by Diana Launt
“Yes I sold four of those throws for fifty pence each,” Harry said proudly.
“What! You didn’t, the wife will kill me, they were brand new, and she wanted a fiver each for them. She is going to play merry hell with me when I get home, and my life is not going to be worth living thanks to you. Whatever possessed you to sell them for fifty pence each, you can see that they’re new? Are you daft, or what?” he said.
Harry lost his rag. “You should have given me the price you wanted for them, or had it wrote on the packets then, if it mattered that much, you money grabbing idiot.”
“Ere listen up, who are you calling an idiot.” The man with the mole said angrily.
Harry grabbed him by the throat and pinned him against the wall. “Keep your trap shut you ingratiating man or I will wait till I see you on a dark night and slit your throat and leave you to bleed out in some blood splattered corner where no one will find you. You want to guard yourself, I do not make idle threats, and you had better watch your back from now on. If I come across you on a dark night with nobody about, it is goodbye Mr Splat head.”
At that point, Rachel came running up to them and whilst breaking them apart, grumbling that they were behaving like children.
“Calm down you two. Harry you will be reprimanded for assaulting one of the other volunteers, take this as a verbal warning, we do not tolerate bullying and violence at the Forum.”
“Its Splat head’s fault, he wound me up. I was doing him a favour, by watching his stall while he went to the toilet and he goes off gobbing at me for selling a throw too cheap,” Harry said.
“Ere who are you calling Splat head?”
“You Splat head. What’s that on your head that looks like a nipple, what are you a tit head?”
Rachel reprimanded Harry and told him that he was not to refer to Reggie Brown as Splat head, it was very rude, and that he was to go outside and calm down and not to come back until he had done so.
As Rachel stormed away, she could not help but think about what the fortune teller had said in Skegness about Harry being trouble, maybe she was right. She would have a word with her dad, Frank, he was a good judge of character and he had met Harry, see what impression he got of him.
CHAPTER 30
Frank popped into the Bring and Buy as Maria had given him the job of delivering some goodies that she had baked for Rachel. Maria always baked for everybody and family could expect baking at least twice a month. She was clearing her freezer out of all the stocks of fruit that she had frozen late last year. She had made apple and rhubarb crumbles and fruit cakes.
Rachel mentioned to Frank about Harry grabbing one of the other volunteers by the throat and asked him what he thought about Harry.
“Do you know Rachel there is something about that guy that I don’t like, I don’t know what it is but I think it’s a copper’s intuition it never leaves you. I can spot a con man a mile away. I do not know whether he is a con man, it is just a hunch, but I think he is a liar because everything you say you’ve done, he has done too and of course, he is perfect. Where is he anyway?”
“I sent him out to cool down, showing off like that in a public place,” barked Rachel.
“Yes, he is a bit of a ‘Mr Know it all’, isn’t he? I get the impression he lies when it comes to experience in different types of work. He has either gone from job to job and got a little experience in everything, or he bloody well reads a lot and learns from books, because he can talk the talk, but they make mistakes in the end,” said Frank.
“He’s quite charming most of the time and as a volunteer he always comes in when you want him to and he will do any of the tasks, it doesn’t matter how menial. When we were in Skegness, I coaxed him into going to the fortune teller whilst we were walking round the market. I paid for him too as I dragged him along with me. The fortune teller suggested he had a dark and mysterious side, then she started reading things about his past and he said it was a load of rubbish and he stomped out. When he had gone out of the tent the woman grabbed me by the arm and warned he was a bad man and that I ought to watch out,” Rachel said.
“Oh heck, there you go then. I don’t believe all that bullshit, but perhaps it’s a sign. Well it’s entirely up to you Rachel, but I would get rid of him,” Frank commanded.
Rachel answered. “It’s not all that easy dad, a volunteer has just as many rights as a permanent member of staff now, and it’s not like in the olden days. I’ve given him a verbal warning, that’s all I can do for now.”
“Well love, you know what my feelings are, there’s something odd about him, and I would not bother giving him any more work, if he rings in just tell him you have got nothing at present,” Frank advised.
CHAPTER 31
After the Bring and Buy Rachel went back to the Forum to finish off some paperwork and lolled at her desk looking out of the office window and wondering why you had to work when the weather was wonderful. The sun was out, not a cloud in the sky and she would love to be sitting in her sun chair reading her book. Instead, she was sitting there in a quandary wondering whether to give Harry another chance to prove himself. She would take him and drop him off at Frank and Maria’s place whilst she did some leaflet dropping with one of the other volunteers.
Perhaps she could get her dad to give him a subtle hint about his code of conduct whilst working at the Forum and that bullying the other volunteers was not a way for a grown man to carry on. Frank was good at that sort of thing, and she was a bit weak when it came to reprimanding the volunteers. She rang her mum and dad and asked whether she could invite Harry over for afternoon tea as she had leaflets to drop off to the shopping centre.
“Of course you can girl, your mam and I would like to have a chat and you know what your mum is like, she loves to show off with her late afternoon soirees,” Frank scoffed.
