Paul McCartney's Coat

by Michael White

  “It is.” confirmed Billy. “Reflects the light if the sun catches it.” He moved closer to the rockery where the ornament had been installed and grabbed the top, tilting it. “Here’s the inscription on the bottom.” Sarah stared at it in wonder and took a picture of it. Checking the picture was okay by examining the camera display she nodded to Billy who let the ornament stand upright once again. Sarah noted the writing inside the bowl that clearly said, “End of Journey” and took a picture of that too, then a few more of the ornament in situ, as well as a few of the bucket that started it all.

  “I don’t get it though.” said Sarah. “Why does it say end of journey when it clearly isn’t. There’s another riddle there, isn’t there?” Sue smiled.

  “Indeed.” she said. “That was our problem. We now had three different bits of information to work on. Now it was getting really quite difficult. This made Billy smile too.

  “Though now we know the answer it was quite simple, really.”

  “Sort of.” said Sue. “It’s a bit like a narrative, you see.”

  “Narrative?” queried Sarah, not understanding.

  “Yes. Narrative. Or a message if you like. It was the answers to the riddles...”

  ***

  “Okay.” said Billy as they sat in the garden enjoying a cold drink, the ornament now sitting proudly on the rockery in front of them. “Let’s recap what we have so far.” Sue produced her notepad and turned over several of the pages before arriving at the correct one. She began to read.

  “The riddle on this one says, “What is it that you must give before you can keep it?”, and on the top it also says, “End of Journey”. Add to that we have a set of numbers on the base as well that read, “70866.05, 75957.4-” Billy frowned.

  “It’s the end of the journey but there still being another riddle to solve doesn’t make sense, does it? As well as the numbers. What the bloody hell are they all about?” Sue shook her head.

  “No idea. We know they’re not map references, anyway.” The pair of them had tried that the day before after Billy had suddenly come up with the idea of them being some sort of grid reference. Longitude and latitude. However when they had fired up the computer at home and put the numbers into Google Maps it had drawn a complete blank, which had scuttled Billy’s idea that the whole thing was like a treasure map of some sort.

  The pair of them sat in the sun for a while and Billy went to recharge their glasses before taking his seat once again. “Go right back to the start.” He said. “If this is the last one then what we have found so far may have a bearing.”

  “Okay.” said Sue, flipping over a few pages in her notebook. “The first one was a clock. Then the wheelbarrow, and the difficult one, which was a shadow. After that we had the candle and the bed which both led to the next one which was the thorn. Then it was the key, and finally a mirror. Plus the last one, which we haven’t got any idea about as of yet.” they both sat in silence for a while. Billy sipped his drink.

  “If you want to read a bit more into it you could almost make a story out of them objects.” He said, but then seemed to discount it. “Nah. I think I’m just reading too much into it.” Sue put the pad down and waited, but Billy had obviously thought better of it.

  “Go on.” she said. “At least give it a go. You never know.”

  “Okay.” said Billy.” The clock. That means time. Perhaps that this trail or hunt, or whatever you want to call it might take some time.” Sue nodded.

  “Makes sense.” she said. “Go on.”

  “Next was the wheelbarrow. That to me represents work. Time and work. Then we had the next clue which was a shadow. Perhaps that means something hidden. Remind me what the next one was.” Sue looked at her notebook.

  “That’s where it got interesting. We had the candle and the bed but both led to the same clue, which was the thorn.”

  “Yes.” said Billy, thinking. “That fits in with our theory of there being several trails leading to the same place in case some pieces got sold or what have you. So. The candle would mean light, and the bed rest. Both could I suppose mean wait and see what’s next. The thorn means a problem or a difficulty. The last one, the key of course means unlocking or opening, I imagine. Can’t see it being locking something up. Opening is a more reasonable explanation.” He paused to think for a while. “The mirror is the only one that doesn’t make sense. Reflects. Shows yourself. Nope. Doesn’t make any sense at all!”

