The Reluctant Villain

by James Williams

“Right Harry, take it to my discount shop in Hereford street. Take him with you to help unload”

  He left before Gerry could ask how long this extra work would take so he turned to Harry,

  “Hereford Street is over the other side of town. By the time we get there in the rush hour traffic and unload the van I won’t get home much before seven”

  “You want to argue the point with the boss? Remember what I just told you, we need to stick together. If there’s time I can drop you off near your home but there’s no guarantee”

  Gerry was tired and thoroughly fed up but he knew it would be silly to talk himself out of a job at this precise moment. So, he reluctantly got into the van and sat in total silence as they crawled through the heavy traffic which inevitably, was busier than normal partially because of the heavy rain now falling, to their destination in Hereford Street.

  Gerry was carrying the last box of stock into the shop’s storeroom when the manager called Harry to take a phone call from Matthews. The younger worker had a premonition of what was about to happen. And he was correct!

  Harry followed Gerry into the storeroom trying to hide the smile on his features but it didn’t fool Gerry.

  “Sorry mate, the boss wants me to take the van to one of the other shops to be ready for loading more stock to be moved tomorrow morning. It’s further away from your place so I suggest you get a bus or start walking”. With that final comment, he turned on his heels and as he went back into the shop Gerry could clearly hear the two men laughing.

  Dropping the final box onto the floor Gerry marched into the shop and confronted the manager,

  “I don’t suppose you can lend me the money for my bus fare home is there?”

  Both men laughed again,

  “Not a cat in hell’s chance kid, this is a proper business, not a charity shop. Now move yourself, I want to close up and go home as well”

  It was nearly eight o’clock by the time Gerry got home, soaked to the skin. His grandmother had left him a note to say his dinner was in the oven and she was having an early night. Just as well Gerry thought, the mood he was in it wouldn’t take much for another argument to start over the suitcase and its contents.

  10

  For the second morning in succession Matthews was waiting inside the shop for Gerry to arrive.

  “Don’t take your coat off, you’re needed over in Hereford Street, one of the worker’s has phoned in sick and you will have to cover for him”

  Gerry sneezed and after wiping his nose he said,

  “I’ll need some money for the bus fare Mr Matthews or it will take me the best part of an hour to get there”

  His boss did not look too pleased,

  “Use your own money and keep the ticket and I’ll reimburse you in your next pay packet”

  Now wise to his boss’s penny pinching attitude Gerry looked him straight in the face and lied,

  “Sorry Mr Matthews, I didn’t bring any money with me this morning

  For one moment the shop owner looked as if he was about to explode, then he took in a deep breath and walked over to Abigail who was standing next to the cash till and asked in clipped tones,

  “Give me £5 out of the till please and pass me the receipt book”

  “Here’s the money, date and sign the book and bring back any change along with any tickets, or you will have to pay back the full amount to me in person” and he handed Gerry the money after the receipt book was signed. However, Gerry hesitated on being handed the money,

  “Do you mind if I have the money in loose change Mr Matthews, some bus drivers insist on having the correct money or give you a credit note in exchange”

  Percival Matthews stared back at his assistant and after a few moments he called to the woman without taking his gaze from Gerry,

  “Abigail! £5 in change please!”

  He then snatched the £5 note from Gerry’s hand and left the change on the counter for him to retrieve. Gerry made a point of counting the money before putting it in his pocket.

  “Tony, the manager, will be watching your timekeeping and the same rules apply regarding any drinks you may have, so don’t hang about here, get a move on. If you’re not at the Hereford Road shop by nine fifteen I’ll be taking it out of your wages “and he dismissed Gerry by turning his back on him.

  Because it was a Saturday there was slightly less commuter traffic and he reached his destination in good time.

  Tony didn’t seem to be such a stickler for detail as their boss but Gerry was taking no chances, so he stuck to the rules about drink breaks and simply didn’t take any.

  By lunchtime the manager had noticed Gerry’s unwillingness to have beverages and he commented,

  “Old Percy’s rules don’t apply here to drinks breaks, I put up the cash for that so help yourself, but don’t take any liberties with the length of time you take”

  Gerry nodded his thanks, he was more familiar with the items on sale at this shop and the more relaxed atmosphere and was not too upset when Tony announced,

  “Gerry, I’ve just had a call from the boss to say you’re to come back here on Monday and possibly stay until the end of the week to cover for my usual staff member, is that ok with you?”

  “That’s fine by me but will I get my bus fares paid? This isn’t my normal place of work”

  Tony couldn’t answer but told him to keep his bus tickets anyway.

  The next day was a Sunday and Gerry saw very little of his grandmother so he didn’t have the opportunity to bring up the subject of how his parents died. This stalemate lasted through the whole of the following week and he was glad of the opportunity to call in the library and have a conversation with Sally on the following Friday evening.

