The fate at Bleakden Lake

Fear

As he walked down the narrow alley, he was sure he could hear footsteps behind him. Walking faster he could see the shadows around him growing. Suddenly all he knew was pain and darkness.

Elsie at the lake

The lake sparkled in the sunlight as the trees waved their branches at the water. Elsie sat on the red bench reading her phone, as she did most days. Lost in her dreams, reading Ben’s messenger messages and glad for an unlimited mobile data limit.

She had been with Ben for two years, last night they had a row which lead to him walking out. Usually they were happy but now he wasn’t talking to her. Re-reading her messages of apology, she was confused as to what had gone wrong. Feeling pain in her stomach she could sense that something wasn’t right.

Ben was an accountant, happy in his work, and generally let stress wash over him. Deciding now to phone his mum, she needed to find him.
Listening to the phone ring, she was relieved when Mrs Walsh answered,

“Hi, it’s Else, have you seen Ben at all?”
“No love, isn’t he with you.” Feeling a sick feeling, she said,
“No, we had a row and he stormed out. I will phone his work.”
“If you find him, let me know.”
“I will phone you if I find him, but if he’s not at work I’m phoning the police.”
“Do you really think something’s happened? Elsie could hear the concern in her voice.
“He’s ignored all my messages. I thought he stayed with you last night. Something is wrong.”
“Please let me know if you find him.”

Raising concern

“I will. Speak soon.” Hanging up, Elsie could feel her heart beating faster. Dialling the number for ‘Fraser and Pennings’ she already knew that he was missing. As Emma the receptionist answered, she started stammering.

“Hi, err, it’s Elsie, is Ben available please.”
“Oh Elsie, we were going to phone you. He hasn’t turned up for work and he’s not answering his phone.”
With her head hurting, she now said, “I haven’t seen him since yesterday and neither has his mum. Something’s wrong, I’m phoning the police”.
“If you find him, let us know as we are concerned here”.
“Okay”. Hanging up, now was the time to report him missing.

Ben

Ben Walsh was a handsome twenty-five-year-old accountant. He had no enemies and his friends found him fun to be with. He was easy going and happy most of the time. At least this is what the world saw, he had kept his fears to himself. Fears of being watched that he had dismissed. Deciding that he was paranoid, and blaming the crime shows on the television, he had asked, why would anyone follow him?

Not wanting to tell partner Elsie what was happening. He had been jumping at people hiding in the shadows. It was this that had led to him walking out of the house straight into the local bar. He had worked through clients in his head, who might he have upset? Who might have a vendetta? Where had he gone wrong? He had suspicions, events of the last six months could have led him into trouble and he questioned daily whether he needed to talk to the police.

Ben knew he should have been more careful, now regretting not telling Elsie, as tonight after being smashed over the head he had woken up to darkness and the rocking and engine of a moving car. Where was he being taken?

Investigation

Detective Clare Miller looked at the new file on her desk. The face of the handsome accountant looking up at her. Reading through the notes she replayed his evening in her head. Stressed and maybe angry at Elsie he had run out of the house. Grabbing her coat, she knew the first place to ask questions was the local pub.
Calling to Sergeant Pete Humphrey, she knew she needed back up.

“Come on Pete, ‘Purple Heart’, now”. Pete was ready for a pint, it had been a long day, but he knew this wasn’t a social visit.
Arriving at the pub, it didn’t take Clare long to find out that Ben had been there the previous evening cuddling a pint of ‘John Smiths’. The bar lady reported that he had been there more often than usual, and something seemed to be resting on his mind.

As they got up to leave a young woman approached them.
“Excuse me, err you police?”
“Yes.”
“Err, sorry couldn’t help but overhear. The man at the bar last night, has he gone missing?”
“Sorry mam, we can’t tell you that.”

“My ex, Roy Wallis, followed him outta da pub. Roy is real mean and has a record”. She then looked around her. “I shouldn’t be talking to you”.
“Thank you, and your name is?”
“Paula.”

Clare Miller dug into her pocket, thinking this woman is either stupid or very brave.
“Here’s my card. If you need us, phone.”
Paula nodded and now walked back to her game at the pool table. Clare looked at Pete, what were they dealing with here? What had happened to the young Accountant?

Captured

Straining at the ropes around his wrist, Ben could taste the blood in his mouth. Unsure of what the time was, he looked at his surroundings. Smelling the cold, muddy water, he shivered. His wet jeans clung to him and rubbing his wrists against the wooden pole he was tied to, he asked God, to please help him. To please make the ropes snap and release him from his wet cell.

The gag stuffed in his mouth meant that a scream produced a muffled sound. The despair in his heart, he thought of his family and Elsie. Wondering whether they had alerted the police, did they even know he was missing?

Detective Clare Miller

“Detective look what I’ve found. Roy Wallis look”.
Taking the file from her Inspector, she motioned him to sit down. Reading through she knew this was it, it had to be him. Typing into her computer for unsolved cases. She now read her colleagues notes about a jewellery heist from six months ago. Turning to witnesses questioned she found Ben Walsh.

Ben had been held hostage when a Jeweller’s in the city had been raided. Clare wondered if he ever made his purchase, or whether the heist had put him off visiting places. Reading the records, Ben had given descriptions of his captors but the thieves had not been caught.

The evidence now suggested that Roy Wallis was involved, he had a record of burglary and GBH.
“Come on Pete, we need to bring in Mr Wallis.” She felt the familiar excitement of a case coming together.
Grabbing her coat, she led the way to her car.

Rescue

It was hours later, as night was drawing in that a crew of police officers were sent to the hut at Bleakden Lake.

Roy had given in and spilled everything, telling how he had kidnapped Ben, after Ben had recognised him in the pub. His gang had been watching him for months. He was lucky to have just found himself tied up and not dead. That had been Roy’s next move after he had got the gang involved. The hut at the lake had been the hiding place for a few of his misdemeanours. Ben and that damned detective had all lead to his downfall.

Ben

Cuddling up in Elsie’s arms, he knew he didn’t want to be anywhere else in the world. Had those thugs not been in ‘Hardings’ Jewellery Store that day, they could have been making wedding plans right now. To scared to buy a ring, for fear of having another gun put in his face. Ben knew though that life is short, his life would had ended at the lake if Detective Clare Miller and Inspector Pete Humphrey hadn’t have worked it out. If their questioning hadn’t made Roy Wallis reveal his muddy hiding place it is likely he would now be dead. Ben knew that now was as good a time as any to ask her.

“Elsie, you now I love you.”
“Yes, and I love you too.”
Getting to the floor and onto one knee, he took Elsie’s hand. She started to smile, she didn’t need to be asked, she knew her answer.
“Elsie, thanks to the Jewellery store robbery I have not got you a ring yet, but will you be my wife? Will you marry me.”
Smiling she through her arms around his neck and said,
“Yes, of course I’ll marry you”
Holding each other close, this felt right, and a nice ending to something that could have ended in with his death.

Written for Write the Story on Writers Unite

For more see, The mystery of the Greenwood Cave.  Written for writers Unite.