The Reluctant Villain

by James Williams

  “I’m not really a cat person so your two probably sensed that fact”

  They made general conversation for the first few minutes and when the silence became a little strained Ernie got up and left with a promise to enquire about Stella’s welfare and notify Jenny when he knew something. Jenny did the same but once Ernie had gone she realised she had no way of contacting him.

  On his arrival home Gerry suddenly remembered his Gran usually went out on a Thursday afternoon so he had the house to himself. He found the letter his old boss had given him about contacting Albert Parker and he noted the phone number and dialled the solicitor’s office. A female answered the phone and when he asked to speak to her boss she replied,

  “I’m sorry sir, Mr Parker is out of the office for the rest of this week can one of the other partners assist you?”

  Gerry was about to hang up but on the spur of the moment he decided to explain his problem and as he spoke he could hear the woman typing notes on her computer. When he had finished speaking she read back her notes to Gerry to confirm they were correct. Gerry Agreed.

  “By coincidence, Mr Parker is visiting Mr Evans this evening and I can leave him a message if you wish”

  Gerry knew he didn’t have any other choice so he accepted her offer and gave his home number as contact details. He put the phone down and made himself a quick snack before going to meet Ernie.

  He found Ernie talking to the man who he had seen in the passenger seat of the van the previous evening. Gerry stood well back from the two men, not wishing to have any contact with the younger person but Ernie noticed him waiting and called him over. Reluctantly Gerry approached the couple and Ernie made the introductions,

  “Gerry this is Mark, Mark Gerry here might be joining us soon”

  Neither of the two attempted to shake hands, as Ernie carefully observed but he didn’t say anything further to Mark who walked away.

  “Ok Gerry, go upstairs and grab one of the tables in the corner, I need to check something in the office. I’ll be along in a couple of shakes”

  Gerry followed Ernie’s instructions and found a suitable table, far enough away from the three other people on the balcony. Meanwhile Ernie retrieved the small recorder and put in a new tape then slipped the recorder into one of his pockets.

  He re-joined Gerry and asked him if he wanted a drink, Gerry nodded and asked for an orange juice which Ernie went to collect. While he waited for Ernie, Gerry looked around the facilities. The cafeteria below was quiet with only about half a dozen people either seated or waiting to be served. He could see Mark removing items from a stack of boxes in the far corner and carry the items into a room which had a sign saying ‘Gymnasium.

  “You two have met before then”, Gerry had been so deep in his thoughts he hadn’t noticed Ernie return with the drinks.

  “Yes, he came into the shop a couple of times” Gerry hesitated before continuing “I think you should know Mr Newsham, he tried to steal something from the shop when Mr Evans was the owner”

  “First of all, Gerry, call me Ernie, we’re all on first name responses here”. Thanks for telling me that, I’ll have a word with Mark later

  He slipped his hand into his pocket to switch on the recorder before continuing,

  “When we met this morning, you looked like you didn’t know which way to turn, want to let me know what’s your problem?”

  Gerry spent the next ten minutes going over the details of his woes since Matthews took over from David Evans. He finished by talking about the plans Evans had drawn up with his solicitor apparently to foil Matthews from stealing his course and exam fees.

  At the mention of Parker’s name, Ernie became a little wary; he didn’t want anyone like that taking an interest in his current operation so he suggested to Gerry,

  “ Tell Mr Parker what you said about Matthews’ lying to the college, he’s probably broken several employment laws in the process. Have you got any plans or ideas of what work you would do if things went pear shaped with Matthews?”

  Not wishing to give the name of his source Gerry asked,

  “I’ve heard you might be looking for another assistant to help around the Centre, is that true?”

  Ernie was about to reply but he felt the recorder switch off as the tape reached the end of its spool. He had to turn the tape over but couldn’t do so in front of Gerry so he stood up, apologised and made an excuse to go to the bathroom. He came back a few minutes later, having turned the tape over and also decided on his tragedy.

  Having switched the recorder back on he sat down facing Gerry,

  “There is a vacancy here but there are some things you have to accept along with the everyday run of the mill tasks. You might be aware that as well as running this Centre I also run a small security service for local businesses. You would be expected, from time to time, to help in that area, no questions asked!”

  Gerry looked a little pensive at Ernie’s last remark,

  “You don’t mean the kind of service that bloke Bishops offers? Sorry Mr Newsham I’m not going to threaten anyone!”

  Ernie gave a short laugh,

  “I wouldn’t dream of asking you to threaten anybody Gerry, if people don’t want my security I’m obliged to point out the risks they could be taking. In the end it’s their decision and if they don’t listen to my advice, then so be it. Anyway, what experience do you have of friend Bishop?”

  Gerry told him about the time he threatened to burn down the Evans shop.

  Again, Ernie laughed,

  That’s Bishop for you all threats and no action. If he bothers any of my clients he will be sorry he ever came to this town”

  Gerry then remembered what happened when Colin Evans confronted Bishop and the subsequent action that followed. This time both men laughed. Ernie then moved the subject onto another area.

  “If I remember correctly you used to do some locksmith duties for David, do you still have a set of skeleton keys and the key cutting machine in the shop?”

