CHAPTER 8
Bill Burdon was asleep when the telephone rang.
"Oh no," he groaned, yawning. "A call-out!"
It was the Control Room.
"We have a problem down Elchester Lane and the east side of Ravenshurst, customers off supply."
"Don't they sleep down there - what a time to report it!"
"I know. There's a cable to the TC down at the Abbey Industrial Estate that's the culprit, probably."
"OK."
Bill got dressed. He contacted the jointing team, got out his car, and reached the small brick transformer building outside the entrance to the industrial estate.
He arrived before anyone else did, and walked up to the doors. As he stood on the step, he was aware of being watched by hostile eyes. He looked around him, shining his torch in all directions.
"Who's there?" he called.
The torchlight fell on two feet and the hem of a greyish robe. He gasped and raised the torch higher - then everything exploded into a kaleidoscope of colour and he knew no more.
*********************************
The telephone rang. Anita picked it up.
"Oh, hello, Isabel."
"Rodney's Mum," James told Mandy. "Wonder what she wants." They were ready for school, but stopped to listen.
"What!" cried Anita to the telephone. Pause. "That's awful! Was he badly hurt?" Pause. "Oh, I see." Pause. "Yes, I will tell them to be careful. Thank you for letting me know."
She put the telephone down and turned to her two children.
"Mrs Omatola has just told me someone was attacked in Elchester Lane last night. You are both to be careful and not to come home alone!"
"Where was Derek last night?" muttered James, just loud enough for his mother to hear.
"Don't start!" snapped Anita. "I don't want that sort of talk from you. Off to school, both of you - and don't hang around tonight!"
Rodney was waiting for them at his garden gate.
"You heard the news, I suppose?" he called.
"We did. How did your Mum know?" asked James.
"The milkman told her. It must be all around the town already. How much do you know?"
"Not much. And you?"
"I listened. It was an engineer from the electricity company. There was a power cut about midnight. He was at that brick box thing outside the factory park gate, and someone bashed him on the head."
"Was he killed?"
"No, but he's in hospital."
"The lights are on this morning."
"Well, some more of them came out and found him. I suppose they mended the fuse or whatever while they were about it."
"Derek wasn't around last night," said James darkly .
Mandy interjected, "It doesn't have to be him!" but she sounded doubtful.
"Perhaps the engineer will have something to say when he wakes up," said Rodney.
"We won't know, though, will we?" returned James sulkily.
"The milkman might," offered Rodney.
They walked on for a while, not talking, their feet crunching on the frosty grass at the edge of the lane. Then James broke the silence.
"Should we tell the Police what we saw?"
"We could try, I suppose," said Rodney. "But as we said before, walking in a field's not a crime." He thought for a while. Then he said, "Let's ask the teachers what we should do."
"Good idea," said Mandy.
"They won't like it." said James. "We were out at night, remember."
"Yes, I know. But this may be a clue for the Police. We ought to be good citizens," said Rodney, having another try at sounding grown-up and serious.
All the excitement had made James temporarily forget the story he had read. It was too late to go into it now, for they had reached the school gates.
It was break time before he got 'Ghost Stories' out of his bag and showed the Abbot Thomas story to Rodney.
"Have a look at this," he said. "This is so like what we are looking at here, that I couldn't believe it. There's an Abbot who has hidden a treasure, and left the clue as to where to find it in the windows of a church. This man finds the hidden writing on the windows, deciphers the code and finds this message - he read from the book - 'Ten thousand pieces of gold are laid up in the well in the court of the Abbot's house of Steinfeld by me, Thomas, who have set a guardian over them. Gare a qui la touche'."
"A well!" said Rodney. "Does he find the treasure? But what's this about a guardian? I'm not sure I like that."
"No, nor do I. Yes, he does find the well, and goes down it. He finds a marked stone in the side of the well, and takes it out.."
"Then what?"
"This is the bit I don't much like. Something horrible grabs him and he faints, so he doesn't get the gold because of the guardian."
"You don't believe in ghosts."
