Chapter 8 Tuesday
I woke up, it was dark outside, it was the sobbing that woke me up. Anna was sobbing into her pillow. Very gently I picked her up and laid her body across my own. "What's the matter, what's upsetting you". I asked her. "Michael, please tell me the truth, I will be alright at the interview won't I". "You silly thing". I said. "I plan to be there with you, every step of the way". "Michael, I really need to know, you do love me, don't you, you're not just out for a bit of holiday sex, please say you're not". "You bloody fool". I said gently. "I fell for you when you stood on the tarmac at Bristol Airport when I saw you with your skirt up due to the biting wind, and you trying to hold it down with your inflight bag, I thought, woman in distress. And when you sat alongside me on the flight out to Malta, I had this crazy urge to ask you if those legs of yours, those beautiful legs, did go all the way up, now, of course, I do know that they do and they are still beautiful". I kissed Anna's mouth. Anna my sweet, I would never put a ring on a woman finger if I wasn't in love with her, yes I admit I made a mistake the last two times, but with you, I know I am doing the right thing. Of coarse love, if you are not happy with what we have, and you feel it's not what you want, then we can end it right now, today. But I will say this if I cannot make you see how I feel about you by now, then I must be doing something very wrong". "I'm sorry Michael, I have never had these sorts of feelings before, with the ex, he treated me like a princess before we were married, but once he had that bit of paper in his hand and had put that ring on my finger, it all changed, well, you know the story, so I don't have to repeat it". She looked into my eyes in the first glow of the morning, I don't know what she saw, or what she thought she saw, but she put her arms around my neck and kissed me. " You do love me, don't you, I can see it in your eyes, you have that glint in them that is more or less telling me I am being foolish, that I need to trust you more and put my faith into what we have. You really do want this romance to work, and you know something love, so do I. We will get through this situation and come out the other side stronger, won't we". I held Anna, she was still on top of me and again we kissed. it was fully light outside and the first rays of the sun were beginning to stream through the window, I looked at my watch, it was 07-30, as I made to move Anna to the side of the bed, she dropped her legs to either side of my own and looking down at me said. "Michael my darling I am going to need all the strength you have to get me through today, but at this moment in time, can I just say, you feel ready, and the bank is open for any deposit you may care to make".
Half an hour later, I was in the bathroom having a wash and shave. As I came out and got dressed, there was a knock at the connecting door. "Who is it". I asked. "It's Peddler sir, with your breakfast". I opened the door and Henry was stood there with a small trolly on which were two covered plates, a coffee pot, milk jug, two cups and saucers and a toast rack with six half slices of toast, alongside that was small butter dish and a small dish with marmalade in it. "What's all this". I asked Henry. "Well sir, madam, the manager felt it would be a lot safer if you had breakfast in your room, we seem to have a lot more guests than usual, and we think they may be members of the local press". I stood to one side and Henry wheeled the trolly out onto the balcony and set up the table with our breakfast, then taking the two glasses, he put those on the trolly and pushed the trolly through the connecting door locking it behind himself, as he left, he said. Enjoy your breakfast, and good luck for later".
Sat at the table we found ourselves eating scrambled eggs on toast with bacon. Anna asked. "Who's this Peddler person I keep hearing about". "It's me, love, in the navy most of the lads had nicknames if your name was White, you were called knocker, if you were Welsh, you were Taff, if you were from Scotland, it would be Jock or Haggis, the West Country, then it would be Jan or Ogge, my name is Palmer, I was called Peddler, my father was in the navy and he also was called Peddler. Its naval tradition I suppose". "Well Michael, I hope you don't expect me to call you Peddler, I will stick with Michael, Mike, sweetheart and darling. And when you make me your wife, I may on occasions say my better half or the old man, if that is ok with you". I smiled at her, leaned across the small table and kissed her. "You my love can call me any name you like, as long as its not, my ex. we both looked at each other and burst out laughing. "That will never happen", she said. I love you and intend for what we have to work, we have the makings of a good relationship, kindness, gentleness and best of all, love. Like you say, when we join our bodies together, it's like a good jigsaw, everything slots in perfectly, and I have no wish to lose any of that".
At 09-50, there was a knock at the door. "Who is it". I asked. "Hotel manager". the voice replied. I opened the door and stood in the passageway were the manager and our friendly police chief. "We have come to escort you to the interview, and Mr Palmer, if we can sign for the new car, I would appreciate it". At the reception desk I stood and filled out a load of paperwork for the new hire car, it seemed to go on forever. Half an hour later having signed my name at least a dozen times and put my home address on form after form, I was finally finished. Anna and I were taken to the quiet room and library, sat in front of the door at a large table were the two police officers from Dorset, Anna and I sat on the other side of the table with the police chief and the woman police officer, she had a notepad in her hands ready to take notes if needed, on the table were two microphones with wires connected to this strange looking box of tricks.
Anna looked petrified, but I held her hand and whispered. "Tell it as you told it to me love". Anna was then asked if she was happy for the interview to be recorded, Anna looked at me, I nodded to her and she said: "No, not at all". I watched as the machine was switched on and the interview started. Anna was cautioned and asked. "Why did you come to Malta". Anna told the whole story, the slavery, being locked in day and night, the beatings, losing the baby and how it was killed by her husband. She was asked how she finally escaped, and she told the officers about her husband coming home drunk and failing to lock the safe, how she stole the money and took her passport, waited for her husband to go to work, then removed the bars from the window in the lounge and claimed out. "I took an old suitcase that I had, filled it with the best of my clothes and caught a train to Bristol".
"Mrs Battly, how did you find out about the murder of your next door neighbour". Anna looked at me. "Michael love, you gave me the Sunday Mirror, it was in there, I read the story myself". "I'm sorry Mrs Battly, the story wasn't in the Sunday Mirror". "No, officer". I said. "It was in the Saturday edition of the Mirror, British papers tend to be a day late out here". "I see". the officer said. "Mrs Battly, why did you come to Malta". "Well I went into a travel agent in Bristol, my plan was to get away from England for a couple of weeks, give myself a chance to sort my situation out, then when I did go back, I could maybe head north and live there. In the travel agents I said I needed to go abroad a destination at least 3 hours away from England, so I was sent to Malta, I paid cash for the two week holiday, then made my way to Bristol Airport where I slept overnight, I realised that if he caught me, he would drag me back to Dorchester, and when he found the money in my flight bag he would have cut me up and buried the bits in the back garden". "So Mrs Battly, you were very frightened". the officer said. "Frightened, I was scared shitless, sorry maybe I shouldn't have used that expression, but that's the way it was at the time. The only time I felt really safe, was on the aircraft with the other 49 passengers knowing that my husband was not among them, I was now free after being locked up for five years, I could now see a glimmer of light".
"Well thank you Mrs Battly". the officer said, then into the mike he said. "Interview ended at 12-45". he then took both tapes from the machine, he gave one copy to Anna and the other was placed into an envelope and sealed. Anna was asked to sign across the seal, then the Maltese chief of police was asked to sign alongside Anna, the envelope was then placed into a briefcase with the recording equipment. I looked at both officers from Dorset. "Is that it, interview over". but the second officer who had remained quiet throughout the interview said. "There are just two more things". then taking a large A4 envelope from his own briefcase, he handed it to Anna. "This might help you to enjoy your holiday a bit more, however, there is another envelope inside this one, we would be grateful if you would not break the seal until you get back to England, I believe you flight back is next Tuesday, If you could leave the sealed envelope intact, and bring it to Dorset police station say on the Friday after you get back, we would appreciate it". We all shook hands and the two police officers departed for we assume the airport
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