Taunton Barr Page 2

CHAPTER ONE

  Winston Blake sat quietly on his porch, he ran his hand through his grey collar length hair, the sun was just up on a glorious summers morning in Somerset England. His porch overlooked the training track built over a decade ago, he could watch horses gallop the perfect grassy surface as he read his news paper, he picked up the paper himself from the local newsagent, he had done for over a year now. He was a distinguished looking gent, a crisp white shirt, black tailored trousers with a knife edge crease, patent shoes you could see your face in. Although a warm summers day Winston found the breeze quite crisp, years in Australia producing wine, fostering a champion and becoming involved in other things he attempted to forget had dulled his tolerance of the English weather. He had brought a partner with him, Gail, an Australian horse trainer and breeder, she had passed away from cancer like his first wife Jacqueline many years gone, Gail had passed just a year back. Sitting on a wooden chair by the porch table, he occasionally nodded in support and grunted, or shook his head in disgust at some of the things he read in his paper, stopping now and then lowering the paper and sipping his tea. At times he gazed into space taken by flashbacks, he re focused every time knowing despair was a dangerous emotion, his eyes welled up and he looked down back up, then toward the sky and gave a big sigh. He harboured no anger over his misfortune nor did he think it would have been a good thing to have been taken rather than his partner, for she would be sitting there instead and he wished that on no one.

  He jumped with fright as he heard the yelling from the edge of the stables. 'Winston, please come quickly, its father.' Winston stood squinting at the figure that had shouted to him, it was Kalika Roger Palmers daughter, daughter of the man whom had made 'Flaxmead'.

  He brought his hands to his mouth and made a cone shouting back at her. 'What's the matter?'

  She screamed out again. 'Please come quickly, to the meadow, bring the Range Rover!!'

  Winston was puzzled. 'Roger is in Taunton, he called me two days ago saying he would be there a week.'

  'Winston please, he was running over here to see you from home and has collapsed in the meadow!!'

  Winston mumbled in shock. 'Oh my god, what the..' He fumbled in his pocket, he had the keys to his Range Rover, shuffled down the steps from the porch to his vehicle parked along side. He struggled with the key into the ignition, started the motor and turned the vehicle toward Kalika with squealing tyres. He skidded to a stop beside her and she climbed in, he took off before she could close the door, round the barn, he could see a horse and someone in the middle of the meadow. 'Is that him there.'

  Kalika grabbed his arm. 'Its one of the jockeys, he saw father fall and raced over to him then came and got me. Father is white, he struggles to talk and is asking for you.'

  'Calm down, we'll be there in a jiffy.' He lined the vehicle up with the horse and smashed straight through the white wooden fence at speed, accelerating all the time.

  Kalika held her hands over her mouth. 'Ohhh, the fence..'

  'We can get another fence, your father is irreplaceable.' He skidded to a halt next to Roger laying on the ground with the jockey leaning over him, the horse was startled by the vehicle and reared up galloping away toward the barn. Winston lent down next to Roger and the jockey. 'What happened do you know?'

  The cockney jockey immediately replied. 'I was running the bay round the track like, I thought it was a bit strange when I saw what I thought was Mr Palmer running across the meadow here from his place, I sort of kept an eye out like, then I saw him fall. The bay cleared the fence for me and we got here pretty quick. I have my mobile with me and called an ambulance, its on its way. He asked for you and Kalika, I knew she was in the barn so I raced over and told her, now you're here, would be about five minutes he's been down, he's not good Mr Blake.'

  'Thank you, thank you very much.' He looked into Rogers face, he knelt down and lent over him. 'Roger can you hear me.' He opened his eyes as soon as he heard Winston's voice.

  He coughed, spluttered, pulled Winston down toward his mouth. 'Winston, I found him.' he coughed.

  Winston looked puzzled in a major squint, he lent over Roger muffling his voice directly to his ear, shielding the conversation without intent. 'Found who?'

  'Flaxmead, the next Flaxmead.'

  Winston shook his head. 'You got yourself into this state you need to settle down an ambulance will be here any minute.'

  Roger grabbed Winston's collar and drew him nose to nose. 'You must listen to me.'

  Winston hesitated but then agreed. 'Yes, I'm listening.'

  Roger began to stutter wheezing at times. 'Only you would understand.'

  'Yes, I understand.' Winston was relieved as Roger settled slightly.

  Roger hunted for breath. 'Go to Taunton.'

  He agreed with Roger encouraged by the fact it settled him. 'Yes, Taunton, you were there.'

  'Barr, little place by the river Tone, Oldbury Lodge in Barr.' He mumbled a few more things Winston concentrated.

