by SD Saunders
“It’s me, Mel”, Sarah smiled at her shocked face, “we did say one o’clock, didn’t we”.
“Oh, my god! Sarah? You look so different, what’s going on”?
Linking arms with her, Sarah ushered them out of the shop and over to the coffee house. Ordering two coffees and selecting a booth, they sat down opposite each other.
“Well, what’s with all this”, Melody waved her hand at her sister’s new look.
“I just decided a change was in order, do you like it”?
“Like it? I love it”, Melody enthused, a bemused smile on her face, “but what’s with the clothes”?
“I’ve been to see the solicitors, with the file you gave me. He said the divorce should be plain sailing”.
“So you’re really doing it then”.
“Yes, once I’d made up my mind, I saw no reason to delay. Also, I’ve got a job interview in an hour”.
“Wow sis, you really are moving on, where’s the job”?
“It’s just for an entry level office assistant at ‘Picture Perfect’, you know the photography shop just down the road”.
“I know it, they did Lucy’s birthday photos last year, didn’t they”?
“Yep, that’s the one. It would be a good job to get me back into the workforce”, she sighed, taking a sip of her cappuccino and licking the froth off her top lip.
“I think it’s a good idea; you always said you would return to work when Lucy started school, I never understood why you didn’t”.
“Rich always wanted me to stay at home, said I didn’t need to work and I guess I just went with it, but not anymore”, she admitted, a determined look on her face.
“What’s been happening with you, are you and Alex an item now”? Sarah asked, leaning forward, searching her sister’s face.
“We are, but we’re taking it slow”, she confessed, playing distractedly with her coffee cup.
“That’s the best way, I never could understand why people rush into things these days”, she sighed, reaching out to squeeze Melody’s hand. “How are the plans coming along for the gala”?
“Alex has it all under control, and my gown is finished”. Reaching into her bag, she pulled out her phone, scrolling through the photos, she found the latest snap of her gown. “Here it is”, passing Sarah the phone to look.
“Oh my, it’s beautiful, you will look amazing”, she enthused sliding the phone back across the table, “but will you be safe? I haven’t seen your bodyguard lately”, she stated, peering around the restaurant anxiously.
“Yes, I’ll be safe. Alex has his best men working security and of course, he’ll be by my side”. Taking a sip of her coffee, she continued. “Besides, it’s going to be bursting at the seams with guests. I’m sure no-one would try to do anything. And since the newspaper ran that article, I haven’t seen the white van. The thief probably knows the necklace is no longer in my possession, so I’m not in any danger sis. As for Rick, he is no longer on duty”.
“I can’t say I like it, Mel, I just hope you’re right”. Shifting forward, she smiled. “So tell me sis, what’s the latest with Charlotte. Is she still mad over that new guy at the vets”? They spent the next few minutes chatting light-heartedly, the laughter continuing as they headed back over to Melody’s shop. “Thanks for this”, Sarah sighed, hugging Melody tightly.
“Yes, it’s been good for us both”, Melody conceded, feeling happier with her sister’s new positive outlook. Stepping back, she looked at her. “Now go, knock them dead”, she laughed as Sarah shrugged, turning to leave, “and sis, let me know how it goes”, she called after her.
“I will”, she promised, blowing a kiss at Melody as she walked away.
Alex watched the security surveillance footage playing over on a loop on his computer, glad he had kept the pen drive and let Frank take a copy of it, while he had waited at the station. Pausing the footage at the sight of the van stopping on the road, he clicked it on frame by frame. Alex sat bolt upright in his chair, the frame paused on the man as he stood beside the van zooming in. He leaned in closer, scanning the frame. The sideways shot of the man revealed his baseball cap pulled low on his face, his lank brown jaw length hair hanging untidily around his face. Clicking the frames on until he stopped again as the man crossed the road and stood at the entranceway to the back of the shops. Dressed in scruffy jeans and a grey sweatshirt and what looked like black work boots, he stood watching the back of the shops. “What are you up to”? Alex muttered to himself, he certainly looked like a casual worker, but something did not feel right about him.
