Jessica. Chapter seven.
Arnold put the phone down slowly and rubbed his aristocratic jaw reflectively. His reverie was broken when the car door slammed almost angrily. A moment later the big man strode into the reception area. He wore an unruly mop of receding sandy brown hair and steel framed glasses. Over six feet tall, he was slightly over weight and wore a wrinkled brown suit. Arnold guessed him to be in his early thirties. He set his heavy looking suitcase down and looked expectantly at Arnold.
“Good afternoon sir, how may I held you?”
“I'm lookin' fer the manager” the big man glowered.
“The manager?” Arnold asked.
“Of this joint,” I'm his relief.
“Oh”, Arnold said, “well that would be me, Arnold Alderidge” and offered his hand which was promptly grasped in a bone crushing grip.
“Pleased ta meet cha, “Neville Gains, but ya kin call me Nev, or..the Gain” the big man smiled.
“Actually, Nev will do splendidly” Arnold smiled. “If you would like to follow me I will show you to your quarters.” He called over his shoulder, “You understand Nev my permanent quarters will be locked up while I am away” he went on hurriedly, “The lounge, kitchen and bathroom are at your disposal of course.”
“Of course,” the big man muttered dryly.
After installing him in a modest but comfortable room, Arnold showed the new manager round the property. They were sitting together in the dinning room While Arnold explained about the coach stops, the casual staff and some other details, when all at once the big man let out a long soft and appreciative whistle.
“Strewth... who's the skirt?” he asked.
Arnold looked around and was dismayed to see Jessica in the doorway.
“Ah, that's Jess....Miss Bergman, she's a guest here right now.” Arnold frowned and leaning forward muttered furtively “actually old man I have to talk to you about her companion.”
“Husband or boyfriend?”
“Excuse me Mr. Alderman” Jessica interrupted, shimmying across the room. “Have you spoken to the police yet?”
“The police! Gains interjected. “Something I should know about Alderman?”
“Je...”Miss Bergman, this is Mr Gains, he is the relief manager I spoke of.”
“Hi” Jessica said brightly.
“G'day Jessica, you don't mind if I call you Jessica do you?”
“No Mr Gains” Jessica smiled flirtatiously “ I would like that.”
“Good,good” Gains locked eyes with her and smirked. “Call me Gainsy, my close friends do.”
“Yes” Arnold interrupted brusquely “There is something you need to know.” Arnold paused briefly, “ Something rather beastly has happened.”
“Rather beastly? Wadda ya mean?
“The thing is old man,” Arnold glanced at Jessica, “The thing is that,well....”
“Oh for Pete's sake Arnie! You see Gainsy, the man I am travelling to Perth with has bugged off and left me behind!”
“ Arnie? Jessica? Damn casual all of a sudden, what gives with you two?” Gains blurted.
“We are lovers and that might be why Leo took off” Jessica told the bewildered man.
“Lovers?” Gains stood up and indignantly went on, “You can't do that Alderman, company policy...”
“Oh shut up you silly man, I am a big girl and it is none of the company's business!”
Abandoning all pretence Arnold put his arm around Jessica. “We don't know what jolly well happened to him old bean. All his clothes are still in his room.”
“So what's the worry,shows he is coming back” shrugged Gains.
“ I am not so sure old man. He has been gone twenty four hours. Where and why?” Arnold squeezed Jessica tightly. “ I fear he may have had a accident, or some other ghastly occurrence.”
Gains looked at Arnold oddly. “Ghastly occurrence? He sat down again and beat a brief tattoo on the table top with his fingers. “What the hell planet you from mate? Ghastly occurrence!”
“Don't you two start!” Jessica snapped. “What did the police say Arnie? You did call them didn't you?
“Oh yes I called them and I must say, they weren't dash well interested.”
“What?”
“They said” Arnold looked at Gains, “That 24 hours was not long enough to raise a red flag.”
“Ha!” Gains grunted, “Told ya!”
“So what now Arnie, how long till...?”
“I only know that it means you and I will be on the Greyhound to Perth tomorrow.”
“Can we do that Arnie?” she asked incredulously, what if..?
“The police want to speak to us” he finished her sentence.
“Yes” she said quietly
“I will leave a signed statement and a contact address . Mr Gains can show the police the room and it's contents.”
“The room this Leo joker left his gear in?” Gains leaned back in his chair, “yeah, reckon I kin do that.”
“That's settled then, the Greyhound should get here about eleven thirty. I will introduce you to the driver and get seats booked for me and Jessica.” Arnold rose, “now if you will excuse me,I have some packing to do.”