  Kalika looked over her father crying into her hands, she could not hear the conversation, it was as if her father purposely shielded her from ear shot and Blake spoke to softly to be audible. The sound of the ambulance grew louder, Blake suddenly raised his voice. 'The ambulance is here, we will have you on your feet in a trice.'

  Again Roger grabbed Winston's collar. 'Pr... pro...promise me you'll go there, dark brown chestnut, looks like he's had white paint thrown over him, foal about six months, only you will understand.'

  Winston swallowed hard. 'Yes, I promise, right after you get to the hospital.'

  'I'm numb and cold Winston.'

  The ambulance pulled up, Winston held Rogers hand as the jockey briefed the medics. Winston had to stand back, he watched as they talked to Roger but he made no reply, Kalika clung to Winston, as they loaded her father into the ambulance and closed the doors, she attempted to climb in but was stopped by one of the medics.

  'I'm sorry, you will have to follow behind.'

  'It's my father.'

  'Your father is in a serious condition Miss Palmer, we must get to the hospital as soon as possible.'

  'You know who he is.'

  'Of course, please we must get going.' The Ambulance left in haste.

  There was a sombre silence as Winston and Kalika followed the ambulance to St Michaels hospital in Bristol. The eerie silence continued in the waiting room of the emergency department, they both looked drained, pale, deeply holding on to hope.

  A doctor entered the waiting area, he bent down and spoke softly to them. 'Could you come this way please.' He led them to an open door, a small room with table and chairs and adjoining doors that were closed, they sat down. The doctor removed his cap. 'I'm doctor Ramsgate, duty emergency surgeon, Miss Palmer I'm afraid your father was dead on arrival.'

  Kalika looked straight ahead, her face etched with despair. 'He was talking to Mr Blake.'

  The doctor half smiled. 'So the medics informed me, he suffered a massive heart attack, the effort he put in for his last words are rare. Must have had something very important to tell you. We are talking about a man that was already dead. I'm terribly sorry, he was a wonderful man.'

  Winston shook his head and spoke softly. 'Just like that,' he looked down at the floor. 'gone in a heartbeat, his words have so much more relevance to me now.'

  'If one of you would be so kind as to verify its Mr Palmer, it can be done later if you like.'

  Winston blew a big breath through his lips letting out a sigh in the process, he looked at Kalika. 'You em, up to this.'

  'I need closure,' she shook her head, 'other wise I will expect to see him coming down the drive.'

  Winston rubbed his forehead with his right hand as he stood up, he offered his hand to Kalika and she took it standing up as she did. 'Lead the way.' The doctor opened one of the adjacent doors and led them into another small room, there was a hospital trolley bed with a sheet pulled over what was obviously a person. The doctor pulled back the sheet reveali
ng the bodies face, there were two other people in the room holding paper work. Winston looked down at Roger, he wore a slight smile and gave the impression of fulfilment and solace with his sleep. Winston nodded. 'Yes that's Roger Palmer.'

  Kalika touched his forehead and stroked his hair back. 'That's my father, my life with him was wonderful, I don't cry but rejoice in being so lucky as to have him as my dad.'

  'We have some people you can talk to if you feel you need to.' said the doctor but they left the room in silence and the doctor closed the door.

  It was half way back home before Kalika spoke. 'What did my dad say to you, I couldn't hear him, I was so scared, I'll cry forever, but not in the presence of anyone, my dad wo... I refuse to disappoint him.'

  'Your father is very proud of you Kalika, you are a champion, Roger fostered many champions but never was so proud of what you did and who you are. I too will cry alone, and hope he doesn't see me.'

  'I don't think its really sunk in yet.'

  'When we lay him to rest will be the hardest day.'

  'He wants his ashes spread on the meadow.'

  Winston looked around at Kalika. 'You spoke of this.'

  'Not the first time he's had heart problems for a while, I knew what was wrong when I saw him laying there.' She turned to him. 'You haven't told me what he said, I would like to know.'

  Winston raised his eyebrows and looked out the drivers side window then back at the road. 'He asked me to go to Taunton.'

  'Why?' Winston hesitated, 'Please, I want to know.'

  'He said I should go to Barr a small hamlet just outside Taunton next to the River Tone.'

  There was silence. 'And.'

  'A property called Oldbury Lodge.'

  'For what reason.'

  'He said I'd find a horse there, six month old chestnut brown with markings of white like someone had thrown white paint on him.'

  'Why is this horse important.'

  'He said I'd understand.'

  'Understand what.'

  'That the horse could run as fast as 'Flaxmead.'