Pressing play, he watched as the man stood for a few minutes, his hand clenched tightly by his side, his fingers slowly uncurling as if he was counting. Pausing the frame, he zoomed in on the man’s hand, his four fingers held straight down his thumb tucked up in his palm, grabbing the basic map of the shops; Alex counted circling the fourth one in red biro. Pulling up the street view of the shops on google maps, he counted again stopping on the fourth building once again, an outdated shot of ‘Simple Crafts’ filled the screen. “Got you”, he seethed, slamming his fist on the table; this had to be their guy, he was certain of it now.
Pressing play once again, he watched as the man headed towards the front of the shops and out of sight. Rewinding the footage and freezing it as the man turned side-ways to walk to the front of the shops, he zoomed in; he took a screenshot and sent it to the printer. He stared at the screen scribbling notes down; five foot nine or ten, slim build, late forties, scruffy brown jaw length hair, slightly stooped shoulders. Dropping his pen on the desk, he picked up the photo still from the printer; picking up his phone, he made a call. “Rick, Alex here, where are you now? Right, change of plans mate; I want you back on bodyguard duty for Melody, thing is this time I want you to keep your distance. Yes, alright I see, but I don’t want her to know, no point worrying her again”. Briefing him on the footage of him counting the shops and the rough description of the man, he ended the call. Time to press the agency again, he decided; grabbing the photo still and his notes, he headed out of the office.
“Can I help you sir”? A girl dressed in a navy suit with a name badge pinned on her jacket lapel enquired as he stood waiting in the A1 Employment Agency; he quickly made his way over to her, checking her name badge. “Hi Sandra”, he spoke, flashing his best charming smile at her. “I’m here to see a Mrs Harper”.
“Do you have an appointment”, she blushed making her way back around her desk to the open diary. He guessed she was new at this job, she was at best only eighteen years old, her hesitancy spoke volumes to him, and he was sure she had not been here last time he had called into the Agency.
Alex watched as she fussed over the diary, her long red painted nails tapping the pages, her brown hair held back in a low ponytail hung over her shoulder. “No, I don’t have an appointment, but I need to speak with her today”. The refusal dying on her lips as he leaned over the desk giving her his lop-sided smile. “But it is quite important, and it will only take a few minutes” he coaxed.
“Okay, I’ll see if she can fit you in Mr…”?
“Knight, Alex Knight”.
Watching as Sandra hurried towards the back of the building and disappeared into one of the doors, Alex sank into a seat opposite her desk. The small room seemed crammed full, with four desks lining each wall, most of them currently occupied with employees busily typing away on their computers. A pathway between the rows of desks leading to what he assumed were two back offices, both with their doors shut, one being Mrs Harper’s he guessed as that had been the door Sandra had disappeared into, and to the right of them, another room, its door wide open revealing it to be a stock room full of boxes and office paraphernalia. A large photocopier stood to one side, which was currently spouting out photocopies while a flustered looking middle-aged woman with a pencil wedged into her neat bun styled hair, busily collected them and meticulously shuffled the copies into order.
Posters of different jobs lin
ed the walls from gardening to office work, each with a catchy slogan, ‘we cater for all, so give us a call’. One poster boasted, a picture of a man and woman, each balancing a tray dressed in black and white service uniforms. Looking at the cork board behind Sandra’s desk, he scanned the advertisements and holiday postcards dotted all over it, with a few witty pictures peeking through them, one caught his eye, it was of a toothbrush, the words ‘I do the worst job’! Bubbling out of it, next to it a toilet plunger, its bubble stating ‘really’? The corny picture making his lips twitch in amusement.
“She will see you now”, Sandra’s timid voice pulled him from his musings. “Door number 1”, she pointed towards the back.
“Thanks”, he smiled, making his way to the back, a determination in his stride. Closing the door behind him, he walked over to the desk.
