The Reluctant Villain

by James Williams

  “I believe you are Mr Newsham’s assistant, I need the keys to his office please.”

  Gerry looked up from his work to face the person who had addressed him. A man in his late forties with a chubby face and receding hairline stood before him. He wore a very expensive suit and had an air of impatience about him.

  Even though Gerry recognised this man from a grainy video he asked innocently.

  “I’m sorry, this Centre is closed for refurbishment, who are you and why do you want to go into Mr Newsham’s office?”

  “I am Councillor Barnes and I want to go to Mr Newsham’s office immediately so give me the keys.”

  “I’m sorry Mr Barnes, I have strict instructions from Mr Newsham not to allow anyone into his office while he is away. If you tell me what it is you hope to find there I will look for you.”

  “I am quite capable of looking for myself thank you. Just give me the keys and get out of my way.” Barnes snapped back. But Gerry stood his ground and said quietly so that nobody else would hear.

  “Councillor Barnes, Mr Newsham doesn’t keep personal possessions like videos for example, in his office. They are locked away in his home and his house has a very good alarm system protecting it.”

  Barnes face went from bright crimson to a sickly grey as he realised that others might know of his past secret. For a moment Gerry wasn’t sure if the man was about to assault him, but instead, he gave a short choking cough and stormed out of the building. Moments later, Adam the supervisor, approached Gerry.

  “The Councillor didn’t look so happy, did you upset him? Anyway, me and my team are leaving now, we’ve just finished re-tiling the pool area and there’s no point starting on the next bit of work until we come back on Monday. By the way, I’ve looked at the exterior staircase and Ernie is right, it’s not safe so I will get it pulled down when we get back on Monday. In the meantime, I’ve hung a sign at the bottom of the stairs to say the structure is unsafe and should not be used.”

  Gerry nodded his thanks and watched as Adam and his team left the building. He had collected the new lock for the storeroom door that morning and decided to replace the old lock before going home.

  He had finished the task and was about to leave the building when he heard a crashing sound followed by someone’s loud scream. The noise had come from outside, after hastily locking up he went to investigate. He cautiously walked around the side of the building and turned the corner and found the source of the commotion.

  The first nine steps of the staircase to the outside balcony were still intact but the next two steps lay in broken pieces on the floor underneath. Hanging on to the stair above as if his life was in mortal danger was Councillor Barnes.

  One of his trouser legs was torn and blood was oozing from several cuts and grazes on his leg. Gerry walked over and stood to one side of the staircase and looked up at the forlorn figure.

  “What do you think you’re doing Mr Barnes? Didn’t you see the sign saying the stairs aren’t safe?”

  Barnes turned his head to look at Gerry but ignored his question. Instead he shouted back.

  “Don’t just stand there, get me a ladder or something before I fall and break a leg, I can’t hold on for much longer.”

  “Mr Barnes, your feet are no more than three feet off the ground, I’ll remove the broken pieces of wood so that you will have a safe place to land and I can catch hold of you to make sure you don’t hurt yourself.”

  “I need something soft to land on, I might break my ankle!” he moaned, but as he spoke his grip on the wooden plank started to slip. Gerry saw what was about to happen and stepped forward to break his fall. He was tall enough to just about put his arms around the waist of Barnes and lowered him to the ground as the man’s grip finally failed.

  Rather than show any gratitude for the help he had been given Barnes pushed himself away from the younger man and turned to accuse him.

  “I’m going to claim compensation for the injuries to my leg and the damage to my suit from you and Newsham.

  Gerry smiled mockingly.

  “And what about the sign that the supervisor put on the stairs to say they were unsafe and not to be used?”

  There was no such sign or notice that I could see.” was the reply from Barnes. Without another word he hobbled away and headed for his car which was parked nearby, but Gerry spotted something lying on the floor near the broken steps.

  He picked up the paper and read it out loudly for Barnes to clearly hear him:

  ‘DANGER: These stairs are not safe. Do not use them under any circumstances.’

