“I searched all the drawers and cupboards and didn’t find any containers holding any keys, you know me, Mr Matthews, I’m very meticulous in my work. It could only have been the kid, Gerry, who took those keys or got rid of them”
They were all too busy hurling accusations around, trying to lay the blame on each other to notice that a fourth person had entered the shop from the yard. On arriving Gerry found the front door still locked with the closed sign and reason for the closure still on the door, so he gambled that the gate at the rear might be open and was proved correct. His anger had only subsided slightly since leaving the hospital but when he spoke in quiet, measured tones the other three turned with guilt showing on their faces,
“If you remember Abigail, I was not here the week you three refurbished the work area around the back and wasn’t even told it was going to happen. In fact, Mr Matthews, you made sure I was out of the way by sending me to Tony’s shop for the whole week”
He paused to let his words sink in and then continued,
“As a matter of fact, the container with the spare keys were in the bottom drawer of the desk, along with my tool box and a set of skeleton keys I was allowed to keep by Mr Evans. When I returned here after the work was completed I found my tool box had been dumped in the bins outside, but there was no sign of the container with the spare keys or my skeleton keys. So, whoever dumped part of my personal belongings in the bin couldn’t have failed to find the other items”
The shop owner tried to change the subject back on Gerry,
“So, your tools were dumped in the bin, you got them back didn’t you? What I want to know is where you’ve been all morning, I generously gave you the rest of yesterday afternoon off as part of your holiday entitlement and now you wander in here two hours later than everyone else and start accusing one of us of stealing some keys of yours”
Gerry felt the anger start to build up once more and there was no mistaking the menace in his voice,
“Yes Mr Matthews! I did get my tools back but whoever took those skeleton keys did one of two things. First they were thrown away or, whichever one of you took them passed them onto someone else. And that ‘someone else’ used them to break into my Grandmother’s flat and stole all her precious and personal belongings.
“I got home from Tony’s shop and found my Gran in a distressed state and shortly afterwards she collapsed and I had to call an ambulance to get her to hospital. You want to know where I’ve been Mr Matthews? Well, I was with my Grandmother from four o’clock until after midnight and again this morning. She’s laying in a coma and the doctors don’t know if she will recover!”.
He practically screamed out the last few words and kicked the door of one of the display units with such force it came off its hinges. They all stared at him in stunned silence but again it was Matthews who was the first to recover his composure.
“How does that have anything to do with any of us? You can’t come in here, throw accusations around and damage my property. I’ve a good mind to sack you right now!”
Gerry turned to face his boss, only his need to fully explain prevented him from punching Matthews right there and then. Instead he took a deep breath before speaking,
“This is what it’s got to do with at least one of you three. When I got back home I told you I found my Grandmother in a distressed state kneeling on her bedroom floor with an empty suitcase which had contained her personal treasures open on the bed. Next to the case, on the bed, were my missing keys.
“Only you three knew my Gran would be at the funeral and that I was in Tony’s shop yesterday. The only lucky thing about this incident is that she never came home while the burglar was still there. So, if I find out which one of you is involved you’d better find a safe hole to crawl into”
Matthews was silent for several seconds before asking,
“So, we can expect a visit from the police regarding these allegations can we?”
This was the one question that Gerry had not anticipated and his apparent reluctance to answer was seized on by his boss,
“Assuming of course, the police have been contacted. And I am guessing they have not! So, you think you can come in here and accuse one or all of us of stealing those keys do you?”
Gerry tried to deflect the attack but he realised he was on dodgy ground,
“It’s my Grandmother’s flat that was burgled, also it was her possessions that were stolen so it would be her decision to call the police. Right now, she’s not in a fit state to decide”
Matthews shook his head and knew he had found a flaw in Gerry’s defence,
“No, no. You could still report a crime has been committed; the police would investigate and see if it was worth pursuing. No Gerry, you’re trying to cover your own tracks and want to deflect from the truth by using those missing keys to drag innocent people into your affairs.
“I’ve had enough of your lies, poor timekeeping and below average commitment to working for me. I knew you were not worth employing from the moment I first saw you. You’re fired. Harry, throw him out!”
Before he could react Gerry was grabbed from behind by the larger man and forced towards the front door which Abigail had gleefully unlocked. He tried to resist but he was no match for Harry and he was propelled into the street where he landed on his side. He tried to roll over and rise but Harry put a large boot on his chest,
“Nobody accuses me of anything and gets away with it. Go on, try and get up and I’ll kick six bells out of you kid!”
“You’ll do nothing of the kind Harry! Let him go or I’ll dish out some of your own medicine to you!”
Harry turned around to see who had challenged him and came face to face with Ernie Newsham who was accompanied by Mark. Harry only hesitated for a split second before retreating into the shop, locking the door behind him.
