The Big Limousine Disappeared!

But Bill pointed out to them that we had all this army camouflage gear with us, and with Bill's Cadet Unit training he was sure we'd get past any security.

The two lads went on to talk about the possibility of hidden mantraps and other such nasty equipment. But we discounted any of that hokum; because there had appeared to be nothing stopping anyone inside the grounds approaching the wall. If there were any mantraps -- besides being illegal -- there would always be danger of one of the students walking into them.

The two lads didn't have an answer for that argument. But they did inform us that -- if we had a good pair of binoculars or a telescope with us -- from a certain vantage point, it was possible to get a view of the students sports ground and recreation lawns. Then they agreed to take us to the place, after they changed out of their school clothes.

The lads led us out of the village and into some woods. Once in the woods we obviously went in a large semi-circle, passing over some pretty rough terrain on the way and mostly uphill. I never really realized that we were climbing up so high until eventually we came to the edge of the woods and there laid out below us was the school and its grounds. I recognized what I was looking at immediately because one of the pictures in the brochure must surely have been taken from the vicinity of where we were standing. The two boys urged us to remain under the cover of the trees.

"We don't like them to spot us up here too often." One of the boys said.

Why not; it's not private ground is it? Bill asked. The woods hadn't been fenced, and lower down there had been plenty of well used paths.

"No, it's its Forestry Commission ground; anyone can walk here. But you see that pond in the school grounds? Well sometimes in the warm weather some of the girls go skinny-dipping in there. Most of the time the school staff seem to ignore them when they do. But if any of the staff have seen people up here on the ridge, well they get jittery and stop the girls' stripping-off.

"Besides this is the only place from which you can see into the grounds properly, and the logical place for anyone to case the joint from. They're not daft down there, they're really security minded, both keeping the girls in and...

"Randy little sods out!" Sally suggested.

"You got it Sally. So if you've got a mind to try to get in there, the last thing you need is for them to spot someone up here on this ridge; you'll have even less of a chance if they do." The boy grinned back at her.

We lay in the grass at the edge of the woods scrutinizing all the girls we could see in the gardens through binoculars. We noted that both the local boys were equipped with a very powerful pair each. But I'll add that it was September, so I doubted anyone would be swimming.

Eventually Sally spotted Emma talking with some other girls. It was frustrating we could see her but we were far to far away to attract her attention. Then very suddenly, all the girls in the garden started moving in the same direction.

One of the boys told us "It's their evening meal time, we can't hear the PA system that sounds the dinner gong up here, unless the wind's in the right direction."

Then while we watched we saw Alice come out of one on the dormitory buildings and join her sister, then both of them followed all the other girls round the side of a building and out of our sight.

However Sally, Bill and I thought that a good development. We assumed that Alice had been in her own dormitory, so we figured we then knew where to find her.

"Right now's the time for us to go for it, while they are all in the dinning hall eating." Bill suggested. "Where's the nearest place we can get to that wall without being seen lads?"

The two appeared shocked that Bill was suggesting that we go in during daylight. But Bill said it looked like there were plenty of places -- bushes etcetera -- inside the wall for us to hide in. We'd get in while all the students and teachers were eating their evening meal and then lie low until it got dark. Bill was working on the premise that if there were trip wire alarms and cameras near to the wall, we'd have a better chance of spotting them in daylight.

In the event there were no trip wires, and possibly no cameras either; we never saw any anyway. But what must have been there, were, microphones, vibration sensors or something along those lines, buried in the ground. They must have set off silent alarms the instant we hit the ground inside that ruddy wall.

Bill and I got in alright and we soon found a really good hiding place. However a number of police with dogs came hunting for us, very shortly after we'd gone to ground. Well before any of the students had reappeared after their evening meal.

Sally who'd remained outside the wall was also picked-up, but the two local boys -- who had remained with her -- had managed to make good their escape. Mainly we think because Sally had made an obvious -- diversionary -- run-for-it, to allow them to getaway. Luckily the police dog just tore the sleeve of her jacket and didn't actually bite her.

