The Reluctant Villain

by James Williams

  “Never needed one”

  Ernie waited until the woman had disappeared around a corner before continuing,

  “You might not have needed one in the past but there may come a time in the future when you have to go abroad for whatever reason. As I mentioned, I’m sorting one out for Gerry, getting one for you would be just as simple. I don’t suppose you have a recent photo of yourself?”

  Mark hesitated before taking out an old battered wallet,

  “The only photo I’ve got is of me with my brother Kev, that’s no good is it?”

  Ernie frowned,

  “Not really, but let’s have a look, you’ve mentioned big brother a lot. I’d like to see if there’s any family resemblance”

  Mark gave a sarcastic laugh as he passed the photo to Ernie,

  “You’ve got to be bloody joking! I don’t look anything like Kevin, he looks more like the spitting image of our Dad, poor sod! I take after our Mum”

  Ernie switched on the interior light of the van. He took the photo from Mark, glanced quickly at it and then turned to observe something imaginary across the road.

  Eureka! It was Kevin he had seen in the picture back at Bishop’s flat. But was Mark aware his father now lived in the same town? His next question clarified the situation more clearly.

  “Doesn’t sound as if you have much time for your father, what if you suddenly met up somewhere?”

  Mark’s reaction was instant and venomous,

  “I’d kill the bastard! If he had looked after me like a proper father should, I could have made a decent fist of my life. You won’t believe this but when I were a kid I wanted to be a copper but he put paid to all that”

  “What about Kevin, does he feel the same way about Him?”

  “Yeah! But for different reasons which I ain’t talking about” was Mark’s response as he turned to face the pavement, signalling to Ernie not to pursue the matter any further. He passed the photo back to Mark and started the van’s engine and continued their surveillance tour of the area.

  The next afternoon Ernie carried out his promises to assist Gerry in sorting out the affairs of his Grandmother. In a further search of the flat, things were made slightly easier because Gerry had found birth certificates and other official documents, including another insurance policy paid on his Gran’s death.

  The visit to a local undertaker’s was the most difficult task to accomplish as it was yet another problem Gerry had no idea of what was expected of him and it fell to Ernie to finalise the arrangements. The most awkward moment came when the undertaker’s fee was announced.

  Gerry was speechless and stood with his mouth wide open until Ernie tapped him on the ankle. Outside the funeral parlour Gerry managed to find his voice,

  “Ernie, why did you agree to his price, I don’t have anything like that amount of money, not even if the insurance policies pay up the full amount”

  “Don’t worry about money for now, I’ll cover any extra you haven’t got, and we can sort it out at another time. Anyway, how do you feel about coming out with me tonight on one of my patrols, something to take your mind off these matters?”

  Ernie had deliberately engineered the situation, knowing Gerry would feel obliged to agree, and it worked.

  “Ok, but I don’t know what I will be able to do. Will Mark be coming along?”

  “No, I’m giving him the night off for once, you can do his job. Get some rest and grab something to eat, then meet me back at the rear of the Centre at ten o’clock”

  Gerry was so relieved to have other things to occupy his mind he was unaware of the trap Ernie had set for him. The second part would be to implicate the lad into assisting in a robbery.

  Gerry was wondering when to inform David Evans about his Gran’s death and that he was now working for Ernie. True, his ex-boss had said there would be no problem about a delay in paying rent on the flat if he lost his job. However, he wasn’t sure of the reaction if he suggested that there would be a new tenant to replace his Gran. And he already knew who he would ask.

  Ernie was waiting in the van for Gerry when he arrived and handed a padded jacket and told him to try it on for size. It was close to a perfect fit so he got into the passenger seat and they pulled out of the car park and headed towards the southern side of town.

  They chatted idly for a while until Ernie asked,

  “I forgot to check Gerry; do you have a full driving licence?”

  Gerry nodded,

  “Yes, but I’ve never had enough money to buy my own car, it’s not been a priority of mine”

  Ernie shrugged his shoulders,

  “In that case, it might give me the opportunity to have a night off from time to time and you and Mark can show your worth”

  Five minutes later he pulled up in a side street next to a warehouse.

  “I’m going to take a walk round this block to check things out, then you can do the same and report any suspicious activities, ok?”

  Gerry flinched,

  “What if you miss seeing someone and they jump me instead, I wouldn’t stand a chance”

  Ernie smiled,

  “This place is always quiet, I just want you to see if you can pick out any potential weaknesses in their security. Don’t worry Gerry, I’ll be following about fifty yards behind you in the van”

  Ernie got out of the van after picking up a torch and a two foot long nightstick, he then walked slowly down the road before turning a corner and disappearing.

  Expecting Ernie to re-appear from behind, Gerry kept watch in the wing mirror but it was fully ten minutes before his new boss came back around the corner in front of the van. Ernie got in and sat in the driver’s seat before speaking,

  “Slight change of plan, they’ve locked the gate at the end of the road so I couldn’t walk all the way round. You do the same and I’ll follow you in the van and I can turn around at the end”

  He handed Gerry the torch but kept the nightstick in the van.