  She sat looking at him with her mouth open. 'Now I understand, only something like that would excite him to the point of no return.'

  'Why did he not drive over to see me.' Kalika dropped her head and looked away, tossing her long fair hair to one side. 'Kalika, why.'

  'They took his licence away last week, he had been having dizzy spells to the point of passing out.'

  Winston took his right hand of the steering wheel and rubbed his chin with a puzzled look on his face. 'How did he get to Taunton.'

  Kalika pouted and shook her head. 'I don't know, someone took him I suppose.'

  'Was he home last night.'

  'No.'

  'Then he must have come back this morning, you see anyone drop him off.'

  'No but I wasn't looking.'

  'Why didn't he get dropped off at my place then I take him home, that strange he should suddenly run across the meadow witnessed by the jockey.'

  Kalika raised her eyebrows. 'That is a bit strange, what if he didn't want the person or persons dropping him off know that he was going to talk to you.'

  'Taunton is two hours drive south of here, if he was in Taunton he must have left before sun up to get here when we found him.'

  'Maybe he wasn't in Taunton, came from somewhere else close by.'

  'He told me a couple of days ago on the phone he would be in Taunton for a week.'

  Kalika shook her head and rolled her lips. 'Bit confusing, better find out what's happened. We should find this little horse, must be a reason he was so excited, maybe it is another rocket.'

  'I'll drop you off, change car and head down to Taunton.'

  'You can change car, you made a nice mess of the front of this one, wonder the police haven't pulled us over, you can take me with you.'

  'I could be there for a few days.'

  'Then so will I.'

  'I think its best you stay home, this is a hard day and will sink in soon.'

  Kalika folded her arms in obvious fashion looking straight ahead. 'If my father wanted us to look at a horse and gave his life for the information, I think we better look at this horse. Anger is far more usable emotion than despair, wonder who taught me that.'

  Winston nodded reluctantly. 'Huh, lord preserve.'

  As Winston turned from the main road toward Flax Burton a police patrol coming in the opposite direction turned its lights and siren on, then u turned, Winston saw the commotion and pulled over just around the corner. The police vehicle pulled up behind him. Winston prepared his licence from his wallet as an officer approached his drivers side window. 'Mornin sir, the front of your vehicle is extensively damaged, been driving through fences have we.'

  'Yes as a matter of fact I have.'

  'You have your licence there sir, you have a passenger as well have you considered the safety of.... oh Miss Palmer sorry never noticed first up.'

  'I don't know you.' she replied.

  'Your picture in the news on telly and magazines.'

  'Oh I see.' Blake handed the officer his licence.

  'Winston Blake, ohh, you own the race horse show just down the road here.'

  'Yes.'

  'What happed to the front of your car.'

  'Your suspicions are correct I drove it through a fence.'

  'Been drinking sir.'

  'Drinking what.'

  'Alcohol sir.'

  'No, just came from the hospital. Miss Palmers father was admitted.'

  'Roger Palmer.'

  'Yes.'

  'Have an accident did he.'

  'No, a heart attack.'

  'A heart attack, we stopped him earlier this morning near Barrow Gurney, he was speeding sir.'

  'What, he had his licence suspended a week ago, how early this morning.'

  'First light sir, just before six.'

  'What did he say.'

  'He was heading home from the airport.'

  Kalika interrupted. 'He has no vehicle, he lent it to a friend when he lost his licence.'

  'Vehicle he was driving wasn't his.'

  'What vehicle was it.' asked Winston.

  'Bentley sports, black one, he was doing near hundred miles an hour.'

  Winston was dumbfounded and shaking his head, Kalika's eyes the size of dinner plates. 'A hundred miles and hour in Gurney, I don't believe it, did he say where he had been.'

  'He was coming from the airport, hence being at Barrow Gurney, makes sense, turn off before Bristol and come up to the main road.'

  'Why didn't you arrest him.'

  'We asked him to step out of the vehicle but he roared off.'

  'Why did you not go to his place.'

  'A patrol did check the premises out but no one was there, besides we found the vehicle at the airport about half an hour ago, maybe he's done a runner.'

  Winston looked down swallowed hard and coughed before looking back up. 'Roger Palmer passed away about two hours ago at the hospital.'

  The officer rubbed his hands up and down the front of his upper trousers. 'Goodness me, I'm terribly sorry.'

  'You sure it's not a case of mistaken identity.'

  'I would strongly suggest not, I have had a bit to do with Roger in the past, pretty certain it was him.' He looked across at Kalika. 'I'm terribly sorry Miss Palmer.'