***
Jessica was still in something of a blue funk. The coach ride was horrible. An army of chattering children kept up a ceaseless babble and that strange man in the orange tunic thing...more like a smock or something had kept going to the coach toilet to smoke. Pot probably. She though they would all be high before they stopped for dinner at Balladonia. Now as she sat opposite Arnie in the restaurant, if that is what you could call this country hovel, she was worried. Arnie was much more forceful that Leo had been. He had made her leave most of her baggage back at Nullarbor station. Or whatever that god forsaken place was called. Made her? Yes, she was worried because nobody had been able to make Jessica do anything since she was a little girl. But Arnie had. Was she loosing control? At nine O clock the driver ushered everyone onto the coach and they rolled down the highway and into the night. By eleven O clock the children were all asleep and the coach was mostly quiet with only three or four night lights on. They rolled on into the endless night. Jessica slept fitfully and was conscious of the soft snore of Arnie. He slept like a baby. The orange man slipped past on his way to the toilet, no doubt to light his foul pipe again. Jessica looked out of the coach window but could see nothing,it was to dark Anyway, she knew the country side was flat and featureless. The road straight as an arrow. Hundreds of miles of nothing. Except for the awesome sky! It was a blanket of black velvet spangled with millions of sparkling gems!
Early in the morning the passengers were treated to a brief but boring review of the history of Kalgoorlie, it's gold mines and brothels. After breakfast there was a short tours round the town, then the coach headed for Merredin, leaving the orange man in Kalgoorlie,much to everyone's relief. After lunch in Merredin is was another five hour journey, punctuated by juvenile cries of “are we nearly there?” into east Perth and the coach terminal. After retrieving their cases Arnie hailed a Black and White cab. It was a ten minute ride to their hotel, The Langley Plaza, in Hill street. Arnie had booked a suit with a river view and a spa. The porter,a middle aged man with thinning blond hair and black rimmed glasses perched on the end on a long pointy nose,stood expectantly in the doorway. “I think he is waiting for a tip darlink” Jessica whispered.
Arnie strode over to the porter, “a tip?” I say sir, here is a tip for you,” Arnie put his hand into his pocket and the porter smiled. “Here is a tip....be kind to your mother sir!” And Arnie shut the door.
“Oh Arnie, you are aweful!” Jessica giggled histerically and threw herself into Arnie's arms.
“The jolly porter gets paid to carry bags!” Taking Jessica by the hand he drew her toward the window. “I say, you simply must see this splendid view. You can see a lot of the city and right across the swan river too.” He pointed across the river. “That is Kings park, we simply must lunch there!
“Yeah Arnie, it is all beautiful and interesting..blah, blah”
“I say old thing...!”
“Just go fill the spa.” Jessica started to strip slowly. “I have something much more interesting in mind....
C Gainsford © Copyright 2012
“Good afternoon sir, how may I held you?”
“I'm lookin' fer the manager” the big man glowered.
“The manager?” Arnold asked.
“Of this joint,” I'm his relief.
“Oh”, Arnold said, “well that would be me, Arnold Alderidge” and offered his hand which was promptly grasped in a bone crushing grip.
“Pleased ta meet cha, “Neville Gains, but ya kin call me Nev, or..the Gain” the big man smiled.
“Actually, Nev will do splendidly” Arnold smiled. “If you would like to follow me I will show you to your quarters.” He called over his shoulder, “You understand Nev my permanent quarters will be locked up while I am away” he went on hurriedly, “The lounge, kitchen and bathroom are at your disposal of course.”
“Of course,” the big man muttered dryly.
After installing him in a modest but comfortable room, Arnold showed the new manager round the property. They were sitting together in the dinning room While Arnold explained about the coach stops, the casual staff and some other details, when all at once the big man let out a long soft and appreciative whistle.
“Strewth... who's the skirt?” he asked.
Arnold looked around and was dismayed to see Jessica in the doorway.
“Ah, that's Jess....Miss Bergman, she's a guest here right now.” Arnold frowned and leaning forward muttered furtively “actually old man I have to talk to you about her companion.”
“Husband or boyfriend?”
“Excuse me Mr. Alderman” Jessica interrupted, shimmying across the room. “Have you spoken to the police yet?”
“The police! Gains interjected. “Something I should know about Alderman?”
“Je...”Miss Bergman, this is Mr Gains, he is the relief manager I spoke of.”
“Hi” Jessica said brightly.
“G'day Jessica, you don't mind if I call you Jessica do you?”
“No Mr Gains” Jessica smiled flirtatiously “ I would like that.”
“Good,good” Gains locked eyes with her and smirked. “Call me Gainsy, my close friends do.”
“Yes” Arnold interrupted brusquely “There is something you need to know.” Arnold paused briefly, “ Something rather beastly has happened.”
“Rather beastly? Wadda ya mean?
“The thing is old man,” Arnold glanced at Jessica, “The thing is that,well....”