"No, but this wasn't a ghost, more like a toad or octopus. Still, there's no mention of any guardians with Abbot William, is there? No Gare a qui la touch - beware anyone who touches it - as far as we know now."
"No, more a lot of stuff about eternal life, which is more hopeful!"
Rodney took the book from James and slowly turned the pages.
"This is amazing," he said. "The secret message in the windows of a chapel - that applies for a start. Coded words - we haven't got any of those though, have we?"
"Except those words from the Psalms," said James. "Whatever they mean."
"The well, though," said Rodney. "Do you think William hid his treasure in the well?"
"I looked at my sketches of the chapel. Those two figures by a well. I think they're a clue. They mean, 'Look at the well'. At least, I reckon they do."
"Fair enough. But how do we do that, seeing there's a scene if we go out at night - and what about the people who live in the cottage?"
"We shall have to think about it."
Mr Bates took the period after the break. Rodney nudged James. "Shall we ask him about the Police? He's so worried for our safety, he would be the one to ask."
"What's that?" snapped Mr Bates. "Tell the class if you have something to say. Have you?"
"Please, Mr Bates," said James, "can we see you afterwards - sir," he added. Mr Bates liked being called 'sir', even though most teachers nowadays did not.
"Well, what is it?" asked Mr Bates sharply after the lesson.
"You know, sir, about the man who was attacked at the factory last night?"
"It seems everyone does by now!"
Mr Bates glanced sharply from one to the other.
"What do you know about it then?" he demanded.
"Nothing really. But we saw something Saturday night which may have something to do with it," replied James.
"Saturday night?" Mr Bates stared closely at them. "Were you out late?"
"Sort of."
"Yes or no!"
"Yes."
"You know what I told you! However, let that pass. What did you see?"
"Derek Rogers - someone my Mum is friendly with - in Woodside Field with a torch. I'm sure he was up to no good. Should we tell the Police?"
Mr Bates frowned thoughtfully. He did not answer at once.
Then he said, "I don't know this Mr Rogers. You obviously do. Do you think he is a suspicious person?"
"Yes, sir," said James firmly.
"Well," said the science teacher, "if you think anything is suspicious, you should tell the Police."
"Can we go at lunchtime, please sir? We must not be late home," said Rodney.
"In the circumstances, yes. It is safer than going after school and being out late, as things are now. I'll come with you to make it above board, and I will clear it with the Head."
The desk sergeant at the Police Station was unenthusiastic about seeing two young boys, but cheered up when Mr Bates introduced himself.
"The detective constable on the case is in - you can tell him your story," he told them.
They were ushered into a room down the corridor. The young detective asked them what they had to tell him.
"Go on, James," said Mr Bates.
James told him about seeing the hooded figure in Woodside Field on Saturday night.
"You shouldn't go staking out fields unofficially, and at your age too!" the detective told him. "Nevertheless, have you any idea who it may have been?"
"Yes. It was Derek Rogers, my mother's friend. I am sure he was up to no good!"
"You can't say that without proof, you know, young man. You are sure it was him?"
"Yes!" cried James.
"I hope you are not doing this just out of dislike for this man."
"No, he isn't", interrupted Rodney. "We all recognised him."
The detective nodded. "OK. Do you know where he lives? We can speak to him, even if it is to eliminate him."
James told him.
"By the way," asked the detective. "What was he wearing? Could you see?"
"Some sort of coat with a hood, I should say," interrupted Rodney.
"Not a monk's robe?"
James thought it could be, but Rodney was adamant, "No, it was a coat with a hood."
"Could this have anything to do with the attack?" Mr Bates enquired.
"I cannot tell you at this stage," replied the detective. "However, thank you for helping us with our enquiries." And he showed them to the door.
"I don't think he believes Derek is his man, you know," said Rodney.
"No," growled James. "No-one will believe me. But I know I'm right. Somehow I'll prove it. And," he added when he thought Mr Bates was out of earshot, "we are going to get to the treasure before he does!"