When Harry arrived, he was full of the joys of spring and happy to be going out for afternoon tea with the Hammonds. He would have time to look over the internet for a few plum bread and jam recipes to give to Maria, and he could excuse himself to go to the toilet and have a quick gander around the house for future reference.
***
When they arrived, Maria had baked some plum bread earlier and had wrapped one up for Harry and Rachel. She was busying herself in the kitchen, and had her best china out and was mashing a pot of tea for her guests.
Frank asked Harry “Do you want me to show you around the place?”
“I would love to go on a grand tour; I love to look around other people’s homes,” Harry chirped.
Maria said pertly. “Well don’t be too long because your tea is nearly ready.”
They decided to do a quick tour so that they could get quickly back for tea, so as not to get Maria annoyed as she could easily get a ‘bee in her bonnet’.
They sat chatting away and swapped recipes, and Frank did bring up in conversation about the altercation with ‘Splat head’ at the Forum bring and buy sale. Frank offering his advice to Harry saying that it wasn’t worth getting yourself thrown out of the Forum for, and there were always folk out there willing to wind you up. He remarked that he were best letting it go over the top of his head even if they were in the wrong, and that sometimes you had to bow down to dick heads.
This wound Harry up and brought the incident back to him, and he was beginning to bubble with anger. He would watch Splat head’s antics when he came out of the pub pissed and perhaps he would meet with a nasty accident this evening on his way home, or he could take him back to the farm if nobody was about to play a few games with him.
CHAPTER 32
That evening Harry made himself a cooked meal comprising of three scraggy lamb chops, boiled potatoes, carrots and a couple of broccoli florets and gravy. He was pushing the boat out tonight and a ploughman’s lunch would not suffice as he might have a long wait for Splat head because he did not keep regular times for his pub outings.
He hated people that had no set routines. On the farm, he had to h
ave good time management, to feed and water all the chickens and ducks, the goats, then feed himself and his victims and go about his daily duties.
He had checked the pubs for Splat head and waited outside in the car at the one he was frequenting. Let this not be another wasted journey, when he could be watching Frank and Maria’s place to see what nights he went out and left her on her lonesome. He had decided not to hurt Frank physically; he would hurt him mentally through Maria. Shame though she made an awesome plum pudding, but he had her recipe so he did not mind too much. That way they would, all suffer losing their mother to a psychopath. After all, men did not interest him, unless they upset him like this dickhead Splat head, he had it coming the revolting man.
Just as he was getting ready to go, as the place looked like it was not giving the time out bell and he reckoned they were going for an after bird lock-in, the doors opened and everyone came tumbling out. He leaned down in the car so that no one saw him and watched surreptitiously. Splat head conveyed a few goodbyes to folk and started wandering up the road. How lucky, he was walking on his own, probably going for a bite to eat.
He was right he called into the fish and chip shop. Harry waited impatiently for him to come out with his supper. The car was crawling alongside him, as he teetered drunkenly from side to side along the path, with no idea that he was so gullible and that a psychopath was stalking him and death was looming in on him.
Harry waited while Splat head staggered down a little alley and he shot out of the car, had a quick look round to see whether anyone was about, pounced on him and pummelled him on the head with a tyre lever, dragged him onto the back seat of the car, and covered him with an old car cover.
He picked up the fish and chip package, which had fell to the ground and carried it back to the car.
He threw the tyre lever into the boot, wiped his face and hands with baby wipes, opened the wrapped chips, and saw he had a double supper, Fish, Chips and Mushy Peas twice, waste not want not. What a feast, he would eat well today; all that was missing was bread and butter and a cup of tea, so he pinched a few chips to ease his hunger and then decided to wrap them back up and eat them at home.
He drove back to the farm and dragged Reggie out of the back of the car and into the barn. He opened the hatch and threw him down the steps. He would warm the fish and chips up in the microwave, popped the kettle on for a cup of tea, and butter some bread.
He slumped there devouring his supper and thinking what he could do to Splat head. The horrible man deserved to die an excruciating death. He was getting so excited it was putting him off his fish and chips, but he had eaten plenty today so he threw the remainder in his composting bin thinking Splat head did not deserve a last supper.
He began to laugh to himself because he knew this kill would totally confuse them because it was a man this time, killed in a different fashion. He was going to make him suffer, perhaps play a few mind games too, as he could not have sex with him, or perhaps he could. Yes, he decided he would, he thinks he’s such a big macho man and he did not have to look at his face.
He went to the barn, carefully clambered down the steps, in case Reggie had come round and decided to jump him. He was still unconscious so Harry checked his vital signs to see whether he was dead. Reggie was still alive so Harry turned him onto his front, stripped him naked and tied him down. He decided to humiliate him first and went to the cupboard where he kept his pervert gear and got out the leather suit, mask, ball gag and whip. He dragged them on and started to whip him to wake him up.
Reggie woke to a sharp pain to his back. He tried to turn to see who had tied him up, and saw a masked man in black leather gear whipping him.
“Ere what’s your game, is this some kind of hoax, because if it is can you see me laughing? Untie me now you pervert. I’m not into this kind of stuff; do you think I’m a queer? When I get out of this, you are going to suffer. You are in for a right beating mate.”