“Oh for Pete's sake Arnie! You see Gainsy, the man I am travelling to Perth with has bugged off and left me behind!”
“ Arnie? Jessica? Damn casual all of a sudden, what gives with you two?” Gains blurted.
“We are lovers and that might be why Leo took off” Jessica told the bewildered man.
“Lovers?” Gains stood up and indignantly went on, “You can't do that Alderman, company policy...”
“Oh shut up you silly man, I am a big girl and it is none of the company's business!”
Abandoning all pretence Arnold put his arm around Jessica. “We don't know what jolly well happened to him old bean. All his clothes are still in his room.”
“So what's the worry,shows he is coming back” shrugged Gains.
“ I am not so sure old man. He has been gone twenty four hours. Where and why?” Arnold squeezed Jessica tightly. “ I fear he may have had a accident, or some other ghastly occurrence.”
Gains looked at Arnold oddly. “Ghastly occurrence? He sat down again and beat a brief tattoo on the table top with his fingers. “What the hell planet you from mate? Ghastly occurrence!”
“Don't you two start!” Jessica snapped. “What did the police say Arnie? You did call them didn't you?
“Oh yes I called them and I must say, they weren't dash well interested.”
“What?”
“They said” Arnold looked at Gains, “That 24 hours was not long enough to raise a red flag.”
“Ha!” Gains grunted, “Told ya!”
“So what now Arnie, how long till...?”
“I only know that it means you and I will be on the Greyhound to Perth tomorrow.”
“Can we do that Arnie?” she asked incredulously, what if..?
“The police want to speak to us” he finished her sentence.
“Yes” she said quietly
“I will leave a signed statement and a contact address . Mr Gains can show the police the room and it's contents.”
“The room this Leo joker left his gear in?” Gains leaned back in his chair, “yeah, reckon I kin do that.”
“That's settled then, the Greyhound should get here about eleven thirty. I will introduce you to the driver and get seats booked for me and Jessica.” Arnold rose, “now if you will excuse me,I have some packing to do.”
***
Jessica was still in something of a blue funk. The coach ride was horrible. An army of chattering children kept up a ceaseless babble and that strange man in the orange tunic thing...more like a smock or something had kept going to the coach toilet to smoke. Pot probably. She though they would all be high before they stopped for dinner at Balladonia. Now as she sat opposite Arnie in the restaurant, if that is what you could call this country hovel, she was worried. Arnie was much more forceful that Leo had been. He had made her leave most of her baggage back at Nullarbor station. Or whatever that god forsaken place was called. Made her? Yes, she was worried because nobody had been able to make Jessica do anything since she was a little girl. But Arnie had. Was she loosing control? At nine O clock the driver ushered everyone onto the coach and they rolled down the highway and into the night. By eleven O clock the children were all asleep and the coach was mostly quiet with only three or four night lights on. They rolled on into the endless night. Jessica slept fitfully and was conscious of the soft snore of Arnie. He slept like a baby. The orange man slipped past on his way to the toilet, no doubt to light his foul pipe again. Jessica looked out of the coach window but could see nothing,it was to dark Anyway, she knew the country side was flat and featureless. The road straight as an arrow. Hundreds of miles of nothing. Except for the awesome sky! It was a blanket of black velvet spangled with millions of sparkling gems!
Early in the morning the passengers were treated to a brief but boring review of the history of Kalgoorlie, it's gold mines and brothels. After breakfast there was a short tours round the town, then the coach headed for Merredin, leaving the orange man in Kalgoorlie,much to everyone's relief. After lunch in Merredin is was another five hour journey, punctuated by juvenile cries of “are we nearly there?” into east Perth and the coach terminal. After retrieving their cases Arnie hailed a Black and White cab. It was a ten minute ride to their hotel, The Langley Plaza, in Hill street. Arnie had booked a suit with a river view and a spa. The porter,a middle aged man with thinning blond hair and black rimmed glasses perched on the end on a long pointy nose,stood expectantly in the doorway. “I think he is waiting for a tip darlink” Jessica whispered.
Arnie strode over to the porter, “a tip?” I say sir, here is a tip for you,” Arnie put his hand into his pocket and the porter smiled. “Here is a tip....be kind to your mother sir!” And Arnie shut the door.
“Oh Arnie, you are aweful!” Jessica giggled histerically and threw herself into Arnie's arms.
“The jolly porter gets paid to carry bags!” Taking Jessica by the hand he drew her toward the window. “I say, you simply must see this splendid view. You can see a lot of the city and right across the swan river too.” He pointed across the river. “That is Kings park, we simply must lunch there!
“Yeah Arnie, it is all beautiful and interesting..blah, blah”
“I say old thing...!”
“Just go fill the spa.” Jessica started to strip slowly. “I have something much more interesting in mind....
C Gainsford © Copyright 2012