I nodded my head vigorously, part out of fear and part out of wonderment. I carried on nodding until he spoke again.
‘You just be who you want to be, lad. Ain’t nobody else’s beeswax—’specially them police.’
‘Umm… yes, mister.’
I heard the bag rustle as he got up, retrieved his bike, and started his mumblings again.
‘Well, I wonder…’ I whispered under my breath. Grandad would never believe this when I told him. I wonder if he knew the man was Scottish.
*
At the church, it was the first time our family would interact with the rest of the community properly since Mr Phillips’s death, and I hoped they would still come despite everything. Grandad said that today, all that mattered was laying Mr Phillips to rest—nothing else. He hoped people would put their thoughts aside for an hour to pray for Mr Phillips.
As we all sat in the front pew, I tugged on Mum’s jacket to get her attention as she scanned the church behind us.
‘Mum, are you sure I should be here? I can easily slip out before the service starts.’
She tutted. ‘No, you aren’t leaving. You have every right to be here just as much as everyone else, alright?’
‘Okay, if you’re sure…’
The vicar gave a lovely speech, but there were a few hushed whispers behind our backs when he mentioned that Mr Phillips saw me as family. Mum put a stop to the chatter with one of her famous looks. All was quiet until we walked back out into the churchyard.
‘He’s a murdering git!’ yelled Mrs Kelly. ‘He should never have been allowed to this funeral. He should be rotting in prison,’ she spat.
Mum pushed me behind her as other members of the congregation muttered their agreement. ‘If any one of ya’s got anything to say about me or my boy, come and say it to my face!’ she shouted.
‘Mam, this isn’t the time,’ whispered Tina.
‘I know that, love, but they started it,’ she said so they could hear.
‘He wants hanging,’ a muffled male voice said.
‘Right, that’s enough!’ Mum said, squaring up to the crowd. ‘My boy is innocent, and I’ll have anybody who says different.’
I heard a bustling behind me and looked to find PC Williams striding towards us.
‘That’s enough, Anna,’ he said, taking her by the shoulders and guiding her back towards us. Grandad was shaking his head, but he had a hint of a smile on his face. ‘There’s a time and a place,’ he added.
Mum shook his hands off her shoulders. ‘I’m only sticking up for my lad.’
‘We all know that, Anna, but you know how it is,’ said the constable.
‘No, I don’t know. How about you explain it to me?’
PC Williams ignored her question and told us to get home before people started showing up for the wake. I doubted anyone would turn up, but a few people did. It seemed some of the community were starting to come around to the idea I wasn’t Mr Phillips’s killer.
When most of the people who had turned up started to leave, I got stuck into cleaning the pots. Pete had offered to help, but Tina wasn’t feeling well, so I said I was happy to do it alone, so he could take her home. I was scrubbing one of Mum’s best plates when something caught my eye outside. My insides dropped, as did the plate in my hands, which smashed as it hit another in the sink.
He was back in his suit, mingling with the mourners as they left. Had he been here the whole time? At the church too? No, he couldn’t have been; I’d have sensed it. Whatever the case, The Suit had found our home.
‘PC Williams! PC Williams!’ I yelled over and over as I ran through the house.
Grandad grabbed me as I burst into the dining room. ‘What is it, lad?’
‘He’s outside,’ I said, my voice now barely above a whisper.
‘Who’s outside?’ he asked.
‘Yes, who’s outside?’ asked PC Williams as he entered the dining room, most likely from the bathroom.
‘The Suit,’ I told them.
With that, the two men took off to the kitchen.
‘Be careful!’ Mum yelled after them as she took me by the shoulders. ‘Sit down, love, you look as white as the driven snow.’
‘Do you think they’ll catch him?’ I asked her.
‘I hope so, love, I really do,’ she said. ‘Then we can live our lives in peace.’
I paced up and down the dining room for what felt like hours as we waited for news on The Suit’s capture. But twenty minutes later, the two men came back, out of breath, red in the face, and sweaty.
Mum stood to greet them. ‘Well? Did you catch him?’