  “That all sounds right to me, Billy.” Sue said. “I hadn’t spotted that. Well done!” Billy smiled weakly.

  “We’ve still got another riddle and those bloody numbers though.” They returned to silence as the afternoon wore on. After some time Sue opened her notebook once again.

  “What is it that you must give before you can keep it?” she read. “Well it can’t be an object, can it? You can’t give something away and then keep it. So it must be like an idea, or perhaps a thought. Not that you can give a thought away now, can you? She noticed Billy was staring at her and he burst into laughter.

  “Now you’re bloody talking to yourself!” he laughed, and Sue joined him. “I think this has taken over our lives, you know! We haven’t done any family trees all week!” Sue smiled back at him.

  “Well, you know what I’m like. Once I get a bee in my bonnet...”

  “Oh yes. Too right.” said Billy. “Never mind. When you’ve figured it all out I’ll treat you to a Chinese.”

  “Promise?” said Sue, raising an eyebrow. She was particularly fond of Chinese food and always looked forward to a treat.

  “Promise.” said Billy, raising his glass as if to toast her. Sue chuckled and they returned to silence, taking in the sun, trying not to stare too much at the ornament in pride of place on the rockery, the little mirror built into it twinkling in the sunlight.

  Billy suddenly felt himself turn cold. His face must have given him away for Sue was looking at him with concern.

  “What’s the matter, Billy?” she asked. “Are you alright?” Billy turned to her, and now a smile played at the edges of his mouth.

  “That’s it, Sue!” he yelled.

  “What?” she asked.

  “It’s only the bloody answer! “What is it that you must give before you can keep it?” It’s a promise. That’s the final clue. Whoever has set these riddles is promising us something.” Sue leaped up and put her arms around him, planting a big kiss on his forehead before settling herself down.

  “Put it all together again. Right from the beginning.” said Billy. “Time. work. Something hidden. Light or something revealed. Or a rest, or time to think, perhaps. Then a difficulty, something opening, then a promise.”

  “The mirror still doesn’t fit in with everything else though, does it?” she said.

  “It doesn’t does it?” said Billy. “Bugger. What next?”

  “There’s just the mirror and the numbers. That’s all that left.” As the sun began to head to the horizon they sat in the garden, but nothing else came to them. Eventually they retired indoors, and after tea off they went to bed. Sue, however, found it particularly difficult to let the final part of the puzzle, if indeed it was, rest. Billy read for a while but found himself slipping off and so put down his book and kissed Sue goodnight.

  “I think I’ll read just a bit longer.” said Sue, but Billy found himself grinning as he turned over to sleep, having noticed the notebook propped up on Sue’s bedside table.

  Sometime later Billy came awake with a sudden start. At first he couldn’t quite place what was happening but slowly he realised that it was Sue shaking him awake.

  “Billy!” she hissed. Billy sat upright, his ears now concentrating on what was surely the sound of a burglar coming up the stairs or the like. All he could manage, however, was a surly grunt.

  “Wha-” he said, and Sue shook him again.

  “I’ve got it!” she said. “I need you to get the computer running. I think I know what the numbers are.” Billy glanced at the clock on his
bedside table.

  “It’s bloody half past one in the morning!” he mumbled, wiping the sleep from his eyes.

  “I know that!” hissed Sue, and then she waited until Billy had more or less woken up. “It’s all about the mirror!” she said, finally. Billy nodded, letting her know that he was more or less completely awake now. “The numbers ARE longitude and latitude readings, I think.”

  “But they don’t go anywhere.” sighed Billy. “We checked on Google Maps, remember. “ Sue smiled, as if she knew something that Billy didn’t.

  “I know.” she said. “But if you saw them in a mirror they would be reversed, wouldn’t they?”

  Silence fell across the room.

  “Jesus.” said Billy, sitting bolt upright in bed now. “That’s true. I’ll go start the computer up.” He got out of bed and pulled his dressing gown on, mumbling to himself as he made his way downstairs. “That’s bloody clever!” Sue heard him say as he disappeared down the stairs. She got out of bed and followed him down.

