The Beast of Bracksley Woods (12 page)

Debbie felt mortally wounded by his attitude. She felt cheap and used. She began to feel quite angry at his treatment and when the opportunity arose, she was determined to have her say and tell him just what she thought of him. Until then however, she put all her efforts into making a success of the job.

Debbie was kept busy on the computer making up files for each animal and placing instructions on the cages where necessary. She soon got into the swing of things and hardly had she started when she thought she might have picked up some kind of bug. She was feeling rather sick and unwell. Surely, she hadn’t contracted something horrible from one of the animals. She thought she might get an appointment and see the doctor just to make sure. When the sickness didn’t stop but returned each morning. Debbie began to feel uneasy.

By the end of the week Debbie was seriously worried. Could it be that she was pregnant, she asked herself. As soon as she could she would stop off at a chemist and buy a pregnancy test kit, she promised herself.

Debbie’s hands shook as she placed the test on the basin in the bath room that evening. She hardly dare watch as the five minute waiting time ticked away. At last time was up and with trembling hands she picked the container up. She gasped as she saw the blue line that meant she was pregnant. Debbie didn’t know whether she felt horrified or pleased as she looked down at the offending blue line. All the years she had spent with Mike avoiding getting pregnant so that no offspring would get in the way of his career and now this – Just the one night of passion … here she was in a situation she was going to find hard to explain … How the hell was she going to tell Paul since he would hardly speak to her.

Dejectedly, Debbie made her way down stairs and got herself a cup of coffee. She would sit down in the sitting room in an armchair by the fire and think the whole thing over. With Snicker on one arm and Kitcat on the other she sank down into a comfortable armchair to decide what to do about the situation she found herself in. The question was should she continue with the pregnancy or should she have an abortion. Quickly, she decided that abortion was not an option. She examined her feelings closely. Although she was angry with Paul for his treatment of her the plain fact was that she still felt the same attraction to him. She had only just started a job. A job which she was beginning to enjoy. Did her pregnancy mean that she would have to give it up? She worried briefly as the two kittens climbed onto her lap purring deeply. The last couple of months might be a bit tiring but that wouldn’t be until the autumn. At least she would be able to manage the opening day in comfort and have the rest of the summer to prepared for the baby.

Thinking about it quite calmly Debbie thought how lovely it would be to have someone to love. Someone she could focus on completely. Someone all her own. She made up her mind that she wouldn’t say anything to Paul. Not yet, at least. She would have to face him at some stage but the last thing she wanted was for him to start offering her money or worse still, offering to marry her just because she was pregnant. She had her pride she thought shrugging her shoulders. If Paul didn’t want to speak to her right now, she would have to find a way of approaching him sooner or later. The next day she drove into Bedford to pick up some groceries. As she pulled into the car park at the supermarket, who should she see but Paul and Angela leaving in Paul’s car. Angela smiled and waved. Debbie’s heart missed a beat. So that was it. Paul had found someone else.

The sickness lasted for the next few weeks. Debbie bravely battled her way through. She simply put her head down and got on with the work. During that time Debbie saw them again heading for a restaurant, she passed them again one evening in Bedford on her way to keep an appointment. They were entering a popular pub much frequented by the fashionable crowd in the town.

There was plenty to keep her busy at the Kennels. There was the opening day to arrange. The purpose of the day was to raise funds for the RSPCA rescue kennels and Debbie put all her efforts into organising it. A fete was arranged for Easter Monday. A grand marquee was booked to be put up in one of Greg’s fields where certain of the events could take place. A dog show was planned and certain doggy competitions arranged for the marquee. If the weather turned wet all the other stalls could be quickly transferred undercover. Debbie was to take care of the catering. That was good. Catering was right up her street. She would bake all kinds of pies and cakes to sell. She booked an ice cream van for the children and a plant stall for the gardeners. She found someone willing to demonstrate country crafts and sell a few items as well as a book and CD and cassette stall. She was even lucky enough to find someone with a pony and trap to give rides to the kids. Skittles, a fortune teller and guess the weight of a tin of sweets, and anything else Debbie could think of. All this took time and great skill in organising. All the funds were to go towards the RSPCA rescue kennels and Debbie particularly wanted the day to be a success. It looked like being a very busy day as well as a lot of fun.

