by Tara Ford
“When did you say that Dayna and Tasha are starting their leaflet distribution?”
“Monday.”
“That might help. Makes me laugh though. The thought of those two going out in fluorescent pink gear and hi-vis jackets. And what’s that motto again?” Aaron smiled, “Be there, be cool?”
“Be there or be square.” Jenny giggled. “They do look funny. I’m surprised that Tasha agreed to wear it, she’s quite shy.”
“Thought you said she’s well into dressing up in weird costumes.”
“Oh, yes. Seems to be that way but she’s still shy about it all.”
By 10.20pm, Jenny and Aaron were walking out of the shop. Jenny locked the door and popped the keys into her jacket. “It’s only twenty past and I’m out of here already. Thank you, Aaron – I could do with having you here every night.”
“Can’t do every night,” Aaron replied, as they walked down the side road, towards the rear of the shop, “but I could help you on your late shifts – it’s not a problem. And I want to do all I can to help you out. After all, you’ll be owing me for the EPOS system in a year’s time, so I’d better look after my assets.” Aaron laughed. “And that wasn’t a hint or anything, it seems that I’m compelled to see you succeed.” Aaron pulled Jenny close to him. “And I’m compelled to kiss you now that we’re not in the shop.”
It was a short, soft kiss but lasted long enough for Jenny to wonder what she should do next. Once again, it was a case of, should she invite him back to her flat for the proverbial coffee – she wanted to? Or should she just say thank you and goodnight and be on her way, as she had to be up early again tomorrow?
“Do you want to come back to my flat? Err… you know… for coffee?”
Aaron looked down at her, longingly. “I would love to,” he kissed her lips gently, “but I’m not going to.”
“Oh,” replied Jenny, disappointedly. “Ok.”
“I came here tonight to help you – not hinder you.” Aaron pulled away and smiled, warmly. “You’ve got to get up and come back here in a few hours’ time – I dare not come to yours for coffee.”
Jenny’s euphoric state, during the evening, sunk. “Ok.”
“But you finish at six tomorrow, yes?”
Jenny nodded. Once again she’d forgotten that it was Sunday tomorrow and she did indeed, finish early. “Yes – I always forget. The weeks fly by here.”
“Then how about I take you out for a meal tomorrow night – and then we’ll go back to yours for coffee, after?”
“Yes, ok, thanks, Aaron. I’d love to. But let me pay for it… as a ‘thank-you’ for what you’ve done this evening.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it. I’ll pick you up at say… 7.15pm? Does that give you enough time?”
Jenny grinned and nodded her head, enthusiastically. “I’ll make sure it does.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” said Aaron, pulling Jenny into a dark corner of the car park and planting his lips firmly onto hers for what seemed like an age.
A few minutes later, Jenny watched Aaron climb into his car and slowly creep away. She too, crept away in her old jeep, leaving the peaceful, sleepy residents of Farehelm, far behind her.
OMG! He’s text me! He’s text me! Love, Day xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
And?????
And… he’s not sure he has any available time until next Saturday. xx
Well that’s great isn’t it?
During the day… Boohoo! xx
Why not in the evening?
He’s travelling early hours of Sunday morning – Scotland – for a two day conference. Big dentist get together, apparently. xx
So you want time off?
How can I? xx
We could ask Tasha if she wouldn’t mind swapping days. It’s in both of your contracts to be flexible to changing your days at the weekends.
Oh, ok, woohoo! Can you ask her tomorrow? xx
Yes of course I can. Night night xx
One more thing, Jen. Is Aaron there? Woohoo! Have a good night’s SLEEP!!!
No he’s not. He went home after we finished at the shop. So I will have a good night’s sleep, thank you x
You did it at the shop????!!!
No, Day! We did not do it at the shop.
Where then? Love Day xx
Nowhere!
Why?
Not time yet – now sod off and let me get to sleep. I’m up in six hours. All my love, Jenny x
You’re dragging this one out or lying to me! Night hun, loves ya! Xxxx and don’t forget to ask Tasha xx
I won’t. And I’m not lying x
“Oh, while I remember, Tasha – would you be able to swap shifts with Dayna next weekend? It’s short notice, I know, but Dayna needs the afternoon off.”
