Families Part 5- Copyright Robert Fullarton 2007

 Families Part 5- Copyright Robert Fullarton 2007

Chapter 5

The ransom

 The summer heat beckoned forth a flock of ravens, which basked and glorified, lying low, with the sun radiating warmly on their jet black plumage. A multitude of flies stormed high spreading out near a small obtrusive local stream, they moved like clouds that came and went, even so far as to say like to the beat and melody of an unheard music, a grand purpose set by God for all grand living things.

At the side of the stream’s embankment, whips of dust were thrown back from the dry and gravely soil on the pathway, as a car drove effortlessly through the country lanes.

Then suddenly it halted, and the passengers inside it shifted themselves and got out.

The car was a Ford model and it had precisely three doors, two located to the front on the left and right and another at the rear on the right hand side. However, four passengers could easily fit in the automobile.

Andrew Campbell was wearing his favourite pinstripe suit and he looked lavish and well groomed in appearance, certainly well dressed in appearance. He stood on the steps at the entrance of the cottage pondering happily and giving off a smile of gold, with such delightful humour flowing from his demeanour. Out of the car Cecilia Campbell, was followed close behind by David and his sister Emma. The whole family were finely dressed and ornamented with a flowery broach on all of them, the day was in fact a grand momentous occasion, and Andrew had been promoted to Chief Inspector of his own local district in Belfast city. The family all walked through the door one by one and Emma immediately proceeded to cut a loaf of bread in half to prepare sandwiches for everyone.

David sat on a small stool facing the kitchen table chatting to Andrew, while Cecelia went upstairs to have a quick bath throughout all the commotion.

“David, I have worked for the Criminal investigational department for four years now and, I applied last week for you and the commissioner himself is giving it his full consideration.”

David smiled and pondered to himself quietly, still dismal about being unemployed, he felt idle and depressed within.

“Hey David, I have good connections within the RUC and I have something good to tell you, I sent you’re application in to my local branch near York Street and they have agreed to train you in as a constable, you’ll be working with me, rookie.”

Andrew smiled at David; his words seemed to lift his dampened spirit and they echoed through out the interior walls of the cottage. David stared back at Andrew while he combed his slick brown hair back with a comb.

“Ah Dad, you’re brilliant! Thanks a million, when will I start, when!”

“On Monday morning, first thing, at the station nine o’clock, you’ll be inducted, and one day when I’ve passed on, you’ll be commissioner hopefully.”

Andrew’s face was filled with joy and sheer delight at the flood of good fortune he was blessed with lately.

“Inducted”, said David

“Sounds as though I’m being honoured by the King himself. This is a dream come true, I’ll be working with you in the office I’ll be cleaning up Belfast city of all the troublemakers and best part of all I’ll be doing it with you.

I won’t let you down I promise you that.”

“No you wont, I trust in you, soon you’ll earn you’re badge and have a place to call your own away from this stead. With all the horrible recession’s in Belfast lately, you’re lucky to have a job.”

Andrew smiled a toothy grin and stretched out his arms as David hugged him, in gratitude of all that he did for him.

Emma sat beside them on a chair, she devoured her sandwiches, for she was famished for having to go without a breakfast for hours, and she gulped down a hot cup of tea which Andrew poured for her. The three of them sat and eat an afternoon brunch while the sun shone through the windows leaving little shadows beneath the kitchen walls and cupboards. The song of the Robin whistled in melodic harmony as if by chance to the harmonious peace the family enjoyed. The cottage was decorated and ornamented with little hand painted portraits of the family, which Cecelia had painted in oil for them while they were each little children and of course a rather extended portrait of Andrew painted after their wedding day, long ago. Cecelia was a gifted painter with an eye for abstract art, she was like a female Rembrandt, the different tones of light and the shadows in the background were the focal point of her artistic nature.

Andrew sat and sliced himself some Cornish beef and wedged it in between two slices of fine whole grain bread, while he drank a large mug of tea, which he consumed quickly, while occasionally glancing at his coat pocket watch. David crunched on a fine ruby apple, and read the morning’s Belfast Telegraph quietly, without a peep, he reflected in a moment of deep confidence and satisfaction.

Then Emma broke the silence and spoke out.

“Where’s Michael today, why haven’t we heard from him, it must be at least a week since we’ve seen him.”