Everyday business of caring for the animals that Kevin kept delivering went on. There seemed to be no end to the steady flow of cats and dogs being brought in. Kevin often got mad with people who abandoned their pets just because they had no more use for them. Sometimes he was called upon to rescue lurchers from the motorways just because they had begun to slow down and were not winning races for the owners. He would let forth a stream of colourful language giving vent to his anger and leaving anyone within earshot in no doubt as to what would happen to them if he ever caught up with them. It wasn’t entirely Kevin who was bringing strays in. A large dog was brought in by a harassed housewife because it had grown so big but had been so cute that the owner had not been able to resist the dear little ball of fluff when it was a puppy. Now she regretted allowing her heart to rule her head because he had grown too big for the flat and so strong that she couldn’t walk him properly without her arm being wrenched out of its socket. Unwanted kittens arrived because the owners hadn’t had the mother spade. People often brought animals in that they said were lost. Even birds arrived including a parrot with a very rude extensive vocabulary. Somehow, Debbie found room for all of them. The boarding section also was doing well. Debbie looked after the bookings but Greg looked after the boarders. Debbie trained up the volunteers for walking the dogs taking her instructions from Kevin on how to handle difficult dogs who didn’t seem to understand what was asked of them. Her first client to make inquiries about giving an animal a new home was a vicar. He would be quite happy to take a couple of kittens off her hands and maybe a little dog, he suggested. Debbie gave him an application form to fill in and took him to choose the kittens. This done she introduced him to Digby. The idea was to let him get used to the man first. Walk him round the place a bit and generally make friends. Debbie explained that she would have to come out and look at his accommodation and she made an appointment. She asked the vicar to visit Digby two or three times while he was still at the Kennels so that he could get quite used to him before he left. He left leaving a creditable donation which pleased Debbie.

The next client to arrive was an elderly lady. Her little dog had just died and she was feeling lonely. She was looking for a little Yorkshire terrier just like her little Pippa. Debbie had to explain that they hadn’t got a Yorkshire terrier in at the moment but they had a little poodle she might like. “Perhaps you would like to visit her and see how you like her,” Debbie suggested “Her name is Peggy.” The lady seemed to like Peggy right enough and Debbie made arrangements to visit her home and help her fill in the necessary form. And so it went on. As fast as they came in, they went out.

Polly Parrot was found a new home in a pub. Debbie was quite pleased to see the back of that particular bird because of the squawking she kept up which tended to upset the dogs and make them bark.

Debbie set up a rota for the volunteers. The boys could walk dogs after school and do a bit of cleaning up and Tracy and Caroline could help with feeding. Emma was on work experience so was there to do most things and Jennie just came occasionally. Greg looked after the boarding kennels with Emma’s help when necessary. Everything seemed to be going along very well. Debbie thought that more help may be needed when it came to the opening day but she decided to wait and see how things went before enlisting too many helpers. Betty Browne had promised to give Debbie a hand with the catering. They would be using Greg’s kitchen to prepare everything so they didn’t have to cart stuff too far. Debbie was quite happy with the way the Kennels were working out what she wasn’t happy about was Paul.

Paul often popped in but apart from saying the odd “Good morning” he barely looked in her direction. Kevin noticed the cool atmosphere between them. He remarked on it one morning when Paul happened to call in to see one of Kevin’s strays. “What have you done to me friend Paul. He is looking decidedly fed up, ’un all Sure, not so long ago yer two were practically kissing each other,” he said looking at Debbie seriously. “Kevin, I haven’t done anything to upset him. I think he has found someone else to lavish all his attention on. I have seen him with Angela a couple of times and she looks mighty pleased with herself,” Debbie said flatly.

“Angela! Sure ’un all, you must be mistaken. They don’t get on well together I’m afraid. Paul was always complaining about her. Me darlin’ lady, you were the apple of his eye over Christmas,” he said. Whatever is the matter with the man to upset such a beautiful young lady as yerself. Debbie turned away not wanting to discuss the matter further.