  “Off you go then lad, just relax and walk as if you belong here”

  Gerry didn’t feel relaxed or if he belonged anywhere except at home but he tried to put on an air of confidence as he walked down the road. After turning the corner, he had gone a further twenty yards and noted a narrow alley on his left. He stopped, switched on the torch and shone it into the darkness. To his astonishment a man stood by several large boxes and started beckoning towards him.

  He looked back and saw Ernie drive the van past him at speed and turn the vehicle around and come back in his direction. A voice called out quietly,

  “Gerry! Get your arse down here and give me a bloody hand”

  He recognised Mark’s voice immediately and ran towards him,

  “What the hell’s going on Mark?”

  By now, Ernie had stopped the van by the alley entrance and had the back of the van open and he also called out,

  “Come on you two, move yourselves before someone sees us!”

  Mark thrust one box into Gerry’s arms and picked up another and ran towards the van. Without thinking about what he had been drawn into, Gerry followed him with his box.

  Throwing his box into the van Mark sprinted down the alley to collect another box and Gerry followed suit. When all four boxes had been deposited into the vehicle the three men got into their seats and Ernie drove away. From the moment Gerry had first spotted Mark to them leaving the scene had taken less than ninety seconds.

  “Gerry you did ok but speed is of the essence in this game. Right, we’re off to meet the Market Man to deliver his request”

  It was only at that moment that Gerry realised the whole situation had been set up as some sort of initiation into the group. He also had mixed feelings about the lack of trust Ernie had shown in him by not divulging beforehand what was about to happen.

  Contrasting that feeling, a buzz of excitement had taken hold of him during the episode and he could still savour its effect.

  Mark had noticed his colleague’s look of excitemen
t,

  “That were a good crack Gerry, you did ok mate”

  Ernie nodded in agreement and commented,

  “yes, welcome to the group. As I said we will meet up with our contact and you Gerry, will get your first bonus payment”

  Ernie drove onto the motorway and headed north to keep their rendezvous with the person called The Market Man. After driving for under an hour they pulled into a motorway service station and headed for an area of the car park that was almost deserted apart from a larger van than their own. But Ernie wasn’t intending stopping; instead he flashed his headlights twice as he drew up behind the other vehicle. Almost immediately, that van started up its engine and pulled out in front of them and proceeded to lead the way out of the service station

  To Gerry’s surprise, the lead van drove back onto the motorway and headed back in the direction they had come from but came off the motorway at the next junction. The two vans joined a dual carriageway and carried on for a further two miles before the lead van indicated that he was pulling into a large lay-by hidden from the main road by a clump of trees.

  Both vehicles stopped and Ernie switched off his engine and he and Mark got out. Gerry started to do follow them but Ernie held up his hand.

  “No Gerry, you wait here until I signal you it’s safe to get out. I need to speak with the Market Man first”

  Gerry did as he was told and watched his colleagues meet up with their contact. When the man alighted from his van Gerry could only stare open mouthed at the man’s stature. He was only a few inches short of seven feet tall but of only medium guild which gave him a rather odd appearance.

  The three men greeted each other and talked for a couple of minutes, during which time, Ernie pointed back at his van on a number of occasions. All three turned around to face Ernie’s van but it was the tall stranger who approached the van on his own. He climbed into the driver’s seat and said nothing, but appraised Gerry silently. Then he spoke with a well-educated voice that for some reason, caught Gerry by surprise.

  “Well young Gerry. You’ve joined Mr Newsham’s band of brigands to make your fortune I suppose. If, however, you decide at any time in the future to inform the authorities of our arrangement, it will take your relatives a long time to find your remains. Do you understand my meaning Gerry?”. And as he finished speaking he briefly undid the long coat he was wearing to reveal an eighteen inch long machete in its sheath strapped to his belt, once he was sure the weapon had seen he closed the coat again.

  His last words were spoken with such implied menace that Gerry could only nod several times. The man got out of the van and said in a more pleasant tone,

  “Time to unload the goodies you have bought me, we all need to get back to our respective homes”

  He walked back to the rear of his van and opened it up to receive the items and Gerry joined Ernie and Mark at the rear of their own van to collect the boxes they had bought along. However, as well as the four boxes Gerry and Mark had dumped in the van there was at least a dozen other smaller but heavier containers to be transferred.

  When the task was completed Ernie sent the other two back to sit in the van while he received the payment for the items. The two men shook hands and moved back to their respective vehicles. Before Ernie had got back in the driver’s seat the other van had pulled away and disappeared down the dual carriageway. Ernie only started the van’s engine after he passed some money to Gerry.

  “Here’s the bonus I promised you, Market Man was very pleased with his merchandise and added twenty pounds to your bonus. He’s not normally that generous so you must have made a good impression”

  Gerry gave a nervous laugh,

  “He certainly made an impression on me with that damn knife of his; does he always carry that thing around with him?”

  Mark was the first to reply,

  “Only when he’s collecting or delivering stuff, he’s a good bloke once you get to know him but I’d never cross him”

  Ernie turned right onto the dual carriageway and headed for home. His next operation already decided, stealing to order was getting more lucrative by the day. He still had to confront Fred Barnes regarding the video clips and the lever to be used to gain the councillor’s full cooperation.

