Scrap 28

SCRAP 28
Frank has been dismantling yet another scrap car in the lock-up on Mad Mavis’s farm. He has a buyer lined up for a Ford Zodiac and has been looking out for a donor vehicle. Jason is keen to help and has also had his eyes peeled. For once he has managed to keep quiet about this particular activity. He has an intense dislike for his cousin Danny and the way he has made himself a fixture at the family scrap yard. Still mourning the loss of his father, he has turned to Frank as a sort of replacement and is keen to make himself useful.
Frank can hear the dogs snuffling about outside the doors to the barn. They know he is in there and are hoping he has brought them a treat. Frank does not disappoint. He opens one of the doors and the dogs rush in, inspecting every corner of the shed. Frank laughs as he leads them back to the yard. He opens the back door of the van and pulls out a blood stained package wrapped in newspaper. He pulls open the package and throws two marrow bones into the air. These are grabbed before they have chance to fall on the concrete floor. The dogs eye each other menacingly, each seeming to judge who has the biggest prize, before going off in different directions to sharpen their teeth.
Mavis opens the front door and calls out to Frank. ‘Have you got a minute?’ she asks. Frank could do without any distractions today but he cheerfully asks what she wants. ‘It’s the boys,’ she says, ‘they’ve been getting up to mischief I’m afraid.’
Grabbing a filthy cardigan which she wraps round her bony shoulders, Mavis leads the way into the pasture behind the house. Frank gasps in horror as he sees before him the grisly remains of Jilly, the old donkey which used to belong to Mavis’s children. Jilly’s back legs have been chewed through to the bone, her blood has stained the grass and the churned up mud where she had fought for her life.
One sightless eye shows horribly from its socket and her coat is matted with blood.
Frank has to turn away to throw up. He has never seen such a sight before and his legs feel weak. Mavis says no more, but goes to fetch the tractor from its barn. Together they dig a hole big enough and, tying a rope around the poor animal, use the tractor to pull her body into it. Then they use the front scoop to cover up the evidence and tamp down the earth.
Why had they done this? Was it because Mavis had forgotten to feed them again or just out of sheer wickedness? Frank leaves the yard feeling very queasy. His mind buzzes with horrible thoughts as he drives the loaded van to the scrap yard. He knows he must tell no-one of what he has seen but it disturbs him. If the dogs can do so much damage to a donkey, what might they do to a frail human being?
Jason sprints over to greet him as Frank pulls the van into the scrap yard. ‘I’ve seen what you’re looking for,’ he says, looking round to make sure he has not been seen. ‘It’s on the way to Gillingham. Right colour and everything. I got the key numbers so we can pick it up as soon as you like.’
Frank opens the doors of the van and starts to unload the contents where Jason indicates. ‘Hold your horses,’ he tells him, ‘I thought Rosa told you not to get involved.’ Jason helps drag the mangled metal from the van and stack it on the heap. ‘What she don’t know won’t hurt her,’ he insists.
Frank is less that keen to go behind Rosa’s back. She has a way of finding out these things and he would not wish to get on her wrong side, but Jason seems to be learning to keep his mouth shut so perhaps he should give him a chance to prove himself. A lad needs a little excitement now and then. He agrees to go with him and get the car tonight. ‘Just make sure nobody sees you,’ he warns.