“Michael works part time at the brewery, you know Caffrey’s Brewery over on the Glen Road in Belfast City. He’s saving all his money to hopefully one day run his own business in Belfast. So He phoned me yesterday and spoke excitedly on the phone, he says he has this absolute gem of an idea; he’s going to run his own supermarket, with butchers, a tobacconist and his own shoe repairs in the back. He said some of his friends from Queen’s would work with him part time maybe even form a sort of contractual partnership on the monetary income they make.”

Said Andrew momentarily breathing in and laughing out loud

Andrew focuses his attention on the two of them and looks directly into their eyes.

“However if this doesn’t come to head he’ll train to become a minister, maybe in the Kirk of Scotland, probably over in Glasgow. Anyway he’s decided to continue studying for his degree in theology.”   

“Dad”, said Emma, interrupting the brief silence.

“He’s had a change of heart, he suddenly thinks big, from his wee job working on the shoes to becoming a shopkeeper, and entrepreneur!”

Aye well he’s been on the road to Damascus on the past few months,”

“Sounds just like it.”, said David butting in.

“Don’t you be getting ideas about him, because what I say is the law around here, I’m sheriff in this town love,” said Andrew humouring them.

“He’ll be a minister; you mark my words he doesn’t know what he’s thinking,

 all Campbell men have always followed a thin line in a category of fine profession’s

from, Policemen to factory workers, manufacturer’s and of course fine good Protestant ministers, many of which had congregations over in Ayrshire and Glasgow.

So I’ve made my mind up on him and that’s the way it is.”

“Anyway finish your food and clean up that mess you made after the sandwiches

Then get changed I think we’ll go out on a fine day like this, just an invitation for the seaside aye?”

They both nodded solemnly and Andrew smiled with a glint in his eye as he went upstairs to get prepared.

He cleaned his shoes shinning them frantically with an oiled sponge and then washed his hands in the sink and proceeded to the bathroom. He reached into the cupboard and pulled in strain to open the tin of hair grease and finally knocked the lid to the floor, he then rubbed it smoothly in his palm and lifted his arm affront caressing and massaging his scalp while combing his hair which left slick streaks like tracks running through the expanse of his jet black hair. The bathroom was painted blue, it was small and ornamented with vases and the sweet fragrance of a bunch of scarlet roses lay posed on the windowsill. Andrew’s eyes were drawn to his hair, which he inspected in the glass of the small bedroom window, while he glanced at his appearance in the mirror, Cecelia entered the room, she was wearing a fancy yellow dress with a navy cardigan on her and she wore fine ruby red lipstick, which matched well her sandy coloured hair.

She stood beside him; he paid no attention but continued concentrating to his daily habits.

“So David will be employed then,”

She spoke, with no mood hidden in her voice.

“Yes, and he will become my trainee, if I can pull a few strings. On Monday he’s going to meet the Commissioner, and certainly now with my promotion, his chance to work with the Criminal Investigational department will come in fruition, and even though my dreams are premature, I believe wholeheartedly that I have a good chance too of joining them.”

Then Andrew quickly changed the topic of discussion.

“Are you ready?” quizzed Andrew.

“Yes”, said Cecelia.

“Where exactly do you have in mind this afternoon?

She asked hesitantly,

“Well the four of us are going to the seaside, at Glenarm and then for our afternoon lunch, maybe we’ll head over to Larne afterwards have some roast beef, with gravy, mash and a few drinks.”

“Well what else have I got on offer at the weekends, nothing.

Here come on we better be going.”

She spoke dismally; about the prospects the afternoon offered her.

That afternoon the family basked in the baking warmth of a finely blessed summers day many people lay on the beach relaxing on their deck chairs while some men wore dungarees with white flannel shirts and small athlete’s shorts covering their legs, Andrew wore a little cotton made vest with a small pair of black laced shorts when he went swimming, he went off by his lonesome, diving and submerged like an offshore dolphin, hidden from the naked eye, he would return twenty minutes later and fall asleep, almost unconscious on the deck chair with his towel wrapped around him.

Emma, David and Cecelia took turns swimming, but they never strayed far like their father from the shore. On many an occasion both Andrew and David went for long walks near the breathtaking forests near Glenarm, but instead today the four of them jointly agreed to go shopping, in Larne, and with a bit of wishful thinking, find a nice spot for a good picnic.

