rim ae the back ae it.  Still in the dark, wae they eyes ae his, he managed tae manoeuvre the legs ae the chair roond blindly, until it wis behind him, gieing him a bit ae a back rest.  He hidnae realised that the phone hid stoapped ringing until it started up again, sounding like a fire alarm clanging somewhere tae his left.  He could hear rasping breathing and wondered who it wis coming fae, scared that The Beast wis staunin above him, ready tae plunge the knife doon intae him again, until he realised it wis coming oot ae his ain mooth…bit worse…that chest ae his. He reached up and tried tae use the collar ae his shirt tae wipe his eyes, bit couldnae manage.  He put his haun doon and found the bottom front ae his shirt wae his right haun.  He tugged and heard the buttons pop efter slight resistance.  He managed tae pull the shirt up and started tae wipe the shit oot ae his eyes, blinking furiously, repeating the process until he managed tae semi-focus and get some sight back.  He looked doon.  The Beast wis lying sprawled o’er his legs oan his side.  Johnboy wisnae sure if he wis breathing, although he wis convinced he’d detected slight movement.  He shook his heid and a rush ae pain shot up the left haun side ae his torso.  Fur some reason, he wis surprised tae notice that he wis drenched in blood.  It seemed tae be everywhere.  The phone that hid wakened him hid stoapped ringing only tae restart again.  Each time it rung, the sound ae its echo wis left hinging in the air.  Whoever it wis, wis certainly determined, he cursed tae himsel.  His heid wis pounding and he wished whoever it wis oan the other end ae it, wid gie it a rest.  He tried tae make himsel mair comfortable as the legs ae the chair lying oan its side behind him, wur digging intae his back.  In an attempt tae lever himsel up, using his haun oan the flair, he nearly toppled o’er as his haun slid through a puddle, he assumed tae be fae a vase ae water or a kettle that hid goat toppled o’er in the melee. Surely it couldnae hiv been blood? His memory wis starting tae come back.  Fanny!  Fuck, where wis she?  Whit hid happened tae her?  Johnboy looked up.  She wis still hinging there, gagged and tied tae the bars ae the windae and the heating pipe near the flair.  Her mascara hid run doon in tae her gag.  Johnboy wis glad tae see that she wis still wearing her knickers.  He must’ve been jist in time.  He tried tae say something tae her, a word ae comfort, bit he couldnae get a sound tae come fae the back ae his throat. He wanted a drink ae water. He tried tae concentrate and focus that brain ae his tae come up wae something, anything, tae get the pair ae them oot ae there.  He wanted tae ask Fanny how she could work in an office withoot any heati
ng, realising fur the first time that the room wis absolutely freezing.  He couldnae come up wae a solution tae try and contol the shivering that wis wracking his body. He felt knackered.  Aw he wanted tae dae wis tae go tae sleep, bit he fought that as hard as he could, as he wisnae sure whit the hell hid become ae Robert The Beast and whether he wis jist winded.  He looked up at the sound ae movement. Fanny wis struggling violently, trying tae break free.  He tried tae tell her no tae be afraid ae him as he widnae hurt her and tae try and save her energy until the screws turned up shortly tae free her, wance they noticed that he’d been in wae her fur so long.  He noticed the clock above her office door. He couldnae remember if he noticed it when he wis interviewed by Fanny, no long efter arriving in Dumfries.  It telt him that it wis twenty five past twelve.  He couldnae remember whit time he’d been called oot ae the paint shoap.  It seemed like hours ago.  He lifted his haun up and shook a bloody finger at Fanny tae try and get her tae settle doon.  She instantly stoapped struggling.

  “Save…save…energy,” he croaked, embarrassed at seeing the tap hauf ae her exposed, naked body.

Wance again, the phone started up again.  He felt himsel fading, wanting tae fall asleep, bit fought tae keep his eyes open.  He looked up at Fanny again.  She wis trying tae tell him something and wis screaming in frustration fae behind the gag until she realised that he couldnae make oot whit she wis saying.  He looked at her hauns.  The finger ae the right wan above her heid wis bent, pointing across in his direction, at her desk, or something behind him.  He tried looking, bit couldnae see anything.  He turned back tae look at her.  She wis shaking her heid furiously noo and using her finger, slowly this time, telling him tae look lower doon.  He looked aboot, bit still couldn’t see anything that wid help them.  He looked back at her fur confirmation, acknowledging her nodding.  He wis oan the right track, bit tae whit?

  “The…the…desk?” he groaned, as the pain started tae become mair intense in his chest, as she nodded furiously.

  “Under?” he managed, getting another affirmative nod.

He looked aroond.  The blood wis practically pishing aff ae the side ae his heid like a ripped water pipe oan tae his twisted soaking shirt.  He still couldnae see anything and then he spotted it.

  “The…but…button?” he managed, as she nodded, pleading in her eyes, as the shrill ring ae the bloody phone went aff again.

  A white button wis screwed oan tae the side ae the panel underneath her desk jist aboot knee height.  Fly basturts, he thought tae himsel.  He tried tae lift up his left erm, the wan closest tae the button, bit it wisnae working.  No matter how much ae an effort he put in tae lifting it up, it jist widnae move.  If only he could get The Beast aff ae they legs ae his withoot wakening him up, he thought.  He struggled tae lean forward, while at the same time, lifted his right erm o’er the back end ae the fallen chair, before putting aw his weight doon oan tae it, letting oot a painful deep groan fae between they clenched teeth ae his.  Wae his right erm tucked o’er the chair, he started tae lean intae it as he pulled his torso forward, keeping the chair tight against the side ae his chest.  He felt movement.  He tried again, gasping and groaning in agony, managing another few inches, taking the stoat-the-baw’s body wae him.  He hid tae take a rest.  He didnae want tae look at Fanny.  He didnae want tae embarrass her, or himsel, in case she thought he wis hivving a wee fly swatch ae her naked body.  He gied another heave, this time managing tae sit upright.  Efter a few seconds…few minutes…few hours…whitever…ae willing the excruciating pain tae ease aff a bit, he managed tae lean forward, groaning intensely, as he managed tae push the body lying across his knees a few inches towards his feet, allowing him room tae be able tae twist his waist roond towards the underside ae the desk.  He looked doon tae his left.  The hole in his chest hid red bubbles appearing at the wound as if it wis panting fur breath.  As if oan cue, the phone started ringing again.  He reached across wae his right erm ootstretched, fingers trembling, bit his index finger stoapped jist oot ae reach ae the button.  He turned his heid roond tae look at Fanny.  She wis nodding, pleading wae terrified eyes.  He felt exhausted and completely drained.  He knew he wisnae gonnae last long.  Whit if he didnae manage tae get Fanny oot ae the room before The Beast revived? He’d never furgive himsel.  He wanted tae jist lie doon and hiv forty winks.  He took a deep breath and held it in, causing a flurry ae frothy bubbles tae explode oot ae his chest as he thrust himsel forward, no sure if wan ae his fingers connected wae the wee white button, as another wave ae excruciating pain shot up his body as he grasped the telephone cable hinging aff ae the desk in reflex.  At first he thought it wis that bloody telephone ringing again, as aw hell seem tae break loose, as the sound ae a herd ae cattle could be heard running through the ringing din.  He slumped back against the upturned chair as he thought he heard somewan shouting his name away in the distance.