One morning as Debbie sat busy on her computer Kevin walked into her small office. His face looked like thunder and Debbie wondered what could be making him so mad. “In all that’s holy,” he exploded, “The beast of Bracksley woods is back. I have just brought the latest victim in. The poor creature was nearly dead when I picked him up. Paul has saved his life but the poor dog will need careful looking after if he is to pull through.” He subsided into a chair Debbie kept for people being interviewed.

“What! Debbie couldn’t believe what Kevin had just said. “Do you mean that awful animal that attacked Trigger and knocked Greg off his bike?”

“Exactly,” Kevin said Emphatically. “I’ll get that bloody animal. Sure I will. It’s a rogue dog and should not be let loose round decent people. When I catch up with the owner I shall have plenty of words to say to him ’un all. Sure badly behaved animals is usually the fault of the owner and not the dog.”

The section of the rescue kennels filled up all too soon. Livestock appeared and was simply left on Greg’s doorstep or sometimes by the gates, Debbie was never surprised at what she might find. It wasn’t only dogs and puppies. A box of kittens were left one day and some baby hedgehogs arrived at the office door on another occasion. Space had to be found for all the newcomers. Whenever new arrivals turned up Debbie had to call the Vet in case the animal was diseased or injured in any way. One morning Debbie shrieked as she gingerly lifted the lid of a large crate and peeked inside. Curled up inside was the biggest snake Debbie had ever seen. “What do they think this is,” Debbie complained as she rang Paul to ask him to call in and examine the latest inmate, “Do they think this is a zoo or a dumping off ground for unwanted pets?” she fumed.

When Paul came later that day he declared the snake to be perfectly healthy and well. “If you see Kevin before I get round to ringing him, ask him to make arrangements for a zoo to take the snake.” He turned and looked at Debbie then for a moment and said “You’re not looking very well Debbie. Are you finding the job a bit too much? You look very peaky.”

“Debbie bristled a bit as she answered “No Paul, as a matter of fact I am enjoying the job. Finding that snake was a bit of a shock so I expect that is why I look a bit pale.” She wanted to put her hand out and touch him. She wanted to tell him that he was the father of her child but she said nothing. She wanted him to kiss her and tell her it was all a mistake. She wanted to ask him how she had managed to upset him but her courage failed. When he spoke again she was glad she had not asked the question.

“I am so glad you have found someone Debbie, I wish you all the luck in the world. Debbie went cold all over and stared at Paul in disbelief. “I am thinking about moving on. I am hoping to take up a post in Africa to do some research work so there will be a new Vet taking over my practise. Still, that won’t be until about the end of the year so I will still be around for a little while longer.”

Debbie could not believe what she was hearing. Did he think she was getting married or something. Before she could gather herself together and reply Paul had turned and walked away. “Paul, “ she called after him. He kept walking looking straight ahead. When Kevin turned up later that day with yet another load of abandoned dogs and rescued cats from an old lady’s house who had died, Debbie determined to ask him if he could throw any light on Paul’s assumption that she was getting married. When Debbie told him what had been said Kevin was mystified. “Sure me dear girl, ’tis beyond me. I’ll see what I can find out. Just you stop worrying,” he soothed

“You are not getting married, are you?”

“Of course not. I haven’t even got a boyfriend. I can’t imagine where he has got such an idea from. Now he says he is giving up the practise and going to Africa to do some research work.”

When Kevin lifted the lid of the box and saw the size of the snake curled up within he gave a hoot of laughter saying “Oh, Holy Mary!” you had better not let young Simon see it. He will be asking his mummy if he can have a snake instead of a dog. He’ll tell her it’s only a little one that he can keep in his bedroom.” He grinned. “I’ll find matey a nice zoo as quickly as possible.” Looking more serious he went on “Paul has said nothing to me about him going away. That’s news to me. I hope we are not going to lose Paul.”

“Will Angela take over,” Debbie asked.