Fleet ‘Questioning’

She had called the emergency services. ‘A drowning,‘ she had explained when the ambulances arrived. This after the police car and officers arrived along the narrow one-sided lane, that led past the sunken church to the meadows, and then along the narrow pathway to the stretching curve of  beach.

She had explained the clothes, the abandoned shoes, the splash that had rippled in a sudden tearing of waves across what had now become an uneasy silence.

They had brought a sniffer dog that had taken the scent from the garments and then followed the wind blown footsteps to the very edge of the lagoon.

Officers had discovered the abandoned car parked in front of the churchyard and were puzzled by the pile of driftwood on the rear seat, a neatly carved wooden key ring, with the keys still left in the ignition.

‘So love, you heard the splash, found the clothes and heard a scraping noise on the beach?’

She had acknowledged this statement and was left wondering if he had heard her at all. 

It had happened. 

Her voice was still shaking, her stomach turning, Cassie was now running around confused and bewildered by all the commotion.

A small crowd of locals, hikers  and campers from the nearby site had gathered behind the constable who stood blocking the access to the edge of the water. His arms stretched as if he was saving them from an indelicate truth.

‘Yes, I thought I saw, I did see, a glimpse of something else above the tide, beyond the beach…’ she was certain, but doubted he would believe her. 

He scratched his ear, leaned forward and called into his Walkie-Talkie.

‘Call the ‘copter, we might need to look along the bar, across the beach…’ There was a muffled, cackled reply. He released the call button and looked over her shoulder at where the search dog was pointing.

Forepaw lifted, alert and frozen, the sniffer dog was clearly indicating something was awry. 

The officer again scratched his head, puzzled, uncertain and turned himself to look back at the car park, beyond the church.

‘It won’t be long,’he thought to himself,’until the whole world is watchin’ us again!’

Just then he heard a murmur from the growing crowd of onlookers, then a cry. He turned towards them all. He saw a huddle of shocked and surprised faces, mouths open, hands aloft, staring eyes and his constable turning his back to them all. Hands forgotten, arms akimbo, he gaped at what he saw. 

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