Mark offered Gerry his hand and it was accepted but Gerry was visibly shaken by the ordeal and Ernie took note of his demeanour before speaking in a friendly voice,
“Let’s find somewhere quieter to talk and you can give me your version of what happened”
They found a café with only a couple of other clients inside further down the street. Ernie ordered two teas and cakes and sent Mark on an errand to enable Gerry to talk more openly with him. They sat in a corner, well away out of earshot of others and after a couple of minutes Ernie said,
“Whatever that incident with Harry was about I’m guessing it was done on orders from Matthews, am I right?” Gerry merely nodded but said nothing so Ernie continued,
“Look Gerry, we can get through this a lot quicker if you tell me the details, rather than me asking you questions and you nodding or shaking your head in response”
Gerry remained silent for a full minute, then he sighed deeply and told Ernie the events of the morning. When he had finished Ernie asked him a couple of questions,
“Do you have any idea how many items were in the case and could you describe any of them?”
“Judging by the number of cloth bags I saw on another occasion there must have been at least two dozen items but I was only shown two or three at most”
Ernie was thoughtful for a moment, digesting the facts so he asked another question,
“Did your Gran tell you what were in some of the other bags but didn’t show you?”
Before replying Gerry looked over both shoulders to make sure nobody else could hear when he gave his answer,
“It’s too long a story as to how they came into the family’s possession but she said there were uncut diamonds, maybe a few gold nuggets, most of my Mum’s jewellery and some tribal relics her relative had picked up in South Africa”
It was Ernie’s turn to sit in stunned silence and when he was about to comment Mark came back into the café. Ernie excused himself for a moment and spoke to his assistant and gave him some money before returning to the table.
“Sorry about that, Mark is getting himself a drink and cake but he won’t join us as I told him you wer
e talking personal issues and didn’t want anyone else to hear.
“As for the things you’ve just told me, there’s no precise details of the items to give the police and your Gran’s reluctance to report a crime wouldn’t help matters. In the circumstances I don’t think they would have much to get their teeth into”. But tell me, why doesn’t your Grandmother want the police involved, after all, some of those items would have been passed down to you”
Gerry looked around before answering in a hushed voice,
“She believes there was a curse put on the tribal items and that curse has contaminated the rest of the things that were alongside them in the case”
A faint smile crossed Ernie’s face and he only just managed to hold back the laughter and Gerry had noted the reaction and wouldn’t say any more.
“Come on Gerry, surely you don’t believe that kind of nonsense.
A thought suddenly crossed Gerry’s mind and he spoke without pausing to think what reaction it might have on his future.
“You knew Mrs Stockwells because Gran said you were in the group or circle she and her husband ran so you might have the answer that has been bothering me for years. Gran said my Dad and Mum took one of those tribal items to have it valued by some bloke who collected those kind of things. He kept the item for a while and then called my parents with an offer. They accepted his price and went to collect the money.
“On the way back, they were involved in a car accident and both my parents were killed. I’ve never been told the full story but Gran believed they were killed because they sold that item and it was the curse that killed them. I understand you were still in the police at that time, do you know what really happened?”
Gerry couldn’t understand why Ernie had turned a deathly white and seemed to be having trouble with his breathing.
“Are you ok Ernie, have I said something wrong?”
Ernie shook a hand in denial and slowly the colour came back to his features and his breathing became more regular. However, it was at least another minute before he was ready to speak,
“Sorry about that Gerry, I wasn’t expecting such a question like that from you. Listen, I probably can help you with some limited information on that matter but this is neither the time or place to talk about it. So, if it’s ok with you I can come around, say Sunday evening to your flat and tell you all I know about the accident, I could also have a brief look around to see if there are any clues regarding the burglary”
Immediately after finishing talking Ernie stood up so Gerry had little choice but to accept the offer and they walked over to Mark who was examining the contents of a bag he had bought in to the café.
Ernie turned his attention to Mark and asked,
“Did he have enough of those items I ordered?”
Mark nodded and stood up ready to leave but Ernie help up a hand,
“Hold on Mark, slight change of plans. I’m going to be busy tomorrow night so you will have to do the security patrol yourself but I’ll explain more later. I guess you will be visiting the hospital later Gerry, in the meantime let me know if there’s anything you need help with”
They parted company outside the café and Gerry returned to the flat before his visit to see his Gran. When he was out of hearing range Ernie turned to Mark,
“I should be in a position to make Gerry an offer he can’t refuse after my meeting with him on Sunday and we’ll have our new recruit. Meanwhile, it doesn’t look as if Matthews has discovered his loss, thanks to Harry leaving the key in the storeroom door” and both men chuckled as they walked back to the Leisure Centre.
Gerry made himself a snack and had another look to try and find the note with Sally’s phone number but without success. By the time he arrived at the hospital it was after three o’clock and he was relieved to note there was a different staff nurse on duty. She told him there had been no change in his Gran’s condition and the next doctor’s visit would take place the following morning.
He sat with his Gran for more than an hour, holding her hand throughout but getting no response from his periodic squeezes of her hand. A feeling of depression started to come over him and feeling a little guilty he left and went back home.