  The computer seemed to take an age to start up. Eventually it was ready and Billy loaded up the page for Google Maps. “What are the numbers again?” he said and Sue looked at her notepad once again.

  “Well, they are written down here as, “70866.05, 75957.4-” But if you reverse them they would read,” Sue picked up a pen from the computer table and began to scribble. “50.66807, -4.75957”. Try that.” Billy dutifully typed the numbers in and pressed enter on the keyboard. The start page showed a picture of the British Isles, which spun then blurred and slowly came to a halt above Blundellsands, then jerked north and floated above Formby, then zoomed in further until it was hovering directly over a house. A small label popped up above what seemed to be the shape of a large house. It read, “The pottery”.

  “Well I’ll be damned.” said Billy, turning to Sue and hugging her. “You clever, clever bugger you!”

  In the barely lit back room the computer screen continued to flicker slightly, illuminating the table it was sat on, the map upon its screen showing the final location of the mystery. Both of them at that point wished that morning would come a lot sooner than it normally would.

  Part Three: The Wenceslas Red

  “I’ll tell you, morning couldn’t come quick enough, Sarah!” said Billy, and Sarah just continued scribbling into her pad, caught up in the story.

  “That bit with the mirror was really crafty!” she said. “I really don’t know how you worked that one out.”

  “It’s a bit odd really.” said Sue thoughtfully. “It’s almost as if you try to stop thinking about something and then the answer seems to pop into your head all on its own.”

  “I have a friend who does that.” said the journalist, putting her pad down. “If she’s ever lost anything then she just stops looking for it and it seems to turn up on its own within minutes.” Billy laughed.

  “Didn’t seem to work with Lord Lucan or Shergar.” he said and the two women laughed. Sarah took up her notepad again.

  “So what happened next?” she said, pen poised.

  ***

  The night passed slowly. Billy and Sue attempted to get some sleep but spent most of the night tossing and turning. By five o’clock Billy finally gave up on even trying to pretend to be asleep and got up to make some coffee. Sue joined him just as the kettle had finished boiling. “I don’t suppose we could drive out there much before nine, could we?” Billy shook his head.

  “It would be rude to get there any earlier.” he said. It was a given now that they were going to visit the mysterious end of the trail, labelled on the map as, “The pottery.” And on the ornament as, end of journey”. It was just a case of passing time until a decent hour to drive out there. Billy had already carefully noted the post code and location of the house from the computer, though it wasn’t actually that far away at all. Twenty minute’s drive at best.

  So they sat drinking coffee and trying to out-stare the clock until seven o’clock arrived, at which point Billy went to have a shower and get ready. Sue did the same a little later and slowly but surely nine o’clock arrived and they set out. Sue felt butterflies in her stomach as they drove across town, Billy behind the wheel neither rushing nor dawdling either.

  “What are you going to say when we get there?” asked Billy.

  “Oh, it’s me doing the talking now is it?” Sue replied.

  “Well you’re the one who solved most of them.” he said, smiling.

  “It was team work.” she said. “We both did it.” She paused to think for a while as their journey continued. “I’ll think of something.” she said eventually. They settled back into silence and before long they turned into what seemed to be a short cul-de-sac. Sue consulted the map print-out and pointed down the road. “It should be over there on the left.” Billy pulled the car up to the kerb and as they coasted to a halt they both noticed a high hedge of fir trees that ended in a large wrought iron gate. An ornate stone plate on the gate read, “The Pottery”. Billy turned off the engine and they sat there for a while, gazing at the house name plate.

