Assassins

by Ray Timms

  ‘Clearly not you, you, hussy.’ Sir Roger barked and then stormed off.

  *

  In the Clarence hotel, out in the corridor, Frank Guardo caught up with Mary Dewar and Cruid.

  ‘Mizz Dewar, I would like a word with you regarding the alleged attack in your home.’

  ‘Inspector Guardo,’ Mary said turning on the D.I. ‘I resent your use of the word alleged. And, I really have no wish to go over it again. As you can imagine, the experience was very distressing.’

  ‘I do appreciate that Mizz Dewar but as a detective I am compelled to follow the evidence. Now, you and I can do this here, right now, or we can do this down at the station, which is it to be?’

  Mary looked about her. ‘I am not speaking to you in a bloody hotel corridor Guardo.’

  ‘Then let’s go and find a table in the hotel lobby.’ Guardo said, indicating with his hand for the two of them to lead the way.

  Mary could see the Detective was determined to do this. ‘Very well.’ She said.

  In the lift, Cruid and Mary exchanged looks.

  Frank Guardo chose a table in quiet corner of the piano lounge. ‘We’ll sit here.’

  ‘Then I shall need a drink,’ Mary said waving her arm, attracting the attention of a waiter. Mary ordered a margarita, Cruid a pot of tea. ‘Are you not drinking Inspector Guardo?’

  Frank shook his head. ‘No, thank you, I am on duty.’

  Guardo waited for the drinks to arrive and then he took a document from his coat pocket.

  ‘I have here your sworn statement Mizz Dewar, and I confess parts of this doesn’t fit the facts. I should like to go over these with you and perhaps I can make sense of what actually occurred the night you say a man attacked you in your home. Do let me know if there is anything in your statement that you now wish to change.’

  Mary glared at the cop. ‘You have twenty minutes Guardo, and then I am out of here, you got that?’

  Frank nodded. If he had to arrest the pair of them he was going to get to the bottom of this mystery.

  ‘Mizz Dewar, ‘Frank began, ‘you said in your statement that when you arrived home from work, you entered your house and the first thing you noticed was dirt and twigs on the carpet, in the hall, and up the stairs. In your statement, you also say you went through to the kitchen and then out into the garden to check to see if the dirt and twigs indicated someone had been inside your house. You then found the back door, the one that led out to the garden was unlocked.’ Frank looked up from reading the document. ‘So far, do you stand by what you said?’

  ‘Yes, get on with it Guardo.’

  ‘Very well, ‘Frank said. ‘Now, we get to the parts of your statement that are at odds with the facts. ‘You claim, the tracks I saw in your lawn were caused by the heavy lawnmower your gardener used to mow the lawn. To my mind, the grass didn’t look as if it had been cut and the tracks resembled that of a heavy machine, the type that was most likely used to dig the hole I saw beneath the bushes at the back of your garden. When I asked you about that hole, you seemed confused. Having had time to reflect on that, can you explain that hole?’

  Sipping her margarita gave her time to think of a reply. She said. ‘My gardener’s small lawnmower was broken, so he had to use an industrial one. The hole in the ground was in preparation for some trees he planned to plant.’

  ‘And these trees that you speak of, were to be planted beneath an established rhododendron bush?’

  ‘Why not?’

  ‘Moving on,’ Frank said. ‘Your gardener, Tommy Castro, who conveniently happens to be your next door neighbour, dug the hole yes?’

  ‘Yes, I just said that.’ Mary said testily, looking at her watch, ‘you got another five minutes.’

  ‘When I visited your home that evening, following the truck driver’s 999 call, I took a statement from the driver to the effect: “I thought it was the woman that I hit but when I looked under my lorry I saw this huge man under there. He had to be dead.” Interestingly, Frank added, the lorry driver couldn’t understand why the man was covered in “dirt and twigs.”‘

  ‘There you are then,’ Mary snapped, ‘Get over it Columbo. The truck driver confirmed what I already told you. I was attacked in my own home.’