“Next weekend?” Tasha looked horrified. “I… err… well, you mean, work Saturday instead of Sunday?”
“Yes. Is it a problem?”
“Err… well, I was going to go shopping with my mum… but… well, I should be able to cancel it… and you know, go with her the next time. Yes, so it’s working until 8pm is it?”
“Yes – you wouldn’t start until ten though. Can you do it?”
Tasha nodded, unconvincingly. “Ok.”
“Were you just going shopping?”
“Well…” Tasha faltered. “Err, yes – just a bit of shopping.”
“Ok, are you sure it’s not going to cause a problem – you seem a little unsure about it, that’s all.”
“No, no. It’ll be fine. I’ll finish at eight o’clock, yes?”
“Yes.” Jenny looked puzzled, at her young colleague. “Do you go shopping late then?”
“No, no… we were going out, that’s all.” Tasha shifted uncomfortably, from one foot to another. “Out for the evening… as well as shopping.”
“Look, Tasha, if you have something important that you need to do, then we can sort it out – somehow. I mean, maybe Dayna could come back in the evening.”
“No… no, it’s ok. I’m sorry, Jenny. It’s fine – I’ll do it.”
“Well, if you’re sure…” Jenny couldn’t work out why Tasha appeared to be so jittery about next Saturday.
“I’m sure – I promise. I’ll get a lift from here at eight o’clock, straight to the…” Tasha stopped short. “Yes, it will be fine. Shall I make a coffee?”
“Please,” said Jenny, looking perplexed as she watched Tasha tootle off down the aisle with a mug in each hand. “And you will get paid overtime for the extra hour, next week.”
Tasha turned and smiled. “Thank you.”
There was a strange, awkward silence for the rest of the day. Tasha was pleasant enough and helpful as always, but the atmosphere was a little strained. Jenny couldn’t help wondering if there was something that Tasha wasn’t saying, but then again, why should she tell her boss what she gets up to in her free time.
Tasha will change shifts with you next week but I don’t think she was too happy about it. Be grateful, I get the impression she’s missing out on something next Saturday. Hasn’t said what. Been a bit odd all day. DO NOT say anything though. Be thankful that you can have your day with your dentist. Love Jen x
Oh shit! I forgot all about that!
What?
She’s supposed to be going to Brighton with her mum. Her mum has a new pole-dancing act – in a topless bar!! xx
Really???
Yes – she tells me things, Jen. Forgot to mention it. Don’t forget, you’re her boss, she wouldn’t want to tell you about stuff like that. Xx
Oh, ok!!
I’ll talk to her. Can we do like, half shifts? I’ll come back for 6pm, then she can go. Can we do that? xx
Do what you like, I don’t mind. As long as I have one or the other, it’s fine.
What about Aaron? Xx
Nope – not asking him to work here. He offered to help last night but I’m not going to ask him to cover for others.
Ok, I’ll speak to Tasha and get it sorted on Monday. Ok? xx
Yes, ok, see you tomorrow, Day. Oh, and I’m going out for a meal with Aaron after work, tonight. Yay! X
Well, for God’s sake, will you just shag him and get it over and done with? Lol xx
We’ll see. He is a gentleman you know. X
Either antiquated or scared, I reckon! Lol x
Nope – just a gentleman. Treating me like a lady. Hopefully, your dentist will be the same – you might learn something! Love Jen x
With an excited energy, Jenny whizzed through the paper returns, after Tasha had left. There were just 45 minutes to go and then she could shut the shop. Having already begun to count up the small change and put it into plastic bags, Jenny was well ahead of time. She planned to get home as early as possible, jump in the shower quickly and be ready to go at 7.15pm, when Aaron would arrive to pick her up.
Through the window, Jenny could just see a taxi pull up, on the entrance to the side road. Moments later, a man struggled to get out of the back of the car. Through the darkness, Jenny could just make out the figure of Denny, the murderous man with one leg. He slammed the taxi door hard and limped away from the car, appearing to mutter something under his breath. Jenny moved back slightly, hoping to hide behind the middle panel of the window frame. Slowly, he hobbled over to the front of the shop. Jenny held her breath in fear. Was he coming into the shop?