He made a second search of the flat in an attempt to find Sally’s number but instead of that he found the box with the brooch that Stella Stockwell had given him and recalled the words that accompanied the gift.
‘If you cannot wear the gift I want you to give it to your first love’ And he immediately thought of Sally. Why had he taken so long to accept the obvious?
But why had she left so suddenly without even a hint of her plans. Did she truly have the same feelings towards him as he was experiencing now. What would he do if she just laughed off his advances?
The phone rang at least three times before it registered in his mind and he dashed into the living room to pick up the receiver. Then he hesitated, what if it was the hospital with bad news? He stood motionless for several seconds until a female voice on the phone penetrated his thoughts,
“Hello? Hello? Is anyone there?”
Gerry heaved a sigh of relief.
“Hi Sally, I’m glad it’s you, I couldn’t find your new number anywhere”
“Oh? Isn’t your Gran there, I gave her all the details when I phoned last time. I know she wrote them down because I asked her to repeat what I had said, is anything wrong there, you sound a bit well, strange!”
He cleared his throat and told her all the news, from Mrs Stockwell’s death, his Gran’s collapse and him being fired by Matthews. The only thing he left out was the theft of the contents from the suitcase. It was Sally’s turn to be stunned into silence for the moment. When she spoke once more, there was a husky tone to her voice,
“God, Gerry I feel terrible! When you needed me most I wasn’t there for you I’m so sorry”
At these words he felt a great flood of emotion come over him. She really does care! He cleared his throat once more and asked,
“Are you ok Sal? Gran said something about your sister being pregnant and you had to leave to help her. I didn’t realise you even had a sister”
The silence on the other end of the line bothered Gerry, was there something Sally wasn’t telling him? He asked if she was still on the phone and moments later a nervous laugh answered him.
”Yes, everything’s ok here. Listen it’s better I tell you face to face about what’s going on but I’m a bit under the weather right now and I can’t come down to see you for a couple of weeks and I’m still settling in up here. Maybe when I’m sorted out you could come up for a visit?”
“I would like to do that but right now I have to be near the hospital in case things change with Gran. Also, I’m seeing Ernie tomorrow evening on a different matter although I’ve got a feeling he might offer me a job at the Leisure Centre”
“Remember what I said about Ernie, he can be very persuasive and he can talk you into doing things you could regret later.
“Have a think about this Gerry. If you moved up here, you could find something to your liking and I’m not just talking about work”. The last phrase was said with a distinct air of suggestiveness surrounding the words.
Gerry took the hint,
“Getting the best of both worlds, I like the sound of that”
Then her tone became a little more serious,
“Ok Gerry, I have things to do now so I’ll give you my address and phone number if you have a pen and paper handy”
He asked her to wait a moment and when he was ready she gave him the details. They spoke for a couple of minutes longer before she hung up. Gerry left the pad with the details on the table by the phone.
Sally sat back on the settee, putting both hands in a cupped motion over the bump that was starting to become more prominent. She knew Gerry was the father but would he accept that as the truth.
Her morning sickness was starting to ease but she didn’t feel confident in travelling far at present and besides there was the first sca
n due soon and she was feeling slightly nervous about what it would show. Was the doctor right in his diagnosis, could it really be twins?
16
There was no change in his Grandmother’s condition, nevertheless Gerry sat by her bed for more than an hour, but his thoughts were fixed on his conversation with Sally the night before.
It wasn’t so much what she had said, more of what had not been mentioned that exercised Gerry’s thoughts. Sally’s colleague at the library had spoken about a visit to the doctor’s and almost immediately after Sally moves to another town miles away without telling anyone the reason. Also, he could not recall her ever mentioning a sister, or for that matter, any other family member.
Before leaving the ward he asked the nurse in charge, more in hope than anything else, if there were any signs of improvement in his Gran’s condition. She checked the notes and shook her head but did say the doctor would be doing his rounds later that day and if there was any sign of change he would be informed.
Ernie arrived a lot earlier than he had expected and Gerry had only just finished eating when the doorbell rang and he showed his guest into the living room. He had hoped that he could have had time to formulate a clear set of questions to ask Ernie about the accident but his mind was not fully on that subject. Even though he had wanted answers for many years and this seemed to be the perfect opportunity, right now, he wouldn’t have minded a small postponement for a short while.
However, Ernie had gone through all the possible questions, and a few others besides, that Gerry was likely to ask and he was determined to control their meeting.
Ernie began by asking about his Grandmother and repeated his offer to assist and advise Gerry in any way required. And he was confident that the lad hadn’t given sufficient thought to all eventualities. Then when that time dawned he would close the trap very smoothly on Gerry without him realising what he had stepped into until it was too late.
“Ok Gerry, you asked me about the accident that killed your parents. That was a nasty business all round and the reason it caught me out yesterday in the café is very simple really. I was the second officer in that patrol car that was involved in the accident”
The Reluctant Villain Page 17