  Ignoring the interruption, Frank said, ‘the truck driver went on to say that after he had helped you out of the ditch he then returned to his lorry but when he checked underneath it, the man had disappeared. Mizz Dewar in your statement you make no mention of why that man may have wanted to attack you or where he disappeared to after he was struck down by the lorry.’

  ‘You’re the cop Columbo, you tell me,’ Mary said, checking her watch. She sighed. ‘Times up.’ Mary got up from her chair and picked up her handbag. ‘I am leaving.’

  The detective made a motion with his hand for her to sit back down.

  She did.

  ‘I almost believe you when you say you were the subject of an attack. However, I don’t accept your story that it was a lawnmower that made those tracks. I also don’t believe your explanation, the grave-shaped hole at the back of your garden, beneath an established tree, was for the purpose of planting another tree. I put it to you Mizz Dewar, this man came to your house that night because he had some sort of grievance with you both.’ Frank looked at Cruid whose face remained implacable. ‘I believe he visited your home to have that matter resolved and during that discourse, you and Cruid, with the assistance of Tommy Castro, attacked this man and then thinking he was dead you both put him in the duvet cover that I found covered in mud and grass in your dirty washing bin. You then dragged him across the lawn and then buried him in the hole that Tommy Castro had dug with his excavator, only… he wasn’t dead… was he Mizz Dewar? Because the next day, when you came home from work, this man that you had thought was dead was lying in wait for you. The problem I have Mizz Dewar, is where is your alleged assailant now? I have had my men check every A&E department for a man that fits the truck driver’s description and he has not showed up at any hospital. Are you not concerned Mizz Dewar that he may still be alive?’

  Frank saw Dewar shudder. He then said. ‘If this man is still alive Mizz Dewar, you may well be in grave danger. When we investigated the grass verges outside your home we found a gun. Ballistic checks on this firearm confirmed two days before your encounter with this man this gun was used in the murder of an innocent tour guide in the city centre.’

  Frank sat back and folded his arms. ‘I take it you are able to see why I believe you are in grave danger. Mizz Dewar, I can only protect you if you tell me everything you know. Because, if he is still alive, which is entirely possible, he is very likely even more angry with you and he may come after you again.’

  Getting to her feet, Mary drained her third margarita and said, ‘Guardo that is a load of rubbish. Goodbye.’

  After narrowly escaping death by being crushed under the wheels of the lorry, Sven then managed to haul his cut and broken body for several miles across fields before collapsing. Taking out his mobile phone and feeling very unwell, Sven called his backup team. An hour later, a helicopter equipped with a team of paramedics landed alongside him. Two minutes later Sven was being flown to a private hospital. The only words he spoke were:

  ‘I’ll be back.’

  Chapter Forty-five

  Edinburgh.

  The front garden was still a mess when Frank called round Jimmy Ross and Sheryl’s council house. He rang the bell. In the doorway, Frank got a hug from Sheryl.

  ‘It’s so good to see you again Frank,’ Sheryl said. ‘Come in. Can I get you a cuppa?’

  ‘That sounds nice, thank you Sheryl.’

  Frank found Jimmy watching TV in the small but clean sitting room. Jimmy got up and shook Frank’s hand.

  ‘Park yourself down here, Frank,’ Jimmy said, sitting back down and patting the cushion of the brown corduroy corner suite next to him.

  Frank sat down and waited while Jimmy found the TV remote and switched off the TV. Just then t
wo fair-haired girls ran into the room and stood shyly smiling up at him.

  ‘Say hello to daddy’s friend girls.’

  Frank shook hands with two-year-old Louisa and four-year old Charmaine and then listened as Sheryl give an account of their number and their alphabet skills.

  ‘Jimmy does all the teaching with them,’ Sheryl said looking on proudly as the girls recited the alphabet. Frank remembered that Beth’s had shone like Sheryl’s when their girls were small. Frank now wished that he’d spent more time with his two daughters at this age.