  Kalika bent slightly so she could see his face. 'That's bizarre, he had a heart attack in the middle of the meadow not two hours ago.'

  'Whom owned the vehicle you allegedly saw him in.'

  'I cant give out that information, you should come to the station and tell us what you know.'

  Winston shook his head with a deep pout. 'We can tell you nothing more than you already know, we just found him, he was apparently already dead. A doctor Ramsgate at the hospital will be able to tell you more, I must get Kalika home things are just beginning to sink in.'

  'I understand, we may need to talk to you in the future when convenient.'

  'Would appear
to me that the damage at the front of my car was not the catalyst for stopping me.'

  'I can assure you sir it's just coincidence, Mr Palmer was speeding and you have a damaged vehicle that should be off the road.'

  'I will be parking it up immediately, excuse us we have some delicate arrangements to take care of.'

  'Of course, my condolences, unfortunate and terrible incident. Bit clearer to me now that Mr Palmer may not have been in his rightful mind, please accept my apologies.'

  'No need to apologise about due diligence in your job, have a good day.' Winston started the Range Rover and slowly pulled away onto the road. 'What the hell was that all about, you think that was your father he really saw.'

  'Must have been, the times line up, the officer said he had dealt with him before.'

  'For what, I never ever recall or had mention by him that he dealt with the police.'

  'We have had attempts to steal from the property, you were never here.'

  Winston let out a sigh. 'Would appear I am lacking in my own mind, such a close friend and I left him.'

  'You gave him a meaning in his life, he yearned to find another horse like 'Flaxmead'.' Kalika put her hand on his shoulder. 'You've suffered much loss in the last two years, I expected this, you didn't.'

  Winston pulled his vehicle up by the workshop next to the barn. A man in grubby overhauls came out of the workshop door cleaning his hands on an oily rag, as Winston and Kalika alighted he surveyed the damage, he as the jockey was a cockney. Winston stood next to him. 'Will have to go to the panel beaters like, nasty business I heard what happened, Roger is okay I hope.'

  'Roger passed away.'

  The balding man's face changed to that of alarm and surprise. 'Blimey, just like that a, I'm terribly sorry Kalika.'

  'We will be needing another vehicle, we will be in Taunton for an unspecified time can you arrange for staff to proceed accordingly. Inform Jenny our office secretary to liaise with the hospital regarding arrangements for Roger and get her to call Pigeonberry our lawyer in Bristol, he has Rogers will in his safe, I am the executor, tell Jenny to inform Pigeonberry to prepare all paperwork in line with his will, they will need the death certificate from the hospital. Make sure you tell Jenny everything is to be done by word of mouth, I want no calls about small change, she is to attend Pigeonberry's and the hospital personally, lease by word of mouth and carry the documents on her person, can you repeat that to me please.' The mechanic repeated the information perfectly. 'Excellent, we will need the old Land Rover, is it running okay.'

  'Yes, fine like, not the best vehicle to travel to Taunton in like.'

  'Never the less could you bring it to the porch entrance of the manor please.'

  Winston walked away toward the manor and Kalika followed beside him. 'The Land Rover, why not the Rolls or Jaguar far more comfortable.'

  'Something is not right Kalika, several reasons, the vehicle will attract little attention. We drive a Rolls if we find this horse the price will go up two hundred percent. We may need to traverse rough ground off established roads. You look fine dressed in your riding pants and long boots, you will blend in. I however need to change into something a bit more down to earth, bit more acceptable to the entire cross section of Taunton residents.'

  'That's really weird.'

  'Fast horses have been known to attract fast money, fast people and the odd ratbag.'

  'What's a ratbag and only my father would know when he sees a champion.'

  Winston nodded with a smile. 'Yes and others know that, that's why they watch him.'

  They reached the porch, Kalika stopped and stood thinking with her weight on one leg tapping her chin with her index finger. 'Mmm, the man with the noisy red car in Australia that looked after Flaxmead, John, reminds me of him.'

  Winston raised his eyebrows and turned around to her mid way up the steps. 'We tend to think of making things easy for ourselves, don't go there. If we have to call on such people, we have achieved nothing. John is a very close friend of mine, I would like to keep it that way although he of late only exists in my memories, he was here when Gail past, but only for a short time at the church. Should we have to call on him, we have failed. I ask you don't speak of him again.'

  Gail shrugged her shoulders. 'Okay, just came to mind that's all.'

  'Mine too, your dad had spoken of something for a long time, my guess is I'm about to find the key to his dream, I'll just change the Landy is on its way leave the motor running I'll be a couple of minutes.'