The weekend went by and soon enough the early threads of the Monday morning sun threw up some light at about half past five, and the moon diminished from the crimson, Smokey sky. The family was back in Belfast city once again resting in their home on the quiet atmosphere of their own suburbia. When the clock had struck 8am in the morning, Andrew promptly dangled both his legs out of the side of the bed and emerged, a little tired and feeling overstretched, with work becoming increasingly pro active over his own family life. Down in a modestly decorated kitchen, he sat and drank a cup of tea and head out to work with some thinly sliced ham sandwiches; he prepared the night before in advance. To the Endeavour’s of Andrew’s work on the murder trial, the RUC had retrieved much information from their source in Cookstown, but indeed several men had been arrested and as the local’s were not too courteous, once someone had slipped in advance that the police would show up on that particular night around nine o’clock, Andrew requested help from the local branch, and once several more armed police men fully uniformed arrived, all hell broke loose, and the conflict ended with the arrest of several drunken rioters and two constables were amongst the fatalities of that night,

However the source was luckily enough was plucked and withdrawn from the scene by the violent actions of the squad that night. So in retrospect, the night went not according to plan but the mission was accomplished none the less.

                                                                                        Andrew strolled into the main brown varnished doors of the police station. It rained outside, like cats and dogs; it was silent outside, except for the pitter-patter of the tapping rain against the concrete pavements.

“What about ye, Williams, the weather is bloody abysmal today, damn depressing!”

He uttered to the constable at the main office on the desk who was typing up a report on a type writer.

“Well no man control’s the weather, its damn well unpredictable, like woman,

Actually now women are predictable,

Predictably a bloody pain in the arse!”

He said whimsically, aloud.

“Words of wisdom, my missus would need a fortune teller to predict what’s on her mind, however to make her satisfied, she would have me quit the job and assist her to find another one.”

“Strange aye,”

“Sure is, Andy,”

he responded.

“Well I’m going to report to the Commissioner, any news at all with the investigation, don’t hesitate for a half a second, give me a shout, alright!”

The constable signalled a response with a positive nod to Andrew’s statement.

Andrew walked through the main office where several men were typing up others were on telephones, speaking rather calm and collected, and the commissioner himself was hidden in the background in his own office, completely abstract to the activities of the regular policemen. Andrew tapped against the door with his left knuckle.

“Come in”, said the commissioner.

“Good day to you, sir,”

said Andrew taking off his hat in respect.

“Ah happy with the promotion, I bet you are!

We’ll it was undoubtedly, something that was a long time coming, however, the head of the RUC himself agreed to my recommendations personally, marvellous aye!”

The commissioner was perched in his brown leather chair, smoking his cigar, while his complexion had over time gone ghostly white from all the nicotine in his blood stream.

“Well it’s not everyday, that I get elevated to a position like this, but feel honoured to be awarded such a privilege.”

He spoke in a rather placid way, without feeling in his posture and without tone in his response.

“Have you met you’re constables whom you’ll be working with on you’re new position, with of course your own team of forensic investigators

“I know a few from the ceremony on the weekend, why,”

 Andrew asked quizzically.

“Just making sure that you, are ready for this transition to the Criminal Investigational department, where is our new recruit in the Campbell family, where is you’re son, I was supposed to meet him,”

Said the commissioner enquiring.

“He’s on his way in fact I think I can see him coming in the door just outside,

Wait one moment anyway,” Andrew looked out the small side window while talking.

“I want you tomorrow morning to go directly to Dungannon, I’m afraid there have been awful implications with the investigation, When we arrested that Fenian troublemaker last week I’m afraid we’ve drawn not poison from our wounds but blood! Several RUC men have been kidnapped around the East Tyrone area; we received a letter of ransom, a note containing certain conditions and demands in return for the life’s and safety of these men.”

“Sir, that’s the most abysmal news I’ve heard in a while.”

“Andrew wore an unhappy face and pondered with thoughts that pierced

the sorrow and heartfelt unhappiness he felt for those men kidnapped.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door.

Then David entered the room, wearing a fresh and newly made blue police uniform,

he was trim and handsome and he was clean shaven and gelled his dark brown hair back into a slick style. He walked slowly in with a smile on his face.

“Ah sit down son, looking smart and handsome,

by the way this is the commissioner of Belfast himself,

Mr. Ronald Davidson.”

They shook hands and exchanged greetings.

“Nice to meet you young man, following the successful footsteps of you’re father aye!

You will be fully inducted and trained in., all in good time.

Being a policeman requires true diligence and responsibility to the community and the fine state we serve. It is a profession that upholds the morals and freedoms of our people,

at the moment the state itself is under siege from republican activists within our state and Free State forces outside, desiring to whip us into a united Ireland, by force of arms if necessary.”

“Sir, that’s a fine speech, truly wonderful but if we could just cut it short, tell him what you told me,” Andrew spoke impatiently.

“Ah yes”, he murmured while he twiddled his fingers with a fountain pen.