  “End of journey.” said Billy, opening the car door. “Come on.” They left the car and Billy opened the gate which slid effortlessly open, as if it had recently been oiled. Once on to the path the house was much more visible. A large white painted building with broad bayed windows sat at the end of the garden which contained several neat bushes placed tastefully around a newly trimmed lawn. Billy noticed several stone ornaments around the garden, none of which he had seen in any of the garden centres they seemed to have spent the last few days in. Sue grabbed Billy’s arm and pointed to one in particular which seemed to be some form of a stone carved tree trunk, around which several creatures were gathered. Billy just nodded and they continued along the path. Beneath the bay windows several clay pots filled with various colourful flowers were placed, each seemingly carefully spaced. Sue approached the tall front door and rang the bell which sat beside another, though smaller stone plaque showing the house’s name. They stood on the step as the sound of the bell echoed inside the house.

  After a minute or two Sue rang the bell again. After what was probably another minute, but to Billy felt like five, Sue pressed it one more time. Still nothing.

  “Bugger.” said Billy. “There’s nobody in! You wouldn’t believe it, would you?” They stood there unsure as to what to do. Sue gave the bell one more, although longer push this time but still nothing happened. Billy looked around the side of the path which was hidden from them by a large wooden garden gate which was firmly shut. Sue watched him as he tried the latch on the gate. To her surprise it rose easily, and the gate opened. Billy vanished through it, leaving Sue standing alone on the garden path.

  “Hang on, Billy!” she shouted after him, moving away from the front door and peering in through the garden gate. “You can’t just go wandering around somebody else’s house! You’ll get us locked up!” She followed him however, and they found themselves in a large garden. Again, several stone ornaments stood out amongst the borders across the wide lawn.

  “They might be in the garden what with it being nice.” said Billy, even though it was obvious by now that the garden was completely empty. Along the side of the house however, there was a lower building which had a long window running along its length. The window was, Sue noticed, quite dusty. She joined Billy as he held his hand up to the glass, peering through. They both saw that it was some sort of workshop. The dust on the windows was grey and in places quite thick. Off to the far side of the room sat a small hearth and a potter’s wheel stood off to one side.

  “Well that proves it.” said Billy. “It’s definitely the right place.” Sue agreed and pointed out to Billy a large pile of junk gathered at the far end of the workshop. Various lumps of stone and bags of some strange dust filled the corner. On top of one of the piles was an oddly shaped object that looked a little like a vacuum cleaner but with a large circle of metal at its base. “What’s that then?” said Billy but Sue just shook her head
.

  “No idea.” she said. “It wasn’t that I was pointing at though. Look just in front of it. There’s another ornament that looks half done, but it has a little bit of a mirror in it. Just like the one we bought.” Billy peered in and could see that this was indeed the case.

  “It’s exactly the same as ours.” he said. “Doesn’t look quite finished though.” They continued to peer through the window, trying to see if there were any signs of life. The only thing that they noticed however was a small door at the back of the workshop that remained firmly closed.

  “Can I help you?” Came a loud voice from behind them, and Sue gave a short yelp whilst Billy spun around almost instantaneously.

  “Jesus!” he blurted out. “You nearly gave me a bloody heart attack then!” Billy found himself facing a tall man who although clearly wondering what they were up to, had a smile on his face at the fright he had given the couple, whether it had been an accident or not.

  “I’m from next door.” he said. “I’m afraid Charles is not in at the moment. “Are you relatives?” Billy thought that it was a strange connection to make. Fair enough, he had found them acting suspiciously in the garden but to reach the conclusion that they were relatives seemed to be a bit of a jump. Billy decided to play along.

  “Once removed.” said Billy, and he tried very hard not to take into account the expression on Sue’s face. The man nodded at this.

  “Terrible business.” he said. “And so talented too.” He seemed to notice a vague show of bewilderment on Sue’s face and obviously began to think that he may have said something that he shouldn’t. “Still...” he began, but Sue interrupted him.

  “Indeed.” she said. “Though we have been driving for some time. Perhaps you could bring us up to date on...” and then it was the man’s turn to interrupt.

  “Ah.” he said, and seemed to be trying to extricate himself from whatever situation he thought that he was now managed to place himself in as fast as he possibly could. “I don’t really know that much. Just saw the ambulance yesterday morning. I would imagine that it was the Royal they were taking him. Always has been in the past, or so he told me last time I saw him.”