The Reluctant Villain

by James Williams

  Her reaction caught Robin by surprise. She flung her arms around him, stood on tiptoe and kissed him on his left cheek.

  “And please remember me to Natalie”

  He nodded and let her out of the flat.

  As instructed, Mark had begun to put doubts into Gerry’s mind concerning Robin Stockwell’s good intentions.

  “Gerry, I’m telling you! Stockwell is going to go to the police once he gets back from Canada to say he can prove you and me were responsible for that fire in the chip shop! If he does that, you, me and probably Ernie will be grilled for all the other fires and break-ins that have taken place in this town”

  “But Ernie made sure we had alibis for those other jobs”

  “Ernie’s word will be worth nowt if that Inspector, what’s his name? Gates? gets involved. Ernie doesn’t like him from past encounters so if you think you can stand another session with that bloke, you’re kidding yourself.

  “Think Gerry, you won’t get bail, we’ll all end up on remand and that’s no kindergarten, believe me. There’re some tough cookies in there, some of them will make your hand an even worse mess than it is now Just for fun!”

  “You’re always making fun of my hand Mark, I ended up like this because of both you and Ernie’s methods of trying to frighten people to pay security fees”

  Mark stood up threateningly,

  “All you’ve done since you burnt your bloody hand is moan and whine! I’ve only poked fun about it just to get you used to how others could treat you. They’ll call you a cripple or spazy, so just get used to life, you moaner”

  Gerry stood up and started to walk out of the room but turned around before opening the door and said with equal venom,

  “Thanks a bunch Mark! The so called tough guy who wouldn’t go near water because daddy didn’t teach him to swim. Remember who saved you Mark? It was me!”

  Once he was outside the room he shivered, Mark was right, he wouldn’t survive even being on remand, let alone a prison term. But what could he do about it? If Stockwell went to the police it would only be a matter of time before he cracked under questioning and gave the game away.

  Robin Stockwell didn’t seem like a man who would succumb to either threats, bribery or blackmail, so what other options did they have? If Ernie’s only alternative suggestion was the unthinkable, i.e. murder Stockwell, who would do it. Mark had let it slip that his brother Kevin was coming on a visit, was that the end purpose to his journey here?

  His thoughts were interrupted by Ernie calling him to attend a meeting in his office in the next few minutes. He was relieved to see that there would only be the two of them in attendance.

  “Gerry, I need you to do me a favour tomorrow night. I will be leaving £3000 to be paid to Graham Bishop as part of the deal I made with him to dispose of some items on my Australia trip. Don’t worry, there will be a new security guard on duty to make sure Bishop doesn’t try any funny business.

  “The guard will hold onto the money until Bishop turns up at the rear of the Centre. Let him in and take him to the pool area where the money is to be handed over. If Bishop wants the money to be counted out, do it for him”

  “What happens then?” Gerry asked,

  “You make your excuses about going to check something in another part of the building and leave them alone in the pool area. If I tell you anymore it could incriminate both of us if anything should happen. No more questions please Gerry”

  Gerry hesitated, uncertain whether he should bring up the other subject that was concerning him.

  “Mark has been making remarks about Robin Stockwell and that he plans on going to see the police after he comes back from his trip abroad. Is this true?”

  Ernie looked at his young colleague for what seemed like an age to Gerry before giving his reply.

  “I’m afraid it’s true Gerry. And it leaves us with very little option as to how we must proceed”

  Gerry sat in stunned silence, the colour draining from his face. His boss didn’t have to say another word, the full realisation of what was required to be done hit him in the pit of his stomach.

  Ernie noticed the change in his complexion, opened the large drawer in his desk and took out a bottle of whisky and a couple of glasses. He half-filled each glass and passed one to Gerry.

  “Drink this lad, it’s not a pleasant thought but we have no choice, it’s him or us”

  Gerry took a swallow of his drink, coughed several times at the bitter taste and asked quietly,

  “Do I have to be there Ernie? I owe him a lot”

  Ernie suddenly became angry.