“Unfortunately we cannot offer you a position within the Criminal investigational department itself, however you are going to become a fully paid junior constable and I have agreed with you’re father on this matter, that you’re father along with several other senior officers will give you a full induction and help train you in, here are some more forms I would like you too sign, in the meantime I have some important business to conclude, so I will see you nine o’clock tomorrow first thing fresh!”

“Andrew here I have left you a report on the incident we spoke on, I have changed my mind tomorrow morning I want you to help train young David instead.”

He wrapped a scarf around his shoulders and put on a medium sized brown suede jacket.

“Sir, I believe my case means more, it’s my duty to catch those responsible for the murders and for those involved and especially when things like this have arrived up like this ransom.”

David who sat silently in the room, and hardly opening his mouth spoke.

“Father, I don’t mind at all I don’t hesitate for a minute, I’ll work with some of the others, I’m sure they will show me the ropes and train me in, you do what you must do.”

, David spoke with an air of piety and humility in his words.

Andrew looked into his eyes and spoke.

“Yeah, yer one in a million, my wee lad.”

Then Andrew shouted over to the Commissioner who stood at the door and listened silently.

“Sir, could you do something for me?”

“Yes, speak what is it.”

“Inform Caldwell at the front office, to tell Stephenson, Mitchell and Brown to inform and train David Campbell tomorrow at the front desk at nine o’clock, and tell them that I said so.”

“Yes, I will indeed,

however I’m the one who gives order’s and commands around here Andrew!

anyway I must go, I’m in a awful rush, good day to you and good luck David.”

He signalled his departure with a quick wave with his fingers and strolled briskly through the offices and out of sight.

Andrew and David themselves left the building and headed down by City hall, and then proceeded on to a small restaurant off Donegal sq. There they sat indoors in a finely furnished restaurant, where the seating was arranged like deck chairs on a boulevard in Paris and it was newly opened so the citron coloured paint on the walls were luminous and fresh to any unknown observer. They both sat and drank two cups of Italian coffee while they chewed on their ham and chicken sandwiches they ordered. Andrew discussed quite frankly his annoying ordeal with the case and trying to disentangle information from hardened republicans and the various journeys he made over the last couple of years on many investigations.

“Sorry, again if I sounded unreasonable earlier, I honestly feel that I owe a duty of responsibility to the people of Pomeroy, the victim’s relatives and to the case itself, we have a name of notorious troublemakers who we are quiet sure are not just an accessory before the crime, but also actively involved in the crime, and soon as the case is closed and the wrongdoers are brought to trial then I’ll sleep soundly and I’ll have all the time in the world to help you out son.

But for the moment I’ am right up to my knee in it, and I’m thinking irrationally because three men I know in the Cookstown branch, three men I have worked with have been kidnapped and they just might lose their life, if I don’t do something.”

 Andrew was gripped with anxiety and fear as the case grew more intense as more people were drawn inwards.

“Son, its not just an instinct inside me telling this, but I know, the killers are the same men responsible for this, they claim they want fifty thousand by this Thursday to be left in four brown grocery bags to be left at the town hall in Cookstown at half two sharp, they claimed they would be watching every move we make, and if we tried to sweep to arrest them, they would take a life in revenge. They’ll be armed, that obvious, but how many are involved that’s what I’m bloody wondering.”

“Dad, I never knew you had to get involved with scenarios such as these! I’ wish I could work with you, father and son, a sort of Sherlock Holmes and Watson investigation,”

David joked, hoping to lift his pessimistic mood.

“Hilarious, David, but seriously I’m too downcast too laugh right now and I’m on duty so I have too report back to headquarters.

“David”

“Yes, Dad,”

“Here take this key, head home I’ll tell them where you’ve gone, take these notes here in this folder, their of great beneficial importance, report in at nine am sharp tomorrow alright, dress well, and listen acutely to what they say, bring in a proper lunch, and when you get back don’t forget were going out to dinner later tonight all of us, so I’ll be back at five o’clock.”

David listened to Andrews growing informative commands, trying to remember all at once.

“Dad! What time will you be back at tomorrow after work? Are you staying over night in Tyrone, or will you be home for tea.”

“I might be staying overnight, don’t worry though, you’re a fully grown adult and you’ve got to show fortitude in times of great distress and fear, that’s what granddad used to say to me. I know you’re worried don’t be, it will all work out alright in the end you’ll see.”

Then they stood up and left the café and they embraced one another with a warm-hearted hug, they said their partings to each other, and went their separate ways.