He had anticipated Gerry’s reaction and he was correct down to the last detail. He sat in stunned silence and was unable to form a coherent response so Ernie continued with the biased view that made him look like the prime victim of the crash.
“We were on an emergency call and my oppo was driving and he went through a set of red and amber lights and hit the other car that must have also gone through a red light. Both cars overturned and I was flung out into someone’s front garden.
“The medics thought I had broken my back, although with the injuries I suffered it wouldn’t have been much worse if I had done. Anyway, as a result I was not considered to be fit enough to carry on in the force, despite me going through hell to get fit again. I have to say a lot of credit has to go to Mrs Stockwell who proved the doubters wrong by using her special skills to heal me. I ended up with a small police pension and had to take on the job of running the Centre to make ends meet.
“And I lost a good mate in Joe. He got away with a few cracked ribs and other cuts and bruises but after the crash his wife left him and emigrated to the States. What we didn’t know about Joe was that he had taken to drinking and that possibly slowed up his reactions and maybe he could have avoided hitting the other car. Sad thing, after his wife left him he got flung out of the force because of his drinking and within six months he committed suicide. I lost a good mate through that accident”
“And I lost my parents” Gerry spoke with a hint of bitterness. Ernie gave some acknowledgement to his comment but continued,
“Yes, that was bad luck but I believe your Grandmother was paid a compensation Package, presumably to look after you”
Gerry tried again to switch the tone of the conversation back to his parents,
“But if your mate had been drinking he should have been prosecuted for dangerous driving or drink-driving, didn’t that happen?”
Ernie sat slightly forward and looked down at his hands before replying,
“I spent several months in hospital and apart from a statement I made over a month later I wasn’t involved in the enquiry. Somebody even suggested that I was driving the patrol car but Joe admitted it was him. You see Gerry, I also suffered some memory lapses for a while and they looked on me as an unreliable witness.
“I did hear from one source that they found some traces of alcohol in your father’s blood but he wasn’t over the limit but that could have impaired his reactions. I’m not…”
Before he could continue there was a loud crash in another room and the sound of breaking glass. Both jumped up and went to check each room, Gerry found the cause in his Grandmother’s bedroom. There was an old fireplace with a mantelpiece surround in the bedroom and a long oblong mirror hanging above the fireplace had fallen and broken into several slivers of glass. One of those jagged pieces was sticking into the pillows on the bed. Another piece of glass had knocked the phone off the bedside cabinet. Gerry picked up the phone and placed it back in its proper place and noticed the time flashing on the handset. It was just after 7.42pm.
Ernie joined him and told him to find any old newspapers to wrap the glass in and then place the remains of the mirror frame along with the glass in the rubbish bin outside.
Ernie wanted to have a brief look around to see if there were any clues left behind by the burglar. Gerry explained where he had found the empty suitcase, along with the cloth bag and his keys which Ernie wanted to see. He noticed the label on the cloth bag and asked if all the items were in separate bags and marked in a similar fashion. Gerry confirmed these facts.
“I remember you telling me before that there were quite a few tribal relics and uncut diamonds and gold nuggets amongst the stolen items. They won’t be easy to get rid of in a hurry unless the thief has a readymade source to dispose of them.
“I’m guessing it’s a local thief who wouldn’t have the no-how what to do with them so they could still be around. I’ll make some discreet enquiries. Tell me Gerry, why didn’t your Grandmother want the police involved?”
“According to family sources there was supposed to be a curse on the relics and anyone who handled them or sold them on would come to a sticky end. Gran said that Mum and Dad were on their way back from selling one of the smaller relics to a specialist dealer somewhere out of town. They were on their way home after stopping for a meal to celebrate”
Ernie gave a little smile,
“Sheer coincidence and a small bit of bad luck more likely. Let’s go back into the living room and we can talk a bit about you working with me and Mark”
They had only been sat down for a couple of minutes when the phone rang. Gerry said he would take the call in his Gran’s bedroom after all, if it was Sally calling again he certainly didn’t want Ernie eavesdropping in on his conversation. But the call was from the hospital to tell him the doctor would like to speak to him in the morning at about ten o’clock. Gerry agreed to attend and returned to the living room. However, in the time he was out of the room Ernie had noticed Sally’s name on the notepad along with her address so he hastily copied them onto another page from the notepad before Gerry came back into the room.
“Why don’t you come to the Centre tomorrow morning and we can discuss in more detail what the job offers and go over any paperwork to make it official with the Council. I’ve got some work to do at home in the afternoon so you and Mark can have a chat and get to know each other a bit better”
Gerry held up a hand,
Sorry Ernie, that depends entirely on what happens at the hospital. Something has changed in my Gran’s condition and I will be seeing the doctor in the morning”
Ernie held back the irritation he was feeling at this potential spoiler to his plans so he came up with the following offer,
“How about I drop you off at the hospital for your appointment, wait for you outside and then take you back to the Centre. You can have what you want to eat off the menu at my expense. Deal?”