At the local police station we soon gathered that the local boys had been telling the truth. A boyfriend trying to get into that school to find his girl was not a unique occurrence. Neither was one or two of the students there trying to break out, by the sound of it.

Bill and I were given police cautions for being on enclosed premises, apparently there wasn't much they could do or say to Sally except for warning her about the consequences for aiding and abetting criminal acts.

Then the police got down to the serious point that the three of us were classed as runaways. Well we hadn't told our parents what we were intending to do, and they'd reported all three of us as missing persons.

My father drove up to collect us, and yeah well, Bill and I got a real... bollocking. My father looked at Sally and said, "You disappoint me girl. These two numskulls I can understand, but what did you think you were doing, Sally?"

Sally didn't answer him.

I think we were all in our families' bad books for some weeks after that, and even my teacher friend tore me off a strip.

However that wasn't the end of the incident. Some weeks later I arrived home from school to find a police officer in the house with my mother and father.

"Jeffrey, do you know what a stalker is?" the policeman asked me.

"Er yeah, someone who wont leave someone else alone. Keeps... well, tormenting them."

"That's it lad. So why are you stalking Alice Porter?"

"I'm not, she's my... well, she was, my girlfriend."

"I see, and since she went off to college how many times has she contacted you?"

"Well she hasn't, we don't think she's allowed to!"

"I somehow doubt that my lad. But anyway you have sent her what... it must be two hundred letters now. How many has she sent you?"

"None sir, we don't think she's allowed to write to us."

"Us?"

"My friend Sally and I."

"Well according to her parents, Alice Porter does not wish for you to keep trying to contact her, and what with your little escapade the other week... Well son, you're beginning to fit the outline of a stalker. A young stalker I'll give you... But a stalker, none the less!

Now if you know what's good for you, you will forget Alice Porter ever existed. Do not write to her again and for gods sake don't try any more stunts like that episode the other week. Or my boy, our next meeting will not ending as amicably as this one has!"

Then the officer wished my parents goodnight and left.

================

No I didn't leave it there, but I ceased writing any more letters to Alice or Emma. Sally though, well she hadn't been threatened with a stalking charge.

What I did was to change tack. Approaching the Arnolds was out of course. But Frank Porter he was a different proposition wasn't he? I could talk to Frank and I felt I could trust him.

However I knew that finding the guy was not going to be easy, I literally had no idea where to start at first. But then Sally suggested the Country Club.

Well for Alice and Emma to be associate members, her father Frank Porter would have to be a member. I knew for sure that the Arnolds weren't members; it was common knowledge that some one had blocked George Arnold's application and blackballed him. The most likely candidate for having done that, I thought was Frank Porter; but it's something I'll never know for sure.

My father insisted that it could not have been, George Arnold had been refused a membership to the Country Cub long before any of that debacle had occurred. My dad did not specify what "that debacle!" actually was. But he went on.

"No bugger has ever liked George Arnold my boy. He just has the habit of rubbing everyone up the wrong way. The man has much too high an opinion of himself for most people's tastes."

"Hilary was very nice!" my mother added.

"Yeah, never did make much sense, that!" My father agreed, "However did a nice woman like that finish up with a tosser like George Arnold? She was a good-looker as well!"

I was just a little confused, having only ever heard her referred to as the "First Mrs. Arnold" but soon enough, I kind-a worked out whom the "Hilary" was, that my mother was talking about.

Anyway Sally's mention of getting in touch with Frank Porter through the Country Club seemed obvious and I could not understand why I had not thought of it before.

Luckily the membership card that said I was Alice and Emma's personal trainer was still arriving in the post every year. Aren't computers wonderful things, they just keep doing things over until some bugger tells them to stop.

However it did not prove to be as easy as I thought it would be. Enquires from the reception desk gave me two pieces of information, neither much use. Firstly, that they could not give out personal details about members. The woman wasn't being obstructive, she actually suggested that my best bet was to search out the member I wanted see while they were actually on site. However after checking the records she also informed me that Frank Porter rarely visited the club anymore.