  The right hand of the Councillor automatically went to the rear pocket of his trousers as he half turned to face Gerry. The guilty look was written all over his face and he cursed loudly and continued the unsteady walk towards his car.

  He waited until Barnes had left the car park and went back inside to secure the building for the weekend after completing an extra task of copying the notice left by Adam. He attached the notice to the bottom of the staircase and went home.

  When he returned to the Centre on the following Wednesday the lower section of the stairs had been removed thus denying any further access to the exterior balcony.

  He had been monitoring any phone calls to the office during Ernie’s absence and was surprised to hear a message from the man himself. It simply said that he had completed his business a lot quicker than expected and he would be arriving back home on the following weekend. It would be interesting to see who returned first, Ernie or Mark. A phone call to the flat late on the Sunday evening gave Gerry the answer.

  Ernie’s tired voice aroused Gerry from his dozing.

  “Gerry. I landed at Heathrow this morning and drove straight home, it was a very successful trip but I’ll tell you and Mark all about it tomorrow morning at the Centre. Make it about ten o’clock, did everything get sorted by you two?”

  Gerry had tried to put the events of that particular weekend behind him but Ernie’s comment brought them back into focus. He answered quietly.

  “As well as could be expected but enquiries are still being made about the fire. Mark is not back from his holiday break yet. I’ve been holding the fort on my own since you left.”

  “Where has he gone to? Look, don’t bother telling me now, you and me can talk things over in the morning.” The line went dead.

  Gerry was relieved that he would be able to inform Ernie about all the events that had taken place in his absence without Mark being present.

  Arriving at the Centre some thirty minutes before he was due to meet Ernie he was surprised to find his boss already on site and talking to Adam as they observed two workmen completing the demolition of the external staircase.

  Gerry related the visit by Councillor Barnes on the previous Friday evening and how he had to be rescued after attempting to climb up the stairs. Adam asked why someone would try to climb such an unsafe construction but Gerry shrugged his shoulders without answering.

  All three men went inside and after Adam had given Ernie a progress report on the refurbishment he went to join the rest of his team. Ernie indicated to his assistant to follow him to his office but not to speak until they were inside and out of earshot of anyone else.

  “So why was Barnes fool enough to climb those stairs, I saw your signal to Adam to drop the subject.”

  Gerry gave a little smile; this guy didn’t miss much.

  “Councillor Barnes paid us a visit on Friday and wanted the keys to this office but I didn’t let him in. I was just closing up when there was a crashing sound and a yell outside. I went to look and found him hanging on for dear life with blood dripping from scratches on his legs and his suit trousers torn to shreds.”

  “Ok, leave that with me. I think the Councillor needs a reminder that he’s not in a position to bargain. Now tell me about Bishop and the pharmacy fire.”

  Gerry wanted to delay talking and thinking about Stockwell’s death so he gave details of Bishop’s demise. He left out the news
that Bishop had pulled a gun on them until the end so that he could justify his actions regarding Kevin’s present to his brother. Upon the mention of Mark threatening him with the same gun when they were in Stockwell’s bedroom Ernie’s face went crimson and he thumped his desk.

  “Has he still got his father’s gun?”

  Gerry shook his head and explained Kevin’s reaction when he found out about the weapon and its subsequent disposal. Ernie heaved a sigh of relief until he was told of the discovery he had made in Mark’s room at the flat. Once again, Ernie’s desk felt the force of his anger.

  Are those guns still in the flat, if so we will have to move them before Mark returns.”

  Again, Gerry shook his head.

  “No, they’re in the storeroom upstairs amongst the builders’ material but I’ve changed the lock on the door. Mark will need to have access to that room or he will get suspicious once he discovers the switch I made.”

  On hearing the last comment Ernie gave a faint smile.

  “Switch? Tell me more?”

  He was given the details. By the time he finished telling the story Ernie was rocking with laughter.