Both men looked at their feet. I knew that meant he’d got away.
‘We… lost him,’ said Grandad between raspy breaths.
‘What do you mean you lost him? He’s a full-grown man, not a set of keys,’ said Mum.
‘He was faster than us. He must be half our age, Anna,’ said the constable.
Mum puffed her cheeks out. ‘Where does that leave us?’
Grandad shrugged and shook his head.
‘Can I use your phone? I need to ring this into the station,’ PC Williams said.
‘Go ahead,’ said Mum. ‘You need to sit yoursen down,’ she said to Grandad.
‘I think I will,’ he said, still breathing funny.
‘I’ve phoned this in,’ PC Williams said as he returned from the kitchen ten minutes later. ‘They’re going to send a couple of patrol cars out to look for him. Are you sure it was him, John-Michael?’
‘Yes, it was definitely him,’ I told him.
‘Is that all they’re going to do, send a patrol car out? We all know that means they’ll have a quick scout around and finish up at the Golden Cod for a cod fry and chips. What about us? What if he comes back?’ Mum fretted.
‘I’ll stay in my car outside tonight, and we’ll see what we can sort out tomorrow, alright?’
‘I guess…’ she said.
‘I’ll be outside if you need me,’ PC Williams said, leaving the rest of us to wait in awkward silence.
Time ticked away slowly. My head ached, and I couldn’t sit still for long. I switched between pacing the floor and sitting at the table, willing time to speed up and bring with it news of The Suit’s arrest.
The phone rang, and the three of us jumped.
‘I’ll get it,’ Grandad said.
We all followed him to the kitchen.
He turned to the wall as he spoke to our mystery caller. ‘Chester residence.’
There was silence while we waited for whoever was on the other end to explain their reason for calling. Then Grandad finally replied; he sounded deflated.
‘Oh… yes, thank you. I’ll see to it. Goodnight.’
‘Who was it?’ asked Mum as he put the phone down.
‘That was one of the patrol cars. They’ve not been able to track him down, and I have some bad news,’ he said, rubbing the nape of his neck.
Mum snorted. ‘What could be worse than a deranged killer running around town?’
‘They went past the shop. One of the windows has been smashed,’ he said.
‘What?!’ Mum and I chimed together.
Grandad only hummed.
‘Blimey, someone needs to get down there. The place has probably been ransacked by now!’ said Mum.
‘I’m sure it’s fine, Mum,’ I said, though my stomach was doing somersaults, and not only because of the shop.
‘Gimme a minute. I’ll fetch some plywood from the garage and my tools. JC can help me board it up,’ said Grandad.
‘I’m not leaving Mum here on her own!’ I said. ‘What if he comes back?’
‘PC Williams is right outside.’
Mum snorted again. I suspected she had no faith in PC Williams’s protection.
‘Okay…’ I said reluctantly.
Mum sat down at the kitchen table.
‘We’ll get changed. JC, meet me in the car in ten. I’ll load up the wood and tools.’
‘Are you sure, Grandad? You don’t look too well.’ It was true; he’d been pale and out of breath since trying to chase down The Suit.
‘I’m fine,’ he snapped as he exited the room.
‘Will you be okay while we’re gone, Mum?’ I asked her.
‘Don’t worry about me, lad, I can take care of myself. Just be as quick as you can, okay?’
I nodded and went to get changed. I checked the guns were still secure and then went to wait in the car. PC Williams was sat in his car reading a copy of the News of the World. He could hardly protect Mum with his head stuck in the paper. I leaned across to the driver’s side and beeped on the horn. He stuck a thumb up at me and carried on reading.
Crap! I hoped he would pay attention once we were gone.
Grandad loaded up the boot and off we went.
‘What was the beeping for?’ he asked as we bumped down the uneven drive.
‘PC Williams is sat reading the paper. He’s meant to be keeping an eye out.’
‘Don’t worry, lad, he won’t be coming back tonight. We chased him off good and proper.’
‘Did you tell PC Williams about the shop?’ I asked him.
‘Yes, lad. Now stop fretting.’