Glancing up at the mirror, she could see that no one was in the shop. She was alone. Alone on a dark, Sunday evening, when everyone else was at home, tucked up in their cosy houses, bathed and hair washed, watching the TV, with full stomachs, having eaten a big roast dinner.
And here she was – about to stare death in the face.
Instinctively, she reached down for the phone under the counter, and then moved slowly back to her spot, behind the window’s central frame.
Denny approached the door and peered through.
Jenny could just see her potential assailant, side on, through the window. Oh God help me, she thought as her thumb automatically dialed a number, the first number that she could think of. Placing the receiver to her ear, she waited for the phone to stop ringing, she waited desperately to hear someone’s voice on the other end.
Denny moved sideways, away from the door, closer to the window pane where Jenny was hiding and cowering. He glared through the window.
“Hello?” A familiar man’s voice said, from the phone.
“Dad? Oh… hi Dad. Err… right… how are you?”
“Jen, I’ve been meaning to call you – you’ve beat me to it.”
Jenny laughed, nervously. “Ha – I’ve been meaning to… err… to call you too.”
The man went back to the door and placed a bony hand on the handle.
“Everything going ok?”
“Yes…” Jenny tried to control her quivering voice. “Err… it’s all going great.”
As Jenny watched the handle creak slowly down, a lump grew in her throat. Gulping hard, she tried to remain calm. “So… err…”
The door opened.
“Jen? Is everything ok?”
“Oh… err… yes, Dad.” Jenny raised her voice. “Yes, it’s going REALLY WELL.”
Denny stepped into the shop and narrowed his eyes at the bright lights.
“Yes… I’ve got them ALL working hard. Yes – they’re ALL out the BACK OF THE SHOP, Dad. WORKING THEIR SOCKS OFF.”
Denny glared across the shop to where Jenny stood, clutching the phone as if it was the only thing that would save her from a terrible ending of deathly doom.
“Jenny,” said Dad, sounding puzzled. “What are you talking about?”
Seconds later, Denny slid away down the first aisle and out of sight.
“YES!” shouted Jenny, “AARON is in the STAFFROOM – IN THE SHOP. HE’S MAKING US A CUP OF TEA!”
“Jenny? What are you doing?” Dad called down the phone. “Talk to me – don’t shout.”
“I EXPECT AARON WILL BRING ME A CUP OF TEA IN A MINUTE…”
Peering up at the mirror, Jenny could see Denny standing just behind the first row of shelves. His head was swivelling from left to right, as if he was checking the aisle for people. Jenny gulped. It was as if the man from upstairs was on the lookout for any potential witnesses to his next murder…
“Oh, so you’ll be HERE in a MINUTE too,” Jenny shouted down the phone. “So we’ll have EVERYONE HERE…”
“Jenny, have you gone completely mad?” What’s going on?”
“EVERYONE WILL BE HERE IN THE SHOP – THAT’S GOOD.”
Jenny froze as Denny began to snake down the aisle, going from one side to the other. Then he stopped half way down and stood motionless, in the middle of the aisle. His head suddenly began to flick from one side to the other. Then he stood perfectly still again.
In the mirror, Jenny could see Denny’s shoulders and back rise and fall as he appeared to breathe heavily. Panting. Like a prowling dog.
“Err… YES – LIKE I SAID… THE GIRLS ARE WORKING…”
“For God’s sake, Jenny,” hollered Dad, angrily. “What…”
“THEY’RE JUST OUT THE BACK… I CAN CALL THEM OUT… OUT HERE… ANYTIME… I’VE GOT A BUZZER – RIGHT HERE!”
“Jenny – is there someone in the shop? Have you got trouble in there?”
“YES, DAD – you hit the nail on the head. THERE ARE LOTS OF US HERE.” Jenny held the phone away from her mouth before screaming towards the end of the shop. “AARON! IS THAT TEA READY YET?” In a flash, Jenny returned the phone to her ear.
“Jenny!” Dad shouted down the phone. “Are you in trouble?”