Harry had an assortment of condoms and put one on. Frank started screaming as he recognised the sound of the packet ripping as he guessed what he was about to do to him. Reggie screamed begging Harry to leave him alone as Harry started viciously thrusting into him.
“How does that feel Splat head, not so cocky now are you?”
“Harry Mason is that you? No…, get off me you pervert, I am going to kill you if it’s the last thing I do. You had better start running now because I am going to rip your head off when I catch you,” he yelped in excruciating pain.
“What makes you think you are getting away? When I’ve finished I am going to kill you, dress you in my leather suit and mask and dump you where everyone can see you.”
Harry kept on and on at him, and used several different sex toys, bottles, tools to shove inside him. Reggie’s cries getting weaker and weaker with the excruciating pain. He then decided to finish him off. He tied a plastic bag around his head and slowly suffocated him, making it look like he died going too far with sex games.
He removed his suit, wiped it down so they would find no DNA, and dragged the leather suit, mask, ball gag, on Reggie and left the plastic bag on his head. He added a pair of pink fluffy handcuffs to finish the outfit off, chucked him in the back of the van, and dumped him in the hedgerow off the A158 Horncastle Road.
Whoever found the body would be in for a surprise. What a laugh it is going to be when his family and friends found out he was into kinky sex. He desired the ultimate humiliation for Reggie Brown who had picked a fight with the wrong man.
CHAPTER 33
On Sunday at home Rachel had a call from Mrs Brown asking whether Rachel would contact her if Reggie Brown turned up for his volunteer work Monday morning as he had not come home from the pub Saturday night and she had not seen him all day Sunday and it wasn’t like him to miss a Sunday lunch.
She had been in touch with the police and they had said that he had not been missing long enough to investigate but would book it in, and that she had to ring back should she not hear from Reggie.
The Police asked whether they had argued, and she told them they argued every day so it would not make a difference. She just wanted to see him to get her housekeeping money off him before he spent the lot on booze, cigarettes and floozies.
Rachel told Mrs Brown that she had not seen him since the Bring and Buy on Saturday and that he was booked down for a place at the Car Boot Monday but had not confirmed it, but she would let her know if he did show up for work.
He sounded like a bit of a cad, Reggie Brown, and if he carried on with other women, she was better off without him. Some women did really let their husbands walk all over them, she was glad that she hadn’t a regular boyfriend if that’s the way some of them behave and reckoned she was better off on her own.
Rachel had the most horrible feeling that something was wrong, terribly wrong, but did not know what to do about it so she rang her dad to seek his advice.
“Hi dad so sorry to bother you as I know you will be probably lazing on the riverbank fishing with your mates. I hope you are having a fabulous time.”
“It’s okay sweetheart, what can I do for you?”
“I want to pick your brains again dad, you know that argument that Harry Mason, the volunteer, had with one of the other volunteers, Reggie Brown. Well, Mrs Brown has just rung up and said that Reggie had not come home from the pub last night, and she asked whether he had shown up for work at the Forum.”
“Well what’s so strange about that love, lots of men go over the top at the boozer and go and stay at their friends house because they’ve got too pissed and scared to go back home in case their wives give them what for. I’ve known plenty of men take a good bashing from a woman because they spent too long in the boozer.”
“Do you think that might have happened then, and I’m just worried for nothing?”
“Oh Rachel, you do tend to have an over active imagination sometimes, what do you think happened?”
“Flipping heck. I don’t know dad. It just seems a bit
strange that he has disappeared when he told his wife he was volunteering today and he didn’t come in,” said Rachel.
“He will show up when he wants to, probably been on a right bender and has to sober up before he goes home. Some of these men are hen-pecked and scared of getting their other halves wound up. I am a big man but I can tell you I don’t like to get on the wrong side of Maria when she is in a bad mood.”
Rachel laughed. “Oh give over dad. Yes, I suppose I am worrying for nothing. How long are you away fishing this time?”
“Got here Saturday evening. Our long weekend falls Easter this year. Don’t forget your mum’s doing Easter Lunch, and looking forward to your girly pamper sessions. I should be back Bank Holiday Tuesday.”
“Okay, I think we will need the pamper sessions after the weekend forum festivities, Easter is busier than Christmas for us. See you later dad and thanks for putting my mind at rest.”
Rachel felt better after talking to her dad and continued with doing the payroll for the month, but she had to finish soon, to pick up her weekend bag and have Easter lunch and pamper weekend with her mother.
CHAPTER 34
Bank Holiday Monday
It was a 7am start for the Bank Holiday Monday Easter Car Boot at the Forum Car Park, the sun was bright and it was a lovely spring day. Daffodils, blue, yellow and white hyacinths and a variety of other border bulbs were leaning over, eagerly waiting to catch the rays of the early morning sun. They looked so beautiful set against the stark brick walls of the Forum offices.
The proceeds of the boot sale were going towards the Forum Christmas Party and booking a Santa to come in to give all the children presents. It was a long time to go yet, but Christmas at the Forum was a big cost so they had to start fund-raising early because they also had to pay for a face painter, a beautician to pamper the parents, and they also hired a children’s disco.