  Jimmy knew Frank wouldn’t forget. ‘You called round to give me my dosh Frank?’

  Sheryl looked round at Jimmy. ‘You never said it was Frank who hired you for the security work, Jimmy?’ Sheryl said, surprised. The only time Sheryl got to meet up with Frank was when Jimmy was in trouble. ‘Aw that’s so nice of you Frank. You should have said Jimmy.’

  Frank, pulling an envelope out of his coat pocket caught Jimmy’s wink. He wondered how much he’d told Sheryl. Very little he imagined.

  ‘It’s Charmaine’s birthday in two weeks and we plan to use some of that money to buy her a dolls house.’ Jimmy said proudly.

  When Jimmy handed the money over to Sheryl Frank smiled. ‘There’s a grand in there.’ Sheryl’s eyes boggled as she counted off the fifties.

  ‘I don’t understand,’ Jimmy said, looking at Frank. ‘I know you said I might get a bonus but that’s too much… are you sure?’

  Handing Jimmy another package, Frank said. ‘In there is a letter of commendation from the new Chief of Police and a medal for you. There is also a cheque for another grand. That money comes out of the Proceeds of Crime Fund. It’s given to individuals who in heroic ways help the police. I am very proud of you Jimmy.’

  Watching Jimmy and Sheryl embrace on the sofa, there were tears in Frank’s eyes.

  ‘I had better be off,’ Frank said getting to his feet. He placed a hand on Jimmy’s shoulder. ‘Don’t get up. I can see myself out.’

  Jimmy couldn’t look up at Frank, not with tears in his eyes. He nodded and patted Frank’s hand.

  Frank closed the front door. Seeing the hubcaps were still on his car, he had to smile.

  Almost Six months have passed and while he was in London on work business, Frank thought that he’d call in on Gavin and Fiona just see if they have settled into their posh house in Wimbledon they’d bought out of the money that Gavin got as severance pay and compensation.

  ‘Frank! ‘Gavin said opening the door to the unexpected but very welcome visitor at seven in the evening. ‘Come in. It’s so good to see you. How are you, how’s Beth and the girls. You look slimmer! You back on that diet again?’

  ‘Yup.’ Frank said rolling his eyes. ‘You look in good shape Gavin. How’s it working out for you, Lord Gavin of Marbury? Frank grinned.

  He followed Gavin through the lavish hallway and into the lounge. Frank couldn’t help raising his eyebrows when Fiona got up off the sofa and ran into his arms.

  ‘Frank! My word. It’s so good to see you again… what?’ Fiona said seeing his eyes staring at her bump. ‘Yeah, I’m a little over six months gone.’

  ‘My word, so it was conceived in Scotland then?’ Frank said, looking round at Gavin and Fiona who both looked a little embarrassed. ‘What?’ He said.

  ‘I don’t want you to arrest us Frank, but Fiona and I went up to the top of Arthurs Seat one day… and it was sunny… and things happened…’

  Frank’s eyes went wide. ‘You didn’t?’

  ‘It’s a boy,’ Fiona said, her eyes shining and hanging onto Gavin’s arm. ‘We plan to call him Arthur.’

  Frank laughed out loud. ‘Yes… he should be named: ‘Prince Arthur.”‘

  THE END.

  Assassins

  After the shock Brexit vote, Westminster was further rocked by news Scotland had voted to leave the UK.

  The UK Government was further enraged when a leaked email purported to show that Scotland’s First Minster was planning to overrun UK military bases and its oil platforms.

  When Scotland made English Parking Official, Gavin Brewson their King, the headstrong idealist took it upon himself to announce plans to nationalise the banks and other big corporates.

  Powerful people now queue up to have him stopped. The world’s top assassins with instructions to kill the King were sent up to Edinburgh.

  When the hitmen become involved in a jealous spat over which of them is to kill the King, they begin shooting at each other.