Following Bill's Maxim, that if the front door is locked, then use the backdoor (or even a window); I then headed for the swimming pool office. Where by that time my old friend the lifeguard/swimming-coach had been promoted to Manager of Aquatic Facilities.

On hearing the story of Alice and Emma's... internment, he promised that he'd discover whatever he could about Frank Porter, i.e. Frank's address and anything else that might be of use to me, and get back to me as soon as he could.

A few days later he turned up at our house one evening and explained that -- because of company rules -- he could not give me Frank's Porters address or telephone number.

"It won't do you any good anyway, Jeffrey. The number is no longer allocated and an Asian family have been living in the flat for sometime now. I know that for sure because I went around there myself. Seems they bought the place last year sometime, after it had been repossessed by a mortgage company."

"Another dead-end for the boy, then!" My father commented.

"Well maybe not. There's something a little different about Frank Porter's membership to the Country Club; a company in London pays it for. Probably a company perk or something like that. I called them and asked to speak to Frank Porter and... well, I got the strangest reaction. They wanted to know who I was and why I was calling, and then after keeping me hanging on forever, some guy came on the phone and said that Frank no longer works for the company."

"Another dead-end!" My father said.

"Not necessarily, it took them a very long time before that guy came on the telephone, and I'd swear I heard the girl who answered say 'it's someone looking for Frank!' before she thought to hit the mute button. A trip up there might possibly be worth your while Jeffrey.

"Mind you, I can't actually give you the company name or their address, that would be going against Club policy and could possibly cost me my job. Right, I'd better be going now; busy night at the club this evening."

But as he got up to leave, a piece of paper fell from the folder he was carrying. Just a page turn from a secretary's shorthand pad; but scribbled on it was the name and address of a company in the City of London.

The next morning my father dropped me at the station on his way to work.

"You sure you want to do this on your own lad?" He asked, handing me a pile of cash.

"Yeah dad," I replied, "they might take pity on a kid!"

"You're not such a kid anymore Jeffrey. Good luck and don't forget to call your mother. I'm sure she's having kittens about this."

"Actually finding the building was a lot harder than I anticipated. But once I got inside, there was a big board on the wall, on where eventually I found that the company I wanted was on the seventh and eight floors. I got out of the lift on the seventh and went straight to the reception desk. The young woman sitting behind it was on the telephone and I immediately assumed that it had been her that my lifeguard friend had spoken to.

When I asked for Frank Porter, she gave me a funny look, then picked up the receiver again and pushed a few buttons.

"There's a young man out here sir, asking to see... Francis Porter."

This was odd; I'd definitely asked her if I could to speak to Frank Porter.

Whomever she had spoken to, obviously said something back to her, because then she added, "Very young sir!" before replacing the receiver and saying. "Take a seat please. Someone will be with you shortly."

Maybe five minutes later a man came out of the lift and went over to the young woman on reception. Then they both looked my way as they whispered to each other. Then the smiling the guy walked over to me and asked.

"May I help you young man?"

"Yes sir, I hope so." I replied getting to my feet and shaking the hand he had proffered.

Trying to make my handshake firm but not aggressive, as my father had always told me that it should be.

"I'm trying to locate Mr Frank Porter?"

"Isn't everyone," the man relied as a sort of throw away remark but then he went on, "Would you mind telling why you are looking for him young man?"

"It's a personal matter sir, I'm... well I was his daughter's boyfriend and..."

"She's vanished as well, I thought..."

"No sir. I know where Alice is sir; I just can't get in touch with her. The security at her new school is unbelievable. Alice's mother doesn't like me and..."

"Ah, I see where you are going. But you and Frank got along alright?"

"Good as gold sir, as far as I'm aware. But I only met him a couple of times and that was a few years ago."

"You and Frank's daughter were together that long? She must have been quite young!"

