Out of Time: . (Steamside Chroncles Book 1) Read online

  THE STEAMSIDE CHRONICLES

  OUT OF TIME

  S. A. SANDERSON

  Copyright © 2017 Symon Sanderson

  Dedication

  To my wife, Sally, for all your support, encouragement and faith.

  Acknowledgments

  Keith Argyle for your constant support, Tom Brown for a confidence boost when it was needed, Catherine Redpath for that final vote of confidence and The Lincoln Steampunk Society for just being awesome.

  Front cover by Tom Brown

  Chapter One

  Saturday 19th November 2016

  It had been the third time that week that Kate Lockwood had been late for work. Only a few minutes each time, but enough to be noticed by her sergeant. “There’s a drunk in the Limehouse Link Tunnel,” he had informed Kate. “Get down there and sort it. Then report back to me and we’ll have a discussion about your timekeeping.”

  The sound of a car horn startled her. She looked up and saw the reason why she was in the Limehouse Link Tunnel. A man standing in the middle of the road waving his arms above his head and with his back to the oncoming traffic. Kate put on her blue lights as she manoeuvred her car into the road behind the man, putting both nearside wheels on the narrow pavement so other traffic could still go by. She pressed the transmit button on her radio.

  “Control from Echo Romeo one four, I'm at the Limehouse Link and I've located the person in question.”

  The radio clipped onto her stab vest lit up. “One four that's received, do you need anyone else there?”

  Kate got out of the car and began walking toward the man who, she could now hear, was screaming very loudly. Her right hand reached down to her belt and unclipped a canister of Pava spray. She had encountered too many drunks in her short time in the police and knew just how dangerous they could be. The Pava was similar to pepper spray and could be very effective.

  “Control, can you send another mobile into the area, just to be on the safe side?”

  Right on cue, the man turned around and looked straight at her. He turned his attention to the police car, a frightened expression covered his face.

  “When am I?” he shouted.

  The strange question took Kate by surprise, but she kept her concentration on his eyes. Even under the poor artificial lighting, she could see the look of confusion on the man's filthy, unshaven face.

  “You're at the Limehouse link,” replied Kate unsure if he was having some kind of breakdown or if he was just under the influence, “in the tunnel and I think you've probably had a bit too much to drink. Why don't you come over to the side where it's safe?”

  Kate tried to take hold of his arm with her left hand to move him onto the pavement. He staggered back as if he were terrified of her.

  “Safe?” he said raising his voice, “it's not safe. You want to put me back in there,” his arm pointing toward the access door in the tunnel. “I'm not going back in. I just want it to stop.”

  Kate was only a couple of metres away from the man and close enough to smell that he needed a shower. But as close as she was Kate could not smell alcohol. Drugs then, wonderful. With a drunk, you knew what you were liable to get. Argumentative, short attention span and a shorter memory. If this guy had taken heroin, cocaine, or worse still any kind of so-called legal high, not only could you not predict his next move, but also he would be stronger than normal and the Pava might not have any effect. She kept walking slowly toward him.

  “Why don't you come and sit in my car and we can talk?”

  The man looked over her shoulder at the vehicle and squinted. “When am I?” he repeated.

  “When are you? You mean where are you? I've already told you, you’re in the Limehouse Link.”

  “No, when am I? What year is it?”

  The man started to shake. For the first time, Kate noticed his clothes. Something that reminded her of a first world war Air Force greatcoat, a collarless shirt, brown corduroy trousers and boots. They were filthy and the greatcoat was badly ripped.

  “This is 2016,” Kate said as she moved closer. The stench assaulted her. Body odour and faeces. It wasn't just his clothes that hadn't been washed for a long time. The unmistakable smell of someone who had soiled themselves hit the back of Kate's throat and she tried not to gag. Perhaps she should put gloves on before taking hold of him. But they were back in the car, at the bottom of her holdall. A pick-up truck sped past, far too close for comfort. Kate knew she had to get this man off the road and quickly before there was an accident. The man just kept looking at the police car and then started to cry.

  Kate walked cautiously toward him. “What's your name?”

  “What?” he said as if the simplicity of the question had confused him. His eyes remained fixed on the vehicle.

  “Your name, what is it? My name is Kate. What's yours?”

  His head turned slowly toward Kate, his eyes remaining fixed.

  “David,” he finally said, his eyes now staring straight at Kate. “My name's David.”

  “Well David, why don't we get you safely in my car before we both get run over and we'll get you some help.”

  David tentatively walked onto the narrow pavement, glancing between the police vehicle and the access door.

  “Don't worry David,” Kate said as she glanced at the access door, “we won't go back in there.”

  Kate clipped the Pava canister back onto her belt and then reached for her handcuffs.

  “David, just for the car ride I'm going to put these on you for my safety. I'm detaining you for a mental health assessment. Do you understand?”

  Kate wasn't sure if he had even heard her let alone understood. His attention appeared to be divided between the access door and her car as she put both of David’s wrists into the handcuff bracelets. David ignored Kate and the handcuffs and as Kate took hold of the underside of the plastic section between the bracelets she started to relax.