“YES, DAD – WHY DON’T YOU COME ON OVER – RIGHT NOW?” The phone line went deathly quiet. Her dad had hung up on her. Jenny’s heart raced. A tightness gripped at her throat. Sweaty and sick, Jenny gulped. “OH OK… YES, BRING MY BIG BROTHER HERE TOO,” she continued. “OH, I SEE – SO MY BROTHER IS ON HIS WAY ALREADY? YES, SO HE’LL BE HERE IN SECONDS…”
Peering up at the mirror, Jenny’s heart almost stopped as she watched the man slither down to the end of the shop and vanish from view. The one place in the shop where the mirror could not reflect, was at the very bottom of the first aisle, opposite the staffroom. And that’s where Denny was. Lying in wait.
Waiting to butcher her.
The seconds ticked by prominently. Jenny’s life was ticking away, quickly. Terrifyingly. Clutching the phone in her sweaty palms, she resisted the urge to cry. She would go down fighting.
“IT’S LOVELY CHATTING TO YOU – I DON’T KNOW WHERE AARON HAS GOT TO… WITH THAT TEA… HE’LL BE OUT ANY SECOND…” Jenny gulped hard as her throat tightened again. “YES… HE’LL BE COMING RIGHT OUT OF THE STAFFROOM – AT THE FAR END OF THE SHOP… ANY SECOND NOW!”
Denny came into view at the bottom of the second aisle as he turned the corner. He began to snake along the second aisle, towards Jenny.
Gripping the silent phone in her hand, Jenny pressed it harder to her ear.
Closer and closer.
The man’s beady, black eyes, flicked from left to right.
Jenny’s eyes were riveted onto his.
Denny moved closer. Crazy. Chancy. Cunning.
Jenny’s life was about to end.
She would be cut into a million pieces.
Her dad, Aaron, Dayna, Tasha – they would all find her dismembered body, lying in a pool of thick, black blood. She would still be holding the phone… but her head would have rolled away, down the aisle, never to hear another word spoken.
Closer still.
Just moments away.
Jenny’s life had almost come to its end.
Would she die quickly? Would it be painful? Would she have the strength to fight back?
Mad people are supposedly super-strong, aren’t they?
Jenny stared, pleadingly, as Denny reached the counter and moved stealthily round it, on the prowl.
She could smell him. She could almost feel the sickly heat emanating from him. She squeezed the phone in her hand. Goodbye
, she whispered, inside her firmly attached head. Goodbye world…
“Nice shop,” grunted Denny, before moving across the floor to the front. Wrenching the door open, he limped out. Then he was gone.
Dropping the phone on the counter, Jenny clapped her hands to her mouth, drew in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Letting out a nervous chuckle, she looked up to the ceiling and began an involuntary, convulsive sob.
She had overreacted – how silly of her.
In her moment of terror she hadn’t even thought to use the panic alarm.
And thank God she hadn’t.
How silly would she have looked?
The sudden, bursting sound of a siren brought Jenny back to her senses. Flashing blue lights lit up the shelving from outside.
The police.
Jumping from their car, two officers charged into the shop and halted by the door. “We’ve had a report of an attack, Miss.”
Jenny shook her head, dumbfounded. “Not here,” she replied.
“Are you Jenny Fartor?”
“Yes…” Jenny nodded her head. “I am.” Discreetly, she placed a hand over the phone still lying on the counter top and pushed it aside.
“Have you had any problems, Miss?”
“No… no, not at all,” Jenny squirmed, realizing just what had happened.
“We’ve had a phone call, Miss. Did you send out a distress call to your father?”
“No…” Jenny hesitated. “No, well, yes possibly. Well… err… no, not really. I think there has been a misunderstanding, officer.”
“Is everything as it should be, Miss?”
“Yes… yes, absolutely, officer. I am so sorry about this. I think there has been a bit of a mix up.” Jenny cringed. “I will speak to my father,” Jenny tried to laugh it off. “He’s a silly old sausage – honestly.”
“Are you here alone, Miss?”
Jenny hesitated. “Oh… err… no… not at all. I… err… my colleague, well, she… err, she’s just nipped out to the staffroom. The toilet – you know,” she said, anxiously. “It’s that time of the month.” Jenny rubbed and patted her tummy and pulled an anguished look on her face.
The two officers nodded, embarrassedly. “Ok, if you get any trouble here, then please do call this direct line.” The taller of the two men approached the counter and scribbled a number onto his pad, then he tore the bottom of the sheet and passed it over. “If you’re all ok and sure that we can’t be of any assistance, we’ll be on our way.”