  The discussion was now moving into an area that Gerry yearned to be doing more often and he walked into Ernie’s trap.

  “Before he left Mr Evans gave me the key cutting equipment and it’s now in the basement of Gran’s flat. He also gave me a brand new set of master keys which are better than the old set I used. That was quite lucky really, while I was away working at his other shop Matthews cleared out my old work area to accommodate his computer repair business and my old set of keys disappeared. I was fortunate that I managed to retrieve my box of engraving tools”

  Ernie suddenly felt it was his birthday and he was celebrating Christmas at the same time. He put as much concern as he could when he replied,

  “That’s not good, a set of skeleton keys in the wrong hands could prove problematic for a security firm like mine. Don’t worry Gerry, there’s no blame attached to you, if anybody is at fault it’s Matthews”

  The relief was clear on Gerry’s features and he wanted to move the conversation onto other areas,

  “What kind of work would I be doing in the Centre?”

  Ernie was also happy to progress speaking about other areas, it was too early in their relationship to push his young companion into a corner just yet.

  “Tell me if I’m barking up the wrong tree Gerry, you must be pretty handy when it comes to fixing machinery. I’m talking about assembling and dismantling bits of equipment. For example, like the kit in the gymnasium”

  Gerry looked a little pensive at first so he broached the question,

  “If you have the manuals for the equipment I could give it a go but I can’t be sure until I try”

  Ernie nodded,

  “At least you’re honest about it, which I like. What things like pumps, the type we have in the swimming pool, Oh, and can you swim? Mark stays well away from the pool in case he falls in. None of his family learned or so he says”

  Gerry had mixed feelings,

  “Yes, I can swim, in fact, I was thinking of taking up swim
ming to get fitter. I also have a first certificate in life saving techniques. As for the pump, isn’t that covered under a maintenance contract with the council?”

  “That’s correct, but I sometimes have to drain the pool to clean it out on health grounds. I just meant switching the pump on and off and maybe operating a steamer cleaner. Mark is not too hot on those kind of things. Look Gerry, I have other things to attend to right now so if you’ve got no further questions I have a couple of pieces of advice for you”

  Gerry shook his head so Ernie made his final point,

  “Right now, you still have a job, and until Matthews makes his move, which he will do, don’t do anything to give him cause to sack you. With what you’ve told me the solicitor should have enough grounds to at least get you some holiday pay. If he forces your hand and you have no choice but to walk away from the job, then again Parker could claim constructive dismissal on your behalf. Don’t tell anyone that you have another job lined up, I still have to notify the Council I’ve found my second assistant and the paperwork could take a couple of weeks to sort out”

  With that final comment he stood up and offered his hand to Gerry who accepted it with a smile. At least Gerry knew things weren’t such a disaster after all. But all his worries were not over as he would find out once he returned to his flat

  12

  Once again he had found his Gran in a distressed state, sitting in her favourite armchair, still wearing her outdoor coat. He knelt by her side,

  “What’s the matter Gran, is something wrong?”

  At first all she could do was nod her head so Gerry gave her time to compose herself. It took nearly five minutes of several sobs and sniffles before she finally spoke,

  “I heard some dreadful news this afternoon Gerald. Mrs Stockwell was rushed into hospital and somebody said she wouldn’t last the night”

  He took her hand in his own and said quietly,

  “That’s just speculation Gran, just wait and see, Mrs Stockwell is very resilient and she could make a full recovery. I’ll make you a cup of tea, that will make you feel better”

  After a few moments she released his hand and nodded. He went into the kitchen and thought about what he would say if his Gran started asking questions concerning his early arrival home. He found a packet of her favourite biscuits and took them out with the two cups of tea.

  Sure enough, she enquired as to his early return.

  “Mr Bradley had an appointment and the class finished early Gran” he said after finishing his second biscuit. There was an uneasy silence for several minutes which was interrupted by the phone suddenly ringing. With surprising speed, the old lady moved quickly to the phone before Gerry had time to answer it.

  Mrs Reynolds spoke into the receiver,

  “Hello? Yes, that’s correct. You want to speak to my Gerald? Who is this calling? Mr Parker did you say?”

  Gerry had not expected the call from the solicitor to be made this early and it put him in an awkward position. How could he talk about events at the college in front of his grandmother without arousing her suspicions? To his relief, she handed the receiver to him and walked out of the room.

  “Hello Mr Parker, I thought you wouldn’t be calling until this evening”

  Parker’s reply was terse and rather abrupt,

  “Well I’m here now so give me the details as quickly as possible, I have a train to catch that leaves in less than ten minutes”

  Gerry went over the events of the day, including the meeting with the Principal. The solicitor asked a couple of questions and after hearing the replies he spoke in a much friendlier manner,

  “Right Gerald, I will be back in my office tomorrow morning. Do you intend on going into work tomorrow or will you wait until I arrive? I would suggest you go to work as normal but don’t bring up the subject of course and exam fees if you can possibly help. If you feel uncomfortable just say I will be calling in to speak to Mr Matthews before lunchtime”

  Gerry said he would go into work and wait there for the solicitor and the line went dead. He nearly jumped out of his skin when his Gran asked him from the doorway,

  “Are you in some kind of trouble Gerald, why were you speaking to that solicitor?”