  “You owe him a lot! I owe him and his wife as much, if not more”

  He regained his composure and continued,

  “I don’t like this anymore than you, but if he goes to the police it will only be a matter of time before they catch up with us. I’ve no intention of spending the next several years behind bars and I’m sure you don’t relish the idea either.

  “Yes Gerry, I’m afraid you will have to assist Mark, I need a reliable person like you to make sure he doesn’t leave any clues behind”

  Gerry was trying desperately to find a way out for himself and he pleaded,

  “Ernie, I don’t know if I can go through with it, what about Mark’s brother, what’s his part in all this?”

  “Kevin is here to sort out some other business for me regarding Graham Bishop. I’m going to tell you things I didn’t want you to know so are you sure you want me to carry on?”

  Gerry nodded, anything to get his mind off Robin Stockwell.

  “As you know, my trip to Australia concerns items stolen by Bishop that will fetch a very good price over there. In trying to sell them off in London he shot the member of a gang and they are hot on his trail. He threatened to tell this gang about our work here unless I helped him. Nobody blackmails me and gets away with it, so Kevin is helping me sort things out.

  “Another thing I found out is that it was Bishop who stole those items from your Gran’s flat. He apparently heard you and Sally talking in the library”

  At the mention of his Gran Gerry suddenly took notice and said,

  “Let me sort out Bishop, Kevin and Mark can deal with the other matters”

  Ernie smiled,

  “Gerry, Bishop is much bigger and stronger than you. With the best will in the world you wouldn’t manage him on your own. No, this is a family matter and Kevin and Mark have first shout on Bishop. In case you didn’t know, he’s their father, real name is Bryan Ramsbottom”

  Gerry was speechless so Ernie continued,

  “Once Kevin has sorted him out, he’s going to dump the body in the river to make it look like he fell in on his way home from the pub. The pool will have to be cleaned out to make sure there are no signs of someone drowning in there”

  Gerry was desperate to change the subject,

  “What’s taking place with the refurbishment and what are Mark and I supposed to do while you’re away?”

  “You two can take a holiday as well, I’ve paid in some holiday money into your accounts but I need you to do a couple of patrols in that time, just to keep our customers happy. That shouldn’t stop you going away for a break somewhere, have you got anywhere in mind?”

  Gerry was quiet for a moment, then he spoke,

  “I might go up to Derbyshire and visit Sally’s grave, I never really got any chance to say goodbye”

  His head dropped and a single tear ran down his cheek before he managed to wipe it away with his sleeve. Ernie, having noted the reaction spoke quietly,

  “Take as long as you want, there won’t be that much to do around here with some parts being refurbished. Just one thing, both of you make sure nobody gets into our special storeroom and that it stays locked at all times.

  “I’ll be seeing Robin tomorrow so I’ll make sure he’s fully occupied before his trip to Canada. Mark has got special instructions that need not concern you but you must accompany him to Stockwell’s flat, understa
nd?”

  Gerry nodded, rose to his feet and left without saying another word. He was determined to get involved in some way with dealing with Bishop.

  Later that evening and with few people around, Ernie took Kevin to a couple of locations along the riverbank that would be ideal places to dispose of Bishop’s body.

  “I don’t want to know which location you choose to dump him, as long as it remains hidden for a while” was Ernie’s only comment. They went to collect Mark and the two brothers were left to talk family matters.

  Ernie was not pleased knowing Kevin was about to pass on a pair of replica hand guns that had been engineered to be capable of being lethal. Also included in the package were several rounds of ammunition to use in the guns. They would remain hidden for less than a month until Gerry eventually found them in his flat and passed them on to their boss.

  The following morning Ernie took Robin Stockwell to Andrew Phillips travel agency to collect his Canadian money and air tickets. Phillips attempted to stick to the rules about not handing over tickets until he had the passport details, but Ernie had his counter arguments ready.