“Take a seat Mr Knight”, she indicated to the chair opposite her desk. “Now how may I help you”, she asked, peering over her glasses at him. With steel grey hair pinned into a severe bun, the half-moon glasses perched precariously on the end of her nose, a beaded glasses chain hanging on each side of her face, her crisp white blouse continued the look of severity tucked into a navy pencil skirt, the matching jacket hanging on the back of her chair, she reminded Alex of a school matron, momentarily silencing him.
“Well”, she prodded, arching a well plucked eyebrow at him.
“I was hoping you might have some information for me”, he smiled, gathering his wits about him and reaching into his jacket pocket, withdrawing the photo still. “I came in the other day with another photo of this guy”, he pointed to the photo handing it over to her, “another lady I spoke to that day said you may employ him, I was hoping you may recognise him”.
Pushing her glasses up, she peered at the photo shaking her head. “We employ a multitude of people Mr Knight, and this is a rather vague photo, and even if I could recognise him, I’m sure you’re aware that we are not in the habit of divulging employee’s personal details”, she reproached, handing him back the photo in a dismissive manner.
“I’m well aware of that, but Mrs Harper, this person may be responsible for a break-in and following a young woman. We need to rule him out, the police already have this companies’ business card that we believe the thief dropped at the crime scene, so they may be in asking you these very same questions”, he appealed, handing her the photo once again.
Sighing, she reluctantly studied the photo, a frown settling on her face. “He was wearing an ‘odd job man’ baseball cap, whom I happen to know you find workers for”, Alex pressed, as she made her way over to a filing cabinet.
Returning to sit with two thin files, “Okay Mr Knight, one of these may or may not be your man”, she conceded, opening the top file, “do you have any other helpful information that might match one of these men to yours”, she paused tapping the files.
“He’s approximately late forties, approximately five foot nine or ten, drives an old model white ford transit connect van, brown jaw length hair”, he paused as she closed the first file, flipping the second one open and running her finger over the contents.
Pausing, she tapped her finger on one line, “this could be a match”, she looked up from the file “now as I said, I can’t give out too much information”, she peered over her glasses at him continuing, “this client is forty-eight and drives a white transit van, he has indeed worked for OJM, and matches the description you’ve provided”. Steepling her fingers, she leaned forward on her elbows, eyeing Alex intently. “If I do provide you with his name, you must promise to never divulge to anyone that it was from us, it could cause all kinds of trouble”.
“I understand, you have my word, when I speak to detective Marsh, I won’t reveal your company as my source”. Grabbing a scrap of paper, she wrote down the name, holding it out to him.
“I hope you catch him if he really is responsible for the break-in, my husband and I got broken into last year, I’ve never felt the same since”, she confessed, a sad smile softening her face.
“Thank you Mrs Harper this is great”. Alex stood, picking up the photo still from the desk and slipping it into his jacket pocket. Pausing, he looked at her, reaching behind, he retrieved his wallet from his back pocket and pulled out his business card. “If you ever need any security installed just give me a call”, he smiled, handing the card to her.
“I’m sure that won’t be necessary, but thank you Mr Knight”. She stood, taking the card and shaking his hand.
Standing outside the agency, he glanced down at the piece of paper and the name scrawled across the page. “Well Tim Abbott, I’m coming for you”, he snarled, stuffing the paper in his trouser pocket as he strode purposefully towards his office.
Chapter 11
Having dropped Toby home after work an hour ago, Melody now made her way to her car, her shopping bags weighing heavily in her hands with all the groceries she had bought for the up-coming dinner party on Saturday. She could probably feed an army, she grimaced as she shifted the biting handles to a slightly more comfortable position and hitching her tote bag higher on her shoulder. Locating her car in the busy supermarket car park, she loaded the shopping bags into the back seat, sliding into the driver’s seat, she threw her bag onto the passenger side. A large glass of wine is just what she needed now, she mused, turning the key in the ignition. The car started, spluttered and choked; turning the key again, she tried to start the car but the engine just made a coughing sound refusing to turn over. “Damn”, she swore, resting her head on the steering wheel, a brisk knock on her window making her start. Standing, peering in at her, stood Richard, a half-smile on his face. Winding the window down, she thanked her lucky stars the electrics of the car still worked.
