Jessica chapter 10.
Davrin threw icy daggers of disapproval at Arnold Alderidge the third. This arrogant Englishman thought he could do as he pleased, did he? Making a temple of his fingers, Davrin rested his chin on the inside of his thumbs. He sighed audibly in relief when Arnold finally fell silent. “Well”, Davrin said and scratching his cheek with his index finger went on. “That sir,” raising his bushy eyebrows and rubbing his palms together he continued, “is the most ridiculous story to come before me in all my long career on the bench!”
“Well that is not jolly well my...”
“Silence!” Davrin roared, slamming his gavel down resoundingly. “You sir, stole a vehicle and pushed it into the ocean..”
“Yes but...”
“SILENCE!” The judge smiled, “Then sir, you staged a mock murder. Silence fell over the court room like a blanket, “Then sir, you aided and abetted a disturbed young woman in a real murder attempt!”
“I jolly well did not!”
Davrin raised his palm, “ one more outburst and I will add contempt of court to your troubles sir, is that clear?”
“Yes your, um, honour,” Arnold replied quietly.
“That is what you led her to believe, it is, I suppose in your favour that you supplied her with water and not the requested acid. I believe you knew her to be unbalanced?”
“ Um, well no..yes, yes I dashed well did .”
“And yet you continued to encourage her ?”
“Ah,yes,” Arnold nodded briskly “but you see, I was scared of her!” A loud snigger rolled around the court room.
“Silence!” Davrin bellowed. “You drove her back and forth across the Nullarbor, travelled to Perth with her and slept with her on several occasions.” Davrin waived his hand dismissively. “Scarcely the actions of a fearful man!” Another ripple of mirth coursed around the room. Davrin ignored it this time.
“You are, Mr. Alderidge guilty by your own admission. I am handing down a suspended sentence of two years, a spent conviction and a One thousand dollar fine.” He slammed the gavel down again. “You are free to leave.”
“That's it?” Arnold blurted.
“Well” the judge said dryly, “If you prefer, I will send you to gaol for two years!”
The blood drained from Arnolds face. “Indeed no. A thousand dollar fine is jolly decent of you sir.”
Darvin rolled his eyes. “Next case bailiff he called wearily.
Arnold had mixed feelings as he walked out of the courtroom. Although his bank account was drained of another thousand dollars he was free. Unemployed and homeless but free. Now all he needed to do was rescue Jessica. He would have her free by weeks end by Jove! But how? Already a plan was forming in his devious mind. He wandered the city streets for an hour, then lunched as “Miss Mauds” and relaxed in the Hay street mall. Finally he went back to the hotel room he had been sharing with Jessica. Thank god he had been able to keep it by paying for an entire two months.
The daily newspaper openly advertised escort agencies. After scanning the list, he settled on the “Blackstalk escort service.” Speaking to the escort agency operator he explained that he needed an older girl, very tall and with long dark hair, could they accommodate him? They could? Cindy? She would come to his hotel room at 10 a.m. Tomorrow? Excellent! He just hoped the woman would be willing to make the exchange. After all everything hinged on the exchange.
In the hotel lobby Arnold found a eftpos machine and withdrew five hundred dollars. He would withdraw another eight hundred in the morning. That would be more than enough...he hoped.
Cindy was , well...older but still good looking enough. “You see Cindy” Arnold explained, “ I don't want sex,just you help.”
“Help with what?” she asked suspiciously, “I don't do far out kinky stuff,it's not my bag, there are other girls..”
“Relax, relax, I just need to get someone out of Greylands..”
“Ya mean the looney bin?”
“NO!...well, yes actually, I will pay you well.”
Hands on hips and ample breasts heaving, she nodded her head briskly, “Bloody oath ya will mate!”
“You will do it then?”
She sat on the bed and crossed her shapely legs, “might, depends.” She patted the bed, “sit down darlin' and tell me all about it.”