  The day of Mrs Reynolds’ funeral finally arrived. Ernie had kept Gerry busy with maintenance tasks in the Centre but he was unsure of what reaction there might be from him on the day.

  With help from catering staff at the Centre Ernie had arranged a small meal for those attending the funeral. But it was a pointless gesture. Apart from Gerry and Ernie, only four other people came to the crematorium and they returned to their homes after the service was over. Gerry had kept his composure until he and Ernie returned to the Centre, then he vented his feelings,

  “Where were all those people she helped in the past, all those she visited when they had troubles or were sick. Those people she cooked meals for when they weren’t capable of doing so for themselves. She would spend hours slaving away in her kitchen to prepare food for those bastards! And not one could bother coming to her funeral! Well, if that’s the thanks you get around here for helping folk, this town can go to hell for all I fucking care!”

  He stood up suddenly and stormed out of the Centre before Ernie or Mark could react.

  Gerry spent the next two hours wondering aimlessly around the town, unaware of the constant drizzle that fell. He found himself across the road from his old workplace. He was not sure how long he stood there but in all that time not a soul entered the shop.

  Eventually the door opened and a figure came out and shouted something in his direction. It was Harry and when Gerry ignored him he waited for a break in the traffic and started to cross the road. This registered something in Gerry’s mind and he turned and quickly walked away.

  He carried on walking past a rank of shops and he suddenly went into one purely on impulse. It was an off licence store with a queue of four people waiting to be served but there was no staff around to be seen.

  He looked around to see if anyone had noticed him but all the customers were only interested in their purchases. He quietly picked up a bottle off the nearest shelf, turned around and left the store.

  He walked quickly away, glancing over his shoulder a couple of times to check if anyone was following but nobody seemed interested in him. . As he faced forward again he almost collided with a large figure walking in his direction and nearly dropped the bottle.

  “Steady on lad, you’ll do yourself or someone else a mischief dashing around like that” Sargent Proudfoot said, putting a hand on Gerry’s shoulder to steady him.

  Gerry stammered an apology and tried to get past the officer but he put out a restraining hand, and said,

  “You’re Gerry who used to work at Mr Evans’ shop aren’t you? I was sorry to hear about your Grandmother, she was a well-respected lady around here. Please accept my condolences for your loss”

  Gerry was lost for words and he felt as if he might burst into tears at any moment. This man was the first person to show any genuine remorse, not even Ernie had aired such a comment. However, he managed to hold himself together and said quietly,

  “Thanks for that Sargent. I’m in a bit of a rush, I need to get out of these wet clothes, can I go now?”

  Proudfoot eyed the bottle and commented,

  “I didn’t put you down as a Port drinker, you’re not going to drink all that on your own are you?”

  Gerry noticed the label on the bottle for the first time,

  “Oh no, I’ve got a friend coming around later who likes this stuff”

  The Sargent was not fully convinced by the answer but stepped to one side to let Gerry pass.

  Walking away he could feel the Sargent’s eyes watching him and Gerry broke into a sweat as he hurried for home clinging tightly to the bottle.

  He changed out of his wet clothes. Thinking back to how easy it had been to steal the bottle of Port, he felt that excitement buzz once more.

&n
bsp; He poured himself a large glass of the liquid and took a mouthful, almost gagging on the heavy, sweet taste as its warmth ran down his throat. Events of the last couple of weeks had changed his views on life and how it appeared you had to put number one first and let the rest fend for themselves. In the past he had followed his Gran’s advice and put other people’s needs before his own but now he was free to run with the wild herd and it gave him an inner glow.

  What to do next he thought, get totally drunk? Or make plans for his future?

  He remembered his plan for sharing the flat with someone and he knew what to do about that! Before carrying out his intentions he poured himself another large glass of port and felt a little light headed.

  He found the notepad by the phone, still on the page with Sally’s details so without hesitation he dialled her number. It rang more than a dozen times before the answer machine cut in. He tried to speak clearly but the drink had started to take affect and his message was not as coherent as he had wished,

  “Hi Sal, I need to speak to you, things have happened here and I want you to come and join me at the flat. Give me a call back ok?”

  Putting the phone down and wondering where she was while suddenly feeling nervous about what he had offered Sally. Would she call him back? Would she accept his offer? Anyway, why had she gone away and not told him she was leaving.

  That last thought bothered him and he poured himself another drink, noticing with slightly blurred vision that there was less than a third of the contents left in the bottle.

  Not finding any answers to his own questions he finished the remaining Port in the next half hour and fell into a deep drunken stupor on his Gran’s bed.

  The persistent ringing finally penetrated his heavy drunken sleep but on trying to stand up to retrieve the phone he almost fell backwards onto the bed, so he carefully sidled along the edge to pick up the receiver. He spoke blearily into the handset,

  “Hello, who is it?”

  There was a brief pause before he heard Sally’s voice,

  “Gerry? Are you ok? You sound as if you’ve had a skin full! Your message didn’t make much sense, is there a problem?”