Gerry felt trapped, he didn’t fancy the idea of spending the whole afternoon in Mark’s company but he felt he had no option but to agree to Ernie’s offer. He grudgingly nodded his acceptance.
They both stood up, shook hands and Ernie left after they agreed a time for him to collect Gerry in the morning.
The doctor was waiting for Gerry in the ward office and it was apparent from the serious look on his face that he was the bearer of bad news. He invited Gerry to sit down before he explained the situation,
“Mr Reynolds, yesterday evening we believe your Grandmother suffered a stroke and her prospects of recovery are not promising. It happened not long after she was checked at just after 7.30pm and I was called to attend at 7.50pm”
Gerry’s features must have betrayed his thought at the mention of the timing and all he could visualise was the time on the phone in the bedroom flashing at 7.42pm.
“Mr Reynolds, did you hear what I said?” the doctor asked again.
Gerry came out of his trance like state,
“Sorry, no doctor, would you tell me again please?”
“I said, your Grandmother is on an intravenous drip and a breathing ventilator and she is comfortable at present”
Gerry swallowed and asked, surprisingly to himself in a calm voice,
“You said her prospects are not good. In that case, how long has she got left?”
The doctor had wanted to avoid going down that road but as the young man seemed ready to receive the bad news he continued,
“It used to be that if a stroke victim could last the first ten days there was a reasonable chance of a limited recovery. However, as your Grandmother was already in a coma I cannot see that rule applying. Putting it bluntly, she could go tomorrow or, she will last longer than that, there is no way of telling. We will make things as comfortable as possible for her but that’s all I can promise. If you have no further questions I must continue my ward rounds”
Gerry stood up to leave but the nurse attending the meeting put a hand on his arm.
“You can still
go and see your Gran, would you like a cup of tea, you look in need of one”
He gave her a weak smile and said in a husky voice,
“I’ll go and see her briefly but I have someone outside waiting to give me a lift, maybe next time I’ll have the tea” and he followed her to his Gran’s bed.
Five minutes later, after a brief visit to the toilet to compose himself, he was sat in Ernie’s car being driven to the Centre. He was asked how the meeting went but he gave only the briefest details. He didn’t want to change breaking down in front of anybody. He was a man. Men didn’t cry in public, well at least he wasn’t going to!
But Ernie read the signs. However, it didn’t suit him to make alternative arrangements that afternoon. He needed the answer to one question and Gerry had unwittingly provided the only source to give him that answer.
As the two men had already met there was no need for formal introductions so he reminded Mark on what to show Gerry and to take him to the café when he decided he wanted to eat. Gerry said he wasn’t hungry and wanted to get on with the reason for his visit. Once he was sure Mark and Gerry were getting on with things, Ernie left them to carry on, he headed for his agreed collection point to meet another person. Their round trip would take at least six hours so speed was of importance to them.
Mark took Gerry into the fringes of the gymnasium and gave a brief description of what would be required. They were about to leave when a female voice called out,
“Gerry isn’t it? Can I have a word?”
A tall very fit woman dressed in her work-out kit walked over to them. Gerry recognised her as WPC Bradley, his ex-tutor’s partner.
“You joining up here or just looking around Gerry? Lee told me what happened at the college. That sounds typically like the kind of stroke Matthews would pull”
Gerry nodded,
“Yeah, and he gave me the sack on Saturday, so I’m starting work here, Mark is showing me round. But what are you doing here, you look plenty fit enough to me?
She smiled,
“Steady on, young man, I’m happily married as you know. Actually, I’ve got my annual medical and fitness test coming up so I’m putting in extra work just to make sure I pass. Sorry I can’t stop to chat, I’m on duty in an hour, Bye” and she walked back to the weights bench.
After she had gone and the two had walked to the other side of the room Mark said,
“You jammy sod! I’ve been trying to chat that one up since she started coming here last week and now I find out she’s married”
“And she’s a copper as well!” Gerry told him and the look of horror on Mark’s face told him everything. He was no friend of the police.
“Bloody hell! Ernie told me some coppers come in here but I didn’t put her as one of them. Thanks mate, you’ve saved my bacon”
They bypassed the café and went into the pool area after walking through a door that had a sign reading:
‘Pool closed. No Lifeguard in attendance’
“I don’t feel happy in this place, it gives me the creeps” Mark said as they entered. Gerry immediately notice that his colleague kept a safe distance from the edge of the pool.
“Let me guess, you can’t swim” he said, “Didn’t you learn at school or your parents take you swimming when you were a kid?”
Mark turned to face him,
“My parents take me swimming? Do me a favour mate! They took me nowhere and taught me nowt! In fact, my Dad buggered off before I was ten years old and then my Mum Shacked up with some other louse. No! None of them bastards did anything for me or my brother Kev. If it wasn’t for him, I’d have more than likely ended up in some kids home. You were lucky having parents that did anything for you. Me? Absolutely sod all” The bitterness and ranker was quite evident in his voice as he spoke.
In his angry state Mark hadn’t noticed he had strayed in his direction and was walking at an angle towards the pool. He also hadn’t seen the hosepipe lying across his path.