  There was no point in trying to hide the facts from her any more so he told his Gran the minimum of details but hopefully enough to satisfy her curiosity. Not so.

  “Gerald, people usually contact solicitors when they are in trouble. If you are not in trouble why do you need a solicitor? I know Mr Matthews is a difficult man to deal with at times but if you explain the situation calmly to him I’m sure he will see your point of view”

  Gerry took in a deep breath,

  Gran, ever since Mr Evans handed over the shop to Matthews my life has been a misery working for him. He gives me the most menial tasks to do and if I want a hot drink he charges me for it. He is now trying to cheat me out of money I was told by Mr Evans would be mine if my college course and exams were cancelled.

  “Matthews cancelled both yesterday evening and lied to the college Principal saying I was a troublemaker. If I don’t get this money I will have nothing to give towards the rent and food until I get a new job. I didn’t want to worry you about money but now you know everything. Does that satisfy you?”

  The shocked look on her face immediately told him he had gone too far. She sat back in her chair tears welling up and he tried to console her but it had no effect, her sobs cut into him like a knife and he hung his head in shame. After a few minutes he heard her speak,

  “In all the time we have been living together Gerald you have never spoken to me in that way. I can only put it down to the influence those items I showed you in the case have caused this bad feeling between us”

  Gerry stood up,

  “I’m sorry for talking to you like that Gran, I promise I’ll make it up to you” and he walked out of the room. Moments later she heard the front door close and she burst into more floods of tears.

  He must have walked around the town for more than an hour in the cold drizzle and finally went back to the library. At least Sally would understand. The woman who was on duty when he had called earlier was about to close up so he asked if Sally was around,

  “No dear, she phoned in sick and will be away for a couple of days. I told her you called and she gave me a message for you. She is feeling under the weather and doesn’t want any visitors in case anything is passed on to you and will be back in touch when she has recovered.”

  Grudgingly he made his way back to the flat.

  As he approached his home a figure was stood in the shadows who appeared to be watching the flat where he lived. Gerry turned in his direction but as soon as he did so the watcher moved away very quickly and disappeared down a side street. He toyed with the idea of trying to find that person but by now he was tired and hungry so he turned for home.

  His grandmother had retired to her room but had left a note for him saying she would be out for most of tomorrow. However, she had made him a sandwich and left him a piece of his favourite cake. Gerry saw this as a sign that he was forgiven for now.

  Taking Mr Parker’s advice Gerry turned up at work on time and was a little bemused at the almost, but not quite, friendly atmosphere in the shop. Abigail even said, ‘Good morning Gerry’ and Harry even offered to make him a cup of tea. No sign of the boss so he asked Abigail what were his duties for the time being?

  “Someone bought in a camcorder that needs repairing but I don’t have the time or inclination to waste time on that so put it in the outside storeroom for now, then you can go and ask Harry if he needs any help”

  He found the box with the damaged item, marked ‘Property of Councillor Fred Barnes’ and after asking Harry for the keys, deposited it as instructed in the outside storeroom.

  Harry was unpacking fresh stock for the display cabinets so he helped by marking all the accessories with the same serial number on the packaging.

  He had been working at this task for m
ore than thirty minutes when the boss arrived. Gerry caught him winking at Abigail before he spoke,

  “Good day at college yesterday Gerry?”

  In response Gerry made a non-committal grunt. Let’s see who is laughing once the solicitor has been to speak with you Mr ‘Clever Dick’.

  The boss was in his office completing the weekly pay cheques when Parker arrived and once he had introduced himself and his reason for calling, Abigail dashed into the Manager’s office. She came back out, looking flustered and invited the solicitor to go in and meet Mr Matthews.

  The meeting went on for about forty minutes and on a couple of occasions Matthews was heard raising his voice. When the meeting finally ended both men came out, Matthews glaring daggers in Gerry’s direction but Mr parker looking calmness personified. He spoke just loud enough for everyone to hear,

  “Gerald, I’ve concluded our business with Mr Matthews and he has given permission for you to accompany me to my car where I need you to sign some papers. It shouldn’t take more than thirty minutes”

  He turned, nodded at both Matthews and Abigail and, Said,

  “Good morning to you both” and indicated for Gerry to collect his coat and follow him out the door.

  No words were spoken until the two men had walked past two blocks of shops where they stopped and the solicitor asked,

  “Which bank do you pay your wages into Gerald?”

  Gerry gave the name of the bank and street where it was located. Parker nodded and led Gerry to his car which was parked two doors away from the bank. They got into the car and Parker opened his briefcase.

  “Sign these papers please, they will indicate to Mr Evans that I have discharged my duties as per his instructions”

  After he took back the papers from Gerry he handed him an envelope and asked him to open it. Inside were two cheques. One was his weekly wages and the other a cheque for a little over £1000. Letting out a small whistle Gerry said,

  Thank you Mr Parker, I didn’t realise Mr Evans paid that much for the college course and exams”