Arnold flopped down and lay across the bed, hands clasped at the back of his head. “Alright Cindy, it was all a terrible mistake dear lady. Jessica does not belong there. We were playing a joke and it backfired horribly. A rather beastly policeman had her sent to the asylum for assessment.”
“ How did that come about”
“ Dashed embarrassing actually” Arnold replied, squirming uncomfortably. “She tried to throw a bottle of acid in another womans face...”
“Acid?” Cindy gasped in disbelief.
“Yes but it was only water, I saw to that you see.”
“What do you mean, you saw to that?”
“I gave her a bottle of water and told her it was acid. You don't think I am horrid enough to give her real acid do you?”
Cindy rose abruptly. “I think you are a weirdo! She backed away from the bed, never taking her eyes off of Arnold. “Just give me two hundred and we will call it quits”
Arnold sat upright,he could hear the fear in her voice. “by Jove, you have the wrong end of the stick dear lady” he smiled reassuringly which made her even more fearful!
“I'm warning you mister” she hissed, waving a mobile phone. “My minder is only seconds away, one button press!”
“Oh please, there is a thousand dollars in it for you”Arnold whined imploringly.
Cindy's eyes widened. “A thousand?”
“Yes, yes, a thousand. Bring your minder in here now if it would make you feel better.” Arnold spread out his arms, “just let me explain exactly what I want, please.”
“go ahead” she said gruffly. “BUT NO FUNNY BUSINESS!”
Arnold spoke for fifteen minutes and Cindy listened in silence. “Well, what do you say? Will you do it, for a thousand dollars?”
Cindy looked thoughtfully at his anxious face. “Tell you what Arnold”
“Yes?”
“Give me the money right now and promise to rescue me if the shit hits the fan!”
He looked at her blankly for a moment. “Ah yes, I get it. Oh course dear lady!”
“Then we have a deal” she held out her hand.
Arnold moved to shake hands but she said abruptly, “the money!”
“Ah! Of course.” Arnold counted out the money and it quickly dissapeared into her purse.
“Well lets get on with it.” They were almost out the door when Arnold snatched up a roll of packing tape and pushed it into his jacket pocket. “ We would have been in a pretty pickle if I felt that behind” he laughed.
C Gainsford © copyright 2012
“Well that is not jolly well my...”
“Silence!” Davrin roared, slamming his gavel down resoundingly. “You sir, stole a vehicle and pushed it into the ocean..”
“Yes but...”
“SILENCE!” The judge smiled, “Then sir, you staged a mock murder. Silence fell over the court room like a blanket, “Then sir, you aided and abetted a disturbed young woman in a real murder attempt!”
“I jolly well did not!”
Davrin raised his palm, “ one more outburst and I will add contempt of court to your troubles sir, is that clear?”
“Yes your, um, honour,” Arnold replied quietly.
“That is what you led her to believe, it is, I suppose in your favour that you supplied her with water and not the requested acid. I believe you knew her to be unbalanced?”
“ Um, well no..yes, yes I dashed well did .”
“And yet you continued to encourage her ?”
“Ah,yes,” Arnold nodded briskly “but you see, I was scared of her!” A loud snigger rolled around the court room.
“Silence!” Davrin bellowed. “You drove her back and forth across the Nullarbor, travelled to Perth with her and slept with her on several occasions.” Davrin waived his hand dismissively. “Scarcely the actions of a fearful man!” Another ripple of mirth coursed around the room. Davrin ignored it this time.
“You are, Mr. Alderidge guilty by your own admission. I am handing down a suspended sentence of two years, a spent conviction and a One thousand dollar fine.” He slammed the gavel down again. “You are free to leave.”
“That's it?” Arnold blurted.
“Well” the judge said dryly, “If you prefer, I will send you to gaol for two years!”
The blood drained from Arnolds face. “Indeed no. A thousand dollar fine is jolly decent of you sir.”
Darvin rolled his eyes. “Next case bailiff he called wearily.