  After exchanging pleasantries Sally asked him how his job was going and after the health of his grandmother. Gerry told her about how he was treated in work by everyone and how he wished he could find another job. Sally was silent for a couple of minutes before speaking quietly,

  “It’s not the kind of work you might have done before but Ernie Newsham is looking for a second assistant at the Leisure Centre. But Gerry, if you do go there to work, watch out for the other new bloke, he’s called Mark. He’s sly, devious and has a cruel streak in him. Ernie’s got his measure but you be careful of him”

  Gerry asked,

  “What’s he look like Sal?”

  “Quite tall, muscular but slim if you know what I mean and he’s got what you might call a kid’s face, some would call it a baby face. Oh, and he’s got a Yorkshire accent”

  Gerry gave a half laugh,

  “Sounds like the bloke who came into the shop a couple of times, I caught him trying to pinch something the first time. I’m certain I’d know him if I saw the bloke again”

  Sally touched his arm,

  “Ok but be careful of him Gerry. I’m sure Ernie’s aware of his tricks but I wouldn’t turn my back on him too many times”

  He took hold of her hand that was pressing on his arm and smiled, “Are you applying to be my guardian angel Sal? I’m sure there’s a vacancy”

  She blushed slightly and quickly changed the subject,

  “How’s your gran, I haven’t seen her in the library for ages, she used to be one of my regulars”

  Gerry frowned and took a few moments to reply,

  “We haven’t been hitting it off too well lately, I think she may have a health problem but I can never find a way to bring the subject up with her. And there’s other issues that have cropped up between us over the past week or so”

  “Like what?”

  Not wishing to break his promise to his Grandmother he only made a passing comment about the suitcase, its contents and how it seemed to worry the old lady. He wanted to ask Sally if she knew anything about his parents’ accident. But Sally’s interest had been aroused by his mention of the mystery suitcase and she gave his arm a squeeze,

  “Come on Gerry, tell me about your family’s hidden treasures, is it pirate gold or so
mething?”

  Realising he had divulged to much he simply said,

  “Nothing like that, just medals and stuff one of her ancestors bought back from South Africa at the beginning of this century. I can’t say any more, I promised Gran. Can we talk about my parents please Sal; You were around when they died”

  She looked at her watch,

  “I’ll be closing up in about twenty minutes, we could go for a drink or back to my place where there no nosey parkers to listen in on our chat” But other ears had already picked up their conversation and Graham Bishop standing in the next aisle of books had been listening intently for several minutes. Neither of the couple saw him leave with the gleam of greed in his eyes.

  “Sorry Sal, I’m working in another shop this week and I have to catch a bus and I daren’t be late. How about tomorrow night and then it doesn’t matter if I get up late”

  Sally raised her eyebrows but there was a hint of mischief in them,

  “Being a bit presumptuous aren’t we young Gerald? It sounds like you have other things on your mind!”

  Realising what he had just said he blushed and tried to stammer an apology but Sally stopped him and laughed,

  “Tell your gran you’re eating out tomorrow night and she might not see you until Sunday. That is, if you survive my cooking and other talents!”

  He looked into her eyes,

  “You know me, I could never resist a challenge” And on that comment they both stood up, squeezed hands and parted company, both with a keen anticipation of what the following evening might bring.

  His final day at the Hereford Street branch progressed smoothly and a phone call from his boss confirmed that he was to report back to his normal place of work on the following Monday.

  As he had not had contact with his grandmother the previous evening Gerry had left a note to say he wouldn’t want any food made for him and that he would be spending the evening, and possibly the night, with friends.

  True to her word, Sally cooked a wonderful meal for two and afterwards Gerry insisted on doing the washing up before they settled down with a bottle of wine and an intimate chat. She teased him mercilessly about being too domesticated and one day some woman would take advantage of that fact. He countered her teasing by saying he was open to offers and that she better hurry before someone else beat her. Sally just laughed but he could tell by the look on her face she might consider the challenge.

  Whether it was the relaxed atmosphere bought on by the wine, neither of them mentioned the previous evening’s subjects and quite soon after the second bottle of wine was consumed they retired to Sally’s warm and comfortable bed.

  They had previously spent several such nights together but this one surpassed all of them in their intimacy and passion and it lasted until the early hours of the morning before both fell asleep exhausted but satisfied.

  A howling wind and heavy rain splattering the window of the bedroom awoke them just before midday. After a late breakfast and the bad weather had subsided Gerry was sent on his way with Sally’s final words giving him food for thought.

  “I was saving up to buy a dishwasher but I might have to re-consider whether that money could be put to better use”.

  Over the next couple of months such thoughts would be far from the forefront of their minds and forthcoming events would change their lives forever.

  On his return on the Monday Gerry discovered the true reason for him being sent to the other shop. His workspace at the back of the shop had been completely transformed and it was taken up by equipment, presumably for the new repair workshop that Quinten had mentioned. His remaining tools had been dumped in a bin in the corner and he retrieved them and took everything he owned back home to his flat. However, one item was missing. His original set of master keys was nowhere to be found. He made enquiries with both Harry and Abigail but got no positive response from either. Fortunately, he had kept the new set of keys David Evans had given him back at home.

  He had only been back at his usual place of work for a couple of days when events began to unfold in ominous ways. Matthews and Harry were on one of their stock moving missions on that Wednesday afternoon when Abigail’s strident call had Gerry dashing into the main shop area from his mundane duties of brushing the back yard.