I was worried, though. The Suit had got within feet of our home without me realising. He’d even followed me at some point. How could I have been so careless to draw him in so close? I’d played a dangerous game bringing the guns into our home, and now Mum was all alone.
All the way to the shop, I barely blinked as I kept an eye out for The Suit. I shivered as a feeling of dread hung in the air.
Chapter Twenty-four
At the shop, nothing had been taken, and I made Grandad fasten the plywood as quick as he could. I was almost bouncing on my heels waiting for him to get it done.
‘Stop panicking,’ he said. ‘Your mum will be fine. PC Williams knows what he’s doing.’
‘Okay, but we really need to get back,’ I said.
‘Get a brush and sweep the glass up. Take your mind off it for a minute.’
I managed to get rid of all the glass. I didn’t know what the window had been smashed with, but there was no evidence of it on the floor. Only the remnants of the window.
I kept glancing around, making sure we weren’t being watched. I knew The Suit was responsible for this mess. But why would he bother breaking in again? He knew he couldn’t get into the safes. Unless…
The pieces started to connect in my brain.
He’d been trying to draw me here on purpose.
‘Oh no. Mum!’ I gasped.
Grandad looked at me. ‘What is it, son?’
I practically threw the broom back into the shop, not caring where it landed. ‘We need to go home, Grandad—now!’
Grandad all too slowly put his hammer down. ‘Calm down, lad, what’s got you in a rush all of a sudden?’
‘It was The Suit. He did this, Grandad. He did it to lure us here, and we left Mum alone!’ I started pulling Grandad’s tools back into his toolbox as I spoke, then closed it up and stood, heading back to the car. ‘Come on!’ I yelled.
With a dramatic sigh, Grandad propped the rest of the planks against the side of the shop, and joined me at the car.
We hurried back, despite Grandad’s protests on breaking the speed limits, and when we pulled into our drive, I was relieved to find PC Williams had finished reading the paper. I jumped out of the car before it rolled to a stop and ran into the kitchen. The phone receiver was on the floor. I picked it up and hung it back in its cradle, thinking Grandad hadn’t replaced it properly.
I paused and listened for voices, the TV, or Mum’s record player. Nothing.
I was desperate to hear a sound. Anything to distract me from the feeling of dread I had inside my gut.
The same sensation hung in the air as I moved. I felt like a stranger in my own home. As though I was following the steps of someone who had been here only minutes before me. Their presence still lingered, casting shadows in my mirrors where there shouldn’t be any.
I moved to the hall, where shards of glass covered the floor. That’s odd. I thought Mum was doing better. Why had she smashed one of my mirrors?
I sniffed the air. A sour smell drew my attention. I couldn’t put my finger on it. The food from the wake couldn’t have gone off already, surely.
I shrugged and went back the way I’d come to get the sweeping brush and start cleaning up, all my senses on high alert.
I no longer trusted the mirrors. They taunted me, played tricks with my mind, cast shadows of an invisible presence.
When I heard a thud above my head, I glanced at the full-length mirror opposite the foot of the stairs, expecting to see Mum coming down.
But instead, I saw long, dark legs. A tailored jacket. A red tie.
The Suit looked across the landing at something before making his way down, and as he moved, so did I. I shoved the broom handle through the spindle of the staircase, causing him to trip. His arms and legs flapped about as he stumbled down the stairs before crashing into the mirror at the base and landing in a heap with the shattered glass. I pulled back the broom and noticed it had snapped.
Two sets of feet ran from the tiled kitchen floor, into the hallway. Despite the commotion, The Suit didn’t move.
‘What’s going on?!’ yelled PC Williams.
‘I’m sorry, Grandad, I’ve snapped the sweeping brush. How are we going to clean this mess up now?’ I mumbled, looking at the third pile of glass I’d seen that day.
‘Never mind that,’ he said as the duo pushed past me.
‘You’ve got him, JC,’ said PC Williams.
‘What you waiting for?’ shouted Grandad. ‘Get your cuffs out, quick!’
‘Oh crap, yeah.’