“Bit of car trouble, Mel”? He leaned in, a smug smile settling on his face.
“Err yes, what are you doing here”, she snapped, thinking how could this day get any worse.
“Shopping of course”, he lifted a small bag of groceries, “let me give you a lift, you can call a tow company from my car if you like”.
Bristling, she refused, adding, “it’s okay, I’ll just call a cab”.
“Aw come-on Mel, that will take ages and your shopping will spoil”, he glanced at the bags in the back, “besides I pass your way on my way home”. Dropping her hands into her lap, Melody chewed on her bottom lip, she had so much left to do at home, she didn’t really have the time for this latest crisis. Surely accepting a lift from Richard wouldn’t be too bad; besides, he was right, by the time a cab would arrive, her groceries would spoil.
“Well, if you’re sure”, she smiled tightly, reaching for her bag and closing the window, stepping out of the car as he grabbed her grocery bags from the back.
“Over there”, he nodded towards his car, heading off to stow the bags in his boot. After locking her car, she made her way over to him, reluctantly sliding into the passenger seat.
“What do you mean, you lost her”! Alex growled down the phone as Rick explained again how he had found her car abandoned in the supermarket car park.
“One minute she was loading groceries into her car, next minute she was gone”, he groaned, “a bloody minivan blocked my view for like two minutes I swear”.
“Check the supermarket, maybe she went back in for something, and Rick, call me immediately if you find her”. Alex hung up, grabbing his jacket, he ran from the office and past a startled Jane to his car, maybe she headed home with a friend, he desperately thought instantly rejecting the idea. Dialling her number, he reached her voicemail again. “Damn”, he swore, raking his hand through his hair, “where are you, Mel”?
Richard drove them out of the supermarket car park, the silence between them grating on his nerves. Casting a look at her, he felt his anger boil; sitting back, resting her head on the headrest, her eyes closed like nothing was amiss, a carefree smile on her face. Well he would show that prissy little bitch, he thought, a malevolent look in his eyes. Turning back to the road, he took a
turning towards an abandoned industrial estate, stopping the car, a short while later at the back of one of the derelict old buildings, he cut the engine.
“W-where the hell are we”? Melody stuttered glancing around at the unfamiliar sight, a frisson of fear enveloping her.
“Now, now, where are your manners? Is our princess finally awake”, he sneered, a look of pure evil on his face.
“Richard, what’s going on”? She begged, pulling in vain at the car door handle.
“I’m afraid not, child locks come in very handy”, he cruelly laughed as she looked wildly around for escape, his hand snaking out and resting on her knee.
“Get off me, you scumbag”, she grated out, flicking his hand away.
“That’s no way to talk to your dear brother-in-law”, he snarled, “you always thought you were better than me, didn’t you princess”?
“Please Richard, I don’t know why you’re doing this but just stop it and take me home”, she pleaded looking at him, his face now contorted with rage, making him look like a stranger to her.
“Little innocent Melody, claiming she knows nothing. Well, it was your boyfriend who you had follow me, wasn’t it, getting some good snaps of me with another woman trying to wreck my marriage, or do you still want to play clueless”? He mocked leaning into her, his warm breath on her face making her stomach turn. “Meddling in things that don’t concern you, have consequences princess”.
“But you are cheating on my sister”, she gasped, reeling from the venom dripping in his voice.
“Yes and everything was fine until you decided to stick your nose in and mess things up, now she’s talking about divorcing me”!
“You vile creep! You have never been good enough for my sister, always wanting things you can’t have. Well, now she has finally seen you for the cheating pig you really are”, she ranted, her anger driving her on. “I’m glad she’s divorcing you”.