  “Come on, David, I'm going to sit you in my car.”

  Kate began to lead David slowly along the pavement towards the police vehicle, but as they reached the access door David stopped. Kate pulled gently on the handcuffs and tried to get David walking again, but this time David pulled back.

  “No,” he half shouted, half pleaded, “I won't go back.”

  “I'm just going to sit you in here.”

  “No.”

  The urgency in David's voice gave Kate a split second warning but it wasn't enough. He pulled back violently and lurched to his left. Kate managed to keep hold of the handcuffs, but was caught off balance. She fell forward onto one knee which hit the edge of the kerb before landing on the road. Kate grunted in pain, but her discomfort was quickly forgotten as David's legs buckled as she fell into them and he began to fall. Remembering her training Kate moved to one side, she didn't want her back to her attacker or for him to be on top of her. Fortunately for Kate, David didn't seem interested in attacking her, only getting away. Kate had managed to keep hold of the underside of the cuffs with one hand and she began twisting them.

  David squealed in pain and followed the handcuffs until he was on his knees. Kate managed to get her other hand onto the top of the cuffs and gave them another sharp twist and whilst David was concentrating on the pain, Kate pressed the orange emergency button on her radio. She subconsciously registered the control room calling her and then sending other officers to assist, but her concentration was on the male lying next to her on the floor.

  Her attention was momentarily broken when a BMW went past blaring its horn, too fast, too close. It was all David needed. With one swift movement, he pushed his hands forward towards Kate'
s face, the plastic centre section of the handcuffs catching her square on the nose. Her head jolted back and thudded against the edge of the kerb.

  The double blow stunned Kate but she somehow managed to keep one hand gripped on the underneath of the cuffs. David tried to roll away but Kate fastened her other hand back onto the top of the cuffs and started to force them anti-clockwise.

  “No,” David screamed as he tried to wriggle away, but Kate was already up onto her left knee bringing her right knee crashing down into David's stomach. She twisted the handcuffs again as she noticed blood dripping from her nose onto the prone man's chest.

  David began to sob, “Please no, not again.”

  The proximity of another car caught Kate's attention, this time not a speeding motorist, but another police car, this one stopping right next to David's feet. Her backup had arrived. In a matter of seconds, several other officers were in the tunnel and were taking David, still struggling, into a van with a cell.

  “Kate, are you okay?”

  “Yeah, I'm fine,” she lied, not knowing whether to hold her knee, nose or the back of her head. She recognised the voice as belonging to Gareth Wilson, one of the more senior officers on her group. He helped her to her feet and she leaned back on the bonnet of the nearest parked Police car. Kate looked up to assure Gareth she was fine but saw him looking at her with some concern.

  “Jesus, Kate. You look like shit.”

  Despite the pain Kate couldn't help but cough out a small laugh.

  “Here,” he said, reaching into a first aid kit attached to his equipment belt, “wipe off the blood before you scare anyone.”

  Kate took an antiseptic wipe from Gareth's hand.

  “You had us worried for a second when you didn't answer the control room after your emergency button went off. Are you sure you're alright?”

  “Really, I'm fine. Thanks,” Kate nodded as she wiped her nose and lips. “Can I get a lift back in the van? I don't want to get blood all over the car.”

  “Sure, I’ll drive it back,” said Gareth, “but don't you want a lift to A & E to get that nose seen to? If you give one of the others the grounds for the detention I'll take you up. Your car can always wait”

  “No it's fine. I'll book him in and go to the hospital later. It's not as bad as it looks,” Kate stood up and the pain in the back of her head arrowed to her forehead and for a second she felt dizzy.

  “Okay. If you're sure,” Gareth didn't believe a word of it, but knew Kate well enough to know she wouldn't change her mind, “just cancel the emergency call.”

  Kate hadn't realised the emergency signal on her radio was still sounding. She looked down at her radio and saw the earpiece dangling by her side. She pushed the orange button again to cancel the signal and then pressed the transmit button. “Control from Echo Romeo one four. Can you let custody know I'm bringing one in for section 136 Mental Health Act?”

  Great thought Kate, ignoring controls response, looks like I'm getting that attendance meeting a little early.

  Chapter Two

  The holding area at the police station custody suite was divided into two sections. The section in which David now sat looking silently at the floor and the area in which Kate stood, watching him through the reinforced glass wall and door. Kate had been standing there for nearly an hour. Long waits weren’t unknown, but there was no one else to book into the cells and no obvious reason for the hold-up. Kate had a feeling she was being kept waiting just for the hell of it.

  She turned her attention away from David and looked through the bars of the blue steel gate separating the holding area from the main custody section, over the custody desk and towards the door which led into the back room. No sign of any sergeant. One of the custodians came out and sat at a computer terminal nearest to her at the counter.

  “How many have you got in?” Kate enquired.

  “Only three,” replied the custodian. Bill Shaw, an ex-Army man, had been a custodian for over ten years and was coming up for retirement in a couple of months. “One is going to court in the morning and the other two are just too drunk to deal with.”

  Kate smiled to herself. Bill was a complete gentleman. He would never have sworn in front of a woman. Drunk, not pissed.