  “Mr Phillips, I’m sure you have known Robin as an outstanding member of this community for many years and he would never knowingly want to break any rules. But his passport may not arrive until late morning and he will be pushed for time to bring it along to you for verification”

  The travel agent felt very uncomfortable in trying to stand up to the former policeman but he made one final attempt,

  “I realise you will be busy Mr Stockwell but I have rules to follow when it comes to these very necessary procedures. I’m sorry Robin it’s nothing personal I can assure you”

  However, Ernie knew the agent’s Achilles heel and played on his weakness.

  “We both appreciate there are rules to stick to but you might have a sudden rush of customers tomorrow and you wouldn’t want to lose a sale in those circumstances would you?”

  Seeing the doubt in Phillips eyes Ernie pressed home his alternative suggestion,

  “I believe it’s just a matter of filling in a form or two, so why not give Robin the paperwork now, including a spare copy in case of an error, he can fill in the details and if he has time, drop them in on his way to the airport. If he doesn’t have time then putting them in the post will mean you will receive the completed paperwork by Tuesday at the latest!

  Both Stockwell and Phillips seemed happy with this arrangement so once Robin had signed a cheque for the tickets and money, their business was concluded and Ernie drove Robin back to his flat.

  “Thank you for sorting out the passport problem Ernie, I believe the courier is supposed to arrive before 9.00am tomorrow morning, I would possibly have had time to drop the forms in but as you said, there could have been a hold up at Mr Phillips shop. I will fill in my details on the forms right away and just have the passport number to complete in the morning and then put them in the post box around the corner, along with the spare copy if I don’t need it.

  “I hope your trip to Australia goes well and that we can resolve the matters concerning Gerry’s burnt hand when we both arrive home. I’m just a little uncomfortable about the various versions I’ve been told”

  Ernie put a hand on his shoulder and said,

  “Put it out of your mind for now Robin, events will take care of things, just enjoy your break in Canada. One thing, can I suggest you leave those forms in a prominent place so you won’t have to go hunting around for them when your passport arrives”

  “I will place them on the coffee table under the two bottles of perfume I’m leaving behind for Jenny Potter when she calls around in the morning”

  They shook hands and Ernie left the pharmacist as he still had two further tasks to sort out before leaving for Heathrow and the perfect alibi.

  He called Gerry into his office to give him a couple of extra instructions. First of all, he was to remove the lane markers from the pool as it was overdue for a steam clean. Secondly, before handing over the money he was to offer Bishop a glass of whisky to show there were no hard feelings between Ernie and the thief. Ernie took out a bottle of whisky from the filing cabinet along with two glasses.

  Then it was time to give Mark his final orders. Ernie phoned him at the flat,

  “Mark, as well as the tickets and money you need to find, there are a couple of forms that Kevin will have to complete by filling in his passport details. These forms will be on the coffee table under some perfume bottles. Robin is kindly leaving the ideal accelerant to help spread the fire”

  Ernie put the phone down, still with the echo of Mark’s laughter ringing in his ear. He felt a little sorry for Robin but he should not have interfered in something that was none of his business in the first place. Once tonight’s work had been completed it only left one person to be removed from the equation on his return from Australia.

  There was no late session held in the pool area that evening so Gerry told the other staff members they could finish early. Subsequently, the café area was also deserted of patrons and the cleaners also finished their duties ahead of schedule.

  Gerry was just finishing the removal of the lane markers in the pool when he heard voices approaching from the car park entrance. Mark walked slightly ahead of a taller man who was evidently his brother Kevin. As they came closer Gerry noticed Mark carrying a bulky package that he held close to his body.