Arnold had mixed feelings as he walked out of the courtroom. Although his bank account was drained of another thousand dollars he was free. Unemployed and homeless but free. Now all he needed to do was rescue Jessica. He would have her free by weeks end by Jove! But how? Already a plan was forming in his devious mind. He wandered the city streets for an hour, then lunched as “Miss Mauds” and relaxed in the Hay street mall. Finally he went back to the hotel room he had been sharing with Jessica. Thank god he had been able to keep it by paying for an entire two months.
The daily newspaper openly advertised escort agencies. After scanning the list, he settled on the “Blackstalk escort service.” Speaking to the escort agency operator he explained that he needed an older girl, very tall and with long dark hair, could they accommodate him? They could? Cindy? She would come to his hotel room at 10 a.m. Tomorrow? Excellent! He just hoped the woman would be willing to make the exchange. After all everything hinged on the exchange.
In the hotel lobby Arnold found a eftpos machine and withdrew five hundred dollars. He would withdraw another eight hundred in the morning. That would be more than enough...he hoped.
Cindy was , well...older but still good looking enough. “You see Cindy” Arnold explained, “ I don't want sex,just you help.”
“Help with what?” she asked suspiciously, “I don't do far out kinky stuff,it's not my bag, there are other girls..”
“Relax, relax, I just need to get someone out of Greylands..”
“Ya mean the looney bin?”
“NO!...well, yes actually, I will pay you well.”
Hands on hips and ample breasts heaving, she nodded her head briskly, “Bloody oath ya will mate!”
“You will do it then?”
She sat on the bed and crossed her shapely legs, “might, depends.” She patted the bed, “sit down darlin' and tell me all about it.”
Arnold flopped down and lay across the bed, hands clasped at the back of his head. “Alright Cindy, it was all a terrible mistake dear lady. Jessica does not belong there. We were playing a joke and it backfired horribly. A rather beastly policeman had her sent to the asylum for assessment.”
“ How did that come about”
“ Dashed embarrassing actually” Arnold replied, squirming uncomfortably. “She tried to throw a bottle of acid in another womans face...”
“Acid?” Cindy gasped in disbelief.
“Yes but it was only water, I saw to that you see.”
“What do you mean, you saw to that?”
“I gave her a bottle of water and told her it was acid. You don't think I am horrid enough to give her real acid do you?”
Cindy rose abruptly. “I think you are a weirdo! She backed away from the bed, never taking her eyes off of Arnold. “Just give me two hundred and we will call it quits”
Arnold sat upright,he could hear the fear in her voice. “by Jove, you have the wrong end of the stick dear lady” he smiled reassuringly which made her even more fearful!
“I'm warning you mister” she hissed, waving a mobile phone. “My minder is only seconds away, one button press!”
“Oh please, there is a thousand dollars in it for you”Arnold whined imploringly.
Cindy's eyes widened. “A thousand?”
“Yes, yes, a thousand. Bring your minder in here now if it would make you feel better.” Arnold spread out his arms, “just let me explain exactly what I want, please.”
“go ahead” she said gruffly. “BUT NO FUNNY BUSINESS!”
Arnold spoke for fifteen minutes and Cindy listened in silence. “Well, what do you say? Will you do it, for a thousand dollars?”
Cindy looked thoughtfully at his anxious face. “Tell you what Arnold”
“Yes?”
“Give me the money right now and promise to rescue me if the shit hits the fan!”
He looked at her blankly for a moment. “Ah yes, I get it. Oh course dear lady!”
“Then we have a deal” she held out her hand.
Arnold moved to shake hands but she said abruptly, “the money!”
“Ah! Of course.” Arnold counted out the money and it quickly dissapeared into her purse.
“Well lets get on with it.” They were almost out the door when Arnold snatched up a roll of packing tape and pushed it into his jacket pocket. “ We would have been in a pretty pickle if I felt that behind” he laughed.
C Gainsford © copyright 2012