Too late, he realised the danger and before he could stop his forward momentum his foot caught on the pipe and he toppled towards the edge. Gerry tried to grab his arm but he missed and Mark fell headlong into the pool with a frantic yell.
Frantically Gerry looked around for something he could pass to his colleague to grab hold of but Mark’s wild thrashing was taking him further away from the side of the pool.
There was only one other course of action he could take. He removed his shoes, jacket and jumped into the pool to try and aid Mark. He was waving his arms in all directions thus making it difficult for Gerry to get near him and he ignored his shouts to calm down. Mark briefly went under the surface of the water and when he came back up again his shouts and thrashing gained even more urgency.
Gerry managed to get behind Mark and put his hands under his armpits and slowly pull him backwards while kicking his feet to propel them to the side of the pool. But Mark was heavier and stronger, Gerry had not swum for many months and he soon began to tire.
There was the sound of two people jumping into the pool and seconds later the life guard took hold of Mark and guided him to the ladder at the end of the pool. The other person took up the same position that Gerry had adopted and started swimming backwards in the same direction with him relaxing against the chest of his rescuer.
By the time they reached the ladder the life guard had Mark standing on one of the lower rungs but supporting himself by gripping tightly to the rest of the frame.
Gerry took hold of the ladder frame and turned around to thank his rescuer who was pulling herself out of the pool. It was Karen Bradley and her top and shorts clung to her body, showing off all her contours in a very provocative manner. She offered Gerry her hand, which he accepted and with very little effort, pulled him out of the water. He stood staring at the woman standing in her wet clothes for several seconds and she gave a small laugh,
“Well at least you’ve made a quick recovery, come over here and sit down for a few minutes” and she gently, but firmly led him to a bench by the wall of the pool. Seconds later they were joined by Mark and the life guard who was less than pleased.
“Can you give a good reason why you two came in here when the sign on the door said the pool was closed and I wasn’t around?”
Mark was still catching his breath so Gerry spoke,
“This is my first day at work here and Ernie told Mark to show me round the Centre. I can swim but haven’t been near a pool in a couple of years and I’m way out of practise. Mark was telling me he never learnt to swim but he tripped over the hosepipe on the other side and fell in”
The life guard softened his tone only slightly,
“Well, if you’re going to work around here I’m going to recommend to Ernie that you get some practise in pretty sharpish and Mark has some lessons. Wait here and I’ll get you all some gowns and towels from the reception desk” He left the three by the pool.
By now Mark had recovered sufficiently to take an interest in the woman sitting next to Gerry. She in turn, didn’t appreciate his ogling of her and told him in no uncertain terms,
“Put your eyeballs back in their sockets sunshine, didn’t your parents tell you it’s rude to stare!?”
Mark’s eyes flashed and he retorted,
“My parents abandoned me when I were ten, they never taught me bugger all!”
WPC Bradley had encountered numerous young people who told a similar story and she knew from experience it would be counterproductive to pursue the matter further so she spoke in a softer voice,
“Ok, forget my last comment. Once the life guard returns with robes and towels go and get changed out of those wet clothes. Then get a hot, sweet drink inside yourselves, this little incident might have shaken you up more than you realised.
“It’s Mark isn’t it? If you want to talk to anyone about your situation I can put you in touch with someone who might be able to help”
Mark looked back at her and sneered,
“No thanks, I’ve had my fill
of do-gooders and bloody therapists. Just a waste of time and space if you ask me” and he deliberately turned to look in the opposite direction. She looked at Gerry, shrugged her shoulders and shook her head before getting to her feet, then walked to meet the life guard who had just entered the pool area carrying towels and robes. The two talked briefly before she took her items and headed for the changing room.
Craig, the life guard, gave the remaining items to Mark and Gerry.
“Go and get out of those wet clothes and bring them back to me and I’ll get them put into the drying room. When Ernie comes back I’m going to talk to him about your lack of swimming limitations, especially you Mark”
The two did as instructed and returned with their wet clothes and gave them to Craig who told them to come back in about an hour to collect them. They had hardly spoken to each other since the incident and Gerry was about to speak but Mark beat him to it,
“I suppose I should say thanks for trying to rescue me back there. But if that Craig thinks he’ll get me back in that pool again he can go and take a running jump. And if I ever meet up with my old man I’ll push him under and hold him there until he croaks”
Gerry laughed,
“You could only do that if you learn to swim properly and hope he hasn’t learnt in the meantime. Assuming of course, he’s still alive and your paths cross”
“Well, I’m not holding my breath and if he don’t come near here, all well and good. Otherwise…”
Ernie’s companion didn’t make the appointed meeting place so he made the journey by himself. It would mean a change of plans because as well as the visit he would have to check the immediate area for making sure a future visits would prove beneficial.
Sally had been surprised when he turned up at her door and she refused to let him in until he disclosed how he discovered her whereabouts. However, he made it quite clear that Gerry should not find out about his visit and she reluctantly agreed. He then explained the reason for his visit,
The Reluctant Villain Page 18