  “Well done Gerry! You could always suggest that Kevin had made the swap before leaving just to delay things. Right, get him a spare key cut for the storeroom after I’ve moved the guns to a safer place. I’ll let Mark give me his version of the fire, unless you want to mention anything else now?”

  Gerry stared down at his hands and was silent for a moment. Ernie guessed he wasn’t sure how to communicate his real feelings so he waited patiently for the young man to speak in his own time. Finally, Gerry cleared his throat and said.

  “Until I joined you I’d never broken the law or been in any kind of trouble. In the past two weeks I’ve been involved in a couple of murders and before that, taken part in a number of burglaries. But from now on, I’m having nothing to do with any of your schemes that involve anyone else getting hurt, and if you or Mark try to trick me into doing so, you’ll never see me again.”

  He stood up and headed for the door but Ernie called him back.

  “Gerry, stop right there.”

  He hesitated and looked over his shoulder and in that time Ernie had reached him and blocked his exit from the room. He took Gerry’s arm in a vice like grip and marched him back to his chair and ordered him to sit down.

  Ernie sat back at his desk but when he spoke there was no denying the menace in his voice.

  “Like it or not Gerry, you’re in this little club as deep as me and Mark and nobody is just going to walk away from it. Ok, as I told you before, Stockwell was about to make life very difficult for us so we had no choice but to silence him. As for Bishop you knew he stole those items from your Gran’s flat and you swore vengeance, remember?”

  Gerry stared straight ahead, saying nothing, so Ernie continued.

  “When you and me or, you and Mark go out on a job I can’t give a cast iron guarantee that some daft sod won’t try to stick his nose into our business or some copper happens to amble by and catches us in the act of enforcing our security business. You think I, or Mark are going to just stand there with our hands up? No Chance! And neither will you unless you want to spend the rest of your life inside.

  “I don’t get any satisfaction from hurting someone just for the sheer hell of it. Maybe Mark does but not me or you. But any witnesses who could identify us have to be stopped from doing so. Gerry, I try to plan our jobs so that there is the minimum of risk of us getting caught, but sometimes things don’t work out that way.”

  Numerous thoughts and feelings ran through Gerry’s head as Ernie spoke, hostility, fear, defiance, but most of all loathing. Not just at some of the truths he had been forced to accept but loathing at his own weakness and the limited choices he would be left with to pursue.

  “Listen Gerry, I want you to take a few days away from here. Forget the last couple of incidents, you’ve been a damned good worker in the Centre and you deserve a break. I seem to remember you mentioning you wanted to visit Sally’s grave in Matlock. It would also be better if you weren’t around when Mark comes back so that I can smooth things out over the gun issue.”

  Gerry looked up at the mention of Sally’s name.

  “I don’t know anyone in Matlock who could direct me to where she is buried so what’s the point.”

  Ernie took out a pad from the desk drawer and wrote something down and passed it to him.

  “That’s the contact details of a B&B in the town, give it a ring. They may know some details or gossip about recent events.”

  Gerry wanted to ask how long Ernie had held these details from him but right now he didn’t trust his boss to tell him the truth. He took the piece of paper and started to rise from his chair but Ernie held up a hand.

  “Hang on Gerry, there’s a couple of things I need to say. First, I’ll give you a lift back to your flat and you can give me the box that held the guns. We’ll go in the security van, because knowing Mark he will have left the petrol tank low as usual.

  “But remember Gerry, if you try to do a runner while you’re away, I’ll find you and sort things out once and for all. This is a final warning. The only way you or Mark will be able to leave our group is feet first. Do I make myself clear?”

  There was no mistaking the threat in Ernie’s last comment. Both men stood up and left the room together and walked in silence to the vehicle. Ernie unlocked the door and was about to climb in when he noticed a scrap of paper in the foot-well of the van.

