Revenge

by Bill Ward

  Tom detected a noticeable increase in customers despite the bad weather. It was a trend he was informed by Ben, which had been on a sharp upwards curve since details of his story appeared on the front page of the newspapers. Whether the new customers were actually spending money or just enjoying his free coffee, he wasn’t certain. Tom dutifully spent an hour chatting to regulars and newcomers, handing out coffee, taking bets and accepting congratulations from everyone. Yes it was true Melanie Adams had been in the shop the previous night. He had to admit to once again quite enjoying his new found celebrity status.

  Melanie had returned to London for a meeting with her Agent. Their early morning love making meant she was going to be late for that meeting and had left Tom feeling the luckiest man on the planet. They had had what was really their first serious discussion about the future. It was a subject he had always chosen to avoid but as she lay in his arms, she had said simply that despite the terrible events of the previous few days, she was so pleased she had met him. He had muttered something similar and then she had come right out and said it, “I don’t want this to end. I don’t want to live on a different continent to you.”

  He’d thought about this moment several times. What he was going to say when the subject arose. He had thought she would be announcing her return home to work and they would agree to stay in touch. Maybe even he would go out for a visit but this was quite different. Melanie was hinting at a future together. This wasn’t in Tom’s script but it was exciting. In the short term she had to return home for Carol’s funeral but was suggesting he accompany her and stay for Christmas. The break would do him good. She could show him her home and life. For a moment he was carried away with the enthusiasm of the moment but he couldn’t leave now, not while Colin was still in hospital. She had forgotten Colin for an instant and apologized profusely. Of course he couldn’t leave. But when Colin improved then she expected Tom to pay a visit. He smiled and promised he would.

  Tom dared to believe for the first time that they might actually have a future. Then in the same moment the voice in his head warned him not to get too carried away. He was punching well above his weight. He was sure nobody who knew him would understand how he was with Melanie Adams or more importantly why she was with him. Everywhere she went she turned heads. When he was with her Tom felt the proudest and luckiest man alive. He was concerned about the many practical details but she dismissed them with a wave of her hand.

  One issue that particularly concerned Tom was finances. A subject that always seemed to follow him around. While most couples would worry about whether they had enough money to buy a house, Tom was more concerned they had too much money. Or at least a disproportionate balance between the two of them. Melanie was used to a certain lifestyle that he would never be able to afford to provide and he couldn’t see himself living off her income. He didn’t know the answer and guessed Melanie wouldn’t even see it as a problem. She was like a tornado, entering his life and ripping everything apart. However, unlike the typical tornado this was a positive experience and he was happy to be carried along by its energy, taking him he wasn’t entirely sure where but he had no inclination to escape its clutches.

  Tom’s home was still a mess, constantly invaded by numerous police forensics officers in white coats looking for clues. He stopped by the house to collect a few extra clothes and crossed the road to check how Janet was getting along. She had asked after Melanie and seemed amazingly resilient given how recently she had lost her husband. She also gained comfort from the fact Colin was showing signs of improvement. She felt his survival would give some meaning to her husband’s death. Tom considered he would always be in John’s debt for saving Colin’s life and he intended to help Janet in any way he could. He made sure she understood if she needed anything at all she only had to ask.

  Tom was crossing back over the road when Miller telephoned. He was intrigued by Miller’s request for him to come immediately to London. As Melanie was already in London, Tom found it easy to agree despite only the briefest explanation from Miller. The details could wait until they met. He promised to be on the first possible train.

  CHAPTER TEN

  It was a couple of minutes past five when Tom arrived at the Kingston gate entrance to Richmond Park. He directed the taxi right at the mini roundabout and followed the road tracing the circumference of the park for about a mile, until making a left up the familiar hill to the car park closest to the appointed meeting place.

  In his early twenties, after leaving university, he had rented his first flat in Kingston and for a few months even shared it with Rachel, a third year student studying art at Kingston University. They had been good times and the one summer they spent nearly every weekend with a rug and a bottle of wine in the park. She would sometimes produce a sketch of him and somewhere at home in a bottom draw, he still had a sketch she had signed and given to him for his birthday. When the course finished she had returned home to Bath and they had said goodbye without regrets. Six months later he had met Alex and rushed headlong into commitment and marriage.

  Paying the fare Tom declined the driver's offer to return and pick him up later. If everything went according to plan, obtaining a lift home would be the least of his problems. He was pleased he had taken the time to purchase the new steel grey wool coat he was wearing. It had an inner lining which he zipped up to his chin and pulled the high collar around his neck. He had paid a price he wouldn’t until recently have ever dreamed of paying for a coat and though he said so himself, he thought he looked smart and fashionable. It was something he would feel comfortable wearing out with Melanie. The old leather jacket had been consigned to the back of the wardrobe for the foreseeable future. The weather wasn’t showing any sign of improving and he felt that without the new coat, he was as likely to freeze to death as meet his end any other way. Tom didn't know if the girl would actually come but she'd sent the invitation and he’d accepted. He just hoped he wouldn't be leaving the park in a horizontal position.