  Mark made the briefest of introductions although Kevin hardly seemed to acknowledge Gerry’s presence, he gave a slight nod in his direction and then continued looking around the pool area. Gerry laid down the pole with the grappling hook on the end on top of the rubber lane markers that still had droplets of water running into the drainage channels at the edge of the pool. Mark called to him over his shoulder as he headed towards the staircase that led to Ernie’s office,

  “I’m taking this box upstairs and getting Kevin one of the security jackets that Ernie told him to wear. Where’s the money you’re supposed to be handing over?”

  On Ernie’s desk” Gerry replied as he approached Kevin warily.

  “Hi, Ernie told me that I’m to meet Bishop, sorry your father, at the back door and bring him over to the table to count the money out for him. Then you take over, is that right?”

  Kevin looked at him with cold eyes but said nothing for what seemed like an age. When he finally spoke, Gerry felt a chill run down his spine.

  “You forgot one thing kid, then you disappear, this is a private family matter. The old man is not due for another ten minutes at least so stay well away from us if you know what’s good for you”

  Gerry wanted to protest but sensed he was already on dangerous ground so simply nodded his head. His only chance was to appeal to Mark, hoping he could convince his brother to allow him to stay in the vicinity. Instead he turned away and went up the staircase to speak with his colleague in the privacy of Ernie’s office.

  “Mark, Kevin told me that once your Dad turns up I have to leave the building, Ernie said nothing about doing that so I’m staying! If he forces me to leave then you can deal with Stockwell by yourself, it’s up to you”

  “If Kev says you have to scarper I’d advise you to listen, he doesn’t take too kindly to anyone who challenges him”

  Mark had already pocketed the bundle of money and was about to pick up three plastic cups and a bottle of whisky but Gerry stepped in front of his friend and blocked the exit from the office.

  “Mark, listen! I’m going to make sure your Dad pays for my Gran’s death, one way or the other. I’ll stay in the background by clearing up those lane markers or doing something else. Back me up or Stockwell is your responsibility!”

  Mark was about to argue but was interrupted by someone banging on the car park entrance door. He pointed to the jacket on the back of a chair and hissed,

  “Take that to Kev, he needs it as a disguise, I’ll do what I can but no promises”

  Gerry grabbed the jacket and ran down the stairs and tossed it
to Kevin as he was about to dash for the door but Kevin grabbed his arm and said,

  “Stall him, we need to hide somewhere before he comes in. The old bastard is early for a change”

  A second series of banging on the door was followed by Bishop’s impatient shouts,

  “Somebody let me in or I’ll break this friggin door down! its bloody cold out here!”

  Mark deposited the paper cups and bottle of alcohol onto a table and disappeared out of sight with his brother. Gerry took a deep breath and walked calmly to open the door.

  “About bloody time too kiddo, too busy reading your comics I suppose”

  Bishop pushed past Gerry and took a couple of steps inside before stopping abruptly. He looked around suspiciously, taking in the scene before turning to Gerry,

  “Newsham told me there would be a security guard here as well. Where’s he hiding then?”

  Gerry made a show of looking at his watch and said,

  “You’re five minutes early Mr Bishop, the security bloke doesn’t start until ten o’clock”

  As he finished speaking the sound of a toilet being flushed could be heard and he started walking towards the pool area but Bishop pulled him back by his shoulder.

  ”Hold it right there sunshine. There’s something not quite right here, don’t do anything sudden like, or I might be tempted to put a bullet in your backside”

  Ernie didn’t tell me anything about you carrying a gun and I don’t know how the security man will react”

  Bishop laugh was full of sarcasm,

  “Did Newsham expect me to walk in here with no insurance? Give me some credit, I’ve been in these situations before and nearly got caught out the last time. Now lead the way and no funny business”

  Gerry walked slowly ahead, debating whether he could risk trying to warn the others about Bishop’s claim to having a gun. He pushed open the swing door to the pool area and to his dismay one person was sat with his back to the door and the other was kneeling by the lane markers, apparently trying to disconnect them into smaller, more manageable lengths. At least Gerry now knew who was kneeling and why Mark was sat at the table.