"We were just friend's back then sir. I met his daughter just after he and his wife separated."

Ah, that explains a lot. Mrs. Porter didn't like you and Frank encouraged your friendship with his daughter. Yes that sounds like Frank to me, all right.

"But I'm sorry young man, we really can't help you here. Frank left this company's employ rather suddenly, a couple of years ago now. I'm afraid that no one here knows where to find Frank Porter today. However if you leave me your name and address... well, I'll pass it along and... well, you never know."

Feeling dejected, I thanked the guy and left to go home.

However once again, that wasn't the end of the matter. Two days later I had another visit from a policeman at home; a detective that time.

My parents sat in while he... well he questioned me about why I was looking for Frank Porter and he seemed to understand.

"You'll be very lucky if you find Frank Porter young man. We've been looking for him for a couple of years now. And you know what, it's highly likely that your Alice... and her sister haven't been sent away to stop you two seeing each other. I would hazard a guess that it's to stop their father whisking them out of the country."

"Why would he want to do that?" my father asked.

"Well a certain person did something rather naughty. A certain George Arnold lives next door to you, doesn't he?"

My father confirmed the fact.

"Yeah well, a certain group of unnamed individuals, but all of whom worked in the City, took George Arnold and his company for a good few million on the quiet a while back. Stitched him up quiet nicely to be honest. Frank Porter disappeared around the same time, and the fraud squad have been looking for him ever since."

"You think that Frank Porter fiddled a load of money out of Arnold."

"We're pretty sure Frank Porter was behind it, Mr Turner. But we can't find him to ask him if you understand me. Lets face it Frank Porter had the motive, didn't he. And if anyone really wanted to hurt George Arnold, then what better place than in his pocket?

"But I'm sorry lad, I can do nothing to help you with your quest to contact the love of your life. But remember, once she's eighteen... well, there's nothing her mother or George Arnold can do to stop you two getting together again then."

The officer then left, but I was to run into him again.

Oh, I should add that the following year my card for the Country Club didn't arrive. When I enquired about it, I was informed that my sponsoring member's account was in default. It appeared that my enquiries at the company in London had led to them updating their computer records.

================

I have no idea for how long Sally kept sending letters to Alice and Emma at that school. Sally -- and all my other friends -- tried their best never to mention Alice or Emma in my presence after that. I really did my best to forget about her.

Although it didn't help that our mothers, and Bill's -- while not ever mentioning either of the girls directly to me -- did try to use their mothers union type network of friends to get information about them. It appears that The Second Mrs. Arnold liked to brag about their holidays abroad and her daughters' achievements. However any information that was gained via that route turned out to be unreliable, often contradictory.

Time passed as it inevitably does. Bill signed up for the army before he'd even left school, much to Sally's chagrin. But if that's what her man wanted, then Sally appeared -- with reservations -- to be happy for him to become a solder. I think we were all somewhat happier to learn later that Bill was going to train to be a helicopter mechanic.

Somewhere along the line my friend at the country club got me a job there. At first just cleaning the pool and later as a part-time lifeguard; I needed to get the relevant qualifications first, both for lifeguard and in first-aid.

I left school and started college. I had had aspirations of going to university, but for a long time I doubted that would be on the cards, financially. University costs money and as a family we just didn't have that kind of spare cash. Yeah, I could have taken out student loans but I really didn't want to spend my whole life with a damned great debt behind me. I hoped one day to own my own house outright like my parents had. God knows what kind of pressure George Arnold might have been able to bring to bear, had my father owed money on our house.

Shortly after I started college Sally and I... Bill was off at his army training camp most of the time, so Sally and I were almost always together. Anyway, we began to hear more and more rumours that Reg Arnold was around, although we never saw him around the Vicarage.

Eventually he got bolder and wherever he was living, we did catch sight of him now and again in town. I say he got bolder because, rumour had it that both Bill and I were looking for Reggie, if you get my drift. We weren't, by the way. I couldn't-a cared less what the bugger did providing he didn't try to get clever with me again.