  He had repeatedly told Mark about throwing sweet wrappers and other rubbish around on the floor inside the van. He picked up the piece of paper but before stuffing it into his coat pocket to dispose of later he read the writing scrawled on it. Instead of discarding the note he folded it carefully and put it into his pocket.

  When they arrived at the flat Ernie asked Gerry how he discovered the box in Mark’s room. Feeling a little foolish at the explanation he offered, it was obvious that Ernie wasn’t convinced by the story.

  “He won’t buy that one Gerry, let me think for a moment.”

  He looked around for a few minutes before deciding.

  “Ok, you arrived home on the evening he left to go on his holiday. There was a noise in this room and at first you thought it was Mark and you called out to let him know you were back. Then there was a second much louder sound and a curse that you knew it wasn’t Mark.

  “Banging on his door didn’t bring any response so you opened it just in time to see a young kid climb out of the window. He was too quick for you and because it was dark outside you didn’t get a good look at him. That’s when you saw the half open drawer and you showed me the box when I came back this morning.”

  What about the guns being removed from the box?”

  Ernie’s answer was immediate.

  “Simple, you swapped the brick for the guns because you didn’t want them to fall into the wrong hands, especially any of the kids who attend the Centre.”

  Gerry was not completely convinced by Ernie’s version of events but he couldn’t think of anything better so he gave a resigned nod.

  “Ok, that’s sorted so now you pack a bag for your trip to Matlock and leave either later this afternoon, or at the very latest, first thing tomorrow morning. I don’t want Mark coming back and finding you here. I need time to decide what to do with those guns.”

  Gerry started packing as soon as Ernie had left, but a sudden fear hit him harder than he would have expected. He had never met any of Sally’s family before, would they hold him responsible in any way for her death? And would he find out the true reason why she left so suddenly.

  26

  It was just after ten o’clock at night when the coach pulled into the Bus Station in Matlock. There was no-one around for Gerry to ask directions to the B&B address that Ernie had given him. Having booked for three days, he allowed himself that amount of time to find out the truth about Sally’s death.

  No staff were visible with
in the bus station so he had little choice but to walk around the town in the hope of finding someone to ask directions. At first it seemed as if the whole place had decided to have an early night, not a solitary person passed him as he trudged the lonely streets.

  He was about to enter the first pub he came across when he heard a car pull up just behind him. A voice called out,

  “Excuse me sir, can I have a word with you before you go in there?”

  He turned to see two policemen get out of their patrol car and walk briskly towards him. He waited for them to reach his side before asking,

  “Thanks, you’ll save me the bother of going in here. Can you tell me am I heading in the right direction for Vicarage Road?”

  The older policeman spoke first,

  “What business do you have in Vicarage Road if you don’t mind me asking Mr ?..”

  Gerry was tired after his journey but experience had told him not to be flippant with his answer, as Mark had once been when they were walking home from work one night. His caustic remark nearly had them arrested.

  “I’m Gerry Reynolds and I’ve booked into a Bed and Breakfast establishment there for a couple of nights”

  The younger officer chipped in,

  “What number in Vicarage Road and do you have a contact name that we can check it out against”

  Gerry sighed and took out a piece of paper he had written the details on and passed it to the officer who took it off him and immediately returned to the patrol car. His colleague looked carefully at Gerry and asked casually.

  “Is this your first time in Matlock Mr Reynolds?”

  Not wanting to drag the conversation on for any longer than necessary he gave details of the last time he had been in the town and why he was returning. On hearing the reason for Gerry’s visit the officer relaxed.

  “Yes, I knew I’d seen you before. I recall that incident. You might not recognise me but I was the officer who stopped you walking down the street after you got out of the taxi, Remember?”

  Gerry didn’t recognise the officer but he was prepared to accept the man’s recall of the day. He just wanted to get into his digs and catch up on his lack of sleep. The other policeman came back from the car and said something to his colleague and they both turned around and walked briskly back to their patrol car. As he got into the driver’s seat the older officer called out.