  Miller had explained to Tom that it was a good location to meet. With it’s wide open spaces, he felt there was little danger of any innocent bystanders being caught up in whatever might be about to unfold. It would also be impossible for someone to sneak up unawares. The girl had probably chosen it as their meeting place for the exact same reasons.

  It was late afternoon and soon Darkness would start to fall. He stepped carefully on the slippery path as he began to walk down the gently sloping hill towards the ponds. He was particularly wary of patches of black ice. He knew he was being watched and didn’t want to end up unceremoniously falling on his backside. He glanced around as he walked. The area to his left was lightly wooded and covered in fern. To his right there was only long grass.

  He was shaking a little and it wasn’t just from the cold. He felt he was entitled to behave nervously after everything that had happened. It shouldn't scare anyone away. There were a couple of joggers and a handful of other people taking a leisurely stroll, although what drove them to be out in this weather he had no idea. There was no sign of anyone he could immediately label as suspicious or dangerous.

  Tom had agreed without too much pressure from Miller, to meet with the girl who was supposedly able to provide the whereabouts of Connor and had some other vital information she had to impart but wouldn’t share on the telephone. Miller assumed she also would want something in return. He had explained to Tom that she didn’t trust the police and wanted an intermediary. Someone she could trust. That someone was Tom. She had informed Miller that Tom would recognize her because they had met previously in his betting shop. That had made Tom relax. He remembered the pleasant and attractive Irish girl who knew nothing about horse racing. He couldn’t think of anyone less dangerous. What finally clinched the meeting for Tom was Miller reporting that the girl had sworn it was Connor who had attacked his brother and she too had reasons for hating him, so they both wanted to see him put away.

  As Tom came close to the first pond, he could s
ee no sign of the girl but he wasn't alarmed as they weren't actually due to meet for a further ten minutes. There were a number of other adults and even a couple of children walking back up towards the car park. A couple of dog owners were playing with their pets on the grassy bank at the water's edge. It was a favourite spot in summer for families to bring a picnic but in the current freezing temperatures nobody was thinking of picnics or swimming.

  Tom had been a frequent visitor in that warm summer with Rachel, which now seemed a life time ago. Nothing though had really changed. One man was throwing a plastic ball into the icy pond for his black Labrador to retrieve. Surely worth reporting to the RSPCA as a case of animal cruelty. As the dog emerged from the water he shook his coat dry and soaked a nearby couple in the process. They took it with good humour but quickly moved out of reach of a repetition.

  Tom stood with his hands in his pockets to wait for the girl with no name. He scanned the vicinity, trying to spot her approaching. There were several likely spots where a woman could use the trees and bushes for cover, perhaps even now observing him and checking it was safe to meet. A Jumbo Jet flew low overhead on its final descent into nearby Heathrow airport, making him think of some of the many warm places he would rather be right now. But despite his fears he was hoping the evening wouldn't end in anti-climax. It may even add another chapter to the book that had been mentioned.

  Tom spotted a large rotund man breathlessly walking towards him. Not a man who enjoyed walking or any other form of exercise, Tom thought. He was probably used to taking his car to visit his next door neighbour.

  "Do you know what time the park closes?" the man stopped and asked Tom.

  “About twenty minutes I think.”

  “Thanks, I’m on your side by the way.” He smiled and continued walking back the way Tom had come.

  Tom was surprised by the man’s words and doubtful what help he could be. He knew Miller had promised to have a few men positioned to help if necessary and he begun to see if he could spot who they were. He was grateful for the backup. It was some small comfort. The time passed slowly and he kept glancing at his watch. She was late. He shivered again. This time it was purely from the weather. His new coat zipped up around his neck but still his ears were exposed and feeling the cold. He decided he should walk back towards his car. Perhaps she had left something there for him or maybe it was her idea of a joke, to have them freezing half to death.

  "He’s heading back up the hill,” Taylor said into the walkie-talkie.

  He was positioned inside the ice-cream van at the top of the hill which at this time of year was in demand for its hot tea if not its ice cream. Taylor was Miller’s right-hand man and had organized the support team. He was glad Miller had thought to arrange for Simpson to bring the walkie-talkies. Communication would have been impossible otherwise.

  The ice cream van was conveniently placed for him to be able to monitor the whole of the car park and the path down to the ponds. Luigi, the owner of the van had quickly agreed to the presence of his new assistant, not that he'd been given any choice in the matter. The car park was emptying fast and soon there would be no customers for teas or ice cream. As Taylor looked around he could detect nothing out of the ordinary.

  "Everything's quiet," he reported.

  Sam had also entered the park by the Kingston gate and keeping to the cover of the trees followed the wall of the park around in the direction of the ponds. She had to stop at one point to make preparations for her return. It was a distance of about three miles but she was supremely fit and anyway, having arrived early, she didn't have to hurry.

  She took the circuitous route because she wanted to look for any signs that she might be walking into a trap. By the time she reached the ponds she was reasonably confident there would be no nasty surprises lying in wait on the return journey. Eduardo had suggested the meeting place and suggested the location to meet. It turned out he had used the park a couple of times for business transactions.