  “Gerry! Come here quick and tell this old biddy to get lost”

  On entering the shop, the first thing he noticed was Stella Stockwell leaning against one of the counters, apparently fighting for breath and almost on the point of collapse.

  He shouted at Abigail to fetch a chair and then a drink of water. She hesitated for a moment but on seeing the look of deep concern on his face she did his bidding as Gerry went to support Mrs Stockwell.

  Abigail brought in the chair and then fetched the drink, returning to find Gerry talking quietly to the old lady.

  “Mrs Stockwell, are you sure you don’t want me to call an ambulance for you?”

  She put a shaky hand on his forearm and spoke hoarsely,

  “No Gerald, thank you. Please allow me to rest here for a few minutes and then I shall be on my way. Bless you, my dear”

  He was not taken in by her assurances and spoke firmly but gently to her,

  “Mrs Stockwell, if you won’t let me call for an ambulance then I will order a taxi and take you home to your husband. I can’t let you walk out of here on your own, you look as if you might collapse at any moment and my Gran would box my ears is she found out I let you leave in this state”

  She smiled weakly,

  “Gerald, you are a good boy. I will do a deal with you. You can order a taxi if you promise to take me to a friend’s house near to where I live and she will walk home with me after. You see, my husband has a lot of worries at the moment and I don’t want to start him having concerns about me as well”

  Abigail had been listening to their conversation and spoke to Gerry in a hushed voice,

  “look, I want this sorted right now before the boss comes back. I’ll order the taxi, has she got money for the fare and what’s the address?”

  Stella looked directly at Abigail and spoke in a clear yet, stern voice,

  “I do not want charity from anyone, I do have the fare and I would like to go to Somerset Street. Thank you”

  Both Abigail and Gerry were taken aback by the coldness in her response and the woman left to make the phone call.

  While Abigail was out of earshot Stella took hold of Gerry’s arm in a surprisingly strong grip and spoke in a hushed tone once more,

  “Gerald. You will not tell anybody about this, not even your grandmother. It is very important to me, you understand?”. And she did not release her grip on his arm until he nodded in agreement.

  Abigail returned and confirmed the imminent arrival of the taxi and said to Gerry,

  “Don’t be long, or you’ll have some explaining to do to Mr Matthews”

  Having heard the comment Stella gave Abigail a withering look but said nothing. For her part, Abigail suddenly went bright pink and stood opened mouthed for several seconds before regaining her composure. The taxi arrived within the next couple of minutes and Gerry helped Stella climb into the back of the cab where he joined her.

  Once the vehicle started moving Stella seemed to make a full recovery and said to the taxi driver,

  “Driver, please take me to the corner of Somerset Street where we will get out” Gerry looked a bit confused at her change in demeanour and was about to speak when Stella tapped his leg and held up one finger for silence.

  “I am feeling much better now and I’ve just remembered that my friend is not home today so there is no point in calling on her. We will get out of this taxi and you can walk me the short distance to my home”

  Another tap on his leg made it clear there was no point in arguing the point.

  Having reached their destination, they got out of the vehicle and Stella paid the driver and he drove away. Before they started walking to Stella’s home she turned to face Gerry,

&
nbsp; “Gerald, please remember what I said, not a word to your grandmother or anyone else please. Now tell me, how is she in herself? The last time we spoke she was very nervous concerning something that she was reluctant to talk to me about”

  Not sure if he should talk to her regarding the suitcase and its contents he remained silent for a few moments before he finally blurted,

  “We haven’t been getting on too well lately, ever since Gran started to talk about and show me the contents of an old suitcase that’s been passed down through the family”

  Stella let out a short gasp and then spoke earnestly,

  “I told her she should not open that case again, it has a bad feeling surrounding it. Please Gerald, do not touch anything from inside that case it will bring you only bad luck”

  He couldn’t help letting out a small laugh at her words and was shocked at her reaction. She grabbed both his wrists in a vice like grip and stared at him intently. When she finally spoke the venom in her voice was apparent,

  “Do not make fun of such things Gerald, that suitcase harbours only evil and to even think that way may be a threat to you”

  Just as quickly she released his arms and looked down at the ground for several seconds and when she looked up at him again, it was with the face of the sweet old lady he only knew. When she spoke a second time it was with her usual soft nature,

  “Please do not worry about that case anymore Gerald, it has been arranged that it will not be your concern for much longer. Now dear, no more talk, walk me to my door please and remember my words I spoke to you when we talked about my Robin’s present”

  He hadn’t forgotten those words and they continued walking to the door of her flat. Then she turned to face him and gave him a kiss on both cheeks and silently mouthed the word ‘Goodbye’.

  He didn’t know how long he stood alone on the pavement until a voice behind him said,

  “Excuse me, can I get past please” and he turned around to face a woman with a toddler in a pushchair. He mumbled an apology and turned around to walk back to the shop not really sure if Mrs Stockwell had really been ill or had she engineered the whole episode just to talk to him. But Why?