I watched as PC Williams fumbled for his handcuffs. He dropped them on the floor before finally holding them securely in his hand. On the ground, The Suit groaned.
Grandad threw his arm aside. ‘For God’s sake, hurry up, man.’
‘Alright!’ the constable yelled back as he fastened them on the intruder.
‘Where’s Anna?’ asked Grandad.
‘Mum?!’ I’d been so distracted by the glass I hadn’t found her.
I ran back down the hall to the front room, her room. No sign.
Next, the back sitting room. Nothing, only some leftover crockery I’d yet to clean away.
I headed for the dining room. A lamp had been knocked over, casting a shadow on the floor. I moved to stand it up, but it wasn’t a shadow. It was Mum, unmoving, still dressed in her funeral attire.
I crouched beside her. A small pool of blood stained the carpet near her head.
‘Mum,’ I whispered as I placed my ear closer to her face. She was unconscious but breathing.
‘Grandad! Grandad!’ I yelled. ‘Phone for an ambulance!’
I stroked her hair and waited. I refused to move from her side until the ambulance took her to the hospital. Grandad promised he’d drive me straight there once I’d spoken to the detectives who arrived in droves.
Chapter Twenty-five
Mum had to stay in hospital for a couple of nights after the incident, she drove the nurses and doctors crazy begging to be allowed out early. But after that things started to go back to normal after The Suit’s arrest, like Grandad and Mum promised they would.
I returned the guns to the safe in the shop until I could figure out what to do with them. We cleaned out Mr Phillips’s flat, donated his clothes to charity, and brought any items of value down into the storage room and the shop to sell. Business picked up. Tina’s belly was growing. Life couldn’t be better.
One Sunday afternoon with everyone sat around the table waiting for dinner to be served, I asked the family to quiet down, as I had an announcement to make.
I lowered my head. I could feel them all staring at me in awe. I’d never given an announcement. Ever.
‘Come on, lad, don’t keep us in suspense. What did you want to tell us?’ said Grand
ad.
‘Umm… what it is…’ I chewed my lip.
‘JC, just take your time and think your words through,’ offered Tina.
I took a deep breath and let the words form in my mind before I let them spill out. ‘I’m ready to try looking at you all again.’
My family gasped, then waited for my next move.
I looked at each one of their faces individually, then they all exploded into cheers and rounds of applause.
‘There you are, son,’ said Mum. ‘We’ve all missed seeing your beautiful baby blues.’
‘Thanks, Mum,’ I said, smiling at her.
‘I can’t believe it!’ exclaimed Tina. ‘It’s a miracle. They really are beautiful.’
‘Thanks, Tina.’
A warmth swelled inside me upon seeing all of their beaming faces. This was my family, and after everything we’d been through recently, I never wanted to let them out of my sight.
*
The day after my revelation, I gave Mum the afternoon off to go shopping for some new outfits. I wanted to inspect the guns again to see if I could find a way of getting rid of them. I took out some of the paperwork and the guns, then sat at the counter on my wooden stool to go through it all meticulously. I removed the guns carefully, checking for any secret compartments, but after finding nothing of interest, I fastened it back up.
I was about halfway through Mr Phillips’s paperwork when the bell above the door rang.
‘Be with you in a minute,’ I said, not looking up.
‘Take your time,’ a man’s voice said. Then I heard the lock on the door being turned.
My head flashed up. Two large men were stood near the door. One of them turned the open sign to closed, then they stood sentry at either side with their arms crossed. They both glared at me, nostrils flaring in tandem. The men wore black suits, and one was holding a briefcase by his side. They were the men I’d originally thought were working with The Suit. A third man came towards me; he had the same tanned skin as The Suit.
I stood from the stool and stepped back from the counter, dropping the sheet of paper I had in my hand.
‘Can I help you?’ I said, trying to sound confident even though I was terrified.
‘At last, we meet face to face. It’s true what they say about you,’ the man who approached the counter said, cocking his head. I detected a French accent similar to those on Allo Allo!
Mirror Man Page 16