  It was a further quarter of an hour before she identified Ashdown walking down the hill. She was surprised by the shape of the man who approached him but seemed just to ask a question. Certainly he was no danger. To say he was overweight would be putting it mildly. If he slipped and lost his footing he'd roll down the hill like a ball. This is going to be a piece of cake she thought to herself.

  Miller was about one hundred and fifty yards parallel and to the left of Tom as he walked back up the hill. He was hidden from his view by a line of trees that marked the beginning of a wooded area. He and one of the men – Dave, who normally served as a bodyguard in the back-up car, were protecting the flanks against any attack from someone using the trees for cover. They had been particularly worried about the possible presence of a sniper and while Miller kept watch on the targets, Dave had free reign to search for potential trouble.

  Miller's other backup – Pete, was sitting behind the wheel of his car in the car park. The final member of the team, his regular driver – Steve, was parked by the entrance of the park. All the men were connected by the walkie-talkies he had asked Simpson to bring.

  "Anything your end, Pete?” Miller asked into his walkie-talkie.

  "Car park's quiet."

  "Anything, Steve?"

  "Nothing much happening here."

  Maybe this was going to be a waste of time.

  "Someone with black dog starting to move up hill,” Miller reported with little interest. "About thirty yards behind target. Could be a woman. Difficult to tell at this distance."

  "I see him,” Taylor responded. "Looks harmless.” No killer was going to turn up with man's best friend for company. Tom was now only fifty yards away from the van.

  "Land Rover with tinted windows has just entered park and is heading in your direction,” Taylor heard Steve announce over his radio. “A bit late for a visit.”

  There was a few seconds silence then Pete advised, "I can see Land Rover. It's parking up now."

  Taylor tensed. He was the nearest to go to Pete's aid if it was required.

  "Don't panic, guys. Middle aged woman and small mongrel just got out the Land Rover. The mongrel looks like it's probably her husband."

  Taylor smiled. He was beginning to get the feeling this was going to be a waste of time.

  Miller's attention had been diverted by listening to the report of the Land Rover. He noticed, in the last few seconds the person walking the dog had cut in half the distance between himself and Tom. The stride was purposeful. Then again so was everybody’s given the weather.

  "Couple and two kids starting up hill,” Miller reported.

  He could see Dave emerge from the trees up ahead and begin to walk casually in the direction of the car park. He was aiming to reach the car park at about the same time as Tom. Simpson was walking back down the hill in Tom’s direction.

  "We have a jogger running up path from pond,” Miller said suddenly. He sounded concerned for the first time. "Looks like a youngish woman. She's closing fast on target. Bob, keep an eye on her."

  What the hell! Sam was getting close to her target when she saw a man in a suit wearing an open coat walking from the trees towards the car park. She became instantly concerned. Men in suits don't go for walks in the park after a day at the office. They go home and change first, especially when it’s freezing cold. This man was probably still working and that spelled trouble.

  She was near enough to shoot. She needed to make her mind up quickly. There might not be a second chance. She'd hope there was some explanation for the man's behaviour other than what she feared. She put her hand inside her jacket to the shoulder holster she was wearing.

  Tom heard the approaching pounding feet of the jogger. He glanced nervously behind, drawn to the sound of the feet. The figure was wearing a balaclava and was barely distinguishable but he realized it was the shape of a woman advancing towards him. She seemed vaguely familiar.

  He was trying to recollect the girl from the shop when the next second he felt Simpson'
s shoulder barging into him, sending him sprawling to the hard ground. He heard the muted crack of a silenced gun, saw Simpson fall to the ground. Not again he said to himself, as he looked up from where he lay to see a gun pointing at him. He rolled and rolled, fearing it was a waste of time and cursing the fact he'd been stupid enough to listen to Miller.

  The black Labrador jumped on the man on the ground. He was barking like mad and generally having the time of his life. Humans weren't normally so obliging as to roll around playing on the ground.

  "Simpson's been shot,” Miller yelled into his radio as he ran. "It's the woman with the dog. Get her, Bob."

  He saw Taylor dive out the front of the ice cream van. Miller still had at least one hundred yards to cover. Knew he'd never make it in time as he saw the woman level her gun on Tom. She hesitated for a second. The dog was in her way. It was only momentary and then Miller saw the dog go limp. He hadn't heard the shot but knew who the woman's next target would be. Miller lifted his gun to fire at least hoping to cause a distraction.

  "Damn,” he cursed. What's the bloody jogger doing? He watched as the jogger threw herself at the woman with the gun, not really believing what he was seeing. The two of them fell to the ground.

  Miller could see Taylor sprinting towards the action. Just as well, because he was slowing down. He regretted the amount of time spent behind a desk in recent years.

  "Shit!” The woman was bloody escaping down the hill.

  "Boss, what the hell's going on?"

  "Steve, get an ambulance and then call the cavalry. Our suspect is escaping down towards ponds. We are giving chase. Stay in your car and maintain your position for the moment."