  “You know Sergeant Slater's in the back drinking tea don't you?” said Bill.

  “I figured as much,” replied Kate as she leaned back against the gate, resting her head against the pale green painted wall. The pain made her move her head away from the wall sharply. Not only had she got a bloody nose during the struggle, but also a cut to the back of her head which, as cuts to the head tend to do, had bled quite a lot.

  Kate felt a buzzing in her trouser pocket and the familiar sound of 'Layla' by Eric Clapton. She took her brand new smartphone out and checked the screen. It was Dan. Kate cancelled the call. She noticed there were several missed calls and a host of unread text messages. All from Dan. Why couldn’t you have been a gentleman? She thought as she looked at the screen. She put the phone back in her pocket and sighed. Kate looked through the glass wall of the holding room toward David. He was still sat on the bench. Another officer, who had his back to Kate, was watching him closely.

  “This isn't going to get me on Slater's Christmas card list is it?” Kate muttered to herself.

  She had barely finished speaking when a buzzer sounded and she heard a loud click. It was the sound of the gate being unlocked. Kate looked up to see Sergeant Slater walk up to the middle of three computer terminals, placing his mug of tea between the keyboard and the screen. Kate knocked on the holding room window and the officer standing inside opened the door.

  “David, come on,” Kate said as she stood in the doorway, “let's talk to the custody Sergeant and see how we can help.”

  The second officer helped David to his feet and walked through the open gate and to the custody counter. Kate thanked the officer who disappeared down the corridor and back into the main building.

  Kate was now standing right next to David and she again noticed the smell, a mixture of body odour, coal smoke and sewage. She involuntarily put her hand to her mouth. Sergeant Slater seemed unconcerned. Either he's done so many shifts in here that he doesn’t notice or he's enjoying my discomfort, thought Kate.

  “Why is this person here?” Sergeant Slater eventually asked.

  “He's been detained on a 136, Sarge,” Kate explained what had happened to Sergeant Slater, who seemed as unconcerned about the state of Kate's nose as he was about the smell, and then waited as he typed the reason for the detention into the computer.

  The booking in procedure was painfully slow, partly because of David’s confused state, he didn't seem to know when he was born, where he lived or what he did for a living, but also Kate thought, because Sergeant Slater was taking his time.

  Eventually, Bill walked around to the front of the counter. “David, I have to search you to make sure you have nothing on you that could cause any damage or hurt anyone. Do you understand?”

  David didn’t respond.

  “Let me help you take your coat off,” said Bill. “Now then, what do we have here?” Bill asked as he studied the epaulettes. “I’ve never seen any design like this before, an embroidered wasp with the letters H.M.A. WASP.” He looked at the remaining buttons on the front of the coat, “and these buttons. A St. Edwards crown, a four blade propeller and the letters R.A.F. I’ve never seen an R.A.F. uniform like this before.” He paused for a moment. “What does H.M.A. stand for? Her Majesty’s Auxiliary?”

  David looked at the coat as Bill folded it and placed it on the counter but said nothing. “Oh well,” said Bill, “never mind.”

  As Bill began his search, Kate, who was now wearing a pair of blue latex gloves she wished she'd had on earlier, checked the coat for anything that would need to be recorded on the computer. She stopped and backed away as she heard Bill ask David to remove his boots.

  Even though she was now several feet away the stench filled the whole area. Kate no
ticed even Sergeant Slater had his hand to his nose as Bill placed the boots into a plastic bag and sealed it tightly with a plastic tie. Bill took the bag into the rear room as Sergeant Slater placed the rest of David’s property into another plastic bag.

  “We’ll look after your property while you’re here David and you’ll get it all back when you leave,” he said. “Just sign that electronic pad to say we’ve got everything.”

  “You haven’t got everything,” said David in a rare lucid moment. “Where are my boots?”

  “I’ve put them into a locker in that room,” said Bill, pointing to the back room. “They’ll be safe.”

  “No, my boots, Dr Martens, and my lucky half-sixpence, where are they?”

  Sergeant Slater looked at Kate.

  “I didn’t see any boots down there Sarge.”

  David absently patted the side pockets of his corduroy trousers and looked around at Kate. “Black boots with green stitching. I had them in the light.”

  “Light, what light?” Sergeant Slater looked at Kate, his patience now clearly diminishing.

  “The light in the tunnel,” continued David.

  “Lockwood did you take anything from him?”

  “No Sarge.”

  “Then go back to the Link and check the road.”

  Kate nodded. She knew there was no point in arguing, it wouldn't change anything and would probably only make things worse later in the shift.

  She went back and checked the car for the sixpence, nothing, which meant a trip back to the Link. The hospital would have to wait.

  Chapter Three

  Kate parked in the lay-by as she had at the beginning of her shift. That already seemed a long time ago, thought Kate as she got out of the car. She walked down into the tunnel and took a small L.E.D. torch from a pouch on her belt. She switched it on and swept the powerful beam of light across the road and the narrow walkway on the side looking for a pair of boots and half a sixpence. She saw nothing.